Hi, all!
I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving... we went to a community dinner so we didn't have to cook, and we had a wonderful time. Not much else new in November that I can think of now. If there had been, I probably would have blogged about it. ;-)
The onset of December has given me a head cold... usually that happens around New Years. Maybe that means this year I'll get through Christmas and New Years being healthy! ;-) In spite of the scratchy throat and dripping, we managed to get our Christmas letters done and printed and stuffed in signed cards in addressed envelopes this weekend! Now we're just waiting for the stamps. We got our first Christmas card on December 2nd! Can you believe it??? Complete with a picture! How amazing is that?? I'm excited that people are going to get a card from me BY Christmas, let alone probably by the week before. I just hope I remembered everyone. I did take a few names off my list this year - people I haven't heard from in a number of years. It's sad because the people are dear to my heart, but it's been forever since I've heard from them. I don't even know that they're getting our cards. Granted, Christmas is the one time per year most people hear from me (which is why I continue to send cards year after year), but it would be nice to hear back sometimes, too.
In other news, we've been keeping busy with various things... I've been crocheting a lot over the past couple of weeks. I bought some patterns on Etsy and have made a few different scarves and two hats (same pattern - the first one didn't turn out as well as I would have liked - the second was much better). Just in time for a cold snap here... it was 20F at my house this morning! Not fun when I'm already sick! :-( But I had my nice warm coat and my nice warm neckwarmer and my nice warm hat and my thin gloves (bad call on my part), so I was pretty okay waiting for the vanpool. The sun's out now, so hopefully it'll break 32F today. This is unusual for this area - we're not used to it and we don't like it. ;-)
I have been making some Etsy sales here and there... I ran an ad for a while on Facebook and got a bunch of new fans for my Ladybug's Beads and Baubles Facebook page, so I can let them know about new items I have and hopefully that will translate into sales eventually. I'm also running an ad on a crafting site, and I'm getting some views from that, but I don't know if the sales I'm getting are from there or people just wandering in. Either way, I'm getting seen and selling some things along the way. Not too bad for a beginner.
I also want to report that I think Bill and I have found a church to attend. It's interesting because it's not somewhere I would have expected him to be comfortable, but everywhere is going to have pluses and minuses. We're also occasionally going to be going to the church Bill's been a member of for a few years. Our new church has an evening service, so we can do both in a day. That will help him since he's used to something more traditional and this new church is anything but traditional. :-) We really like the pastor, though, and the way he delivers his message, and that's the main thing I think we both were looking for. They also have small groups (another thing we were looking for), so we'll be checking those out in January. Thanks for those who prayed about us finding a church home, and please continue to pray that we would be able to grow and serve in this church.
Other than that, it's been Christmas plans and preparations. I have my shopping done (YAY!) and all the presents wrapped except one. I think Bill's getting close to having his shopping done, too. I'm glad I started my shopping early. ;-) We did some decorating but not as much as we normally do. I just didn't feel like hauling out every box and going through it. We did our tree in a red theme this year (no, I don't have pictures, Jana, LOL) and it doesn't look too bad. We have some lights outside, but not a many as last year (I guess my lethargy was contagious - sorry, Bill!). But we're still festive. :-)
If I don't "talk" to you before then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and in the bustle of presents and preparations, don't forget to remember the real Reason for the Season. Happy Birthday, Jesus.
Blessings,
Kristin
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Great weekend!
Hi, all!!
Retreat report - it was great! :-) I think I was the only one there that wasn't from the three churches that participated, but everyone made me feel very welcome. I sat at a table with 7 great gals of varying ages, and even though we had to do small group discussions, I survived. ;-) It was a great time of learning and I took some notes that I hope to refer back to. Carolyn also sang some of her songs that had to do with the topics she spoke about, so when I hear those songs again, hopefully the lessons will pop into my mind as a reminder of what I heard.
Bill drive down and met me after the retreat and we went to dinner and then back to the church for a concert (where he also bought me some Christmas presents, hee hee). All in all a really good Saturday. The concert was especially nice because I went to a concert years ago where Carolyn opened and only did two songs. I was so disappointed!! This time not only did she play for over an hour, she took requests! :-)
Sunday Bill and I visited a church. Our "first choice" had an off-campus service, so we visited our second choice of the three on our list. We both liked it pretty well and a few people introduced themselves, including the pastor (which is always a plus). They were having a bake sale in the foyer so we bought dessert for later. ;-) Then we went to lunch and talked about the church and what we thought about it and a lot of other things, which was neat. Not that we never go out to eat or ever talk, but it just seemed especially good on Sunday. After we got home, Bill logged into work and I listed a few new things on Etsy and played with beads. I constructed one bracelet three times before I was happy with it, but finally got it done as well as one other (which went together with much less rework). Even though we had to get out of bed for church and we both "worked," it was still a nice kick-back day.
