Pack Out Day(s)

Today is day 2 of our pack out. We have some temp furniture since all of the bulky items have already been packed and placed on a truck. The bed size they sent DH & I, a Full bed we went from a queen to a full bed. I didn't think we would both fit on it, but it worked out just fine...

Today they are packing out the closets, my Craft Room Cage and the kitchen..then they have to take a nice little drive to our storage lockers and pack those out as well.

This photo was taken yesterday, before our living room was finished..
I am starting to feel a little anxious about leaving Japan and going back to the states. Stressed to travel with both of our cats, stressed to look for a house and be so long without my iMac or any personal items for so long.. I dont know what DH is thinking.. He says he does not want to receive our HHG's until we are in our own house. We do have a rental house lined up but he wants to purchase his own home and doesn't want to have to pay moving all his belongings from the rental to our future home. Which means, essentially we are without many "HOME" items, my computer, TV's, majority of our clothes, all of my CRAFT supplies, what will I do? Of course I totally disagree with him about this and how he scheduled the pack out so close to Christmas so close to our moving date. It has all been too much going on at one time.

The skipping Christmas really did not work out for us, I was a complete mess on Christmas. In tears crying we had no tree no family dinner no presents nothing. It was a bummer and I couldn't help myself, I couldn't stop crying. We will never again skip Christmas and everything that goes along with it.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and have a safe and Happy  New Year! I am not sure how often I will be on since my desktops have been packed away and laptops hate me and since my iPhone died. I will try and keep you updated with some not so mundane things. Unfortunately for a while there will be no craft items posted.. (Until I arrive in JAX, 1/6/11 and have my mother mail my crafty supplies I have been sending to her house)!

iPhone Disaster

Long story short...
My DH accidentally washed my iPhone in the washer... We sat it in a bowl of rice to absorb the moisture for a day and a half... we tried plugging it in and the apple symbol appeared but 2 hours later the screen was completely blank no apple sign nothing.. so my iPhone died..

All I want for Christmas

I know my family is technically "SKIPPING" Christmas this year, due to our move back to the good ol US of A. I couldn't help but let my DH know what I wanted for Christmas most of all.

Let me first say that when the Cricut Imagine launched I jumped on it and the chance to purchase, being in Japan my only option to purchase it at the launch was through HSN and have it shipped to my Mother in California. I had done this before with purchases through HSN, but for some reason when I tried to make the purchase it kept giving me an error and telling me I had to call. So I gave in and finally called HSN, now since I was on the phone there were some additional charges, after swallowing down my irritation and comment i wanted to make I purchased the Cricut Imagine..

I kept emailing my Mother to see if she had received the package yet. Then I came across a post on the Cricut message board saying how some people will not be receiving the Cricut Imagines they will have to wait  because they ran out and kept selling.. So I gave it one more week and nothing from HSN> I had no choice but to call them and when I did I found out I was one of the ones who would be receiving the Cricut Imagine later rather than sooner... Fine, Fine, fine I htought though I was definitely disappointed...

Then about 2 weeks later I receive an email from HSN saying there was some sort of discrepancy with my credit card regarding the mailing address/billing address/expiration so anyways the order was cancelled because I was not home within the time frame to respond to the emil. Of course I tried to call them and I wouldn't get the same deal so I was a bit upset and put ordering the Cricut Imagine on the back burner..

However since it is Christmas my Christmas list consists only of the Cricut Imagine, as soon as I land in Florida and rest for a couple of days I hope to order and have in my hot little hands the Cricut Imagine!

I know I know I am late....

That all of you Cricuteers already know, but for those that are not that addicted are committed.... have you seen the Hello Thursday New Release Cartridges?


Welcome Spring

 Best of Pixar

 Cricut Everyday

 Disney Classics

 Groovy Times

 Life's a Party

 Mother's Day Bouquet

 Nate's Abc's

 Pack Your Bags

 Spring Holiday Cards

I am most excited about the Best of Pixar cartridge but also the Mothers Day Bouquet intrigues me as well as Disney Classics and Groovy Times.. I am a little torn with the Everyday Cricut cartridge though I could see making some cute bug head items I don't think I would continuously use images of the Cricut/Imagine/Gypsy etc etc..  The rest of the carts I am a little torn over, I usually do NOT buy seasonal carts but the spring time cards looks like it could be a really great cartridge.

