Addicted.

I have an addictive personality. I know that. I know if I find something I really like, I can find myself hooked almost immediately. It is a good thing I have never tried highly addictive drugs, because I am sure I would be living behind a dumpster somewhere jonesing for a fix.

So, when I decided that rather than continue to buy crocheted hats and blankets off of etsy for my studio, and make my own, I had no idea how hooked I would get. Literally hooked. 

So, I knew how to do crochet chains. My grandma taught me when I was eight or nine. But I haven't done anything except a scarf until now. I googled how to crochet in the round, and TADA! I have found a new addiction. :) I followed a pattern for the sleeping owl, and everything else has been something I figured out on my own. I am kind of stoked about how quick these come together! I have also had quite a few requests for these, and this means that I have a bit of spending money for Vegas!

That Was Fast

Well, that didn't take me long. Thanks to the artsyfartsymama blog I finished this planner for the year last night. I used some old MME Fine and Dandy line to cover it, and voila! 

 This is the front cover. I tied a pen on with some leftover ribbon, and hopefully won't be left stranded when I need to make a plan!

This is inside the front cover. I sealed an envelope, covered it with patterned paper, and opened the right side to hold bills, receipts, or other straggly papers!
I can't wait to get started!
TFL

A new year and a new plan

Last year I made a bunch of resolutions. Just about one for every aspect of my life. I made one for scrapbooking, one for reading, one for weight loss, one for finding time for myself, and one for family commitments. This year, I am making one. It isn't because I didn't resolve all of last year's. In fact, I achieved a lot of the goals I set for myself last year. But this year, I really need to get my life in order. I have found that being a W(at)HM is tough. I think it is even harder than when I was a W(away from)HM. I can always find something else that needs or should be done and work gets put to the side. I can't afford to do this in 2012. I have secured some major photography contracts, and procrastination will not be my MO this year.
So, my goal is to get myself a bit more organized. A normal, overused, predictable one, but one that I need to meet. I hate meal planning at the best of times, but with two kids in two different activities, plus my weekly curling league and having a husband who works away half the month, meals often are my most dreaded part of the day. So, part of my organization is going to be doing meal planning while Grant is home. This way, I can get input for meals even when he isn't here. We spent the morning making lists of meals we love, ones we want to try, and ones for the crazy nights of the week. I am looking forward to this part of the day (kinda).
I also found a weekly organizer printable on Pinterest.  is EXACTLY what I would have made for myself if I had the time. EXACTLY. You can find it here (www.artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com) if you want one too. I printed it off today, and tonight while Grant and I watch Season 2 of Dexter, I am going to make a simple cover for it. So, I guess for the fifth of January I have done not too bad! 


Now, speaking of Dexter..... holy schnicky! What a good show! Is it bad that Grant and I are bonding over a serial killer?

Christmas Concert Completed!

I used to put on the Christmas concert at our school. That is, I did until they hired a real music teacher. And she is amazing. She teaches music to all the elementary grades, as well as teaches band to the whole junior high. So to say that this is her event is an understatement. Also an understatement is how great the show was last night.

The Preschool class sang We Wish You A Merry Christmas (or as Cohen sings it, We Wish You WERE Merry Christmas), and he was one of the few who was singing the verse he was supposed to, when he was supposed to. (Imagine me beaming with pride!) He also snuck up on stage at the evening performance to sing it with the rest of the school.

The grade one/two class also did a great job. I don't know how she got 31 kids to do the choreography without someone getting a black eye, but she did. I was so proud of both my kiddos. They are fortunate to attend the school they do, and have the teachers they do.
I am clearly full of the Christmas spirit! :)

Wheat Bag Making Machine!

So... thanks to Pinterest I saw some adorable little owl ornaments. And from that post, the idea for teacher gifts was born. I made mini wheat bag owls out of felt, and the wheat that Grant had leftover from his samples this harvest. Holy time consuming. And these ones aren't the ones that were blanket stitched all around. But they are adorable, and I might make some for the kiddos for their stockings! I had grandiose plans of making 10, which would have been doable had I completed them when I started them, but alas, I got six done by staying up until 12:30 last night....
But they are done. Yay! And they have been handed out. We had our afternoon performance of the Christmas Concert today, and it was awesome. The play was great, the band was great, the preschool kids were adorable, and Avery is the cutest singing reindeer I know.