This week I have my three workouts, dinner with a couple friends, a free night (which will probably be spent with beads), and then this coming weekend Mom and I are going to a sewing and craft festival. I already know what (three or four) free seminars I want to attend... my brain is going to be full! :-)
I hope you all have a great week! Keep in touch, and thanks for reading!
Blessings,
Kristin
Retreat report - it was great! :-) I think I was the only one there that wasn't from the three churches that participated, but everyone made me feel very welcome. I sat at a table with 7 great gals of varying ages, and even though we had to do small group discussions, I survived. ;-) It was a great time of learning and I took some notes that I hope to refer back to. Carolyn also sang some of her songs that had to do with the topics she spoke about, so when I hear those songs again, hopefully the lessons will pop into my mind as a reminder of what I heard.
Bill drive down and met me after the retreat and we went to dinner and then back to the church for a concert (where he also bought me some Christmas presents, hee hee). All in all a really good Saturday. The concert was especially nice because I went to a concert years ago where Carolyn opened and only did two songs. I was so disappointed!! This time not only did she play for over an hour, she took requests! :-)
Sunday Bill and I visited a church. Our "first choice" had an off-campus service, so we visited our second choice of the three on our list. We both liked it pretty well and a few people introduced themselves, including the pastor (which is always a plus). They were having a bake sale in the foyer so we bought dessert for later. ;-) Then we went to lunch and talked about the church and what we thought about it and a lot of other things, which was neat. Not that we never go out to eat or ever talk, but it just seemed especially good on Sunday. After we got home, Bill logged into work and I listed a few new things on Etsy and played with beads. I constructed one bracelet three times before I was happy with it, but finally got it done as well as one other (which went together with much less rework). Even though we had to get out of bed for church and we both "worked," it was still a nice kick-back day.
This week I have my three workouts, dinner with a couple friends, a free night (which will probably be spent with beads), and then this coming weekend Mom and I are going to a sewing and craft festival. I already know what (three or four) free seminars I want to attend... my brain is going to be full! :-)
I hope you all have a great week! Keep in touch, and thanks for reading!
Blessings,
Kristin
Monday, October 26, 2009
A jewelry kind of weekend...
Hi, all!!
This past weekend I was either eating, sleeping, or doing jewelry stuff - buying supplies, taking pictures, creating new items... Okay, it wasn't quite THAT intense. We did go to church and I did have some time away from the worktable, but I did accomplish a lot, too. I had no idea that I would have such a hard time taking pictures. One or more of my medications makes my hands shake (or maybe it's just me - it's more fun to blame the meds), so I have the hardest time getting clear pictures. Using a tripod is even a challenge because most of my photos are close-ups and it's hard to get a close-up shot from overhead with a tripod. I have some pictures I have to take over even though I spent the better part of an hour yesterday photographing. By the time I dragged out the tripod, I was just not in a way to do a whole lot of manipulation. Since then, I've been thinking of other ways I might take the pictures I want and utilize the tripod, so we'll see. I've included one of my favorite shots - it's SO clear! These earpins are made with tiger eye beads, and this picture brings out the beauty of the stones (though I'm not thrilled with the background, but that's the best I have for now. That's one area that I could use a little more creativity - and props.
Other than that, I haven't been doing much with my Etsy shop for the time being because I applied for my business license (heaven help me in making a profit three years out of five) and I'm waiting for that to arrive before I go out beating the bushes for more sales... ah, the feeling of legitimacy. (Update - it arrived on Thursday!) I thought I could do this as a hobby, but I didn't want to get into trouble and the license wasn't that much to apply for, so I wait patiently for November 1 when I can start listing things in my store again and know (hope) that I'm not going to get in trouble. If any of you want to keep track of my Etsy shop activities, do a search for Ladybug's Beads and Baubles on Facebook and join my fan page! I've been revamping that, too, to add some bells and whistles, thanks to some great Etsy forum posters. I did manage to make a sale while I haven't been doing any listing or promoting - my first sale to a stranger! My previous sales have been to my friends. Those earpins went in the mail on Friday.
On more personal happenings, things have been busy but good. Bill found he's got enough vacation time for us to spend a week in Minnesota with his family at Christmas, so we're excited about that. Flights are booked - now I just have to book the pet-sitter. I hope she still remembers us. :-)
Work has been going well for both of us... Bill's been really busy and has been working weekends now and then to meet deadlines. My work has been at a slower pace (no OT for me!) but steady. I'm going to be taking on another project here in the next couple of weeks - I'm not sure what all that will entail, but it sounds interesting.
I've been going to the gym (still) three times a week with one exception (I was sick) where I only went two days. Bad Kristin! LOL! I've lost 44 pounds, give or take, and am kind of stuck right now (or losing slower than I want to). I think I need to change my eating pattern a little to jump start my body to losing again, but to be honest, I don't want to. ;-) I'm not ready to do that yet, so I guess I'll be "stuck" a little longer and then decide I'm ready to eat like a rabbit to get my body losing again. The last 14 pounds has made the first 30 pounds seem easy. Bottom line - I've just gotten lazy. Good thing I'm still working out. As much as it's not my favorite thing to do, I know it's working and so I keep on going and hoping for a pound of fat to fall off now and then.
