Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Les Miserables Obsessed!!

My typical MO after seeing a Broadway musical typically looks like this: purchasing (if I don't already own it) the soundtrack and listening to it on constant loop for at least a week..maybe longer. The best part about Les Mis...I found the 10th Anniversary concert on YouTube...there are 11 consecutive videos, each 14:22 minutes long which encompasses the entire show...woohoo!! Note, it IS a concert, so they are not acting out the parts, but they are in costume and it's still fabulous...you know, especially if you can't travel w/them on tour to see it repeatedly...this is the next best thing. 

The tour show was awesome...while I loved it all, I must say that my favorite character/actor was Javert (Andrew Varela)...not only is he easy on the eyes, he is an amazing singer...turns out he has also performed as Jean ValJean (the lead in LesMis) as well as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. 

Swoon!!!
Here is a video of Andrew singing "Stars" on a news show...start the video at 3:50 for just the song:





And here are a couple of my favorite videos from the 10th Anniversary concert...


Philip Quast as Javert --- he is the ORIGINAL Javert and absolutely amazing!!


Start at 1:22 where Colm Wilkinson (Original Jean ValJean) begins singing "BRING HIM HOME"....LOVE this song!!

Enjoy!!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Project Life 2012

Only two weeks in and I'm absolutely LOVING this Project Life goodness. I am even "caught up" (for now) as I completed weeks 1 & 2 last night...here's my proof:

Intro Page
Week One - Page 1

Week One - Page 2 (gotta luv butt crack!)
Week Two - Page 1

Week Two - Page 2
I'm ready for some variation in the page protectors. When I purchased everything, only two different styles were available (Designs B & F) and I'm DYING for some Design A pages!! I may even delay my week 3 completion to see if they show up on Amazon...although I don't think it will be until February and then I'll have to compete with the other bazillion women out there waiting on them!!

Friday, January 13, 2012

randomness

Nothing like a good 'ol dose of randomness on a Friday!!

*we got snow last night
*a VERY light dusting
*we also got a 1 hour delayed start
*being from Michigan, that makes me laugh...but i love it so!
*bailed on going to the Y last night - due to nasty weather.
*bummed I missed Yoga as a result.
*will try again next Thursday.
*tonight we are going to see Les Miserables
*mom is watching E...hoping she can get out of her neighborhood
*she texted me earlier to say the streets are ice. yikes!
*our high temp today will be 34. not good.
*this is when having a sitter IN MY neighborhood would be good.
*i'm worried about tonight.
*my Project Life goods arrived last night
*I am working on finishing week one pages.
*hoping to paint the laundry room this weekend.
*happy I have 3 days to do that!
*loving that I can send files electronically over to Kinko's for color printing. on cardstock.
*and I can swing by on my way home to pick them up.
*will be starting a new book this weekend - The Girl in the Blue Beret.
*hope you have a good weekend. :)

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

I Want Wednesday

I Want: this Monster cable for my iPod to play in my car. Oh and yes I do already have one, but I recently received a brand new iPod Nano courtesy of Apple and their recall on their VERY VERY old Nanos...turns out the current cable doesn't charge the new iPod, but this V2.0 does! Got in my car this a.m. to discover a DEAD iPod. Sad.

I Want: this Spanish Magnetic Poetry...for my work office...really bad. I have a big huge EMPTY wall that I want to cover with magnetic paint. The wall is very close to where kiddos sit while in my office, which would be neat for them to sorta dabble with while we are chatting. Now to work on the facilities crew and that magnetic paint.

I Want: these adorable SmartWool socks!! I stumbled upon them in December but could not justify the crazy price (for 1 pair!)...but I still want them. Sadly I will probably never have them. :(

I Want: this adorable NYC Empire State Building Fossil charm for my charm bracelet. Too cute!! I looked for it @ the Fossil store in Frisco, TX...but had ZERO luck. They were fresh out of charms period!

I (still) Want: these Detroit Tiger Sunglasses, solely for running outdoor races....which now that the price has dropped to a whopping $9...I just might get them.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Ten on Tuesday

1. I'm not as "sad" today as I was yesterday.
2. Going to see Les Miserables on Friday and I.cannot.wait!!
3. Hitting the gym today...and while I need to, I'm still sorta dreading it.
4. Ethan was a champ during our morning routine today. Yay!
5. My Project Life kit is currently in Toledo, OH...hurry!!
6. A little goal I set for 2012 is to do small things to make my house a bit more homey/cozy.
7. Hoping to paint the laundry room this weekend...it's a 3 day weekend!
8. I'm currently obsessing over GLEE music.
9. I have not yet watched last weeks Grey's or PP episodes. Need to!
10. Another little goal: I'm tracking my scrapbooking spending this year...to hopefully keep it in check. Also pledging to use from my stash for PL and OLW projects.

