Beginning of the Week and a crafty Card

Not a bad start to the week. The rain stopped and today the sun came out. 

Day 332 

 I stood still on my walk and looked up (only for a minute so I didn't get too dizzy lol) and loved seeing the blue sky and the sunshine, even if the trees are all bare. I don't think we take time to look up very often. 

It was a nice walk this morning. I stopped and looked more than I walked. I rather enjoyed it. It was so quite at Asylum Lake this morning. Arnie, the park worker, was the only person I saw for ages. The beaver was out, several muskrats, some coots and lots of Mallards. I was fascinated for a while watching a female mallard eating a frog. I had never seen that before! 

From the lake I walked up into the field and watched the House Finches eating berries in the tree. I saw a couple of people walking their dogs (one sadly off-lead, even though they are required) and chatted for a while to another photographer that I see sometimes. His 'thing' is deer and it's currently mating season, so he's out and about documenting and photographing the deer he's been following all year. 

I did my usual daily chores when I got home, a little cross stitching, a little photography stuff and then it was time for the guys to come home. 

I have to do a little better with time management tomorrow. The cupboard by the back door needs to be worked on as I want to get the stuff out for bulk rubbish pick-up on Friday. 

I didn't go up in the craft room today, but I have been up there. Here are a couple of cards I've done. 

I still need to make envelopes for them. I think I might send them to my sisters for their cards this year. 

Thanks! Sunday Adventures

 ...for all the anniversary wishes. 

We had a day out today. Another Sunday Adventure. It was a little windy, but nice and sunny. Can't complain about that! We went to the beach and took a little walk, watched the waves at one beach and at another watched the surfers enjoying the waves on the lake. 

Here's a little video of the beach. The waves yesterday, later in the day, were huge (I watched them on the webcam) but we couldn't go due to other things.

 

And a couple of photos - a walk down to another beach

Day 310 - this view made me smile. These fences were put up not too many weeks ago, but due to the wind some of them are almost buried already!

After we got home I boxed up a couple of Ebay auctions, did a little crafting and did a bit of relaxing. I did also take a better photo of a card I made. Christmas is creeping up quickly!

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Getting Packed and Ready

 We are off for an early start tomorrow. We want to leave the house by 5am (yikes!) so we don't interrupt oldest son's morning work routine. It's a long old drive so if we get an early start we might make good time. Sometimes when we go we avoid Chicago as it is horrible driving there but it adds an extra hour onto our time. Hubby says we are going through Chicago tomorrow. Yikes. People drive so fast and there are lots of lanes. It makes me quite nervous even though I'm just in the passenger seat! 

I was busy most of the day running last minute errands and getting stuff together for our visit to daughter's. I must admit that I am feeling a little (lot) frazzled. I know things will go okay, but it's more the anticipation that is worse than anything. I am even clenching my jaw at night. I can feel myself doing it when I wake up and my jaw hurts. Perhaps being anxious is another reason for not sleeping. Sigh. 

Everything is packed (I think) and ready to go (I hope). I'm glad I made a list for things I needed to buy and stayed on track. I was almost tempted to go to the lakeshore for the waves as it was another windy day but I knew it would put me behind. I had gone at the weekend and got lots of photos so I decided (wisely) to keep on track. 

I did have a few minutes later in the afternoon to pop up into the craft room, make one card and take photos of a couple of others. 

Brrr....

 It was cold this morning! 18F/-8C! I bundled up in my long undies, hat, double gloves and hand warmers so I wasn't too bad. The cold did keep people away. There were a few other hardy souls out. The sun was shining so that was good. I didn't see a lot of wildlife, just lots of geese. The beavers have been busy with smaller trees, leaving the larger trees alone for now. Asylum Lake was beginning to freeze in places. 

I ran a couple of errands, came home to wrap some presents, finish an ornament and try to keep my sanity! I have a love/hate with this time of year. I like the giving of gifts but I tend to stress myself out. It's my lack of organisation and time management that gets me every time. I'm trying to think of one word that encompasses both so I can work on this next year. I'm getting to a point where it is something that is bothering me so it is time for a change. 

