Wish List Wednesday!

Happy Wish List Wednesday, y'all! (I think blogging makes me a wanna-be southerner)!

 

Miss Rebecca Reid is hosting a Wish List Wednesday linky party on her blog, Line upon Line Learning, so I thought I might as well jump on the linky bandwagon and give it a try. :-)


I'm feeling a bit funny about writing a wish list right now, because I should be creating a list of everything I am grateful for instead.  Oh well, Christmas is right around the corner, and with that comes BLACK FRIDAY, CYBER MONDAY, shopping 'til you're dropping, and holiday wish lists!  That also means something to TpTers...A SALE!  I am excited to finally announce TpT will be hosting a sale on Monday, December 2nd and Tuesday, December 3rd!  All products made by A Chocolate Dudley will be on sale for a total of 28% off, including my newest product, Help Wanted at the North Pole! I must must MUST do a separate blog post about this Creative Writing Letter of Interest Project & Craftivity ASAP!   (Just an FYI to buyers, you will see my store's sale price set as 20% off, but upon entering the promo code, CYBER, your discount will be increased to 28%).

Now that the big TpT sale is coming up, there are a few (okay, many) products I'd like to go ahead and purchase.  Check out my TpT and Christmas Wish List below.  I'll try to control myself and be reasonable. :)

1. Game Boards Galore by Krista Wallden- I'd love to start making boardgames for math fact practice!

2. Money Digital Stamps Set by Ginger Snaps Clip Art- Isn't her style too cute? I just KNOW I'll need this soon!

3. 3rd Grade Common Core Writing Rubrics by Katie Leseman- I may not need these at the moment, but I'd sure love to have them in the future!  They look easy to use and very detailed.  Great idea!

4. Britt Trapper Minnetonka Moccasins- I am in desperate need of some new slippers as mine are dirty, falling apart, and now have kitchen paint splattered across them.  I love this pair of cinnamon moccasins at Famous Footwear, but have seen a similar style by Minnetonka in a sparkly charcoal color at Macy's that are also cute.  

5. Wool Blend Toggle Sweater Jacket by The Loft- I tried this on the other night, when I was supposed to be Christmas shopping for other people...oops!  It felt incredibly warm, which is exactly what I NEED! Mom, I think I am an XS...hehehe.

6. This one is a biggie.  A new LAPTOP & PRINTER- I don't have pictures this time, because I'm not exactly sure which brands & models I'd like to go for.  My laptop is falling apart, literally.  A couple weeks ago, the plastic piece above the function keys started to pop up because the screws holding it in place are completely worn out.  Now, each time I tilt my screen, the plastic pops up and down. Aside from that, my computer has been slower than ever.  Especially PowerPoint, which is the program I mainly use nowadays as I'm creating TpT products.  My computer constantly overheats, and always shuts down a few minutes into any sort of video.  The keyboard mouse no longer works, and the battery is completely dead, so my laptop must always be plugged in.  The power cord is fraying, and I honestly am afraid it will set fire to my computer, even though Sam insists it could never produce enough heat.  As far as my printer goes, the print quality has decreased drastically over the MANY years I have owned it.  Both pieces have lasted quite a while, and I am thankful they have held up for so long! Thanks for letting me vent about my technology issues.

7.  My biggest wish of all is for my family, friends, and all of their loved ones to have a safe, healthy, and happy 2014.  I love you all so much!

Now, Fabulous Friends, Family & Followers, what is on YOUR WISH LIST this year? 

Happy Beginning of the Holiday Season, everyone!  Enjoy your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping!

XO <3, C

 

I'm Still Alive!

Hey everyone,

I've been wanting to post something new for a while now, but miraculously I been SO BUSY!  It's hard to imagine how busy I am considering I'm not working full time, but there hasn't been a dull moment around here in a while!  There is too much going on to explain everything in full detail, so instead I'd like to make a list to recap the past month:

-I have been subbing a fair amount.  Usually 2-3 times a week.  I typically go to the same PK-2nd grade school, and I am really loving it there.  I feel like I've been there enough to now feel comfortable in the building and with knowing my way around.  Most of the children recognize me, know my name (or some version of it, hehe), and say hi to me when passing by.  I have learned many teachers' names, where their classrooms are, and some of the routines and procedures of the school.  I am starting to feeling at home there, and I am incredibly thankful for that!

