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      Friday, February 08, 2013


otherstuff
08:48 AM - 02/08/2013
I'm watching morning news
I'm listening to the heater
The current weather is mostly cloudy with rain showers

The topic: Hi!
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I’m not dead!

I’m addicted to FaceBook!

      Saturday, February 23, 2013


otherstuff
10:02 AM - 02/23/2013

The topic: Okee dokee
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Here I am, alive and well.

Watching “I Love Lucy”. WTF?  The guide said “Golden Girls”, I never loved Lucy. Ah, Encore West…Bonanza….that’ll do.

So, what’s happened this year.  Brian “trimmed” my past my waist hair.  I’d asked for two to four inches (max).  He did a radius, couldn’t get it even on the left and right, kept cutting. Eight to ten inches later….I screamed, I cried, I threw a hissy fit, I pouted, I cried some more, and to top it all off, to spite him (because he doesn’t care for red hair), I went did a temporary red color. Made a bad thing worse, it was a deep orangey red, looked great in the back (you’d never know it was me, wrong color, wrong length).  Spent two days packing on the olive oil and shampooing. Finally got some stuff called Color Oops! and it did a great job of ridding me of the red.  It’s still strawberry blonde, but gets lighter with each wash (remember, it was a semi-permanent rinse).  But I still have to get used to the length. We went to CostCo on Thursday and I kept looking how long other women’s hair was and started to get depressed.  I can’t even get a decent braid, but I can get the double braids, one on each side. Unfortunately I have the urge to find some wire and have them up in the air, Pippi Longstocking style.

Yes, my hair looks healthy. Yes, it looks great. But after fifteen or more years of waist length hair, it’s going to take longer than a week or so to get used to it. For those Big Bang Theory fans, you know the episode where Sheldon wins an award and has to give a speech? And Penny takes him shopping and finds this really sharp suit for him? Black on black, he looks awesome in it? And he says, looking down, “I feel like a clown”. That’s me.  I was informed by a “friend” on Facebook last Sunday morning (after I ranted about it on Thursday afternoon, Friday, then my last post was Saturday night - four days by her count, two by mine) to 1. Quit whining - 2. Put on my big girl panties - 3. Be glad I didn’t have cancer.  Needless to say, she’s no longer a friend, a friend would support me and not trivialize something like this. Yes, I’ll get over it, I have no other choice. But my real friends understand. They know me and love me and they’ll be there for me, no matter how silly I’m being.  (And my real friends are the ones who advised unfriending her.)

So, I started to play with my Silhouette Cameo some more, found some websites with templates for cutting paper. I’m having lots of fun with it, making lots of stuff. I made an exploding box card for my BFF’s birthday last month, I had a blast putting it together.  I’m going to be setting up a new category here for crafting.

And I’ve been taking lots of pictures, pulled my big Canon out of storage (which is a coat rack in the extra room).  I’l be sharing those, too.  I haven’t hardly uploaded anything to my photo album in a while. 

Anyway, not much else is going on, think I’ll get that new category going.


craftstuff
10:42 AM - 02/23/2013

The topic: So, new category….
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Crafting!

I like to craft, I really do. I wish I had a room set up for it, but I don’t.  I guess I could clean out the extra room, but where would I put all of that stuff? Plus, I like to work in front of the television, so I just pull tables out, I’ve been doing that since I started beading (which I quit doing after my mom died and I hurt my thumb cleaning and packing up her home, it was excruciating; thumb’s been better for years now).

I’ve got a Silhouette SD and upgraded to a Silhouette Cameo  when they came out (the price is better now than when I bought mine, plus you get a bundle on Amazon). They can use paper that’s twelve inches wide. I had to promise Brian I’d use it to make his shirts, which isn’t a problem.

And last week I got a Sizzix Big Shot embossing machine. 

So, I get a lot of my paper from Joann.com and Michael’s (you can’t buy from Michael’s online, you have to hit one of their stores, but sign up and you’ll get coupons in email).  They both have some great sales.  I actually like Joann’s online more than the brick and mortar store, lots more to see.

