Do you love my blog?

Well, Steph does!

Awwwww - isn't that sweet? Thank you to my friend Stephanie at Stephanie's Stampin Spot! for giving me this award, I am honored! Steph used to live in Worcester and she found me through Stampin' Up!'s "online locator" a few years ago when she needed to order something. She moved to South Carolina but she is still my loyal customer, which I appreciate so very much! She is also my stamping buddy and friend - you can never have too many of those!

The kids are back to school and we have returned to some type of routine, which really feels good after such a whirlwind of a Summer! Here they are on their first day - Trevor of 10th grade:

And Cassidy started 8th grade - Missy cut about 3 inches off of Cassidy's hair the night before school started, and Missy helped her straighten it, it came out really cute:Don't you love her shirt? PEACE RULES - that's my girl! That apple really doesn't fall far from the tree, I tell you!

Things have been SUPER busy at work, which can be draining but also fun - it sure makes the day go by fast. I definitely don't have the type of job that drags by, no clock-watching for me! By the time I look at the clock, it's usually almost time to go home! Our freshmen move in on Monday, so I am working that day to help make sure they are all financially cleared (which basically means they've paid their bill in full) and can receive their keys. The rest of our undergrads move back in on Wednesday, and classes start on Thursday - so I expect the next couple of weeks to be pretty busy, too.

Wanna see my new glasses? I love them - I'm one of those people who could care less about name brands and stuff, but I always seem to pick out expensive stuff without even realizing it. I'll say to Jeremy, "oh look at that cute little car - I'd like one of those!" and he'll just shake his head at me and say "Jenn, that car costs more than our HOUSE!" LOL These frames are Perry Ellis and I will not tell you how much they cost - but I definitely splurged. Like 'em?
Jeremy and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary on August 28. We went to dinner and had a nice time - we talked about when we got married and when we were young. We talked about what we'd do to celebrate our 20th and 25th anniversaries - and I realized how lucky we are to like each other enough to be thinking that far ahead. hee hee Seriously, though, we hope to do something really romantic - hopefully both kids will be in college and/or the military by our 20th (they will be 18 and 20!), so we are going to try to plan for a romantic cruise or trip to somewhere exotic. I'll keep you posted!

Have a great Labor Day weekend - no drinking and driving. Wear your seatbelt, no texting while driving, all that good stuff. Be safe, my friends.
Peace!

An actual stamping-related blog! OMG!

Yup, believe it or not - this blog is going to be about (gasp!) my artwork! See, I know the title StampinAngelJenn has probably left some of you wondering "where the heck is the stampin?" Well, it's right here! Enjoy!

These are my attempts at using up my background papers for b-day cards, I make a LOT of birthday cards because I send them to all of the Audrey's Umbrella recipients, the ChemoAngels recipients AND I am a part of the SplitCoastStampers Birthday RAK :

This was a card I CASEd from a fellow SCS friend who I had sent this image to through Wish RAK and she made me a card with one of the images I sent, I just love the idea of sharing my stamped images with others and I've really enjoyed being on the receiving end, too! Here is my version:

These are 2 of my most recent favorite creations. I made these with images I got through Wish RAK, as well. These were made for 2 of the teenage girls who worked in my office this Summer, they are sweet girls who are always smiling and willing to help out with whatever. We enjoyed having them around, these were the thank-you cards I made for them:

Summer is almost over - the kids go back to school Tuesday (WOO HOO!!!!!!!!) and life should get back to some kind of routine. I am really looking forward to it. It's quite ironic how in April or May I find myself longing for the Summer, not having the chaos of school routines, etc. But by the end of August, we are all quite ready for the routines to return! I actually took Monday off from work because I have to work next Monday (Labor Day), so I will do something with the kids to celebrate their last day of freedom! Hey Linda- HERE COMES FALL! :o)

Everything happens for a reason!

Well, I gotta tell ya - I have always believed that everything happens for a reason. OK - maybe I haven't ALWAYS believed that, but as I've gotten older, I've learned that it really does seem to be true. I've had things happen in my life that seemed like the end of the world, only to discover something good that came out of it, even if it was a year later. So I've come to believe that everything really does happen for a reason, and that those reasons might not be evident at the time. It can certainly make some situations easier to get through by believing that.

I love my job - I've been at my job for 3 years now, and I truly love it. I rarely wake up in the morning thinking "damn, I have to go to work." Now don't get me wrong, I love weekends and vacations, etc. - but I am lucky enough to really enjoy what I do for a living. Last Friday, I saw an ad at another local college for a Bursar position. My position is kind of one step down from Bursar - I'm the Billing & Collections Manager. So anyway, totally on a whim, I sent in my resume for that job opening. I was not job-searching, and I didn't even expect to get a call. They called me the following Monday - wanted me to come in and interview the very next day. So I did - they asked me to come back for a 2nd interview immediately! They wanted me to meet their CEO. I was thrilled and flattered, but I did let them know that I really was not job-searching and that I wasn't really planning on leaving my job, but that this was an opportunity I had to pursue for professional and financial reasons - I had to check it out, basically!

