Went to Arlington to bet on the horses July 4th.  I didn't win a dime but I had fun trying!  I had never gone to the track on the 4th before but it was pretty crowded.  Lots of families which was neat to see.

What was especially cool is one of P's friends was playing at the track in between races.  Love him.  Very talented.  I miss seeing live music.  It's been awhile. I  find that one of the times I'm at my happiest is when I see musicians preform.  It can be a huge concert or an open mic,  I don't care, I just need to surround myself with it. 

Back to the grind tomorrow.  This week is going to be especially brutal because one of my co-workers in on vacation and we're supposed to be getting slammed with a huge fleet that's coming back (meaning: a ton of trailers/trucks are getting repo'd).  I just remembered I'm totally by myself tomorrow too.  Oy!  Might need a diet coke i.v. drip for this.  :)

Urban Outfitters strikes again.
Is it me or does this stuff look like it's straight out of a garage sale or somethin'?
The worst part?  It's not cheap! 

A few weekends ago Paul and I went to Franklin, PA for one of Zac's races.  We left on friday afternoon and made it up there at a pretty decent time that night.  Not a bad drive.  I can't say it enough how much I love road trips.  They are so much fun!

The race was supposed to happen on saturday but it rained like crazy friday night and off and on on saturday so they postponed it to sunday.  A dirt track + rain = me buying a pair of cute lil' pink boots.  I wore them the rest of the time.  Got them from a store called Tractor something or other...um yeah.

Since the race was delayed, we went into town saturday.  Very pretty. 

Zac & Paul bein' goofy.  In the Tractor store.  lol

Saturday night.  Zac built a waterballoon cannon thing out of PVC pipe.  Pretty impressive.  They had quite the croud watching...

The coach and trailer.  Zac, his Dad and Granny (Zac's Grandmother) were kind enough to let us stay with them in the coach that weekend.  It's awesome! 

Zac in action on Sunday.  Finally he got to race!

Lil' Bethany's Designs sticker on his helmet.  I'm a sponsor now.  :)


Me.  Saturday maybe?  I dunno.  I am never in any of the shots cuz I'm always the one taking the pictures. 
PA sky. 
I love PA. 

The drive home was a bit long.  Think we got home around 3:30am Sunday night.  We actually stopped at a rest stop somewhere in IN at one point and took a nap for an hour or so.  Totally exhausted. 

All in all, it was a fun trip. 

Consignment for The Makery

Consignment for Renegade Handmade
All in all it came out to 70 items total that I made, wrote up and packaged.  Whew!

Necklaces

Pushpins

More pushpins ;)

I also got these in the mail yesterday.  Vintage fabrics.  YEY!   Of course I'm not a fan of all the patterns but there are quite a few that I LOVE!


So, that's what took up a lot of my weekend.  Lots and lots of jewelry stuff.

I managed to make some new items which will be put into my Etsy shop this week.  I already added a couple.  :)  It's fun to get back to the swing of things again.

Non jewelry related, I watched "He's Just Not that Into You".  Totally shouldn't have.

Okay, so this is old news but I was hoping this wasn't true but T.R. Knight (George on Grey's Anatomy) released this statement the other day....

He says: "Leaving Grey's Anatomy was not an easy decision for me to make. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to play this character and will miss my fellow cast and crew very much. I continue to wish them the very best, and wholeheartedly thank all of the fans who have supported me and the show with such passion and enthusiasm."

I loved George.  =(

I am so incredibly far behind with my posts.  I got back last night (at 3am no less) from PA but I still haven't written about my time in the Dells. 
So, let me back track.

Friday morning my sister and I got up at the crack of dawn and headed out for our 3rd annual Dells trip.  Once we got there our first stop, like always, was Paul Bunyan's for breakfast.  YUM!  I love everything they serve but secretly my obsession really is their donuts.  I can't get enough of them. 
After breakfast, we swung by our hotel and picked up our free tickets to Noah's Ark. 
We spent the rest of the day splashin' around in the wave pool, riding the lazy rivers and going on some water slides.  We also went down a couple obstacle course type things but I won't go into that for fear that my sister might hurt me if I share what happened there.  lol.  All I'll say is that she almost made me pee my pants because i was laughing so hard watching her. 

Just like every other year, I again managed to get burnt on the first day.  Around 3:30 or so I realized that I was starting to hurt and Kim noticed that I was rapidly turning into a lobster so we went back to the hotel.

That night we went out and had a great time.  Good music, beers flowing and lots of laughter.  I did feel kinda old though when this song came on and everyone started dancing to it, kinda like the electric slide but a modern version.  Kim went out there and danced and I sat there tryin' to learn the steps.  lol.  Next year I'm all about it.  :)

Saturday was kind of a low-key morning/afternoon because I was burnt to all hell.  Kim went out to the pool for awhile and I stayed inside our room.  Later that afternoon we went out to town and hung out.