Not Gonna Happen

So, when I made a goal for myself to complete 50 layouts this year, I thought it was doable. In fact, I was sure I would easily complete it by summer, and be on the next 50.
Alas, this wasn't my year to scrap. I have never been this far behind, and I am okay with it. I think a lot of my lack of productivity is that I didn't attend a retreat this fall, which is something I usually do. I couldn't make it work. I remember I used to look at friends with kids older than mine who never seemed to have the time to scrapbook, and I thought they just didn't prioritize right. Now I get that they do... that scrapbooking isn't more important than my kids getting the chance to participate in extra curricular activities, or volunteering at their school trumps paper these days. So I won't be reaching my goal. But it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. Or maybe it was that I was so preoccupied with all the stuff I have pinned, that scrapbooking took a back seat to crafting. Since discovering and addicting myself to Pinterest, I have made several things I have pinned. Including a yarn wrapped wreath, teacher gifts for Christmas, a bunch of yummy new recipes, and I am working on a t-shirt rug. So, although I wasn't scrapping, I was getting my creative juices flowing, and that is a good thing. (Aren't I Martha?)

12 Sleeps and 10 Randoms

There are 12 sleeps. 12 SLEEPS! 12 Sleeps until Christmas. I am excited because I am ready, but looking at my calendar, I have a million (or so) things to get through first before Christmas Eve. Here are at least ten of them!

1. Three more Guided Reading sessions at school. I love being able to go in every Monday and Wednesday morning to Avery's class, and work with her classmates with this program. The group I have been working with made huge gains this week, and I am so proud of them!

2. Thursday morning play date. A neighbour and I have been trying for months to get our sons together for a morning play date. It has fallen through for a variety of reasons, including my kid was sick, her boys were sick, I had to work, etc. But this Thursday, I am loading Cohen up, driving 5 kilometres, and spending time with Jenna and her boys!

3. Family Dance night! Our school has an amazing tradition of teaching the students a variety of traditional dances (like the Butterfly, Bunny Hop, and Schottische) and then we dance! It is a free night out, and the kids get to move like Jagger. Outfits are picked out, and moves have been practiced. Can't wait!

4. Avery's first dance recital of the dancing year. She is dancing twice on Friday, and she has been working so hard on both the Fling and Sword dance. I can't wait to see how much she has improved since last year. She has come to realize that she isn't going to master the dance immediately, and she is okay with that. (And I am so happy she is done stressing about it.)

5. Tickets for Coldplay. I am crossing my fingers, toes, eyes, arms, and everything else that crosses that I get two tickets for Coldplay. They are coming to Calgary in April, and the last time I saw them I was floored at how truly talented they are. Tickets go on sale on Saturday morning, and you can bet your ass I will be on the phone, and computer trying to get some!

6. Curling date with Tara. Last year the Boston Pizza Cup Men's curling was held in High River, and Tara was the driver for the coolest team. They were why I curl. For the social element of it. (And they were clearly good enough to make provincials... which I am not.) Anyhoo, we had such a great time with these guys, and Tara just got a message that they will be back this weekend for play downs. You can bet we will be there cheering! (And perhaps imbibing.)

7. Studio C stuff.... I have sittings, weddings, images, proofs, discs, and birth announcements all needing to be done this week. And I don't know when I will get it all done. Maybe when I stop blogging???

8. Teacher gifts. I saw some adorable owl ornaments for a Christmas tree, and thought they would be super cute as mini wheat bags for the teachers to warm up and keep their hands toasty during supervision. I am also making sugar scrubs for them. Thank you Pinterest. Now I just need Pinterest to make me some time.

9. Christmas Concert. Next Wednesday is the school Christmas Concert. There are two performances, and it is always so perfectly adorable. Cohen has been practicing his song for days and he has been singing "We wish you WERE Merry Christmas" at the top of his lungs. I don't have the heart to tell him.

10. Wrapping the kids gifts. That is the only thing I haven't wrapped because they were hell bent on helping me last weekend. I don't have time on Christmas Eve because we host a scotch tasting for friends and family, so sometime in the next 12 days that will need to be done too....

So, I guess if you look at it from a positive perspective, I have 12 days and 10 things to do, so clearly plenty of time!