$100 store & a heated blanket
My rationalization for my shopping spree last night was that I needed shampoo. Where else should I buy such a product but Target? Of course you all know you can't just purchase the item you went there for. $100 later and I can't really remember what I bought. I am sure I really needed it all!

And since I was in the area I decided to walk through Bed Bath & Beyond. I need to learn some self-control. I had been wanting a heated blanket/throw. I have one on my bed which I LOVE. Last Christmas we bought my grandma a heated throw and I have wanted one since. So of course I could not resist when I found them last night. My house was built in 1919 and can be a little cold, dispite the hundreds of dollars of insulation my Dad put in the house. He is kind of an insulation freak! Now I can work on my thousands of projects in happy warmth.

the charms are coming!!!!

Above are the photos from my charm swap hostes. She mailed the rest of the packages yesterday. So hopefully I will have an amazingly cool charm bracelet by the end of the week. Oh, I can't wait! I hope I get some super cool stuff. Now all I need is some patience.

a bright spot

I ordered these shoes online last week. They were on clearance :) Cute and comfy! What a good Monday surprise. Since buying my house in 2002 I had recently hired my 3rd snow removal company. And they didn't show up just like the other two. What do you have to do to get them to come to your house?? I was so annoyed this morning that I decided to just try to drive through it and I totally got stuck. I called Mike to tell him I was going to be late for work and he came and helped me out. I work at the best place. Then one of my super cool eye-lashes feel off my car. Sad :(

how do you know you work at an agency with ag accounts?

This is one of several boxes delivered to our office today. I guess it's pretty clear we do a lot of advertising for ag compainies. If ever in doubt, just look at our deliveries. Advertising is always so glam!

new hair

Last night was my first haircut with my new stylist. He said...usually I don't do anything too drastic the first time. He cut a couple inches of my hair off! Then when he was done he said...I guess we did do drastic. Oh well, I like living on the edge. Here is the new shorter me :)

since sunday: driving, mercyme & portfolios

I arrived back in Sioux Falls early Sunday evening. It was good to be back in my little house. (I think it missed me)



Right after arriving I met the girls for an old fashioned girls night out. Applebees was the starting point, where much story tellling and laughing went on. I love this part. Actually we were having so much fun we missed most of the first act. And we really wanted to see him.

Mercyme was awesome. I have always wanted to see them in concert. They are one of my favs! I am such a dork. I enjoy going to concerts so much. It use to kind of be a family tradition. Mom and I would even sometimes drag Dad along with us. Mostly I think he just humored us. It was usually a girls night out. A great mother and daughter tradition. I do miss that. I always think of her at concerts. She would have loved this one. Of course they sang the song "I can only Imagine". I guess you would have to be living under a rock not to have heard that song. It was sang at mom's funeral so it also reminds me of her.

Back to work on Monday. It was good to be back at my home away from home. This morning was portfolio review day. There were about 90 students there. I saw about the worst porftolio ever. The student actually admitted to me that she is in her 4th year of a 2 year program at a tech school. She has had to start over a few times. Wow I can't even put into words how bad it was. I did see a few promising students. I am so thankful for my art education and my job. Today was a good reminder of that. It is kind of weird to be in a room with other designers. I keep thinking...what are they like...how do they design...do they love it? I don't know why I spend the time thinking about this but it kind of fascinates me. Because we all work at competing agencies there are not a lot of opportunities for us to hang out.

Well now I am heading home to make jewelry. Can't wait!

sleeping boys and chicken strips

Today started out my bringing dad back home from the hospital. YEAH! It is good to have him at home, even if he is resting. Now that I only have one parent left it was a little unsettling staying in Lincoln in a house by myself. And now he has to rub all the fur off the cats face. My brother spent the day with us also. Actually the boys spent the day napping. When they were awake they were watching the discovery channel. Lunch was a gormet menu of homemade chicken strips and mac & cheese. They boys were happy. Inbetween keeping them fed and happy. I was working on a project for work. On a laptop that seems a lot slower than my computer at work. I am longing for that speed. While saving the files I was able to get some reading done, get the boys beverages and pee.

Right now I am in Barnes & Noble uploading files to Mike. I am pretending to drink a hot chocolate, that I didn't really want, but felt like I had to buy since I am taking up their space. There is a young sappy couple at the table in front of me exchanging valentines day gifts. (really? do people do that in public?) Wow, I really have to go now! Ok, I'm on my way now to pick up chicken noodle soup for dad and them comfy pjs for me.

ok, one more post and then off to bed...

