There’s probably a million and one things I could update on, but I’m going to talk about what is most on my mind…. Vacation in T-Minus 2 weeks!! I am so ready for this. I don’t get very many vacation days, so I am so ready for this. We’re going, for the third time to SDCC. We’re headed that way on wed, then have tickets for Thurs, Friday and Sunday with Saturday open for the beach. I’m also hoping there will be a cool Nerd HQ panel. I’d be ok with skipping an ‘official’ panel on Sunday to see some of the same people in a smaller venue. We’ll see how everything goes.


Trying to get some projects done. I did a quilt for one of G’s friends for her birthday. There are some lumps and bumps in the backing and I would have preferred to hand sew the front of the binding, but there was a deadline. I decorated a wipes case for my sister (for traveling) and want to do one for me, and G seemed sort of interested in one too. I want to finish G’s Monster High inspired quilt. I have the top and the backing ready, however, I had some issues trying to quilt it and had to seam rip. I need to work on cleaning my craft space with my new shelves as my sister in law is coming in this weekend and wants to do some crafting while she’s here. I have more quilts in my head than I will ever have time to do :P

Last night I showed G the first two episodes of Once Upon A Time, she seemed to like them, so maybe it will be something we can do together, and I only saw like the first 7 or so. I probably watch way too much tv, but it’s a nice way to relax after work.

We’re in a holding pattern for E for transferring schools, mostly due to her own waiting til the last minute,so we’ll see.

I had made some goals for April, take pictures once a day, blog/journal more, workout 3 times a week, and clean out stuff. I fell apart on the journaling, did so/so on working out, but have done pretty well on cleaning things out. We took all of my craft stuff out of the garage (minus my fabric tubs) and hubby built shelves for me – pink ones at that: D So I’m slowly putting stuff back away and trying to clean through it as I do so. I cleaned out most of the cupboards in the kitchen – got new glasses and some new cereal bowls. I also cleaned out most of my old paperwork and tried to get all my photos into one central location. I got a groupon deal for half of photo scanning, so I’m sending off some photos to have that done and will probably work on scanning the rest of them myself slowly. I think I’m going to fill a digital frame for my dad for his birthday – it sounded like a good idea. I may make some of those school year frames of me and my sister for father’s day if I can find all of them. Granted, I hate almost all of them of myself… but thought my dad might like to throw them up in the hallway or something. I have one of G that is current (though some look washed out as I had to scan and print them because they weren’t the right size for the frame.) and I’m trying to find all of E’s to make one of her… but I don’t know where all of hers are. Hubby says his ex took a ton of photos when they divorced, so she might have them. I’ll find as many as I can, and I guess if E wants to track down the rest at her mom’s and send them to me, that will work. E is wrapping up her first year at college this week and will come here in June to work summer arts camp. She’s trying to arrange an internship for July at her mom’s, but not much progress has been made on that front. G is finishing up 6th and we’ll get her in June till August. Due to baby mama drama, we may end up with G for 7th grade and possibly the foreseeable future. I’d be happy to have her back, I just want to know what we’re doing, I hate waiting on her mother to sort stuff out. I’m definitely ready for a break. We have our comic con trip in July. I just wish I had more vacation time. I haven’t finished any crafty stuff during April, but I have lots in progress. March was mainly my Nerdist quilt that I gave to Chris Hardwick at the Nerdist Podcast we went to in Atlanta. It’s so sad that only one picture worked, I would have loved to have one with him… but maybe he’ll be at Wootstock and I can get one with him there 