In other personal news, I'm going to be going to a Women's Retreat in November with one of my favorite Christian musicians, Carolyn Arends. I could have just attended the free concert that night, but it's been ages since I've done a retreat and I really need a spiritual jump-start. Maybe this will help. Bill and I are also talking about church shopping again. He likes his church, but it doesn't have what I need (as much as I like the pastor there). So I found a few churches that we may have a look at, or we may just keep going to Bill's church like we've been doing and avoiding the topic altogether. ;-) Church shopping is never fun, but when you have two peoples' needs and wants to take into consideration, it's even more difficult. Neither Bill nor I have church shopped as a couple before, so this will definitely be interesting. Prayers appreciated if we come to mind.
I think that's all the news I have for now... Thanks for reading. :-)
Blessings,
Kristin
This past weekend I was either eating, sleeping, or doing jewelry stuff - buying supplies, taking pictures, creating new items... Okay, it wasn't quite THAT intense. We did go to church and I did have some time away from the worktable, but I did accomplish a lot, too. I had no idea that I would have such a hard time taking pictures. One or more of my medications makes my hands shake (or maybe it's just me - it's more fun to blame the meds), so I have the hardest time getting clear pictures. Using a tripod is even a challenge because most of my photos are close-ups and it's hard to get a close-up shot from overhead with a tripod. I have some pictures I have to take over even though I spent the better part of an hour yesterday photographing. By the time I dragged out the tripod, I was just not in a way to do a whole lot of manipulation. Since then, I've been thinking of other ways I might take the pictures I want and utilize the tripod, so we'll see. I've included one of my favorite shots - it's SO clear! These earpins are made with tiger eye beads, and this picture brings out the beauty of the stones (though I'm not thrilled with the background, but that's the best I have for now. That's one area that I could use a little more creativity - and props.
Other than that, I haven't been doing much with my Etsy shop for the time being because I applied for my business license (heaven help me in making a profit three years out of five) and I'm waiting for that to arrive before I go out beating the bushes for more sales... ah, the feeling of legitimacy. (Update - it arrived on Thursday!) I thought I could do this as a hobby, but I didn't want to get into trouble and the license wasn't that much to apply for, so I wait patiently for November 1 when I can start listing things in my store again and know (hope) that I'm not going to get in trouble. If any of you want to keep track of my Etsy shop activities, do a search for Ladybug's Beads and Baubles on Facebook and join my fan page! I've been revamping that, too, to add some bells and whistles, thanks to some great Etsy forum posters. I did manage to make a sale while I haven't been doing any listing or promoting - my first sale to a stranger! My previous sales have been to my friends. Those earpins went in the mail on Friday.
On more personal happenings, things have been busy but good. Bill found he's got enough vacation time for us to spend a week in Minnesota with his family at Christmas, so we're excited about that. Flights are booked - now I just have to book the pet-sitter. I hope she still remembers us. :-)
Work has been going well for both of us... Bill's been really busy and has been working weekends now and then to meet deadlines. My work has been at a slower pace (no OT for me!) but steady. I'm going to be taking on another project here in the next couple of weeks - I'm not sure what all that will entail, but it sounds interesting.
I've been going to the gym (still) three times a week with one exception (I was sick) where I only went two days. Bad Kristin! LOL! I've lost 44 pounds, give or take, and am kind of stuck right now (or losing slower than I want to). I think I need to change my eating pattern a little to jump start my body to losing again, but to be honest, I don't want to. ;-) I'm not ready to do that yet, so I guess I'll be "stuck" a little longer and then decide I'm ready to eat like a rabbit to get my body losing again. The last 14 pounds has made the first 30 pounds seem easy. Bottom line - I've just gotten lazy. Good thing I'm still working out. As much as it's not my favorite thing to do, I know it's working and so I keep on going and hoping for a pound of fat to fall off now and then.
In other personal news, I'm going to be going to a Women's Retreat in November with one of my favorite Christian musicians, Carolyn Arends. I could have just attended the free concert that night, but it's been ages since I've done a retreat and I really need a spiritual jump-start. Maybe this will help. Bill and I are also talking about church shopping again. He likes his church, but it doesn't have what I need (as much as I like the pastor there). So I found a few churches that we may have a look at, or we may just keep going to Bill's church like we've been doing and avoiding the topic altogether. ;-) Church shopping is never fun, but when you have two peoples' needs and wants to take into consideration, it's even more difficult. Neither Bill nor I have church shopped as a couple before, so this will definitely be interesting. Prayers appreciated if we come to mind.
I think that's all the news I have for now... Thanks for reading. :-)
Blessings,
Kristin
Monday, October 19, 2009
Moving weekend and a near miss
Hi, all!