OMG! Harry Potter Fans Look out!

Hello everyone, I just received an email from Paper Wishes and I am so excited for their new product coming out!
It is a Harry Potter themed paper kit! For all you HP ADDICTS I mean Fans (like, ahem me) what better way to scrap your HP memorabilia, or make a great HP Card?

Magical papers and stickers! You'll get 8 sheets of 12"x12" paper, a 12"x12" sheet of Harry Potter stickers and a 5"x7" sheet of stickers. Plus a 4 3/4"x4" sheet of 3-D stickers too! What a wonderful, magical collection! Use them for large albums or cut into smaller sheets for mini albums.

If you check out their website you can also view a video of the kit.

So thank you Paper Wishes for this Fanatics blessing with this kit.. I can not wait to get my hands on it!

Eating in Japan

I have never had a Crepe before I came to Japan. These things are addictively delicious and can be filled with a variety of items. My favorites are cream strawberries and chocolate or a combination including cream and chocolate. My 11 year old DD videotaped this crepe (mine) being made at the Yokohama train station, shopping area.

I can not believe the variety of foods I have eaten while in Japan or how often we do not eat at home. These last 2 weeks have felt like a whirlwind of eating all of my favorite Japanese and other foods found in Japan before I leave. Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Sushi, Gyoza, Crepes and so much more. I even went to the Daiei today to hunt down these newly discovered melt in your mouth sweet but sour similar to sweet tarts Japanese candies. unlike sweet tarts those these candies fizz a little and jut melt in your mouth..

This video is fantastic and I am trying to convince my husband to let me do this before we leave, at our FAVORITE sushi go round.



For those that ever wondered what Shabu Shabu was.. All I can say was this was probably the most expensive dinner I have had in Japan and it was one of the most flavorful.. Mmm, mouth watering!

Blog Design

I want to say Thank You to Diana for making some much needed additions to my current blog design. She made a FABULOUS grab button for me on the left side of my blog as well as this cute signature. Thank you so much! I look forward to working with her again in the near future when I update my ippity blog when I have more time to sell items in Florida!Woot! Woot! Stateside will have some wonderful advantages for me!

If you need a Blog redesign or just want to change a few things up please check out Diana at Custom Blog Designs

Tell Diana at CBD that Heather sent you, or even Paper Crafters Anonymous!

Earthquakes

Nothing like an Earthquake at 0220 in the morning when you are on the computer and things start swaying.. Let me tell you my stomach notices first when there is an earthquake. I do not know if it has to do with being in a High Rise building, we do live on the 8th floor or if in my aging I have just become to sensitive to changes in my environment, heck maybe even the swaying of my computer screen due to the rocking of my office chair makes me feel like I am on a boat ride?

 For whatever reason though I am not sure I like the idea of trading Earthquakes in Japan for Hurricanes in Florida, just what was my husband thinking when he took these orders?

Digital Scrapbooking today, feels good to do something creative. I can not believe how fast time is flying by for us on our countdown to leaving Japan. It is so crazy, though I know i am leaving it hasn't really sunk in. The house is being packed out December 27/28th and we re checking into the Navy Lodge on the 3rd of January. 

Back to the Layout.. It is from Jessica Sprague's basic class on introduction to Digital Scrapbooking.

The photo was for the 2010 Khaki Ball to Celebrate the FY11 Chief Selectees

The theme for the event was Pirates which is why we are all wearing mustaches. 

Our table was the only one this silly/brave to sport mustaches and we probably had the most fun!

My CHIPPY Family has been great for the past 3 years, I will miss all of them!

VFA 195 Dambusters 

CHIPPY HO!

Blue Monkey Butt/No Sleep/Travel

Conversation posts I had on Facebook regarding my Kyoto Tour with my Mother..

‎2 Mochas at around 730pm and I can't sleep.. Cleaned out the freezer.. Tried to do the dishes but since the sleepover is in the living room they asked me to stop making noise.. Ha ha ..waiting for the bus now for the Kyoto Tour.. I hope this Caffeine buzz wears off so I can sleep on the bus.. 0300 is too early to be awake/not to have slept yet...

