So Far, So Good

As we hit the end of the of the 2nd week of the year, I'm feeling pretty good about my "focus" so far. I have gone through my knitting WIPs, frogged some, left some in the naughty corner and started a new hat with the leftovers from my sweater. It's going to be so squishy and nice... 

I also finally got to my scrapping group last Saturday for the first time since July. I took 2 projects - one, the books & pictures from our 2013 Ireland Trip and the other was just some general pictures to put into some pocket pages and do a little journaling. I knew I should work on Ireland first and just get 'er done - and that is what I did. It felt so good. I had printed out the pictures, organized them, ordered the books and put it all in my Tom Bihn box - and there it sat, since Summer 2013. I could give all kinds of excuses on why I hadn't done it yet, but that would be silly. I just hadn't gotten to it yet - period.

A new cutter, the right environment, and 5 hours later, I had 3 books almost finished. Like magic, they ended on the last page with only a few holes to fill in along the way. I have decided not to journal in these - I think that the people who they are for can do that themselves if they wish, they are just lovely picture books from our trip. My plan is to figure out what the last pictures are that I need to choose to fill in the holes and have them finished before the weekend is over. 

The next day I did some serious organizing with my empty, ready to use photo pocket pages, they were a mess - all disorganized and in a bunch of places - I didn't know what I had. They are now in one 12x12 binder, with little stickies denoting which design they are. Ah, that feels so much better! 

Saturday morning I'm heading over to Parisi's Sewing Machine Repair in Danvers to pick up my new-to-me 1970s Necchi 575FA that I purchased from my friend Pam in 2014. It was her grandmother's and I'm so happy to give it a home, however, she has sat still for too long.  I just dropped it off on Tuesday and he called on Thursday to say it was ready and a really good machine. Off to check out http://www.gatherhereonline.com/ after work today - I definitely need to take some sewing lessons. After all, I need to make a few things for Maine. 
 

New Year, New Ambitions

2016 - because my birthday is 2/16, I've decided to take this as my magic year - just did, right now.  Back to work tomorrow after a very relaxing break. We will see what comes next.

flu, several feet of snow and a Super Bowl championship

It has been a while - since my hubby's birthday on January 11th - the last time I posted. I had the flu, the one that's going around with 3-4 days of sleep, then a wracking cough for a few weeks. In that time we have also had a 2+ foot snowstorm and another foot of snow today - and it's still coming down. Where we are going to put it, I don't know!  Oh, and last night the Patriots won the Super Bowl in a most amazing way. No need to talk about that here, but let's just say the end was amazing!

I have been working on a few pages that I've been enjoying for #DLP2015:

I also joined May Flaum's Finding the Art in my Journal online course - I have done a few pages for this too:

I have been doing some spinning, well, getting ready for some spinning too - prepping this lovely Miss Faye Shetland Lamb fleece - more to do, but I'm getting there using my new Ashford Wild Drum Carder:

All for now, time to go make another Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk with some yummy Roast Potatoes in my new Instant Pot! 

sick... this sucks!

So I got off to a great start this year, being busy, doing something creative, getting active, signing up for swimming lessons. And then it hit me. Friday night on my way home all I could think of was, I just can't wait to take a nap when I get home. That was it... and I went to bed for a short nap, woke up 3 hours later, and then back to bed - where I have pretty much spent the weekend. Oh, and it happens to be the hubby's birthday today. Hope that I feel good enough to go to work tomorrow. Ugh. 

do something creative, every day

I am not a "resolutioner" as my trainer called them today - we all know who/what they are - the people who join the gym and take up all of the treadmills for about 6 weeks - and then in mid-February we have our regular space back. I just can't use the word "resolution" - it doesn't work for me, I truly feel it is just setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. Nope, I just have some things that I'm going to try to keep doing on a regular basis and with any luck, it will cause happiness and improved mental and physical health. 

One of these things is to try to do something creative every day - be it spinning, knitting, art journaling, even if it's just putting some pictures in some pocket pages (did someone say Project Life?) and adding some stuff to tell the story. I know that I always feel better when I've spent a little crafty time - either here in my room or with friends. 

So today? Yup, just did it - I went to the gym and worked with my trainer after work and now I'm putting a few strokes across a page in one of my art journals. And now I think I'll sleep well tonight. All I hope is that I see some smiles in the elevator again tomorrow morning - that first "post shut-down glow" day is so enchanting! 

welcome to 2015

Well, here we go again! 2015 is here - and I'll be 48 next month.  How on earth did that happen? 

I decided to participate in a few things this year, starting with DLP2015. Page one is complete and I'm pretty happy with it. 

This page focused on using Book Pages and "being your own goalkeeper" - I loved the quote with the picture so much that I saved it and didn't paint over it. I found it in the Modern Medical Counselor from 1951. It is such a great message for the new year - "To close the day with a happy heart, and to find rest and sleep with a peaceful mind--these are two of the greatest blessings that help to maintain good health."This included a few pieces of my Gelli Prints too.