The Sizzix is also a cutting machine, but not like the Silhouette.  The Sizzix uses cutting dies, the Silhouette uses your computer (or an SD card if you’re away from your computer). I don’t plan on getting anything for the Sizzix to cut paper, but the embossing folders are fun. I’ve found that doing a price research for the folders is a great idea.  The prices vary a lot for the same thing.

There is different software for the Silhouette, I have both eCAL and Silhouette Design Studio. If you keep track, you can get discounts on the software (I got them both for half price).

Anyway, there’s lots to talk about as far as the papercrafting is concerned and it’s pretty brand new to me.  So, I’ll share with you and hopefully, you’ll like it as much as I do! 

craftstuff   


otherstuff
04:45 PM - 02/23/2013

The topic: You know that stock we sold
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Last year to pay off old company bills? 

Well, here’s a real exciting thing to do.  Find out when and how much you paid for the stock when you got it!

Argh!  I’ve narrowed down how much the Disney would have been worth by finding out when it split (our very first share was $120.00 back in the 80s) in 95. But the Qualcomm isn’t going to be so easy. From tax returns I narrowed down that we bought it in 2000 or 2001.  I’ve had it in my mind that we paid over a hundred bucks a share for it (we only got ten).  But the historical cost isn’t jibing with my memory.

Le sigh.

Well, I found where it was running that much in 2000. It had actually been much higher, but the number $137 sticks in my mind. That was the same time we bought 100 shares of eDig. And you know what?  We paid .19 for them back then (we bought more of them for .0366 last year).

We suck at being stockholders.


catstuff
06:13 PM - 02/23/2013

The topic: So, Brian gets Mexican food
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For dinner, I don’t really feel like cooking (plus I’m tired of cleaning the stove).

I got one of the specials, it comes in a styro box.  Three rolled tacos with guacamole, rice and beans.  I was eating the tacos and nibbled on the beans.  I don’t usually eat the rice, but Brian said they have different cooks now so I figured I’d give it a go.

Not too bad, I think. So, I pick up the last taco and am nomming on that when Mario jumps up and starts sniffing the food and helping himself to the rice. 

Nice cat. Thinks sharing is a good thing.


otherstuff
07:05 PM - 02/23/2013

The topic: I’m so funny!
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Brian’s watching a video about some sort of tractor implement. The guy talking has a very pronounced southern accent. As a matter of fact, most of these videos have spokespeople with southern accents.

I just told Brian that he’s going to have to work on his southern accent if he wants credibility on the interwebs.


craftstuff
07:07 PM - 02/23/2013

The topic: Fun with paper…
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This is my workstation. When I play, I bring the tables in from the garage. I have a lamp with a clip that I keep in the office. All of my equipment and supplies are in the garage, which is fairly close by. I do need to find a different way of storing the paper. I have it in big plastic storage bins and they’re stacked and it’s hard on my back to unstack them. I’ll figure something out when the weather is warmer. It’s cold out there!

 


click for a larger pic

This is a birthday card I made for my mother-in-law.  I had fun making it, I got the template over on the Silhouette Online store. You can buy download cards on eBay for less than $68.00 for four $25.00 cards. And throughout the year, they’ve got sales. At the end of last year, they had a 50% off sale. I stocked up. I do want to get the download cards on eBay, though, that will really bring down the cost of the files.  And they’ve got a free file each week. But don’t just put it in your cart and leave it there because at the end of that week, it won’t be free any longer. I found that out the hard way, darn it.

 


click for a larger pic

The outside of the card is double sided paper. It’s from K & Company.  I’ve found better sales on it at Joann’s online. You can often find it for half price and Joann’s has a much bigger selection.

 


click for a larger pic

This is a closer picture of the Happy Birthday sentiment. The cut file came with a little frosting. I used Ranger Stickles for the shiny, the best price I’ve been able to find for them is Stuff4Scrapbooking.com. They’ve got great prices and their customer service took care of a problem I had with my first order (what they had in stock wasn’t good so they didn’t ship it and gave me a choice of store credit or refund; the store credit was more than the refund and I fully intended to buy more stuff there, so I went with the credit).

