it's a new year!

well it's a new year and I want to try to blog again! usually the blog is the first to go when life gets busy. Its a new year, new perspective and new life happenings right? or really its all the same and just making the changes we want to make.
I of course have made my goals...running (and losing 20 pounds), sewing/quilting, scrapbooking and home improvements and my horses, and my ASL and reading more.

as far as my running goes, I go at it good for months and then all of a sudden I get busy and stop and have a hard time getting started again. For example, this past Nov, I did 2 5k's, I ran one time in Dec and well it's Jan 20 and I still haven't ran.  I have a few reasons (don't we all?!!) but I am using Jan as a sort of recovery month for myself, just to get basically caught up in areas, then do a little towards the end of Jan and be going full force by Feb.

Sewing/Quilting...well I have told a few friends that I want this year to be the year of quilting, I want to do at least 6 quilts this year, might not seem like a lot to some of you but to me it is HUGE. I still want to focus on small project sewing, table runners, zip pouches and handmade items (for Etsy too?), but I want this year to be all about the quilts! I want my quilts all over my home. I plan and am doing a couple of quilt alongs also, or sewing with friends :) I have sewn a lot of little projects the past 2 months, I will share those soon!

Scrapbooking, I miss scrapbooking badly!  Scrapbooking was my first crafty love! I have so much stuff, I am not lacking, I just need to do it! and get more of my pictures organized :) which I think in return help with my scrapbooking. Maybe do a few challenges with friends.

Home improvements, well the list has been made for all the rooms in the house and outside.  The major cleanups I want to do and the improvements, and hopefully buy a few new items for the house (flooring, flat screen, something for the new flat screen to sit on or just be below it!)

my horses, my sweet and oh so stubborn horse! I want to be riding more! I want to be more confident! I still want to try and play around with barrel racing, nothing too crazy, just have fun!

my signing (ASL) ever since I stopped taking my lessons and going to school, like the saying goes.."you don't use it, you lose it" I am afraid that is happening,  I did talk to my past teacher that I have done lessons with and maybe I can do some more. I also have been trying to practice by myself a minimum 2-3 times a week.

As far as reading, I want to take the time to read more, I notice I get somewhat cranky when I don't get to dive into a book. Also to be involved in a new Bible Study :) We are back with our old church (it's been 6 years!)  and meeting new people, God is good and He works wonders.

Its all exciting! I think I always feel like a fresh start is good, a time to do better and always to rely on God. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4-13

overy my head in projects

  seriously!  do you ever say "if I wouldn't of committed to this"  or "if I wouldn't of wasted my time" (on Pinterest and words with friends hee!)  so on and so on... that you would have half those projects done? especially when you really want to make time for Randi's May sew along (which I LOVE each month) and now possibly this small projects sew along and have totally slacked on better my home challenge, which would have really helped me tons if I would have kept up!

I have attended a good friends adoption ceremony, which was beautiful, I have done some training with the horses but not ridden enough,  gone to A LOT of track meets and I stopped being a recluse and finally made time for a couple of dates with a few different friends AND have had to do too many college forms and scholarship applications with Zach, can you believe he graduates high school this month?!! a lot mixed feelings about that.

Basically, I want to sew, and I mean sew a lot this month, I also have a few home projects I want to accomplish and I am using the date of May  24-26 as an inspiration deadline since we are having Zachs graduation party!!!

have you checked out Randi's sew along this month? a super cute lap sized quilt!  can't decide if I am using white background with possibly oranges, blues and greens? if you know me, I will probably change my mind :)

                          

as for crazy mom quilts small projects sew along here is my list, I am sure I won't get everything done, but it's a list and I am good at making lists and not getting all things done :)

                                                                 

