{My 1st Embroidery Project}

I started off with a towel. I put a pattern on each end. The
towels are really big. So, when it's folded and hanging on the
stove handle, you'll only be able to see one design at a time.


Here's my very first completed embroidery pattern. :)


I started off doing the stitches way wrong. The goal was to
make a straight line, I just didn't totally understand how to
do that. I started like this, which looks a little strange.


Then, I figured out the correct way, which looks so much
better. It was actually a lot faster, too.

I've already started on the second pattern and hope to have
the whole towel done soon. Maybe even by Sunday night.



I'm totally addicted to my fun, new hobby and was actually
a little disappointed I didn't have time for it today. However,
I'm thrilled to have organised the linen closet and the space
under our bathroom sinks. I'm off to meet up with David at
our fav new dinner spot, Efes Turkish Cuisine. Bon weekend!

{A Crafty Version of Pay it Forward}

Embroidery.
Who knew?

Carlene taught Lindsay.
Lindsay taught me.
And I love it.
Embroidery is so much fun.
If you're slightly interested in learning about it, read on...

I went to Joann's to pick up what I needed for my first lesson.
This stuff is cheap. The most expensive part is whatever you
want to embroider on. I paid $10 for a four pack of flour sack
towels. So, even that's not much. You could do it on a onesie or
any number of things. I bought:


Towels


Patterns -- They're iron ons and reusable. Since they were
cute and only $1.29 each, I bought five of them. :)


Hoops -- I wasn't sure what size I needed. So, I bought three.
They were all between $0.99 and $1.99. Practically free!


Embroidery floss -- Since I wanted lots of color options,
I went with the big pack for $14.99. You could easily spend
a third of that and have what you need to get started. Each
thread is six strands, but you only embroider with two of
those strands at a time. So, a little goes a long way.


Needles -- this pack was just over a dollar. All you need is
a needle with an eye large enough to get the thread through.

I read this quick article. It's a nice intro that reassured me
embroidery is simple, and I could totally do it. It also got me
kind of excited about it. This is not your grandma's craft
anymore. You can do some really cool stuff with embroidery!
So, here's the skinny:

1) Pick a pattern
2) Choose what material you'll put the pattern on
3) Iron it onto the material
4) Place your material into a hoop so it's nice and tight
5) Cut thread; length = from finger tips to elbow or so
6) Separate 2 strands from the 6 stand thread
6) Slip your 2 strands through the eye of the needle

You're almost ready!

The part that's difficult to explain in written word is how to make
the stitch itself. Lindsay was able to show me in three minutes, but
it's a visual thing. Never fear. YouTube is here! This chick gives a
fabulous tutorial. The whole video is like seven minutes, but she
tells you everything you need to know in the first three and a half
minutes.



My first project will be posted tomorrow. I'm just waiting for
daylight to take a picture of it. Hope you all have a nice night!

{EZ Weeknight Dinner Idea}

If you can boil water and open a can, you can make this.
I made it before my no meat in January goal.


(more bad lighting, courtesy of my kitchen at night filled
with LED lights.)

Only three ingredients are required for this meal. I get all of
them from Trader Joe's. If you don't have that store in your
area, surely you can find a similar item at your grocery store.
The pasta is the ticket. Lemon Pepper. So yummy.



2 cans solid white tuna in light oil
1 bag TJ's lemon pepper pappardelle pasta
capers

Boil pasta. Drain. Add tuna with oil of one or two cans,
depending on preference. Add capers, to your liking.
Mix well and enjoy.

{Seven Pounds, A Mercy}

We talked about going to the Grand Canyon.
We talked about going to the Olive Mill.
We ended up eating at YC's Mongolian Grill, looking at
carpet, browsing at Barnes and Noble, and going to see
Seven Pounds.



Excellent movie -- nicely put together, very well acted.
I hope Will Smith gets a best actor nom for his role.
Rosario Dawson was also fantastic. If you go check it out,
bring tissues.

When we were at the book store, I picked up the latest
novel by the beautifully exquisite Toni Morrison.



I read Beloved in '07. It was truly mind changing. To say it's
an amazing story is to give it no justice. Clearly, I'm not alone
in that opinion. She received a Noble Peace Prize for those
pages, and now she has a new book out.



