Random Blogging

I am bored, So I figured I would catch up on my blog.. Let's see... This is going to be random thoughts, and details... key word, RANDOM.

Giuliana had "Picture Day" today at school. They do it every October. I will be interested to see the pictures next to each other, this years and lasts. I wonder how different she will look to me. I see her every day, so I don't see the changes everyone else does. Anyhow, I was trying to decide for the past few days what she should wear for her pictures today, and I couldn't decide. No matter what outfit I came up with, I decided against it. I ended up putting her in a solid brown dress (Brownie Lap) and a coral/peach colored long sleeved tee (Cora LS tee) and a pair of mushroom tights (Mushy Tights) under the dress. It was cute. I more than likely could have come up with some thing better, but that was all I could think of. I think they are doing retakes tomorrow, so maybe I can get a different outfit picked out and have them retake them tomorrow.



Have I ever told you how much I love that girl? Well, I do. I love her from here to the stars and back again. I don't know what I did in life before her, and I haven't a clue what I will do in life after I am done raising her. I'm not naive, she won't want to live with Mommy forever, but I do hope that the next 16 years and 4 months don't go by too quickly.

I went to a wedding over the weekend. My friend Jerry from high school got married to a lovely girl named Christina. Now, Jerry and I have been friends for 10 years, and he was never the "Marrying kind" if you know what I mean, he wasn't even good at relationships. But this one seems to stick, which is a good thing. Last year they had TWINS about 3 months after I had Giuliana. Christina looked beautiful, and cried all the way down the isle and through her vows. You could tell that she really loves him, which is wonderful. Jerry has always gotten a bad rap- his fault of course- but he deserves a girl that loves him from his head to his toes, and all that goes with him.




Hrmm... what else...I am sure that there is more I should update on, but I just can't seem to get my thoughts in order. Even now, as I type, random thoughts are in and out quicker than I can jot them down.

Ah well. I have some pictures to post from Jerry's wedding, and some more recent ones of Giuliana, but I don't have them with me. I'll work on that later.

"Prettttttty"

I got a knot in the mail the other night from a girlfriend of mine out in California, in the envelope was also a matching bow. Giuliana thinks they are called "Pretties" because thats what all the daycare teachers call them.

Anyhow, this morning after I got her dressed and I was brushing her hair she saw the bow sitting there and she began to tap her head and point to the bow.

I asked her if she wanted to wear it and she nodded yes and then signed "Please" while also saying " Eeeeassse".

I put it in her hair, but I really didnt figure she would leave it alone. I was SHOCKED when she didnt pull it right back out, so I took some pictures. She wore the bow off and on all day long.

She may turn out to be a bow girl after all!

Giuliana's FAMOUS!

Soooooo, Denise, owner of Matilda Jane and FABULOUS Designer, put Giuliana's picture up on her website!

I cant even tell you how PROUD I was of my baby!

I knew Allison from VonGrovelandPhotography would also be just as ecstatic, so I called her, at 11:45 the other night :D I guess It was kinda late, but I knew she would want to know, plus I would then have someone to share my excitement with!

Here is the link to the site where Giuliana's picture is displayed. Thank you Denise!

http://www.matildajanegirls.com/item_61/ONe-cute-chick.htm

Financial Diet '08

Looks pretty self explanatory I am sure. But here is a little background...

Some of the girls I am friends with were talking about going on a Financial Diet that would last until Dec 31st to see how much money they could save. They all said that they spent money every day on "stuff" that they didn't NEED or have to have, so why not SAVE IT. That's where the little ticker came into place.... I decided to jump on this wagon too. I don't spend money with out reason, typically anyway, but I thought I may as well try to save 200 dollars every pay period. It starts today and ends on Dec 31st. It should be interesting, I am hoping to have 800 dollars saved going into the new year. It would be nice if I could do it.

The other goal or point for me was to have all of my existing debt paid off by the end of the year as well. I want to be debt-free except for my monthly bills. It would be really nice to get my tax return check and NOT have to use it to pay off debt from the year before.

On a note about Diets... I'm also working on a Weight Loss Diet as well. I'll get a ticker for that too after I can decide what a reasonable weight loss goal is for me. I have already started to watch what I eat, and I have upped my water intake. I'm hoping that just by doing those two simple things I will start to see some small results. I won't have the extra money for a gym membership until the end of the month when we get paid, but it's on the list as well!!!

Root for me! I need all the positive support I can get ;)

We're Sick!

Yeah, Giuliana and I are both sick! It's not be fun needless to say! I was off yesterday so she and I spent the day together. That part was nice, but being stuck in the house because neither of us was feeling well was NOT so nice!

Im off on Friday, and working all weekend again. But Im off the next weekend'. A friend of mine is getting married on Saturday the 25th and I'm really excited to go. Giuliana was also invited to a birthday party on Sunday so we'll be going to that too!

My Matilda Jane Trunk Show is Friday night, I'm hoping that up back up to par by the time it comes around. Doing all of that will not be easy if my head is all fogged up, thats for sure.

Not much else to report today.. Kinda quiet on the homefront.




I took these 2 pictures of Giuliana last week, she was looking up at the airplane! Right after I snapped the 2ed one she said "Aerr Plann". I think her Nana taught her that ;)

Seat At An Empty Table

Every year in October the Battered Women's Project in Maine hosts several events in honor of those we have lost (in their state) due to Domestic Violence. One of the events that they do is something called "Seat At An Empty Table". The easiest way to explain that is: The set a table for 4 people, each place setting memorializes one specific/individual person who's life was lost as a result of domestic violence.

It's a very nice display and something I have taken on, as my "job" till Giuliana gets older and I can pass it on to her. I want her to take time out every day to remember Vance, in any way she can (She was born after he had passed) and doing these events with the BWP will be a good way for her to express herself as she gets older.

Last year I painted a picture frame to match the place setting I had decided to use. Vance loved Scooby Doo, so I wanted to use that as his "theme". I decided to send the photo and frame because through out all the newspaper coverage his story received, they never posted a picture of him. No one had ever seen his beautiful little face.



Well they have now. A newspaper called the Pioneer Times in Houlton ran a story after they interviewed Stephen by phone. They also ran this picture on their front page last year. Vance ceased to be just a name they read in the paper a few years ago. Hopefully, they will never forget his face or his tragic ending.

Here is the Memorial I typed up that was also displayed with his place setting

Stephen Vance Ketzel Fort Kent, Maine
Vance was only 2 years old when he died on September 8, 2004. Although such a short stay here on Earth, Vance was a bright and cheerful little boy who loved the beach and motorcyles and left behind so many loved ones that miss him every day. Since his death, Vance has also become a big brother to two very special little girls. Every girl needs a big brother, a protector, to watch out for them. Instead, these two little girls, will grow up knowing their protector is a very special Guardian Angel, their big brother Vance.


ETA: I sent the display again this year, and it's to be set up in Fort Kent where he lived for a short while and passed away. Vance's Mother and Sister (other) still live there.