A couple of cards I made today. I quite like them. Once I've got the few projects left I am finishing up I think I'm going to make more of these so I have them on hand - another reason I need to be organised. I've been watching December Daily Vlogs on YouTube and so many people seem so organised for the holidays and I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off. 

How organised are you with gifts? Do you have a stash of gifts on hand? Do you plan throughout the year? 

Monday, Monday

Ack. Back to Monday again. 

I have some crafty card creations to share today. I really do need to get going on Christmas (yikes) projects but I am enjoying Autumn and Halloween right now and seem to be stuck on them. 

These were all made using bits I had around. The first three were made with bits I 'won' in an auction when I went to see daughter the other year. I went to Woo-Woo Palooza, a fundraiser for Adopt a Husky Minnesota, and they had a scrapbook basket up for auction.  I think I'm going to send out a couple as a pick-me-up. It's always fun to receive something different in the post. 

Hot and Humid

After a nice few days of reprieve the weather has turned horribly hot and humid again. It was uncomfortably hot last night (about 23c/73C) and I didn't sleep much at all. It felt like I was tossing and turning all night. I was finally glad when everyone had gone to work and I could get out of bed. I just didn't get up any earlier as I hate interrupting their routine. I didn't like anyone interrupting mine while I was getting ready for work so I try to be considerate. Needless to say I haven't got a lot done today. I did go for a walk, but even that was horrible. I was sweating by the time I was done (and not because I'd exerted myself!).

I'm going to do soft shell tacos tonight so I don't have to turn the oven on. I got ready to chop things up and found out the tomatoes I got yesterday are not good on the inside. Not exactly sure what's wrong with them, but yuck. I ended up asking hubby to pick some up on his way home from work.

I did decide to try to find up my living room projects that I had put away before I went to England. I thought perhaps I could sit and do one of those. I found the knitting project - still on needle - but couldn't find the other needle or the pattern. Sigh. I did find them in the end, but it seems to hot to even knit. I got my cross stitch out that I was working on - that was all together - but I've closed the curtains to keep out the sun (gasp!) and can't see to stitch. Instead I'm going to look through a couple magazines I brought back with me and maybe dream of more projects I can do someday!

Here's a card I made for Mum. Her birthday is next week. I left a card and some GC with my sister before I left, but I wanted to send another little homemade card.

Clothes Shopping

I was reminded today why I hate clothes shopping so much. I avoid it whenever possible. I can't avoid it any longer. I'm going to visit Mum at the end of the month and I need a couple pairs of trousers (or capris) and a few tee shirts. I tried on two pairs of capris today. I'm a little fluffy (especially on the bottom end) so I shop at the beginning sizes of the plus sizes as they tend to have more room in the bum area. However I never seem to be a full size. I tried on two pairs of capris. One a size smaller and then the next size up. Neither fit. Surely there can't be that much difference between sizes? The smaller one was too tight and the next size up was so big I looked like a clown! Perhaps it's just that brand? Ug. I hate it. I'm quite tall too so any shirt I get tends to be too short. If I raise my arms I flash my belly and nobody wants to see that! Sigh.

That's my moan for the day.

On a good note I am all caught up on my 100 Days of All About Me book. I'm so glad to be up-to-date. I was so sure I'd never catch up! Just a couple pages posted below.

I have also made a few quick cards. I haven't really had my mojo lately so I've just been playing and see where it takes me. My favourite is the girl with the sunflowers. I love that stamp and just colouring the sunflowers seems to work.

Hope everyone has a good Tuesday! Thanks for all the lovely comments. I do read them and appreciate them. Also if anyone has a blog they'd like to share please let me know. I'm looking for new ones to read. I seem to have become a creature of habit and read the same (wonderful!) blogs.