I think there is a rule that when you are born and raised in Nebraska, football is just part of your upbringing. There is nothing I love more than fall and add Husker football and fall is complete. But every night on the evening news, there is a story about football. Even now. It is the middle of Feburary. Crazy. So a kid from Cozad (small town) signed with Nebraska and it has always been his dream. A former Husker player is sick and in the Hospital, oh but they just said his condition is improving. I guess the nightly news producers don't know what to do without a football story. Maybe I should go to bed and stop watching the news. Just a little slice of Nebraska for you :0

gallbladder, hairball & a baby

This morning started out early. Dad had to be at the hospital at 5:30 am. GallBladder removal surgery began at 7:30 am. So we arrived. Thankfully Bryce (my cool brother) drove us through the freshly fallen snow. Then we did a lot of hurry up and waiting. Once they took dad back at 7:00 am. After listing to the stupid weatherman on TV say over and over again that he did not know how much snow fell because it was blowing. Isn’t the weather supposed to be science? Anyway at 8:30 am surgery was over. The doctor talked to Bryce and I. It was kind of funny. He said everything went really well and everything went really well. It was like he was trying to tell us something profound, but he could not come up with anything, So up to the room we went. Room 622 (for those who have weird things about numbers...Katie). Then we hung around. Next, off to Grandpa’s to shovel/snowblow him out. Lucky for us they also fed us. Back to visit dad. By this point, up early, waiting and shoveling, I am exhausted. By the way, if you are wondering Bryce was the snowblower and I was the shoveler. We hung out with Dad the rest of the evening. They are going to send him home early in the morning.

Dad has a large 20 pound cat (this is where the hairball comes in). This cat has become increasingly more high maitenance. When you arrive home you must pet him and pretty much rub the fur off his face. He must also sit on you all the time. This sounds pretty cool, except I am really allergic to him. My favorite high maintenance fun of his is his water fetish. He pretty much considers the bathroon to be his. Anytime you are in there, he is there also. He will not drink water from a bowl. He has two perfered ways for water intake. 1: Sitting in the tub, with the water dripping from the faucet just so. If it is coming out too fast he does not like it. 2: (the more time consuming way) Fill a small juice glass full to the rim of very cold water. Then sit on the floor and hold the glass for him while he drinks it. Who do you think runs this house? I have had to be the face rubber/water retriever today. Can’t wait for dad to pet him all day tomorrow.

Grover Miles Korn was born @ 2:00 am, Feburary 13, 2007. (This is where the baby comes in).
My cousin Jen and her husband Jason had their baby in the early morning. I was going to go try and see them today. Just not enough time. Good thing I am only half way done with the knitted baby blanket I am making them. I hope to have it done before he is 5 years old. (Incase you are wondering, lots of people tried to talk her out of Grover. Guess she stuck with it).

I guess I should go, the cat is meowing in the bathroom. Apparently my services are needed.

idea-fest

Katie & I went to B & N today for lunch/concepting time. I love this part of my job. Coming up with a new idea is so exciting. So we ate our food and found a comfy spot in the sun. We piled up the books and begin thinking. A few minutes passed and a guy sat down next to us. I noticed that he had a stack of books, about 8. Half way through our...maybe we could, oh it would be cool if, session I looked up and noticed all of his books were self help books on getting over a divorce. Suddenly I became very sad for him. That poor guy is getting a divorce and sitting in B & N reading about how to get through it. I am so lucky and blessed to have the life I have.

the weekend of fun...



College roommates reunite. Location: Linn, Kansas. Date: Feb 2-4, 2007.



First stop: Lincoln, Nebraska and the mall. I do have to say the carousel went a little too fast. Kind of felt like vomiting!



Teaching Cindy to knit. She made a Barbie apron/shawl. Barbie felt pretty.



Sugar??



Art projects :) One of my favorite parts. (Glitter pens included)



Later on in the evening.





Thanks girls I had a fun weekend.

ebay + monday

I broke my promise with myself and bought off of ebay again. My last purchase did not turn out to be exactly what I expected. I think this one will be much better. I purchased 21 lbs. (192 pieces) of vintage silverware. I can't wait for it to arrive, so I can dump out the box and see all the beautiful designs. I hope they ship it soon :)