It feels like the last 2 weeks have been a wirlwind. Started playing Portal 2 with the hubby (that's what I got him for Valentine's Day), it's great, I love how snarky Glados is. THough it does make me feel dumb sometimes because I cannot for the life of me figure out how you would solve it...then hubby fiddles for a while and gets it.
We've been slammed at work. I like my job, and I'm glad it's not one where I have to take my work home, but it's tiring and with the commute - I'm fried some evenings. Friday after work we headed out towards Houston. Saturday we picked up G from her mom's and headed towards the Dallas/Ft Worth area to go see E for her birthday. It rained ALL day. We got there around 2:30 and did presents with the kids (We let G have hers early as we won't be able to go see her for her birthday next month). We then went (along with E's roomate)to go eat at Texas De Brazil. Hubby, G and I had gone at thanksgiving to the one locally, but E had never been to one. I think they all enjoyed it. We stopped at the mall on the way back. Sunday we went to half price books (Love them! Wish we had them here) the Kimball art museum and the Modern art museum. Then In & Out buger - So good! I can't explain it, it's probably because it reminds me of California, but I love In and Out. They are really tasty bugers too, especially for being fast food. We then went to another mall :P Monday morning we headed back towards the Houston area to take G to her mom's. I hit a really nice Joann's in Arlington and spent way too much money on fabric... but got some good president's day deals and star wars fabric! We stopped at the Galleria so G could go to the lego store. After we dropped G off, we headed to Ikea. The only thing we *needed* were shower curtains, but I ended up with a bagful. We drove the rest of the way home Tuesday. I'm ok with missing Mardi Gras this year. Tuesday evening we cleaned up around the house, did laundry. I attempted to help E with studying for stats over Skype. Dunno if I helped her any, but I hope so.

I've been so tired that I don't want to do a whole lot this weekend except sleep and do some crafting. Some friends had talked about maybe coming over saturday, but I haven't heard from them, so if they don't thats ok. We're pretty busy these next few weekends.

Good things about today
It's friday! (its sad that this is so exciting considering it was a 3 day work week)

Completion

I finally got the boarders put on my carpenter star - so I can get it in the mail to my SIL. Www.amyscreativeside.com was a good motivator for this. I think I even know what i want to accomplish this next week

Today was nice- slept in some, got Lunch, ran errands and got donuts :). I picked up breaking dawn and watched that. I also got the second season of Downton Abbey - which is exciting since it's not done airing on PBS. Now if they would just hurry up with season 2 of Sherlock !

Good things about today
-king cake donut
-cutting fabric with my accuquilt

Friday yay!

So glad that it's Friday - this week has felt long and I haven't slept well. Tomorrow I just want to sleep in, finish my quilt top and work on the nerdist one and perhaps pick up breaking dawn.

Good thing about today february 10,2012
- hot cocoa with mini marshmallow

Long day, long week, but it's almost the weekend
Good things about today February 9,2012
-vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting
-lavender cocoa
-getting a little sewing done

