Creole Wisdom

christmas cards 2011

I had no idea when I started designing my cards a few days before Thanksgiving what an ordeal this would be. I've made cards for a few years now, taking a break last year being my only hiatus. I've had my Epson printer for a couple of Christmas seasons and have expected it to work properly for all the projects I dream up. Is that too much to ask?

Well, apparently it is. Warning, beginning of a rant:

First: was the ink dilemma. Usually ink lasts quite long, but recently I've noticed it seems to be sucking more and more ink. So, enter three separate trips to Office Depot to pay $$$ for more cartridges.

Then: was the paper issue. The printer and my macbook were having communication issues and my colors were coming out all wrong. I'm not sending out cards with orange text and a photo that looks too dark. So I threw out about 7-8 full pages of printed cards that were all printed on expensive paper. I had to use trial and error to find a weird setting that would result in correct color, and I've never had to do this before.

The last straw: I wanted to print an extra two cards. After I had purchased more ink, figured out the settings trick I got all set up and low and behold... my paper comes out blank and then the printer insists that one of my cartridges is "foreign." So, sorry Patsy cousins and Aunt Trudy, no cards for you :(

I'm so disappointed in Epson that I tweeted a complaint, which I've never done before. I think it's a shame to sell a product that doesn't stand up// rant over.

Despite the set backs I am happy with my cards. Life and Christmas, will go on! I sent out thirty total to everywhere from Alabama to Utah. If you get one, I hope you enjoy it :) If you didn't, I'm sorry and blame Epson. For the rest of you dear, lovely readers Merry Christmas from my humble city apartment to yours.

Does anyone have a fantastic printer/scanner that they could recommend? One that isn't too huge and whose ink doesn't make you want to consider selling your eggs? Fill me in :)

Also, how am I supposed to survive to Christmas with these kind of problems in my life?! I'm kinda ready for 2012 to start so my life can get back to "perfect!"

(Yes, I am being totally dramatic and realize a trifling printer is totally a first world problem. I know, things could be so much worse.)

valentine hex

Oh my Valentine's Day...

I think someone put a hex on K and I. Our special day did not go as planned:

A handmade easel lovingly crafted without power tools broken en route. That was pretty disappointing.

K asks me, "did you get your roses?" Nope. Florist didn't bring me the pretty bouquet of pink roses K had arranged to be sent. He went in there today and their response was flowers were undeliverable.

Dinner service took forever. We waited 45 minutes for our entree. I ordered salmon with capers, jasmine rice and asparagus. There's wasn't one asparagus spear on my plate.

I'm pretty sure K felt worse about all of this than I did. At the end of the day I'd rather have an imperfect Valentine's day with K than a perfect one with someone else. What's perfect anyway?

I took care of dessert, we had homemade ice cream sandwiches: brownies for the cookie part and butter pecan ice cream in the center, edged in coconut and cut into hearts.

The bell hop at the hotel-restaurant took a lovely photo of K and I. I love that dress from Ireland and K loved my heels and lipstick.

K wrote me the best card and some extremely sweet words were spoken over the night.

I hope you all had a hex-free Valentine's day!

micro bead

Disclaimer: this is a health-eye related blog post. Scroll down for something more aesthetically pleasing!

So I woke up Monday morning and put my contact in my right eye. It hurt horribly. Like: %$#$. You know the feeling, if you wear contacts. So I took it out, rinsed it and put it back in. Didn't hurt horribly, but I had a dull pain all morning long. After a few photoshoots I took my contacts out and put my glasses on.

When I tried to close my eye it hurt. I thought there might be something in there. I slept on it. Or tried to. It was a long and uncomfortable night.

Yesterday morning I called my incredible eye doctor when the office opened and they were able to fit me in at 3pm. O's parents came and relieved me and off I went to get my eye checked out.

The doctor numbed me and looked right into my eye and flipped my eyelids to check under them.

"So, the good news is there's nothing wrong with your cornea" at this point I'm holding my breath and thinking oh, what's the bad news?

"There's a bead in your eye lid."

I'm thinking... how did that get in there, like a piece of jewelry!?

Turns out it wasn't a jewel but a micro bead from the Bath and Body works soap we use in the bathroom.

Then she had to get it out. Enter more numbing drops and me saying prayers in my head while the Dr carefully and (not very painfully, more uncomfortably) coaxed the bead out. She used a tiny rubber spatula and it took a few minutes of careful maneuvering.

Now I'm on drops and wearing glasses, which K likes :) All is good and I'm grateful for Becky who is putting my drops in.

So, if you wear contacts do not use anything with little beads in it to wash your hands prior to handling your eyes. Maybe that seems like a no-brainer, but it could happen to you.

19/24 back up all files and photos

Like a lot of people out there I'm not very good at backing up my files. Thank the Lord I have not had some horrible incident where everything is erased off my laptop, but still. The horror stories are enough motivation for me.

Enter Mozy. We'll see how this all works out, I've just downloaded the software. So far the monthly fee of less than $5 is very appealing!

And it's a good thing, because my laptop screen is acting funny again and I've got a 7pm appointment at the Genius Bar.

Thankfully the woman who helped me make my appointment over the phone said all repair history can be pulled up and Apple will be paying for any new repairs that have to me made since the problem hasn't been totally fixed. Perfect.

