Projects I Am Currently Working On.

So this summer will surely be a busy one with school and all, but sometimes my little projects are something I really look forward to. Plus, if they are written down, perhaps I'll be more motivated to check them off the list! Here's a short list of a few things I'd love to work on this summer:

* My 101 in 1001 list. I started this last summer and have recently completed 7 of the items! Some are long term goals, other things I have wanted to do so I can check them off my list.

*MBC MAT work. This has got to count for something, right?

*My brother's quilt. I have no pictures of it, yet, but I have been waiting to bind it forever...

*Ashley's quilt. It's a wedding gift and I have a year, right? Another one I don't have a picture of!

*A Blurb book for Jeremy's family. I started this last year, but our computer crashed when I was scanning the last batch.

*A Blurb book about Ocean City. Because it might be my last summer in a while.

*A Blurb book for our little family for 2009. And then I'll work my way back to finishing the one I started so long ago for 2008.

*Papercuttings- some silouettes of our little family.

*A papercuttings wall. I have so many of them, but haven't put them up. There's just one space left in our tiny house and you can bet I am taking it!

I think that sounds pretty good. What do you want to accomplish this summer?

She's Leaving Me...

My sweet little Cooper's leaving us Monday... I'm saaaad! Her new owner is a great guy who lives in the next town over-- so we'll still see her around, I guess. I really wanted to keep her-- yes, car seats do fit in MINIs, but with the car seat in the back, the front seat's space is very limited... unless you mind sitting in the glove compartment. This was a great car but not really the right car for baby! :(

Hope you are having a great summer. We're staying busy but really enjoying ourselves. I've got a million photos to post, but just dont' seem to have the time! Will update soon.

Lately...

Thank you to Kim for the blog love! You should really check out all the other blogs, too and Kim's photos. My friend's engagement photos are amazing!

I've discovered a few new blogs I love:
Bakerella
MollyCoddle
My Little Life


And, finally, Spring! I feel like a changed person when spring arrives. I am more inspired to step outside and DO something... rather than sit my tush on the couch. We even cut our cable... long story there. It's just beautiful outside and I finally have more energy most days to get out. I really like this second trimester already!

We finally have some flowers...








Took my neice out for a perfect kite flying day...




Oh, and just a while back we had a little fiesta of our own for someone's birthday. If only that someone would blog again!


Here's Moby hanging out with the bull earlier in the day. He seriously just sat next to it for a few hours.


I'm going to go enjoy today's beautiful weather, it may be totally different tommorow!

I'll Take More of Days Like This...

We had such a nice day today. We had the day off from work due to the icy rain-- no complaints here! We pretty much played this all morning:

One of my many awesome birthday gifts! This was from my parents and brother, and we've had such fun with it! I can't say I'm any good yet, but I plan on practicing more tommorow!

After that I enjoyed a very productive afternoon-- nothing like a clean house. I'm weird- I don't like to work on my projects unless the house is clean, so now I can comfortably work the rest of the weekend on all the little projects I'm trying to finish up.

We had a peaceful evening: dinner and a great movie (Roman Holiday). I have always loved Audrey Hepbern-- first being introduced to her in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Nothing too exciting-- just needed to write this all down for myself-- maybe I should remember snow days when I think about my future career plans! I don't know what I'd do without them!
Well, hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Best wishes to you and yours for a great new year.

I wanted to share some New Year's postcards, and my collection has just doubled since a friend gave me her grandmother's collection. I always enjoy reading them... I am especially curious about the ones recieved by Jeremy's grandmother (who I'll never have the chance to meet as she passed away years ago). These are some of my favorites:

My resolutions?
Last year I wrote my resolutions on a slip of paper, and I didn't keep up with them. I'll have no choice if I post them for all the world to see, eh?
1. Do some yoga or exercise 2x a week. (I won't bother to explain how much I despise working out...)
2. Do better with correspondence. (I've been really awful at returning phone calls and emails.)
3. Journal or post a blog entry 2x a week. (It doesn't sound that hard...!)
4. Do my nails once a week. (Long story... bad habit of biting nails...)
5. Take a step forward job-wise...

