Christmas cards don't have to be stressful

I love a good Christmas card with a picture on it. Each year I look forward to seeing my friends and their families or pets come all decked out in my mail. In fact, I'm usually disappointed with no photo cards!

Every year around the end of October I begin vying for the perfect family photo for the Christmas cards. And every year I get stressed to a frenzy about the perfect coordinating outfits, the most fabulous scenery, and please let's just all look at the camera and hope the dog cooperates already!

But the stress can end there...because Shutterfly can make the actual design of the card a breeze. I've ordered my cards from Shutterfly since 2004. I love Shutterfly for lots of reasons. The site is very user friendly. They have great prices, great customer service, and great card options. Wanna see for yourself? Check out my faves below:


Of course this one would top my list of favorites...it has a monogram! There are few things I love more than a good monogram, unless it's diamonds and pearls dahling!




LOVE this one. I love the contrast of a black and white picture with all of the bright words letters. This would be great if you have a non-coordinating outfit photo or you want to hide a multitude of sins in the actual photo. Black and white or sepia one works great for that.



I love this card because the colors compliment our family outfits for our photo this year (green, teal, and pink). I like the one large picture and the whimsical design.



And lastly I'll leave you with this one. So elegant and simple and no worries of the card design being too busy, or too boring, or not coordinating with the photo.

If you visit Shutterfly be sure to check out their photo books! They are superb quality and user friendly to create. I have some for all major events; wedding, honeymoon, family vacations, Brother Bella's senior portraits, a year in review, etc. There are often great high value discounts available as well! Bonus!

Check out 4x8 Christmas cards here and 5x7 Christmas cards here.

Disclaimer: Shutterfly provided me with 50 free photo cards for my write-up on Southern Jezebelle. The thoughts and opinions are my own. 

48/48

I took my gun class over the weekend. It was a whopping ten hours long, but I did it with a friend so it wasn't so painful. I passed the written test at 100%. I knew I could pass the target shooting and that if I tried hard enough they would help me to ensure I'd pass the target shooting. What I didn't know is that I'd get a 48/48 on the target shooting! I blew out the entire red center. Move over Annie Oakley.....Bella is coming to town!

Now I have to apply for my permit, get fingerprinted, background check, etc. It could take up to six months. However by next Spring I'll be a societal sheepdog.

An Extra $100 (2)

I can't seem to get enough of this game lately!

• $23 personalized notepad
• $17 cute dress at Target
• $15 another pair of Hanky Panky undies
• $20 city Christmas ornament
• $25 leather albums for dvds

Your turn! Play along!

Dinners

I once loved to cook. When I worked at my corporate office job I'd typically arrive home about and hour before Mr. Bella and cook dinner. I tried new recipes, I bought fancy ingredients, I made pretty displays on the table.....

But now? Not so much!

In the summer our dinners are pretty low key with garden veggies on the grill with chicken, steak, or fish. We also eat a salad nearly everyday because we get such good produce from our garden or the farmers market. We also eat salsa three or four times a week. Mr. B loves tomatoes and our plants always do well so we make homemade salsa. Yum!

This works because we all love salsa, boys will eat salad is it's swimming in dressing, and it's easy to grill a variety of garden goodies that most everyone will eat.....even if corn on the cob and potatos are a staple.

But now that school is back in session and this damned humidity will eventually go away I'm starting to hyperventilate at the thought of cooking. Between Mr. B and BB making dinner is absolutely miserable! MISERABLE! They both are picky about different things.

• it's too bland.
• it's too fancy.
• it's too spicy.
• you should have added (insert here)
• what is it?
• OHMYGOODNESS IS THAT GREEN STUFF IN THERE?
• do we have ramen?
• can i make a frozen pizza?
• what? carrots? i'm not eating it!
• what spices are on this?
• eww...i can taste (insert here)

It drives me mad! I hate when I cook something I know one or the other won't like, but I also hate eating chicken or steak with mashed potatos every night. Oh wait....they both agree on burgers and fries too. (Not turkey burgers...I hate turkey! What is bison? What did you mix in the burger? What kind cheese did you use?---they still can't be happy!)