I bought this book on CD, which isn't something I'd normally
do. In fact, I think I've only rented a few books on tape, back
when you could still do that. Right now, I'm reading three
other books and have a couple in line behind them. Getting
this on CD will allow me to experience it sooner. I'm excited
to hear the novel in her voice, as it was written, and I hope
it has the side benefit of keeping me off my cell while driving.

I'm off to the vet...

{Mini Update}

* School doesn't start until the 20th. That means I have a lot
of time to finish my plump to do list and have some fun. I'm
really hoping for scrapbooking time. Maybe I should plan a
thing with people...

* I love 30 Rock. Every episode makes me laugh out loud. I think
I would swing the other way if Tina Fey wanted to date me.

* Got a lesson in hand embroidery last night. Really fun
stuff. Perfect for sitting on the couch, watching TV. More
on that later. (Not about TV but embroidery.)

* I recently found a great site that's like evite for meals.
(Thanks, Diane.) It's specifically designed to invite people to
bring meals to someone and coordinate the what and when.
For example, it's great after they've had a baby or surgery.


* Super sad that Norah is still having a reaction to something
even after six weeks of antibiotics. Now I'm nervous.
We're heading to the vet tomorrow morning.

* I hate miscommunication, poor communication, aggressive
communication, and trying to communicate when everything
seems all tied up in my chest. It so stresses me out. Yet,
it seems that's all I am capable of these days.

* I am desperately behind on phone calls and emails to people
I really do want to talk to. You know who you are. I swear, I
will eventually pick up the phone. I've kind of been in hiding
lately.

* Rumor has it we're going to the Queen Creek Olive Mill later
today. Must get ready...

{Resolution Time}

Top of the year to ya.
I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve.
Have you made your resolutions for 2009?



I've made a lot of good ones over the years -- in theory,
anyway. The problem is, I lose focus or motivation and
end up not accomplishing anything. I think I've landed
on a great resolution system though.

My 2009 resolution: To make three goals for each month.

I really think I can make this work. Here's the plan.
~ I've written a note at the end of each month on my cal-
endar as a reminder to make goals for the coming month.
~ I'll use my blog. On the first day of every month, I'll
write a brief recap of how I did on the previous months
goals, and I'll state my three new goals for that month.
~ Goals can carry over from month to month, or not, as
long as each month has three firm goals that I actually
think are within reach.



January Resolutions:
1) Do not eat any meat of any kind.
This shouldn't be too hard as I'm not that far off from it now.
When I do eat meat (usually pork, turkey & chicken) I don't
really enjoy it that much. It doesn't agree with my taste buds
or belly. There's also the environmental and ethics factors
that really are huge issues to me. It's time I give this a try.
2) Use less paper towel.
I try to recycle, reduce and reuse; but, I am a paper towel
whore. I go through the stuff like crazy -- wiping the counters,
drying my hands, cleaning. Time to form a new, less wasteful
habit.
3) Take three 4-mile walks per week.
I need to start training for the 3 Day. Walking is great for me
in a million ways. It's good think time, good for the dogs, good
for my body. I haven't been doing it, even though I know how
much I have loved it in the past. No time like the present!


I'd love to hear what you're working on as the new year
kicks off. Cheers to you and 2009!

{My Week in Ohio}

I have one last post to wrap up from 2008, and
that's about my recent trip to visit family in Ohio.


I had an uneventful flight, which was lovely -- basically
slept the whole way. Even better, my ticket was free.
That was thanks to all the flying David does for work.


I was so happy to see Aaron when he picked me up. (It was
nice to have him all to myself for a few hours when I first
arrived.) I was also happy to see snow and feel the cold air!
I grew up in Michigan but haven't seen winter in many years.
It was fun to bundle up and even to shovel the driveway. :)


The novelty started to wear off though just a day or two
later when the temperature dropped to 3 degrees and the
wind chill was chilly. Damn, it got cold.


Aaron kept us warm though, by making a fire almost
every night. Awesome...

It was so great to see the kids. They make for a busy and
bustling household. They've all grown so much, both
physically and mentally.


Aidan is so smart. He said his friends at school use him
as a dictionary when they don't know the meaning of a
word. He really is a sponge. I've never known an eight
year old with such an interest in animals and how things
work. He and his dad picked up a new book that he loved.
He spent a lot of time sharing it with others and expressing
his appreciation for its greatness. He's usually the first one
up in the morning. Each day, he made a number of astute

observations.



