so i thought i was back...

but apparently i wasn't. heh.


i feel lost not being able to blog daily. crazypants.

here's the deal. after hooking up my computer after fetching it from the repair shop i discovered that it connected to the internet ONE time, and now it won't connect. grrrrrrr.

it's quite comical really. i can connect to IM just fine. i can send/receive email through my Outlook just fine. both needing an internet connection to function. my network connection says it has the appropriate connections......but, i can't get a webpage to appear using Internet Explorer OR Mozilla Firefox. so not cool.

what's so comical is that in order to blog with photos, i have to download and resize photos on the non-internet connecting computer, then email them to my yahoo email, then open up the laptop that does connect and download them from my email, then upload them to photobucket, then insert them in my blog.

a LOT of work.

not only do i have to do this for blogging for also for all of my design team work and etsy shop updates too! anything that needs a photo and needs loaded online needs to be emailed to a different email and using a computer with internet connectivity.

i have some kind of hangup about blogging without photos. i don't know why. it doesn't bother me when someone else blogs without photos, but i just can't seem to do it myself. i chalk it up to lack of witty writing ability on my part, i suppose.

anyyyyyyyyyywho.

good news is the repair shop is willing to fix the issue free of charge. but dang if i don't have the energy to unhook the monitor, the router, the printer, the scanner, the keyboard, yada yada yada, drive it back over there, and wait. again. *sigh*



on another note....i just have to say that being inspired by something and then actually implementing it into your life totally ROCKS! a week or so ago i linked to a family sketchbook idea. i knew i had the perfect book to use for it---a 12" x 24" 3-ring "scrapbook" type book i got as a Christmas gift a few years ago. but thinking about it was as far as i got. 'cause let's face it, life is crazy busy. i had no time to gather all the colored pencils, find a safe spot for the book to land when not doodling, etc.



but, one saturday when i was in a particularly high amount of pain from my back, doug made a deal with ashlyn for her to help clean up the livingroom and do some dusting. she was all over that. in return he would reward her with some money. we don't normally do paid chores around here, so the offer got her excited.


later, she asked to use her money to purchase a book from half-priced books...her new favorite store. she ended up picking a brand new book, steeply discounted, with 404 step-by-step How to draw (people, cartoons, animals, etc.). Score.



this book was just the motivation needed to actually START doodling. so, we've been doodling fools. sometimes using the book to practice and sometimes just doodling randomly.



but her absolutely favorite thing to do in regard to art right now is to make POP UPS.


the girl is OBSESSED. she has these random pop up figures all throughout the house on just about every surface possible. after asking me to make her a list of the Thanksgiving dinner attendees, i realized she wanted it because she's got grand plans to give them away on Thanksgiving. she LOVES giving her art away. and she's dreaming about opening her own etsy shop---too cute. she often asks me, "mommy, do you think i could sell this someday online?"

to which i always reply, "of course, baby. of course."