My good things for today
-pita pizza with pineapple
- new episode of parenthood

Feeling like I need more hours in the day

Yea… so my posting everyday sort of fell apart, but maybe I can get back into it. Two weekends ago we went to the Wizard World Comic Con here in town. They were really unorganized, but it was still fun. Hubby got to meet Stan Lee and take a pic with him and that was the whole point of it for me. I sat in on Adam Baldwin’s panel and got to tell Erin Grey she was cool in the Guild this season  We got to hear Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca!!) read is children’s book and later I got to meet him and take a picture with him (and I don’t look totally Derpy in it either). This weekend, Friday night we went to The Woman In Black. It wasn’t bad… though I could do without a theater full of teenagers. Saturday we drove to Hobby Lobby (there’s not one in town sadly) and ate at Olive Garden. In the evening (LATE in the evening) we met up with T and went to see Jonthan Coulton and They Might Be Giants. It was a really good show, and I even had a few beers (something I rarely do)and much fun was had. However… staying up until 2am is not something I routinely do, so I was very tired on Sunday. I did construct an entire quilt top between 5pm Saturday and 9pm Sunday, so that was really satisfying. I even ordered the backing fabric that same day, so as soon as I get it, I’ll make the backing and pop it in the mail to my SIL to quilt on her long arm machine. I have a quilt top (From a class I took in Nov) that I need to put borders on and prepare the backing so I can send that too. I did the Giant Star tutorial from incolororder’s blog with a set of fat quarters I got from Christmas (plus one I bought to coordinate). It will be the first quilt I keep for myself. I splurged on some coordinating Michael Miller flannel for the backing.
I’m doing a hoopla swap on craftster.org. I always get really excited to do it, then lose inspiration and worry that it doesn’t look good. There’s a monster high swap that I’ll probably sign up for just for G. Too bad she’s not here to work on it with me. I need to get my Nerdist quilt done to take to the show in March. This weekend, I have a bridal shower for B on Sunday. I’m hoping Saturday to do a little Valentines day/trip necessities shopping then maybe picking up Breaking Dawn and crafting (I know, I know… but I can’t help it, I want to watch it even thought it will probably be cheese-tastic).
Next weekend is E’s 19th birthday. It worked out that it’s also Mardi Gras, so hubby has some time off (and I’m taking of a day) and we’re going to see her. It works out that G has that Monday off (and Friday, and half day thursday for some reason), so we’ll drive Friday night, then sat morning pick up G and drive the rest of the way to see E. We’re not going to be able to make it to see G for her birthday in March, so we’ll celebrate both of their birthdays. Hopefully we’ll get to go see G for Easter and then we’ll have her all summer.
I’m feeling kind of burnt out at work. The morning drive, which on average now is taking an hour+ is part of it. I’m going try some audiobooks, see if that helps (not that I don’t love me some NPR, but the near constant stream of political stuff right now makes me want to scream). Only downside, the library carries mostly WMA files. I found some knitting mystery books that are MP3, so I’m going to try one of those tomorrow. I’m on the waitlist for Hunger Games (I wanted to re-read before the movie, so maybe this will be a compromise).
I really just want to go home and nap… or craft and watch Downton Abbey (too bad my sewing machine is a tad too loud to watch anything that requires you pay close attention to dialog.)
I also feel like I should start a webpage called “Sewing with Vincent the Cat”… he’s always ‘helping’ when I’m sewing, so I’ve been snapping pics of him. Speaking of pics… I sort of want one of the Hipster cameras like what they sell at Urban Outfitters and some film.

Good thing about today
- yummy dinner
- started quilting Lisa's quilt

Sunday I stayed in my pjs most of the day and cut fabric and watched stuff on the dvr. Saw devil inside- it sucked, should have gone to beauty and the beast.
Jan 15, 2012 good things
- worked on prepping fabric for k's quilts from her kids clothes

Today we puttered around the house and had lunch with T. Got a organizing/decorating magazine- makes me want to redo the house. Hubby added a shelf to the island in the kitchen and a picture rail in the bedroom for me. There's a bunch of things around the house- big and small that I'd like to finish this year. Watching Alcatraz - not sure I entirely understand it- but I like Sam niel. One of my accuquilt dies is bent- it bums me out.
Good things about today
-sleeping in!!
-cutting fabric
-new episode of castle

I haven't been great at keeping up with writing every day this week.
It's a three day weekend, so yay. Didn't do too much today. Watched an episode of downton abbey, worked out and sewed. We had a late lunch out and ran a few errands. I made oatmeal choc chip cookies and watched The Fades and the new episode of Nerdist (yay!). I'm almost done piecing the quilt top for LL's baby. My goal is to get that quilted and my carpenter's star top finished by the end of the week so I can mail LL her quilt (she's due feb 1, but might have a c-section the week before) and get the star top in the mail to my sister in law for her to quilt on her long arm machine. Then I can focus on my nerdist quilt. I'm really excited for that. I also signed up for the next round of Hoopla swap on craftster (because I don't have enough projects going right?!) Next weekend I'm going to get together with K and B to celebrate their birthdays. I need to go get a shower gift for B's bridal shower next month. We're going to stay pretty busy the next 2 months on weekends. The end of this month we have the comic convention thing (yay Stan Lee!), then the They Might Be Giants show and sister in law's bday (have to mail something), then B's bridal shower and Valentines and then the next weekend is E's bday and we're going to go see her, then our friend T's birthday. First weekend in March is hubby's bday and my sister's bday, then we have B's wedding and G's bday and then at the end of March - Nerdist show!!!

Friday Jan, 13. 2012
Good Things
~Sewing
~New episode of Supernatural

Saturday Jan 14, 2012
~Oatmeal cookies
~Sewing
~Nerdist episode!!