I love my Macbook Pro, just not when my screen is weird.

a macbook miracle

Hi friends. It's good to be back. Before I talk about saying good bye to my grandma, do I have a funny story for you...

A few weeks ago I noticed that my laptop was working a bit slower, and more concerning- small lines were appearing on my screen. I had no idea what it could be or mean, and I scrounged message boards trying to understand what might be causing it. Unable to figure it out myself I took it into Genius Bar hoping they could fix it in 5 minutes and I would walk away thinking- how silly of me to not realize it was x all along that was causing those lines! 

Nope. Sorry, not this time.

Can I just note that if our medical system was as wonderful and caring as Genius Bar, a lot of people would be healthier and happier. They treat your laptop like it's a child, and realize that your technology is precious to you. I am always impressed with the service there. Which is why I keep purchasing great Apple products year after year after year... (shameless, unpaid* plug done)

The verdict? I would need a new screen, or in the words of the man who helped me, "only the second most expensive part to be replaced." Then I got really scared. He told me I could have it fixed in house for $700 or send it out for $240 where they would fix everything possibly wrong with my laptop, but some or all of my data could be erased. I went with the $240 option.

That night I took my MacBook Pro home and backed up everything on my external hard drive. I truly do not do this as much as I should, but I am glad I did-

The next day I took it back in, with all my personal data erased and everything backed up. As I was waiting for the Genius Bar another Apple employee started to talk to me. He asked me how long I had used Apple products, what I use my laptop for and why I was sending it in. Then he looked at me and said, "we're going to go ahead and pay for your laptop to be fixed*." I was dumbfounded and my hands started to shake. I told him thank-you probably 10 times. When I asked him why he said that he sometimes does this, and that I am a loyal Apple customer and he wanted to do something nice for me.

If that's not a technology miracle I don't know what is.

The kindness of people often amazes me. And there have been a few thank-you cards and a call to Apple headquarters about this nice manager who helped me out.

So, here I am today blogging on my refurbished MacBook Pro. I've got a new screen and hard drive. It's faster and I've cleaned out my iphoto and started over (backed up all my photos, naturally). I feel very lucky and thankful.

$%#&

It's only Monday, and I'm already having an incredibly difficult day/week. Enjoy this beautiful dress that's at Melly now (not to mention a Lilly best seller), while I take a little blog break to pull it all together once again. xoxo.

Whoever started that bizarre lie that your early twenties is really nearly perfect is lying. I'd rather have a few wrinkles.

are you pregnant?

Life is funny sometimes.

A month ago, I had a doctor's appointment. At the ghetto hospital. Yes, I called it that. HCMC, otherwise know as: where you go when you get shot up on the block. Also known as, not my preferred place for receiving health care.

But, my insurance at the time said to go there. So, because I didn't want to pay $400 (or so I thought), that's where I went.

When I made my appointment the receptionist asked me what my religion, race, and place of employment was. I declined to answer all three. I am sorry, but that is a huge invasion of my privacy. Unbelievable, and none of those categories should determine the level of care I receive. Invasive!

When I got there they insisted that I take a pregnancy test. How offensive, considering a) I'm not pregnant b) I had my period (sorry if that was tmi, but I told the nurse this and she still insisted I take the test).

"I don't need to take that test, I can guarantee it will be negative"

"We require all patients to take a pregnancy test" I've never, never taken a pregnancy test, or been asked to take one. See: ghetto.

Well, the test came back negative (shocker) and guess what...

I got charged for the pregnancy test. The test I did not need. A test not covered by my insurance. All because... they assumed I was lying/could not be trusted.

Had I known a pregnancy test would cost me $75, I would of gladly purchased one myself at Target.

a christmas list, from hell.

Hey readers, I'm back! Whew, it's been one crazy ride. Here is why I was gone: job woes, disappointing news, vomiting in a parking lot on Christmas eve day (blame it on the prior two list items), missing church with my friend Joy (because of said sickness), re-vamping my career plans when I wanted to drink egg nog, flight cancellations, never getting to PA, waiting in the airport for ten hours, never getting my luggage until two days later (a whole story in and of itself), and not getting to eat my own birthday cake or open birthday presents (due to travel drama)... but, I am back, and hopefully better than ever.

That was the bad. But there was good, I'm 23, and 2010 is around the corner. I'll be back with my holiday stories once I'm done playing with this gun and deer antlers-

I will see you on the flip side.

It has been an incredibly difficult few days. I'm taking a break, and will be back soon with hopefully happier news, or at least a better perspective. Right now my focus needs to be in other arenas, and I need to take full advantage of vacation time.  I wish you all dear readers a very Merry Christmas and I will leave you with this small gem:

Me. Christmas 1989? Minnetonka, MN

tacky.

So, my grandpa Bob died on Sunday. It's sad, but we weren't incredibly close. I know that he (as do I) had a strong belief in an afterlife. I am at peace with his leaving from this world. That being said, like all dramas- sometimes the most interesting things come out of tragedies:

Nothing screams tacky in the cold, tender face of death like wanting your inheritance before your father is even in the grave... lovely.

Now, to clarify, these are not my aunts/uncles, but Bob's kids from his first marriage. I don't come from that blood line. Thank you much.

Way to go grandma for standing up and saying, "we're not discussing money until January 15th."

That did not go over well. So yes, I think I'll skip the funeral and say some prayers instead. 

I will miss you grandpa Bob-