My Shabby Shack

Google Voice is here!

For those of you who know me, I'm a complete gadget junkie.  Well, I just discovered, via a good friend who firmly believes in referral marketing, that Google has come up with yet another tool I HAVE to have.  The best part is that it's FREE!! 

What is Google Voice?  Well, I think the video can explain it more succinctly than I can, and they have cute little graphics.  But here is what I like about it:

1.  I can customize my calling list so that the important people that need to get a hold of me will be able to ring through to all of my phones.  I simply give them my Google Voice telephone number and all of my phones will ring.  Of course I can customize it on the fly so if I know I'm going to be on vacation, and I have a phone number at the hotel, I can program that number as well.

2. The other nice thing about customizing is that I can also BLOCK callers I don't want to hear from or I can have their calls just go directly to voicemail.  This is especially useful when someone asks for your phone number, but you don't really want to give them you "real" number.  It's just another way to help screen your calls.

3.  I like that I can check my voicemail from my computer or iPhone just by logging into my google voice mail account, which looks very much like an email box.  From there, you can either read your email or listen to it.  This is convenient when you are in a meeting and totally bored ;)

4.  I was lucky enough to acquire a vanity phone number:  (xxx) UK4ME-XX  - I think I was most excited about that lol.

5. The only way you can get a Google Voice number is by invitation.  I have a secret way to get one, so leave me a comment and I'll let you in on it ;)

Family Video 2008

As you can see, it's been a while since I've updated my Blog - but I'm trying to turn over a new leaf - isn't that what birthdays are for?  Anyway - here's my newest add.  Last weekend I purchased Adobe Photoshop EElements.  Wayyy more easier to use that Photoshop CS3!  I was up late last night trying to get the right amount of pictures to line up to the music.  Here is the final result.  I think I found a new hobby :)

Project 365

 

With a new year, comes new goals.  Yes, I've started my list just like everyone else:

1. Lose Weight
2. Be better organized
3. Spend more time with the family
4. Make more time for my creative arts!
5, Update my blog every day!  Well, at least try to ;)

Not necessarily in that order, and there are definitely subcategories to all of the above. 

One of my the projects that I am undertaking this year is called Project 365.  I first learned about this project from one of my favorite blog sites http://www.cathyzielske.typepad.com/.  I thought it would be a fun thing to do and what a great way to chronical a year! I'll be posting some of the work right here.  I'll also try to post the progress of my goals - I'll try to keep it interesting!

The Best Cookies EVER!

So - I'm very fortunate that every Wednesday I get to work from home. That means I get to sleep in an extra hour, stay in my jammies for most the day, and work from the comfort of my cushy sofa!  I get to put my hair in a ponytail and forego the make up.  It also allows me time to be very domestic and cook a nice meal for my little family.  Today I decided to cook a macaroni casserole (it's a favorite of my boys)  Then, as the afternoon progressed, I was feeingl a bit June Cleaver-ish, and thought I'd make cookies for my little boy before he got home from school (well, he's 13, but he's my youngest so he'll always be my little boy).  Needless to say he was more than pleased to come home right as I was pulling them out of the oven.  He screamed "thanks mommy!"  Then begged me to let him lick the spoon ;) - what kind of mom would deny their child the joy of licking the spoon?  Anyway, I've been trying to figure out what I did differently this time when making my cookies.  It's the standard Tollhouse(R) Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe found on the back of the package.  I always use real butter - shortbread and margarine are not allowed in my cookies!  But they came out so perfect.  They were crispy around the edges, and soft and chewy in the middle...yummmm - had to limit myself, and finally stopped after 3 ;)  (avoiding the scale tomorrow!!)

My Little Town

 

Oh how I love the little town I grew up in.  We moved there in 1975 - the population then was only 7,000.  Today it's well over 35,000.  Back in my day, everyone's phone number started with 779 - which was cool because we only had to dial 9 + the last 4 numbers.  You really couldn't go anywhere in town and not run into someone you knew.  The movie theater always showed a double feature - for .50 cents!  The town was so small that you couldn't even buy a set of sheets, mainly because there was no department store.  We did have a Sprouse Reitz, which was one of those general store type stores.  But they didn't carry sheets. 

Well, today, my big sis and I decided to go shopping in my little town.  It's still a small town, but it has some great little boutiques.  What I especially love is that I know many of the shop owners - all wonderful gals.  I'll have to remember to snap some shots of these stores!

This is about me!

 

Today I spent about 4 hours at my little Shabby Shack.  What did I accomplish?  Not much!!  I really wanted to scrapbook - but I realized that it's a little hard to be motivated if you have no pictures to scrapbook.  So I decided to take a quick pic of myself right then and there on the spot - no make up, no fancy clothes...but did brush my hair!  I then printed it out and then sat their for a good 25 minutes trying to figure out what I was going to do.  I flipped through some magazines, and surfed the net a little bit until I finally got inspired.  Here's what's on my desk at the moment.  It's just about done.  I'll be posting a gallery of my completed projects - this will be the first one :)

Lazy Daze - Meanwhile, back on the Ranch

   

Ah the Ranch.  How I love coming here - home.  This is where I grew up - well, partly where I grew up. I lived her from the age of 10 until I was 17.  This was a great place for a kid to grow up.  We had a creek that ran through the front of our house.  We would play for hours in that creek - catching crawdads and pollywogs.  We'd jump in an intertube and sail all the way down the creek.  What would a ranch be without horses?  Every little girls' dream - including me.  My dad got me my first pony when I was 10 - her name was Ginger.  She was so cute.  Anyway, I got to visit with my daddy today.  He was out working in the barn when I got there - so I took the opportunity to snap some shots around the old homestead.

 

Ah yes, I love coming home.  Thank goodness it's only 20 minutes from where I live now!

Twilight, Dull Night

 

Well, I'm a few days later than every other fan that saw the movie on the 21st.  I avoided all reviews just so I could see it with an open mind.  Well, about 5 minutes into the movie, I began to feel that I was watching a Movie of the Week from the early '80s, complete with the cheesy music and bad special effects.  The gal that played Bella, had the same expression on her face the whole time - and I noticed that she never closed her mouth - that was quite annoying...  I guess it wasn't that bad all together, but I was expecting something a little more fantastical - like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter beautiful.  Anyway...I'm hopeful that the next one (assuming there is one) will be better.

Proud to be an American!

 

I woke up at 6:30 this morning.  I don't think I've ever been so excited about an election.  I woke my husband like it was Christmas morning! "Honey, come on! Get up - it's time to go vote!!"  He reluctantly woke up, got dress, and trotted down to the polls with me - coffee in hand.  It was a beautiful California morning and I could just feel the change coming on.  Regardless of how you vote, it's a pretty powerful thing to watch your fellow Americans lining up to make their choice.  To know that we HAVE a choice.  We live in such an awesome country.  I then started thinking about all those that fought for our rights - from my children's ancestors who fought in the American Revolution and the Civil War, to my father who served in the US Army during WWII, my brother who served during the Gulf War, and my son, who proudly served in the USMC during the war in Iraq.  It's a great honor and privilege to be an American and I try my best not to take if for granted.  America the Beautiful indeed!