The Revenge of the Frogs!

In case you were wondering, as I know you are all on the edge of your seats :)
the frogs voices have changed. They are now through the flurry of puberty I assume and now slowly croak. Early spring our pond was a high shrill of noise and activity. Now we have a slow slumber of croak whenever you near their territory. Isn't life just so exciting? haha

felted paradise

I just thought I would share my new obsession with felt. Here are some beautifully creative pieces:


via www.yomony.com I saw some of this work at a local boutique, it is even prettier in person. Sorry the pics are huge


via www.atelierzia.com she was a featured artist on HGTV's Crafters coast to coast




I love this!
via www.sfelt.ca

another pug picture

This is another picture of Isabel, the pug we are possibly adopting.

close up

feedback

my new necklace, imbedded stained glass in resin, sanded and re-sanded, polished and then strung on silk beading string (it also has a nifty magnetic closure) is available for sale if anyone is interested. one of these day i will post it over to my site www.buggabu.com (which is still horribly not finished yet)


In news...today I had two more SI (sacril-iliac) joint blocks. There is a possibility that my fusion may not have taken due to popping. I will be having some more xrays soon to get them read. If that happens, well, let me say it would be surgery number eight (at least)...I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all is well I don't want to put my family through another major surgery. At least I know a good surgeon here, but not the same one that did the removal of the spinal cord stimulator :) he was a little, shall we say, grumpy. (Not that bedside manner is necessary, just nice)

oh, once again I am off subject;) I wanted to say that I would love you all to write back feedback on anything in the comments, just a line or two, whatever. I know that I get some feedback by phone or email, but I would so so very much like a little feedback here. Not those creepy ones I got (just if you are reading that, when I slip in the shower it is not an invitation to mention hotness just clumsiness) A few of you know what I mean:)


Cooper Taz, our old pug, just came across this pic, wasn't he adorable?

learning...

I learned how to add link buttons!!! I am so excited. I can now exchange link buttons! I created one for Buggabu designs (me) and Alini group, Paul's consulting business. I am having so much fun! Now I just want to learn how to put a picture in the title of this blog. hmm..onward and upward.

In other good news, we got a weird call this am saying to look on our front porch. Low and behold, there is out stolen laptop. Yeah! Things are finally looking up. Now we won't have to finance a computer like we wee planning on, canceling order today. It looked like they were unable to crack the password and new the address from a resume left in the briefcase. We had posted rewards for it and asked for it no questions because there was so much business info on there that had not really been backed up. Thank you to whomever decided to bring it back.

We went to the kite festival yesterday and also were able to go on a date!!! Caden had so much fun with the babysittere. We didn't take pictures at the festival because the sky was a little overcast and not all that beautiful. It was nice and warm though, and they had so many different kinds of kites.

I am also sending in an application for a pug rescue. We have decided on adopting a small female fawn pug. We have been looking for just the right pet, our last rescued pug was adorable but he felt he was dominant to Caden..hmm dog vs child? Of course the kid won out!! We have been advised that female dog are much less apt to be so dominant. We just want a laid back cuddly buddy that will hang out with us...but please don't pee on us (like the last one!)


isabel
or

asia
we will see, we will wait until we find the right pet!

quick update

All is just plucking along here...nothing new or exciting. Caden's last day of school was Thursday. We leave for Calfornia in two weeks.

Paul left his car unlocked and ran in soomewhere really quick and came back to no briefcase (meaning no laptop). bummer. Out insurance would cover it but we risk a raise in rates or even cancelation since our luck has been well lets just say unlucky lately. On car fire...car destroyed...one lightening storm laptop and phones messed up...two insurance claim (major too) in less than six monthes..hmm we aren't on there good list anymore, well we are, but we would be kicked off of it if we risked this claim. To top it off, someone has been able to hack their way into it and we can see them get on and off from the internet quickly once in a while. The police are investigating, but I am about hopeless.