Here’s the envelope. I found this file (there were three) here. Lori Whitlock has a lot of great stuff, my advice is to search for her files at Silhouette Online before getting them from her store if you want to save money. But there are some files not available at Silhouette. I’m hoping some day to get good enough at what I’m doing to apply for a commercial license for her stuff and sell it for big bucks. I have a dream.

I used a complimentary paper, not as heavy as the stock that I used for the card. I think it turned out nicely.

 


click for a larger pic

My mother-in-law liked it.

silhouette    photos    craftstuff    card   

      Sunday, February 24, 2013


catstuff
11:27 AM - 02/24/2013
I'm listening to Pandora on the Roku
The current weather is beeyooteeful! breezy! cool! perfectamundo!

The topic: The REAL reason I don’t post much..
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click for a larger pic

I don’t like typing on my lap.

      Monday, February 25, 2013


catstuff
08:07 AM - 02/25/2013

The topic: Gracie Anne isn’t feeling good
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Gracie is Georgie’s sister. She’s always been a really sweet little thing. She went into hiding back when Richie and Opie were kittens (they were terrible about chasing the older guys).  For a while she lived under the loveseat in the family room, but eventually moved out the garage, on a blanket covered table next to the litterboxes.

I feed her up there and she’s got her own water bowl.

This morning, she wasn’t there. I searched for her and finally found her in the bottom part of a kitty condo.  She purred for me, I took her out, she can walk okay, but she went back into the condo and is now curled up and sleeping.

I’m hoping she’s just having an off day.  I’m thinking back to Annie who had kidney problems and thyroid problems and the last month of her life was spent with me dumping pills down her throat and giving her fluids. It wasn’t good for either of us.

So, I’ll keep an eye on her and if she isn’t better in a couple of days, we’ll make a trip to the vet to find out exactly what’s going on with her.

She’s such a nice little cat, so quiet, peaceful and friendly.


otherstuff
09:48 AM - 02/25/2013

The topic: I’m sick
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Nothing bad, just a cold. I don’t do colds well. Headache, runny, drippy nose, sore throat (which isn’t as bad as it had been).

Had breakfast, Brian suggested an Alka-Seltzer cold thing, the texture was odd, but it wasn’t too bad.  But now my tummy is in rebellion mode and my nose is still drippy and I still have a headache. It’s been an hour and a half.

I don’t like being sick, especially with colds. Because a cold isn’t a thing where you lay down until you get over it, with a cold you can still do stuff.  Just keep tissues close-by to help with the drippy nose.

And to top it all off, we’re supposed to have nice weather the next week. I hate feeling crappy when the weather is nice.

Bleh.


catstuff
05:04 PM - 02/25/2013

The topic: Gracie’s feeling better
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This morning she ate a little bit of Friskies, then went back into her cubby hole. While she was in there, I took advantage of her not being where she normally is and washed and dried her blankets. This afternoon, she was back on her table.

And just a little bit ago, I heated up some A/D, added a small amount of water and she cleaned the bowl.  Gave her more, but her little tummy was full. She lapped a little, then turned away to go back to sleep.

I’m glad she’s feeling better. I’m really, really glad.

And I actually saw Autumn away from her hiding spot. She stays in the garage now, in a corner under the benchs. She used to hang out in the living room, I don’t know why she moved. When I realized she was there to stay, I brought in the short condo she always slept in when it was in the house. I think she liked that. I feed her kibble in the morning just making sure she’s still with us (feral hidey cats are like that).  Just now when I was bringing the A/D back inside to put in the fridge, I saw Autumn out. Probably getting something to eat.

She’s sure a pretty cat.

      Tuesday, February 26, 2013


craftstuff
08:15 AM - 02/26/2013

The topic: My goal
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I want to have this done by the end of the week.

I want to make labels for my jars of stuff in the pantry.  You know, flour, wheat flour, corn meal…. 

We get Classico sauces and those jars are perfect, they even have notations of volume. I’ve got a bunch of them. I’ve got the paper (waterproof) and I’ll use my printer and then the Silhouette to cut them out.

