Bliss

Three day weekend.....  ahhhh.....  and it was the last of the birthday blow-outs that started in mid-April.  Yes, every weekend had a birthday celebration.  They are wonderful, but exhausting.  We did all agree that next year we will just have one big party to celebrate all the birthdays... that will be nice.  

There were many little projects to be done to make sure each birthday was special.  However, today was the day.  It was all craft room day..... well, with a bit of laundry, gardening, vacuuming, and straightening thrown in.... but it was not intentional craft time.... it was an all creative time.  Wonderful.  

Let me just confess....................my craft room is my sanctuary, my therapist.....  well, just my space.  Yep, that is right.  I am not ashamed to admit it.  When I am feeling stressed, just not myself or need time to think....... I know it is time.  It is time to color, sew, paint, glue, tape......  get my hands all gooey and sticky.  It is time to turn on my iPod, listen to my favorites and just create.  

I was lucky enough to work on some cards a few months ago - but did not post the pictures.  

The colors are so much fun.....  

Today was more therapeutic because I was able to get some of the ideas I had in my head out through my hands.  I love to mosaic....  My youngest daughter and I did a beautiful table a few years ago.  (In fact you can see it behind the crochet piece in this post.  

I love the tiles and marbles.....  so fun, so colorful.   Was able to just let it flow.... no rhyme or reason, just cut, glue and put the pieces together    

This pot is ready for grout.... but that will be next weekend.  Started another pot..... all blues and greens.... 

This one is a decoupage pot.... just started it.....  want to add all kinds of embellishments to it..... but again... next weekend.  

Started to work on the hanging planters for VBS.....  and working out a pattern/idea for a jeans purse....  


Even though there are unfinished pieces and many projects were started and contemplated......










......today was pure bliss...... and it looks like next weekend is adding up to be blissful also! 
 

Can I Really Take On Another Hobby?????

Oh I have done it now.....  I would think, dream, wish and then talk my self out of it.... "Oh the expense..." I would say to myself.  

But when I was mixing up a double batch of these most delectable cookies for Mother's Day/Dad's 70th Birthday.... I thought, daydreamed and wished for it....  "Oh, it would make this so much easier," I said to myself.  

Well, we have been eating healthier and lighter around my house.  We got these great bikes and have been very faithful in riding them.  The swimming pool is about ready for the summer.....  

I thought I would like to make a healthier, chock full of grains and seeds kinda bread.  "Well, go and get it.  You've got a coupon... Go for it!"  

So I did........
And boy do I ever love it!








And here is the first yummy offering from this lovely piece of machinery.....  Dee's Health Bread 

 











Sorry....  the lighting is bad... it is night now.... but I was very excited..... (I also wish I had used a different color plate - so many browns and yellows in that photo!)    It is a very yummy bread and it gets better as it cools.... I added Wheat Germ and was not able to find cracked wheat - so I used Wheat Bran instead.....  I also added more sunflower seeds and will definitely add more next time!  

Yes, I think that the new mixer and I will be spending lots of weekends together......  

Oh how I wish I had more time to embrace all of these hobbies!  

Lots of new projects..........

Have been super busy working on secret gifts and new patterns.... 

This is the "Birthday Celebration Every Weekend" time of the year.... Yup, you guessed it.... everyone in my family (except for me) has a birthday from two weeks ago until the end of May.  So I have been busy....  a good busy... but nonetheless B U S Y!  

Between cleaning, baking and cooking - there has been no time for blogging....  okay actually no baking (I have decided that the store bought cakes/cupcakes/pies are so IN this year ;)  But I did make the super duper yummy pulled pork and the homemade Kansas style bbq sauce for hubby's birthday celebration.  Huge success.... with all the credit and thanks going to Gina at skinnytaste.com

Also working on a very top secret project for my oldest daughter's birthday......  Will post pics once the gift has been received!  