Saturday night we hit up the casino nearby and played Bingo.  Oh good Lord, did we not have any clue what we were getting ourselves into.  Neither one of us had ever played before and when we walked into the Bingo hall or whatever you call it, we were both at a loss.  This wasn't regular Bingo and these people certainly weren't regular people.  They were hardcore Bingo players.  They had trinkets and good lunch charms spread out in front of them, some people even had pictures of their grandchildren and children.  It was whacked out. 
We were totally clueless on how to play these games (they weren't normal) but towards the end of the night we got the hang out it and totally ended up having a blast.
After Bingo I of course hit up some slot machines and totally lost.  lol

After the casino, I had the bright idea to check out this carnival.  We had both drank a lot of beverages and hadn't eaten real well but we figured we'd at least ride the Tilt-a-whirl.  Um yeah, not a good idea.  The carnie was crazy and I swear to God he turned the ride on full tilt because I have never in my life ridden a Tilt-a-Whirl like that.  Ya know the point on that ride where it goes and whips ya around real fast?  And how that only happens every once in awhile?  Well, imagine that feeling THE ENTIRE RIDE.  And the dude kept us out there for a long @ss time too.  Damn carnie.
Needless to say, both of us got off that damn thing and we were hurtin'.  I could hardly see straight, Kim felt like she pulled somethin' in her neck and we were both feeling like we were going to hurl.  We were sick the rest of the night and even into the middle of the next day.
Not good, Son.


Before we knew it, our trip had ended and it was time to come home.
I have to say, out of the past three trips, this one was the best.
I can't wait till next year!

I should probably be sleeping right now.  Oh well.
Leaving for PA tomorrow.  I'm excited.  Something about road trips seem to rejuvenate me. 

Got my 3rd set of Invisalign trays today.  In some serious pain but I know, like always, this will subside in a day or two.

Lots of stuffs on my mind lately.  Feeling really weird about certain things.  I'm hoping the long weekend I have coming up (I don't go back to work till Tuesday) will help me work through some of this.

I realize that I need to post about my fab-u-lous trip to the Dells last weekend.  We had an absolute blast.  I'll probably do that when I get back.  :)

In other news, I'm now contemplating not only applying to Renegade but the DIY Trunk Show.  This was the one I was in back in 2007 but got denied for in 2008.  I'd love nothing more than to dive back into my jewelry full force again.
I just ordered a ton of jewelry supplies that I needed to re-stock on and I ordered a ton of vintage fabrics.  I can't wait to get them and get back to work! 
I've been feeling the creative juices again but my stock has been so low that I've had to conserve what I have for things that sell.  Not anymore!  Yey!!!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Kimberly & I circa 2007

Tomorrow morning, at 4:30am no less, my sister and I are leaving for our annual Wisconsin Dells trip. 
I'm super excited to get away and spend time with her.
Waterparks, shopping, bars, a trip to the casino, lots of laughing, sisterly bonding and other fun stuff. 
Can't wait!!!!!

My work no longer has the firewall up for LiveJournal.

First.
Time.
EVER!


*Of course, I can only view my own journal.  I can't view my friends.  Darn.*

First things first, I know my opinion is biased, but in regards to the new DMB album, it is AMAZING and I highly recommend it.  I'm not just saying that because I'm such a devoted fan, it's seriously fantastic.  It's got alittle bit of everything, which I love.  Some funk, some rock and of course some ballads.  You can tell on this album that their sound has evolved.  They sound fuller.  If you're expecting the usual DMB stuff this cd isn't it that.  It's more aggressive, funkier, heavier.  A lot of Dave's lyrics seem (to me at least) like he's struggling with the state of the world...with death...war...etc.  I dig it. 
I especially love that the album starts and ends with LeRoi solos.  Thankfully he was able to play on some of the album before he passed away.  They brought in Bela Fleck's saxophonist to finish it out...I think he's touring with them also.
Anyway...
 I've basically shut off the rest of the music world ever since I got it on Tuesday.  It's been on repeat at work and at home.  The only place I don't listen to it is in the car and that's only because Sirius has an all DMB channel this week.  ha!
My favorite song (at the moment) is "You and Me".  The song I posted the lyrics to a few days ago.  I first heard it as I was driving home from work on Monday.  They played in on Sirius and I know this is going to sound lame but I actually teared up.  There's something about the guitar part....and the lyrics.  Man oh man, they get to me.  They still do... It's been days and it still has that tear your heart out feeling for me.  The lyrics made me think of two things.  First, it made me think of Sam and her husband and their 3 kids.  I immediately thought of them and how I knew them both separately and then watched as they dated, got married and then went through everything they did to get to where they are now with the triplets.  Sam holds a special place in my heart, she's one of my closest friends and she was one of the first ones in my life that I got to watch settle down and start a family.  I just feel like this song is so relative to her.  To her and her family.  It's sweet...and makes me smile.  Secondly, the song makes me think about my life.
I may not have all the anwsers and I may not go about things the right way but I have faith and I'm hopeful.   I've had moments of happiness like what Dave sings about.  I've felt like anything was possible and that no matter how small or irrelevant, everything in life was more exciting because this person was by my side. Someone who pushes me to be better and who shows me things I would have never seen before.

