*GIVEAWAY ALERT!! FREEBIE including free shipping!!

*Update*

For anyone interested, I can design your cards if you like, FREE of charge in the spirit of my giveaway. Good luck everyone!

Do you need business cards? How about 500 of them, and they're all FREE, including free shipping? Well, tell me why you NEED free business cards and I will pick a winner next Wednesday at noon! Anyone may enter, however, if you live outside of the US or Canada, you must pay shipping. This giveaway is being sponsored by

and if you are ever in need of business card printing, they are the guys to use. I personally have used them for mine and I can't say enough good things about them. OK, so there are 2 ways that you can win this prize. One, simply enter a comment on my blog, telling me just how creatively you would use this prize. And 2, write a post of your own about my contest in which you must link back to my blog and link to www.uprinting.com. Do one, do both, do nothing, but won't you be sad if you don't win because you didn't try?

Nothing else could be simpler! Now, get to it.

I Won, I Won!

I can't believe it, and it came at just the right time, but I won my very first design contest and got $200 to boot. Here it is, check it out. I'm so happy! Can't you see me smiling? Cheer everyone, have a great weekend, we are tremendously busy! Wedding today and kids birthday party at Chuck E Cheese tomorrow, oh great fun.

Not Ignoring...Swearsies!

Been keepin' busy trying to make extra money. I was offered a position for our downtown development authority but decided that I wasn't quite ready to sell my soul just yet for nothin'. I have been here a lot in the last week. They have these really cool design contests and while I haven't won anything yet, I have come very close. :) Not to mention I feel like I'm really amping up my portfolio and getting some really good feedback. Stella and Cohen are growing like weeds. Stella will be 5 June 9th and Cohen will be 4 months on Sunday. OMG, it feels like just yesterday that I pushed that kid out at the speed of light! But, I just got the bug to have another, someone please take my temperature, I must have a fever causing delusions. Matt is about to enter finals week, yeah. But, he won't be officially done until next semester, a couple more classes he wants to take, but he'll be looking for a job shortly I'll have you know. GMAC modified our mortgage, it's pretty good too, my only complaint is that it is still an adjustable rate, but it won't adjust until 2014! That's it for now, I will be back, never fear, you know I love you.

Snow Day, Snow Emergency.

Rough day for me, probably because it was a Monday and it frickin' snowed, but we won't go there. Haven't posted in a while because I've been feeling lost. I'm not sure how it is for other professions, but I imagine everyday work issues are not quite the same as in graphic design. I'm not saying that other professions don't have it more or less difficult, but what I am saying is that sometimes it sucks to be a graphic designer. I am always selling myself to someone and I'm having to keep up on everything that is current and trendy, which I'm horribly bad at lately, and I'm always having to improve myself and appear hip and with it. Anyone that knows me knows that I am neither hip nor with it, BUT, I do know what I like. I am not lamenting who or what I am and I am so grateful to be a mother of 2 very healthy kids, but I am so damn tired of the devoutly cool! Come on! Sleeping till noon, dinners out every night, staying up til 3am because you were "inspired." Please, real life and real hard work comes in between working your job and your child's nap or in the morning before your daughter wakes up with her list of demands or at the end of the night once she's gone to bed for the eighth time and it's 10pm and now you're forced to work until 1am because now you must get that job done. Never you mind what you had hoped to do for yourself today. Tell me, what makes a designer? Time? Coolness? Cigarette smoking? Obnoxious pontification about frivolous topics of conversation? Or, is it simply doing what you love because it's the only thing you think about other than the everyday aspects of your life? Something inside me knows the truth is what I hope for, maybe someday I will be confident in that. :)

Oh My Aching Back.

Put my back out on Saturday and I'm still dealing with the pain. I can sit and sleep, I just can't walk for very long standing up straight. I hate going to thechiropractor, I think it's creepy, but in this case, I know that I must. My chiropractor while very kind, makes me feel sort of uncomfortable, he's almost flirty if that makes sense. The bad part, he's a real throw back to the 80's, I'm talking he's got butt hair and molester glasses. Basically I've got a pinched nerve in my spine and it's been a year since it's acted up, and so it goes. I have however spent the better part of yesterday and today sitting in front of my laptop creating a poster for Garden City's first ever Art Festival (fingers crossed it actually materializes) and I've been busy. With the back pain I can't even pick up Cohen, so sure it will send my back into convulsions, so I sit and I'll feed, but someone has to transport the little man for me. Anyway, here is the poster, I'm proud of it. It's always fun to create something for a cause you can get behind. I take any and all chances I can to be creative lately. Even Saturday as we sat with the tax preparer, I offered to create some new business cards. She took me up on it and I'll be dropping off my business card to them some time this week. I'm trying.