*Mom* hope there is a bathroom on it or it makes a lot of rest stops, hope you can sleep too

One hour of sleep isn't bad I guess I could do without the snaking my body between the reclined seat in front of the girl next to me and the girl next to me when having to pass her as she sleeps or just turns her legs inward... I hope I don't have to pee again before the next rest stop... Yes there's a plane sized potty on the bus nothing like the door touching your knees as u sit there trying to pee when it feels like the bus is pulling g's on the freeway going through curves.. Here's hoping the blue water doesn't splash my num .. I really don't need a blue monkey bum... Haha

*Mom* well stay away from the free soft drinks sorry you just may end up with the blue monkey butt but you'll have fun LMBO

Kyoto Tour

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺), officially Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺) is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of theHistoric Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. (It should not be confused with Kiyomizu-dera in Yasugi, Shimane, which is part of the 33-temple route of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage through western Japan.)

 <-------Photo not taken by me it came up on check in with Facebook

Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, Temple of the Golden Pavilion), also known as Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺, Deer Garden Temple), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. The garden complex is an excellent example of Muromachi period garden design. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape, and it is one of 17 World Cultural Heritage sites in Kyoto. It is also one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually.

Nijō Castle (二条城, Nijō-jō) is a flatland castle located in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square meters, of which 8000 square meters is occupied by buildings.

Arashiyama  is a pleasant, touristy district at the outskirts of Kyoto. Its landmark is the wooden (now partially concrete) Togetsukyo Bridge with forested Mount Arashiyama as backdrop.

Togetsukyo Bridge

No closing hours, no admission fees.

Literally meaning "Crossing Moon Bridge", Togetsukyo with Mt. Arashiyama as backdrop is the symbol of Arashiyama. Riverside parks provide space for a pleasant break and great cherry blossom viewing in early April. In November, autumn colors are spectacular I had a great time, we arrived home an hour earlier than expected. I got some EXCELLENT photos of the temples I am excited about that! Also I will have a GIVEAWAY this week of n item I purchased in Arashiyama. **Photos were taken with my iPhone 3G, will post photos from my DSLR tomorrow

Gyoza House

What is gyoza, you ask?  Basically they are little pot stickers filled with meat and veggies.  They can be steamed or fried.  They are to be eaten while still hot, and dipped in a combination of soy sauce, garlic, oil and red pepper (or any combination thereof.)  

The favorite go to place around here for gyoza is the Gyoza House (also called Mankin) in Sagamihara.  There we order gyoza and they bring it out scalding hot and mouth watering.  The gyoza here is a little different here than the typical gyoza sold in other restaurants.  Instead of being pinched into a crescent shape, these are folded into little bundle-like balls.  They cook them in a frying pan and come to our table all stuck together and cozy like they were cooked.  

There are several different options for dining, and three floors I believe.  Downstairs they have tables and a long counter.  Before heading upstairs one must remove one's shoes.  Upstairs- they have the low tables where you sit on the floor.  I still can't get my legs to appreciate sitting on the floor.  

So a large group of us went to the Gyoza House tonight, there were 6 adults and 6 children. We chose to dine upstairs this was my first time dining upstairs, after removing our shoes we headed up the steps. The table charge is 200 yen and lo and behold on the wall is a sign that pretty much says, order everything you want at one time because we will not have time to come back and take orders for seconds/additional drinks.. HA HA can  you imagine a sign like this in the US? I want to go back just to take a picture of that sign.


The DH & I ordered, Egg Drop Soup, Kimchi, 20 Gyozas  (you order in sets of 10 for the Fried) and Rice (Gohan- steamed white rice).

In 3.5 hours I have to be at the bus stop to go on my Tour of Kyoto, none of my FAM wanted to go with me so it will be me and who knows who else.. ALL day long tomorrow, I packed snacks went to the ATM and took yen out charged my camera and am packed and ready to go. Now only if I could sleep!

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Getting Cricky with K Andrew Designs has 1100 Followers! She is Celebrating with Blog Candy! A Free Cricut Lite Twinkle Toes Cartridge! Click the link below to be taken to her blog for a chance to win!


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*Disclaimer: Paper Crafters Anonymous does NOT have 1100 followers (though maybe one day) and I am not offering the cartridge as Blog Candy (keep your eye out for Blog Candy though) You have to click the link to go to Getting Cricky with K Andrew Designs and follow the directions for a chance to win! Thank You!