Also working on a "new to me" pattern for a youth afghan with donated yarn....  As I mentioned here I work with some awesome ladies at my church... not only do we make Prayer Shawls, but we also make youth and baby afghans for a women's and children's shelter and beanies/hats for our Food Pantry.  We get a lot of donated yarn and we like to be good stewards and use it!  So with the help of Lucy at Attic 24 - I have finally dove hook first into the world of Granny Stripes and I am loving it!  I love making Granny Squares anyway!   I have some donated variegated purple skeins and a solid purple Pounder - so I am set for a nice sized afghan.  While I am only a couple rows into the pattern - it is fantastic and I cannot wait to get it done so I  try this edging! A friend started an afghan but was unable to finish it - so she asked me to and I was able to finish it for her..... she lovingly donated it to our ministry....  It is with the same color variation that I am doing the granny stripe with... but this one was a just one large Granny Square.....  

 This purple is darker than the one I am working on now.  

 Here is a sneak peek.... mainly because I have not gotten that far....

Do you like the little hook holder?  I made it over a year ago.... mainly because I would lose my hooks - they would fall through my bag into never never land.  


I will admit that I am very very slow crocheter.....  but I do love to crochet.  I think it is because I cannot sit for very long (the whole puttering thing) and once I get a few rows hooked - I must get up and go do something else for awhile.  


This explains where there are lots and lots of projects going all at once.  My youngest daughter even laughs because I have two books going on my NOOK right now...  (do any of you have a NOOK or Kindle?)  Oh I love my NOOK....  but that is another post....  


My tomato plants are doing great.... I took this picture last weekend and they are twice the size now.... 

So you see..... I have many irons in the fire... I have tried to figure this out and I have come to one conclusion... that whole empty nest thing.  Am I filling up my time with lots of creative endeavors because the "little projects" that have occupied my time and mind for twenty years are now not my little projects anymore?   (Yup.... my youngest will be TWENTY years old in one week!)


The funny thing is that I cannot imagine how I DID it all those years.....  now when I am tired, I go to bed or take a nap.... if I am bored I crochet, or bake or garden or ???????.... Before I did all those things and MORE.... in one day! I cannot even imagine that now. 


Back once again to puttering.....  taking the time and lots of new projects......

Rest....

Now my definition of restful may be different from others.. Of course the obvious are there - reading, napping (ohhh that is a good one), crocheting, petting your cat......  but for me...... 

I love to putter....... but just not any puttering.....  for it to be restful there must be no interruptions, no chores, no phones, no meals to make...... just putter time.....  To be able do whatever I want to do without any deadlines.  Ahhhhh..... that is so relaxing to me. 

The job I do which helps to pay the bills.... well... lets just say that there is no creativity whatsoever and it is all about what someone else wants you to do....  ALL THE TIME.... people popping their head in to ask questions, people calling on the phone to ask questions, "where's the paper, where's the toner, where are the envelopes.... how do I do this, how do I do that... and oh the deadlines..... they never stop.  This emergency, that rush job, this has to be out by 2:00 p.m., this needed to be done yesterday.......  (Now that does not mean that I do not like to help... that is not what I am trying to say here.) 

And do not get me wrong.... I am grateful that I have half a brain and can do my job and do it reasonably well.  But, when I get home.... the last thing I want is to rush around. 

I want to putter.  It is that being in the bathtub, bubbles all over the place, candles, soft music kind of relaxing.

It is restful.   

Busyness......

Have to ask myself if that is even a word?  I need a word for when I take on too many projects, none of which I can even devote the right amount of time to.  

Started a garden and apparently I have waited way too long for the veggies that I planted.....  {sigh} I wish I did not jump in with both eyes closed..... but the spot is brown and has been for over a year... 

This is the view from my back door..... Very brown.... pretty blah..... 

So we bought some pretty color and decided that maybe some veggies would be a good idea.....