1. frame pouch #1
2. frame pouch #2
3. kitchen towells
4. fabric coasters
5. kitchen curtain (simple cafe style)
6. table runner for dining room table
7. bunting/garland #1
8. bunting/garland #2
9. dish drying pad (my dishwasher broke 2 months ago!)
10. finish up rest of sofa pillows
11. burp cloths #1
12. burp cloths #2
13. pillows for bedroom?
14. start quilt for Zach (this is big, not small!)
15. zip pouch office aid #1
16. zip pouch office aid # 2
17. zip pouch office aid #3
18. zip pouch #4
19. zip pouch #5
20. kitchen rug?
21. mothers day gift
22. kindle case #1
23. kindle case #2

also, when I became addicted to Pinterest, I told some friends if I want to spend (waste) time on pinning, I need to actually do a 3-5 projects a month that I pin. I have made 2 meals from recipes I found and then I did this the other night, I love how it turned it, I may need to go find more rocks that we have brought home from various camping/hunting/picnic trips and stamp words on them now!
                      

lets get busy sewing!

New year goals and such :)

  Like everyone else, I can't believe it's 2012, 2011 flew by so fast it seems, I really hope that 2012 goes a tad slower and that I still remember to slow down and enjoy all it's blessings and just to remember God is in control of it all.
Of course like most....I want to make new goals, start fresh and all that, but of course I could have done that 6 months ago (hee hee!) but didn't, so with everyone else, I have a few to list...

as far as personal goals

• read my Bible everyday
• take time to read a book a month (I used to read tons, last couple of years, not so much and I really miss it!)
• sew more...in Dec, sewed more than I did most of the year, I need to make the time, mostly sew more quilts
• exercise more...I do pretty good but the past couple of months, I run really good for a month or 2 then quit for a month
• open that Etsy shop?!!
• scrapbook more (I miss my scrapbooking)
• organize and print my pics
• practice my ASL more
• my house projects (big and small)
• more horse training and riding...and perhaps gymkhana?!! (I need not to be a weenie about this!)

Speaking of house projects, Heather is doing a Better Home Challenge, kind of exactly what I need!
I have big projects I do want to conquor but also A LOT of organizing and getting rid of *stuff*.
You can list 12 areas/rooms and do one a month, on the bigger projects is what I am going to list, but I have areas that I have a list also that I want to get done in the next 2 months or so in each room. On the big areas, its for bigger projects and/or cost of those areas.

my big area items are

• Living room/dining room area
• craft room
• our bedroom
• Zachs room (now that he is getting ready to graduate and start college)
• kitchen
• hallways (and hallway closet)
• outside (back)
• outside (front)
• outside (side pasture area for horses)
• outside (new garden area)
• front bathroom
• front porch area

PHEW!!!

This week, Jim goes back to work (Tues) and Zach goes back to school (Wed) and it's been fun having them home for over 2 weeks, but I do look forward getting back on a schedule and getting started on different projects (home and sewing) and having my house clean again!

Pieces...

Pieces of life (Jim & Zach), home, school, sewing, scrapbooking, computer.....all are keeping me so busy! I love it all  and sooo thoroughly blessed!  not enough sewing going on and definetly not enough scrapbooking (I really miss it!) and not as much running as I need and should be doing! but those are all secondary to God, my family and keeping up my home :) school is going good, I love it and like I always say, it's hard and very challenging but so fun learning something I love! then there is the computer, which I let take too much of my time!

for those few of you that read my little blog, you like my new banner? isn't that little bird so cute?!!Michelle designed it for me and she also did an etsy banner (in case I ever get brave enough to open up shop!) Thanks again Michelle! you are such a sweetie for everything! check out Michelles portfolio

A few things I wanted to blog about is my one little word for 2011, I have thought about a few different words to choose right before the new year started and this year my word is going to be STRONG.  Last year it was intentional. I have so much work to do in my personal areas of life to be strong in and I know if I completly rely on God, I know I can do all the things I want to do in life :) Just like one of my favorite verses, Phil 4-13  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Now on to the craftyness!

