i am a coconut.

rest in peace.

My desktop computer with Windows has taken a dump. I guess it was about time since it's 4 years old. Thank goodness I had the sense to save all of my photos in my external hard drive. Otherwise, I would be in such a state of depression that even chocolate couldn't save me. I recovered all my files anyway thanks to my sister's nerdy friends who are part of the Geek Squad at Best Buy. No way in heck was I going to pay $300 for them to diagnose and fix the computer. I would have just called it a loss. In exchange, I will be cooking for them. Suckers! I guess they'll agree to anything since they've never tasted my cooking. Ha! In any case, they said that my motherboard has just died and they couldn't fix it. But they would be happy to rebuild another computer at a fraction of the price. Yay! Junior needs a computer anyway now that he will be entering high school. I'm still not fully converted to being exclusively Mac. I still enjoy some of the Windows programs. For instance, I am going to miss the Cricut Design Studio, which does not come in a Mac version. It really makes me sad. But nothing makes me sadder than the thought that my porn is lost forever in the land of hard drives. Sigh. (If my mom is reading this, I'm just kidding. Sheesh.)

new stampin' up! catalog.

Wow. I love the new Stampin' Up! catalog. The new stamps are beautiful! For those who have already taken a peek, what's your favorite new product from the catalog?

i love my snaggletooth dog.

So what if Snack has a birth defect? He's still super adorable. :)

magistical memories guest dt member.

 

 

Magistical Memories was kind enough to ask me to be their Guest DT Member for August. I was very productive with their chipboard products! Scrapbooking feels good! :)

what's up.

It's been a very eventful week. 

• Joint Commission came for their unannounced visit so I've been pretty busy keeping the unit on track. After a week of the survey, our hospital passed! Wahoo! I still have a job. :P  
• My sisters and I went for a fitting for our bridesmaids dresses yesterday. Joy. 2 of the bridal specialists had to hoist me in my skirt/strapless top combo. I keep telling my brother that he just needs to elope already. They're already knocked up. Why spend so much money on one day? Save your dough and buy yourselves a house, says the girl who did exactly what she is advising you not to do. In any case, I'm not very happy with the dress color. It's called "persimmon," not a mandarin orange like I thought it was. Not exactly sure how to explain the color. It's like the orange is trying to become the red. Not quite orange, not quite red. $300 later, including alterations, I felt violated and a little annoyed. But I just have to remind myself that this is for family and that the humiliation of wearing a strapless dress is worth it. He better name his firstborn child after me. I don't care that they're actually having a boy. Dammit.
• I'm getting used to my new Mac Book Pro. I'm starting to get the hang of the Smart Touch Pad and I no longer want to throw it across the room. 
• I graduated from Pilates. 3 months of classes covered by insurance. Wow. I never thought I would miss my instructor asking me if I want to try something new or if I want to do some cardio. I almost don't want to stab her right now. Almost.    

I am looking for a very uneventful weekend. 

more interview advice.

I thought my last set of interviews were a bit strange but I was wrong. I had another set of interviews lately and could not believe my luck. Here are other tips to make your next job interview a success:

• Please do not bring your children on the interview.  
• Please do not dare ask if the children can sit in on the interview.
• Please do not bring your mother so that she can ask if she and her grandchild can stay during the interview.
• Please do not bring your grandfather.
• Please do not say that one of your strengths is punctuality after you show up late. We won't believe you.
• Please do not say you want the job for school credit.  
• Please do not tell me that because you already have to "deal" with children at home, you can also "deal" with them at work. We actually like our pediatric patients even if they poop and pee on us. Nobody messes with my patients. Dammit.  
• Whiners, complainers, mean people need not apply. 

Thank you. 

french manicure complications.

I only get manicures and pedicures when Abby is here. It's something she enjoys and it's sort of a tradition for us now. In my real world, I cannot afford regular mani/pedis. I never really had a reason to get them since the hospital did not allow painted nails (for infection control). Since I don't do patient care anymore, I like to have pretty fingernails. As a result, I do my own french manicures at home. My sister comes over and we do our nails together at a fraction of the price. Yes, it's cheaper than a professional one, but I protect my fingers like they are covered in gold. 

This weekend, I attempted the French Manicure on my fingers. I finally perfected the art of painting with my left hand. I have perfected peeing without smudging my drying nails. I perfected undressing for bed without chipping my fingemails. Except this weekend. In ultimate Cynthia fashion, I managed to maneuver my sports bra above and around my head in a half Nelson. My arms were stuck in the air and the sports bra was twisted around my back and neck. I finally had to enlist the help of my husband to get out of that position. After the humiliation and my husband laughing uncontrollably at me, my nails remained perfectly intact. That, my friends, is talent.

an apple a day.

