Ladies Retreat and Birthday Fun

Hi everyone...I'm officially back! :)  I actually got back from Ladies Retreat on Saturday evening, but between church, music practices, music recordings, a birthday party, and rearranging our living room,  I haven't had a chance to sit down and type until now. :}  Thanks for being so patient.

Maggie and Tess wanted me to let you know that their post about their trip will be up later this week.  I'll put up a link on this blog when their post is up.  I understand that Belle will be blogging this week too, so stay tuned! ;)

I thought I'd actually start with a few pics from my family party (combined with my mom and my sister-in-law, who also have September birthdays).  We celebrated Sunday, September 22nd, at Mimi's house.

I brought Buttershy along to enjoy the festivities with us. ;)

We had our normal Sunday lunch from Panda Express, but took it to the house instead of eating at the restaurant, the way we normally do.  

Mimi made a cute cake for us.  The bottom layer was chocolate cake with "Yummy Chocolate Frosting" (a family recipe and a family favorite), and the top was yellow cake with the same frosting and a layer of marshmallow fondant.  Yum! :) 

Buttershy decided to try some of the chocolate cake. 

She thought it was pretty amazing. 

I tried to warn her not to eat too much, but she didn't listen. :} 

We all had a great time together.  I'm so thankful that most of our family lives close enough to get together regularly.  That's a rare gift, especially in this day and age.  

I was also given some spending money which I knew would come in handy for my upcoming trip. :)

And speaking of which, this past Thursday morning (the 26th), Mom and Mimi came and picked me up after the girls had been dropped off at school, and we headed off to our church's Ladies Retreat.  It was very exciting to go back to the place we had been before (two retreats ago).  I was looking forward to a weekend to relax and get away for a bit. :)

We stopped at one of the newer Goodwills that was about half an hour away from the retreat.  Would you believe I made it out of there without purchasing a thing? :}

Our next stop was ToysRUs.  I seriously cannot express how excited I was to visit this store.  ToysRUs still remains one of my favorite stores to this day, and our local one went out of business shortly after Middle Gal was born.  I was like a kid in a...well...in a toy store. ;)

  

Now, I didn't make it out of this store without a purchase. ;)  I bought two "Lil' Zelfs", but only opened one at first.

I ended up with a pearlized Lil' D, which wasn't all that thrilling (he's not one I really like that much).  It was pretty funny when my other Lil' Zelf was a glittery Angelala, though.  I decided to use them as trip souvenirs for Tess and Maggie.  Can you guess which doll ended up with which Zelf? ;)

I had already decided that if ToysRUs had a medium Mermalade in stock, I'd be getting her as a friend for Buttershy.  Mermalade and Miss Clover are my two favorites, and since I'm not holding out much hope that I'll ever come across a Miss Clover, I figured Mermalade was a better Zelf to set my sights on.  

Mermalade was there, and just as adorable as I remembered.  

I'd also decided to get each of my daughters a medium Zelf as a surprise from my trip.  I wanted a Lunanne for Oldest Gal, an Elfa for Middle Gal, and a Pega Sue for Little Gal (their three favorites).  Interestingly enough, they had one Elfa, one Lunanne, one Pega Sue, and one Mermalade in stock.  As an added bonus, they were all on sale for $4.99 each!  I was so glad we got there right when we did! :)  I didn't get any pics of the other Zelfs yet, but I'll be sure to do that soon. :) 

After ToysRUs, we drove the rest of the way to our hotel.  Here's where Mimi and I stayed.

Here's the other side of our room.

We got a connecting room with my mom (who gets better rest when she rooms by herself).

Here are her sleeping quarters. ;)

Maggie and Tess (and my teddy bear, Hugs) immediately made themselves comfortable.

Buttershy and Mermalade instantly hit it off...

...and found their own little spot to hang out. :)

One of the fun extra activities we did while we were at retreat was to go through some secondhand mini Lalaloopsies my mom had discovered at a local secondhand shop in town.  The Tuesday before Retreat, I had a message on my cell phone when I got out of art class.  It was my mom, saying, "Call me!"  When I did, she explained that there were a TON of Lalaloopsies at the shop and I should come meet her.  I"m more familiar with the names and the sets than she is at this point, so she knew I might recognize something she didn't.  Wow.  It was incredible.  There were a lot of older sets that are getting super hard to find.   