Ug Monday

Snowy roads again this morning so a day in. Glad of it actually. My back has been hurting in the  mornings and it wasn't good at all this morning. We bought a new bed and mattress set last year and it has hurt my back from the beginning and has steadily got worse. It's bad enough now that I am tossing and turning half the night and in the morning I can barely get out of bed. Usually once I'm out, have sat with a heating pad on my back it loosens up and I'm okay for the rest of the day. I'm a stomach sleeper but I can't do that anymore as the pain is worse so I've tried sleeping on my side and back and it all hurts. If my back feels a little better then my neck feels worse. Sigh. Not sure what to do except maybe buy another mattress but will that be any better?

Anyway that's my moan for the day. On my last post I shared some photos of our Sunday out. I wanted to share a couple more.

This is at Warren Dunes where the wind was whipping up the sand and snow at the lake edge. Phew that wind was strong!

So strong hubby was trying to hide from the wind while I took photos! He managed to find this to shelter in lol.

At home today I did manage to stamp out a few images ready to go for cards that you might (or might not) see later in the week.

I also made up a quick card for daughter for Valentine's Day. 

Now I've got to remember to get it in the post!

Crafts

I did get some things done on Monday. It was cold and snowy so a great day to stay inside! We're having a cold spell again - another polar vortex lol. To me it's just Michigan weather. Always makes me wonder why I moved here lol. I am so looking forward to Spring. I can't wait until I don't have to bundle up like the Michelin Man just to be able to go outside.

Crafty things - a couple of cards. I wanted to just play with some of my stamps. There are cards I do need to get done but I have to be in the mood and I wasn't.

I also finished up my wildlife journal/book and a little fungus mini-album. Last year I made a bunch of mini-albums (sort of became addicted to making them lol) but never put anything in them. So this year I decided I would fill some of them with themed photos that I'd taken. Killing two birds with one stone - using the albums and making sure I do something with my photos.

Wildlife Album - not the best photos. Yikes. Didn't realise until I was getting ready to post.

You can see the heron photo that eluded me for so long (I got it reprinted in the end!). I've also finished another cross stitch which I will photograph and post another day.

As January comes to a close I feel like I actually following through on some of my goals. I have really been watching what I spend on 'extras'. All-in-all a pretty good month!

Workdesk Wednesday - 8 years!

It's Wednesday again and time to join with Julia and the gang over at Stamping Ground for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. It's the 8 year anniversary! Can you  believe it? I haven't been joining in that long. It's a really fun place to share - lots of encouragement and creative sharing. I've really enjoyed participating.

Well, here's my desk this week

It's never clean - just can't seem to keep it that way. I've been working on my ATCs but no peeking! I have a couple of extras so if anyone wants to share drop me an email Ipswich2 at aol dot com.

I've actually mounted some of the backgrounds I've been making onto card bases. I love the colours. Happy Anniversary everyone!

Saturday

Just a quick post today. Had a nice time out with a couple of friends yesterday afternoon. As it was my birthday the restaurant gave me a free dessert - Fudge Brownie Sundae. Yum! It was delicious - a great indulgence, but hey, you only turn forty-seven once right? I'm sliding into fifty pretty quickly.

It is also my sister's birthday next week. I made her a card for her birthday and managed to get it in the post in time (I hope).

I've really enjoyed making the card backgrounds. I've been doing more of them. I'll probably show on Monday. It's cooler today so I'm doing some knitting while watching some mysteries on telly. We did manage a 3.25 mile walk this morning before the rain set in. Hope everyone has a good Saturday! I really appreciate all your comments.

Desk Day - WOYWW

The weeks just seem to be rolling around (I'm still waiting for the first signs of Spring!) and it's Wednesday again - time to share my messy desk with those over at Stamping Ground.

Well this is it

It's a mess but things are getting done. To the left are a couple of polka dotted mini albums waiting for some photos, a book in the middle that has photos being put in it - complete with journalling - and a couple of other bits and bobs. I have been doing some knitting (last post) and more sorting.

I did finish the card I was starting on last week for my sister

The bird is attached to one of those wobbly things and when it moves the eyes move too.

And another card just for fun

It's really cold here today -9C (15F) so not sure if I'm going to brave it and pop out (hoping the car doors don't freeze!) or stay in and do some crafting. Hope everyone has a good Wednesday!