To make a really long story short, they really liked me and I had a feeling I'd get an offer. I mentioned this to some co-workers and said that I had a lot of thinking to do. So later on that day, the VP of the college came into my office and talked to me - he said he had heard I went on an interview (they had already started calling my references) and that they basically didn't want to lose me and to keep him informed before I made a decision. By Thursday, I had been offered the job. I spoke to someone else at my current job and before I knew it, I had been offered a raise and a bit of a promotion - basically a change in title from "Manager" to "Director" - I was so flattered, honored, thrilled - and I truly love the college where I work. So I am a happy girl this week - I have never in my life negotiated for anything, that kind of stuff really makes me nervous. And this all happened so quickly and without any real planning, that I didn't really have time to get nervous! It all just fell into place, and it all worked in my favor. How often does THAT happen? Not often, let me tell you!

Can you believe the summer is almost over? My kids go back to school next week and we all get back on a schedule - I am definitely looking forward to that, at the very least. I am trying to stay optimistic about it all - THINK POSITIVE, right? Trevor is looking forward to being a sophomore and Cassidy is glad that she will be an 8th grader, the big cheese at the middle school. One more year and BOTH of my babies will be in high school - GULP!!! Where in the name of God does the time go, I'd like to know?!?

So here are some end-of-summer pics, from probably one of the last days at my parents' pool:

Cassidy, isn't she just beautiful? I'm a little biased.

Trev - my handsome little man (actually, not so little anymore!)

This is Cassidy and her friend Jamie, my 2nd daughter:

And this is me, at the conference I went to for work at the end of July. They gave us ice cream and then this guy walked around taking pictures. I had a mouthful of ice cream and I was cracking up threatening his life if he took a pic of me like that. This is the result. LOL

Enjoy what's left of the Summer!

Help me design my new tattoo??

Hello all! I've decided on the perfect way to honor and memorialize my buddy Meg, who passed away on June 5, 2008, at the age of 11 years old. This is Meg, and I miss her deeply:

Meg was a few years younger than Cassidy, and I could see her blossoming into the pre-teen that she was becoming when suck-ass cancer took her away. I have wanted another tattoo for some time, but I wanted it to have meaning. I thought about getting "Cancer Sucks" across my forehead, but that might affect my ability to maintain gainful employment (G.D. sticks in the mud!) - so what I decided on is a pretty tattoo with meaning, but I need someone who can draw to help me design it.

What I'm looking for is this: a pretty pair of angel wings with a small bumblebee flying above them - and I want the bumblebee's antenna to be in the shape of an M for Meg. Lastly, I want the small letters RIP somewhere on it, too - either under the angel wings or near the bumblebee, since it really means "rest in peace, Meg". I think I'm going to have the tattoo done between my shoulder blades. And yes, I know it's going to hurt (I have 3 already). It's NOTHING compared to what this little girl went through, trust me.

So what do you think? If anyone would like to give it a shot, just leave me a comment and/or click on "View My Complete Profile" and there is a button there where you can send me an e-mail.

I know that Meg's mom Theresa reads my blog because she told me so in a recent card that she sent me (a beautiful card that I still read every other day, thank you Theresa) - Theresa, I hope that this tattoo idea makes you smile. If I could, I'd build an 80-foot angel monument to Meg and surround it with golden bumblebees and kitties. If I could, I'd eradicate cancer completely so that no one else ever has to go through this crap. What I can do is ink myself up and continue to try to help people, so that's what I'll keep on doing. I'm really excited about the idea and I just have a feeling that it's going to come out beautifully.

Missing Meg, but never forgetting -
Peace, Jenn

Diesel Dan

This is my friend Dan - aka Diesel Dan (he drives a truck delivering oil), aka Dan the Man (self-explanatory). Dan was mad at me because I neglected him in my previous blog entry. See the entry below titled "Gotta Love Vacations" - I talked about "my friend Missy and her husband..." as if he doesn't even have a name. I'm a bad friend. But be careful what you wish for, Dan, cuz now you have your very own blog entry all about you! So this is Dan - Dan likes to fish, but I think this weed here is his biggest catch of the season:

Thanks to Missy for sharing this picture with me - Dan will be thrilled to see this. hee hee "Daddy, why are you wearing mommy's shorts?" ROFL Oh, the ammunition that this picture provides, it's practically priceless.

My husband Jeremy grew up in West Boylston with Dan and Missy, so he's known them, like, forever. I met them all when I was about 20, after breaking up with my high school boyfriend - I actually had a crush on Dan before I started dating Jeremy. (hee hee) Dan and Missy dated when they were in high school, then broke up for a few years - but they always belonged together and ended up getting married and having 2 of the most precious, adorable little girls you have ever seen in your life. I mean, just LOOK at these little q-t pies:

I know, don't you just want to squish them?


