Scope for Imagination: December 2012

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Christmas arrangement

I made this arrangement about 2 weeks ago and it's still sitting on my table. Most of it is dead, but there are a few things that are still kicking.

Jeremy's mom came for Christmas again this year! Well she left Christmas Eve so we opened a few gifts that afternoon. We had our Christmas breakfast and left over Christmas Eve Eve dinner for lunch. Jeremy got me a tripod for my camera so we were testing it out and took some family pictures.

On Christmas morning we opened the rest of our gifts. I talked to my parents for a little bit. We tried to go see Les Miserables, but it was sold out. We came back home and skyped with my brother and sister in law. The rest of the day we pretty much just watched A Christmas Story and Doc Martin. We took Ziva out to play but it was just too cold to stay out for too long. She had gotten a new bone the day before though and was pretty busy with that. Speaking of Ziva...she was looking at the camera in just about every picture we took. And we took a lot. I guess she's used to me taking pictures of her...or because it was beeping.

hope you had a very happy merry christmas!!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

a long story about my teeth...because i know you really want to know

Today i went to the dentist. It had been a little over 2 years since my last visit. That may not sound like such a big deal, but for someone who was going every 6 months, 3 months, or every other week, i was pretty nervous about what they may find. You see, when i was younger i was told that i didn't have a tooth to come down after my baby tooth fell out. When i was in middle school i got braces (i had a pretty big gap in the middle of my front teeth), got my baby tooth pulled, and had a fake tooth attached to my brackets. Four years went by with the braces. I also had a peg (just a small tooth that never fully grew) that i got a veneer on. After i got the braces off i got a flipper with a fake tooth attached to it. It was kinda like a retainer that i could take off any time. Sometimes i would take it off and play a joke on people. A year or so went by and it was time to get the implant put in. I went in for a consultation and was told that i would have to get braces again because the roots around the area had shifted inward not allowing enough room for the implant to be placed. I believe i was a junior in high school and started to tear up alittle (probably went home and balled my eyes out into my pillow). We waited till after i got my senior yearbook pictures taken and went ahead with the braces. I was told that they would only be on for 6 months, but they were on for probably a year. When they noticed there was enough room (probably 8 months after braces. there were several appointments of going in to see if it was ready only to find out that it was millimeters too close. you can imagine the disappointment) to put the implant in they started the surgeries. I believe it was just after my senior dance recital. I had the bone graft done (cow bone!). Later that night Jeremy came over and we watched a movie, but i hardly remember a thing. I do remember watching him pull out of my driveway, walking into the kitchen, and my mom asking me how i was feeling. I said fine and 10 seconds later i threw up in the trash. Must have been the meds. As the week went on i noticed the area wasn't getting better (after the surgery i went back to the dentist to get the fake tooth attached to the brackets) and i could feel and poke out these tiny bits of bone through my gums. Then came this awful taste and puss. I kept saying it tasted like dirty rose water. That stinky fishy smell. Every time i would smile i could taste it. Over the weekend after the surgery me and Jeremy went on a trip with our church. It was pretty awful because i was doing a lot of smiling and laughing. Plus my lip looked busted it was swollen. When we came back it was time to get it checked out. Apparently the bone graft did not take and it was infected. They took it out and i later had to have it done again. I was a little worried this time around. Everything worked out though. In the mean time i graduated high school and went to Italy. A few months later i got the implant put in, braces off and my gums cut back. Finally it was time to attach a tooth to that implant. But first Halloween came. I was at the orthodontist to get a new temporary flipper made, but it wasn't ready yet. It wouldn't be ready for a few more hours. I was suppose to be at work. I called in and asked if i could come in later, but i could tell it was really busy and didn't want to leave them short handed. I went to work without my tooth anyway. Since it was Halloween i didn't seem to stand out too much...i guess the whole hillbilly missing tooth thing was working for me. Although this lady sure was staring at me pretty hard....probably trying to tell if it was really gone or just colored in. Anyway, i finally got my new fake tooth put in and a new veneer. So after several years, tears, and surgeries i had my million dollar smile (my parents would probably agree to that!) Back to today...i was worried after not seeing the dentist for two years what might happen. I was expecting a cavity or two. Or some sort of gingivitis (because they loved to tell me that back home) but no. Nothing. Nothing but good home care and healthy teeth. You have no idea how excited i was to hear that. It was like getting straight A's on your report card (not that i really know what that feels like). I still have to get my wisdom teeth out, but honestly im not in the least worried about it. Hey, just another day at the dentist for me (or was).

here is a panoramic photo from today. I went back and found some pictures from when i had the surgeries done and decided to spare you some bloody nastiness.

If you hung around to read all of this then you are a true gem....if not then i don't blame you.

p.s. One time this lady at work was telling me about how she just had some work done and her tooth was hurting. I simply said that i understood and she said "no i don't think you do" with a little attitude. I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

kale and garden roses

A few months ago i went into a Whole Foods Market for the first time. A new Michael's had just opened next to it and i decided to just pop in for a second in Whole Foods to see what they got. As soon as you walk in they have all their flowers. I think my mouth literally dropped. They had the best selection I'd seen around town and i was super excited. That day they had a bunch of kale and some beautiful garden roses, along with a tone of other stuff. Well i didn't get anything that day. They never had either of those again until last week. So when i did my weekly walk by and saw them i couldn't resist.

Ziva likes to model with the arrangements.

it's kind of a strange color combo...pink and blue, but when i picked up the delphinium i was hoping it would've showed up more purple. oh well.

Christmas around our place

we had an extra strand of lights so we added more.

my handmade wreath. smells like Christmas trees everytime we go in and out of our apartment.

felt finger puppet Nativity scene

Last year i made this little tree and the snow globes above. Also the pom pom wreath.

Friday, December 7, 2012

rambling

i know things have been a little sparse here on the blog lately. it's not that i've been particularly busy or anything so there's really no excuse. maybe i'll get back in it soon. there have been a few new things that have happened. we joined the gym (whaaat?! my arms are a little sore right now...i worked that pull up bar and rowing machine today). bought a new car. my old car was just costing too much to fix up so after thanksgiving we went out and got us a new used car. we really didn't want too (spend the money), but it's just one of those things ya know. lets see here...i'm still workin' those flowers. or trying too, anyway. i've actually done quite a few arrangements that i just haven't posted for you to see yet. don't want to bombard you. not to say i wont though ;). Usually around the same time every week i get the urge. the urge to make something and set out on the hunt to find the goods. this week i got that beaut up there. Iris. they kinda freak me out though. like some monster alien trying to grab your face as you go in to smell (no they don't have a scent...don't let the tentacles fool you and draw you in). oh yea we have been looking for a new place. our lease is up at the end of january and we've been talking about moving closer to jeremys hospital and/or finding a house to rent. we went out last weekend and looked around. they were either too expensive, the right price but in an iffy neighborhood (and smelled like cat pee), or too far. i've made a list of several more houses to go look at so maybe we'll hit the streets again tomorrow. wish us luck!