I have FINALLY allowed myself to start a few personal pixels after months and months...
This is one of 3 gifts I've been trying to complete within the little computer time I've had lately. For my dear sweet ChynaCat. Her alter ego as a wee kitten. Its a pretty simple little doll but after editting the base I just could not turn her away. I may go back and animate her goldfish balloon when I have another few extra minutes.

So here ya go girl! Hope you like it at least a little (I know your feelings on these chibi bases)...NOW...get to that banner. Snap, Snap!!! *lol*

base by Jacks with major edits.

The boys (finally) started back to school today...Halleluyah! Not that I don't adore spending the summer with them but after 3 months together I think they need more of a break from each other. As the arguements and wrestling matches increased in frequency as the summer drew closer to its end I could tell it (school) was a much needed reprive from each other's company. Hee hee.
I'll be happy to finally get a moments quiet...well when the baby is napping that is.



Taylor looking a little less than enthusiastic and Peyton being over dramatic about his excitement.
Taylor is however happy that with the return of the school yr means a return to sports. His tackle football signup is this Saturday and he was thrilled to find out he'll be able to be on the same team as last yr with the rest of his friends. (Who made it all the way to the little championships last yr...number 3 in their league)

In other news. Me and the baby are sharing the joys of an end of summer cold...runny noses and all.
I haven't had a lot of time online lately with Taylor trying to fit in as much FusionFall as he could before returning to class and jason taking up his old hobby of online poker. (hes good...now he needs to play for real and make mama some money. lol) I haven't really been in the mood either which works out for all of us.
For those of you I've promised pixels to, they are coming. Slowly but surely. They will be brought to fruition.

You didn't think I was going to have a blog and not get out a little ranting and raving every now and then did you?
I'm usually a pretty laid back individual by most accounts but I do get a little unnerved by certain things sometimes. I'll warn you beforehand in the header incase its one of those occasions by catogorizing the post as such...that way you can skip it if you so choose.

Michael Vick...this is the individual who has me fuming right now and the NFL too to be honest.

In case you are unaware of him he was the quaterback for the Atlanta Falcons before serving 16 months for his involement in a dog fighting ring. You can read more about him here. So now after all that he he let back into the NFL as the quaterback for the Philadelphia Eagles so our children can look up to him as a hero once more?

I'm all about forgiving a person but this cruel man has no right to be given such a place of stature. Of course the man has a right to work again but I'm just sick to my stomach knowing he will be on my tv again making millions of dollars a year while the world roots for him to win his game. All I'll be able to think about is all the poor dogs he trained to fight to the death, torturing them along the way.
Yes, he did the time for his crime, (not nearly enough if you ask me for such a cruel thing) but for someone to be involved in something so evil and now have the opportunity to get back to a normal life (however normal a job is as a being a celebrity althlete) I just don't think its right.

I have no respect for this man and no respect for the NFL to let this man back as if what he did deserved a slap on the hand.

Last night while Jason was on the computer playing poker (he does not play with real money) I made this simple matchbox scene for Peyton to display in his Pirates of the Caribbean themed room.

The Front


The Back


Inside


This simpler box was made mostly using leftover scrapbook stickers. Polymer clay for the sand, acrylic paint inside the box, crafting jewels for the sides outsides. The outside of the box (excluding the pirate ship and map stickers on the front cover) was wrapped in a piece of a menu from the Pirates of the Caribbean themed Disney cruise we took when the last movie premiered.

Its been a rough couple of days. Gabriel's sleep situation took a turn for the worse Sunday night when he woke up off and on constantly throughout the night. I finally had to put him in the bed with me around 4:30am just so Jason could get his last couple of hours crying free. Same with Monday night...him in our bed at 4:00am
Last night was even worse him waking up constantly almost every hour for no reason. Twice I gave him a bottle but refused a third time and finally put him our bed again at about 3:30am...he slept very fitfully with a whine here and there and struggling to wake himself all the way up. That lasted til 10 til 6 when I raised my sleep mask to find him glaring at me wide awake.
Not only has is had an effect on my mood but his lack of sleep is getting to him as well. Monday and Tuesday day he has been tempermental and whiney. Wanting to be held just about all his waking hours. Screaming to the top of his lungs when I put him in the Exersaucer just to even get miniscule chores done. Even when I think he will drift off to easy naps he tosses and turns for almost an hour before finally falling asleep. And this me waiting til I'm absolutely sure he is ready for sleep.

Ugggg...

We ventured out on a shopping trip today getting school supplies for the boys (who are returning to class next week...woot!) and backpacks/lunchboxes and window shopping for a couple of nice new pairs of shoes.
I wouldnt normally splurge on purchases for myself but I felt with all my troubles I deserved a little treat. We went to the crafts store and I replished a few crafting items and whatnots. I also found the most adorable necklace/watch on clearance and had to have it. That and a GIANT cherry limeade from Sonic has made my day a little less irritable.
Heres the necklace/watch. Such a cute and shiney little apple on a super long chain. Its a MARC JACOBS from the FOSSIL store. I adore it.

 

  Just something simple. Its been so darn hot here!
                 Even the sun is feeling the heat.

*giggles* When I snapped these photos of Gabriel the first thing that popped into my head was the tune "Feed Me Seymour" from the movie Little Shop of Horrors where the giant Venus Fly Trap was singing.
We found a new favorite food. Vanilla custard with bananas. I think its sweetness must have been the culprit. LOL.

Update on sleeping arrangements: Halleluyah! He is finally used to the crib! He only wakes a couple times a night now and I can lull him back to sleep by sticking his passie in and making him a bottle if he wakes closer to morning. I can get a pretty good nights sleep if I go to bed at a decent hour.

Some photos of a few of my collectibles.
The first set are my Grateful Dead Bear Beanie Bears...I have over 50 of them, each named for a song title that the band recorded. Gabriel is the model in these gettin a little bear lovin.
 
"Sugaree Bear" from the song where my online nickname came.
 

Here are a few favorite of my traditionally clothed acrylic Hello Kittys collection.Only sold in stores in Japan...or on Ebay if you're lucky to find them.
 
My very first one who sadly got chipped in a move & my second one.
 
This two aren't Japanese or acrylic but they are Hello Kitty. My little Chinese plushie couple.
                                            

I have a few more collections that I would like to share...but that will be for another day!

I haven't had the time or desire to be on the computer for the last few days. *sighs* The other night while everyone was occupido (except moi) I got a wild hair to get out my polymer clay and make some more sushi charms. Bare in mind its been over a yr since I've created any of these little fellas so I am a bit rusty. I plan on brushing up a little more with some practice pieces and then making myself a brand new sushi charm braclett and some matching Cali roll earrings to replace my missing ones that I made a yr and a half ago.
I put these on some cell phone straps but don't really intend to use them since I'm sporting my fav Hello Kitty that never comes off the phone. LOL.

These are: Maguro (tuna), Ikura (Salmon Roe), Cali roll (my personal fav charm out of these guys), and a Toro (Fatty Tuna)...with a penny for size comparison.

Closer shot of the roe (each piece hand rolled) and the Cali roll

And then the Tunas with another size comparison.


All made by me using Fimo polymer clay, baked, and then glazed.

Lots of damage in Olive Branch!

Cars and 18 wheelers even tossed around like toys!


Thursday late afternoon we had at least 2 tornados touch down in Memphis and surrounding areas. Our local Kohls store was destroyed, Shogun took major damage as well as lots other buisnesses around Wolfchase area. 50 homes damaged right around where we used to live near Rockcreek.
Olive Branch got hit the worst with 100+ homes damaged and at least 10 of completed demolished.
We had no damage to our area only minor flooding.