Happy Thanksgiving!!

Next time you work hard and finish a big job, take time to celebrate!

Loving Out Loud -- Joyce Meyer

Happy Thanksgiving!! 

Today has been a laid back day. We didn't do a big family get together this year. None of us really wanted to do that. We all just wanted to chill out on our own. Except for tonight. Laura talked me into going to Black Friday sale at Wal-Mart then Kohl's tonight. A family affair - except for no Brian. It'll be Laura, Carl and me. We already have our plan of action - what we want to get depending on when goes on sale and who is getting what so don't miss out on something. I feel like we are going on a mission. I guess in a way we are. I'm meeting Laura & Carl at Wal-Mart early so we can do recon on the store. I've not done Black Friday in so long. This is going to be so much fun!!  Maybe next year Brian can be here for it. I think this should be the start of a new family tradition.

But I didn't just lay around all day.  I did complete another page kit.  One a day, remember? So here's the one I did today.

One more down and so many more to go.  Lol.

I let you know how tonight goes.

Motivated

So I decided to get motivated and start working on some page kits.  I finished one I had started a couple of weeks ago.  I love the page kits from Out On A Limb Scrapbooking.  The kits have high quality paper and everything is cut out.  All I have to do is chalk the edges and put together.  Great for when I want to do something crafty but don't want to put a lot of creative effort into it. Sometimes I get so caught in making pages "perfect" that I end up making the process complicated and don't get finished. So here's what I got done today.  All I have to do is add the pictures and my journaling.

How cute is this?

I figure if I do a page kit a day by the time I get back to work in the spring I may have them all done. Or close to it.  I've collected quite a few.  They are very addictive. :)

Update

When you're tempted, remember : Don't delay, Pray right away!!

Love Out Loud - Joyce Meyer

Just thought I would post an update.  I'm still here but it's been a hectic time since I moved.  Trying to unpack and organize.  Found out I was being laid off by the end of the year for the winter. My son, Brian, came up from Atlanta for a week's visit and that was great.  We went to Monticello in Charlottesville and the Dulles Smithsonian in Chantilly. Got lots of fabulous pictures. We spent time with my daughter and grandchildren.  Lots of family time.  Not long after that Hurricane Sandy came through but didn't affect where I'm at too much other than lots of rain.  However the storm that come through West Virginia hit my mother hard and she lost power.  Since she has limited mobility and lives by herself, off to WV I went to get her.  She stayed with me for almost two weeks then returned home. Whew!! It's been busy. 

 I still don't have my sewing/craft room unpacked and organized. The rest of my house is almost done.  I just need to do a few minor readjustments here and there.  I've not gotten any of my projects on my bucket list done but don't think even if my sewing room was done I'd of been able to work on anything.  The good thing about getting laid of for a couple of month is that I will have the time and energy to get all of my house stuff done. And projects done.  I am so looking forward to that. 

Moving Day is almost here!!!

Lord, help me to enjoy Your blessings, but not to hoard them or think too highly of them. Help me to use them to bless others.

Loving Out Loud -- Joyce Meyer

Moving day is tomorrow.  I still have some stuff to pack but I'm almost at the end point.  I am so excited!!  I will be just down the road from my daughter & grandkids.  How sweet is that?? I'll still have the 3+ hours commute a day for work but at least I'm commuting from a place closer to my family instead of further away from them.  I'm going from an apartment to a townhouse but probably just about the same room.  I'm currently in a apartment complex that was built back in the '70s and the idea of smaller apartments mean more to renters hadn't come about yet.  I'm still going to downsize what I have as far as my sewing & crafting stuff.  I didn't realize I was such a good organizer until I had to start packing my sewing room and found all the stuff I had tucked here & there.  Wow!! I was amazed.  I'm also excited because I won't have to carry groceries up three flights of steps since now my kitchen is on the ground level.  A large eat in kitchen with lots of counter & cabinet space.  And with family close by I'll have plenty to come & eat all that I cook and bake.  I'm already making my list of what I want to start cooking.  Here's outside of my new place.