So I have a couple of choices:

1. Make their same old thing every night and cook something decent for myself.
2. Make it and they'll eat it or be hungry.
3. Make them cook and be done with it.

But these choice won't work because:

1. I refuse to make two meals.
2. I can't buy enough peanut butter and ramen and then the dinner I made is wasted.
3. Well since I don't work I feel like I should cook and the guilt complex kicks in.

So I'm asking....what would YOU do in my shoes? I want them to eat the things I work so hard to prepare and that are healthy and decent and aren't burgers or pizza every night. But when they don't my feelings are hurt and I begin to hate being in the kitchen, which is a crying shame because I have all sorts of fancy and neat kitchen gadgets.

PRESSING ISSUE: Cleaning out childhood items

I'm not usually a weekend poster (rarely a poster sometimes it seems!) but I would love some feedback and conversation about this topic from y'all!

I'm cleaning out my childhood trunk of items. Mr. Bella built me a trunk when we were dating and I filled it with several of my childhood memories and goodies. It's huge at 4.5x2.5.x2.5 (in feet), and it's also full! It's not even everything. My trophies, tiaras, and cheerleading poms poms are all still at my childhood home, among several other things. It's doubtful I'll ever see these items again since my mother/uterus donor makes Joan Crawford look like Carol Brady.

Anyway, items I have are cheerleading uniforms, cap and gowns from high school and college, class pictures, ribbons, certificates, plaques, baby blankets, tons of sorority items, etc. Most of these I'm sorting in boxes by category for storage in the garage (our attic sucks!). But about half of the items need to go!

I'm of course keeping uniforms, caps and gowns, pictures, yearbooks, competition programs, etc. I have thrown away my seventh grade "published" book (it was a class project), several middle school writing projects (seriously? I still have have these?), love letters (hahahahahaha! They gave me one last chuckle), and duplicate items that I had for keepsakes.

I'm on the fence about several things such as the millennium edition Barbie that was a graduation gift. It's still in the box. I don't think it's worth anything but I really don't care to keep it. The givers are very dear to me but they'll never know and probably forgot they gifted the item anyway. I also have doilie type furniture toppers in pink and green/white that my grandma crocheted. Do I keep these? I'll never use them again! I have my childhood strawberry shortcake sheet set. I also have the blanket but it's at childhood home and should be trashed if aforementioned "mother" hasn't done so already.

I also have a plethora of stuffed animals. A plush eeyore that was signed by friends upon graduation, a personalized eeyore in cap and gown for high school graduation (backstory: eeyore was my first stuffed animal and from my hero: my pappy! I carried it everywhere and he still exists today although he looks a bit rough and is held up by a doll stand. Anyway, my first stuffed animal turned childhood love set me up for YEARS of gifts of eeyore items.) I have a few of my sorority mascot stuffed animals, I have a bunny from my grandparents that I loved. It was an Easter gift and said grandparents have passed. I also have my original Mickey and Minnie from my first trip to Disney World so many moons ago. I'm unsure of these items because they are so big and I'm afraid of them being ruined if stored improperly. I also have a childhood Alf and Spud McKenzie (hey--I live in the South) they are at said childhood home and I'll probably never see again.

I have a handful of pictures and such drawn for me by children I loved over the years. What to do with those? A handful of trinkets from BB when he was a little tyke, which I'll probably keep. They fit in a gallon sandwich bag. I have a slew of picture frames that are cute and were great in my single girl apartment and would look cute in a kids room one day, but that day is far away so I think I should move past them now.

I started the project yesterday by sorting and doing an initial toss pile and maybe pile. I'm working this morning and finishing up soon so Mr. Bella can demo the wall in the "nook" of the den and make me a built in space for my studio.