                                

a quilt a long! PS I quilt - quilt a long I am doing! I acutally decided to do the same fabric that she is using, why? because I LOVE everything that Sweetwater produces! look at this yummy sunkissed fabric!

                                

It's going to be paired with another Moda Bella Solid White Jelly Roll and the backing and binding will be these fabrics

                                                                  backing
                                

                                                                 binding
                                

I am a little behind this week starting it due to me ordering it late but I will hopefully play catch up next week :) Don't laugh Di, I will do this one! hee hee!

Another craft challenge I want to do is the Craft book Challenge, anyone of my crafty friends know that love buying any craft related book, from scrapbooking to sewing to embroidery (my latest crafty adventure!)
anyways, I figure I can do that challenge plus use up fabric and all my scrapbooking paper, join me!!! lets encourage each other!!!

Anyways, enough babbling!

Happy New Year!

I know it's Jan 3, but I consider this my first day of the new year! my schedule is back on track, I did love Jim and Zach being home for 2 weeks but I like my schedule too, just the thought of getting the house back in order, decluttering, making new plans, life changes or resolutions, getting organized and starting new crafts! it's all very exciting to me and I feel so inspired :) I really should pretend to have a "New Years" every few months to keep myself motivated! ;)

Here are some things I want to do, change, conquor...or whatever.... lol

• I would love to run more again, if a person gets pretty much in shape and loses almost 15 pounds, why would they quit and gain the weight back?  it was not easy for me to lose those 15 pounds either, this girl likes to eat :) yes that dummy would be me! geez, I was really dying running the 3 miles today, someone kick me next time okay?!! but at least I ran today, it's a start! :)

• I would love to find a church family again, I miss our old church, I miss the people, thank God we still are able to be around some of them!  I know it can't be the same again but I get sick of bouncing around from a few different churches, I love that Zach has his youth group to go to and that we attend that same church, I just want to feel at home there ya know?

• I really want to keep up my blog, can I handle posting once a week?!! ha! maybe I can bribe others to do it with me since they have blogs and don't keep them up either, you out there know who I am talking too :)

• My garden...oh I miss my garden! I love to garden, why have I not gardened lately? I miss my huge abundance of cherry tomatoes, I miss all my trials of new veggies, I miss thinking of my dad and mom since they loved to garden so much, sooo I am going to do my garden and keep it going, I am not going to let other things get in the way! I am going to start preparing the soil in about 2 weeks, March will be here soon!

• Decluttering....(rolling my eyes here) yes I NEED to declutter every room of my home or I am seriously going to end up on that show Hoarders ;)

• Crafting...I really miss my scrapbooking since sewing has taken over! I want to scrapbook more and still sew!

• I would love to use my camera better! anyone who has this nice of a camera should know more about manual mode! especially since I have had it a few years now...again, I am lame

• I want to keep learning my ASL! I LOVE it, sometimes I get so fustrated when something doesn't come easier to me but I am loving everything I am learning, it's so fun and inspiring and it's something that I have ALWAYS wanted to do and am actually doing it! its a dream come true...seriously!

• and of course, work on my confidence and my worrying. These past few months I have been letting the worrying really control me and get in the way and run my life and emotions. I really need to remember I have no control over what others think or do, I need to live my life,  but between relying on God and doing things like learning ASL and exercising more I think my confidence will rise and my worrying will lessen? I hope so!

The one that I might slack the most on is my learning to use my camera better...the others are what I used to do just need to start again!

Anyways...enough of all that! Christmas was good, nice and quiet. We did go to San Manuel on another day to see the kids and grandkids, we had a really nice time, as always... :)

Aren't Madi and Raelynns little crocheted hats the cutest on them? my friend Dianne made them! Thanks again Di!

oh and one other thing, Jim put some new shelves up in my craft closet and I have been organizing my craft room, I am sooo inspired and can't wait till I organize all my crafty fun stuff! I will show pictures soon!