We went down to Puyallup Saturday to help my parents out with the residual items they needed moved, plus a little settling in. We made two trips in the morning, and decided about 2pm (after lunch) to take a break for a couple hours. Are we ever glad we did! We found out in Sunday's paper that there was a high-speed chase with a fatality (the one being chased was shot) while we were all comfy at the new house. This happened on the exact route that we were taking between the two houses (6 miles apart). Here's the news story. It was done with and cleaned up by the time we went by for another trip between houses. Scary stuff. Lord, thank you for keeping us out of that situation!
The most exciting thing that happened to us was a few claps of thunder (with one lightning strike so close I could hear the buzz of the electricity) and some rain. It managed to pour while we were inside and no more than drizzle when we were loading and unloading the cars. As of Saturday about 7pm, we had all the stuff out of the old house except for cleaning supplies, and when Bill and I left Sunday afternoon the kitchen was at about 75% settled, the master bedroom closet was in pretty good shape, and Mom and David had beat us badly at a game of Hand and Foot. :-) It was a nice balance of work and play - Mom and David were ready for some down time since they've been packing the car and carrying loads to the new house all week, and the big stuff was moved on Friday. Mom was really pleased with the movers she had on Friday, so that's greatness!
The new house is a few years newer than the one they moved out of, in a 55+ community, and yardwork is included in the rental price. YAY! They really like the new house (even though there are a few things that aren't as convenient, like the kitchen is a little smaller and there's no hall coat closet - it was converted to a much-needed linen closet). It's VERY nice and is begging to be decorated! :-) It's one of those houses with lots of interesting angles and lines and walls that don't quite make it to the ceilings, if you know what I mean. Mom and I will tackle the decorating one of these days, once the garage gets cleaned out to the point that we can see what decor stuff she has. Right now most of her sewing stuff and a lot of David's office-type stuff is in the garage - that's going to be the fun part for them to get settled. But the nice thing is everything is at the new house (including cable and internet) so if they're looking for it, it's there somewhere. :-) I wanted to help Mom get her sewing room in order, but she's still scheming about how it's going to get set up. She gets two rooms now, so one will have the machines and a couple other things, and then the stash will live in the other bedroom. David has a loft for his area, and I'm sure he'll love it up there.
So that was our weekend, and this week we're all back to normal. Three days at the gym, errands on Tuesday and downtime on Thursday. YAY! Downtime! :-D It's been a while since I've had a down evening that I haven't been feeling so tired that I thought I'd gotten hit by a truck. I hope I feel up to doing some things around the house or some hobby stuff. I've just been so tired - probably the weather. Yeah, we'll blame the weather. ;-)
Thanks for reading, and blessings to you all!
Kristin
We went down to Puyallup Saturday to help my parents out with the residual items they needed moved, plus a little settling in. We made two trips in the morning, and decided about 2pm (after lunch) to take a break for a couple hours. Are we ever glad we did! We found out in Sunday's paper that there was a high-speed chase with a fatality (the one being chased was shot) while we were all comfy at the new house. This happened on the exact route that we were taking between the two houses (6 miles apart). Here's the news story. It was done with and cleaned up by the time we went by for another trip between houses. Scary stuff. Lord, thank you for keeping us out of that situation!
The most exciting thing that happened to us was a few claps of thunder (with one lightning strike so close I could hear the buzz of the electricity) and some rain. It managed to pour while we were inside and no more than drizzle when we were loading and unloading the cars. As of Saturday about 7pm, we had all the stuff out of the old house except for cleaning supplies, and when Bill and I left Sunday afternoon the kitchen was at about 75% settled, the master bedroom closet was in pretty good shape, and Mom and David had beat us badly at a game of Hand and Foot. :-) It was a nice balance of work and play - Mom and David were ready for some down time since they've been packing the car and carrying loads to the new house all week, and the big stuff was moved on Friday. Mom was really pleased with the movers she had on Friday, so that's greatness!
The new house is a few years newer than the one they moved out of, in a 55+ community, and yardwork is included in the rental price. YAY! They really like the new house (even though there are a few things that aren't as convenient, like the kitchen is a little smaller and there's no hall coat closet - it was converted to a much-needed linen closet). It's VERY nice and is begging to be decorated! :-) It's one of those houses with lots of interesting angles and lines and walls that don't quite make it to the ceilings, if you know what I mean. Mom and I will tackle the decorating one of these days, once the garage gets cleaned out to the point that we can see what decor stuff she has. Right now most of her sewing stuff and a lot of David's office-type stuff is in the garage - that's going to be the fun part for them to get settled. But the nice thing is everything is at the new house (including cable and internet) so if they're looking for it, it's there somewhere. :-) I wanted to help Mom get her sewing room in order, but she's still scheming about how it's going to get set up. She gets two rooms now, so one will have the machines and a couple other things, and then the stash will live in the other bedroom. David has a loft for his area, and I'm sure he'll love it up there.
So that was our weekend, and this week we're all back to normal. Three days at the gym, errands on Tuesday and downtime on Thursday. YAY! Downtime! :-D It's been a while since I've had a down evening that I haven't been feeling so tired that I thought I'd gotten hit by a truck. I hope I feel up to doing some things around the house or some hobby stuff. I've just been so tired - probably the weather. Yeah, we'll blame the weather. ;-)
Thanks for reading, and blessings to you all!