I am now the proud new owner of a MacBook Pro. I've always wanted one and after years of dreaming of an Apple computer, I finally broke down and purchased one. I think I am having a little bit of buyer's remorse. I am a frugal gal and I'm feeling a bit of the Filipino, Catholic guilt. After my heart palpitations die down from the price, I can enjoy the new toy. My sister was kind enough to allow us to use her teacher discount. OK, we dragged her to the Mac store. We saved about $300 and got an iTouch for free. I can't seem to get the hang of the SmartTouch pad. I thought I was going to throw it out the window last night. But after research on my old Windows computer (ah, the irony), I figured out how to click and select an icon on the computer. 

Any suggestions for free Mac must-haves? Is there such a thing?

oh, paper and scissors. how i've missed you.

I am usually very productive when it comes to scrapbooking but I can literally count on my fingers the pages I've made this year. Sigh. I miss spending days soaking up my scrap area and making pages from the sheer joy of it. I no longer have that time and when I do, I spend that time catching up on much needed housework, going to church, and spending time with my husband and family. 2 days off is simply not enough to do all the things I want to do.

Look at the progression of pages in 2006:

2007:

2008:

10 pages and it's already the end of July. I must be more productive. Yes, I've made lots of cards this year but the amount of pages is really depressing me.

when did my parents become old?

I had a date with my mom and my sisters this weekend to see Mamma Mia! the movie. A girl's day out if you will. A day of laughing, singing, and talking about men. Or so I thought. My dad kept hinting and trying to invite himself to come along. Since when did my dad care if we take my mom out for a little bonding time? He never cared before. How come they don't like to take me out? How come they always take you? he says to my mom. Maybe because we want to enjoy ourselves and not be dictated to all day long. He's been saying these things a lot lately. He's so sensitive now. When I was growing up, my dad was not the most nurturing parent. He worked 3 jobs and came home long enough to discipline us 5 kids. My mom was the ice cream giver and the boo- boo kisser. Through the years, we sort of forgot about my dad. We were always puzzled that my parents worked so well together. Ma was so passive, Dad was so assertive. I could see why she married him once but we did warn her the 2nd time they got married (their 25th wedding anniversary). I kept telling her she should have said no. Don't you learn from your mistakes? Ha!

Naturally, we gravitated towards the mother figure. My mom liked to spend time with us. She called us often. My dad was the stern silent type, who only made noise to criticize. No fun trying to live up to his expectations when when we were around him. I always thought he had better things to do than want to spend any time with us. But he is getting old and he is getting soft, starting to miss the kids and all.

Well, I broke down and invited him along with my mom and sisters and it wasn't half bad if you don't count him being 10 steps ahead of us at all times. He has changed a bit through the years but in many ways he is still the strong dictator, ahem patriarch, that we all love. Besides, he can't be that bad if enjoys Mamma Mia!

working at home.

I didn't bring any paperwork home with me this weekend but work is always on my mind. I fear I am becoming a workaholic. Instead I have been cranking out super simple pages for the unit scrapbook.

Supplies:
KI Memories patterned paper
National cardstock- blue (how old is this paper? holy crap!)
Marvy Uchida and Paper Shapers star punches
buttons unknown
Stampin' Up! Headline Alphabet (retired)
Stampin' Up! Whisper White Craft ink
Stampin' Up! scallop border punch

a simple page.

A quick and simple page for my unit scrapbook.

Supplies:
MAMBI patterned cardstock scraps
DCWV green cardstock
cardstock scraps
Doodlebug stickers
Stampin' Up! Cause for Celebration stamp set
Stampin' Up! ink pads
Stampin' Up! Baroque Motifs stamp set
Versamark ink
buttons unknown
Stamp Oasis white embossing powder

do you notice a trend?

Stampin' Up! has a new scallop border punch that I love! They are similar to the border punches by Martha Stewart. Cuts like a dream!

lazy saturday.

Stayed in bed until 10 am. I'm not going to feel guilty for sleeping in, dammit. I spent the morning having breakfast with my husband and vegetating in front of the television. It's still strange not having to worry about putting on some pants while the kids are not here. Clothing is optional for 4 more weeks. For instance, a bra is not necessary until the twins start scraping the stove and catch on fire while cooking. I will enjoy adult time, yes, I will.

Finished these recently. I have not scrapped in so long. I miss it so. I cannot relax and enjoy the process because we have so much to do around the house. Cleaning does not get done in a timely manner without the kids because honestly, they are really handy at the dishes and the toilets. Especially when it's made a prerequisite for karaoke and the Wii. One of the perks of having kids is that there is always someone to do the housework, just ask my parents. :P

 

it's so quiet.

The kids went back to their mom's house yesterday (Abby to live, Junior to visit). I thought I would be enjoying myself more. No noise, no censoring, no fights, no watching the Disney channel or Nickelodeon, no drama. Instead, it's empty here. No Abigail to borrow my jewelry, no Junior to ask for more dessert. I don't know what my husband and I did before Junior came to live with us. It must have been a very boring life.

before photoshop.

This is what we truly look like.