Saturday, December 31, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

So, do you have your plans set out for the next 365 days!!??
I do!!

And   I am going to start this year off with great wishes for everyone to have a HAPPY NEW YEAR and all the best to you and yours!!!

May tomorrow and the days after bring you all the joys that you can handle and fill you with peace and happiness.  Have a great Sunday and welcome to 2012!!!

Friday, December 30, 2011

Half done Step 4 of Orca Mystery!!

I have been sewing for hours today!! And I am happy to report, I am making progress on the Orca Mystery!!
I finally decided to shut it down for the night, and since I do not have a clock in my sewing room, it is not as late as I thought it was!!  I was thinking it was past 10 o'clock, close to 11 - but was happy to see it's only 9:40!!!   So, that is pretty good then. I can still  'do something'!! ;-)

I am hoping to have more done tomorrow - so that when the final step of the mystery is posted on New Years Day - I will at least feel like I have a good chance of finishing it really soon!!!

And with that, I am off the computer and maybe read something fun!!!  Night all!!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

New Year Word!

Well, I think I have found my word.  "Organize"

I have been thinking about it since I read the blog about this idea yesterday, and I could not think of a word that would describe what I want in life for the next year......  Then today, I had this word, which I realized had been stewing in my brain for awhile now, and it describes exactly what I am craving in my life.

I want to have my sewing room feel like a retreat.  An escape.  A place of peace and calm.  Invigorating. Tidy.  Easy to manage.  In a word:  Organized!

My bedroom: Calm. Peaceful.  Not a dumping ground for things without a home.  A place where I can light candles at night, read a book, listen to music.  Go to bed in an inviting place and wake up in one that is open to the new day!!  In a word: Organized.

My house - every room from Kitchen to Laundry, Bathroom to Living rooms - and this included the yard.  What do I want??  A place that invites you in and welcomes you. A place where what you are looking for is easy to find, and if need be, easy to replace because you can tell you need something!!  A place that is easy to clean, easy to decorate, easy to live in.  A place where you feel comfort and love, a place that is your refuge.  A place that I can call home and not the 'place I live in'.
If it was organized, would that help?  Wouldn't hurt!  So yes, that word works here too!!!

My hobbies, my home, my book keeping (or lack there of...!), my collections, my meal planning/freezer meals/baking, food storage, storage of anything, getting things done.... the list could just go on and on...... all benefit from this simple little word.

So my word of the year for 2012 - ORGANIZE!!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

I have sewn today!!

I am lovin' my new iPod!!  I am still not sure of everything it does, and sometimes I can't figure out how to make it do what I want it to, but, I am loving that when I have a book I want to 'read' it just talks me through it!!!  And does not stop!!! Love it!!!!

I am still on Step 3 of Bonnie Hunters Orca mystery - I will get it done!!  And no, I have not made any blks in the the next steps like she recommends - I just want to pretend I am not behind!!

And, I found couple new blogs to follow today.  One I found through Pat Sloan's blog, Ali Edwards, One Little Word.  It is talking about choosing a word for the next year that speaks to you - any word that just comes to you and makes you feel something.  Pat talks about words she has chosen (Ali has been doing this for a few years now) and I think it  is a neat idea.  No, I have not picked a word  - but I am going to.....

I would love to start living the life I want........ And what does that mean???  Well,  I sometimes feel empty, stressed, angry for no real reason, frustration, unbelievably happy, and one weekend in Sept, I spent the whole weekend crying!!!!  And when I talked to someone about it (yes - I did!), he told me that I was grieving my childhood, and it was something I had to let myself do.  And, < heavy sigh> I am finding I am thinking of me now - what I want (hence the iPod the other day!!!).  What do I want?? (hate that question!!!  I never know how to answer!!! It is an easy question, but I struggle with it!!!)  So, this is something I am working on.  What do I want?  One, to know what I want.  To not second guess myself.  And to do what will make me happy - if that is watching a movie, reading a book, making meals for the freezer, baking - does not matter what is it, but I want to start doing things for me - and if I am happy, that joy will spread to my family and friends!!!

So, I am going to find my 'word' and put it up on my mirror, in my sewing room, in my wallet, and keep it front and center, available to me in the new year, and see what happens.  Hmmmmmm, wounder what  the word will be???

Here is a my One Block Wounder - I have all the blks ready to be sewn into a queen size quilt.  No more fabric to use as a border though!!  What was I not thinking!!!  But this, along with MANY others, is something I want to finish this year.   Goal #1 - Do my projects!!!

And one day (soon!!) I will post my projects that I want done.
AND
I will post pics of the quilt I have that need binding on them.... maybe so you can see them, I will post the pics  before I bind them!!!  