So tell me! Where is your childhood/high school/college memorabilia? What did you keep? What did you toss? Where are the keep items? What do you think are important item and how did you store them?

Send your family and friends over to weigh in on the subject! I'd love to collect lots of thoughts!

Whew!

Y'all....I'm so worn out lately! Brother Bella is back to school and getting in the swing of everything has nearly exhausted me. However I now have seven whole hours to myself during the day to which I can repaint/redecorate/rearrage/repurpose to my hearts content.

Well that isn't exactly true, you see, Mr. Bella most always comes home for lunch so therefore I have small three or four hour increments in which to finish/hide/clean-up after a project in order to keep my madness on the downlow until it's finished. Definately a challenge I'm willing to work through.

Good advice

Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you!--Elsie de Wolfe

Bummer

School started back today but it was only a half day. Geesh I'm already tired! I couldn't do high school again. Or college! All of the college students arrived in town last weekend and holy cow Target is wiped out!

So onto the point of the bummer blog title:

BB went to the lake with some friends after school. He was there for about two hours before coming home because we had ticket to our local minor league baseball team. He got gas on his way to the lake and put his wallet in his center console. He cracked his windows and locked his doors at the lake. He's close to the car but around the bend where it can't be seen. When he and his friends went back to their cars his window was all the way down. He opened the door his glove box and conole were open and his wallet was lying in the front seat.

UGH! Some punk ass bastard forced his window down and found his wallet. They stole $45 of his hard earned babysitting money from last weekend and a $25 gas gift card he'd received for his birthday. Seventy dollars is a lot to me so you can imagine what it is to a sixteen year old kid! Fortunately they didn't take my debit card (I'd given it to him to pick up school supplies that afternoon) or a few other gift cards he had. They apparently didn't go thru the whole wallet, just found the cash and the gas card was with it. At least that didn't take the whole thing and have his ID and such. Also fortunately was that they didn't steal his new Oakley sunglasses he'd bought with some birthday money. They were beneath his ball cap in the floorboard and I suppose after finding the wallet the punk ass bastards felt no need to look under there. However I'm surprised they didn't take the cap because it WAS pricy and the could have sold it I guess.

Ugh! Anway...

I was so sad for him. But what do you do? He didn't do anything wrong. How often do people put their purse under a coat or wallet under a seat? He didn't even do when he arrived, he'd done it far away at the gas station.

I want to give him the money back but I feel that's not helpful. I don't think he needs to be taught a lesson since he didn't do anything wrong, but maybe this will make him more honest and trustworthy. Maybe it will be moral building. Not that I think he's going to steal anything but in the event he would find a wallet or something.....

UGH! I just feel so bad for him. People suck sometimes and I hope karma is hot on the tail of the/those punk ass bastard(s).

GRRR!

I spent the afternoon at the lake with fried chicken and margaritas. It was the great makings for a new Kenny Chesney song.

Then the lake went and ate my sunglasses. My brand new sunglasses I bought last week when we were out of town because they were so fabulous and on sale and definately not because I needed sunglasses.

Dangit Lake! Dangit!

Good thing the margarita was around to console me.

And now Bex is on a quest to find the same pair for me since a similar store is near her house. What a friend!

Bella Barometer

FEELING: pissy and frustrated

READING: does she or doesn't she

LISTENING TO: beer in mexico, kenny chesney

EATING: chips and salsa

DRINKING: margarita

(seeing a theme here?)

WANTING: to find a car already

SHOPPING: for a new purse and contact lenses

NEEDING: a massage for my achy back

TO DO: fold laundry, paint nails, shower

THINKING: i need a maid

WASTING TIME: watching TLC shows

Hideee Ho!

Well lookie who it is making an appearance on her own blog? Fancy me showing up here. Let me catch you up in bullets, then I'm out to visit family and the mountains for the rest of the week.

