Looooong Time Gone

Hi everybody! I know I've been gone for oh half a year or so but I'm going to try and be back now. It has been a whirlwind of a year so far. My fiance's dad passed, I have wedding plans coming out my rear, we recently took in a foster pup, and the house projects never seem to end!

So here's a little picture update on my year so far...

My boys.

My foster boy.

 

Reupholstered and repainted chairs...

Bird cage I found at the thrift store to use as a card drop for the wedding.

I hope everyone is having a great year so far!





Mourning Mix

In dealing with multiple pet deaths, a miscarriage, and now my father-in-law's death I have been through the journey of grief more than I care to over the past year. It is a tricky thing, grief. There is no right or wrong way to deal with death. There are certainly actions and reactions to death that society has deemed permissible and still others that it has deemed preferential. 

With the pet deaths and miscarriage I felt very much on my own in dealing with my grief. There are not a lot of resources out there regarding these topics. Among other things, I turned to music.

I compiled a list of songs that I dubbed my "Mourning Mix". I thought I'd share it with you. I hope it brings you as much peace as it did me.

1. Angel (Sarah Mclachlan)

2. Beauty From Pain (Superchick)  

3. Let It Be (Beatles)

4. Open Your Eyes (Snow Patrol)

5. If I Die Young (The Band Perry)

6. Winter Song (Sara Barreilles & Ingrid Michaelson)

7. Only The Good Die Young (Billy Joel)

8. Old Man (Neil Young)

9. Hallelujah (Willie Nelson)

10. You're Missing (Bruce Springsteen)

11. Long as I Can See the Light (Creedence Clearwater Revival)



Thoughts and Prayers

Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers. My fiance's dad passed away suddenly yesterday morning. He was a great man and we already miss him. Life will never be the same.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

I developed some new loves (or as the fiance likes to call them obsessions) in 2010. I fully expect them to follow me into 2011. Here's a list of my top five...



1. Harry Potter. The books. The movies. The characters. I love it all. I am currently on the fourth book and I just can't get enough of it!

(Image courtesy of czechfolks.com)

2. Glee. Yes somewhere along the way last year I fell in love with the hilariously entertaining lives of the McKinley High Glee Club's misfits. I'm a dork Gleek.

 (Image courtsey of pinartarhan.com)

3. Sewing. One of my many new hobbies It's fun. It's a money saver. And I'm not entirely bad at it. 

(Image courtesy of pinklovesbrown.com)

4. Chalkboard paint. Love this stuff. On anything. And everything.

(Image courtesy of rustoleum.com)

5. Junking. I have always been a pretty serious thrifter. Then I discovered junking. And it's pretty much the coolest hobby ever. My visit to the Oronoco Gold Rush Days and Junk Bonanza sealed my fate.

(Image courtesy of me)

(Image courtesey of me)



What about you? What new loves did you pick up in 2010 that you will carry with you into 2011? New hobbies? TV shows? Events? Places?

2011 New Year's Resolutions...

Like most of you, I too have made some resolutions for this year. Here are my top five...

1. (This one's pretty obvious :)  ) Get in shape for my wedding in September.

2. Finish one room every month (or two).

3. Volunteer more.

4. Pay off at least two credit cards.

5. Start a new Project 365 and post one picture every day for a year. (Check out the new and improved Project 365 tab at the top!)

Very Merry Christmas to You!

Hello all! I'm sorry it's been so long... As I'm sure most of you can relate, I have been very busy these past couple of months. So here's a little peak at what I was working on...

My mom commissioned me to make Christmas gifts for all of her board members at work. And as I have mentioned before, I love love love chalkboard paint! So I thought I would make everyone a chalkboard vase. I'm also new to sewing so I sewed a little pouch to hold the handmade felt eraser, two pieces of chalk, and instructions on how to care for the vase.

I sewed the 5X3 inch pouch from some material that is both festive and good for year-round display. I cut some Velcro to size and glued it on the inside of the pouch so it would stay closed. I then glued a button on the front. I then cut a 3X3 inch square out of black felt and glued a ribbon and buttons in the center that serve as the handle. I printed "care" instructions from the computer and glued them onto a file folder (you know those whitish ones?). I used a crinkle patterned scissors to cut the instructions out and a hole punch to punch a single hole through all three pieces. I then used a small piece of hemp string to tie them all together. I folded the eraser in half and stuffed it, the chalk, and the instructions into the pouch.

The vases were all purchased from the thrift store. (If you're trying this at home make sure to use smooth surfaced vases to ensure a smooth writing surface for the chalk.) I used a can of spray chalkboard paint and painted all the vases at once.

Final product...

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!

Be Back Soon...