So here's everything we ended up with.  We actually bought more than we would have because many of the sets were split up in different bags.  

And here's a closer look: 

Since we knew Ladies Retreat was later in the week, we thought it would be fun to wait to go through everything together.  So for about four hours one night and another two or three the following night, we went through every single piece and identified and sorted everything to the best of our ability.  We still have a few unknowns, but we figured out what most of them were. :)

I was the most excited by most of Berry's Kitchen, Prince Handsome and all of his accessories (we're just missing Cinderslippers), and Sprouts Sunshine, the Target Easter Exclusive from 2012.  I've been searching for all of them for a while.  Mom and Mimi found some sets they really liked, too.  

We'll probably be reselling some of the ones we don't need in the coming weeks to help reimburse ourselves.  I'll let everyone know when they're up. :)

There were other fun things to do while we were there, too.  We ate out at this great Mexican restaurant.

Buttershy and Mermalade seemed to enjoy themselves, too. ;)

They also enjoyed helping me eat my food. 

We also ate at a lovely local cafe that served us an excellent buffet.

While we were there, Mimi took us to a beautiful park.  We enjoyed walking around and seeing the lovely scenery.

There were also some great Zelfie photo ops:  

I really love taking the Zelfs along for photos because they're so small and easy to carry.  I didn't take dolls with me on this day because I knew we were making a lot of stops.  The Zelfs fit easily in a small purse.  Unfortunately, there was something on the inside of the purse that left little black rub marks on their faces that will NOT come off. :(  Still working on a solution.

I didn't get any pics, but we did stop at several fun little antique and collectible stores on the same day we went to the park. 

And just in case you think my dolls were neglected, they had some photo shoots as well (this picture here is my very favorite from the whole trip). :)  

Best buds.

You'll see more of Tess and Maggie later this week on their blog as they share about the Retreat from their perspective. :)

We had a really wonderful weekend.  It was a great time of rest and relaxation, and we were encouraged by the ladies from the church who shared with us.  Our theme was "Weighed by the Word", and how we need to use the Bible as our standard for beauty and acceptance rather than what the world tells us.  It was the perfect message for me with the struggles I've been going through lately.

One of the unexpected highlights of the trip came from my former 1st grade teacher (who is teaching Little Gal in Kindergarten this year).  She had heard that it was going to be my actual birthday while I was at Retreat, so she brought her little lamb puppet that used to sing with us in her classes to sing Happy Birthday to me in front of all of the ladies.  

A little history here:  Lambkin (that's his name) and I go way back.  Not only was he the little puppet who sang to me and my class way back in 1st grade, but he also helped my teacher when she spoke at my wedding shower.  So we have a special bond... ;)

Anyway, I thought it was so sweet of Mrs. M to take the time to make me feel special on my special day.  And you can guess which part of Ladies Retreat Little Gal loved hearing about when I got home. ;)

Retreat ended on Saturday, which was my actual birthday.  Since I knew it would be a special occasion, I saved my "dessert day" (which is normally on Fridays) so that I could go to Krispy Kreme for my birthday. :)  It was sooo worth it! :)  We had the regular glazed doughnuts, and then we shared a maple glaze, a chocolate glaze, and a seasonal pumpkin spice old fashioned glazed doughnut.  Yummm. :)  

On the way home, we stopped at ToysRUs one more time.

This time, everyone got into Zelf mode.  I bought a Mermalade "Super Zelf", the biggest size, (not pictured) and then Mom, Mimi and I all got two Lil' Zelf surprise pots.  Here's what we ended up with...a mini Zelf invasion! ;)

Mimi got a pearlized Pega Sue and a regular Flamy.  Mom got a regular Lil' D...

...and the pearlized Mermalade you see next to my medium Mermalade.  I ended up with Buttershy...

...and a glittery Flamy to add to my glittery Angelala and pearlized Lil' D.