• My brown polka dot J. Crew flip flops are on their last flop. This is precisely why I don't pay full price for anything! Had I paid $40 at J. Crew and worn them a season I'd have been a bit terse! But I got them (new with tags might I ad) for $3 at a garage sale.
• We are not moving. I'm neither happy nor sad really. We did find a great house in a great neighborhood that was on the river with it's own pool, playground, tennis and basketball courts, and walking trails....but we do love our little home here. It kinda sucks for Mr. B, but we know something else will work out. And when BB graduates in two years we'll probably for sure hit the road to new city.
• Speaking of BB....we bought him a Jeep Cherokee. His birthday is tomorrow and he'll be sixteen. FREEDOM! Errr...for me, not him. I'm no longer a taxi. Oh I kid, kinda. Truthfully I think I might miss driving him around just a little bit. He'd often talk to me then. Anyway, he has a sweet new ride.
• Speaking of sweet new rides, I won't be getting my ML320 last week as I would have if we did move. Instead it will be another 6 months to a year. I can hold out. Really I can.
• Especially since Mr. B has a bee in his bonnet over a Tahoe or Yukon. Geesh....I'll be driving my little silver bullet sporty coupe forever! I guess we all have the car bug.
• I got a job offer for a full time nanny. These people are paying bank I tell you! Seriously, it's nearly my corporate salary once taxes were taken out. The thing is, I don't want to work full time. I love taking care of babies (he's 6 weeks old) and it's not really a "job" to me but I need my time now that I'm so used to it. I think I'll do it part time though. We're hammering out details.
• I got a manicure last weekend and chose Linkin Park after Dark for my nails. It was totally the trend five minutes ago to do dark short nails. It's a dark eggplant-ish purple but looks rather black. I actually kind of like it. It seems fun and sassy. It's very different for this french manicure girl.
• I found a new grill for Mr. Bella. It's the Chargriller and it's half charcoal (he loves charcoal) and half gas, and also smokes. Oh Yum Yum YUM how tasty are the things on it.
• I'm nearly finished with the Southern Belle Society magazine. Praise the Lord! I'll be taking a mental health day with a massage and margarita when it goes to print.
• My shop just negotiated it's second brick and mortar contract!! I'm in two shops. Yippieeee!
• Hmmm....while compiling this post in my head on my way home from Sonic Happy Hour (I'm a regular...I need help!) I felt there was so much more to share. Apparently not.

See y'all on my return next week!

An Extra $100

If I had an extra $100 today:

• $15 purse at Target
• $35 monogrammed cutting board with monogrammed spreader
• $30 three tiered serving stand
• $15 Hanky Panky undies
• $5 a few new songs at iTunes

What would YOU do with an extra $100 today?

The Day

Today is the day my friends! Mr. Bella has his big interview!

Back up: he didn't get the raise he hoped for last week. It sucks because the review was glowing but they are giving very small raises yada yada.....but consoled him with the fact he got more than most people because he is amazing. Bite me! Anyway, he was going to this interview regardless but now he really wants is.

Forward: so he's on his way on the three hour, different time zone trek to wow them as I know he will. I think he has a great shot because he has what no other candidate has had: southern charm. I'm not kidding! Other candidates have been qualifed but nixed when they didn't know the southern culture or just were not likeable. And if there is one thing Mr. Bella is it's southern and likeable!

Just in case we've been looking at real estate. And schools. Oh poor little BB having to change schools (again!) and in his junior year. We are considering a few private options as well just because he may be able to find a niche better. We've not discussed this with him but when he first moved in he was interested in private schools but the public HS in our area worked out better.

So moving pros: closer to Reese and Mr. Reese, same distance from Cici and Mr. Cici, a larger city, STILL in the south (PRAISE THE LORD!), a larger airport for trips or visitors, a fab city that has a lot to offer a young and growing family, perhaps more opportunities for me to work again in case hell does freeze over and I decide to get a job.

