Houston we have a problem…
Had a very frustrating weekend. Don’t you hate it when everything you either touch or involves you ends up being a total disaster?! Let me vent my woes to you if you will…need a shoulder to mope on for a moment, please.
It all started when a milkshake plopped into my lap on Friday night after I left the drive-thru. Not pretty. Those little lids are invaluable when put on correctly. Not very useful if they don’t push them down all the way. Grrr! If I could have inflicted bodily harm on the Chick-fil-a drive-thru guy without getting in trouble I just might have done it. I went back through the drive-thru to show them what had happened. His reaction was “Oh. Sorry. Do you want some napkins?” — My inner-voice said “No, I just wanted to sit here in Oreo milkshake and chat with you while it melts. But thanks for asking.” I just said “Yes, please” and tried not to growl as I fake-smiled. Then he says “Exploding milkshakes was an experiment for my Science project and you were a part of my experiment.” –Yeah. That’s really funny. Now I’m going to punch you. 
Then I had a computer crash. Double grrr! I think it was a conspiracy brought on by my old desktop computer - it had just been put into the spare bedroom and was soon to be disassembled or sold. I think it was offended by being ‘put out to pasture’ so it showed me a thing or two. My response to it was “Well played. (Humbly) I need you for the next week. Are you available?” It smugly said “I don’t know - I was thinking of taking some time off in the spare bedroom. I’ll get back with you.” Fortunately it cleared its schedule and the desktop and I are reunited. It’s still bitter and being difficult - like dropping Internet connection frequently. But I can’t complain. Don’t have anything else so I’m at its mercy. Sigh. Being humbled is not fun. Anyhoo, I was able to get some data off the laptop before it completely crashed, but didn’t get things like my Outlook calendar and contacts. 
Very sad. So if I miss an appointment with you I’m very sorry, as I am completely dependent on my calendar to tell me what to do. I’m just lost wondering about in my appointment-less world until my very smart husband does his trickery on it. (Crossing fingers!!)
Then I tried to recover from the bad computer experience by pouring myself a glass of wine (that’s when Josh knew I was close to going over the edge) and popped in a movie. The first movie we couldn’t bare to watch after the first 15 minutes — that’s pretty bad. We’ve only done this with two other movies. It was The Good German with George Clooney. Very surprised that it was as bad as it was. If it were a satire then it would have made more sense. In this case it was just bad dialog and bad acting. Thumbs down as they would say. So we popped in the next movie — No Country For Old Men. Ummm…yeah…I’d like to talk to the Academy and ask them why in the world they gave this movie so many awards! Geesh! It was terrible!! It was supposed to be a rough, tough, serious movie. Josh and I were either looking away because it was so unbelievably, over-the-top violent or we were laughing and making fun of the scenes because of the bad acting. Maybe it was the wine loosening me up by that point, but I couldn’t take it seriously after it went over the edge. And the ending is absolutely, ridiculously, unbelievably BAD! Thumbs down again. So the movie thing didn’t work out. Huh. What to do next? Oh, I know. Go to bed!
Sunday went a little better. I was relatively productive as far as sewing goes. And then I watched my beloved The Tudors. Oh how I love that show!!! Good, good, good every time!! Two big thumbs up!! Also watched the finale of Rock of Love 2. Good ending on that one too. I won’t ruin it if you haven’t watched it yet.
Made this purse. I think this is what started all my frustrations. I hadn’t made this purse since I took the class and I discovered they made the pattern pieces wrong. I almost went running and screaming down the streets when I thought I had wasted most of my green, dotty fabric — fabric I can’t get anymore. Alas I found a way to work around it and finished it. This was a special order for a friend so I’m happy to give it to her soon. I like it quite a bit! What do you think?
Today I made another one just like it for another friend and made some final tweaks to the pattern.
I better wrap this up – I told Josh I was going to start cooking over an hour ago. I will end this post with the following video links. Both made me smile and laugh quite a bit! Enjoy!
Obie Kanobie – I’ve watched this about 6 times and each time I totally crack up and hear something new. Too cute and funny!!
