project 12 - february layout.

Davinie Fiero teams up with Becky Fleck each month to bring Project 21 to the blogging community.  Basically, you sum up the events of the past month on a double-page layout.  You can choose to use the sketch created by Becky, or not - it's up to you.

Here is my February layout (click on the layout to see it bigger):

A bit more exciting than January, but we're all pretty gloomy around here.  I decided to brighten up the colors a bit and I love the way this one came out. :)

I've decided to keep these pages all together in their own album instead on including them with my other layouts.  I'm not very good about journaling on my general layouts, so I feel like this is a nice way to document our lives without being overwhelming.  I will do separate layouts about many of these events, but if I don't get to them right away, it doesn't matter.

It's all good.

xvi.

One more book crossed off my A to Z Reading Challenge list...XVI by Julia Karr.


I enjoyed this one...light YA reading.  I really needed that right now.  Work is stressful and I haven't been feeling well overall these past few days. I plodded through XVI in 3 days.  Quick reading.

Here's my updated reading list:

A - The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
B - Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
C - Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden
D - Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
E - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
F - Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
G - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
H -The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzch
I - I Love Patchwork by Rashida Coleman-Hale
J - The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
K - Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
L - Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
M - The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
N - A Natural History of Love by Diane Ackerman
O - The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
P - The Practial Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman
Q - The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory
R - Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
S - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
T - The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
U - Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi
V - The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
W - A Widow for One Year by John Irving
X - XVI by Julia Karr
Y - Yarn Bombing by Mandy Moore
Z - The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

I'm not really digging Last Night on Twisted River right now.  I haven't given up, but I'm taking a break from it for right now.  I think I may go on to The Queen's Fool next.

getting caught up.

I started off the year enrolled in Ali Edwards' One Little Word class.  I eagerly set up my album and completed the January prompt. 

Then I left it alone.

Until yesterday, I had absolutely no desire to continue on with the album.  February was a hard month for me, and I've backtracked on my road to healthfulness significantly.  I made lists and lists of to-dos and wishes, and didn't follow through with anything.  I was in complete denial.

Then we had a stretch of a few pretty days.  The weather got nicer, and I found a new source of motivation within me.

So yesterday I picked up that album and put together February's prompt.  The fact that February is over didn't matter.

 

The February prompt required that I search for evidence of my word - renew - around me each day and photograph images that represent the word, both literally and figuratively.  I was not very aware during February, and decided that considering my mental state I should look elsewhere.  I searched online for images that represent renewal to me and decided to use them in the prompt instead.  This is probably not exactly what Ali had in mind, but I think it was just as meaningful of an exercise for me right now.

 

On the left is my grid of found photographs.  On the right is a page from Whole Living Magazine that I cut out, listing 10 thoughts that focus on healing and being present.  I felt it was very appropriate here.

On the back of that page I put the formal definition of renew.  The bottom is embellished a bit with strips of paper, a Jenni Bowlin pearl accent and the new Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon from Stampin' Up! that I am just in love with.

I felt much better after finishing up this prompt.  I'm now ready to move forward.

yarn bombing.

So one of the books on my A to Z Reading Challenge list was Yarn Bombing by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain.

Wow.  Awesome eye candy here.  I loved flipping through the pages and taking in all of the projects.  There were a few tutorials included as well, but that's not really the primary motivation for checking this book out.  Honestly, I didn't even read it cover-to-cover...just kind of flipped through and skimmed captions of the photographs that caught my eye. 

Overall - definitely recommended, but check your local library.  I borrowed my copy, and I really don't think it's one I would purchase outright.  Worth checking out, though!

PS - Still plodding through "Last Night in Twisted River"...

Here's my updated reading list:

A - The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
B - Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
C - Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden
D - Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
E - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
F - Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
G - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
H -The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzch
I - I Love Patchwork by Rashida Coleman-Hale
J - The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
K - Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
L - Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
M - The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
N - A Natural History of Love by Diane Ackerman
O - The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
P - The Practial Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman
Q - The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory
R - Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
S - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
T - The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
U - Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi
V - The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
W - A Widow for One Year by John Irving
X - XVI by Julia Karr
Y - Yarn Bombing by Mandy Moore
Z - The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

project 12 - january layout.

Davinie Fiero teams up with Becky Fleck each month to bring Project 21 to the blogging community.  Basically, you sum up the events of the past month on a double-page layout.  You can choose to use the sketch created by Becky, or not - it's up to you.

Here's my sketch for January (click on the picture to view it larger):

I am really happy with the way this came out.  There were only two major events that I was highlighting this month - the Polar Bear Plunge and the large snowstorm we received - but the pictures worked nicely together!

You can check out everyone's submissions for Project 21 here.

I can't wait to see the February sketch!

howdy, stranger.

Well, hello there.  It's been a while, huh?  Things have been a bit crazy here lately.  Let's catch up!

I am (still) reading "Last Night on Twisted River" by John Irving.   This book "L" on my A to Z Reading Challenge list. It's slow going, but not because I'm not enjoying the book.  Usually, by the time I sit down to read in the evening I am so exhausted that I fall asleep after a few pages.  The book is fantastic, though.

I am continuing my journey.  I am still participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word class, but have admittedly been slacking off a bit.  This month's assignment was to take photographs of your word in action.  I have been disappointingly unmotivated and uninspired to do so.  I know that I do not have to follow every prompt exactly, so I have been thinking about flipping through Flickr to find other people's photographs that represent my word, Renew.  Here in the dead of winter (with fresh snow on the ground at that) I'm not feeling very renewed.  I'll get there, though.  There's no time frame for this project, so I'm not worried about rushing to get it finished before the next prompt.  I'll work at my own pace.

I had oral surgery last week.  The surgeon removed six of my molars that were damaged beyond repair.  It's been quite an ordeal to recover from that surgery - worse than I thought it would be.  They were removed on Friday and I'm just now starting to feel better.  Luckily, we had a snow day today so I have one additional day to recover before I have to go back to work tomorrow. 

I've been crocheting a lot.  Mostly because it's something that I can do while crashed on the couch.  And I've been making a granny square afghan, so I can do small pieces at a time...in case the percocet interferes with my ability to concentrate, lol.  I'll share pictures soon.

I've been playing with my new phone.  Brett got me a Droid Incredible.  LOVE it.  I can't say enough good things about it.  My only complaint is the short battery life, but that's manageable.  I had contemplated getting an iphone since Verizon finally picked it up, but honestly, I like the droid so much better.  Even using my ipod touch after playing with the phone is not satisfying at all.

Well - back to working on that blanket by the fireplace.  Stay warm, everyone!

a to z reading challenge

I read about a reading challenge for 2011 here.  It's too late to participate actively on her blog, but I really like the idea of this, and thought it would be a great motivator anyway!

Here's the deal:  Make a list of 26 books you want to read in 2011...one for each letter of the alphabet (not including "the" or "a/an").  Cross them off as you go!

Since I'm starting off a bit late, I'm going to include the books I've already read this year.

A - The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
B - Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
C - Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden
D - Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
E - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
F - Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
G - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
H -The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzch
I - I Love Patchwork by Rashida Coleman-Hale
J - The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
K - Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
L - Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
M - The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
N - A Natural History of Love by Diane Ackerman
O - The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
P - The Practial Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman
Q - The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory
R - Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
S - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
T - The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
U - Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi
V - The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
W - A Widow for One Year by John Irving
X - XVI by Julia Karr
Y - Yarn Bombing by Mandy Moore
Z - The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Will update on progress as I go!