Warning:  these things are totally addicting, especially since they're only $2.99 each and you can't tell what you're getting when you buy them.  I was seriously tempted to turn right around and go back in to buy a few more...but I  managed to show some restraint. ;)

We also stopped by Goodwill one more time, and Mom found a BFC Ink Gianna doll for me for just $1.99.  Much more exciting than our first stop there. :)

On the way home, we came across this beautiful fountain.  I thought Mermalade should have just a couple more pictures. ;)

She's sooo cute! :)

So here's my birthday/trip haul.  Some of these things will have future blog reviews, but probably not everything pictured.  I'm behind enough as it is. ;)  I also realized as I was typing this that I forgot to add my BFC Ink Gianna doll and a cute little shelf I found at an antique store, so this is most of my birthday/trip haul. ;)  

I found this mini Jane Austen book at Barnes and Noble for $5.95.  It has portions and summaries of all of her complete novels.  My mom has a copy of this, and I've always thought it would be perfect for Tess. :)

This is a doll from the Bradley Dolls company.  She was a Salvation Army find on the way to Retreat.  I don't know much about these dolls, but I've always thought they had sweet faces.  And for $1.25, I thought she was worth picking up. :) 

And here are my Zelfs from my trip. :)  I'm in the process of working on a review post for my large Mermalade. :)

Here are the mini Lalaloopsies I ended up with for now.  Berry's stove, sink, frying pan, and pet cow; Forest Evergreen with his stump and pet beaver; Sprouts Sunshine, and Prince Handsome, his sword, his pillow with the glass slipper, his pet mouse, Cinderslippers' pet mouse, and Cinderslippers' little pumpkin coach.  I'm especially excited about the Prince Handsome stuff, and I'm hoping to find Cinderslippers soon.  I've always loved this set, and now that I've gotten hooked on the Broadway cast album from the new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, this set is even more significant. :)  Poor Prince Handsome...hopefully he'll find the maiden whose foot fits the slipper soon. ;)

The two Lonely Doll books and the My Little Pony book were my birthday present from my Hubby (since my pencil sharpener ended up being free, he let me get a couple extra things). :)  I'm thrilled that the Lonely Doll books are coming back in print.  However, I have to say I'm a little disappointed in the quality of the books.  The picture print quality isn't the greatest, and the books themselves feel really flimsy.  On the other hand, I'm thrilled that I can have these stories for a little under $8 a piece instead of the amazingly expensive amounts they've been selling for before this.  Eventually, I'd love to find better copies of these, but for now, I'm thrilled to have "The Doll and the Kitten" and "Edith and Midnight" in my collection. :)

"The Elements of Harmony" is a must-have book for any My Little Pony fan.  It's just $12.95 on Amazon.com, and it's pretty spiffy.  It includes an interview with Lauren Faust (the creator of the show), introductions to the characters, a synopsis of every single episode from Seasons 1 through 3, lyrics to every single song in the first three seasons, and more.  The title sounds a little mystical (which is kind of the origin story they've given to the G4 My Little Pony show), but it's an excellent book.  I'm so glad I have it! :)

I also finally got my "Cake Family Babysitting Fun" blind bag set.  Again, there's a post in the works for this, but I'm super thrilled with it. :)

One of the things I found in one of the antique stores was a bag of LIV and Barbie accessories.  Among the things in the bag were the items you see here.  I'm sure Belle and Robby can use them for something. ;)  I'm thinking Belle might learn to play the guitar and use that when she sings to Robby. :)

I also ended up with a complete set of the current McDonald's Happy Meal toys, which are celebrating the 75th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz".  What started out as a casual thing ended up becoming a fun scavenger hunt. :)  Every McDonald's we went to had a different set of toys.  Dorothy was the first one I got.  She, Glinda, and the Scarecrow were all purchased before the trip.  I was able to find Elphaba, the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man during our travels. :)

I have to say, it's funny how differently you look at these iconic characters after listening to the musical soundtrack from "Wicked". :}

At one of the little thrift stores we went to, I found these vintage 80s dolls:  Rose Petal from "Rose Petal Place" and one of Cherry Merry Muffin's friends (Choco Lottie?) from "Cherry Merry Muffin".  I don't know if I'll ever find the right clothing for them, but they were only 75 cents each, so I figured it was worth picking them up. :)

I also found this fun My Little Pony cup at a Ross store.  I was able to get it for a discounted price (under $4.00) because the straw was broken.  I plan on replacing the straw, but I'm not sure if I'll actually use this or just display it in my collection. :)

And that, my friends, is all for now.  It's been quite a month, and it ended on quite a high note. :)  Mom, Mimi and I had a great time together, and I came back ready and refreshed to spend time with my daughters and my sweet Hubby who watched them for me while I was gone.