Drooling
Since we are on a beachy theme the last couple of days it reminded me of the HGTV Dream Home. Have you seen it? Gorgeous!! I love, love, love it! I drool just looking at all the decor and the beautiful master suite on the 3rd floor. Check it out here. You can register every day until February 19th. Oh wait…I’ve just decreased my odds of winning…oh well…pinky swear that you’ll invite us over if you win it? Okay. Cool.
I hope you have a great weekend! I’m going to kick mine off by watching this. Ooooh I can’t wait to see my man! (Droooooooool…..) Oh, sorry Josh. I think you’re pretty hot too! (Don’t worry, friends, we have an “understanding” — this is his woman — so all is fair and cool in the Evitt household).
I’ve got the vapors!
(In my best Scarlet accent) I do dee-clare, I buh-leeve I’ve got the vapors. ((faint)) Fiddle-dee-dee, won’t someone fetch me a mint julep? I’m pah-sitively *parched*!
Okay seriously, I’m *over* it! This heat is driving me nuts! Nuts I tell ya! I’m so sick of going outside and walking into an oven! I want to go out and enjoy my deck but sometime in the last month my house was moved to the FACE OF THE SUN!! I think the deck is sad too. Every time I go out to turn on the sprinkler (a daily ritual now) I hear the deck creak and moan under my feet. It didn’t used to do that. I think it’s hot, tired and lonely. It longs for the good old days — days like this. While there have been some pink sunrises lately, I’m not delighted or excited because I know that pinkish-reddish horizon means it’s going to be another hot day. I was watching one of my fave movies the other day - Pride & Prejudice - and there was a scene where it’s pouring down rain. I found myself jealous that they had rain! Do you see now? I’m nuts! (sigh) I guess I better watch what a I wish for - I might be wishing so hard that I get us a monsoon and massive flooding.
Evitt & Co. is moving along. I have been working on jewelry and really enjoying it. I’m still waiting on my business license (sigh again). I hope it comes soon. As soon as I get it I can setup my websites and start sewing purses. I have so much pretty fabric for fall and can’t wait to show it to you! In the mean time I’ll enjoy my happy little bead world. That’s all the updates I have for now. I just needed to vent a little to relieve these vapors. Now if you will excuse me, I’ve got a mint julep waiting on me. Wishing you a good day!
Weekend update
It’s Sunday evening and I’m happy to report that it was a good weekend - full of fun, friends, and relaxation. Can’t get better than that! (Okay, I have to admit it would’ve been better if it weren’t so HOT outside! And a little rain would be nice…but hey, if that’s the least of my problems then I’m good!)
Saturday I went to a friend’s retirement party and had a wonderful time catching up with people I haven’t seen or talk to in awhile. I caught myself at time drinking in all the laughter, smiles and happy camaraderie. I love the friendships that were formed at my previous job and I know that I speak for many when I say that it’s the best thing that came from our work. And I was touched by all the support people gave me for my business and blog! Thank you, friends, for the constant support and enthusiasm. I really do appreciate it! I hope Evitt & Co. becomes all you and I dream it to be!
Today we took it easy — ate pancakes, talked about life in general over coffee, watched TV and just let our minds relax. I love Sundays! Josh spent a lot of time writing an article for his guitar blog. So I spent some time watching my guilty pleasures: reality TV. Yes. I am “one of those people”. I’m sorry! I just can’t help myself! (Hey, there are FAR worse bad habits I could have!) Any way, I found a NEW reality show that I was unaware of: The Two Coreys. It’s the Corey fellas from the 80’s movies!! You know…The Goonies and The Lost Boys! OMG! (I can hear Josh grumbling now as he reads this) 
Let me tell ya, time has not been kind to Corey Haim, which is unfortunate because he was the cutest of the two. Anyhoo, I’m totally hooked and I have set our DVR to record all future shows. (I can hear Josh grumbling again…)
I have to admit that there were a few times I felt little pangs of guilt thinking of all the things I *should* be doing…but then I reminded myself that Sundays are meant for taking a break and counting your blessings (and watching reality TV!). I know I am certainly blessed — most of all I am so blessed with my life with Josh.
