My new best friend

image found in google search

at least for the time being this is my best friend. Allergies and a cold all at once have knocked me down. Hope to be back up soon.

4 Simple Goals

So I'm borrowing this idea from Elsie. Simply make 4 simple goals to complete before 2011. I need something to get me moving and a little more focused on some of my bigger goals for 2010. 

1. Water: quite simply drink more of it. Lots more of it.

2. Create: I have lists and lists of projects to finish and projects to do. I would love to finish the year with the ones that are currently on my list to finish done. I have so many projects started, but not finished and I want them done. Some of them are Christmas gifts that are a year or so in the making. I also want to complete 10 projects on my to do list. Oh and get lots done for my etsy shop. All of this should keep me out of trouble for a while.

3. Photos: Get all of my summer pictures edited and printed. Edit all fall pictures. Clean up external hard drive. My external hard drive is a mess. By mess I mean lots of pictures saved twice, pictures on there that need to be deleted because they are horrible. I really want to get them cleaned up and edited so I can get them printed.

4. Read: I have rediscovered my love of reading, and with it a new love, non-fiction. I am picky about my non-fiction though. I am currently reading Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business and loving it. I have been working hard at updating my goodreads list and getting rid of my written lists of books to read. I love that you can print lists of what you want to read. I want to knock off 6 more books on my list before the end of the year.

My brother's girlfriends sister, Carsten and Audrey waiting on my brother's cross country race to start. Carsten is one of Audrey's favorite people as she gave Audrey her HUGE Barbie house and a ton of Barbie stuff that she was done with. It's at my mom's house so Audrey has lots of Barbie stuff to play with there. Audrey had played with the Barbie house at the 4th of July party we went to at their house and loved it, a few days later my brother came home with all the stuff.

Un-official end to summer

So with Labor Day weekend upon us and what most call the Un-official end to summer, I'm looking forward to fall.

We have a busy Labor Day weekend ahead of us. My sister and her fiance are having their engagement party this weekend. We will also be celebrating Dart's birthday, which isn't until September 26th, but this will likely be the last weekend we are in KC until probably Thanksgiving so we decided this would be the best time to do it. Hope to get to Santa Cali Gon days as well while we are there. Busy busy busy.

I'm hoping at some point life slows down, but I really don't think it's going to. At least for the most part it's all fun good stuff. Just really looking forward to a weekend when we can chill.

Right now I'm reading Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business right now and totally loving it. I usually just get my books from the library, but this may end up being one I buy. It is so full of information and has me feeling excited and inspired with regards to my business. I am constantly thinking about branding and packaging and all that other fun stuff now. I really want to be able to dive into all the ideas I have swirling in my head, but for now I'm learning and sketching and drawing and writing. I think even if you just wanted to make a little money with your hobby, this book would be a perfect read. For those interested in going further there is also a little planner that goes along with this book called Craft Inc. Business Planner. The author also has another book out called Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business.  I haven't read it yet, but it's on my list.

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend. I hope to be back more next week.

At The Moment

Listening: Wipeout on tv. LOVE this show!

eating: nothing. getting ready to eat dinner.

drinking: finishing a coke I've had for several hours. It's getting pretty warm.

wearing: MU pj pants and a black tank

feeling: stressed, but really pretty good. Lots going on right now.

weather: currently under a thunderstorm watch. Wind is picking up and it's cloudy. Oh and baseball was canceled for tonight.


wanting: a weekend at home with nothing to do. It's looking like the end of October, first of November before that happens.

needing: a weekend at home with nothing to do. And a few clones while we are at it. One to be mom, one to be PTA VP/Volunteer coordinator, one to be Pink Owl Designs designer, and one to sleep.

thinking: about all the things I want to make between now and Sept 27th for my etsy shop. One of the Columbia bloggers is doing a feature post on my that is going to include a giveaway!  Free stuff!

enjoying:  Wipeout and the laughter it brings. The fact that Dart is feeling better, he came home from school yesterday with a 103 fever. An evening at home with no place to go.

wondering: how painful it is when they wipeout on Wipeout. Seriously I think we say Ouch! more than anything while watching this.

Hope to be back later with a massive update on what is going on in my life.

Wordy Wednesday

So I am a HUGE fan of quotes. I love using them on scrapbook pages, cards and just anywhere I can. I've decided on Wednesday I want to post a favorite quote I found during the week. A good way for me to remember some of them and also might find a way to use them on something I'm making for the week.

"Life beats down and crushes the soul. Art reminds you that you have one." Stella Adler

Someone posted that on twitter and it really spoke to me. I can always tell when I haven't had enough time to be creative as I get very cranky and short. Usually if I can just spend a few minutes playing I feel a million times better. Even when I'm working on something like a sympathy card, which I'll be making today for a very good friend who got word last night at our boys baseball game that her grandma passed away I feel better just making something. I never thought I'd be crafty as growing up it was so not who I was. Now, I can't imagine not being.

Sharpened Pencils

"I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." Joe Fox, aka Tom Hanks.

Only one of my favorite movies ever. I am working on putting together a little shower for Dart's teacher who just started her first year of teaching. I'm trying to come up with some clever wording for the invite. She is a super sweet girl and amazing teacher. Dart had her as a student teacher last year and was beyond thrilled when he found out he got her this year. Trying to think of some fun "new" teacher gifts and decided I wanted to make a pencil bouquet and then remembered the above line from You've Got Mail. Now I want to watch the movie, but think it's a little late to start it on a school night.

Any ideas for a cute saying???

Routines!!!

AAAHHH!!!!  Life is feeling good. Kids are in school(3rd day) and I am loving the routines. Ok, life is still crazy, spending lots of time at the baseball field, but at least my days are mine. Being the OCD organized freak I am, this is feeling so much better. I sat down last night and wrote out a "schedule" for things I want to do on this blog. Hoping that now that life is a little more controlled I can keep up on here. 

Decided that on Monday's I'm going to put on here the things I hope to work on during the week, mostly crafty/photography stuff, but may include other stuff if I need to remember it!

This week:

• work on cards for my Etsy shop(Halloween, card sets, Christmas, etc)
• work on treat toppers for Etsy shop
• Senior session edited
• work on editing all summer pictures
• PTA cards, I am the VP at my kids school for PTA and one of my jobs is membership so I have to get these done since I totally forgot them on back to school night
• Start Christmas ideas(I am doing pretty much handmade, with the exception of my kids) so I need to get started and organzied
• Catch up on my shuttercal calendar
• start organizing my external hard drive(it is a mess with things duplicated and a such)
• BLOG!

I am so excited to get started seriously on Holiday stuff.  I love Fall and am excited for the smells and crafts and all that come along with it. So many ideas swirling in my head that I can't wait to get out. 

Anyone else excited about the routine that either school brings or even just the end of summer and all the activities that come with summer?

Since I don't like not having a picture on a post here's one from their first day of school. Check out the grip she has on his shirt. She was a little nervous, but is now a PRO and so excited for school.