-A few weeks ago, I hosted a Stella & Dot trunk show party.  I was a bit apprehensive about this because I didn't want any of my invitees to feel they were being conned into purchasing jewelry.  I thought the party would be something to look forward to and keep me busy since about a month ago I was feeling bored and lonely. 

I'd say the party was a success!  A small group of friends attended, and it was nice to have a relaxing "Girls Night In" filled with yummy appetizers, a wine cocktail, and fabulous jewelry!  The S&D stylist who attended the party is super nice, and because of her, I am now thinking about joining her team and becoming a stylist  myself.  If all goes as planned, I would consider registering and hopefully hosting my own trunk shows this spring after returning from California.  Hopefully, my very good friend, K, and I will find a way to embark on the S&D endeavor together, although we're not sure it is possible to sign  up as a twosome.  Wish us luck, and let us know if you want to host a trunk show!  We need some very kind and thoughtful friends and family members to help us launch our "store"...hint..hint.. ;-)

a. Bardot Hoop Earrings, b. Eden Bangle, c. Janie Flower Studs, d. Garden Party Chandelier Earrings

Above you will see my Stella & Dot purchases.  Well, I guess they aren't technically considered purchases because I received them for free thanks to all of the points I earned from my friends' purchases!  Thank you, friends!  I did receive a couple other pieces for free as well, but those ones are gifts for certain special people. :)

-The night of my jewelry party I decided we absolutely MUST paint out kitchen.  The house was almost immaculate at that point.  Every room had been dusted, vacuumed, scrubbed, and organized for the trunk show, and less than 12 hours later, the whole house was torn apart.  Yup, the following day Sam agreed to my idea, and we started knocking down beams and tearing bead-board down! I have to admit, the demolition phase was the best part!

Since then, we have been busily at work, in a complete rush to finish the job since we are hosting Thanksgiving in 2 days! EEEEk!  Luckily, we FINALLY completed our 2nd coat of paint on the walls last night, and boy, do I feel RELIEVED!  If anyone saw my Facebook status the other night, you know how incredibly overwhelmed and frustrated I was!  I plan on doing another blog post soon once all of the final details are complete, so you can see our kitchen's transformation.  Until then, the only other piece of info I'd like to add is I ADORE our new kitchen wall color!  Any guesses on the shade we chose?

-The weekend after the S&D party, Sam & I joined our friend, M, and several other friends on a private tour of Flag Hill Winery, and it was AMAZING!  I've been there a couple times before, each time learning and picking up on new information about the wine-making process.  This time, we had the opportunity to wine taste in a room all to ourselves!  We were given a checklist of the wines, spirits, and liqueurs we were able to try so we could take notes as we went.  My new favorite (still second to the Apple Cranberry Fruit Wine) is the Red Plum Fruit Wine.  So sweet, incredible, and delicious, people!!! Too bad it's seasonal only. :(

-My last new bit of information is I signed up for and began YOGA!  I thought about trying yoga for a long time, but never felt comfortable going ahead with it as I hate trying new things on my own.  Recently, my tension headaches came back with a vengeance! Out of nowhere, I was clenching my jaw every day, all day, even in my sleep.  My head, jaw, and neck, throbbed for almost a month straight, when I finally decided enough is enough! I forced myself to go to yoga all alone and discovered I really enjoy it (so far at least).  In fact, going on my own wasn't a big deal in the least bit!  It gets better though, after trying out a couple classes I discovered a friend of mine, L, was also looking for someone to go to yoga with!  PERFECT!  Hopefully we can keep it up together. :)

Adios chicos and Happy Thanksgiving!

XO <3, C

P.S. My tension headaches disappeared after the 2nd yoga class! :)