I hope you had a wonderful weekend and wishing you a great week!
P.S.
We went to Best Buy this evening and I found some GREAT deals on a couple of my favorite movies — I got Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and City of Angels for $4.99 each! They had many other movies between $4.99 and $6.99 too. Okay, so some of the titles I’ve never heard of, and some should be lost forever…but sometimes you have to dig through a lot of rubble to find a gem. Here’s a link. Happy digging! 
Welcome to my new blog!
Welcome to my new blog!! I’m so excited about it because it’s my first major milestone on the web! What do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts. After considering using TypePad I ended up deciding to use WordPress thanks to my very smart hubbie’s recommendations. A BIG thank you to Josh for helping me with setting it up, customizing it, and being my all-around tech guru!
Oh my! It’s been quite awhile since I last sent you an update on my adventures. I’m sure you have been saying “Bueller…Bueller……Bueller“ (LOVE that movie!) I seriously can’t believe how long it’s been since I last wrote you. What have I been doing???…..hmmm…let’s see…gosh…lots of stuff!! Well let’s start where I last left you…
The last time I updated you, dear friends, I was going to Paducah, KY. Unfortunately that was a bit disappointing. What does 5 hours of driving and $14.95 + tax get you? A coffee mug. Yeah. That’s it. I was really hoping to make a bunch of contacts for shops to resale my items and check out some great fabric stores. To be fair, it’s a beautiful old town and it has tons of potential for being a really great town. The problem was that many of the shops were closed — not closed for the day — closed as in forever. Lots of empty stores does not make for a fun shopping day. We still had a good day but it was sad that we wasted so much time and gas. I wish that little town much luck in revitalizing itself.
The following week (July 9-13) I spent a lot of time researching blog sites, features, pros and cons, and looking at sites I admire to get ideas. I also spent a lot of time setting up my new office. It used to be a spare bedroom — now it’s my dedicated office and sewing/crafts room! Yahooooo! I still have a few things to spruce up. Once I get the finishing touches done then I’ll post some pictures. Also we went to the Nashville Zoo for the Safari Swizzle with my sis-in-law and future bro-in-law. I love elephants….so much that I often cry when I see them. They are such magnificent animals. Also we saw the new giraffes. They were adorable and we had such a great time. I highly encourage everyone to check out the special events at your local zoo. The event we attended was only $25 per person — included all you could eat food and drink, great music, and they had special presentations with the animals. The next Nashville zoo event is Mardi Grassmere at Alligator Cove on August 23rd.
Last week I spent most of my time trying to figure out all the things I needed to do in order to rename my company (purchase new domain names, get logo edited, abandon trademark for previous business name, etc…). That was a daunting task. Sooo many things left to do and figure out (change business license, setup LLC?, get new bank account, order new checks…ugh…etc.) Also I spent a lot of time reading. My very sweet and good friend Faye gave me a Martha Stewart business book for my birthday and it’s really good. The only problem with reading it it lead me to spending a lot of time pontificating. That’s a good thing…and then not such good thing. It lead me into a whirling mix of emotions and ideas - and ultimately overwhelmed and confused. Josh had to get me out of my tail-spin and get me focused again. Thanks Josh! Also last week I met a very nice person from California named Lindsay Landis. She just moved to Nashville and just happens to live very close to me. So we met for a lunch at one of my favorite spots, Panera Bread, and had a delightful conversation and shared our knowledge. Lindsay owns Lindsay Designs – she designs very cute dog and cat accessories. Check it out! Also, she is a graphic designer and designed her own website. She is looking for part time work in that area so if you know anyone in need of those services please let me know and I’ll help introduce them.
This week has involved continuing to hack away at my ridiculous to do list to get my company setup. I’m still waiting for the new logo. I’ve been reading a lot and trying to finalize my vision for the company. My stack of books to read is getting out of control! I think I have 5 or 6 in the queue…um, yeah…can I get paid to read full-time? And then of course the big accomplishment is this new site! Yahooooo!