 I have wanted to add color and decided that I could do that and make it worthwhile... or at least try.  So when it is harvest time - I will let you know if I was just too late or not!  We have also planted four Hibiscus shrubs.....  they do pretty well here in the Southwest Desert.... so keeping my green thumbs crossed and hoping for the best!!!  We were supposed to get some rain - but it really did not amount to much.... so the red watering can has come in very very handy.  It was a gift from my husband last summer....  He is such a great man.... (he also bought me a brand new bike last night - but we will save that for another post!)  

We have carpeted stairs and they are hard, hard, hard to clean.....

 so we pulled the carpet and cleaned the wood but that is as far as we got. 

 Thank goodness we have such great landlords..... they are happy with us doing a project or two...  Anyway, in the very very near future..... I plan to fill in the holes, sand, and paint the wooden stairs and then tile the very top stair....  

Learned to poach an egg.... my inspiration was first given by Lucy at Attic 24.  But I received from fresh eggs from my parents.... so that was just the little nudge I needed to plunge one into a gentle boil..... am I ever glad that I did!  

 Pretty awesome I must say!  Very yummy...... Empty plate to prove it.... 

Have lots of craft projects going - but no pictures yet....  a baby blanket to donate, cards, cards, and more cards..... (I never got around to making Easter cards this year which is just a shame).  Also working on projects I found on Pinterest.....  

All of this also goes hand in hand with joining Sandra over at Cherry Heart for Pretty Crafty Home project.... (you can just click on that awesome button over on the side).

I have to admit that this week was not a stellar one where that silly thing called a "job" is concerned.... but when I was added to the side bar at Cherry Heart - well - that just made my week....  It was a definite boost for me.....

ahhhhh.......... busyness......   

Teeny Tiny Vacation

Ooooo we were so lucky....  we got to take a few days and get away.  We drove due north and enjoyed some time in the pines and away from the desert.  It was one of those last minute, let's do it, oh... why not...... little teeny tiny vacations.  

My husband loves cats of all sizes.... big, small, medium.... so we spent a day at Out of Africa.  We love this place.  We use to take our kids when they were teeny tiny..... when it was located much closer..... so it was nice to see all of the changes and larger spaces for the lions, tigers and bears (oh my)... Yes, I could not resist.  

We were also able to spend a little time with my parents.... we had a great dinner at The Tavern Grille the first night with my mother and her husband.  She had worked that day - so we only spent a couple of hours with them... but it was so nice.... we were so lucky that she was able to see us on such short notice!  

The next day we drove all over northern Arizona... we even saw some snow...

Can you believe that there was some up there in March?  Jerome is a fun little artist colony/town... it has really changed over the years......  We got a little Christmas shopping done.... and lots and lots of walking...  

Off to Prescott for some more shopping... and more walking..... love the antique shops up there. 

Then we met my dad and step mom for dinner.....  We were able to spend a little more time with them and it was so nice to have porch time.  

And do they have a lovely porch, all comfy and snug..... it is one of the most relaxing places in the world!

Then the next morning we headed back down the hill - back into our busy hectic life.....  grocery shopping, menu planning and meal preparing for the upcoming week.  

Laundry and housekeeping.

Luckily, I got some great inspiration in all the shops.  I even saw something and I literally did a double-take..... because it is something I do and it looked exactly like one of mine and it was marked....... yes, let us hear a drum roll please.....$80.00!!!!!......(whether they get that much for it or not.......) 

SO since I still have a day off from the distraction I call my job.... I just might, oh let me hope, just might get some time in the craft room.....  

I love little teeny tiny vacations.....  

Patience

Really not sure what to think......  

I want to create, I want to blog about what I create, I want to stay home to create and blog about what I create...... I am whining, I know. 

I have found a kindred spirit.....  Cassandra ..... of course she is not whining, she is being much more adult about it.....

BUT.... I love all the other things I am doing right now.  

So.........

I pray for patience.