Lauren is a sweet girl. She's up for anything, anytime -- an
insatiable appetite for play. That's not to say she's hyper;
quite the contrary, in fact. She can play and have fun, but
then tone it down and focus on reading, yoga, a movie, etc.
I often saw her wheels in motion, her eyes ever telling. She
learned to text while I was there (to her parents chagrin).



Catherine. I just want to spend the day giving this girl hugs
and kisses. She's getting to be so grown up and independent.
She's confident, smart, absolutely hilarious, and quite
athletic. She doesn't seem to hold herself back much at all.
This means, as her dad says, she tends to "experience more".



Little Miss Meghan is sugar and spice in extreme quantities. She

was the most likely to cuddle up and share affection. She was the

one who would hang out with me while I was getting ready,

watching everything and asking questions. She'd whisper in my

ear and giggle. But she also glared at me more than once when

she was getting in trouble with her parents. And I mean stared

me down. On my last night there, we were all in the family room,

when I noticed her sitting in front of the fire, quietly looking into

it. When I bent down next to her to ask if she was doing okay,

she said, "All I want for Christmas is my boyfriend." She's FIVE.

It was inspiring and energising to be around their
creative energy. I arrived to notes and gifts from
the girls, loaded with love. I got to see where they
go to school and hear about their friends. They showed
me webkinz, Poptropica and thenorthpole.com. We even
went to a parallel universe once. Lauren made this reindeer
in class. So cute!


The kids reminded me how much fun it was to play games.
Here are Lauren and Meghan during a round of Operation.
We also played Twister and Sorry. Good times.


We sang along with American Idol. I think the kids were
horrified with my singing abilities. (For the record,
Knockin' On Heavens Door is NOT an easy song to sing.)
I was really impressed with them though. They were good!
We also played Wii tennis and bowling. I was much better
at bowling. I kept trying to play Wii tennis like regular
tennis. I finally had to sit in a chair to keep myself
from running up to the ball and taking a huge swing.
Aaron had to encourage the kids to be patient with me
since it was my first time. None of them wanted to be
my partner!!! I wouldn't have wanted to be my partner
either. They were troopers. :)


My brother and Pam, on the other hand, have become
quite good at real life tennis. They've been practicing
and playing on a league for the past year or two. We
went on Thursday as Pam was finishing up and just in
time to watch Aaron's first match. It was fun to see him
play, meet some of his tennis friends, and see where
he goes each week for it.


He took me down there two other days -- once with
Aidan and Catherine. He stood on one side of the court
and hit balls to them (at the line) and to me (behind
them). It was fun! Another time, it was just the two
of us, and he gave me a lesson. I loved it!
He said I have a natural swing, which was awesome to
hear. I'm by no means good, but he gave me some great
pointers I'm hoping to practice so I can get better.
Good goal for the coming year...


I am so lucky to have this amazing woman as my
sister-in-law. I just wish we were able to hang out
more often. She and Aaron make an amazing couple,
and she's such a good mom. I still don't know how
they balance their busy careers and busy life with
everything else, but they do it.

What else?
Aaron and Pam sponsored an afternoon at the spa for me
where I had what may have been the best massage ever.
Definitely top two. It was wonderful. I felt like the luckiest

girl in Toledo that day!

We watched some good movies together at home, and
went to the theatre to see The Tale of Despereaux.

We went to two holiday parties
did a little shopping
played spoons
went for manicures at the Beauty Bar
did 30 amazing minutes of yoga
went to dinner at The Beirut (awesome Mediterranean place)
snuggled
read
ate
talked
and hung out.
It was a great visit.
I'm going to aim for a summer trip there when we can go
to the pool, play tennis and do bike rides. Already
looking forward to it.

Until then, guys! I love you, and thanks for everything!

{Crazy, Rule Breaking Link Girls}

I ended up having a nice birthday. After...
~ a visit with Lindsay and Michael
~ picking up David, whose knee wouldn't let him
finish the days 20 mile run and
~ watching Lipstick Jungle (my guilty pleasure)
D and I headed to the mall where I found this great
Christmas tee for a whole $6.99 here.

We also got him some much needed pants on sale at
Banana because when you lose a million pounds, your
old pants just look silly. And then we stopped in
for this, which I love.

After that, we grabbed some dinner and went to see
Marley and Me. Which was ironic because when we
got home, I kind of felt like the spirit of the movie
followed us.

