The countdown is on

... ONLY 3 1/2 more days and I will be leaving for Utah for our QuicKutz retreat. I finally finished all my 24 class kits today :) The are all nice and neatly on the floor. (I should take a photo, huh?). I am getting excited to meet the design team and the QuicKutz employees. We all will be flying in on Thursday between 4 - 5 p.m. and staying until Sunday late afternoon. I haven't seen the final program yet, but from what we heard about last year it's going to be a lot of fun. We will be touring the plant, meeting everyone, have focus groups and each of us teaches a class. My roomie is Jamie and I am excited to meet her and the rest of the group. Alhtough I have been going back and forth the last few weeks between excitement and nervousness, I am finally at the point where I am just looking forward to this! 4 days of fun! 4 days to meet and hang out! Days filled with creating, meetings, idea brainstorming sessions, shoppings and photoshots. Dang, I am one lucky gal!!!!! I have never been to Utah, so I am really looking forward to it! And I really can use this little get away ;)
I will report back with photos next week and maybe give a little sneak peak of the class kit later this week ;)
Hugs everyone! Have a great weekend and be good!

Friday nights with my friends...

are the BEST!!!! I am getting ready to head over to Ang's house tonight to meet with her and Margarita to scrapbook and precelebrate Ang's birthday! Wooohooooo I can't wait!!!! My XXL is packed, I am pretty much ready to go and I decided I will CREATE something just for myself tonight ;) We'll be ordering in some food and not sure what else we are all up too, but I tell you, we are known for late night field trips ~ grin!! .... let the Party BEGIN!!!
*
Thank you all for your comments and emails!!! My dad is doing a little better from what my mom emailed me! Still in pain and on the road to recovery but a little better each day!!! Thinking of you and sending you hugs dad!!!

Prayers needed!

If you believe in positive and healing prayers, please include my dad in your prayers. He had a total knee replacement operation this morning and is still in intensive care. My thoughts are with him... I wish I could be there right now in person to give him support and hope for a speedy recovery, but since I am here, I am calling on everyone who believes in healting prayers. Please, please include him - to a speedy and full recovery Dad! Love you and you are in my thoughts, prayers and in my mind - all the time!
Hugs, Syb

My new pride & joy

Wanna see my new pride and joy? Lookie, lookie below:



I still can not believe it, but we changed our cellphone plans and I got this new little baby! HOT Techno stuff, let me tell you!
* Phone (ok, nothing new here)
* PDA (yeah... not more looking for my calendar, forgetting birthdays and all that good stuff... sends me reminders ufz!!)
* INTERNET connection (yes, flipping awesome, huh! I can check my email at lunch time and don't have to fret jumping on that corporate internet :) Definitely A BIG PLUS!!!)
* Email (I can read and respond and I have a fold out keyboard - ok, maybe not as good as the real stuff, but for on the road - FABULOUS. Totally digging it.)
* Games, movies, music options... still learning how to use half of it! But I am getting there.

So definitely a reason I haven't updated my blog LOL. Been too busy figuring this little baby out! ... and still working on assignments. Just shipped off another load to QuicKutz and working on more goodies. Also finished 2 projects for Scrapsahoy - tomorrow is the reveal of our new destination and I betcha, all the projects will be eye candy - not necessarily mine as I just cranked them out tonight. Last minute, I know, I know. I am such a procastinator lately! I used to be so good, organized, ahead of schedule, but for some reason that has changed... Well, maybe with the help of my new little friend and friendly reminder beeps I will get back into the swing of things and have everything nicely planned and organized.
WE SHALL SEE :)

* Also had my 5 years service award today. After 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years (you get the picture) employees are presented with a service award and a gift while being praised by their boss in front of all these people. Yes, I got the praises too and it went down like butter, but (and she had warned me), she had to embarrise me too and tell a joke about our little language barrier at the beginning (in month 1). I survived (as you can see), probably turned bright red (not sure, but wouldn't be surprised) and got a nice little silver braclet with a charm that has the City logo on it. ... and just if you wonder and start adding up those years. Yes, I have been there over 6 years :)

Thats all for now... need to spend some tender loving care with my baby - and if I say baby, I mean my new cellphone wonder as hubby is at school :)
Hugs, Syb

Almost Friday....

... almost there...
just soaked in the tub for the past hour... was so nice. For some reason I felt a little blue today and needed to pamper myself to get out of this funky mood. I swear, there is nothing more healing than soaking up in hot water, reading a good book, closing your eyes for a few minutes and just refocusing...