Keeping Your Head Above Water.

I'm trying not to get bogged down in the everyday. It's hard though right when you watch the news and you hear them say how bad things are. "Alright, we get it already, times are tough," except for probably the folks who are actually reporting the news. Ironic huh? Maybe if the news reporters started only reporting on positive news stories and then only running a ticker at the bottom of the television to post the bad junk, then maybe people's vision of the world would improve. Maybe? Optimistic? I'm tryin'.

Friday we have our final home visit from Stella's preschool teacher. I know everyone grows up, but I'll really be sad when Mrs. Dunwell is not her teacher anymore. I too know that she will have other amazing teachers, but Stella has grown up so much in the last 8 months or so and I credit some of that to her saintly teacher. So, she will sit with us for 20 minutes or so and tell us how she has progressed according to her records. What that won't tell me, I can see with my own eyes, my baby has grown. Looking at her class picture that arrived about 5 weeks ago, I saw the face of a baby. Rounded and scared, school was very new to her. Now, probably a few inches taller and a longer leaner face, she is growing into a beautiful young lady, I am lucky. 

In my vein to be more creative again, I would like to make her teachers day planners. Using of course my stash of scrapbooking supplies. Since I am moving to digital scrapbooking (more on that later) I don't need as much "stuff." As I design, I will show pictures. I think I'm going to created the actual day planner info digitally and then print on blank paper. We'll see.

Work is good. It's a typical office, you have the worrier, the bitch, the nice guy boss, and various other characters. I believe that I am currently the "alli." My direct superior is almost continually complaining about her equal and referring to her as either foul or as an expletive that I will leave out here but it starts with an "a" and ends with a "hole." It doesn't make for a hostile environment, but it does feel like it's own little powder keg and you never know who has the match. What I'm frustrated with is the fact that I make a subpar wage at a College where they educate folks to get jobs just like the one I have. You'd think at least that they would consult the professors about what is an appropriate wage to pay a person of my expertise and vast experience. But, really the blame is all on me, I'm the poor shlub who had to take the job right? Today though, maybe the tides will turn. I have applied to a company that I am more than qualified to fill their position and it requires Department of Defense clearance. x) Kinda cool. I'm wondering if it would help me if I were to get an interview to inform them that my cousin was just appointed as a secret service agent. Hmmm....something to mull over I'd think.

Wish me luck to get an interview.

Past 10 Days In Review.

A. Stella is sick.

B. We're waiting for Cohen to get it.

C. Dealing with a difficult woman at the new job.

D. Cohen slept 8 hours straight one day last week.

E. GMAC is working with us at the moment to the tune of saving $400.

F. Scored a new client from Vegas.

G. Starting to say what I mean and sticking to it.

H. Tired of struggle.

I. Want what I deserve.

J. Proud of my portfolio.

K. Can't wait to show off my new business cards I designed. (*Later)

L. Hoping Matt finds an amazing job when he's done with school in May.

M. So happy to call Barack Obama my president!

N. Trying to get enough sleep these days.

O. Guess that's about it. 

Can I Use Your Toilet?

What a difference a week makes right? 

A new job that I love. GMAC has approved us for a partial loan modification, hopefully in the end, an entire modification. So far, $50 less per month. Funny how in these times negotiating your mortgage is like getting an interest rate lowered on a credit card. They lowered the rate by 2% on the one so far. 

There was promise for Matt with a job interview on the horizon, but he received an email from the employer asking when he could meet but was informed that it would only be part time. That's just crap. People are so afraid to hire someone full time, it's insane, how do companies think people can live on part time money? Then, Matt is supposed to call in for his unemployment on Wednesday's 

at 1pm, well he forgot. So he couldn't call until the next morning. I paid the insurance bill and of course, what happens, the unemployment check DOES NOT go in the bank this morning. So, we had to put a stop on the check. Then, my check doesn't go in the bank because I'm not "in the system" yet. WTF? Then, I get home from work and what should I find? Water filling up the street in front of 

my house. A WATER MAIN BREAK!!! And, now they have cut down our tree and still digging in the front yard and no one is allowed to poopie.

 Thank God Stella is spending the night at grandma and grandpa's. But, I'm still feeling positive. Things are looking up and I can see that, plus, with this little face smiling at me when I least expect it, I can't help but be comforted, right?

Happy Valentines Day!

Hope everyone has a romantic day! <3

I've Started My Etsy Shop!

In my small attempt to make extra cashola I have started an Etsy shop here. I am starting out with Etsy banners so far, but hope to drum up business creating logos and avatars. Hell, I'll do anything you need and it won't break your bank. Please check me out and if anyone needs something digital, please don't hesitate to ask me.