Kristin
Friday, October 2, 2009
A Short Update
I always say that my update will be short, and then I get rambling.
Not too much is new here since my last update, but I did want to fill everyone in on a thing or two. Just because I can. ;-)
I got my first sale on Etsy this week!!! It was a friend of mine, but a sale is a sale! She bought a pair of earpins that I had taken pictures of mine and thought if anyone wanted them I'd make another pair, so the thing that sold got made JUST for her! :-) I hope she enjoys them! I have a few more ideas in the works for earpins since they're something different than regular earrings or other jewelry (and I enjoy making them and wearing them), so we'll see how those turn out. My wine glass charms are getting the most looks of anything out there, so I've been trying to come up with more to try to figure out what people are looking for. Nothing moves really fast on Etsy, so I'm also learning some patience. I started a fan page on Facebook for my Etsy shop, so if you're on FB and didn't get an invite from me, do a search on "Ladybug's Beads" and the Ladybug's Beads and Baubles fan page will come up. Fan me! :-) I'll be letting fans know when new things are up at my shop, and I have a couple opinion questions out there right now for input. For those of you who want to visit my Etsy shop, I'm at www.ladybugkristin.etsy.com.
We've been keeping busy, and somehow the days go by and seem full, but nothing much is "new." Our jobs are going well and our health is good, and everything else is icing on the cake. I just wish I wasn't so tired when I get home from work / working out. I'd get so much more done. But I am still working out 3 times a week (except this week I was sick on Monday and didn't go) and I'm still losing weight, little bit by little bit. I'm getting close to the halfway mark on what I want to lose; it'll be so exciting to have lost more than I have left to lose. I'm trying not to get discouraged because the first 30 pounds seemed really easy to lose, and now things are going much slower. But I'm still losing, and that's what matters.
We have tickets to a Mariners game this Saturday (Bill's only one of the year - my second as I went with my team from work). I hope the weather's not too miserable as we're taking the bus down there and home. That's what people do when they don't want to pay for parking and deal with the downtown traffic - and if they don't want to deal with bus transfers (and I don't), they take the bus to the transit station over half a mile away from the stadium and walk the rest of the way. ;-) Hopefully the weather and bus schedules and game length will all align and it'll be an easy and enjoyable trek. Sunday I'll be scrapbooking with a couple friends, and hopefully inbetween there somewhere I'll be inspired and make the best piece of jewelry I've ever made! :-)
Well, I guess that's all I have for now. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!!
Blessings,
Kristin
Not too much is new here since my last update, but I did want to fill everyone in on a thing or two. Just because I can. ;-)
I got my first sale on Etsy this week!!! It was a friend of mine, but a sale is a sale! She bought a pair of earpins that I had taken pictures of mine and thought if anyone wanted them I'd make another pair, so the thing that sold got made JUST for her! :-) I hope she enjoys them! I have a few more ideas in the works for earpins since they're something different than regular earrings or other jewelry (and I enjoy making them and wearing them), so we'll see how those turn out. My wine glass charms are getting the most looks of anything out there, so I've been trying to come up with more to try to figure out what people are looking for. Nothing moves really fast on Etsy, so I'm also learning some patience. I started a fan page on Facebook for my Etsy shop, so if you're on FB and didn't get an invite from me, do a search on "Ladybug's Beads" and the Ladybug's Beads and Baubles fan page will come up. Fan me! :-) I'll be letting fans know when new things are up at my shop, and I have a couple opinion questions out there right now for input. For those of you who want to visit my Etsy shop, I'm at www.ladybugkristin.etsy.com.
We've been keeping busy, and somehow the days go by and seem full, but nothing much is "new." Our jobs are going well and our health is good, and everything else is icing on the cake. I just wish I wasn't so tired when I get home from work / working out. I'd get so much more done. But I am still working out 3 times a week (except this week I was sick on Monday and didn't go) and I'm still losing weight, little bit by little bit. I'm getting close to the halfway mark on what I want to lose; it'll be so exciting to have lost more than I have left to lose. I'm trying not to get discouraged because the first 30 pounds seemed really easy to lose, and now things are going much slower. But I'm still losing, and that's what matters.
We have tickets to a Mariners game this Saturday (Bill's only one of the year - my second as I went with my team from work). I hope the weather's not too miserable as we're taking the bus down there and home. That's what people do when they don't want to pay for parking and deal with the downtown traffic - and if they don't want to deal with bus transfers (and I don't), they take the bus to the transit station over half a mile away from the stadium and walk the rest of the way. ;-) Hopefully the weather and bus schedules and game length will all align and it'll be an easy and enjoyable trek. Sunday I'll be scrapbooking with a couple friends, and hopefully inbetween there somewhere I'll be inspired and make the best piece of jewelry I've ever made! :-)
Well, I guess that's all I have for now. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!!