Bird, bird, bird is the word!!!

But it's not my word!!!!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Book Recommendation!!

I am back.
Do you read?  I do, but I also like to listen to books and yesterday, I bought myself a present... I am the proud owner of and Ipod!!  I have never had one before, and I have been thinking about it for awhile now and I picked one up!
Well, my daughters are each 'helping' me figure this thing out!!!  I ended up with my 'libray' of books loading on it today!!!  I thought I didn't want that - BUT - I am right now listening to a book I have not listened to before - and I am laughing!!  So, I am on here to tell you to check it out!!
I got it off of Audible - and I was going to stop my subscription, but now, I am thinking it's a good thing!!
This book is called: "The Power of Joy" by Christiane Northrup M.D.
"How the deliberate pursuit of pleasure can heal your life"


hmmmm, my 'book' just did its own funky thing - is it starting over or - I don't know!!! this is why I thought having it on an MP3 thing might work better than the CD's I've tried to burn.... on the CD's the books seemed to be all mixed up - now it seems to have done it again., Yes, it has restarted!  And I don't think I have the whole book......  Well, what I did have was really good - and once I figure this out (I hope I do!!!_)  I know I will enjoy the whole book!! I think I might just get myself a 'hard' copy!!

Going again!!  Bye!!

It's been a MONTH!!??!

I just logged on, like I have been doing to see what others are doing and enjoying myself...; when today, I realized - it's been a month since I have written anything!!!  Uh - ooops!?!  What have I been doing??? NOT sewing, that is for sure!!!  Shopping, yes, I have done that.  Dreading Christmas?? A little...... BUT!!  I got through it and wondered why I thought it was going to be so hard.  It wasn't.  Nothing bad happened, gifts were given and received and the turkey even came out moist!!!

I have been thinking of the New Year though.  A new 12 months to live in. Doing what????  Well.  Finishing things - and - big AND!!!!  Creating things to make my house a home.    I need a Christmas tree skirt.  I am planning on making something for Christmas every month this year - and I think I will start with a skirt in January!!

And I am planning on working diligently on my UFO list - I have 40+ already written down, and I am sure I have things that I have forgotten about........ Every month, I am pulling a 'thing' out of my draw bucket - and what ever I pull - that is what I have to have done by the end of the month!!!!  So,  I, who does not seem to finish ANYTHING.... is planning on having at least 12 things DONE by the end of the year.  I want to have more than that done, but at least the 12 UFO's so I can get these things OFF MY LIST!!! (The list that written write  on it about 3-4 yrs ago "do not add to this list" - has had things put on it anyway...... Not a good thing.  Not at all.  It is embarrassing how long some of these projects have been aging....  Things get better with age right??? Uh, not always.......)

It is funny how little things can make big changes in a persons life.  My friend and I were talking and I want her to call me on the thing I say I want to do, and she will find out if I am actually doing them.  Be accountable.  If I know she will ask, I will probably do it more than if I just keep it to myself.......... And it is the small things that will make a big difference for me.  My 20 minutes of sewing a day is a huge impact on my progress of things.  Things just seem to keep moving along.  When I don't sew, I forget where I was, what I was doing and what is that for??????    Twenty minutes is not much time at all - but it is better than not sewing at all!!

So, if I can do 20 minutes of sewing time, where else can I make the commitment to myself?  Exercise??  Baking?? Freezer meals??  Doing Housework??  hmmmmmm.  All things I want to do - regularly , but don't.  Why not????

Bad Habits.  So.  Lets work on creating Good Habits.  Ones that support my ideas and dreams. Ones that build me up instead of making my feel like I have failed.    Ones that create the life I say I want to live.

On the Bonnie Hunter Orca mystery, I am on Step 3 - have printed off the others, but I have not worked on them yet.  I haven't been sewing!!!!   And I have to be caught up in my sewing commitment by the end of the year - start 2012 with a clean slate and ready to rock!!!!

So, here is my commitment - in case I forget!!
1)  A Christmas item every month:  tree skirt; place mats; table runners; mug rugs; wall hanging; fabric     bowls;   I have more, but this is a good start!!!
2)  All UFO's numbered and numbers put in a bowl - draw a number every month.  Goal - to have it done in that month.  FINISHED!!
3) Keep working on my projects I have going right now - Orca mystery, quilts that need binding (5 right now!) My word wall hanging, finish off my Halloween borders, and the coffee quilt borders...... what else????

Wow, this already feels overwhelming.......

And besides that I want to cook, clean and exercise!!!!  Know what?? I can do it.  I know I can!!

Come along for the ride and let me know when you think I have gotten off track!!! ;-)

I wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!