You see, we crate Norah when we're gone. Attempts to
leave her out haven't been too successful. So, in the
crate she goes. While I was in Ohio, David struck on
a new system though. He pulled her crate to the walk
way between the kitchen and the kitchen nook and put
both dog beds and Killian in the blockaded area with
her. It really seemed to be working out, until that
night when she (or at least we assume it was her)
shredded their feather pillow.


Feathers everywhere (don't mind the horrific
lighting). When we walked in, she actually had
a feather hanging from her mouth. Classic.


Norah, with what we so inappropriately call her
Chi-nee eyes. The minute she thinks she might
possibly be in trouble, she makes this face.
Has ever since she was an itty bitty puppy.


Neither of us could even think of being upset though.
She just isn't ready to be out on her own when we're
gone. That's certainly not her fault.


Blissfully unaware now...

Before I cleaned all that up, we had birthday pie.
Yes, pie. I don't have anything against cake. In
fact, carrot cake is one of my very favorite desserts,
but I love pie. So, David made me birthday pie this
year. Breaking the cake tradition was fun and delicious.

We went to a 9:20 PM movie, so it was late by the
time we got home. We put a candle in my piece of
pie, and just before I made my wish, I turned to
look at the clock on the oven. It was 11:59 PM,
the last minute before the end of my birthday. I
got my wish in just in time. Here's hoping it
comes true...

{30 + 1 = 12.27.77}

Have you seen Santa Claus 2?
I just spent the week before Christmas with my nieces
and nephew. So, I have. :) It's kind of a cheesy movie,
but there's this line in it about traditions being born
when you let things happen, instead of planning out
every second.

I think I just stumbled on a new tradition of my own.
Last year, right after my 30th, Lindsay took photos of
me. And this year, I saw Jennifer who snapped a few
the week before my 31st. I think I'm going to try to keep
this going as my new birthday tradition. (Of course, I'm
white as a ghost this time of year. So, perhaps I should
celebrate my half birthday!)






Thanks for the impromptu shoot, Jen. You did a great job.
I love that I have some new scrapbooking ammunition now.
It was also wonderful to see you! Thanks for making the
drive down with Jack. Love you!

{25 Christmas Questions}

Hi, all. I hope you're all having a lovely week before
Christmas. I'm having a great time with family and so
enjoying the snow and cold weather! Cheers,
Sam

*************************



A little get-to-know-ya Christmas holiday Q & A...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
- I'm a wrapper all the way. I love that part of presents!
I like all my paper to match under the tree. So, I usually
buy three patterns in the same color scheme and two or
three coordinating solids.
2. Real tree or Artificial?
- Wish I could say real but I can't. We bought a fake
tree when we moved to Dallas in 2001.
3. When do you put up the tree?
- The week before or the week after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down?
- Sometime between NYE and the 4th.
5. Do you like eggnog?
- Try it yearly thinking I might but I never do.
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
- Didn't celebrate Christmas until I was 18. Stupid
Jehovah's Witnesses. My first Christmas was awesome
though.
7. Hardest person to buy for?
- David's dad.
8. Easiest person to buy for?
- The kids (nieces and nephews, Jack, etc.)
9. Do you have a nativity scene?
- No, sir. Christmas is a very secular holiday for me.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
- I've done both. Considering the switch to email to save
paper. Still haven't decided on a plan for this year,
which may very well mean no cards of any kind are going
to happen, and I'm okay with that.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
- No such thing! I do appreciate extra thoughtful ones more
though, for sure.
12. Favorite Christmas movie(s)?
- Honestly haven't seen many. I've always wanted to have a
marathon and watch all the ones I haven't seen. I love It's
a Wonderful Life.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
- Usually in the summer sometime. If I see the perfect thing
at a good price, I get it and stash it away in my office.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
- Nope.
15. What holiday activity do you look forward to?
- Seriously, wrapping gifts is one of my favorite things to do.
Last year, I had a lot of fun decorating the outside of the
boxes I shipped. I stamped them with Christmas stamps,
wrote lyrics to Christmas carols. Everyone was so excited
when they received them in the mail. My energy failed me
on that this year. So, my boxes were pretty darn simple.
Probably my favorite activity is mapping out a path to go
see highly decorated houses, filled with lights. There's a
website (azcentral.com) where you can go to find homes
that fit the bill in our area. We didn't do it last year, but we
did it the year before, and it was awesome.
16. Lights on the tree?
- We use white ones. I also like big, old fashioned lights.
17. Favorite Christmas song?
- I love The Three Tenors Christmas music. And Pavarotti.
Their sound is so magical.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
- Stay home! No question about that. I've done it every year
except one in the past seven years, and it really works for me.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
- Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner,
Blitzen ... & Rudolph, which I know was not part of the original
eight, but I think he should be included because he's the most
famous one of them all.
20. Do you have a holiday collection?
- Just one and it means a lot to me. David's mom gets us a
Swarovski Crystal Ornament every year for our anniversary.
So, we have five of them so far. They're so beautiful, and
they even have a little silver tag engraved with the year.
They catch light in the most amazing way. (I've actually been
meaning to do a blog post on them.) I also really like snow
babies, but I only have two.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Morning?
- David and I each open one on Christmas Eve night. For the
past several years, I have bought and wrapped pajamas for
each of us. We put them on that night and wear them all day
on Christmas.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
- The general sense of obligation. I feel like everyone feels like
they have to buy, wrap, do cards, cook, travel, attend parties,
etc. If you don't have the money or energy, it can really take
a lot of joy out of it. That's exactly why I keep it super, super
simple the day of.
23. Favorite ornament, theme or color?
- That's tough to narrow down. I have so many ornaments I
love. I've really tried to pick one up to represent different
places we've lived, traveled, hobbies, etc. Our tree is mostly
deep red and gold. We have a lot of other colors though. I
guess it's kind of classic. Lindsay got me a really fun one last
year -- a Starbucks cup to represent all the good times we
have chatting over coffee. I got several that I just love from
Waterford in Ireland. And this year, I bought myself a camera
ornament from World Market that's perfect!
24. Favorite FOOD for Christmas dinner?
- I don't have a tradition for this. I never have the same
menu or even always have a big Christmas meal. David
and I usually watch movies and eat easy comfort food in
our pjs that day.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
- A point and shoot camera for when I can't/don't want to
take my big one. Or David to buy us ballroom dance classes
or tickets to go horseback riding, but I'm not holding my
breath on that. :)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, TO ALL!