Blessings,
Kristin
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Money-making hobby?
Well, I'm taking the plunge. By selling a pair of baseball-themed earrings to the Director of Merchandising at the local minor league baseball club, I've made my first sale. She is going to show them to a few people and may be interested in carrying them at the stadium store and on their website! I don't know if it will be Christmas or next season or ever, but my work has gotten noticed and I may get an order for a whole bunch more and will be able to say that my merchandise is carried by a minor league baseball team! Isn't that cool? I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but the gal sounded pretty upbeat about the possibility. Just waiting for the phone to ring. ;-)
Since someone besides my mother has shown me that my stuff is worth money (no offense to Mom, but you know, she and Bill are my biggest fans), I've decided to list some of my work on Etsy. It's a sales website that is only for handmade items, vintage items, and supplies, so I'm not as likely to get caught in the noise as I would on eBay. I've looked at some of the jewelry on Etsy and some is way out of my league, and other things are kind of on par, so we'll see what happens. Things don't tend to move quickly, so patience is a virtue. I don't have that particular virtue, so we'll see how I do. :-p I'm listing 4 items today, and then I have plans for several more items once I get the time and energy to get them made. They're all replicas of things I've made for myself, so it shouldn't be too hard to do. All I need is an all-nighter with caffeine overload to crank out some product (you Facebookers have seen what that's like). I don't have any free Saturdays for a while, so I'll have to try to find a few weeknights to set up shop. Problem is, my shop is the dinner table, so that makes things inconvenient unless we want to eat in the living room. ;-) We'll see. I'm still trying to catch up on sleep from quilt retreat, so it won't be this week.
Oh, yeah! Quilt retreat! Last weekend Mom and I went to a retreat in the woods at the cascade foothills (I'd been there twice before - she'd never been). We both had a great time and were really productive! I finished a block swap that I've been holding on to for the better part of two years (and Kelli, I'm going to try REALLY HARD to remember to bring it Thursday to dinner), I got the 48 blocks done I need for another quilt (needs sashing and borders and stuff, but I didn't have sashing fabric with me), and ripped apart another quilt I started 4-5 years ago to fix it and I have all the rows constructed and just need to put on setting triangles and sew the rows together. I was really happy with the amount I got done, even though on one project I spent almost as mich time ripping as I did sewing. ;-) One more full day and I would have had that done, but we only paid for the weekend (the retreat went on until Tuesday afternoon) and Mom was out of medication, so we couldn't even buy another night if we wanted to (and we talked about it, but the meds were kind of a show-stopper). We're planning a sew day at my house in October sometime, so we'll see what I work on then (and how much I get done before then, if anything). Sorry, no pictures this time. I only took one with my Blackberry and it's just to show the 48 blocks I got done. Not worth the trouble of downloading to anywhere.
I'm still working out three times a week and watching what I eat, and I've lost about 40 pounds to date since I joined Curves in February. I'm almost halfway to my goal weight now. I've been working out 7 months now, and I still have to talk myself into going half the time. I thought by now it would be a habit and I would just do it and maybe even like it, but I haven't had the attitude change yet. I guess it's just because I'm so tired after being at work all day that I just want to go home. It's not Curves' fault. ;-) But I go, and some days I do better than others, but at least I'm there. Today is my monthly weigh and measure - last time I lost a few pounds and my body fat % went down, but all my measurements went UP! ACK! I hope I don't see that nonsense again tonight! :-p
So, there's my attempt to manufacture news. ;-) It's been a while since I've posted, and I did want to let you all know to look for me on Etsy and wish me luck!
Blessings,
Kristin
Since someone besides my mother has shown me that my stuff is worth money (no offense to Mom, but you know, she and Bill are my biggest fans), I've decided to list some of my work on Etsy. It's a sales website that is only for handmade items, vintage items, and supplies, so I'm not as likely to get caught in the noise as I would on eBay. I've looked at some of the jewelry on Etsy and some is way out of my league, and other things are kind of on par, so we'll see what happens. Things don't tend to move quickly, so patience is a virtue. I don't have that particular virtue, so we'll see how I do. :-p I'm listing 4 items today, and then I have plans for several more items once I get the time and energy to get them made. They're all replicas of things I've made for myself, so it shouldn't be too hard to do. All I need is an all-nighter with caffeine overload to crank out some product (you Facebookers have seen what that's like). I don't have any free Saturdays for a while, so I'll have to try to find a few weeknights to set up shop. Problem is, my shop is the dinner table, so that makes things inconvenient unless we want to eat in the living room. ;-) We'll see. I'm still trying to catch up on sleep from quilt retreat, so it won't be this week.
