Yudu - Lets have fun!

The other day I decided to go out on a limb get this item which I really didn't know anything about! All I knew was that it did pretty much the same thing as a Gocco, thats really all I knew and the fact that it was bigger. Consulting my wife to be Meladie we decided that it could be a gateway into an art filled life. Hey we are young and maybe naive but at least we take a chance. Meladie is really awesome! (had to let you know) Early one morning and I mean early it was like eight in the morning and I was up (I work 2nd shift, getting up before ten in the morning tends to be a little early for me) I drove and picked up some good friends of mine, Eydie & Laura. We took about and hour drive to the Super Joann's. I guess that there are super Joann's, unlike the Joann's that is in our town which I guess is just a regular lame Joann's compared to the Super. Once we got there I had decided that I wasn't going to rush over like a child in a candy store. I was going to take my time walking around with my friends. But then I couldn't wait any longer. I saw it from a distance and BAM that was it I was getting it! By the time I got home I had to go to work so I didn't get a chance to use it that day. But that day was only yesterday. I didn't have to wait to long for the chance to use my new toy... no my new instrument! Because thats what it is!
Meladie and I met up with Eydie at her house for the first go. It was pretty easy! Kind of time consuming when it comes to waiting for the screen to dry before we could print but it was worth it. I suggest reading the directions pretty well before you do this just so you know what you are doing. I used a photo of a tree that I had taken a few years as my first image. Well I can just show you.


I am really excited about the things that will come of this Yudo!

The V day has come and gone

I wanted to do a little something for my Amazing fiancee this valentines day. We had both decided that because we are so short on money and because it's kind of a lame holiday that we were just not going to do anything. I couldn't hold back though I had to do something. With help from Eydie we were able to get just the right gift. It was fun because I had drawn some love birds that I thought would look good on a shirt as a press. After talking to Eydie we decided to try a little bleach. I printed the design out, then it was traced on to freezer paper, after that cut out and then ironed onto the shirt. Where Eydie then brushed some bleach water, she pretty much did everything! Thank you so much Eydie!!!!!! If you don't know her she is a really wonderful person! Here are some photos of the experience.





I had my camera the other night at work and thought hey lets take a few pictures.



I'm really getting excited for Meladie and I's wedding day. I can't wait for us to become one and start one life instead of having two life's that get to meet for a minute here and there. We were able to get to a World Market the other day, which was way to awesome! After spending some good time there we found some lamps and cups that will go great in our apartment to be.

Ticking of the Clock

It's a little late, though that never seems to stop me from staying up. There have been a few new things going on in my life, things that I thought I just might share. Probably the biggest would be that I joined a gym along with some coworkers of mine. We all decided for different reasons to become healthier and more fit. I choose to do it for my wedding day which is in just a few months. I decided that I will want to look back on that day and think DANG the two of us looked good! My coworkers have split into two groups the day workout crew and the night crew. I'm in the night crew! We usually go at about 10:30 at night and work out for about two hours or so. I find that I really enjoy it, more than I thought I would! The days that I don't go (the off days) I find myself wanting to go. It's almost an addiction.
The other pretty new thing is that my buddies and I have decided to try a new/old computer game out. We are major starcraft guys but I found some discs in my pile of random discs, the random discs I found were warcraft 3. I thought well it's worth a try so we installed and played. It might be take some of our starcraft life. It will be nice to switch it up from time to time.
I decided I wanted to sew a bag purse thing. Mostly just to see if I could do it. When you have friends like Cutfinger Productions and Eydie it can get a little hard to not want to dabble in what they do. I haven't done much yet other than get me a sewing machine and some fabric from a thrift store. Here is a picture of the fabric that I got.

I hope they turn into something worthy of well a slight gift to my little sister. I don't have a pattern to work from, it will be just my mind and what I come up with.
Sometimes washing the dishes makes me feel good.
Here is my trusty phone, sometimes when money gets tight I wonder if it is worth it... It totally is!

Good night...

A little cruise to pass the time.

It was planned well over a year ago that my mom's family would take a Christmas cruise. All the aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandparents would take part. Months of planning went into it and bam it happened! Meladie and I left a day early to get down to Florida just so that we would not miss the ship. The weather though pretty much didn't see it our way and we spend most of the day and night in an airport, considering the fact that we might not make it by air we were figuring how long it would take to drive from Chicago to Miami. Thankfully we didn't have to drive because our flight was one of the few that was lucky to make it off the ground before they stopped all flights. We made it, and got on the ship the next day. The whole week was pretty cool. My state room had a birthday cake and decorations in it for me, it was my birthday while I was on the ship. There were a few days at sea and then other days at port. On my birthday, probably the best birthday ever, we were in the Dominican Republic which is where some friends of mine do mission work there. They were able to come and see us! WOOT WOOT is what I have to say to that! Many of the days at port we were able to shop and walk around the towns. At one port we took a 1/2 taxi ride to a hidden beach were we went snorkeling and swimming. I saw a stingray and some pretty cool fish. Then at night on the ship we went to some shows at the theater and night clubs. I'm sure I danced the soles off my shoes. It was a good trip, maybe a little to long for me but I did enjoy the time with family. Here are some pictures.