Friday is just around the corner:
I love Fridays - see, I am working 9/80 meaning I am off every other Friday and the Fridays I have to work, I get paid, so what is there not to love??? Well the only thing I can think of is getting that paycheck and heading out the door - sounds awefully good :)
Plans for this weekend:

Saturday: Appointment with our tax dude. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a big refund. Who knows, maybe this will be our first summer in this house we no longer have to walk around half naked with the spray bottle around our neck in order to survive the California summer... yes, thinking of finally adding that long overdue A/C!!! How the heck did the build homes without A/C anyways....
Than on the other hand, Jer's car is pretty much running on it's last leg or tire LOL, so we might have to suffer through another summer,- we shall see. I am sure we will have no problems getting that refund on the man. I am thinking there is also always that sb room that is in dire need for some nice furniture! One can dream right!

The next few weekends are pretty much booked up:
Jer is heading to Chicago for a conference the first weekend in March and I will be going to Utah for my QK retreat in the middle of March...
We had originally planned on going to Germany in April but my dad is having an operation at the beginning of March and about 1 1/2 months of physical therapy afterwards... I think we might have to reschedule that trip a little later in the year. I am getting antsy to be honest. I haven't been home in over 2 years. We have rather unsucessfully scheduled and rescheduled our trip several times and it just wasn't meant to be. I dont know how things will be turning out, but I know that I WILL be going home this year!!! Not sure when, but its going to happen!!!

Looking forward to next Friday. I am signed up for a full day of scrapping with a few friends at my LSS. From morning till 2 a.m. Awwwwwwwwwww, I am counting the days....
Have a good weekend everyone!!!

Random thoughts...

* kinda been lost in my scrapbook studio these past few days/evenings- trying to get all my QK assignments done and out of the door :)
* got a lovely package from my mom (gotta love those pampering care packages): It had a whole bunch of photos from my childhood and teenager years (what a blast to the past) in it and a few cool presents that made me feel the LOVE!
* got this hilarious video clip from my dear friend Natasha Roe yesterday. Girl, you so made my day. I think I haven't laughed this hard in ages... and I nearly dropped of the chair. I wish I could somehow attach it to my blog, but I am just too dang techno incompetent :) So if you want me to forward it you, please email me (calnbg@sbcglobal.net). It's from Berlitz and basically about language barriers. I forwarded it to my boss and told her if we ever have a language barrier like that not to be too harsh on me... she nearly cried from laughing!!
* will be helping a friend out at the SB Expo in OC tomorrow afternoon with Ang, Margarita and Inken. We decided to leave early and take a little peak in the morning and do some serious or not so serious damage... I am still cured from my major decluttering last weekend... I couldn't believe all the stuff I had accumulated over the years.. almost felt like I had a cadillac parked in my sb room.. and just looking at the paper stacks... as if I ever could use ever single sheet... wont happen.. so hopefully that will be a reminder to think again before buying!
* feeling satisfied to look at the projects that are all lined up on the floor next to me... I have been creating my heart out and I love the peace I feel when I am all away in my little sb world
* Jer and I spent a nice, quite Valentinsday... I got beautiful flowers with a balloon (gotta love this man) and we went out for a nice dinner - I am one lucky gal to have this guy on my side! I can be MYSELF and he loves me just for that!!! He is my best friend and soul mate! Sometimes I dont even have to put in words how I feel and tell him what I need.. he is right there! HUGS my dear!!!! I love you from the bottom of my heart!
* OK gotta go back to finishing up those piles of laundry and some sb assignments.
Have a fabulous weekends!!!! And don't do anything I wouldn't do ;)

...

OK, the UPS man never made it :(
BUT Ang and I did a nightly trip to Scrapbook Oasis (they were open till 2 a.m. for a crop, and it's much easier to drive to OC at night than during the day due to the crazy traffic in Cali).They got new Fontwerks, Technique Tuesday stamps and American Craft paper in. Happy campers at 11 p.m. :)
LIFE IS GOOD AFTER ALL

PLEDGE

Dear UPS man:
* please, please, please DO NOT attempt to miss our house today
* do stop, open that door, get out of your truck and ring my door bell
* it's really important that I DO get this delivery TODAY!!!!! (to be honest I was hoping you would give me a visit already yesterday)
* SO please, do not let me down!!
* I will promise, you will be greated with a happy, smiling face
* ... and if its the package I have been waiting for so desperately to start working on my next assignments, I might just make your day by telling you how much I appreciate you stopping by, and how much you saved my day.
* I have not yet given up hope on you (but hey, it's 4:11 p.m. already) - I am sure you want to get done with your day too, so hit that gas peddle!
* Trust me, if the cops know important this one is, he will not give you a ticket.
------------------------->>>> So please, please, please, listen to my prayers!!!!