I have my next appointment with my neuro on Monday, maybe some more blocks, don't know how my insurance will cover, sorta used to duel coverage. I canceled my last appointments because of that, but I can't postpone any longer.

Today is beautiful and Caden and I went to the nursery. We just looked around at all the beautiful varieties of plants.


these were some of the unusual plants we almost couldn't resist, but my inner cheapskate won the battle. They were just so different.

I made another stained glass pendant today, I will upload pics later. hmm, I have been reallyy wanting to get my hands on some wool roving. I wish I wish I wish I could have some so I can make some felt beads and felt flowers sorta like these....aren't they pretty?



via http://www.getcrafty.com/blogs.php?user=leslieduckie
and

via http://mamaunraveled2.blogspot.com/

via http://www.missfitt.com/index.htm

you can do so much with raw wool or 100% wool yarn by felting it, you can even felt it to silk or any other natural material.

our spur of the moment road trip to Macinac Island

Well, we decided to go up north this weekend. We ended up staying the night at a hotel in Macinac City with bridge views and beach frontage. The hotel was full "vintage" charm but the views were spectacular...with herons, Canadian geese and seagulls staring at us through the patio door. It was a little chilly, but beautiful. The water was carribean green, it didn't photograph well, but is was beautiful.

We took pictures of the bridge while driving, it was quite windy, as usual! It was quite a fun quick trip. Now Paul can truely know what up north is and how different the UP is! fun :)


the bridge


the view from the hotel


our "suitcase", we were not planning on going so far away, so we had to pick up some pj's and a few essentials for the stay overnight, exciting. Maybe the trip wouldn't have taken so long if Caden didn't need to stop and pee nine time..yes 9 times. (one way) I think he was intrigued by the potty shacks in the woods. Paul and I weren't so intrigued to say the least.

more birthday pictures

Here are some more pictures of Caden's birthday that we just uploaded from the camera!
http://photos11.flickr.com/14232233_2ea413f2ed_m.jpg">


the trailer bike, opened before his birthday, mom and dad couldn't wait :)


his wacky helmet




Caden loves his harmonica!

baby ducks

Meet our new neighbors...
ten baby ducks, awe...

this is in our pond in the backyard, they were on the move, so the pictures aren't wonderful, if you look hard on some of the pictures you can see one of out resident baby turtles sunning himself on the grass.







the turtle

Alini Group Logo

oh, almost forgot, this is the logo I created for the business. www.alinigroup.com The meeting in Detroit went wonderfully! The logo also has a box around it, couldn't get it to upload, ugh. It kind of worked out neet, www.buggabu.com is the acorn (my soon to be jewelry site) and the main business is the tree, we didn't plan it really, just worked out that way!



oh for those of you who don't know what I am talking about, here is my jewelry logo:

spring days...

Spring is so beautiful. This is a tree in the neighborhood, Caden insisted that I take a picture of it. Here are some pics of him learning to ride his new bike.






isn't he a ham? cutie.




our local ducks, had to take a pic! They had ten babies, but I cannot seem to get a picture of them, they are skiddish!

Happy Number Four!

How can four years just fly bye? Today caden turned four! I brought cupcakes to school and we went out to pizza and cake with Grandma tonight. Caden got a harmonica, i know i may regret it, but i knew he would love it. He also got two bikes, a regular bike and a trailer bike that rides behind Paul's bike. We also got him a crazy looking bike helmet, Grandma-lini finally got to talk to Caden for like 10 seconds, but at least he is trying to talk on the phone now. Grandma got him a cool bubblemaker that he insists on bringing to school...it is magically going to disappear before tomorrow morning so we don't have that drama! We had a fun day.

We will be in California June 4-18. Such a long time, one weekend will be for a super mega yard sale, everyone knows that that has been needed for like...decades. Should be fun, sure, I just keep telling myself that and make it reality. But I do want to see my dad and see for myself he is doing ok after my grandmother's recent passage. It is like the foundation of the family is now gone and we are all scattered doing our own thing now. Our family has never been that close, but Grandma held what there was together. She will be missed. But she is in a much better place now and out of her misery that encompassed her life for the last I don't know how many years. I couldn't imagine struggling for every breath for over a decade, just a little image for all you smokers, it is a slow cruel death.