Monday, January 09, 2012

currently

listening to: the noise of the space heater in my office.

thinking: about how badly I wish I were a SAHM.

wishing: I never had to go back to work.

feeling: a little sad today...the whole work/mom thing is hitting me hard today. didn't help when Ethan said "I just wanna stay home today!" as I was trying to get him ready for school. :(

wanting: a million dollars...or heck, I'd settle for a couple snow days at this point...too bad the next 10 days don't look like they're bringing snow.

reading: I Gave My Heart to Know This by Ellen Baker and it's really pretty good!!

wearing: black pants, gray shirt & gray cardigan.

hoping: that this week goes by quickly.
 
enjoying: the itty bitty teeny amount of "free" time I get each day..meaning time with E or time to scrapbook/read.

needing: a change.

weather: 40-50s, rainy & gloomy.

wondering: why.

Friday, January 06, 2012

Happy New Year!

-wow, so I REALLY need to change my blog header!

-It's 2012 and for me, a time to BEGIN a lot of *things*...like some new scrapbook projects, a better money saving plan, finally learn yoga & hopefully get into a regular routine with it and those are just a few things.

~Speaking of the word BEGIN....I'm really excited about Ali Edward's One Little Word project she does every year. In the past, I've seen and heard about it, but never felt a strong pull to participate, although it peaked my interest somewhat. Finally, this year, my word CAME TO ME...yes, it popped into my head and really seems to fit me for where I am right now and so, with that, I am signed up and ready to begin this OLW 2012 project.

~Also crafting related, I remain "on the fence" with my participation in the Project Life scrapbooking project. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to do it...I keep thinking of how completely awesome it would be at the end of this year to see that album full and to look through it with Ethan then and many years later and to remember the "little things" we did. Now while I love that whole idea, where I get hung up on "pulling the trigger" is the reality of being able to document *something* everyday or at least 3-4 days EVERY week. I don't want to fork out the cash for the supplies and then fall flat on my face with follow through. On another note, I often am left feeling frustrated when I cannot get in just a few minutes to scrapbook here and there. Crops NEVER happen anymore for me as O is ALWAYS working 6 days a week now so getting away on a Saturday isn't feasible and the LSS is closed on Sunday. And so I remain...for now...on the fence...but I completely realize that I need to make a decision STAT.

~Please note that the two previous bullet points work completely against my "better money saving plan". *sigh*

~Quick Christmas recap: we went to TX for Christmas. It was fun, but also stressful. Apparently, my normally easy-going child didn't seem to do well with excessive excitement, a new house (my aunt's), little to no ROUTINE and did I mention holiday season excitement? Add some chocolate in there too. His less than stellar behavior stressed me a bit...but I guess such is life with an almost-4-year-old. I'm TOTALLY on board with the whole "3 is worse than 2" thing for kiddos...we did not have "terrible twos" at all...or if we did, it was not nearly as awful as 3 has been. 

~On a brighter note, E is a fantastic ROAD traveler...did fantastic on the 13ish hour drive to TX. He's a rockstar!! He and I flew back...two flights...stopping in Charlotte...after our not so lovely behavior IN Texas...I was crazy nervous about the flights, but thankfully he did quite well. His only "dark" moment occurred when we landed in Charlotte & he wanted OFF the plan STAT...too bad we were in row 23!! He got a bit fiesty and that didn't get better until we walked 1/2 of the airport, finally stopping in a Starbucks (for my sanity) where he found a fantastically huge fruit cup he wanted...which I happily purchased for him and while made him once again a happy camper. Thank God!! He waited peacefully for both of our flights, which surprised me and I am eternally grateful to Steve Jobs (RIP) and his lovely iPad for making air travel with E a WHOLE LOT more tolerable than it would have been without that fantastic device. :) Oh and the best part, E slept on the flight from Charlotte to Knoxville. Hooray!!

~And now the holiday break is over (sad!) and I'm on my 2nd day back at work....here we go....how many days 'til Summer? Or heck, at least the next long weekend? :)