FOR TODAY… December 21 2009

Outside my window… Darkness.The longest night of the year

I am thinking…that I am finally on the road to recovery

I am thankful for…DayQuil

I am wearing... blue tshirt, striped pj bottoms my snuggie and chinchilla slippers

I am remembering…solstice celebrations of years past

I am going…to bed soon. Im still not 100%

I am currently reading… Dead and Gone

I am hoping… to be back in good health soon.

On my mind…my nephew Noah who just turned 1

Noticing that… my little christmas tree is leaning

Pondering … When i will feel well enough to finish Christmas shopping and get everything mailed out

From the kitchen… chicken tenders, butter beans and mashed potatoes. A HUGE step up from Jello.

Around the house… STILL a giant mess.

One of my favorite things… Puffs Plus with lotion.

From my picture journal…None Ive been to sick to even get out of bed since thursday

So Ive been reading my friend Theresa's blog for a while and love how she posts her daybook posts every monday. I love seeing just a little peek into her life and love the concept have having a quick snapshot of every week. So I am going to follow her lead and post my own Monday Daybook. So here we go!

FOR TODAY… December 14 2009

Outside my window… Fog. Lots and lots of Fog.

I am thinking…About how I wish I was more in a Christmasy mood this year. Im feeling pretty Bah Humbug about it all.

I am thankful for…Friends who are there to listen when I need to just whine.

I am wearing... jeans my black alpine sweater and black balet flats.

I am remembering… that i need to call my aunt to check in on her since her PC is dead

I am going… to dinner with T & Bella!!!!!

I am currently reading… I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. I just finished She's Come Undone and am in love with both books.

I am hoping… that I can get up the energy to finish Christmas shopping and get everything mailed off ASAP.

On my mind…my lack of preparedness for Christmas this year

Noticing that… I really really need a vacation.

Pondering … When I will get to see my family again. I miss them already.

From the kitchen… out to Enzo's tonight so probably Siscilian pizza.

Around the house… a giant mess.

One of my favorite things…My super comfy super snuggly super warm robe P got me for my borthday. I lived in it all weekend long.

From my picture journal…

About 2 years ago P bought me a very basic sewing machine because he had heard me mention that I would love to be able to make basic things as well as use it for scrapbooking. After breaking 4 needles, finally sloppily hemming a pair of pants, creating a giant knot of thread in my bobbin compartment and finally doing something to completely break the machine I figured it was time to take a lesson. Well that and I am tired of paying $$$$ for basic doll clothes.

So Wednesday after work off to the Atlanta Sewing Center I went for Sewing 101. The instructor Carol was super nice, the class was very small so she she taught us all how to use our specific machines, from bobbin winding to cleaning and maintenance. She even taught us some basic troubleshooting skills when the stitches don't look right.

We were given some scraps of material and told just to play. It was just the right class I needed. Well that and the sewing machine repair so it now runs just fine :)

Here is my first try at sewing. It was fun to play with different lengths and widths of the stitches. I only have these 2 basic ones but I figure it is PLENTY to get me started. If I really get into it I can always upgrade my machine down the road.


The class gave me enough confidence I wan tto try to sew some little bird ornaments and the like. Basically small pillows. Nothing fancy just fun for practice. Then it's off to learn to make doll pants and dresses!

Both my mom and friend Jessica compiled lists of books they have read this year so I thought given the spirit of December countdowns I would make my lists too. I LOVE to reread my favorite books. I know this is anathema to some people but I included those on the list too.

Books read as of 12/10/2009 - 66 Books

• Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris - 10 books
• The HArry Potter Series by JK Rowling -
  
• The Adept Series by Katherine Kurtz & Deborah Turner Harris - 5 books
• Vampire Academy series by Rachelle Mead - 4 books
• Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer -4 books
• Lord of the Rings by Tolkien - 3 books
• Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs - 4 books
• Alpha and Omega Series by Patricia Briggs - 2 Books
• House of Night series by PC & Kristin Cast - 6 books
• Wicked Lovely books by Melissa Marr - 2 Books
• Immortals Series by Alyson Noel - 2 Books
• Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare - 2 Books
• The Lost Chronicles by Hickman & Weiss - 3 Books
• Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
• The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz
• American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
• Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• The Host by Stephanie Meyer
• The Sleeping Doll by Jeffrey Deaver
• Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
• The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
• Deception Point by Dan Brown
• Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
• She's Come Undone by Willy Lamb (this is my current read and I should have it finished before the weekend. I am LOVING it so far!)

I will probably finish 5 or 6 more books since I just ordered a TON of used books from gohastings.com when they were having a 30% off sale. Books in the pipeline:

The Modern Faery Tale Series - 3 books
The Road
The Joy Luck Cub
The Bonesetters Daughter
Water for Elephants
Prodigal Summer
The Poisonwood Bible
I Claudius
Life of Pi
I know this much is true
The Girl with the dragon tattoo
Shogun
The Lost Symbol


I think 60+ books isn't bad at all for someone who still has to work full time. I really do LOVE reading. It's one of the things I have to thank my mother for (Her total is pretty much the same for the year). Instilling that love in a child is probably one of the greatest gifts a parent can give to a child and I am forever grateful to my mom for teaching me this by example.

Just because it's cute.

Normally I don't buy "cute". Practical-yes. Crap on sale I don't really need- you betcha! But buying something just because its cute????

So here they are my totally adorable, completely impractical (though with the crappy weather we have been having I may get more use out of them than I thought), and even better I got them for 50% off.

Introducing: My Rainboots.


Target had one pair. in My size and on sale. I just couldn't pass them up. Now I just need a cute skirt to wear so I can show them off :)

So I haven't really been feeling great lately as you all can tell from the prolonged absence. I just haven't been in a scrapping mood. I have been thinking about that a lot lately and realized I need to work on getting my scrap space done. I work in an unfinished basement and while I love love love the amount of space I have (my room is roughly 12'x20') I hate the roughness of it (and really hate the lack of heat now that it's cold down there). We don't have the means to finish it off so I will just need to get creative. I need to paint, reorganize and decorate.

I think being in a space that makes me feel happy will just encourage me to be more creative. I realized how much I missed CRAFTING. Not just scrapbooking but making stuff. I think part of my blahness has been Ive been totally unmotivated to scrap and that translated to not doing anything creative. When I don't use that outlet it just generally makes me more depressed. So I have been working on several crafty non scrapbooking projects and have been much happier.

I am taking a sewing class tomorrow night so I can finally learn how to use the sewing machine P got me almost 3 years ago. I've been super inspired by some of the adorable projects on Blair Peter's blog which has led me to think long and hard about what style I want not just in my studio but in the house in general. Too much of my house is done in non colors and I think it's bringing me down.

So I have a semi-new color palette for my studio and have started some cute decor projects as well as at least fabric covering the exposed insulation, pipes and beams in the ceiling. I realize I have lots of storage stuff that really isn't working the way it needs to so I will be boxing it up to sell. That should clear off some room to work at least.

I also realized I need a more or less permanent well lit spot to take dolly pics. BAsically I just need to reconfigure pretty much everything lol.

But I know it will be worth it. I plan on really getting into it on my Christmas break which can not get here quickly enough.

So thats it for now. Ill keep posting as things move along. Ill also be posting more general life stuff as I want all my stuff in one place. Very much a reduce and simplify motto moving forward :)