Monday I was not feeling well.
Good things January 10, 2012
~ played with new sewing machine
~watched some downton abbey

Good things January 11, 2012
~pho with hubby
~ little bit of sewing
~listened to the new florence+machine

Jan 8,2012
Moments of happy
-finished another throw pillow
- worked out
- started my nerdist way/ goal book

Spies and little sleep.

We got up super early to go give a friend a ride to a class. We grabbed breakfast and then killed time at home depot. There was an inflatable yo gabba gabba Christmas decoration on clearance that I really wanted to get. We looked at lamanent and hard wood as we want to tear out the carpet in our room. Also looked at dishwashers as ours is going to need to be replaced soon. Then we went and saw Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It was really good. We came home and hung out for a bit. Then we went and picked up T from his class, grabbed some food, dropped off T and then went and ran some errands. I made a new pillow cover today- so yay! Productive!
Jan 7 2012- reasons to smile
-day spent with hubby
-good movie
- pillow cover

Yay! Packages

I love when packages come in the mail even when they're ones you ordered. There was a new years sale on karma loop- so I splurged a little. I got the tokidoki tote and shirt I've been eyeing and a pair of pink Melissa shoes(I did need new flats for work... Justified right?). I also got E a tokidoki sweatshirt she mentioned ( 3 times) that she liked. I busted out my accuquilt and started cutting squares from scraps(yay!) for the nerdist quilt I want to make. I'm so glad it's the weekend. Wish I was sleeping in tomorrow but we've got to give a friend a ride. We may go see a movie tomorrow - probably tinker tailor solider spy. I'm trying to read the book bit it'd really dense.

January 6. 2012
Happy moments
-stuff in the mail
- new episode of supernatural

Nothing too exciting yesterday but I did get some fabric cut so
January 4,2012
Good thing- worked on a quilt.

Today we got to go out to dinner with friends tonight and that was great. I'm definately ready for the weekend. I got some really cute things for some friend's baby. She's adorable and so is the harajuku line- I would buy it all if I had a baby ( lets not mention how much I bought for G for Christmas )
Jan 5, 2012
- moment of happy ... Baby snuggles!

Brrr

Its chilly (for here) so my office at work is freezing- I was so happy to get home. Good evening- briefly worked out, made chicken and tried some store bought polenta. Nice hot bath and vegging out to the tv- may even sew a bit.
Today's moment of happy - hubby was able to pick up the New Girl prize pack I won from the tv station
Also blooming tea fail

I had the day off today. R went to go meet to switch the girls with their mom. Normally I would have gone with him, but the thought of 6hrs in the car on my only day off was not very appealing. I got up with him and saw them off. I watched some Gossip Girl on Netflix (I know... I'm embarassed for myself for watching it- but I got sucked in). I washed our sheets, tried to start making a dent in cleaning that needed to be done and worked out some on the eliptical machine. I went and had lunch with our friend T. Nothing exciting, but it was nice to get out of the house. Came home and puttered and did a little work on a quilt. Something was off with either my bobbin or my spool of thread and the tension was all jacked. I'm going to have to fool with it tonight.
We watched Tree of Life. Not entirely sure I understood the whole thing. I guess it was commentary on faith. None the less, it was visually very pretty. We then started Justified. I liked the first episode. It made me think we need to see the other 2 seasons of Deadwood, but I've heard the ending is disappointing, so I've held off.

Jan 2, 2012 Good Things
~Lunch with a Friend
~2 miles on eliptical
~Finished one set of blocks for quilt
~Comfy Kitty

New Year, Fresh start.
I read The Nerdist Way by Chris Hardwick this last week and really enjoyed it. He's hilarious, but it also had some valid advice. It's not as if what he was saying was anything new, but he framed it in a nerdy way. I think I'm going to try to follow his goal model for somethings I'd like to accomplish this year. Dunno, that I'll put them all in here, but I definately want to try and write down something happy/good/fun/'warm fuzzy' for each day. Sure, it's easy to find things to complain about, but there is always something nice each day even if it's just a warm bath.

So, here goes -
January 1st 2012 - Made homemade pizza with the family - one with store bought crust, one with homemade and everyone liked them.

I'd also like to take a picture for each day... but that didn't happen today.