Moving cons: BB moving schools. This is a TOTAL suck for me! Poor kid. He's been dealt a crappy hand in his life and it's so unfair. What a precious kid and kind soul he is. I just hope if we do move it doesn't screw him up! Others: I have a great network of friends I'm leaving, I have a customer base for my monogramming business although I do a lot online and can rebuild in the new area, I love our little house and it stresses me to sell a house right now, sometimes changes make me want to vomit!

Hopefully Mr. B will have a feeling one way or another about the situation when he leaves the tomorrow. He's also going to request a quick response since we have a kid and school changes involved and would need to be settled in a month. It's apparently a small family-like company and I think they'll totally understand on that one.

So please say a little prayer for Mr. Bella and our little family! I'm anxious to see what might await us!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Mr. Bella has his annual review today. He's been with company for four years and they've paid for his MBA. They also pay peanuts in salary. He's worth a good 50% more than what he makes. That said it IS a fantastic company to work for. That ALSO said Mama has no plans of working (Mr. B agrees!) and misses her old lifestyle of two incomes and has twinklings in her eyes of babies.

So Mr. Bella is going in there with his kick-ass boots on and plans to kick ass! He's going to outright ask for the 50% in hopes that he'll get 25%. If he does he'll be very happy and YEA for us all to stay put in our cute little home in our familiar little town.

If he doesn't, the Bellas are moving. In fact, Mr. Bella already has an interview set up Monday in another town, er...make that another time zone*. It would pay 80% more (HOT DAY-UM!) and make him a Jr. Officer in the company.

We'd planned on moving at this time in our life just because we could. Then the economy went down the toilet and we got a bouncing baby Brother Bella! Which is the reason I hate the move the most. The kid already changed high schools from his freshman to sophomore year (when he moved in with us) and now he'd change again. That would totally blow chunks! I HATE to do that to him.

But it's a part of life, right? I mean we have to do what's best for the entire family and if that means Mr. Bella's career, then well, that's what it means I'm afraid.

So if you could be so kind as to say a little prayer for Mr. Bella today that would be great! Specifically pray that he get the raise amount that he asks for (even better if they offer without his asking!) We'd love to have the option to stay put and keep our little family right where it is for the next two years!

*Still in the South y'all! Believe me I couldn't survive anywhere above Cincinnati and that's a stretch!

So what if I....

• sometimes eat ice cream out of the carton when no one is looking
• sometime like to throw things in the closet to not look at them and deal with it at that moment
• dust my house and put out new reed diffusers when I know I'm having guests (like, um, tomorrow!)
• oh and sweep the crud under the rug (well I actually did sweep, vac, and mop this afternoon!)
• wish I could afford the calories to drink wine everyday
• like for things to be done my way...which just happens to be the right way
• work really hard a few hours of the day to tell Mr. Bella the whole list of things I've accomplished but leave out the stack of magazines that I read the rest of the day
• have great intentions of actually making my college scrapbook but never eem to actually um, make it!
• wish I had a maid service
• like to watch reruns of The Golden Girls
• indulge myself in 90's music all day on my ipod
• garden avidly, but badly
• constantly plan how I'm going to redecorate my house and what project I can con out of my husband next
• visit Sonic way too often for happy hour....as in 5 of 7 days

Just a thought

Dear Mr. Bella and Brother Bella,

If you clean up after yourselves and quit leaving crumbs all over the counter and floor, the damned ants just might go away! But until then you're making our kitchen they're own personal all-night-buffet!

Love,

Bella

Blessings

"I always wondered why blessings wore disguises. If I were a blessing I'd run around naked!"

--Estelle Getty as Sophia in The Golden Girls

A far reach at a celebrity sighting

This is really such a horrible story and such a grasping at straws celebrity sighting that I'm just going to tell you to stop reading right now!

But if you're still here, here it is.

I love to watch the Duggar family. Seriuosly, they NEVER get old to me. Their show and The Golden Girls are the only shows that I can watch in reruns forever and ever and ever.....

