2011: Looking Back

1.  Bible Verse:  In 2011, I resolve to wear the full armor of God, so that I can stand against the devil’s schemes.  Ephesians 6:10-18

2.  One Word:  Wear – to update my dated wardrobe and to wear the fruits of the spirit

Highlights and Milestone

1. Our friends Jenny, Kody, Harry & Max moved to CA.  We hope you move back soon.
2. I read many, many books.  True, I didn’t review the books, but I read a LOT!  I also discovered how much a love reading  ebooks.  It is SO easy to carry around and read multiple books.
3. Started my 4th year as a Cub Scout Cub Master.  I can’t believe PJ is a WEBELOS.
4. I have a daughter in high school!
5. My Aunt, Dee Smith passed away.
6. My daughter’s 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Karen Farr passed away.
7. Made a rainbow cake.
8. Big ER bill from Rick’s 104 temp!
9. Signed up for the Sketchbook Project
10. Opened a Pinterest account.
11. Received my first nasty blog comment:  That is a super-peachy-keen post. Thanks for really blathering on like that! Seriously, I don’t think I could have spent more effort wishing for something heavy to fall on me to erase that nonsense from my mind!  Thank you anonymous poster, cause it made my day.
12. I reconnected with tons of high school friends.  Thank you Facebook.
13. Professional photos made for my blog!!!  Huge milestone!
14. Our house flooded due to a faulty washing machine.
15. Posted my Lady with a doll postcards on Flickr.
16. Bought a few digital magazines.  I’m still on the fence out ezines.
17. Addicted to chalkboard paint.

Trips

1. To Orlando – twice. Once with the family (and we went VIP) and once with Olivia and Brittany
2. Attended the Iron Bowl
3. Attended Blissdom in Nashville.  Met some wonderful friends:  Kate Spears, Sandy Moss, Kristen Gann Lyons
4. To Gatlinburg with the Dixons.
5. And a few trips to Birmingham and Decatur for work and family.
6. Accidental trip to Georgia.

Art

It’s been a big art year for me.  Below are the highlights

1. Returned to school – after an 18 year absence.
2. Remembered how much I love studio classes
3. Made an “A” in my first class
4. Painted some beautiful artwork.
5. Won a poster contest for Gulf Coast Clay.  Very exciting!  My painting will be printed on postcards, t-shirts and posters.
6. Developed my own artistic style.
7. Made a beautiful quilt & monogrammed sheets for my mother.
8. Submitted projects to Lettering Delights and One Pretty Thing.
9. Participated in the Blogger’s Quilt Festival with my mini quilt.
10. Designed some fabric at Spoonflower.  I even entered a few contest!
11. Swapped a few potholders on Flickr.
12. Learned I love studio classes.
13. Bought sketchbook for me and Olivia:  The Sketchbook Project
14. Signed up for several Internet Art classes:  Inspired Doodles, Silly Redux, LetterLAB, Handlettering and Oodles of Doodles

Olivia

1. Olivia received a fancy schmancy camera for Christmas.
2. Olivia attended two semi formals this year.
3. iPad for Birthday.
4. Ziplining in TN

PJ

1. Passed 3rd grade.
2. Xbox for birthday
3. Tablet for Christmas
4. Braces on his teeth
5. Cub Scout Christmas Parade
6. Cub Scout camping
7. Was in a pirate show
8. Indoor skydiving

Best Books I read in 2011

Below are the stand-out, unforgettable books I read in ’11.

1. Tiger’s Curse By Colleen Houck
2. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3. Tiger’s Voyage By Colleen Houck
4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
5. Tiger’s Quest By Colleen Houck
6. The Help by Katheryn Stockett
7. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich – I’m rereading this to get ready for the movie.  I had forgotten how entertaining it is!!!
8. Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25  by Richard Paul Evans – loved it and my 10 yr old son loved it too.

Favorite Beauty Products

Refer to this post for my favorite beauty products.

2011 Resolutions Revisited

• Read one book a month – DONE is spades – see my 2012 reading list here.
• Review each book after reading it – not so much, but if I enjoyed it, I usually spread the word to my friends and FB
• Blog more often – yes and no, mostly no.
• Commenting on at LEAST 4-5 (One per work day!) blogs per week – NO, but I want to try this again next year.

Looking Ahead:  2012

I will post my 2012 resolutions on Jan 1.

Like: Shopping

I never thought I would like online shopping, but it turns out that I do. I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting good stuff in the mail.  It started with Amazon.com, but now has moved beyond books & music to garments, shoes and art supplies.  This morning, I ordered from modcloth.com this:

Then, I ordered my BirchBox.  I’ve been a member of New Beauty’s Test Tube for a while now, but need a monthly fix to get me by. 

Because I promised my daughter, I ordered two sketchbooks from the Sketchbook Project.  I selected “The Last of the people I know.”  Olivia selected “Writing on the wall.”

And lastly, I signed up for Carla Sonheim’s class – Silly 1 Redux – The Art of Silliness!

Does your opinon matter to me?

A few weeks ago, I attended a blog conference, Blissdom, in Nashville.  I went all alone and felt very vulnerable.  It’s hard to walk into a huge event without a wingman.  I ended up having awonderful time and making many new blogging friends.  But what made the trip worth it wasI learned something I will reference for the rest of my life.  Thank you, Brene.