And a reminder of some hopes and wishes in college-- this Mary Baldwin postcard should remind me of the many things I wanted to do with my life.

A New Year

Well, another school year has begun. I don't know about other teachers, but it's sort of where our year begins and ends. We're preparing every way we know how for an entirely group of kids. Yes, they may be the same students that were in the building last year, but they're different :) A third grader is sooo much older than a second grader, don't you know? In all seriousness, it's a great time of year. No one's counting down 'til the next break, or when school will get out... it's just everyone anxious to meet, greet and start a new year with a new group of kids.

I often keep in mind that the internet is public domain. I try to keep those thoughts that I might get me in trouble in a more private diary, but some days I really want to run to the computer and vent,vent, vent. Boy-oh-boy, do I want to write all kinds of things. But I'm going to bite my tongue and say things nicely.

For the first time in forever, seriously, forever, I am going to work just one job this year. For most people, that may sound pretty good. Ever since 10th grade, I've worked multiple jobs at once-- I think junior or senior year one semester I worked in a florist, a restaurant, a spa, and sometimes babysat or catered. In college I always was a student (I considered that a job!) and waitress or nanny. For the past few years, I've worked at the school and waitressed. In fact, I've worked at one restaurant for the past three years: I'm the employee who'd been there the longest & I was a part-time employee!

Well, recently I ended my employment with the restaurant. Things ended in a disappointing way, but I guess everything can't happen the way you hope it will.

So now, I've got just one job to work. It's full-time, of course, but I won't have to balance 2 work schedules! What will I do with all that free time???

I must sound strange. I just haven't ever not been really busy. Busy, busy, busy. I know it's about time for me to have my free time, but it is a weird feeling. It was nice to have a change of pace each week, too-- each workplace has its own feel, and I guess that's one more thing I'll miss.

But I have so, sooooo many ideas & patterns, so many ideas, so many projects that I want to do. We want to go places, do fun things. And I want to get back to school, maybe go to Mary Baldwin and take some graphic design courses in those programs I know so little about.

Maybe it was the reunion and realizing I've been out 10 years. Maybe it's the fact that I realized you can't always have that perfect job, or make that perfect paycheck. I dunno. What I know is that I appreciate what I have, and the direction that life's taking me is exciting.

So, I'm sure you'll be seeing lots more blogging, since I'll have a little more free time. I mean, doesn't today prove it to you? I think I wrote 4 posts! :)

Here's something fun for you to play with- fd's Flickr toys-- this is using the Hockneyizer effect.




Have a great week.

Wishing I Had The Time....

To just stop and smell the flowers, if you know what I mean! This is a beautiful time of year.. the weather's been awesome, things are in full bloom... but it's also SOL testing, kids who are ready for summer, teachers who've been ready for summer, and graduations out the wahzoo here in our little college town. I've taken on way more than I can handle: multiple waitressing shifts on top of my full time job, home projects, and spring-time get-togethers. I can't seem to find the time to do things like LAUNDRY, much less blog... so I just wanted to let you know all's well here and that I'll be back soon. I have so much to share & can't wait to catch up!

I hope that you are having a wonderful spring!

Comfort

Somehow, this was comforting after last week.

It turns out that Jeremy's friend was actually in the building when it happened, and a co-worker's son was, too. Both made it out safely...I don't think I can express the right words, especially in a blog for all the world to see. I can say how thankful I am that my brother graduated years ago & that my father-in-law retired. It was sad to see a few members of the media go right for the throat of the administration, demanding answers, out of anger--but it inspired and comforted me to see the entire community of Hokies come together.

I'll certainly keep my thoughts and prayers on them all.

Hokies

I'm still in shock. Just over an hour away is Virginia Tech.. I've been there many times, my brother is an alum, many friends, too; my father-in-law worked there for 30+ years, and my husband spent a good deal of time on campus, too. So close, but it's still just so unreal. Every news cast I see, they have the big VT sign up, and I think twice-- it's surely not the VT I've ever been.

Here's a video of one of Jeremy's old neighbors, today at the memorial service: Nikki Giovanni.

I cannot express the feelings of sympathy I feel for the students, the families, the school, our nation. I will certainly keep them in my thoughts and prayers, won't you?