That said, the Duggars often have their friends, the Bates appear with them when they visit. The Bates live near MyTown. I've often thought I should go kick back at their Wal-Hell because I'm bound to see them there in their itty bitty town. But then I remember I hate the Wal-Hell and well driving out there to catch a glimpse would be quite stalker-y and it's not like I'd actually speak to them.

Moving on. I was at Target today on the way far end of MyTown and not my usual Target. I walked in a and a gal caught my eye that was checking out.

Stop.

Look again.

Look away.

Borderline stare.

IT WAS! It as Mama Bates! I mean I knew it was but then I hid in the one spot (aka junk!) section of the store and looked more whaddaya know it was her! It was the long wavy hair, minimal make-up, long dress, knocked-up.....Mama Bates!

She was there with a gal about her age and was only leaving with one bag and a pillow thingy and I thought WOW! Out of the house and an hour away with no kids! Rock on Mama Bates!

So I watched her leave and called Mr. Bella at work to tell him of my not really at all a celeb sighting but wow isn't this kinda cool sighthing.

I think he'd prefer me to not call him at work with future Target sightings.

Capable

Do any of you ever have similar conversations?

Him: The stove has something dried on it.
Her: Then clean it off.

Him: The Dr. Pepper is in the way of the electric skillet.
Her: Then move it.

Him: I can't find my jacket.
Her: It's in the closet.
Him: I didn't hang it up.
Her: I know.

Him: All the steak knives are dirty.
Her: Wash them.

Him: There's something sticky on the floor.
Her: Clean it up.

Him: The dog kinda smells.
Her: Then bathe him.

Him: Turkey burgers again?
Her: No, you're cooking dinner.

Him: I can't find my such and such shirt.
Her: It's dirty.
Him: Oh....are you going to wash it?
Her: No, you are now.

Anyone? Anyone?

Swimsuits

I spend a few days a week at the pool (poor, pitiful, me, I know!) and therefore do a fair amount of people watching. In addition I spent a week at the beach last month which also provided great entertainment on swimsuits.

First of all the beach I visisted, Hilton Head Island, is known for being a bit classy and upscale as opposed to some of the more trashier noted beaches such as Daytona, Panama City, and Myrtle. Now don't get your panties in a wad....I don't care if you visit these beaches, I've been to all of them multiple times. The point is there are very different people at them.

Moving on....swimsuits.

Wow! Some of the people in their swimsuits. At HHI I saw a grandmother, she was 60 if she was a day, in a string bikini bottom that had peace signs all over it.

There are SO many things wrong with this picture. First of all no matter how thin you are string bikinis have a season and it's over before you're thirty! Second, grandma? Peace Signs? That season should be over by college graduation.

I've seen a handful of wrinkly old ladies in the teeniest, tiniest string bikinis and frankly it's gross! It's not that all the women are chubby or anything, but that style of suit just isn't attractive on their body. A more appropriate two piece would be much more attractive.

Second, teens and their swimsuits blow my mind! First of all my teenage daughter will not be wearing a string bikini appropriate for a two dollar hooker! These girls are cute and thin but why on earth can't they wear more than a postage stamp on their bums? Furthermore, how about those teens who are trying to be slutty but are actually a bit too chubby to wear such things. One gal in particular I'm thinking of would look very cute in a two piece with wider sides and a halter neck with actual straps. What is wrong with a more modest two piece that still shows skin but doesn't say cheap?

Third, let's talk about children and swimsuits! Little girls wearing string bikinis? NO WAY! Are our children not sexualized enough? We have to put elementary aged children in the smallest amount of fabric we can? Personally I think I'll make my children wear tankinis, they're cute, they're modest, and they're more appropriate for a child playing in water.

Lastly let me give swimsuit shoppers a bit of advice: just because you can get it on doesn't mean that it fits!

Can I get an Amen?