I passed ya'ALL! I PASSED!

*does happy dance*

I PASSED THE 4th and FINAL test! YAHOOO! Now, I have to complete the paperwork needed and hopefully *fingers crossed* I wll get my CPM certfication - beautiful- piece -of -paper- that -I-can- hang- on -my -wall - before -next- friday ya'ALL! Than I will officially be a Certified Purchasing Manager!! *squee* Gosh .... I think this is the hardest I have ever worked on ANY test in my life. Thank you EVERY single one of you for your prayers, hugs, puggy vibes and good wishes through this 8 months of FUN. YOU ALL ROCK! *hugggs*

I am still in a bit of a shock that I can actually FOCUS on SISinverary which is happening in less than 2 weeks! I have SO much to do before than - mostly 50 ATC's!! Luckily - I have all the goodies to just go crazy!


oh and before I forget... if you are in Chicagoland - GET THY TO THIS HARDCORE CRAFTY GOODNESS STORE!!! It opens JUNE 9th!! I am sooo excited about this!

CRAFT FANCY

Hugs ya'all!! I am off to get a celebritary DQ Blizzard. Not that it makes any difference ... I think this is my third one this week! ACK!


Nan and Aine

radio silent - for reals!

Okay folks! Please send that good karma, prayers and puggy vibes my way! I really need to go radio silent on all things net/email etc until this test is done at 11 am on Friday.

I have been doing really bad on my practice tests and quizzes which is really frustrating because I studied so much this weekend! ACK.

HUGS all and THanks! Nan and zzzzz Aine.

Shoppin's hard YA'ALL!

Oh my goodness gracious. I have not been shoppin in a bit and let me tell ya - not only am I just play out of shape... I am out of shape for SHOPPIN! How sad is THAT!? I mean - I went to bed EARLY.

I got SO many wonderful things on sale and I owe a HUGE thank you to Sarah and Martha! They are the best stylists a girl could ever have! And believe you me - I need help in that department ... BADLY.

You see? I have that entrenched thought of - "oh! one pair of jeans will *do*" curtesy of my catholic school upbringing where you wore uniforms all the time. Not bashing my upbringing at all! But you get used to a uniform! You really do. Not kidding. So this leads you to basically having uniforms in every part of your life. lol. I have my work clothes done pat *I think* but casual clothing? Nope. Seriously. I still have that "one pair of jeans will do" manta in my head! How sad is that? Even my 17 year old neice told me that I needed to break that habit and do it right quick. lol

So getting the help of these amazing and talented ladies were SO NEEDED. My casual clothing was just plain pathetic!!!! *gives BIG Hugs to Sarah and Martha!* You guys rock for helping a non-functioning clothing person like me! THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I am going to so be ALL that and than some at the SISinversary!!! *squee*

But I can't blame it all on my upbringing. Simple truth? I am not the size 6 I once was when I first got married and that is just so hard to swollow - especially when you go shopping. But these ladies gave me the options and the support and I will never forget it! *hugs ya all!*

I still have a bit more shopping to do (tissue weight tees etc) so I wont post any pictures until they are all *together*. Also - I really can't post pictures because today is major crunch time for studying. I am right now waiting for my computer to "defrag" so that I can install a new workstation image and than get crackin on some on-line studying.

Also I didn't just get clothes... I found some BEAUTIFUL lanterns on sale at Urban Outfitters - a place I have NEVER been to before! Also we went into Hello Kitty and I got one of the "surprise" packages for 30 bucks. VERY cool stuff in there indeed. But basically? I got it for the hello kitty personal fan so that I won't be boiling in TN! lol. I so wish I could have purchased something at
Anthropologie but nopes because I dont think they make anything past a "large". Seriously if they did - I would be all over that store and than some!

Finally - I have to tell you ALL about this amazingly wonderful scrap store opening up VERY soon in Arlington Heights, IL. Craft FANCY! Once of my SISters from SISTV and reporter from Craft Critique, Simone, is co-owner of this scrappy store of goodness and I really want it to be a success because a) the place is THE AWESOME. Every 7Gypsies, Sassafrass Lass, Maya Road, Pink Paisley, etc etc STUFF you WANT is THERE. b) it is like 2 miles from my house! c) because this is truely a scrapbookers store and I want Simone to be ridiculously successful!!! So go out there and support her and this shoppe YA'ALL!! I will post more pictures when the store officially opens. *dreams of that day*

Okay ya all - got to study! HUGS! Nan and Aine

Tagged!