My week is going to be pretty full until Thursday, so you may not hear much from me until then.  I'm starting to plan out my posts for the month and I'm looking forward to sharing some fun things with you! :)

Until next time...

 

Off to Ladies Retreat! :)

Hey guys!  I just wanted to let you know that I'm off to Ladies Retreat for the weekend! :)  Tess and Maggie are coming with me, so I'll have lots of fun pictures to share with you when I get back.  Have a great weekend! :)

Celebrate Musicals Week Tag

Well, here it is, Monday night.  I should be working on my art lesson for the kiddos tomorrow, or packing for Ladies Retreat on Thursday, or making the girls' lunches...

But hey, I've always been great at shrugging aside responsibility for more fun activities. :}  I'd read the announcement about "Celebrate Musicals Week" over at Yet Another Period Drama Blog (hosted by Miss Dashwood) and was super excited.  I'm a HUGE fan of musicals.  In fact, as I've mentioned before, I think that life would be a lot better if we all broke into spontaneous song and dance every once in a while. ;)

So of course, when I saw there was a tag in celebration of the week, I just had to participate. :)

To see the original tag on Miss Dashwood's blog, you can click HERE.  And to see all the details of "Celebrate Musicals Week", you can click HERE.  

Our assignment was to choose one musical to focus on for the entire week.  I had a pretty tough time choosing which one to do, but after much deliberation, I finally chose "Beauty and the Beast".  Heh heh.  Are you really that surprised? ;)  I actually was leaning more towards "The Phantom of the Opera" at first, but I thought this one would be more in keeping with my blog theme. :)

So, on to the tag!

1.  What musical did you pick to "spotlight" this week and why?

          I chose "Beauty and the Beast" because it's one of my favorite movies AND my favorite musicals. :)

Susan Egan and Terrance Mann in the title roles.

2.  How did you discover the musical you picked (hereinafter referred to as "your musical")?

          Well, I saw the movie when it came out in theaters in 1991 (I was ten at the time).  I can't remember when I first heard about the Broadway production...probably from a Disney preview or something.

3.  If you had to pick three favorite songs from your musical, which ones would they be?

          I really like "Human Again", especially because of the adorable dialogue in the middle of it. :)  I enjoy "A Change in Me" for the most part...it's great that Belle gets a couple of nice solos in the Broadway version.  I also love "If I Can't Love Her".  Just like Belle, the Beast gets a few extra solo numbers, which I think is fantastic.  But honestly, I love pretty much all the songs in this one. :)   

4.  What's your least favorite song from your musical?

          Probably "Maison de Lunes", but it's not like I hate it or anything. :)         

5.  Who are your favorite characters (choose up to three)?

           1. The Beast because you really get to see even more into his character in this production.  I love the story element they added where throughout the entire play he's trying to get up the nerve to tell Belle he loves her.

           2. Belle for the brave, sweet woman she is and the loving relationship she has with her father.

           3.  Wardrobe because she makes me laugh. :)

6.  Which versions of your musical have you seen/listened to, and which is your favorite?

          For the movie, I've seen the original theatrical release, the 10th anniversary release (in the IMAX theater), the 20th anniversary theatrical release (basically so I could see "Tangled Ever After").  I've seen the play done professionally at two different theaters and I've also seen a local high school version.  And I saw the made-for-TV production of "Beauty and the Beast:  A Concert on Ice".  It featured songs and script from the play with famous ice skaters skating to the music. 

          There was also a rather random non-Disney musical version that I remember seeing at our local Civic center when I was in about the 5th or 6th grade.  I have a few brief memories of that production. :}   

7.  Is this your favorite musical of all time?  If not, what is?

          It's one of my favorite musicals of all time.  I'm also a big fan of "The Sound of Music", "Fiddler on the Roof", Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella", "Singin' in the Rain", and "The Phantom of the Opera".  Oh, and I like most of the musical version of "The Scarlet Pimpernel", too. :}

8.  Which cast album/musical soundtrack in your collection do you listen to the most?

          Recently, I've been quite hooked on the new Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella".  I already had the original songs memorized, and now I've almost got the new additions down. ;)