Life is GOOD...

Life has been really good this year so far! Although work has kept me busy the past few weeks, I have also been busy creating and really soaking life in!

Today was wonderful. Ang and I left for the Memories Store in Tustin at 9 a.m. Since traffic is usually pretty heavy on the 5, we decided to leave early and rather sneak a little coffee break in once we get there than to run late. We got there at around 10:45 a.m. The QuicKutz make and take that I was suppost to give was not scheduled until Noon, so we decided to stop at Old Navy and get a cup of coffee.
Before the QK make and take, Phil did a KI make and take and at Noon Ang and I took over the Make & Take area. The Memories/Paperzone store has this really cool set up in the front of the store - a permanent area for demos and make and takes with two work stations.
Below is the make and take sample of the valentins card I created with the Love Theme Kit from QuicKutz:


Our two stations were busy for the 2 hours we were there. It was fun to show people how to use the tool (for beginners) and to show experts the new Love Theme kit and it's possibilities and it was nice getting to know new scrappers! The Love Theme Kit definitely was the hot selling item of the day :)
At 2 p.m. we started wrapping up our make and take and Tricia from L'il Davis and Phil took over the station for the next two hours.
After a little shopping at the store, Ang and I went to lunch at California Pizza Kitchen and headed on to Scrapbook Oasis afterwards. We were able to use our gift voucher from the garage sale to get some of the new SEI & American Craft papers and stickers. Afterwards we drove to Strictly Scrapbooking and headed for Coldstone before driving back up to LA.
Definitely a DAY WORTH REMEMBERING and CHERISHING!
My partner in crime


*
Got a new haircut on Thursday evening. I really need to see if I can get a photo of Ricardo my hair stylist and do a little layout about this dude :) He is amazing with those siccors. Hair is flying left and right ... and that speed... almost makes you dang nervous, but the result is always amazing!!!!


Syb

I will be going back next Thursday evening to get strawberry blond highlights! Will post more photos than.
*
Have a fabulous weekend boys and girls~!~~

Make & Take in Tustin

Please stop by if you have some time. I am doing a make and take for Quickutz at the Memories Store in Tustin this Saturday (2/4/06) from Noon - 2 p.m.
They are located at:
2927 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92782-8909
The make and take will be a really cute Valentin's card (just in time for the big day 10 days later).
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!!
Syb

Disaster area :)

... ok, guess what I am referring to? Well, if you are a scrappers, it's not hard to guess the correct answer! Yes, my scrapping room or should I say my DISASTER area!! I should probably post a sign outside with a warning not to open the door! It seriously looks like a hurrican has hit home - stuff literally everywhere. I admit, I am NOT a clean scrapper. If I want to be creative, stuff has to fly left and right while working on projects. I try to clean up afterwards, but if I have too meet some deadline and I am tired, I may just close the door and leave the disaster till my next visit.
Well, it's gone out of hand - truly! Trust me! Hubby and I have agreed to rent a dumpster (NO WORRIES!!!, I am not going to go crazy and throw everything away) next weekend and get to work. I am trying to be good and make a pile for donation, a pile for a possible yard sale with my friends Ang and Margarita (something we decided on last week while doing the scrapping swapp at SB Oasis), a pile to be re-organized and a pile for the dumpster! I AM SERIOUS!!! I need to clean so bad. I am dreaming of an organized sb room, clean, uncluttered. I still know pretty much where I have what (which is a surprise in itself), but I just want it too look pretty too.
Like food - they eye eats too, right!
And NO, I will not post a photo of what it looks like right now (not sure if my camera lense would survive the disaster area), but I might just post a photo once I am done - Before and After so to say. Wish me luck!!!! ... and if you wonder about the timing LOL, just in time to make room for the new stuff! <---- Addictive scrapper talking :)
Have a good week everyone! To my friends at CHA - ENJOY!!!! (I so wish I could be there too, but hopefully next time), and while you are showing pretty new goodies, I am wading through my stuff that warrants a truly addicted sb personality :)

Trading in old for new...

Went to Scrapbook Oasis with Ang and Margarita yesterday to participate in a scrapbook supplies sale. The owners of the store rented out tables in the back where everone who "reserved" a table was able to sell any scrapbook or stamping supplies to customers. For all your sold items you got store credit. Our table (although way too small for all the stuff we had (I think we all should have reserved our own table as we had so much stuff)) made out like bandits LOL. I think combined we sold stuff worth a few hundred dollars. After dinner we went back and shopped in the store and were able to use our store credit = so basically trading old for new stuff!!! It was such a blast and it felt so good to get rid of some items that I just knew I wouldn't use anymore. ... and best of all I ended up with some fun new stuff I can hardly wait to play with!!!!

