Something good

I have been crafting but nothing new completed. I've been at the office from early in the morning until late at night so that doesn't leave much time for me to craft. With all the computer issues I've been having I'll be thrilled to get this month and the W-2's and 1099's behind me. I'd much prefer to lock myself in my 'studio' (sounds so much more impressive than 'the room where all my crap gets tossed') for a week and hope that nobody even contacts me. lol


Anyway, back to what I was posting about in the first place.


I made these this morning:





They're the easiest pumpkin muffins EVER. I just used a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Mix together and bake according to the cake mix. That's it. It's just that easy. They taste really good and they're super moist.


Give 'em a try.

Project 365

I know I posted already that I had planned to do the project 365 thing.


I just wanted to post again because Dax and I are both doing it and we are really enjoying it. It's also been really great to be doing this together. We each take pictures and each choose one.

Here's our photos for yesterday.

Dax's



and mine



Mine is the reflection of the sunset in the office window last evening.


If you want to check out our other pictures you can go

here to see them.


It's only been since the first of the year but already I'm learning to look at the things that I see almost daily in a different way. It's good to see the beauty that surrounds you and learn to appreciate it. It's all too easy to just get used to it and learn to overlook it.


I would recommend this process to anyone.

More stitching

I finished a stitchery for Easter.





This pattern is also from Chestnut Junction. They have a lot of cute things, you should go take a look.


It took a little longer than the cats but it was still a quick stitch. I stitched it on a piece of an old apron. (I think I bought the apron for $.25) It had holes and stains on it but I think that could only enhance some of the projects I wanted to use it for.

I did buy a frame to put it in so with any luck I'll actually get that done before Easter too. lol


I had thought about coloring it in with crayons. I've been wanting to try that technique but I was afraid the busy background would be too much. I'm sure I can find something else to try it on. I mean, I only have about a million patterns to work on and I just keep buying more. I think it's a crafter's disease. lol

Word for the year

This year I couldn't decide on just one word.


I did narrow it down to two words though.



I chose 'calm' because our life has felt so hectic lately. I would like to find the inner and outer calm that I know is waiting there for me.


and...



I'm hoping to find the joy again in the simple things that surround me everyday. I'm also planning to make time to do the things that I enjoy. Which translates into finding more time to spend in my craft room and teaching my kids the crafts that I enjoy when they show an interest.

I'm looking forward to a great year and wish you a great year too.

A Quickie

I stitched up this little honey over the weekend. It went so quick and I just love it. It makes me giggle every time I look at it (and that's my favorite kind of thing to have around my house--things that make me laugh and smile.)


(The picture was kind of dark so I had to manipulate it a little to be able to see better.)

You can't tell in the picture, but one kitty is stitched in gray and the other in brown.


The pattern is from Chestnut Junction. They've got a lot of cute things. I'm working on another one right now that I got from them.


I stitched it on a piece of an old sheet. I sometimes just get tired of everything being stitched on muslin so I decided to play around a little. I like it.

Now I just need to find a frame for it.


But, woohoo, I've already finished something this year!!! Off to a good start. :0)

As if.....

Well, since I'm so good about updating on this blog -- and making things right and left-- I decided it was high time I start another blog. LOL

I decided that I wanted to take a picture everyday and felt like a blog would hold me a little more accountable. When I told Dax that I was doing it, he decided to join in.

I'm hoping that it will help me to see the things in my everyday life a little differently. I'm hoping to find the beauty in the things that I just take for granted, and maybe even taking notice of the little things that just seem to be there day after day. Perhaps, I'll also learn to appreciate it all a little more.

I've really enjoyed it so far and it's been fun having Dax sit down with me each evening to get the pictures loaded on the blog. It's always nice to have something that we can do together.

If you'd like to see what we've got so far, or if you want to follow along through out the year, you can find the blog here.

Take a look and tell me what you think. I'd love to hear.

It's been awhile

Wow! It's been a long time since I've posted anything new.

Life has been a little crazy in my small corner of the world.

One of my daughters got sick and had to be in the hospital for a few days the weekend before Christmas. That puts all kinds of plans into a tail spin to say the least.

She's home and doing fine now, thankfully.

Then at the office our new software came in and that's when we found out they would no longer be supporting our server so we had to get a new one and set up all of the computers with it. There were problems along the way with that too so we had to update software on the computers too. Gaah!! We just wish they had told us about the server situation during the summer which is our slow time. Oh well, it's done now. Perhaps I'll be able to get back to crafting soon.

I did manage to get this little craft apron made for my niece for Christmas.

I used pieces from two different dish towels that I bought at Target over the summer. They were on clearance for next to nothing and I figured I could use the cotton fabric for something. (I've been trying to find fabrics from things other than just what I see at the fabric store -- especially since we no longer have one in this town. It's at least a 45 minute drive to a fabric store except for one quilting store.)

Anyway.....

I got the idea from here. I didn't follow her directions exactly (because that's the kind of rebel I am). Actually, only because I wanted to use the two different fabrics and I used bias tape along the edges and for the ties.

I'm please with the way it turned out and I'm sure my niece will love it too.