Well back to coal mine, as they say. I hope you like the new site. And don’t forget to post a comment. (I know you might have forgotten after reading this NOVEL!) I’m very excited to keep you posted on my adventures and projects.
Wishing you a wonderful day!
Have you Seen These Tourists?
Josh and I were Nashville tourists today with Sharonda and her family. What started as an innocent Discover Nashville tour resulted in us becoming Grey Line’s Most Wanted….we ditched the regular tour and went for the back-stage tour of the Ryman Auditorium. Apparently the bus driver didn’t like the fact that we ditched them so he started to look for us. He even asked Sharonda and her family if they could identify us (they pretended like they didn’t know us)! But we were no where to be found — we were probably back-stage at the time. Ooops! Oh well. It makes for a good story and we got a good laugh out of it! Afterwards we went to the Tin Roof for lunch where I proceeded to throw all diet cautions to the wind and *stuffed* myself with a shrimp po’ boy sandwich and a cold libation. I felt a little guilty…but gosh it was good!!
Afterwards I came home and watched Marie Antoinette. That is such *beautiful* movie! If you haven’t seen it yet I highly recommend it. Sofia Coppola did such a wonderful job making history fun and funky with all the music and a well-written script. And the scenery of Versailles and costume designs are just amazing! Although I don’t envy Marie’s ultimate demise I found myself being very envious of her lifestyle…she was a TRUE DIVA! I would have loved to be a member of her entourage when picking out fabric for my next gown and matching shoes!!!!
The evening ended with me taking a good, brisk walk in my neighborhood and then I cleaned up my long list of blog subscriptions and now I’m writing this little update. After all, I had to do something productive for the business today! Otherwise the boss lady would reprimand me!
Day #4 of freedom = Good Times!!!
Tomorrow we are off to Paducah,
Cary Grant is not a good workout buddy
Recap of day #1:
* Had a good morning of brainstorming and taking in all the emotions of my first day of freedom.
* Investigated blog tool TypePad and set up a trial site. Need to work on that further this week.
* Got a mini-pedicure — FABULOUS!
* Ate a healthy lunch. Then went to the gym and got a good work out (ouch! a little sore today!)
* Worked on my MySpace page for a little too long….that site is evil!
* Made home-made pizza and watched The Closer with Josh. LOVE THAT SHOW!
Summary: Pretty good day!
Day #2:
* Got up early and went to the gym with Josh this morning. Had an *okay* work out…I think I was still asleep! But what did I expect?! I was working out with a couple of old ladies and they had an old Cary Grant movie playing. The other tv was on VH-1…muted…so I read the lyrics to music…not so motivating. Note to self: Get iPod Shuffle setup with motivating music. Otherwise will risk another workout half-asleep.
* Cooked a yummy breakfast for Josh and I and talked about my new business name options over coffee. I’m pretty sure I’m going with Evitt & Company. It’s a classic name I can grow into no matter what I decide to sell, and Josh and I like the idea of using the family name.
* Talked to my Dad and friend Angie in Wisconsin for FAR too long this morning…unfortunately that ate into my peak time of energy…but it was nice to catch up with them. Note to self: don’t talk on the phone until afternoon — need to conserve peak time for myself and business.
* Finally took a shower and then ate a salad for lunch. Watched some DIY Network craft shows I previously recorded and then watched Behind the Story - Rachael Ray. LOVE HER!
* Did some Domestic Diva chores. Soooo much more to do on that topic….Question: Did you know that if you fire your house cleaner and don’t hire another one your house doesn’t magically clean itself?….Huh….Who knew!? Get out Notes To Self book and jot that one down…
* Current status: move on to more Domestic Diva chores: go clean out refrigerator, make a shopping list, and go to the grocery store. A diva’s work is never done!!
* Tonights’s plans: make a healthy dinner and then go play tennis with Ashlee (sis-in-law) and Matt (future bro-in-law). And then hopefully escape early to go to the Willoughby Station pool party to hang with my favorite Divas! (crossing-fingers)