Busy, busy, busy....

January and February are the busiest times of the year for me at work!!! = Operating budget time. The budget drags on until the beginning of summer until Council adopts it and than changes are made based on decisions taken. Once we submit our budget proposal the work load slows down and we just made edits to our proposal ... but right now it's insanely busy at work.

To be honest, I am bummed that this is the busiest time of the year. I would have loved to go to CHA in Legas, but there is just NO way I am getting off work with a due date on 1/29, 1/31 and 2/9!!! So I am a little sad, but I have been talking to my friend Natasha/tasha and we are planning on going to Chicago in the summer! Can't wait, - something to look forward too :)Chin up - let's get this budget done and turned in ~smile!!!

Celebration, celebration :)

It's celebration time baby :) I am finished with all my QK projects and they are on their way :) YEAH!!!!!

Besides that, busy, busy, busy at work! Our first budget due date is next Friday, followed by Tuesday afterwards (1/31) and than the final due date for enhancements is 2/9! After that we will be getting questions, revisions are due, etc. Did I mention that I can't wait for Mid February to be here :)

I have been tagged

I have been tagged by Nas and by
Megan

Four movies you would watch over and over again (in no real order):
Pretty in pink
The Notebook
Born Identity
Sissy

Four places you have lived:
Stuttgart - Germany (born and raised)
Nuernberg - Germany
France (Paris and Tours)
USA (San Diego as Exchange Student and Los Angeles)

Four T.V. shows you love to watch:
The shield
House
Alias
24

Four places you have been on vacation:
London
Spain
Italy
Ibiza

Four web-sites I visit daily:
Scrapsahoy.com
Several blogs
Yahoo Groups
My inbox :)

Four of my favorite foods:
Mexican burritos
Chicken noodle soup
Coldstone icecream
Turkey & ham sandwich

Four places I’d rather be right now:
in my scrapping room :)
Hawai
In Germany with my family
in front of the fireplace with a good book or magazine

Bloggers I'm tagging:
Martha, Tonya

Quickly checking in

... sorry no update and no photos....
I am working on projects for QuicKutz for CHA. I got my HUGE box on Monday and I am still in QK heaven! So cool! .... just cranking out the projects each evening... still way to go and I need to get them back out next week! Besides... budget time has just started at work... so double busy...
More updates on Tuesday, once I have been to the post office :)
Hugs, Syb

A little time off :)

Jer and I took a few days off this week to go down to San Diego and to spend some quality time together! FINALLY! It has been way too long that we were able to get away together and we really, really enjoyed spending time together and it felt like such a refresher to our marriage! We left LA on Tuesday morning and drove to San Diego. We went to Horton Plaza, spend a few hours shopping and took a stroll through the Gaslamp district. Afterwards we drove around San Diego and enjoyed the beautiful surrounding, beach, etc.
Today we went to Sea World. Lots of shows, lots of photos, and lots of fun. And best of all - My back held up ok. I am sooooooo thankful and happy. I was really worried that I would not be able to walk all day, but knock on wood. I think all the acupuncture, the physical therapy and me starting to slowly working out again is helping. I promised myself to do anything possible (do my back exercises, continue acupuncture, and start slowly to work out again) to prevent back surgery. So now I am just hoping and praying that my body is responding and that those two slipped disks are good and stopping to bug me :)
Thanks everyone for your continuing support, prayers and thoughts!!! Photos from our trip will follow soon.
And tomorrow (Friday), I have an entire day to scrap with my friend Inken. We signed up at our LSS for the Moonlighter but we are going in for the entire day. Can't wait!!!

I can spill Finally spill the beans....

So dang excited and thrilled and I can finally spill the beans and share ...
Lookie here
:) :) :) :) :) :)

Happy New YEAR

Just wanted to wish everyone a VERY Happy, HEALTHY, Successful and AMAZING 2006!!!!!!!!
Hugs, Syb

Permanently marked

Hubby didn't think I would do it...
I didn't think I would do it...
The proof is below
Wendy, Mary and I got our tattoos yesterday at Tattoo Asylum. I know, the stigma is that tattoos are ugly and yucky and some are, but I really like the one I got. I know, it's personal preference, so I hope I didn't shock anyone...

And Yes, MOM and Dad, in case you see this, and you ever have to identify my body (hope not but you never know, right), it's me with my new tattoo on my right foot.