Anyway, Dan is hysterical. He totally cracks me up. He's just one of those people that makes you laugh without even trying. Every stinkin' time I see him, I end up with a stomach-ache from laughing so hard. Now I originally had tried to post this blog entry yesterday, but the site was down. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and I have to say that I am glad I wasn't able to post this yesterday and here is why: yesterday was my sister's birthday, and mine was 3 days ago. We always celebrate together, so we made plans to go out last night with our husbands and Missy and Dan (I will NEVER again resort to "Missy and her husband" - damn it, he's not just Missy's arm-candy! He has a name and I will use it!).



We went out pretty early and we had a few drinks, obviously (well, it will be obvious in just a minute). We went to a few different places, and we were having a blast. Missy didn't bring her pocketbook, she only brought her wristlet -which is different from a clutch and if you want to know the specifics you will have to ask Missy because as far as I am concerned, they are all just pocketbooks - but I digress. Missy brought her wristlet, which is basically a wallet with a strap. Dan's keys wouldn't fit in it, so he asked Michelle to hold them. When it was time to leave, Dan asks Michelle for his keys. She hands them to him. Dan points the electronic car-opener at the car and hits "unlock". Nothing. He walks all around the car, pointing and clicking away. Nada. He starts to get aggravated and thinks maybe the electronic fob-thing is dead, so he gets the actual key and tries to unlock the door. Nope, won't budge. Dan starts swearing and saying things like "What the hell? It's like it's not even my car!" In the meantime, I am laughing hysterically and calling AAA to get someone to come let them in this car and see if the key will turn the ignition. As I'm placing the call, Dan starts yelling "Never mind, hang up the phone!" - him and Michelle realized after a good 15 minutes that she had handed him HER car keys - ROFLMAO I almost peed my pants I was laughing so hard. I kept repeating, "It's like it's not even my car!" Well, it was your CAR, Dan, but not your KEYS! hee hee



Good times, man, good times.


So Dan, you are now officially mentioned in my blog, and I hope you are happy. I am publicly apologizing and I promise you will forevermore be mentioned by name. Be careful what you wish for..... BWAHAHAHAHAHA (evil laugh, say it out loud and with menace - there you go!)

There's a new Outlaw in town...

That's right, I capitalized Outlaw. That's because the new Outlaw in my town is this little guy here:

Need a closer look? Here you go:

It's a GECKO - here's the story: Trevor got some money for his birthday. While I was at work on Wednesday, Jeremy (my husband) and Trevor visited Petco. I had no idea this was going on, I got a text message from Jeremy saying something like "Wait until you see what Trevor got!" I'm thinking video game, some kind of weird skull jewelry, some type of fireworks, etc. Here's the birthday boy himself - notice the little-shit-smirk on his face? Yeah, that's the smirk that says "HA HA mom! Dad brought me to get this lizard-thing, so you can't even yell at me!"

He named it Outlaw. It's about 7 inches long, and it's skin is very smooth and soft, surprisingly. I expected it to be rough and scaly, but it's not. It's kinda cool, actually. I will say one thing, I would choose a lizard over a rodent any day. I don't do rodents. We had a guinea pig once, and that thing was one of the most annoying creatures that ever lived. It WHISTLED when it wanted something - LOUD and until you got it. And it smelled. Yuck - I absolutely refuse to allow another rodent of any type to live in my house, and if anyone ever sneaks one in, I swear I will give it to my cats as a toy. You've been warned. My sister had a hampster that she didn't want anymore (it was Josh's) and one day when Cassidy was over there, she calls me (my sister) and says "Cassidy's such a good girl, she helped me clean and stuff - so I told her she could take the hampster home." I was like "NICE TRY, SIS - no freakin' way!!!" LOL Dodged THAT bullet, let me tell you. Rodents belong in mouse traps or hanging out of a cat's mouth, period.Anyway, when I came home that day, I took one look at Outlaw and asked Trevor, "It's not going to try to sell me insurance, is it?" He was thoroughly confused. HA to you, boy! Bring home a lizard-pet, that's what you get - I'll tell jokes you don't understand! BWAHAHAHAHA!

Oh yeah, and guess how long geckos live? Nope - guess again.

TEN TO FIFTEEN YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? There's a very good possibility that Trevor could still have this thing when he gets MARRIED and/or has children! So now I can't help but think - if he goes into the service as he plans, what will become of the gecko? I suddenly have visions of gecko-sitting, of being Outlaw's foster mother for a few years. *sigh* Oh the things a mother does for her children, huh?

Aaaahhhh...I love summer nights, the sound of crickets chirping outside... oh wait, those aren't outside. Those are upstairs in Outlaw's cage. Geckos eat crickets. We are now blessed with the chirping sound of crickets 24/7. Oh, the things a mother puts up with for her children. We really are a patient bunch, us moms.

Oh boy, I sound like a real martyr today. hee hee Yup, it's a rough life for us moms. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Geckos and all - I mean, at least it gives me something to write about!

Stay tuned for a very special blog about my friend Dan. Dan is Missy's husband and he was jealous that I did not mention him or put a picture of him in my last entry. So now I'm going to embarrass him and do an entire blog post about him, I'm just waiting for Missy to send me a good picture. hee hee