2011

Welcome 2011!

The beginning of a new year brings lots of hope and promise for me. I always like the start of a new year. There is just something about it that makes it feel like a fresh start. You can leave everything behind and learn from the last year.

Each year I usually choose a word or phase, a la Ali Edwards, "One Word." This year I didn't pour over her old blog entries about it. I didn't read through lists and lists of words. In fact I haven't read her blog in a while now, so I don't even know if she is doing it this year. The last couple of years I have chose a word and then didn't really focus on it. I might do that this year as well, who knows what the year will hold. But one word has been nagging at me. "Embrace." I realize that sounds like an odd word for anyone to choose. But I want to Embrace life. Embrace experiences. Embrace everything that happens. Embrace the every day things.

Aside from that I don't think I'm going to make any resolutions per say. I want to work on crossing somethings off of my Bucket List. You can find my Bucket List on Listology. The highlighted items are the ones that I have accomplished. Though I"m wondering if I should change them to a strike through. I will have to check that out. :)

Light Bulb Moment

Today I had a light bulb moment thanks to Noell Hyman from Paperclipping, which is a scrapbooking video podcast and live show. Today she posted an article on "How to be Organized with you have 29 Unfinished Projects."

That article is amazing. I mean I can organize and such, but who would have thought to organize your unfinished projects with all the materials needed to complete it?! Why didn't I think of that? DUH!

Next time I am at IKEA I am going to get some of the lovely 12x15 boxes, as Noell noted, they are amazing for storing 12x12 paper plus embellishments in! Once everything is contained in the box, you can simply grab it for a crop and go. WOW!

I am so inspired by this post! I can't wait to get all my unorganized, unfinished projects together!

Notes from picture: Taken last week while I was working on organizing my scrapbook room. Still lots to go, but some progress is being made! :D

List Love

I'm sure that I have titled many posts before "List Love" or something very similar. I just love lists. I know I get that from Ma and Grandma as they were always writing a list.

I remember one time Ma found one of Grandma's list. Grandpa read Grandma's lists, but didn't really help cross stuff off. Amongst all of the to-do's, Grandma was very busy, one item on her list was "fart." It makes me smile thinking about that. She had so much to get done that day, she didn't even have time to fart. :)

Today while going through my Google Reader, I noticed one of my favorite blogs had updates. Now this is a big thing, since they don't update all that often. The blog is called "To-Do List." On it there are pictures of peoples to do lists. I just love reading them. Maybe I have a bit of a voyeur in me.

For some reason today's post got me thinking about my lists. I write so many different lists, some electronically, some by hand. I'm wondering if I should randomly start saving them. I think that they capture part of my life. With my to do's and such. Would it be odd to save them? Or perhaps take a picture and save them? Maybe one day scrapbook them?

What are your thoughts on this?

Sleep

I need sleep tonight. Nothing has gone my way this evening. Ugh. Just a rough evening. Some nights I hate paying bills, lol.

But on the positive side of things, here is an inspiring quote that I found and love. :) It is so going to go in my book nook. :) I hope to post a real entry tomorrow. :)

"A home without books is a body without soul." ~Marcus Tullius Cicero

Decorating

Now that my apartment is all clean, I'm so excited to start decorating it! I'm going to go for a vintage inspired look.

Here are some things that I'm hoping to do, in list form, of course!