Update

Well I decided to get some sewing time in yesterday because I don't know when the next time I'll be able to do so.  I worked on the Americana Wall Hanging I'm making for my mother for Christmas.  I got it pinned & started to quilt.  I did finish the two t-shirts I wanted to embroider for my daughter & I for our scrapbooking crops.  The turned out great. We will be styling at the next crop.  I LOVE my new embroidery machine.  I got the Brother PE-700 and it is so easy to use.  Stitches so smooth & looks good.  Her's is the purple & mine is the pink. 

I know that I'm going to be doing a lot of embroidery with this machine.  It is so much easier to use than the one I had.  I had a Simplicity SE3 machine and it worked great and was easy to use. That's what makes this new machine so awesome. The Brother is easier than the Simplicity and now I can do 5 x 7.  Look for more in the future.  I'm already creating more projects to do as if I didn't have enough before.  :)

This Past Month --

Lord, show me who You want me to bless even if they don't appear to need a single thing.

Loving Out Line -- Joyce Meyer

This past month has blown by.  Here it is almost the end of September and I've gotten nothing on my list done - I've worked on some things but nothing done. However, I've got reason's why. The beginning of the month I contracted an infection and then had an adverse reaction to the antibiotics.  Yuck for me.   My daughter found out she is pregnant so I have another grandbaby on the way.  Yea Me!! I've been fighting a cold so that's been difficult. I have a hard time with cold medicine, puts me in a fog.  Yuck for me. I'm moving next weekend over to the Shenandoah Valley so that's time consuming but exciting.  The move is earlier than I'd planned. I wasn't going to move until spring but I found a perfect place and it's close to my daughter & grandbabies.  What fun for me!! 

So all of my September Bucket List will have to move to October.  It's going to take me some time to get my sewing room & craft room organized.  My son is going to come visit the second week of October so I know I won't get much done that week.  Actually, as I'm writing this, I think I'm going to have to completely revamp my Bucket List.  Make the list to be the Christmas presents I want to do.  I always seem to be a season behind in my sewing & crafts.  I need to get with the program and plan my projects better but it's hard to sew winter stuff in the summer and summer stuff in the winter.  That's like trying on winter coats in the heat of summer. Yuck! I'll get back with you when I have my new Bucket List planned.  :)

September Bucket List --

Lord, I believe I can do anything with Your help!.

Love Out Loud -- Joyce Meyer

My bucket list for September --

Sewing --
Bed Caddy
Embroider my clothesline flip-flop t-shirt
Americana Wall Hanging
Buttons & Bow Quilt
Blue Car Caddy - Mine
Purple Car Caddy - Laura
Black Car Caddy - Carl
Embroider Laura & Mine scrapbooking t-shirts for Scrapbook Crop
Turquoise t-shirt
Purple crepe skirt
Frying pan handle holder

Scrapbooking --
Finish Advent Calendar
Scrapbook Cake Pop Baking page
Carl's Ice Cream page
County Fair page
New Year's Eve page
Grayson's school album

Cooking/Baking --
Pink Lemonade cupcakes
Spice cake balls
Croissant roll cups
Orange cream cupcakes
Spicy Parmesan Chicken Breast
Pizza Poppers

I've loaded myself up pretty good this month.  But that's okay.  Laura & I are going to a Birthday Crop mid-September so I'm going to work on the scrapbooking projects there.  I have to get the t-shirts embroidered before that weekend so we can wear them.  I do have to get some bits & pieces from fabric store to finish up some of the projects I have on my list.

I just have to decide what I am going to reward myself with when I complete all the projects on my list and what will be my reward if I complete half of the list.  The reward for the whole list will have to be something really special so that I'm motivated to get everything marked off.  But I still need a reward if I get half done because that will be less projects I'll have to do later.  I'll have to think on this for a bit - it's a really big decision.  :)