Oh, yeah! Quilt retreat! Last weekend Mom and I went to a retreat in the woods at the cascade foothills (I'd been there twice before - she'd never been). We both had a great time and were really productive! I finished a block swap that I've been holding on to for the better part of two years (and Kelli, I'm going to try REALLY HARD to remember to bring it Thursday to dinner), I got the 48 blocks done I need for another quilt (needs sashing and borders and stuff, but I didn't have sashing fabric with me), and ripped apart another quilt I started 4-5 years ago to fix it and I have all the rows constructed and just need to put on setting triangles and sew the rows together. I was really happy with the amount I got done, even though on one project I spent almost as mich time ripping as I did sewing. ;-) One more full day and I would have had that done, but we only paid for the weekend (the retreat went on until Tuesday afternoon) and Mom was out of medication, so we couldn't even buy another night if we wanted to (and we talked about it, but the meds were kind of a show-stopper). We're planning a sew day at my house in October sometime, so we'll see what I work on then (and how much I get done before then, if anything). Sorry, no pictures this time. I only took one with my Blackberry and it's just to show the 48 blocks I got done. Not worth the trouble of downloading to anywhere.
I'm still working out three times a week and watching what I eat, and I've lost about 40 pounds to date since I joined Curves in February. I'm almost halfway to my goal weight now. I've been working out 7 months now, and I still have to talk myself into going half the time. I thought by now it would be a habit and I would just do it and maybe even like it, but I haven't had the attitude change yet. I guess it's just because I'm so tired after being at work all day that I just want to go home. It's not Curves' fault. ;-) But I go, and some days I do better than others, but at least I'm there. Today is my monthly weigh and measure - last time I lost a few pounds and my body fat % went down, but all my measurements went UP! ACK! I hope I don't see that nonsense again tonight! :-p
So, there's my attempt to manufacture news. ;-) It's been a while since I've posted, and I did want to let you all know to look for me on Etsy and wish me luck!
Blessings,
Kristin
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Vacation in pictures (and a few words)
Welcome to a pictorial view of our recent vacation! We went to
Tuesday
Dinner Theatre at Chanhassen - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
All the girls ready to go!
On the road!
Wednesday
Surprise birthday party for Bill’s sister’s 50th birthday...
And a picture of us because we’re cute. ;-)
Thursday
Twin Cities tour (
We’re on opposite sides of glass for this picture. Cool, huh?
Big fish!
Downtown
Flowers at the farmers market
Friday
Twins vs. Indians
Family over in the cheap seats (digital zoom). Look for the ones who are waving.
There - that’s closer. They came over to sit with us for a bit.
Swing, batta batta!
Saturday
Family birthdays party day!
Bill’s breakfast - he did such a beautiful job I had to take a picture!
One of the many pictures of family - there were about 20+ people there.
Bill and 5 of his 7 siblings.
We had a great time, and we missed the family as soon as we got to the airport. Bill’s family is so nice and open and warm... which is a good thing since I’m used to a much SMALLER family. ;-)
Not much else new besides vacation... still going to Curves, still losing weight (slowly but surely). I have a quilt retreat coming up in a few weeks, and while Mom and I are gone to that, Bill and David are going to install track lighting in my craft room. WOO HOO! :-) Bright light! I’ll probably be blinded! No excuse that I can’t see what I’m doing, that’s for sure! We also got a ceiling fan for our bedroom. It’s probably a little late for this season, but when the temperature gets up over 80 degrees again, we’ll be ready.
Hope you all are doing well... drop a note if you get a chance!
Blessings,
Kristin
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Has it really been that long???
Hi, all!
It always seems like nothing's new, but this time I have a little news and I've had way too much caffeine today, so now seems like a good time.
New weight, new phone, new hair!
Friday I had my monthly weigh and measure at Curves, and I was officially under 200 pounds! YAY! 198.5! Another goal reached! In half a pound, I also will have lost 30 pounds, which is 1/3 of all I want to lose. It's so nice to see progress, especially since the past couple of weeks I've been yo-yoing and plateauing with my weight. I've been eating right around my calories goal and working out my three times a week, but I was still gaining or not losing. I was pretty frustrated. Hopefully that nonsense is over and we can go back to losing weight. ;-)
About the time of my last post I decided to try out a new phone (if I told you this already, feel free to skip down - I don't feel like going back to look). I wanted something that would have street addresses of my contacts in my phone so I'd always have them, so my choices were a Palm or Blackberry. Well, the Palm device I had the choice of doesn't work with the navigator software that I can't live without, so Kristin got a Blackberry. I'm such a geek. Now since it's not a work device I couldn't sync it with my work contacts (where all my contacts live) so THANK YOU to one of my coworkers, I transferred everything into Google Calendar and Contacts and now I have my schedule and contacts on the go. It wasn't without some manual intervention required, but at least I got the phone to do what I bought it for. Oh, and I got a great deal on it (assuming I remember to send in the rebate on time).
A week ago, I got my hair cut. And I mean CUT! I'd been thinking about going really short ever since my big cut last year, but Bill (and I) needed to ease into it a little bit. I took some pictures with my phone camera that will have to suffice. The first two are fuzzy because they are pictures of my reflection in the mirror the day I came home with the new do. The other two are "direct" shots taken other days.
