Le Fleur de Pittsburgh

Le Fleur de Pittsburgh, originally uploaded by jenjuddrocks.

My sweetie sent me some flowers for Valentine's day, but I haven't had a chance to tell him that they got delivered on Thursday just before I left for the weekend. They weren't very pretty when I got back. So, for today I'm posting a pretty from my Pittsburgh trip this weekend. I am proud to say that I didn't edit this at all...it's all my skill with the camera. haaaaaaaaaaaa

Simple Valentine

My valentine's simple.

All it takes is a little paper and a little tape to show some love.

Love to my Bon Jovi concert-going girlfriends.

Love to my girlfriends who should've been there for some Richie.

Love to my ma and pa.

Love to the rest of my family...especially all the cute nephews.

And, most importantly,

Love to my sweetie.

p.s.  Amy's special love-centric V-day pic is here!

Time for Work

I only have two minutes before I have to head to work.  I'm spending the week observing the commanders' spouses' course.  It's interesting since I am, technically, a graduated commander's spouse and my organization is the one who puts on the conference.  So, I'm taking lots of notes about all the odd things our briefers (speakers) are mentioning.  Coolest part is that I get to spend time with Dana & John...friends from many years ago.  He's going to command a squadron out in Phoenix, so she's in the course!  Whoo hooo!

Happy Tuesday!

Frankie Blue Eyes

I don't often capture pics of my little scaredy kitty cat, Frankie, because he's a bit of an anxious fella.  When he heard the treat bag tonight, though, he was all about it!  I was able to capture this shot with lots of luck since he didn't run off as soon as the flashes started flickering.  He's such a little sweetie pie!
 


In the middle of the night, he screams like a baby and then runs around galloping in the kitchen like a little tiny pony making all kinds of noise.  He only lets me pet him if I'm laying in bed under the covers.  Apparently I'm less threatening when I'm snuggled up like that.  I adopted him ages ago from the Siamese Rescue.  He's a "flame" point with his orange color, but I'd rather call him "creamsicle" point because that's more descriptive.

I'll never forget the trip to his foster mom's house.  It was about an hour and a half away from where I lived in Northern Virginia.  Two of my mostest wonderfulest girlfriends were with me and we took a road trip to pick him up.  I knew he was going to be a bit timid, but the anxiety was over the top.  Let's just say that due to his bodily functions it was not a very pleasant trip home.  The smell of poo was almost overwhelming.  But, we made it home, cleaned him up and he went into hiding immediately. 

Since his earliest days of hiding, he's become a bit more social.  I've actually gotten him to sit with me on the couch (as long as I'm fully blanketed and don't make any sudden movements) a dozen times.  He's only bitten me once hard enough to cause a trip to the emergency room.  He really didn't want to go to the vet and I was a little bit frustrated--I actually flipped the bedsprings up off the frame to get him out from under the bed.  You'd have thought my house had been through some sort of monster storm after chasing him around for an hour.  We ended up having to cancel the vet appointment because I had to go sit for a few hours surrounded by sick kids at the local Army post hospital.  It was wonderful. 

How did I end up going down crummy kitty memory lane?  haaaaaaaaa  Back to the good ones...I'm going to get the treat bag out again.  They can celebrate Superbowl halftime with their tuna-flavored faves.

Tackling the Bead Stash for February...Think Chocolate

Think blue, too.

I was wandering around blog world this morning being super-productive. 

Operation Tackle that Bead Detash has the February mood board posted. 

It's yummy and pretty at the same time.

Then, instead of actually getting off the couch and making something out of the blues, turquoises and browns I have jamming my stash drawers, I kept wandering.

Ms. Brandi from brandigirlblog is hosting a second Color Palette blog walk. 

Since I didn't know much about the first one, I started clicking and clicking and found lots of tools to use to make palettes.

Thus, the last hour or so was spent at Colourlovers.com creating palettes and patterns and colors.  It's addicting.  I haven't even gotten up for more coffee.

Here's my pick for February.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! 

I'm off to spend the day at the Bead Haven.

I'm sure I'll be thinking of chocolate now all day. 

Luckily I have several boxes of Weight Watcher ice cream bars...at only two points a piece I can eat a whole box and not feel too guilty.  haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Giving Away Some Libby

Libby Leuchtman makes beads.

Actually, she makes awesome beads.

She's using some of them in Totally Twisted designs.

She's giving those designs away.

I will full up admit that I want some of her yummy beads.

So, I'm sharing the link with you:

She's twisted, Baby!



Libby's "Sweet Baby Jeans" Beads in her Etsy shop

Bead Table's Wednesday Blues

I didn't even realize it was Wednesday.  I had a question about it this morning and the only thing that made me realize the day was the tomato soup stain on my uniform shirt.  See, on Monday we wear blues, so I must've had that shirt on at least one day prior to today, so it has to be at least Wednesday and since I know Top Chef wasn't on yet, then I figured out it actually is the middle of the week.  Luckily I figured it out before the 0830 staff meeting in my office--that I'm supposed to lead!  haaaaaaaaaaaa

So, now that's it's the second day of a new month, I figure it's time for me to choose a new color for the blog.  It was easy this month because I took a clue from Judy, my BSBP partner.  She sent me the most amazing blues in my soup treat box.  So, BLUE it is!!  I'm wearing my Bedford Bisons Thundering Herd hoodie sweatshirt, in honor of my cutie nephews, paired with an awesome set of genuine Bedford High School Phys Ed shorts.  All in blue and white!  And I'm drinking a Miller from a blue can, looking at my kitties' blue eyes, resting my feet on my a blue pillow from my old favorite couch that I don't have any more.  More important than all of those things are what's on my scope on this Bead Table Wednesday...

BLUE...glass, wire & beads!!

There are a few different artists represented in this stack:
- Sue Kennedy at SueBeads - the long enameled beads in a gorgeous shade of blue.  Mind you, I bought a few of her latest glass-tipped headpins this morning before finishing my first cup of coffee.
- Brendan Blake at bbglassart - the little boro bead on the right
- Blueseraphim - funky blue rounds that I actually won in an Art Bead Scene challenge last year.
- There's a hollow blue pretty that I got from a blogging bud, Amy, at Copper Diem when we decided to swap some goodness last month.
- And, finally, all those coiled bunches of wire are all inspired by my class last year with Kerry Bogart, the princess of twisting.

So, I'm all in the blues this month...and that's not just the horribly uncomfortable sweater I wear on Mondays!  It's the inspiration of calmness, beauty, and the excitement of seeing loved ones like a husband who's coming home or a favorite 80's rock idol...Curtis vs. Richie Sambora.  It's a rough one!  haaaaaaaaaaa