Thanks to everyone who has been silently supporting me. All your words of encouragement mean so much. :)

Something Good in All the Bad.

So, I've been trying to help us keep afloat on just whatever freelance work I can muster up, along with whatever hours are tossed my way (ahem: meager). Well, Matt goes to school 3 nights a week and on Thursdays he just adores his teacher. He learns a lot and she's just really a very nice person. On Sunday night, Matt gets an email from this teacher and says for me to forward my resume to her. I do and by Monday morning she asks me if I would like to come in to Schoolcraft with my portfolio so that she can talk to me about a part time job with the colleges marketing department. I was thrilled! While the money isn't going to save our house, it will however save my sanity and what's more important in the grand scheme of things right? I go in and good lord I just thought I totally flopped and she probably thinks I'm a wet blanket, untalented hack. I told Matt that if I did get the job, it would only because she likes him. That night I took the kids to Target to do our typical baby food and bunch of crap I don't need shopping trip and to my surprise when we got home and I checked my email, I got the "You're Hired" email. I was completely stunned, but so thrilled. It will only be part time, 8:30-12:30 Monday through Friday, but it will allow me to do my other job as well as work flows in, so all is not lost. Some how, some day we will own a home again, but at least until then, we won't be homeless. Fingers crossed anyway. :)

We Have Movement.

*Ah, may have been more of a bowel movement because something smells a lot like bull@&%t!

Don't know how monumental this is, but GMAC is working with us. We'll see. Matt said they told him that this month they decided that they won't wait until your behind to help you out. GREAT!!!! We always miss the boat on things. But, they want a list of all our monies that go out. It's funny, we were calculating everything and our list comes to 16 items that we spend money on including car payments, insurance, energy costs, phone, tv, internet, 3 credit cards all told just over $1000, groceries, gas, baby needs, 2 very small loans and the IRS. When we were first married we would have had to add to that at least 10 more credit cards. So sad we were. We've cleaned up our act, we've cut spending on all things, heck we didn't even formally shop for groceries as a way to cut costs this week. We aren't bad people, we just made a bad decision and now we are trying to get help. Is that so wrong? Now at least I have an ounce of hope, Matt however only has half an ounce. :)

He Smiled. It's All I Need Right Now.

I'm Sorry, I Was On A Hiatus.

I haven't abandoned everyone, just had some real issues that had to be dealt with. The long and the short of it? Welp, Matt and I and Stella and Cohen will be losing our house this year. :( It is devastating and sucks and nothing I ever imagined I would go through, but considering the circumstances, it is what it is. I won't be going into any details, but leaving it in the most legal way possible is the best choice for us, because our situation here is NOT improving with Matt still laid off, my hours greatly cut and both of us actively looking for work. We are as Matt says "now a statistic." 

One of the hardest parts of all of this for me is that like everyone, I strove to do better than my parents did. Both Matt and I have our bachelors degrees check 1 on my list, we own/owned our home check 2, we have two beautiful children check 3, but sadly and thankfully this is something my parents never had to go through. I. Have. Failed. :(

The bright spot? We have amazing friends, and you all know who you are. One set of these amazing people has offered up a home to rent to own for us, and mind you a fully updated home that was the childhood home of a very good friend. Sadly her father died and then her grandfather and so now her mother is moving from that home she shared with her now deceased husband and into the home of her now deceased father. Scott and Julie have agreed that they will rent this home to us for as long as it takes for us to own it. :) We had no idea what we would do before this option was presented to us, mostly just the greater hope of new and better employment. The home that we will call ours possibly as early as June will cost us a whopping $600 less per month, hallelujah! Taking so much strain off of our already delicate income. 

I cannot express to them enough how grateful we are about this and will probably annoy them so much with the amount of times I say thank you for saving my family and helping us stay together. You don't want to know what I thought our other options could be. 

As I know things I will post them here, mostly for myself for "memories" in the future of tough times, but also to show you why I was unable to keep up with my new download for everyday. I simply don't care anymore and now have bigger fish to fry.

It's A Hard Knock Life.

Matt and I currently have a VERY large decision to make. Either way we go, it's not a good or easy choice, but it is in fact a choice we HAVE to make. If anyone knows a lawyer that either doesn't charge much or would do a free consultation regarding real estate, I would be greatly indebted to you and would find some way to return the favor. Thanks everyone, just prey for us that things will turn out the way they are supposed to.

This Little Light of Mine.

I'm trying to let it shine. 

Things are not good at the moment.

