My Contribution to TH 12 Tagz

So I had an opportunity to participate in an ornament swap and I figured I would use my skills i've learned all these years following the T!mster.  :)

So here is my creation.  Hope you all like it.

Selena

Christmas Already?

I swore I would be ready this year.  My New Years Resolution was to have it together this year and get everything done in a nice timely manner so there was no stressing and things were made and ready to ship.  Visions of a tree up and decorated, presents wrapped underneath.  Maybe even some baking the weekend before with the grand babies. 
I mean making the resolution in January made me think that was plenty of time to follow through with it right?  Who gets that kind of lead time?  LOL
Well I still refuse to stress.  It really isn't all that bad.  I actually have talked with hubby about making some new traditions that will set the tone for the next phase of our life together.  Empty nesters unite! 
I am making ornaments for the ornament swap at his new company Christmas party.  I hope I do a good job on it.  I want hubby to be proud.  (I know he will be even if he doesn't say so)  I will post the photo when I get done.  I'm using good ole Timmy's 12 tags as inspiration for them this year.
Maybe I will post it on his blog too. 
Merry Christmas Happy Birthday to Jesus.
Nena

Pinterest Rocks!

I just discovered Pinterest!  And I am hooked. I have spent the last three days/nights looking at everyones boards and relocating some of my favorite images to put up on mine.  It is going to make my projects so much more fun and I will be able to track the images back to the owners!  Yeah!

You gotta check it out and let me know what you think, yes? 

Remains of the Day Journal

I have signed up for the Remains of the Day Journal class given by Mary Ann Moss.  And I am so thrilled to have stumbled on to this journal!
I am a hoarder by nature.  I never throw out receipts, envelopes, bills etc.  You know ephemera.  The kind that isn't kewl until 20 years from now and I will wish I had kept it. 
Well now I have something to do with it.  I can take all those papers and painted paper towels from my fun with Treci Batista Collage book and put them together into a journal.  A journal that will let me doodle write and scratch out what I don't like all for me.  A companion for my journeys into town.  A place to jot down pesky little thoughts that have no other home.  Maybe even a place to let the kids color or draw in while occupying them at an appt or something.  I can't wait to start SEWING it together!  I have had an itch for sewing the past three months now.  It's all just falling together. 
Now I just need to focus.  :)  LOL

Ohhh! :{

So I keep rearranging furniture only to come up with something that looks good but ends up not comfortable at all.  I have been fighting this battle for 7 years now? 
None of my furniture is any good to me as I can not sit on it any longer than 10 minutes or so.  There is an over sized chair and ottoman that work but that is only because it is as big as a queen bed and I can lay down.  How casual is that when you have company over huh?  I'm lounging while everyone sits around me trying not to make jokes about peeled grapes and fanning me with feathers or fronds. 
Yeah.  I'm getting desperate.
I wish I knew whether to gamble and have it all recovered in a different configuration or just head out and try to find something else entirely.  Neither are a sure bet at this point.

Play Room Progress

Well I now have shelving and baskets in.  I sorted all the books by age and into sets.  the new little reading nook went over very well.  Evie sat down right away exclaiming Wow, it's beautiful.  Thank you Nena.  Wow.  :)  I think that means she liked it.  She has been pulling books and having us read her stories even while Dora was on!  This I am very excited about.

I don't know why I keep holding off finishing the foil wall paper projects.  It's not hard, it's not complicated... I just don't feel like it.  but I plan on putting some effort into it this afternoon. 

In reference to my focus statement and what not.  Yeah I have allowed myself to get sidetracked again and can't seem to focus.  The same story day after day week after week.  :)

I have found a new item I have to have.  Or may end up creating myself.  It has been featured in a couple of Country decor mags.  It's a duvet cover that was I repeat WAS available at Target.  Brand name is Swell by Cynthia Rowley.  The design is named Pocket Full of Posies.  It is a simple design cream background with women's vintage style hankies appliqued to it.  The featured homeowner Jerusalem Greer re purposed hers to be curtains for her dinning room.

I have searched high and low only to find that I can not find it!  LOL  Just my luck.  So now I will hunt down some vintage hankies to try and create my own.  It will be fun after all.  I really am in the mood to sew right now.  :)

Online classes Rock!

I am currently taking two online ... No Three online classes right now. 

Sally Jean is on her second run of Soldering for Virgins.  She has uploaded videos walking you through all the do's and don't's of making the beautiful charms and soldered projects just like hers!  I am having a blast and learning so much.  I've read and followed along with her Pretty Little things book, but watching her and hearing her is so much better. 

Second is Got Paint from Big Picture
I have been a fan of this online adventure from the beginning.  There are several classes I have taken on this site and I have to say it is one of my favorites.  Every class is well thought out and prepped for gals like me who need to hear it as well as read it. 

Third is looking like to most fun of all.  Remains of the Day.
this class takes all things ephemera and puts them together into a big book form and there you have it.  A journal for any and everything you could imagine.  There is no painting or gesso or anything to put this together.  but there is folding and sewing and making a fantastic cover for it.  It's is like taking the pile of mail from your desk and actually turning it into something pretty and useful at the same time :)  LOL

I will post the who, where, when and how as soon as I can get the links to work.  You have to check these projects out for yourself!

TTFN
Nena

Here I am again...

Well here I am again, third year in a row.  Maybe this year I  will actually find my follow through?  I have been working in so many directions that it has been impossible to keep track and focus on any one thing.  I have decided enough.  I am going to pick a direction, a medium and an inspirational mantra to help focus myself and give a difinitive starting and ending point.  Leaving things open ended has not given me any success.  Only left me with many many areas stacked and forgotten in the corners.  (literally and figuratively)
I am ready to stop going in circles.  Stop moving my playthings around.  Plant my butt in one place and and actually get creative.  Be creative.  Play creativly.  Yeah? 
So tonight I shall work on my three items.  Posting them in the morning and starting out the new year, lol, I mean the month of March with renewed energy and focus.  :)
Cheers!