Perfect timing! I needed a break and Peg tagged me

Rules:1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.2. People that are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.3. At the end of your post tag 8 people and include their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment on their blog to tell them they've been tagged, and to comment back and read your blog for the whole story.

1 Fav food: M&M's Plain, Pizza thin and crispy, salad, vinegar, beef!
2 Quirkyness:Anglophile. retainer of weird trivia, i really take my trival pursuit games WAYYY to seriously.
3 favorite quote- education is knowing what you didn't know, you really didn't know. I am no means a smart person but I really love learning about new things. Except gardening and bugs.. those will remain most likely unlearned. LOL.
4 PUG Lover, if I was weathly I would so be the crazy pug lady with a house full of puggies. Not that I am not now. lol
5 loves a good movie, book and DETAILS
6 loves to travel
7 very loyal to my friends.
8 it is SOOOO hard to study for this last and final test! ACK!

I tag - Martha, Mugsy BOO and Pixie PIE, Sarah, Kim, Cricket, Yoda and Yaka

Btw - to be fair - here is Aine's 8!

1. birth: was born in Blackstone IL to Lizzie and Cody. I supposidely look like my papa and have the body of my momma.
2. Family: one of 5. I have one sister and 3 birth brothers. Two of them being called Odie! My two 1/2 brothers live about 5 miles from me and I look exactly like my step brother Georgie. But I am skinnier.
3. loves to go for rides in cars, walkies and meeting people!
4. is currently sleeping. baby needs her baby rest after all!
5. I am concubine to http://ayatollahmugsy.blogspot.com/
6. My clothes are so much cuter than Mummy's.
7. I am the Queen of the house. Don't you forget it.
8. I have Mummy wrapped around my little paw.. heeehehehe


Okay it is off to studying I go! Aine is still sleeping.. but of course! lol. XOXO Nan and Aine

studying to infinity and BEYOND by Ms. Aine

Oh nooooos. Mummy is going to be studying ALL weekend. She needs to because her last and final test is next week. She is kinda *stressed* because she has REALLY BAD CPM-itis(akin to senioritius) and SISinversary on the brain. That means ANYTHING and EVERYTHING distracts her and that is not good if she is going to pass and get her certification!
I wonder what I will do while she studies.... I could be a good puggy and sleep, keep her warm, and play with my toys so that mummy can have ample studying time. And plenty of starbucks. We can't forget the starbucks - for Mummy not me.! What do you think Mummy? Oh man! She be studying.... I am just going to play with my toy and maybe zzzzzzzzzzzz..

XO XO Aine

PS - Happy 4oth B-day Daddy Joey.

Aine's new buddy

Wow, two posts in ONE day. This is sad. It is 4:30 pm and I still have not cracked a book today.

One of my BFF's Annie (Aine's namesake!) called and said she was in the 'hood so would I like to go out for lunch? I am like HECK YA! It was girls day out for her... she had her 2 and 8 year old with her and we all needed food. I have not been to California Pizza Kitchen in a bit - but dang is that food good! Also, we were all starving.

In order to burn off a 2 year old energy we went for a stroll around town. We went into a new dog store called Bentley's Barkery. They had Puppia harness for ridiculously cheap. However, they only had it in pink and black. She got a matching lead as well - also cheap!

OH and she got a new ugly monster toy too. Her biggest one ever. Jury is still out if she likes it or not. Aine? What you think?

xoxox Aine and Nan who is FINALLY going to study!

SISinversary Apron

I woke up with a fever to create! I know. I should be studying... but WILL you LOOK how cute this IS? I even have an ATG holder. Granted.... it needs some modifications but I think I rocked this! lol.
I have a place for ATC cards, scissors...
Here is the detail - I used a blanket stitch and some doggy basic machine stitches.









Side view - Got ATG gun - will scrap!

close up look of the ATG holster and various pens...




I created the pattern myself - and Aine didn't pay a lick of attention to me during the process. It took me about 3 hours to create maybe? I had to do loads of ironing, and I used up every bit of the pocka dote material. However, Aine did decide to help by picking the pins off the floor that dropped. Thank you Aine for giving me a heart attack!