I don't know how to go about recharging my battery or if I would be able to run better on some other form of energy. It doesn't seem to matter what I do in all aspects of life, it is never the right thing and it doesn't work the way I hope it will. I had hoped by this point in my life I'd be where I wanted to be, the way it is now is not how I imagined it. This sucks. 

It's An Obama Nation!

I will refrain from pontificating about what this day means as we are already aware of the magnitude and gravity of todays events. I will just say that I am a sensitive person and last week I even cried during an animated Disney movie, "Meet the Robinson's." In my defense it's about a little boy who is an orphan and when given the chance to go back in time to meet the mother who gave him up, instead chooses not to because his mother was really the woman who ran the orphanage. Come on your heartless if that is not touching and it made me think of Cohen, how people can give up their little babies I'll never understand. Anyway, while listening to the radio this morning they were talking about Martin Luther King Jr. and as the woman got choked up, so did I so I had to change the radio station. Then, as I was feeding little Coey, I caught Obama's actual speech and that got me quite a bit teary, I had to leave the room. It's not that I didn't want to cry so to speak, it's just that I feel silly. Am I weird as a white woman to feel positive emotions about such an impactful day? Would someone think it was not right for me to get these feelings because how could I truly understand what today means? I'm not sure, but what I do know is that for now I feel safe, at ease and happy. Something I have not felt, well, almost never about my country. 

And, for your viewing pleasure, Cohen in his new hat. And, anyone that knows Matt and his infamous hat, will truly appreciate this one. 

First Time In 4 Years.

I have been taunted the last day or two by my Yahoo "In Box." How is this possible you say?? Last night and this morning I received not one but 2 emails encouraging me "not to miss out" on seeing my very favorite musician in the entire universe perform live in Ann Arbor. I first discovered Ben Folds about 15 years ago I think just matter-of-factly listening to the radio with my friend. I instantly loved his style, mediocre voice and what he had to say. It spoke to me at a time when I felt no one knew who I was. It felt good to be able to align myself with someone, something tha I understood, even if only in small part. So, I even married someone miraculously whom resembled this person at least to me, not on purpose, but by sheer chance and fate. Funny how that works out. 

Anyway, we've both been to his shows I think 3 years in a row or so, I even won tickets one year, while working at my bosses house sitting on the commode, "can't believe I just typed that." But, I thought it was the coolest thing. He puts on an amazing show and if you are the least bit interested in his music, you should attend at least one show, it won't be your last. Sadly this year, I cannot justify the cost of the ticket, even though it is only $30.50 per ticket, a very small price to pay for such entertainment. And, really, I can't unload my children on my parents with Cohen only being not quite 7 weeks at that point. Even a doting grandparent would probably say "NO" to that request.

I guess what I'm saying is that this year there will at least be 2 extra seats left available to 2 lucky newbies to discover the true joy of Ben Folds experience. Have a great time, I'll be dieing of jealousy.

Revising Plans

Call me what you will, slacker, lier, fibber. I am all those things. I have been caught up in the stresses of life right now, some scary realities and yes, some lack of determination. All this along with my baby love at my side or on my hip, both proverbially and actually. He is pretty much an appendage from about 9am until 9pm or so. As much as I strive to put him down, he strives to rest his head on my heart and who am I to complain. 

So, my plans have had to suffer a bit and I am being forced to revise my plans on creatng a new download every day. So, for the moment I am planning on doing one per week. For now though I leave you with yet another childhood photo of me, my grandma and a couple of old, old, OLD friends from elementary school.

What's funny about this picture aside from our wardrobes and hairstyles, I actually almost got into my first and only physical fight with another girl over this very dress that I am wearing. You see, this is a photo taken at my 6th grade graduation. A couple weeks before this I went to a friends house and she showed me the dress she was going to wear to our graduation. When I went shopping with my mom at the ever fashionable JCPenney, I spotted the very dress she bought and also purchased it and wore it the same day. She freaked out. And after that summer upon entering Junior High and the ever horrible 7th grade, through other people, she declared that she wished to fight me over this. I was mystified, never had this happened to me before or since, but somehow I got out of it, probably with the help from friends, but I've never forgotten about it and will probably pass along the advice to Stella in the future. Funny.

A Glimpse Into My Past.

Over the last week or so I have been color correcting some of my moms old photos of my brothers and myself when I stumbled upon this little gem.

Me in my circa 1977 stroller complete with all the dangerous crap manufacturers compiled into one contraption. Note first the metal bar within close proximity to my itty bitty mouth fully capable of bashing the teeth out of my head. Not to mention all the fun little pinch points for little fingers to fit in between. In addition, this thing looks like it could topple forward if I were to lean too far over. Great job moms of the seventies, how did we survive with these dangerous "baby items" and sleeping on our stomachs?