Resolutions, Goals, To Do lists?

It is the second week in January, do you know where your Resolutions are? Mine are still in my head. I haven't really finalized my goals for the year. Of course the usual suspects of weight, exercise, eating well are all on the list. Keeping up on projects and housework are also on the list. I want to FINISH things this year.

First, I have pulled out my FLYLADY info to get me going on the housework end of things. Do you know about Flylady.net? It is a wonderful place to learn simple, straight forward habits to keep clutter tamed and your house together. I had been using her Zones and daily tasks. The last year or so I became more lax and needed a tune up on my personal lists and tasks. I pulled down her suggestions and tweaked them to fit my house, family, activities, and schedules. I then typed them, printed them and mounted each Zone and daily list on scrapbook paper. This was mounted to thin card stock and all of it was laminated. I bound the pages into two booklets, one for the Zones (weekly focus), and the other basic daily/weekly tasks. Since it is all laminated, I can use a dry erase or visa vi pen to check things off, cleaning them with a damp paper towel at the end of the week. I am hanging them on the refrigerator for easy access and constant visibility.



Flylady.net Zone lists.



Daily Checklists.

As you can see in the Daily list, I actually added a chunk of time for one of my many hobbies. I am hoping if I dedicate a specific time each week to various interests, I might actually get something done. Check out Flylady.net. There are many wonderful ideas and helpful hints to help you get your life uncluttered.

I also finished two placements I promised a friend.  These were an unfinished project or UFO, floating around my sewing room.

 

One project checked off the list but several dozen more to go.

 

I can't very well leave this post with just boring old goal setting, house cleaning tips and unfinished projects. I had a kick yesterday at a "Fan Event" for the upcoming STARZ original series, "Outlander." This series is based on the book series by the same name, by Diana Gabaldon. This is one of my all-time favorite sets of books. It has a little something for everyone, mystery, intrigue, time travel, romance, and history. Oh, and a really hunky hero, Jamie.

Yesterday, Diana, Ron Moore (producer), Caitriona Balfe (Claire Randall), Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) held a gathering and tea for fans of the books. I traveled to Los Angeles with two coworkers. We were joined by a red headed, kilt wearing chauffer, my husband Dennis. We had a wonderful time hearing about how filming is going, how they first heard of the books, and even a few little tidbits of the first season.

 



Ron, Diana, Caitriona, Sam



The spread for Tea.

 

   If reading more is on your goals for the year, may I suggest Outlander, and the rest of the series. As for the other things on your lists, I hope you accomplish all you set your mind to this year.

20 Wonderful Years!

Today I celebrate 20 wonderful years of marriage to my awesome husband, Dennis. I am so glad that he was as flamboyant as he was 33 years ago, or we probably wouldn't have met. Yes, we dated for 13 years before getting married. Here he is in front of his first car, 57 Chevy Nomad wagon. Loved that car! (and his waist length red hair)


I bore you with this story because the project I share today celebrates our 20th anniversary. I thought it would be fun to make a small album for him that chronicled our marriage and dating history. I designed the base pages in Cricut Craft Room (used Mickey Font & George and Basic Shapes carts) exported the file to my Gypsy and then cut it on my Expression. I cut thin card stock for the pages. The book is about 5.5" x 11.5". I cut two copies of each page out of two sided printed card stock from the My Mind's Eye "29th Street Market" line. By cutting two pieces from the same paper, I ended up with one for the front of the page with a pattern, and one for the back of the page that was a coordinated solid color. Lastly I cut out just the letters from the coordinating backsides of the card stock used, inked with the brown CM chalk ink, and adhered these to the front of each page.

If you cannot make out the letters of the pages it spells out "My HEART".  I used each letter to dictate the type of pictures to include in that section.

Happiness and laughter

my Everything

Adventures

Romance

Together

last pages

back of the book

I bound the pages using my Cinch and 1" wires. I used brads, BoBunny Ribbon, pop dots and a few scraps of things to embellish the pages. I found a few charms to add the front. (I may have to stop and look for a few more at my favorite LSS - Scrapbook Garden --while I am out this morning.) Lastly, I added a few dots to each of the letters using Pearl Pens in Kiwi and Cream.

Happy New Year and Resolutions for me!

It is January 1, 2011. A day of relaxation in our household. We have had the Christmas decorating and celebrations. Then we had the New Year's revelry last night. In our case this includes a day of car crashes and hillarity. No not our real cars...My hubby loves toys, so he has collectd an aray of slot cars, and trains to play with. So with friends and family we set up a large 8 lane track. The races are hillarious. But it is no fun until there are spectacular crashes and parts flying... This morning we woke up to our other holiday tradition, Rose Parade, cozy fire, and cinnomon rolls. Every year we start a fire, put the cinnomon rolls on and watch the Rose Parade. Usually we have to watch some of the rebroadcast because we fall asleep on the couch but that is part of the tradition too.

Now it is time to reflect and regroup. I spent 2 days this week cleaning and reorganizing my paper crafting and sewing areas, materials, and unfinished projects. So now I am ready to tackle those resolutions or goals for 2011.