Now I can wipe one thing off my list - I have LOADS more to do! lol. Which means I need to study and eat now! Hugs all! Let me know what you think! Nan and Aine.

The Pug Nurse and the Anime Pug

Thank you all for your very kind words of encouragement - it seems that things have sorted themselves out nicely. now I am busier than ever - but that is okay! I just realized that a month from now is SISinversary and DANG do I need to STUDY! So my focus is back on track.

However. Aine The Pug Nurse -will not leave my side. She HAS to touch my knee - no matter how much I yell at her....

This is Aine upon climbing up the princess and the pea sized pillow lift for my knee.



SHE has to ALWAYS TOUCH MY DANG KNEE! ARGHHH. Doesn't she know it hurts me when she does that? No yelling at her will help.

But than I saw this in my book "Let's Draw! Illustrating with Copic" - An ANIME PUG! Isn't he/she/it the CUTEist?! . Again - I know I will NEVER be an artist of any sort - but it is a cool book because it teaches you how to use the markers. You can refill these and mix your own colors! Very cool indeed. However - I won't be going that wild and crazy with those - but I think it is uber cool that something like this exists!

LOL LOVE IT - okay with that - I have LOADS to do! Hugs all! Will not be posting as much as I would like until the weekend because of said loads of stuff to do! ACK! I need about 40 more hours in one day! HUGS! nan and Aine

2 blizzard day. and Church of Jediism

It is never good when you have a 2 blizzards(okay TECHNICALLY 1 mcflurry and Dq M&M Blizzard but still way to much!) in one day.



But all changed when THIS came to my doorstep....

oh man! I am no way near a hard core manga/anime person but... IT WAS 50% off at BLICK! WITH the 12 pack of COPIC markers included! OMG are these markers are a thing of beauty. And I have not even cracked open the book yet!

And than I got my Country Living magazine and I was ALL SORTS OF HAPPY! The cover story is all about collecting... *squee*


So you may ask - why the 2 blizzard day? Will spare you all the gory details -two things came up today that was very stressful for me.

1) Knee - good news is my knee is not broken (THANK YOU GOD!) but they don't know if I have a torn meniscus. I have to wait 3 weeks to see if it has gotten better or worse and than from there a MRI. The doctor said that he doesn't think I have a torn meniscus - but we have to watch and see. I said to him... "well we better not, I have a holiday in less than a month and I AM STILL GOING!" lol. He said -" no worries, that is fine - I waited for 6 months before I even had my meniscus looked or operated on! "LOL. OH man I love that Doctor!


So right now I am supposed to put my leg up, put ice or a warming pad on it and put a elastic cuff like thing from Walgreens on it so that nothing *shifts*. The only problem is this little beastie:


She won't get of the heating pad and that is sitting on my knee! She has no disregard for said knee because she will STAND ON IT. Lol. Than gives me a look of oh WHAT IS WRONG?!! lol


2nd Blizzard - BIGGEST GERR EVER. My sister calmed me down enough so I shan't go there.



Btw - did everyone see this church?

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5guuJSJjnKnziggp5XSMeRWMTpzggD90KUB6O0

'Darth Vader' spared jail in Jedi church attacks
6 hours ago
HOLYHEAD, Wales (AP) — A man who dressed up as Darth Vader, wearing a garbage bag for a cape, and assaulted the founders of a group calling itself the Jedi church was given a suspended sentence Tuesday.
Arwel Wynne Hughes, 27, attacked Jedi church founder Barney Jones — aka Master Jonba Hehol — with a metal crutch, hitting him on the head, prosecutors told Holyhead Magistrates' Court.
He also whacked Jones' 18-year-old cousin, Michael Jones — known as Master Mormi Hehol — bruising his thigh in the March 25 incident, prosecutors said.
The two cousins and Barney Jones' brother, Daniel, set up the Church of Jediism, Anglesey order, last year. Jedi is the faith followed by some of the central characters in the "Star Wars" films.
The group, which claims about 30 members, says on its Web site that it uses "insight and knowledge" from the films as "a guide to living a better and more worthwhile life."
"We all love the films and what they stand for. Obviously some people are going to laugh about it," the Wales on Sunday newspaper quoted Barney Jones as saying last month. "But a lot of people do take it seriously."
Unfortunately for Hughes, his March attack was recorded on a video camera that the cousins had set up to film themselves in a light saber battle.
"Darth Vader! Jedis!" Hughes shouted as he approached.
Hughes claimed he couldn't remember the incident, having drunk the better part of a 2 1/2-gallon (10-liter) box of wine beforehand.
"He knows his behavior was wrong and didn't want it to happen but he has no recollection of it," said Hughes' lawyer, Frances Jones.
District Judge Andrew Shaw sentenced Hughes to two months in jail but suspended the sentence for one year. He also ordered Hughes to pay $195 to each of his victims and $117 in court costs.
In the 2001 United Kingdom census, 390,000 — 0.7 percent of the population — listed Jedi as their religion.


