let's catch up, shall we?

wow, it seems like forever and a day since i actually posted something worth reading on this thing. all you've heard about is illness and hair woes.......how boring, right? really that's about what my life has boiled down to lately. it really is never "boring" 'round here though. always something that needs done, messes needing cleaned, squabbles needing referreed, and the like.

on the sickness front, i'm over the food poisoning, but this morning woke up with a sore throat and plugged up nose. niiiiiiiice. happens every time i take those kiddos to the doctor. go in healthy, come out sick. i had no choice but to go. emma needed her 4 year check up.

i'm ready for spring. i can't wait to open those windows and air the germies out of our living space. ick.

on the hair........well, i still didn't get the purple streaks in. but i do have the box of dye here and ready for it to be done. i'm just waiting on a free moment to do it. i really don't have a good photo of phase 1 yet. phase one was just dying it a dark chocolate brown color. and i think i've cut off an inch here and there of stubborn hair to help shape it better. the girl really did a chop job. the one side is about and inch and a half longer than the other. quite ridiculous.

doug and i attempted to take photos----you know the reach your arm out in front of you and click kind hoping you got both faces in the frame---but failed pretty miserably.

here's the best. and i have no knowledge of photoshop and how to fix it to make it look halfway decent.


guess it's a good thing my last class session was posted yesterday. 'cause now i have time to take Lynn's photoshop class and learn how to fix that photo! it just started this week----it's not too late. wanna join me? she's teasing me with her intro: "Lighten, brighten, sharpen, pop, crops, and get out of the shadows. This class just started and there's still time to hop in and join the group so that you can improve your digital photos now. Intermediate class to follow in April." click here to register.

i've had photoshop for some time now. actually my husband knows more about using it than me. but man, can you do some cool things with that program or what!? i've been using a pre-historic version of PaintShop Pro. it does what i need it to, but i really need to get with the times and learn photoshop. i think i'm limiting my artistic ability by not knowing how to use the program. that, and because i don't know anyone, except wendy, that uses PaintShop Pro. so when i run into a snafu.....i'm stuck on figuring it out.

anywho. Lynn's class will consume my time for the next month. and then apparently some more time again in April.

wanna see what we bought at Ikea? sure you do!
this lampshade.


two of these kritter tables.....we got 2 of them for less than the full price of one. we still can't figure out why they were marked down so low. we're saving one for when emma is in school to use as a homework table.


this bench for our entryway for the kids to store backpacks & coats.


two of these stools for the table.


plates, bowls, tumblers and forks/spoons/knives.....we picnic a lot in the spring/summer and ash packs her lunch every day. they LOVE these. sorry, i'm too lazy to put all 4 pictures up.




we also bought some other odds and ends.....potholder, hand towels, tool kit.

i'm totally bummed that i couldn't find this. i've been wanting it fooooooorever. if you have a local Ikea that you frequent and you see this, but it for me. pretty please. i'll pay you + shipping. it's $6.99. what's up with not being able to buy it online, Ikea?


and, things we want to buy during a future trip. we couldn't get them this time because we took the car and not the truck because of the threat of bad weather they were reporting. the snow/ice never did make it through.

this loveseat. doug really, really wants a loveseat for the playroom so we can hang as a family down there more. right now we have no seating in that room except for the computer chair. i'm a little worried about the solid WHITE though. and i'm totally not savvy enough to make a slipcover.


i'm kickin' myself for not just getting this rug. it will be the first thing in my cart next trip.


for ashlyn's artdesk.


for i don't know where, but i LOOOOOOVE it!


*sigh*
i love Ikea.