I have decided to divide my "public" goals into two categories, crafting and other.
For Crafting Goals:
1. I will make a minimum of one Blog post a week, consistancy counts.
2. I will enter the Cricut Circle Weekly Blog Challenges, at least once a month.
3. I will enter the Cricut Circle Monthly Blog or Cricut Circle Magazine Challenges 6 times within 2011
4. I will complete the 3 albums I have in the works at the moment.
5. I will complete at least 4 quilt tops and one of my art quilts this year.
Because of these,
6. I will find time weekly to do something craft related, and will get together at least 10 times this year with friends for a crop day!

On the Cricut Circle Message Boards, I have set these goals for the month of January, for the Use What You Have (don't buy anything) challenge:

• Order about 2000 prints before the 3rd
• - I have not printed photos for 2 years minus my daughter's wedding in April
• - I am NOT spending money. I have a bunch of prepaid prints that all expire on the 3rd
• Make at least 15 of 30 needed Valentine Cards for my students
• Use 2 previously unused carts for cards or layouts
• - Hello Kitty, Greetings
• - Beyond Birthdays
• Make at least one blog post a week- showing off my work...
• Enter one of the weekly blog challenges - using something from above

Other Goals:
1. Begin FLYing around my house again! Yep, you have read this right. A few years ago a friend introduced me to the FlyLady and here Shiny Sink concept. I really don't like house work as it seems to get piled into one day a week or two...The FlyLady has a great way of breaking down the chore of house cleaning into manageble daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. You can learn more at http://www.flylady.net/ . Will you be FLYing this year?
2. The second big household issue is stated in a question heard almost everywhere, "What's for Dinner?" I plan to subscribe to Leanne Ely's "Saving Dinner" Menus. Leanne is a nutritionalist that creates great recipes for a weeks worth of dinners. You can subscribe to menues for a variety of sized families from 2, to 4, to large family. She also makes menues for those who are trying to lose weight... You can find her at http://www.savingdinner.com/

You are My Shining Star Quilt

Yesterday my hubby and I had dinner with our "daughter" and her hubby (newlyweds) to catch up on life as a wedded couple... But before I go into that, I should probably explain why there are quotations around the word Daughter. Ivette is one of my former students - 19 years ago, in 4th grade. Her mother and I became friends over the years that Ivette and her siblings were at the school. As Ivette grew up it became evident to her mother and I that Ivette's social style (personality) was much more like mine than her mother's. This lead to many phone calls in which mom would hand the phone to Ivette and say, "Talk to your other mom," or "What is Ivette thinking? I don't get it?" --to which I would explain why people like Ivette (and me) would react a certain way. Needless to say supporting Ivette and her mom has been a highlight of our life. We would not trade any of it. She has been such a special part of our lives. We have been there to support all of the wonderful things Ivette has done. We love her dearly and are so proud of the poised, intelligent, successful young woman she has become.

For her wedding I wanted to make a quilt. The only thing I asked of the happy couple, was what colors? Ivette and I narrowed it down to the colors of their wedding - Black, White, and Teal. The black and white fabric was easy. Finding the right teal was a bit trickier. Finally found a few in the new Hoffmann Challenge Fab. Line. that matched well.

  Then for pattern. Something striking I think. How about a Lone Star with a twist (Larger inset diamonds). I found the pattern in "Lone Star Quilts & Beyond" by Jan Krentz . Here is the base star block.

And here is the finished quilt. I love the gradation of color in the black and white dot fabric I found for the setting pieces, and the "glow" of the thin teal strip circling the star.

I had it quilted by LongArm Quilter, and friend, Livinia Rosas. Here are some shots of some of the quilting. I love how Livinia worked various designs into the different shapes of the quilt (diamonds, setting squares, boarders.... )

The center of the quilt.

Setting square.

Borders.

Shining Star Quilt (because she is our shining star) with the newlyweds!

Let Me Introduce Myself - A Profile Expanded - Scrapbooking

I am an Elementary School Teacher, part time Assistant Principal. I have taught for more than 20 years in this district, as well as 2 in Japan. I have taught all grades K – 6th , but enjoy 2nd through 4th the most. I have always kept journals and created scrapbooks. Approximately 18 years ago I was introduced to Creative Memories Photo Album/Scrapbooks, about the only choices back then. I loved the removable pages and the longevity of the product. I was hooked, a way to combine both. I figured I would do my wedding album. Funny, I did not even start that album until 2 years ago.

Since then, I have completed more than 35 albums. I have 4 more in the works right now. My style has changed, but then so have the tools of the trade. When I started, we would take our acid free papers to work and cut shapes from the Ellison Die Cut machine. Rather limiting. Mrs. Grossman was the only sticker maker available, and printed and textured papers were very rare. Now, the array of tools, paper, embellishments, and even album style choices has expanded. I now have a Cricut Expression, instead of the Ellison at work. Here are few examples of what I am talking about.

One of my first pages:

A few from my last completed album, with a few simple flourishes from my Cricut: