Different Blog

I have started a new blog. My NEW Uneventful Life

I've been posting over there for a while. Think at some point I'll delete this one, but has a lot of memories and photos on it so maybe not lol

FOREVER

Has it been that long? It's been FOREVER since I last posted and LOTS of things have happened. I have started a new blog about my 'new' life lol. I haven't written on here because I haven't been doing much of anything crafty.

HOWEVER - now I have finished a WIP! Finally! I can't believe it is done. May it be the first of many!

I finished my Gorjuss cross stitch.

It is a design from a Cross Stitcher magazine.

Creative Saturday

I actually got some artsy stuff in today. I did a couple of pages. One for an art journal I am trying to do. The theme was blank page. It's difficult to get started in anything and when faced with a blank page it seems especially difficult!

I played around a little with another page, but not quite sure what I'm going to do with it. It's on a separate page so not in a journal.

I tried to make my Mum a card but I couldn't get started. Another blank page. Not sure quite what to say. I want it to cheer her up. I dug around some stamps but couldn't find quite the right one.

I did do another small background page. Perhaps the beginning of a card...

Failure

I feel like such a failure.

I was doing well with the whole photography thing but with work and my Mum's cancer it all seemed to fall away and I didn't feel like doing much of anything.

I thought about stopping blogging altogether but I like doing it though I don't seem to be doing it as much as I have in the past. I've decided to pick myself up and start all over again. I'll try taking a picture a week - a little more realistic. I am still going for reading books off my bookshelf but have only managed one so far lol.

I am still in the states - sort of holding on and waiting to see what is going to happen next with Mum. The waiting is awful. She's had a couple of tests recently - one came back not so well. Her kidneys are still not working right so no more chemo - she only had one round. The other one - the big one - came back yesterday. The cancer hasn't grown and hasn't spread. Very good news. I was nervous all week.

I am going to get my creativity back! I have plans for this weekend - maybe I'll have something to post.

Updated Photography Page

So far I am keeping up with my daily photographs. The longer the week drags on the harder it seems to take the pictures but I am doing it. Once my two days come around I'm raring to go again. I don't think I'll be popping outside much this weekend to take pictures as it is so cold and snowy. I miss taking walks in the woods. I miss seeing the wildlife.

Spring will be coming :)

New Pages

I've added my Photography 2015 page and my Book shelf reading page 2015. Let's see how well I stick to these goals!

2015 Goals

Another new year - how time flies!

Lot going on with Mum and work and home, but I have a couple of goals for this year. Well, I probably have more than a couple but realistic blog goals are the following:-

Reading Challenge - I'm going to read 5 books from my to-be-read pile (pre-2015) per month. I will then filter out at least 5 books per month.

Photography Challenge - at least 1 picture per day. It will be something to do with my life. I'm looking at a couple of prompters right now but will decide on a theme - or not - later!

Card for Mum

I finished a Christmas card for my Mum. Hope she likes it!

It was made with a Sizzix Cut n Pop base. I found a really nice verse on the web. It was only my second time making a card like this and I like the way it turned out!

Christmas Projects

I did start on a couple of Christmas projects. I've been watching Britishcraftnetwork.tv. One of my favourite 'presenters' is Kay Rutter of Hougie Crafts. These are from one of her programs. I filled them with goodies for family/friends.

The boxes are really easy to make once you get the hang of them.  Kay makes it so easy to follow! The bottom stamp is a Penny Black stamp. The top is a stamp by Dyan Reaveley from the Christmas Words collection. Love them!

Absent again...bad news

I keep meaning to post on my blog but life got in the way again. Found out that my Mum has cancer. Been feeling down as I am so far away and there isn't a lot I can do to help. I'm worrying a lot, not sleeping but that doesn't help.  I feel so helpless not being able to give her a hug and support her. Skype just doesn't do it.

Crackers

Last week while I was looking around on the web I came across British craft Network and found a lovely woman Kay Rutter of Hougie Crafts. She was making Christmas Crackers. I've been looking for an easy way to make them for years. She made it sooo easy! The only problem I had was that, as I am in the states, A4 paper isn't the standard size paper. I cut down some 12 x 12 and made my own. I do own a little A4 stash so I used that too. Haven't decorated any of the crackers but I'm getting the hang of making them. I ordered some Bath and Body work minis to put inside and I think I'll do lottery tickets and maybe chocolates for guys.

Here are a few of the ones I made. She showed how to make circular ones, square ones and triangles! Really fun.

She also shows how to make the gift part larger or smaller. She also showed a Christmas Cracker card and envelope I'm going to give a try.

Back again

It's been too long.

I had an extra day off this week and got some crafting in. My DD is away at Uni. She's not too far away but she's busy with school and work and we're busy with work so we don't see one another as much as I would like. We chat and text quite a bit. She loves squirrels so I thought I'd make her a card to say hi. I pulled out my new Sizzix card design die.

 

 I'm going to write my sentient in the blank spot at the bottom.

Here's another card I did - a fun one.

Got caught in a downpour...

I ran errands most of the morning. I'm trying to find a dress for a wedding I am attending while in England. I'm not really a dress sort of person and trying to shop for one is horrible. So far I have bought two skirts, one pair of trousers, one dress, three shirts and a shrug. Still not sure what I'm wearing for the wedding lol.

I decided to take a walk in the afternoon just to relax. I grabbed my camera and headed to the nature preserve. I was meandering along on my way back when it absolutely fell down with rain. I got drenched. I was hurrying back to the car and almost there when I startled a deer and it startled me! We sort of both looked at one another. The deer stopped to eat and I stopped to take pictures. Rain be damned. The deer was worth getting wet - and dirty!

I had actually seen a couple more while I was walking around the lake but they weren't close up.

Card Making

I actually pulled out my card making supplies and made a couple of cards. I've got away from it in the last months. Seems like I can barely keep my head ahead above water with work and home. I really need to take some more me time. Part of the problem - I think - is that I don't have a specific place to craft so it means pulling everything out, getting started and then putting everything away again when I'm done.  Makes for a lot of sorting out and crafting minimal time and then putting things away again.

One day I will have that craft room!

A Little Whine...

I've started to walk almost every day at a beautiful preserve near to where I live. There is quite clearly a large sign telling people that all dogs must be on a leash to protect the dog, wildlife and vegetation, yet everyday I walk there are some people who let their dogs run around without a leash. I know it's nice to let them off once in a while but there is a time and a place.

The beautiful deer above is just one that I've seen around the preserve. It was really, really close to me and just stood there eating food while I took pictures.

Today while out walking I saw a female deer with her two babies. So pretty.

Happy Friday

I like Fridays - I don't have to work so it's always a good day lol. Usually I spend the day running errands, catching up with housework and all the fun things I don't get to do the rest of the week.

My foot has been driving me crazy this week - hurting a lot. I took a day off walking yesterday and got right back to it today. I've been walking in a place nearby. It's in the city. The place is called Asylum Lake as I guess that once-upon-a-time it was part of the Asylum for the Insane. It's a lovely place to walk. I've seen several deer as I've been out walking.

Today after my walk, I went back later in the day armed with my camera. I was lucky enough to catch a picture of a deer. I don't think it's the same one I've been seeing. The one I've seen while out on my power walks has been a doe with a couple of babies. This one looked to be alone. I got a picture - it wasn't great as the deer was across the lake on a small piece of land covered in reeds.

I also saw some kind of bird. Not up on the different kind of birds but this one was pretty big.

I like walking here. It's so peaceful even though it's in the city. There are a few people around each day - walking their dogs, jogging, walking or taking pictures. It's amazing that I've lived here this long and haven't even know it was here!!

Monday and Giraffes

Monday again.  It's hubby's birthday today so made baked chicken, stuffing, biscuits and corn.  Didn't feel much like cooking but thought I'd be nice.

Birthdays are SO expensive.  He wanted an Maxpedition Backpack.  Just about collapsed when I saw the price of them!  He hadn't left the name of the particular one he wanted.  I was cringing at the $150 one that I was looking at. Asked oldest son which one Dad wanted and he didn't know so I just asked hubby.  The one he was looking at was $231.  OUCH!!!!!  I had him put it in the 'basket' online and closed my eyes when I pressed the button.  Yikes.

With the cost of that and the usual 'birthday' things including car tax on two cars plus regular bills it's been a tough week.  I honestly can't wait for it to be over. 

I'm trying to think happy thoughts to keep me going so I thought of the giraffes daughter and I saw at the zoo.  They were funny things.  They were a lot of fun to feed.

Zoo Trip

When daughter came home last week we went to the zoo.  Haven't been for a long time.  I think the last time I went to a zoo was for a school trip with the kids.  It was a nice day out.  Because it was the 4th July I didn't think there would be a lot of people around.  I was wrong!  It was pretty busy.  The good thing was that daughter and I weren't the only adults there without children lol.

I really liked these cool looking frogs.  Not sure what kind they are.  Of course I didn't take note of the descriptions that were along side of them.  I really liked the Peacock too.  They have such beautiful colours in their tails.  They can really make a noise too!

Poor Brazil

World Cup Football

Germany absolutely thrashed Brazil 7-1.  Yikes.  It was almost painful to watch - five goals in 18 minutes.  Yikes. 

I got a tattoo!

My lovely daughter decided that we needed to have matching tattoos done when she came to visit this weekend.  I have been thinking of it for a while - just because.  She wanted a fairy.  We both looked and looked and finally came up with one that we could agree on.  She was the one who looked into different tattoo shops but I did check their hours lol (because of the holiday).  She made us an appointment for the 3rd so I couldn't chicken out.  I don't know what she thought but she made me go first.

The place we went to was Art and Soul in Portage.  I was impressed at how clean it was lol.  The guy we had - Luke - was great.  I had mine done on my leg - opposite the ankle where I had surgery and daughter had hers done on her arm.  As I am in my forties I wanted it done somewhere where I wouldn't sag lol (or wasn't already!).  It didn't hurt as much as I thought.  Because of the way my foot was positioned my bad ankle hurt worse than the tattoo lol as it was being pushed on. 

The worst thing is the aftercare - washing, patting dry and putting on lotion several times a day.  It stings a little afterward but nothing major.