          I use Rhapsody.com for most of my music now, so rather than listening to an entire soundtrack, I have a playlist with my favorite musical theatre songs on it.  There are songs from "Oklahoma", "South Pacific", the Broadway production of "The Little Mermaid", "Phantom", and more! :)

9.  What is your favorite costume from your musical?

          Definitely Belle's ballgown. :)

Terrance Mann and Susan Egan

10.  If you could change anything about your musical, what would you change?

          Honestly, nothing.  Maybe a few less innuendos between Lumiere and Babette, but other than that, nothing at all. :)

11.  Which role(s) would you most like to play in any musical, if you had the opportunity to do so on stage?

          Well, I'm getting past the age to play Belle or Christine Daae (and I don't have the range for Christine anyway).  I'd love to play Maria in "The Sound of Music".  Except I still can't dance, so even that role wouldn't really work for me. ;)

Susan Egan and Terrance Mann

12.  If you could choose one performer to play any part in your musical, who would you choose and which part would you have them play?

          While he hasn't always made good choices in his personal life, my favorite Beast has always been James Barbour.  He's got this amazing richness and depth to his voice that I love.  I loved his portrayal in "Beauty and the Beast:  A Concert on Ice".

James Barbour as the Beast

13.  Do you consider yourself a musical theatre fan in general or do you just like a few musicals?

          I really enjoy musical theatre, but I'm pretty selective about which plays I watch or soundtracks I listen to, especially since I'm particular about content.  A lot of musicals have at least one song or one part that I don't care for.  I totally love stories with random song and dance numbers in them, though.  So I guess I'm a selective musical theatre fan. ;)          

14.  Are you tired of the word "musical" yet?

          Not possible. ;)

15.  Turn your music playing device on shuffle (or utilize Pandora if you don't have one) and tell us the names of the first three show tunes that come up-no cheating!  How do these rank on your favorites/most-listened-to list?

          I don't really have the time or capability to do this, so I'm just going to skip this question. :} 

Terrance Mann and Susan Egan

Well, that was way more fun than what I was supposed to be doing! ;)  Thank you to Miss Dashwood for hosting this fun tag.  I'm not sure I'll be able to participate in the other expected posts (I'll be out of town and without WiFi for half of the week), but I enjoyed doing this part! :)  

If I can, I'll try to do at least one more BatB post, but I can't promise anything. :)

Be sure you all head over and check out the "Celebrate Musicals Week" for yourselves! :)

As for me, I'm off to make sure I know what I'm drawing for art tomorrow! :}

Classroom Friendly Supplies Pencil Sharpener Review

So today I have a rather different review for you, as you could probably tell from the title.  Since starting my art class, I've been desperate for a good pencil sharpener.  Up until now, I've been sharpening pencils four times a day with a little hand sharpener, which has not been the most convenient way to do things. :}  The old crank-handled sharpener has probably been there since I was in school and needs to be fixed, and the electric sharpeners in the classroom don't work very well.  

My ever thoughtful Hubby decided he wanted to find me a good classroom pencil sharpener for my birthday, so he immediately started researching pencil sharpeners online.  The one he was most satisfied with was the pencil sharpener produced by Classroom Friendly Supplies.  Designed by an elementary teacher, these pencil sharpeners were made to offer a quieter, more effective classroom sharpener.

When Hubby was showing me the sharpener, we saw that there was an opportunity to do a blog review (you can get more information about that HERE).  So all that to say, I'm reviewing a pencil sharpener today instead of a doll or toy. :}  However, I thought that this post might still be relevant to some of my readers.  And depending on the response to this post, I may do additional art supply reviews every once in a while. :)

Buttershy thought that she should make an appearance to keep with the overall blog theme (you'll see more of her later).  She was very impressed with how well the sharpener matched her hair. ;)

Once removed from the shipping box, the pencil sharpener comes in a clear plastic box.

The sharpener itself is in plastic packaging.  It also comes with an extra accessory to help attach it to a counter or desk.

There is a little piece of paper in the drawer that has (I'm assuming) the item number on it.  I selected the pink sharpener, but they also come in blue, green, black, or red.

Here's a closer look at the front of the sharpener.

There is a clear plastic drawer underneath the sharpener that catches the pencil shavings.

There are two tabs at the top of the sharpener.

When you squeeze the tabs together, the pencil hole opens fully, allowing you to put the pencil in.  When you let go of the tabs, they keep the pencil in place.  

