Sometimes I wonder why I've been training diligently for the past 8 weeks and have yet to really see a significant change in my weight. Then I remember that Brandon and I embrace this philosophy:

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." Ernestine Ulmer

I miss my sweetie. There's definitely a certain spark that's missing when he's away. Even when I think we're going through the motions of our normal weekly routine (wake up, go to work, eat dinner, surf the web, lather, rinse & repeat...), the regular life stuff is just better with him around. I feel like marching around the perimeter of our living room chanting, "Boriiing... boriinng... bor-ing....," but I know Koda would be nipping at my heels because he was born with that instinct, and nobody would really be around to appreciate my boring dance the way Brandon always does.

Koda keeps staring at our front door, listening for any hint of recognizable sound that his best friend is home. He normally sleeps up in our bed, but last night, he slept in the doorway between our bedroom and living room. I'm not sure if he's taking on the role of my protector, planting himself between me and all the doors in our apartment, or if he's making sure our front door is in view so he can spot Brandon the second he gets home. I wish I knew doggie sign language for, "Your buddy will be home in a couple of days."

ladies in the city

Here's a photo from when my parents visited Denver in June.

Did someone say cupcake?

This weekend was the Alice in Wonderland-themed trunk show in Sioux Falls. I had such a lovely time! My family helped by baking mini cupcakes the morning before the show. Little did we know that two cake mixes would make 200+ cupcakes. My mom, aunt, and sister-in-law had a mini production line going that morning while I flew around the house trying to wrap up the rest of the show preparations. They were truly my lifesavers that morning! In spite of the fact that the cupcakes were a hit, we had LOTS of leftovers. I must have had at least 40 cupcakes throughout the course of the weekend. I'm still dreaming of cupcakes.



I love using vintage pieces in my displays. This sweet hankerchief box is the size and weight of an old wooden cigar box. My boss gave it to me for my birthday this year. Does she know me or what?

We served tea and pink lemonade. The lemonade was made with some kind of mix, real lemon slices, then strawberry syrup was added to create the perfect blend for a hot summer day. My aunt let me borrow this yellow tea pot, which was my great-grandma's.

I've been using lots of found objects in my jewelry this summer, including Scrabble tiles, dominoes, bingo pieces, typewriter keys, and metal numbers.

My neice visited me 3 different times throughout the weekend. She was sooo excited to visit the tea party that she put on her pink dress, put a bow in her hair, and had on her fancy shoes. When taking the photo, instead of "Cheese!" we said "Tea party!"

I drank lots of pink lemonade, my family helped me make (and eat!) LOTS of cupcakes, a friend called me to wish me good luck with my show, I got to take a road trip with my sweetie, and my sister and boyfriend took good care of our dog while we were away. A good weekend, indeed.

I was anxiously awaiting an order for 60 feet of chain today from the jewelry findings supplier I've been ordering from for 6 years. I opened the package, and much to my surprise, I received 5 feet of chain today instead of 60. Sixty inches.

I called, and they're supposed to be overnighting my order to Sioux Falls tomorrow, just a day before my show. I thought I'd spend some time on the drive attaching chains to necklace charms, but I guess I'll roll with the punches and do that tomorrow in Sioux Falls instead. I almost peed my pants when I first realized what was inside the box, then I laughed, because sometimes it's just humorous. I order spools of chain 10 times a year, but the ONE time a year I absolutely need it, the order is wrong. It's like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife.

In other news, Becki's coming by to watch Koda over the next 5 days. P.S. Here's our page on the Easter Seals website- please join our team! You can run as part of the marathon relay team- one person does 8 miles, and the rest break up into 5-mile and 4-mile increments. Spicy 2007 Relay team, anyone? :)