Wanna pack your bags, Something small
Take what you need and we disappear
Without a trace we'll be gone, gone
The moon and the stars can follow the car
and then when we get to the ocean
We gonna take a boat to the end of the world
All the way to the end of the world

Oh, and when the kids are old enough
We gonna teach them to fly

You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yes, yes

You and I, we're not tied to the ground
Not falling but rising like rolling around
Eyes closed above the rooftops
Eyes closed, we're gonna spin through the stars
Our arms wide as the sky
We gonna ride the blue all the way to the end of the world
To the end of the world

Oh, and when the kids are old enough
We gonna teach them to fly

You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yes, yes

We can always look back at what we did
All these memories of you and me baby
But right now it's you and me forever girl
And you know we could do better than anything that we did
You know that you and me, we could do anything

You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yeah, yeah
To of us together, we could do anything, baby
You and me together yeah, yeah
To of us together yeah, yeah
To of us together, we could do anything, baby

To reach the end of the world

What a gorgeous day it was today!
I took a little break and snapped this in between packaging orders, working on consignment stuff and uploading new items onto Etsy.  I had to enjoy some of this nice weather! 

(side note: I'm onto my 3rd set of Invisalign.  Got them on Friday and almost cried when they got put on.  Um, OW!  Thankfully each day since has gotten easier.  :)

Hope everyone has a great start to the week!

My first DMB concert was in 1994.
15 years ago.
Wow...
Found out that I'll be going again this summer and I'll be sitting closer than I ever have before.  2ND ROW! 

I can't explain why I love this band so much.   
I just do.
Always have and I'm sure I always will.

Their new cd comes out on Tuesday and I've managed to only hear one of the tracks so far.  I could listen to it on my home computer on Pandora but for some reason I figure at this point I'll wait it out and let it be a surprise. 
Needless to say I'll be sprinting home from work to get to my mailbox that day.  =)

Applications are up.
Do I apply or do I not?
That is the question...

I have been absolutely horrible at updating lately. I apologize. The days have been flying by...I can't believe it's almost June already.   This weekend is no different.  I feel like I've been running around since I got off work yesterday.  Errands, appointments, cleaning, shopping, more cleaning... I did get to spend time with Jamie for her birthday and also snuck in a visit with Sam and the triplets though. (oh my gosh they are getting so big!) 

 It's nice to finally sit down and relax on the couch.  :) 

Here's a quick picture post of my trip to good ol' KY last weekend.

Zac and Paul working on the quads. 

Zac mid-air.  We went to watch him practice one day.  It's so hard to take decent pics while he's riding because he zooms by so darn fast.  lol. 

Dirty Feet.  Typical track style.

I don't know why but I really like this shot of Paul. 

The infamous hill.  I went down this in Zac's jeep.  The picture totally does not do it justice because the thing was more like a cliff.  The edge was so steep that before we went down we were teetering...the front two tires were hanging off the edge.  It was the scariest thing I've ever done in my life but also the funnest.  Sooo glad I did it.  Would I do it again?  Hell no.  lol
For those who are wondering why we did this, yeah, I don't really have a good reason behind it.  Because it was a crazy thing to do and that's how those boys are.  Riding down a hill in a jeep,  fireworks, shooting eachother with BB guns....that was my weekend in a nutshell.  I loved it.  =)

I had a really good time down there.  Man, it's like a different world in KY even though it's not that far away.  For example, people are a lot friendlier than people here in Chicago.  It was neat to get away from the fast paced city atmosphere...  I really like it down there, except they are like a month ahead of us weather wise...oh good Lord the bugs and humidity!  I was not prepared for that! 



Oh, and I'm totally in love with sweet tea now.  lol
I've been craving it ever since we got back. 



I have a few more fun weekends coming up in June.  The annual Dells trip with my sister =) and later in the month one of Zac's races in PA.  Can't wait!

In good ol Henderson, KY still. Having a blast and enjoying the long weekend.
Back on the road again tomorrow.
Hope everyone's having a good weekend.
Long post and pics to come!

Sorry I've been MIA lately.  This is the first time I've been online in a few days.  I've come home every night this week and have just felt so drained....

Thank God tomorrow is Friday.
This week has seriously almost put me over the edge.

Usual flex day tomorrow, leaving at 11am and then I'm getting my hair done (which I desperately need) at 12:15. 
Around 2ish Paul and I are headed to KY for the long weekend.  ROAD TRIP! 

I'm excited.
Excited to get away and excited to be off of work for a few days....

I hope everyone has a nice Memorial Day weekend!

PS-It's like summer here in Chicago!  I LOVE IT!

In the midst of all the work and moving hooplah there's been some other things going on that I haven't really talked about but I'm soooo excited to say that someone is flying in tomorrow night from Atlanta that I cannot wait to see. =)

Wow, how time flies and so much can change.


****edit-people keep asking me if things between P and I are okay because of this post and I probably should have worded it better.  Things are fine.  What I meant by things can change is that a year ago he was visiting and now we're living together.