Hmm why did I end this fun day on thay note, well I just needed to say goodbye.

latest creations

here are some pictures of my latest design, I gave it to my mom for mother's day because it isone of her favorite colors. I have to say that photographing the jewelry is the most difficult of the whole process. This is why I am lagging on the website...well one of the reasons...expected, but undesirable reasons have also hindered me.

Caden and I are going to help out my Dad June 4 through June 18. So long, but flight tickets were pricey without lenghtening the stay. I suppose we can conger up something to pass the extra week in lovely California. Just wish Paul could come, but work calls....






honestly the pictures just don't give it justice, we are probably going to photograph them on white. The pendant is aquamarine stained glass imbedded in resin on a silver and aqua chain. Hope you liked it, mom!

make a wish

Happy Mother's Day

Today was a beautiful day for mother's day. Hope you all had a good one :) We had a big adventure to the Tulip Festival in Holland. We made a big oops and forgot the camera though, bummer. The flowers were beautiful, so many varieties, so manyy colors, just fantastic. Caden was in a mode, though. He insisted on going up the windmill (we didn't) the line was long and it was hot (hey 78 degrees is hot for us northerners, especially unprepared for the heat northerners). We did bring him to the children's fair. On the very first event, a bouncy tent, he fell and a larger child bounced right on his head. Blood everywhere, Caden screaming! Did the ride administrators do anything, no! Of course not, I had to drag our bloody kid out of the bouncy tent, while kids were still bouncing mind you, and find the ambulance at the front of the park. Luckily, they had an ambulance for showing the kids and they were able to help us out. Caden has a big fat lip just in time for his birthday. It just seems to happen like that. Makes me wonder how I had ever thought I had a life before having a child. Remember strolling along calmly? Naw, I would never give up this insanity!

ps...i posted some pretty posters for this and some of the past tulip times

Con-grad-ulations

We just got confirmation that Paul passed the last exam and is now a proud owner of a master's degree! All those long hours online that I thought he was aimlessly cruising, he was working on achieving a master's degree. It seems that his former employer had paid for the program before being forced out of business (oh how we love cybernet group). Paul felt like he needed to work on this by himself and not be stressed by the feelng of letting us down if he didn't finish (therefore he didn't tell me--you dork!). Well CNG left us with one good thing! Hopefully this will bring more backing and excitement to his consulting business Alini Group. ( www.alinigroup.com ) He has two important meetings next week. Wonderful job to my wonderful husband. I love you.

On another note, we just couldn't waste this good weather and had to give Caden one of his birthday presents a couple of days early! We gave him a trailer bike! We all went for a beautiful hour long bike ride to enjoy the sunshine. This is an example of the bike I am talking about.



We had fun, but Caden needs a lot of practice, Paul had to do most of the peddaling. Caden was a bit wobbly, but hey he's only three. (ok...almost four, ugh I am getting old!)

happiness...

well, today I think I am going to post pictures of things that brighten up the day for me. This usually means art of some sort or my family. Since I haven't the energy to think up something to say, thought I would show some interesting items.
Lisa in San Francisco makes these lovely mogbirds, you can visit at http://birdinthehand.blogspot.com/

these are her roundbird design, they are adorable


One day, when I am rich I would love to collect Amy Ruppel's art, you can see it at http://amyruppel.com/index.html

I have been loving everything birdy lately. It seems to be reminiscent of spring, renewal and cheerfullness, I don't know why, birds just make me happy.

I have been wanting to start felting, it seems so versatile. I have found a local place to buy it but only on one ounce portions, so it will be an investment to start. This is an example of a felted purse by kelly mulloy at http://www.kellymulloy.com/index.php

that's all for now!