My circle of friends whose opinion matter to me is very small.  I’m sorry, you are not in that circle. 

This caused me to think.  Whose opinion matters to me?

I made a list and was shocked at how small my circle is.

1. My sweet husband
2. My parents
3. My inlaws
4. My brother
5. My children

After that, I was stimied.  I have close friends.  Why didn’t their opinion matter to me?  Did their opinion matter to me?

Maybe.  A little bit.  But only a select few who were very loyal.  I am talking about  “I will take a bullet for you” loyal. 

Do I have friends like that?  I’m not sure.  I don’t think so.

This past week has been a trial by fire and friend I thought loyal were not.  It was an eye opening experience.  One I wil never forget.  But, it helped me tighten my cirlce.

It helped me to learn that my cirlce is small and I’m ok with that.

First Date Drama

My first real date at 16 didn’t end so well. My parents allowed me to attend a Bryan Adams concert in a town 2 hours away with a young Air Force recruit. My 21 year old boyfriend was so romantic. He wrote me love poems, charmed my parents and had a ride.

All went well until the concert ended and my charming bf took me to a drinking party with his older friends. As a got drunk, I remember him arguing with a friend about me being at the party and them all getting into trouble… something about I was too young.

My coward boyfriend, drove me home sloppy drunk, took me to the door, rang the bell and ran like hell. Before he could leave my hometown city limits, my Dad had the local police pick him up. After his CO bailed him out, they drove to the local base. Wait at the gate was the MPs. Poor guy was arrested AGAIN.

The next day, my Dad asked me if I knew that my 21 year old boyfriend was 26. I did not know. He lied to me, too. I was angry, because I would not have dated a guy 10 years older than me. That was the last I heard about him for several years.

Three years later, while attending the University of Alabama, I took a poetry class. Imagine my surprise when the prof read aloud the love poems written to me…. The bastard had copied the poems from a book.

Fast forward 5 or so years: I ran into my old boyfriend in the mall. He recognized me. It took me a few minutes to figure out who he was. He moaned and groaned for awhile about my Dad (something about my Dad ruining his life). Turns out he was sent to Panama (remember what went on there in the late 80s).

My only regret is that I didn’t chew his butt while I had the chance. Instead, I apologized about his career, my Dad, etc. I wish I could do that over!

I wish I could remember his name. I still have the poems in my attic.

Precious Toy Dolls

When I was in middle school, my entire grade trekked to Six Flags in Atlanta, GA.  My parents, who were poor most of my childhood, gave me walking around money.  For a souvenir, I purchased a wooden dutch lady sitting in a wooden swing.  She was made in East Germany and had a brightly painted full skirt and stick arms.  She would swing back and forth when I gave her a push with my finger.

I had (and still have) a very active imagination. I would hold her and enjoy the smooth tactile feel of her wooden skirt while daydreaming.  I’m still a daydreamer.

Fast forward to adulthood.  An acquaintance brought his children to my home. I was devastated when one of his children broke (on purpose!!!) my little doll.  I kept my cool and hid my distress, after all kids are kids.  Right?

I couldn’t bear to look at my broken doll, so I packed her away.  Out of sight…

Ten or more years later, I found my doll and her swing packed away in a box of memories. I displayed the pieces in my china cabinet, but was broken-hearted each time I passed by and saw the broken doll.  My little doll ive in my china cabinet for another year.

Last week, I glue and patched my little doll.  After a 5 minute patch job and 24 hours of drying time, I had a perfectly fine wooden doll to enjoy – AGAIN!!!!

Lesson.  If something is broken, but can be fixed; fix it right away.  Years of distress and anguish over nothing is silly.

Find: Flowbee

I would never cut my kid’s hair with this….

Dear son, I am sorry. I will try to do better with your children than I did with my own.

But seriously, $2 from the thrift store.  It’s a bargain.

What am I looking forward to?

There are a few things on my schedule that I am looking forward to with much anticipation.

I am attending BlissDom ’11 in a couple of weeks.  I’ve got new outfits and new shoes to wear.  This will be a solo trip with some much-needed downtime from work, spelling words, kids, scouts, laundry, etc.  Sadly, I will miss our Pack’s Pinewood Derby race. 

In February, our family is vacationing in Gatlinburg with another family.  I’m really looking forward to visiting the mountains.  We haven’t been in 6 or 7 years.

In April, hubby and I are driving our daughter to Orlando for an educational conference.  While she is at her conference, we will have an adults only vacation.  Finally,  we will get to check out some of the adults attractions in the area.  I am leaning towards dinner theater and hubby is leaning toward hunting arrow heads. Hmmm.

The kids have spring break in March.  No plans yet, but I am sure we will do something fun, locally.  After all, the beach is only a short drive away.

My daughter has really grown since this picture.  But, the beach looks the same.  The oil spill has been mostly cleaned up.  The local news reports that tar balls are still washing up on the beach, but not too many.  I can’t wait to swim in the gulf this summer.

And lastly, I am looking forward to sewing and doing my hobbies.  I love creating and expressing myself creatively.