• I have a bunch of flour sack towels that Grandma embroidered. I'm planning to "frame" them in embroidery hoops, and hang them on the wall, pinning the backs so they are all in circle form. I'm debating about painting the wooden hoops, but I don't know for sure.
• I have an art print from a Twitter friend of a housewife, that I'm going to frame and hang in the dining room.
• I ordered a silk screened print of some beaters off of Etsy. That is going to be framed as well, and hang in the dining room. I want to paint that frame a turquoise/aqua color. My colors for the kitchen/dinging room/living room are going to be turquoise/aqua I think.
• One of my friends has a Cricut cartridge with a lot of vintage kitchen images. Since my cupboards are a cream color and are standard apartment issue, I'm going to cut some images out of vinyl and put on my cupboards to dress them up a bit. I think I even have all the vinyl I need!
• Dining room curtain needs to be made. I have the fabric for it! Red and white polka dots! Looks very vintage in my opinion! I'm kinda scared to make it though.
• The living room needs some "art" on the walls. I think I"m going to decorate some canvas. Either paint or use scrapbook paper in them. Best part, I already have the canvas and paint!
• I have my little reading nook almost all set up! All that it needs is a "curtain" to cover the door that leads into the water heater, etc. I already have this fabric, and I LOVE it!
• I want to get a print of books or something to hang behind my chair.
• Eventually I want to cover the chair that I have there. It's just an IKEA rocking chair, that is SO COMFY but I bought the cheapest cushion for it, and it's plain black. I need to find some fun fabric for it.
• In my hallway, I'm going to put the hope chest that Grandpa made me. I think above it I want to get an enlargement of a picture of Grandpa and I. I miss grandpa so much.
• I'm also tempted to do a "Photo Wall" on the wall that you can see directly from the living room.
• My bathroom is pretty much done, just want to get a couple things to put on the walls.
• My craftroom needs to be organized before I do anything. I have some pictures, knick knacks and such that I want to put up.
• My bedroom. I can't do much in there due to space. But I really want to get something on the wall above my head and the wall to the left of the bed. I don't know what though. My comforter is very pink and turquoise. I LOVE it. But I think when I finish my quilt that I've been working on for years, that will go on the bed. So I think I'm going to go a shabby/chic type thing. I don't know for sure though.

I have the decorating bug now. I've never really decorated before and I hope that I can pull stuff together like I imagine. I have a vision in my head that I want to get out. A little bit at a time. :)

The To Do List

Since I love my lists and I seem to focus better when I have everything I need to do down on a list, I thought I would post a list on everything I need to before Jessi picks me up on Friday to go to the retreat!!  I'm hoping to get 90% of it done tomorrow.

• Cut up & wash Fruit--Watermelon, Honey Dew, Cantaloupe, Pineapple
• Cup up & wash Veggies--Broccoli, Cauliflower, cucumber, tomato
• Make Veggie Pizza crust
• Put together Veggie Pizza
• Make Salsa
• Boil Potatoes for potato salad
• Boil eggs for potato salad
• Make potato salad
• Make Bread Crust Cuban, and normal loaf
• Make Cinnamon Buns (If I have time and everything here, I think I do.)
• Make Muffins
• Make run to RSC so fridge isn't overflowing--DON'T FORGET FREEZER ITEMS!!!!
• Make one more run to Sam's to get last minute things.  Must do Friday Morning.
• Take Jessi's Thicker Picture
• Find RSC Halloween Picture for Jessi
• Scan Great-Great Baker Grandparents in.
• Scan Grandma & Grandpa's Wedding pictures in along with invite, napkin, etc.
• Order pictures.  Don't forget Cullen pictures and Nancy picture.  Also find a good Bellywing picture.
• Finish Nancy SB page.--Will do at retreat.  It is packed.
• Finish packing SB stuff.  Go through paper.
• Pack clothes for retreat
• Pack bathroom stuff for retreat
• Don't forget to pack Jam and popcorn.
• Paint toenails
• Clean off kitchen table
• Wash dishes
• Put dishes away
• Do load of darks
• Fold laundry
• Clean up area by couch
• Tires checked at 4 p.m. at Fleet Farm Thursday.  Don't forget to look at Pressure Canner, Tiller, and container for cat litter.  
• Deal with glasses issue--start at Pearle--only if I have time.  Might do Monday.
• Sync iPod
• Don't forget Twilight!!!!
• Mail PBS book out
• FIND FAMILY TREE INFO--I put it in a such a safe spot I can't find it now....(Looked in SB room, safe, file cabinet.   If you were my family tree info where would you be?)

Idea

I was reading "The Real Photography" blog that I have followed for a long time and seen the most awesome idea!

Click here to see it! {You have to scroll down about 3/4 of the way.} Displaying fabric in embroidery hoops. I'm thinking that I could do something similar to this to display the Flour Sack Dish towels that my grandma and Jason's grandma have embroidered. I will never use them and want to display them somehow. I'm thinking I could simply pin the backs together so the fabric doesn't drape. Best part is they are super cheap at Hobby Lobby and I love the look!!!