Guinness for Strength!!

I finally got the Guinness tattoo that I've been wanting for a long time. Can't really afford to be doing fun stuff like that, but we got my tax return and put the majority towards the car we're buying (which we should have later this week and get on the road this weekend which means a trip to see the kids is in the very near future!! yipppeeee!!!)

So, we went to Blue Horseshoe on a saturday. A guy named Robert Smith did the tattoo. He did a great job! Everyone in the place was going nuts for the tattoo and he wants me to come back when it's all healed up so he can photograph it again for his portfolio!! (it's 2 weeks old now and itchy as hell!)

It's actually a combonation of 2 Guinness posters...the Toucan usually says "lovely day for a Guinness"...the "Guinness for Strength" phrase comes from a poster featuring construction workers.

oh, and also included in this blog is Greg from work...who upon seeing a freshly poured Guinness on the bar at work, went for the "Guinness Goatee" instead of the more common "Guinness Mustache"!!

Tommy The Tomato

Yep...this is what can happen when the kitchen is slow! haha!! Carlos, Tommy's creator, was gathering tomatoes to make our fresh salsa when he noticed this particular one had human-like features...and a few short minutes later, Tommy the Tomato was born. Here we see Tommy with his creator Carlos, and also with the not so lucky tomatoes behind him who didn't have human-like features and so will be turned into Salsa-Fresca for dinner tonight!!

Camera To-Go!!

yep, that's the view from my window. I'm sick. I've been throwing up for 2 days. I worked until about 5 yesterday...puking 8 times while there. Today I went in and they let me go straight home! so, I'm on the couch. I think I might be able to keep down some hot and sour soup..thinking of ordering some and seeing if I can keep it down.

Anyway, I took this photo of my view with my new point and shoot camera!! I have been wanting a P&S to keep in my purse so I can take photos of just everyday things on the fly. My 20d is way too big with that...especially w/ the big ass lens on it!

So, I got a Nikon (yep...I'm still a canon girl though! haha) Coolpix L15. It's not their newest model...but it's 8 megapixels and was only 50 bucks on ebay. Works great...has a few scratches on the outside but I've taken a bunch of shots and am impressed with not only the clarity and focus but the speed and so far very little evidence of the shutter lag that I have hated so much with ps cameras.

so, now I have a camera to-go so hopefully will keep up much more both with this blog and with my long abandoned Flickr account!!

wow! It's been forever since I posted anything here. I always plan to keep up at least weekly with this, but it's turning out to be more like monthly. Anyway...a lot has happened this month. The kids were here for a week over new year's. We had a blast. I miss them so much, all of the time...and it's great when I get them, to see that they are still okay even though I'm not with them. That I've not totally ruined them by moving out. They do change a little each time, but they are happy and they still love me. These pictures are from my birthday (12/31) and the cake that Donald helped them make.

In other news...Donald and I are in the market for a car. ours broke down on chesapeake bay bridge tunnel coming home from Jersey and the repairs were more than the car was worth so we junked it. Hopefully it won't be long till we get a new one. I'm itching to go get the kids, so need to get a car!

Engaged!!!

First thing, Merry Christmas to everyone!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas.
The best thing about my Christmas, was that Donald gave me an engagement ring. He gave me an Emerald ring. it's a beautiful deep green emerald, surrounded by tiny diamonds. I have always wanted an emerald, and love that it's a unique engagement ring. We will most likely be married in August. I'm having fun dreaming and planning...I'd like to wear a wedding dress. I have never worn a wedding dress before. Not sure where we'll be married, but I'm thinking we might just do the reception at Finn's!!

This was my first Christmas without the kids. That was horribly sad and hard for me...but I did get to ttalk to them a few times and they had a great Christmas and they are so excited to come down here for a week starting Monday...and it's going to work out that Donald can come with me to pick them up!! that will be a fun surprise for them. They also don't know about the new place, so I can't wait to see their faces when they see their new room at Mom's house!

So, not too bad of a Christmas...I was expecting to be miserable, but I wasn't I really am a lucky girl.

Trying my hand at sketching

okay...maybe I should space these out, but chances are it will be 2 weeks again before I have the free time to play!

I downloaded a fun new little program called ArtRage. It's similar to Corel Painter, but not nearly as hard or powerful. I love painter, but man...the time!! Anyway, this one is quick and fun and in five minutes I'd figured it out enough to make these quick sketches by tracing photos of the kids. Fun stuff!

Two In One Day!

wow! two posts in one day! Been a while since I had some time to get on here and upload! I'm posting some pictures here from the kid's last visit. Right now, they are living with their dad...they are doing really well there, though I miss them terrible. Hopefully it won't be much longer before they come to live with me! Anyway, they were here for a weekend shortly before Thanksgiving. We had a great time, though it went too fast. One of the highlights of the weekend was going bowling. Cassidy blew all of us away on the lanes, winning both games!! Both kids bowled all by themselves, though they did get some pointers from Donald (see photo of Donald and Aidan)...not sure that really helped too much though (ha ha! wink wink!)

In other news....Donald and I are in our own place finally!!! So much thanks to Katt and Tom for opening up their home to me when I needed it, but man is it great to be in our own place! We are living in a two bedroom apt. with a private entrance!! We love it here! It's really satisfying to be out on our own! We've got the place pretty much furnished and decorated...still working on the kid's room. We've got big plans for their room and can't wait to finish it and show it to them when they visit again after Christmas.

I am hoping to snap some pics of the place to share here soon.