Never Finished

My Mom and I are very different. I like to start projects and usually have a few going at one time. While my Mom can only have one project going and can never juggle more then one craft.

I am currently working on a block of the month quilt that I thought would keep me on track because you get the fabric to complete 4 blocks a month for one year. At the end of the year you should have 48 blocks, sew them together and "voila" a quilt. While it sounds really good in theory but a lot of things happened this summer, like moving, and I am a few months behind.

I also made curtains for the family room in our new house. They are up on the wall but need to be hemmed. My Mom has threatened to come over for a weekend and hem them for me because it drives her crazy that they are not done. I just turn them under and they look great.

I also started curtain panels for our bedroom. We have 4 windows, so 8 panels of curtains need to be done to finish. I am almost half way done. I need to cut and sew the lining into the curtain.

I have a quilt that I am working on for my husband for our second anniversary, since the gift for the second year is cotton. It is a quilt made out of all hand dyed fabric. I made him go to Amish country with me a couple years ago to go fabric shopping and he fell in love with the quilt that was hanging on the back wall of one of the quilt shops. The quilt shop had the pattern and said they got the pattern from this lady that dyed all of her fabrics. Well after much searching and google, I tracked this lady down in North Carolina. She has a website but no contact information. Well, I bought a piece of fabric from her site via paypal to get her info. The next day I got a note from her apologizing that she sold out of that fabric. I didn't care because I just wanted her contact information. Long story short, I got the hand dyed fabric to make her quilt. Oh my gosh it was a lot of money, but beautiful. I need to have it done by September to get it to the quilter so I can get it back in time for our anniversary. And some how do this without my husband knowing that I am working on it.

I have also been working on making these great dish mats using some cordinating fabric and an old terry cloth towel. They are great for putting on the counter and setting dishes that aren't quite dry from the dishwasher or for the dishes that you hand wash. While I have 2 of those in process.

I am making a quilt for one of the girls at work that is having a baby and we are having a shower in a couple weeks.

I sure I have more started that I am forgetting but that is how I operate, I never finish.

The Jersey Shore

So we are going to the Jersey Shore this summer for a week with my family. We are my dad's 60th birthday . We originally planned on going to a resort in Maine for a week but it is just too far to drive. So my husband was charged with finding a house that will take dogs at the shore.

After many phone calls we found a house that is right on the beach! But before we could rent it we needed to look at it first.

So what day to we pick to go to Jersey? Saturday. The weather forecast said a dusting to 1 inch of snow. Well...

Jersey had a lot more snow then that, maybe 6-8 inches.

We left our house at 11 a.m and it would normally take about 2 1/2 hours to get to the shore. We got there around 3p.m.

We checked out the house, which is perfect. (Sorry I don't know how to move the picture down here yet, but the above picture is looking out at the ocean)

We were leaving the shore and decided we better take main roads home. But before we could leave my husband wanted a slice of pizza on the boardwalk. (Does it look like we could find pizza on the boardwalk? second pic above)

Anyway we left at 3:30 and didn't get home until 8 p.m. I quick trip to the shore for 10 minutes of house hunting took about 10 hours. Good thing we both are used to spending a lot of time in the car.

(If anyone knows about how to move the pictures, please let me know)

Shower, Everyday

My dog loves the shower!

We moved to our new house in August and for the first time, he has a shower with glass sliding doors. My dog goes into the shower every night. We can't figure it out. What does he do in there? I wake up in the middle of the night because I hear him in the shower and his nails are clicking against the plastic bottom of the shower.

I thought I could get a picture of it last night but as soon as I grabbed the camera he left the shower. The photo opportunity was priceless, he was looking up at me like "What?"

My husband decided that he like the coolness of the shower bottom on his belly.

I have decided he is just weird and likes when we ask him "Tux, What are you doing in the shower?"

Delete, Delete, Delete...

I just deleted 23 subscriptions from my Google Reader. I have a number of blogs in my reader that I just don't enjoy but I feel so obligated to read just because it pops up as something 'unread'.



In an effort to be more focused on my tasks at hand, they are gone.



If feels kind of weird. Did I just tell a friend I don't want to be their friend anymore? That's what it feels like.



Who would have thought 10 years ago that it would be this easy to break off a "friendship"?

Vegas Baby!

Our trip is set for Vegas in March!

We have our room booked! Finally last night after a painful hour and half of trying to work out the best deal on airline tickets, we are booked.

I had a free ticket and my husband had a credit from a previous flight. Why does it have to be so difficult to make all of that work into an actual flight?

Anyway, I have never been to Vegas and can't wait!

Now if we just hit big while we are there, it will really be a great trip!

Also, any thoughts on getting married when we are there? My husband really wants to get married because he thinks it would be fun. I believe that we are already married (and we had to do it twice the first time) why do it again.

Following the Pack

I spent a number of years in my career working from home. It was nice. I could get my work done and balance my home life all at the same time. Some days I was on the road wearing a suit, other days I was in my pajamas all day because I never took a break to shower and get dressed. About 3 years ago I was forced into an office job that requires me to be in the office all day everyday. Quite honestly, it sucks. I wish I could go back to the "old" way of working. Being in the office makes me feel like a caged animal. I don't do very well being focused on the same thing all the time.

I wish that I could work from home again, even just a couple days a week.

So I am starting my blog. With the help of my friend Val, here is 2009 in review.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
I ran my first 5K and met my goal of finishing the entire race without walking.
I spent Thanksgiving away from my family for the first time ever, we spent Thanksgiving in Maine with my husband's family.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did not keep my resolution for 2009. But I started my 2010 resolution early, in November of 2009. I will not complain about my commute to work. I will just be thankful to have a job and a car to get me to that job.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My brother and his wife had a baby. My niece Brynnley was born in October.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Grandpa died in September.

5. What places did you visit?
We went to New York City for a long weekend in January. Ocean City, NJ for Easter Weekend, very cold and windy. We traveled to Minnesota in September and Maine in November.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
More time to enjoy my hobbies. I would like to finish at least 2 quilts. I would also like to read some more books.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Spending New Year's Day in Key West by traveling to the Dry Torguas National Park in a Catamaran with my husband. Buying our new house on July 31, 2009 and the fight that broke out between the people we were buying the house from during settlement.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Running my first race, 5K. Making the silk curtains for our family room.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't ever look at failures, they are just opportunities and I choose not to remember them.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new house.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My mom. She had a tough year.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Some of the people that work for me.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Fixing up my new house.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My new niece.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier!
b) thinner or fatter? Fattier
c) richer or poorer? Tough one! I feel more blessed but I don't think I have more money in the bank

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Relaxed and enjoyed the ride

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worring and crossing off a to-do list.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2009?
With my family at my house. My grandmother even travelled from Minnesota for the holiday.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I was already there!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Amazing Race I want to be a contestant.

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2009?
Went to my parents house and my Mom made me my normal homemade Carrot Cake

24. What was the best book you read?
"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

25. What did you want and get?
A new car

26. What did you want and not get?
A new camera

27. What was your favorite film of this year?
I am a bad movie watcher... I can't stay awake. But I just saw "The BlideSide" and it has inspired me to be more selfless. It also made me change my mindset to what I have and not what I don't have in life.

28. Did you make some new friends this year?
Yes.

29.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
It was a really satisfying year. Probably the best in my life so far.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Add a piece of jewelry, it make the outfit.

31. What kept you sane?
My husband.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Frank Sinatra

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election of Obama. I wish we had a culture that didn't have to focus on his race but the job he is doing in office.

34. Who did you miss?
Some of my friends from high school. I wish we could get together more often.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Let people love you for who you are not what you think they want you to be