So maybe life isn't that bad. :)


Hugs all! Nan and naughty Aine.

FLOCK has ARRIVED!

What the FLOCK! THis FLOCK is HARD to GET man. I got this from gonescrapin.com and I am sooo happy.
Now I have to figure out my LO for my SISinversary ATC's. *hits head* Time is ticking away and I have not even started them because I am stuck on what the LO will look out - I have allusions of grandur as per always - I want to put "cartoon Aine* on there - but what glue do I use to put it on the ATC? I was thinking of doing the background of The Drawing Room at Aineburgh Hall in it OR do something Englishy. I m going to use some of the flock on her ears me thinks....heee. Here is the cartoon of Aine that was drawn for me when she was a PUP! Isn't it cute?

So for Mothers Day I made my mom an Amy Butler apron!



So for Mothers Day I made my mom an Amy Butler apron! The first picture doesn't do it justice becuse I wanted to show you how LONG the apron is.. and DANG it is long!
Here is a better picture.... It is blue so I am thinking she liked it! :)








Btw - here is a video treaty for you alll - This is Aine when I come from work!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkStDfm0DLg

I LOVE my FLIP man!! Yep - you can expect more pug filled videos. :)

Sorry I have been so radio silent lately - it has been crazy busy at work and I have been trying to study which has been really hard to do! Oh and did I tell ya I broke my toe - but now I screwed up my knee!!! So keep that good karma going my way because I don't want surgery! GERR!
Btw - Happy Mummy's day to all human and Pug/dog moms out there!!! Nan and Aine

Craft Critique: In Stitches, by Amy Butler

Craft Critique: In Stitches, by Amy Butler


YEA! My very FIRST CC Article! Please check it out and tell me what ya THINKS! HUGS ALL! Nan

More Puggy STUFF

As promised - here are the PUGGY Videos of MR. Mugsy BOO and Ms. Pixie PIe and Ms. Aine.


Eats!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TBnyJzWACbM

Following Martha!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dn07uz9pW1U


Treats?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=HuhzKMgbqME

Aine saying HI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8D02BhDsBZ0

5 sec video of Aine being a froggy leg
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gq-mwOY_8BA

And here are the rest of the Flicr picts!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nansphotos/sets/72157604892203723/

Also - stay tuned to http://www.craftcritique.com/ for tomorrow for my review of Amy Butler's book, Instiches and the Cat Tunnel I made! WOOT!

Hugs all - It is time to hit the study books! YEA. Nan and Aine

What a weekend

My weekend - even though it started out in much pain was FABULOUS!

Friday - Horrid day - I broke my toe ! OH the DRAMA!
Saturday - I went to hospital to get xray of said toes, but I scrapped because it was National Scrapbooking Day!! YEA! Martha had an amazing challenge and finally I was able to use some of my stuff! Dang! I miss scrapin! Can you see the apple falling down? lol. I thought it was funny.

Sunday - Went out for a puggy play date with Martha and Sarah! Well actually Puggy Play date with Martha, Mugsy, Pixie and Aine... Sarah we had lunch with ! LOL. Much fun and gifties were had by all! In fact... I got me an early Pug Mummy's Day pressy..... a FLIP! Check out some of these videos:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8D02BhDsBZ0

I am still loading up an amazing one but I am having issues with the FLIP software so I am still figuring it all out.

Look at some of these pictures!

Sarah and Martha are so stylish! LOVE Sarah's hair!

Of course, a came of chase had to happen! Look it how Mugsy just sits and watches the youngins.

And now we get TREATIES!!

Okay I have to get back to it - I had had to do a short update - I will update more when I have a chance! HUGS ALL! Nan and Aine.