This should be fun. And no more opening a jar of whole wheat bread crumbs thinking it’s cinnamon sugar.

craftstuff   


otherstuff
04:10 PM - 02/26/2013

The topic: Another day gone with nothing accomplished
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Alka Seltzer didn’t help yesterday, DayQuil today did nothing but upset my stomach.

I’m such a pathetic sick person.

I did get a load of laundry done and the litterboxes sifted. I just made a little pot of coffee and I’m reading an old Faye Kellerman Decker novel, sitting on the futon in the living room with the sun shining on me.

I keep looking around the room wondering how I can make it a cat safe craft area. I don’t see it happening.

Oh, well.

      Wednesday, February 27, 2013


disneystuff
07:09 AM - 02/27/2013

The topic: One of the things we’ve had to give up
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in our current financial situation, is our Annual Disney Passports. To renew would have cost over $1300.00 and with as little as we go, we couldn’t justify it. Besides, thirteen hundred bucks buys a lot of cat food. For the October meet, we’ll just get multi-day park hopper passes and walk from the hotel. Maybe someday we’ll be able to renew, but I don’t see that any time soon.

Anyway, before the passes ran out last December (our renewal date was Christmas day), we made it up and did something Brian had wanted to do for years. We took video of the lights coming up on Main Street. We were standing at the hub, looking towards the train station.


But wait! I'm not done yet!
I've got more to say!


entertainmentstuff
07:18 AM - 02/27/2013

The topic: I have a YouTube channel!
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My user name is Lisa Violet.  It used to be lisavioletcathouse, but when I signed in with Google, they gave me the option to change it.

So, I did.

      Thursday, February 28, 2013


craftstuff
07:13 AM - 02/28/2013

The topic: Labels!
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Yesterday afternoon, I set my little workshop up in the family room to work on the labels for my pantry. 

I ended up bringing out my older Epson inkjet color stylus printer to use for printing out the labels. I hadn’t used it in a while, but it’s been covered and kept clean. I did have to install drivers for it on my laptop. Everything worked as it should.

It took a while to figure out how to print and cut with the Silhouette software, I’ve done it in the past, but haven’t done enough to reinforce the workflow in my head. I think I’ve got a handle on it now and will start printing labels today.  I did a few last night and I’m really happy with them.

I’ll take pictures.

And I ordered some glass spice jars (at Sunburst Bottle ; they had the best total price - shipping plus product) since I plan on getting spices at Sprout’s instead of prepackaged at the grocery store. I’m excited, this is something I’ve wanted to do for years. And I just found out that the sprinkle caps and inserts on the plastic bottles of the various Mrs. Dash products we have up in the cupboard, fit these bottles!  So, I’ll be able to save those as we use the Mrs. Dash! Way cool!


catstuff
07:20 AM - 02/28/2013

The topic: Kirby cannot eat egg
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Every time he eats them, he pukes. He likes them, they don’t like him.

He puked up his regular breakfast yesterday, I gave him a Pepcid.  Then he licked my breakfast plate, we had French toast. There was a little egg on it and Kirby got it.  Poor guy, puked more and there was the egg.

I ended up giving him 60cc of lactated ringers, I should really try to give them to him on a regular basis, I’m sure they won’t hurt him. He’s old and kidney failure is pretty common with the old guys.

Other than that, he’s going strong.


otherstuff
07:29 AM - 02/28/2013

The topic: My cold is much better
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And forget all of those cold medicines, what worked for me was plain old Benedryl. I almost felt human yesterday, it was nice.


craftstuff
11:10 AM - 02/28/2013

The topic: A photo of my crafting station
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click for a larger pic

I like working in the family room, but I don’t like hauling all of this stuff out and then putting it all away when I’m done. Well, I guess I can look at the bright side, I get some exercise. 

smilie_lol

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lisaviolet is seventy something, married with no kids, takes care of lots of cats, likes taking photographs, loves Southern California weather and spends altogether too much time avoiding her responsibilities.

In her spare time, she makes pretty things to sell in her store.

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