Thursday, 13 Signs that Summer is Ending

13 Signs that Summer is Ending
(And, DV isn't even in school yet!!!)

1. IV just gave his final!!!
2. Vacation in North Carolina coming up
3. Uniform sales everywhere
4. Teachers crying (I understand, I used to be one!)
5. Teachers working 80 hour days
6. Kids trying to cram the last 1-2 weeks of summer with all the things they didn't do yet
7. The heat is starting to break (OK, this might be wishful thinking)
8. Preparations for Fall CCD classes have begun (oh yeah, now I am busy with that)
9. Sales on cheap, trendy decorating stuff (dorm life, anyone?)
10. Sales on school supplies, calendars, computers and printers (I am a sale shopper!)
11. IV is getting anxious for the start of that game... what's it called? with the little pointed brown ball....
12. Moms with school age kids have this look... like the finish line is near
13. Kindermusic will be starting again!!!

It's weird- even though I work from home and DV isn't in school yet I feel a little sad as summer ends. I think it's leftover from being a kid- or a teacher- or maybe it's our collective unconscious....

Thursday, 13 Girl's Names

OK, here's another Thursday 13 entry- and I totally stole my inspiration from Toni. (She wrote on this exact topic- I copied!)

If we are ever blessed to have a daughter here are 13 names I love!

1. Rebecca

2. Elizabeth Anne
3. Miriam
4. Hope and Faith
5. Joanna
6. Maryanne
7. Regina
8. Adrienne
9. Pauline
10. Susan
11. Theresa
12. Vivianne
13. Rachel

We would love to have another child- and I would love to have a daughter. DV is wonderful so I'd be happy with another son too.

We are not planning to conceive again- but hopefully one day we will adopt and this list will come in handy!!!

I have been thinking a lot lately of how nice it would be to have a daughter to share all my womanly knowledge with :)

Thursday 13 Reasons to Start a Home-Based Business...

Toni is my favorite Thursday 13 gal- although everyone I've read is funny! Check out Toni's HILARIOUS post about poor Paris Hilton.

I have been working on starting a home based business (ever wonder why I haven't been blogging as much lately?)

So, here's my Thursday 13!

13 Excellent Reasons to Start a Home-Based Business

1. You need extra cash (So true, but what I have produced so far is extra expenses....)
2. Ability to predict finances (I project we should be profitable in 2 months max!)
3. Extra time on your hands (hmmmm.... ok so I didn't have any, but see reason 1)
4. You would like to take-over a room of your small house (my office is now an office/store room)
5. It's summer time so I won't be too busy (why did I think that?????)

OK, out with the sarcasm....
6. I love meeting new people.
7. I love designing jewelry.
8. I was getting just a little bored with the whole house cleaning thing.
9. Parties!!!! Fun!
10. Extra income so I can continue to stay-at-home with IV.
11. Jewelry counts as a business expense!
12. New clothes are required to show off jewelry!
13. Shopping at Sams Club in the business hours (how did I ever stand it before?)

Overall, I am already so happy with being a self-employed gal! But I don't have any time for TV, or novel reading, or well, anything other than being a mommy and work. I am trying to make time for IV- we had to schedule a date this week!

If you'd like to know more about my new business venture see my website: www.ditybeads.com/jennie

Have a lovely Thursday!

PS- Local gals I am having an open house (read free food and alcohol) on Saturday, June 23 from 2-5pm

Thursday 13 Needed Home Improvements

I saw this meme on Toni's blog and it looked like fun- plus STILL having no voice seems to be dashing my creative powers, so I needed a topic.

Thirteen Needed Home Improvements
A List I hope IV reads, although I promise to do a lot of the work!

1. Screen in breeze way (to protect me from the evil summer mosquitoes and so maybe we can have a cat- a place to put the litter box!)
2. Replace rotting board over breeze way (yes, I think the roof may eventually fall down if we don't)
3. Paint unfinished wood on back porch (hmmm, it may not like the rain being unfinished after 1 year)
4. Power wash green crud growing on shady sides of the house
5. Replace DV's door (someday we might want to close it)
6. Paint baseboards, door frames in our room to match the rest of the room (not that anyone but family sees them.... but still beige and grey-navy are not such a good combo)
7. Replace light fixture in kitchen (ours hangs too low... how about a small fan?)
8. Paint kitchen in a lighter color- I am tired of the grey-navy
9. Cover evil tile in kitchen with linoleum (ugh, the grout is cracking and the tiles too!!!)
10. Do something about the guest bath (yes, we will probably have to hire someone for this! peeling old paint, peeling old fixture coating)
11. Paint dining room (I am still hoping for mint green!)
12. Plant a fruit tree (OK, we have to wait for the right season)
13. Put insulation on the exposed pipes (so we won't have to run water next winter, maybe)

Yes, we have an older home (built in 1952) and we just moved in about a year ago so there are lots of things we still haven't done! I am hoping the summer will give us more time to work on some projects- but IV still has to work so maybe not.