Since I have been back I have been pretty busy with work. Then my parents asked me if I would house sit / babysit while they went on a 9 day missions trip. That was interesting, I'm sure I don't want to have kids for a few more years! It was a hard week because I didn't get to see Meladie at all! Mer.... And then this week seemed to be the same but today we were able to spend the whole day together and that rocked!

I don't really have anything new or artsy to show you. I have been slacking in that respect but if it counts I have been working on wedding plans. I know it actually doesn't, still I thought I might try.

Feel like there is so much that I am missing, at the moment I can not remember anything. I did remember that I have started drinking coffee for fun, haha. Though when I drink a french press at 10:30pm I tend to stay up till 4:30am. It's not like a hyper energy though, just a not enough to fall asleep energy. I find that I don't like it after 2.

I read a book!

Here is a little something I will share with you about myself, I hate reading. Go ahead and gasp at that statement! Reading and me never have been friends, yes I can read and in school I was told I had a reading level above normal, thought the reading level doesn't show the speed of reading. I'm a fairly slow reader. Which might have something to do with my dislike of reading.
There are a few people who talk to me like I read many books, asking me what I got out of this one or that one and I have to remind them that I didn't read this one and that one.
Maybe they are right maybe there is a reader in this body waiting to Bust out. If so I've got no intention to go looking for him. I think this because I love books! I love they way the look, the bound and the colors, the age, I love the way they smell old ones all musty with wisdom and might, the sound of turning pages old pages. New books are nice but I love hard cover old books. My oldest book is from 1880 something over a hundred years old. I love it! I collect books, if I see an old book that looks interesting I buy it. I was in my friends old barn and there was a pile of old stuff and bam found a few old 1920's school notebooks. Ohh how they hold time so well.
But back to my post.
I read the book "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom. I just happened to glance at my book shelf and thought I have heard good things about that book, thoughts I have thought many times about some of my many books. Then my hand went for it and I started reading. And reading and reading... I looked at my phone for the time to my surprise it was 2 am. Then I read before work and when I got home. Now this book is done and I enjoyed it so much. I cried which isn't hard for me I'm a major sap. I liked how I felt I was with the main character at all times, feeling what he was feeling and seeing through his eyes.
That is all

I want more of what I'm not

As I'm driving to work today I was thinking I'm not very entertaining. Meladie and I had people over last night and then this morning we both to eat at a friends house. Both turned out to be extremely great events. Yet I think that I didn't fill as a very entertaining host, or guest. I was thinking what can I do to make myself more. First was music, I want know more, more songs, Artists, Albums, I don't have to like them but every time someone suggests an artist I want to look up that artist and listen to their music.
The next thing I want is books. I'm absolutely horrible at sitting down to read, I'm not a bad reading just slow and feel that I can spend my time doing other things. It will have to be changed, I need to read more!
Then I want to learn to sew, paint, express on paper other than in words. I would like to start something small that will become great too me. Sewing is such a talent that many people are not good at these days. I look up to people that can sit down and out comes a shirt, pants, bag, anything.
I want to be a better man for Meladie! She is a gift from God that I want to forever protect and please, keeping her guessing with glee on what good may come next, never stopping her from taking life for all its worth. She should be blessed over and over again, I pray that God will guide me in that.
I want to become a much better friend to the people that I consider my friends and people that I consider not so much.
Last but not least I want to keep my body in a much better shape than I have. Eating better, sleeping more, exercising regularly, resting when my body needs it. An unhealthy body is never good.
More of what i'm not

a trip to Hobbs Woods

It was a day that I hope I remember for a long time, mostly the winter! It was in the 70's her. I really really loved it! I was inside a good amount of the morning, thats when it hit me, the idea to maybe go outside. It will be some long time till we get a day that was this nice so I had to make a trip somewhere that was fun and eventful. I called up my brother and sister, telling them I will be picking them up in just a few minutes to take them to Hobbs Woods. A place of happy bliss!
The drive out there was just right, window's down, warm breeze, hands playing in the breeze, not to much better than that.