Bill had day surgery this week (Wednesday), so I've been trying to be a good nurse, but not doing too well, I'm afraid. It's been a long time since I've had to do anything like that, and I've pretty much forgotten how. ;-) He's doing pretty well, though, independent guy that he is. He's still in some pain, but the meds are keeping that in check. All in all, he's being a good patient (now - he was being a little too independent the first day or two). He worked from home Thursday and Friday; I'm not sure if he'll work from home Monday or go into work. He'll probably still be on meds so I'd prefer he stay home, but it's his call. He commutes by bus so I don't have to worry about him driving, but he's been on the drowsy side. I can just see him falling asleep on the bus or something. He's certainly not as loopy as he was the first couple of days since he's decreased the dosage since then. :-)
This coming week I do my three workouts, and Thursday I'm going to a baseball game with my friend Joanne. She and I go to several of the Aquasox games together every year, and I'm really looking forward to it since I haven't seen her in forever. I think I've seen her since last baseball season, but I don't know that I could tell you for sure. We keep trying to get together for dinner, but her work schedule changes every week (ah, the joys of retail) so it's hard to pin her down.
We're still looking forward to our vacation to Minnepolis coming up in August. I'm going to be in internet withdrawl because Bill's parents have dial-up so I won't be able to Facebook or read and reply to email except through the Blackberry. Sure, that's what it's for, but it's laborious to type much on that little keyboard. So, don't be offended if you email me or send me a FB comment that week and I don't reply or say much back. It's nothing personal. ;-) Can you just see me trying to catch up when I get back? Yikes!
Well, I think that's about it for this update. I actually had news and pictures and everything! Are you impressed? ;-)
Blessings,
Kristin
It always seems like nothing's new, but this time I have a little news and I've had way too much caffeine today, so now seems like a good time.
New weight, new phone, new hair!
Friday I had my monthly weigh and measure at Curves, and I was officially under 200 pounds! YAY! 198.5! Another goal reached! In half a pound, I also will have lost 30 pounds, which is 1/3 of all I want to lose. It's so nice to see progress, especially since the past couple of weeks I've been yo-yoing and plateauing with my weight. I've been eating right around my calories goal and working out my three times a week, but I was still gaining or not losing. I was pretty frustrated. Hopefully that nonsense is over and we can go back to losing weight. ;-)
About the time of my last post I decided to try out a new phone (if I told you this already, feel free to skip down - I don't feel like going back to look). I wanted something that would have street addresses of my contacts in my phone so I'd always have them, so my choices were a Palm or Blackberry. Well, the Palm device I had the choice of doesn't work with the navigator software that I can't live without, so Kristin got a Blackberry. I'm such a geek. Now since it's not a work device I couldn't sync it with my work contacts (where all my contacts live) so THANK YOU to one of my coworkers, I transferred everything into Google Calendar and Contacts and now I have my schedule and contacts on the go. It wasn't without some manual intervention required, but at least I got the phone to do what I bought it for. Oh, and I got a great deal on it (assuming I remember to send in the rebate on time).
A week ago, I got my hair cut. And I mean CUT! I'd been thinking about going really short ever since my big cut last year, but Bill (and I) needed to ease into it a little bit. I took some pictures with my phone camera that will have to suffice. The first two are fuzzy because they are pictures of my reflection in the mirror the day I came home with the new do. The other two are "direct" shots taken other days.
Bill had day surgery this week (Wednesday), so I've been trying to be a good nurse, but not doing too well, I'm afraid. It's been a long time since I've had to do anything like that, and I've pretty much forgotten how. ;-) He's doing pretty well, though, independent guy that he is. He's still in some pain, but the meds are keeping that in check. All in all, he's being a good patient (now - he was being a little too independent the first day or two). He worked from home Thursday and Friday; I'm not sure if he'll work from home Monday or go into work. He'll probably still be on meds so I'd prefer he stay home, but it's his call. He commutes by bus so I don't have to worry about him driving, but he's been on the drowsy side. I can just see him falling asleep on the bus or something. He's certainly not as loopy as he was the first couple of days since he's decreased the dosage since then. :-)
This coming week I do my three workouts, and Thursday I'm going to a baseball game with my friend Joanne. She and I go to several of the Aquasox games together every year, and I'm really looking forward to it since I haven't seen her in forever. I think I've seen her since last baseball season, but I don't know that I could tell you for sure. We keep trying to get together for dinner, but her work schedule changes every week (ah, the joys of retail) so it's hard to pin her down.
We're still looking forward to our vacation to Minnepolis coming up in August. I'm going to be in internet withdrawl because Bill's parents have dial-up so I won't be able to Facebook or read and reply to email except through the Blackberry. Sure, that's what it's for, but it's laborious to type much on that little keyboard. So, don't be offended if you email me or send me a FB comment that week and I don't reply or say much back. It's nothing personal. ;-) Can you just see me trying to catch up when I get back? Yikes!
Well, I think that's about it for this update. I actually had news and pictures and everything! Are you impressed? ;-)
Blessings,
Kristin
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