{rAnDoMnEsS}

* Finished my semester yesterday. Already looking
forward to a fresh start in January but thrilled to have a
break before then.

* Made the very spontaneous decision to go to Ohio to
visit my brother and his family. Booked the ticket on
Sunday. Leaving very early today, like 4:30 AM early.
So excited to see the kids.

* Haven't been home in way too long. Not going to a
million places like I normally do or even to Michigan
at all. Just going to stay put at Aaron and Pam's. Perfect.
Returning to Phoenix on Christmas Eve.

* Packing winter clothes was fun (once I got my laundry
done). I took way more than I'll need, in true form.
It's fun being a girl.

* Looking so forward to getting a winter fix for the first
time in years. I hope it snows while I'm there.

* Done Christmas shopping. Did a lot less of it this year.

* Decided to pass on Christmas cards, too. Just not
motivated. Figure it'll save a tree. Then, I can send notes
when inspired throughout the year.

* I've been in the mood to scrapbook for weeks now, but
I have yet to have the chance to sit down and do it.

* Worked on the table redo a bit Sunday. Got the table top
painted. Just need to stain the legs when I get back in town.
Excited to see (and share) the finished product.

* I am so behind on emails. So, so behind. It really bothers
me when my inbox isn't up to date.

* Got in at the last minute for an appointment with Chelsie
before leaving. She's amazing. She left me with a lot to
chew on.

* Thinking of the Morenos and those twins. I had a chance
to stop by and visit last night, which was really nice. Linds
and Michael are running and then running some more to
keep up with everything. Feedings every three hours, going
to spend time with Boston in the NICU. It's a lot, and I send
hugs and thoughts their way.

* Happy for my friend Julie who just had a baby boy --
Elijah Owen.

* I hate speed radar cameras. Hate them.

* I'm going to miss my animals while I'm gone...
David, please give them extra kisses for me.

{Needle in a Haystack}

I knew there was something in there.
I just knew it.

I got a pricker stuck in my heel after walking around a
trail in Sedona Nov. 30th, which I mentioned in a post the
other day. My doc said to soak my foot in hot water. I
waddled home and followed her instructions. It had really
been bothering me though. So, after soaking it yesterday,
I had David take another stab at trying to get it out.
Sure enough...




The lesson to be learned here is not to wear these hiking,
even if it is a friendly looking trail that calls your
name as you're heading out of town.



Thanks to my in-house doctor for his gentle efforts
and his tweezers and razor blade. :)