Here are views of the sides, the back, and the bottom:

And here's a closer look at the extra gadget that helps the pencil sharpener to attach. 

Once I had my sharpener all set up, I decided it was time to give it a try.  I'd recently purchased several packages of Dixon pencils at the school clearances at Walmart (I've been supplying the pencils for art), so these were on hand for the trial.  As far as inexpensive pencils go, I've been very pleased with the Dixon brand (although I can't help thinking of Jane Austen's "Emma" every time I use them). ;)  Plus, getting a pack of eight pencils for forty seven cents is a pretty nice deal. :}

So here is the pencil unsharpened. 

Okay, I would like to preface this next part with the fact that I am NOT mechanically inclined, and there were no instructions whatsoever that came with this sharpener.  I also have not used a pencil sharpener of this style before.  :}

I put the pencil in, gripped it with the tab thingees, and tried to sharpen it.  And this was the result:

I knew that something had to be wrong, especially with all of the glowing reviews my husband had talked about, so I checked the box to remind myself of the name of the company and then Googled it to find their site.  Once I'd found it, I was relieved to see this extremely helpful page HERE, which demonstrates how to use the sharpener and how to remove lead from the blades.

"Oh, so you pull this metal thingee out!" :}

Once you pull the metal part out, you use the tabs to hold the pencil in place.

Then, you press down on the top of the sharpener to keep it from traveling and wind the handle to sharpen the pencil.  (Side note here:  I borrowed Oldest Gal's hands for this picture.  It's rather uncanny how much her hands look like mine.) :)

And here is the pencil, beautifully sharpened.  I thought I should mention that there is a definite difference in the sound of the sharpener when the pencil is completely sharpened, making it very easy to tell when to remove the pencil.

When the sharpening is over, you simply push up on the top metal portion and it will go back in.

And now you can empty the shavings.

The drawer comes out all the way for easy disposal.

And now for the extra piece.  The curved part goes into this hole at the bottom of the sharpener. 

Once it's pushed all the way in...

...you can adjust the plastic piece to accommodate the width of the desk or counter.  Then you can use the metal part to tighten it.  (No laughing, people...I know that metal thing has a name, but I don't remember what it is.) :}

Buttershy was so excited to see this newfangled contraption, she had to try it for herself. ;)

It was a little difficult getting the pencil in on her own...

...so I had to help her a bit. ;)

Sharpening, sharpening...

Time to survey her handiwork.

Ta-da!  A perfectly sharpened pencil!

Buttershy approves of this product. ;)

As far as my own thoughts, I was very pleased with this sharpener...once I figured out how it actually worked. ;)  I am excited for art class next Tuesday...my pencil sharpening will be a lot quicker and a lot easier. :)  I also may have to pick up another of these for home at some point...we're always searching for our little sharpeners around the house.   

The only thing I would suggest to the company is either including a basic instruction sheet for the mechanically challenged like myself, or at least a little sheet of paper with the website address on it so we can get more information.  Once I watched the how-to video, I had absolutely no problems.  

I realize this wouldn't be an issue for everyone.  My husband would be able to look at this and figure it out by himself. :}  However, I'm sure there have to be at least a few people out there like me who need just a little bit more direction. :)  Granted, most people who purchase one of these will have seen the website and already know how to work it from that.  I did notice, though, that there is an option for a "School Special", where you can by thirty six sharpeners at a time.  I would assume that some of the teachers who got them in a bundle like that might like to have a little more information before using their sharpeners.

That is literally my only complaint, however.  I am thrilled with the ease and convenience of this pencil sharpener and will definitely be recommending it to the other teachers at the school. :)

I'd like to thank Classroom Friendly Supplies for giving me the opportunity to review their product.  

I received this as a free sample product from Classroom Friendly Supplies.  All opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Disney Store Frozen Shop! :)

Okay, I already scheduled a post for today, but I just had to stop by and let everyone know that the Disney Store has officially opened their "Frozen" shop, and there are some really cute things!  All four of the main classic dolls are among the releases.  You can see everything HERE.

I am super excited for this movie and hope it will live up to my expectations. ;)  How about you guys?

All right, now I need to finish getting ready. :}  Be sure to check out my actual post for the day HERE.

Talk to you later!