Home for the Holidays!

I thought I'd share a few more photos of the holiday decorations. As I mentioned last time, we went with red and gold this year. I'm pretty pleased with everything and think I'm ready for Christmas to arrive!

Unfortunately, my camera is out of commission so phone pictures are the best I've got!

This is hutch was acquired when we moved into our current house. It's on my list to overhaul--sand down, refinish, new hardware... I may even attempt to simplify some of the edging.

Christmas is coming quickly and the weather is finally coming around! There's a definitely chill in the air and I feel like I can actually appreciate it this year. It just doesn't feel like Christmas when you don't get goosebumps when you walk outside and when you can't see your breath in the air!

Red and Gold Christmas

Sorry for the long absence lately. Aside from the daily grind at work,
we've been preparing for the holidays...

Back to Normal

Well, I got back from my vacation an immediately came down with a
cold. I've basically been out of commission for the past week. Thank
goodness I'm feeling better! I feel like things are finally settling
down and getting back to normal.

Once again, I need to get back into a schedule. I'm glad to be back
and working but I definitely miss my sweetie!

Anyway, I'm starting an online Montessori training on November 1st
which I'm really excited about. It'll last for about a yer and it's a
great way for me to continue my studies and gain a deeper knowledge of
the philosophy.

Well, it's about time for Grey's Anatomy! Talk at you all soon!

Sent from my iPhone

Please excuse my recent blogging absence.. I've been visiting my
sweetie and this has obviously taken a back seat to spending time with
him. I shall return to you soon!

Oh, how glad I am to have found you once again!

        I don't know if any of you out there can appreciate this as much as myself--if you don't, this is something that you and all those in this world need to know. The following article was found via a google search attempting to fulfill a desperate need for lost treasure. I had no idea that I would find such a wonderful display of love for said lost treasure or such a perfect resource, for that matter. This article is thanks to oliner.com and can be found at the link given above.

"What happened to my Page Lifters?"

"Sheet Lifters (or Page Lifters, or Pagelifters, the terms are interchangeable) used to be supplied in every Looseleaf Binder that was sold. It was unquestioned that they provided real assistance to Binder users.

(Note: the term "Page Lifter" is going to be used on this web page so that it works well in searches. Don't be confused: a Page Lifter is a Sheet Lifter.)

However, as in everything else, the Evil Gnomes of Corporate Bureaucracy and Misguided Penny Pinching invaded the Eden of Well-Made Products. In order to save a fraction of a cent (literally!), Binder Manufacturers started scrimping on Page Lifters.

 In order to do their job, Page Lifters have to be a certain size and strength. The correct sizes are shown on this page. If you use a Page Lifter which is too small or too weak, you may as well not use one at all. These days, when you find one of the few Binders that still has Page Lifters, they are generally too small to do their job anyway. Some of them, you might as well use Tissue Paper.

 Well, you guessed it. After the Evil Gnomes emasculated the Page Lifter by putting Lifters in their Binders that were too small or weak, they started leaving them out of the Binders all together. The sad truth is that not everyone knows what Page Lifters are for, and that there was not any tremendous groundswell of protest.

 Knowledgeable Page Lifter users picketing their local Office Supply store is a nice image, but regrettably there were no mass protests over the near-death of Page Lifters. (Or if there were, they were quickly hushed up by cooperative Mass Media Outlets, who must also have been part of the massive conspiracy!! )

 But if you are one of the Select, Enlightened group of Page Lifter Aficionados, help is at hand!! You can buy Page Lifters direct from us, the original manufacturer! Strike a blow for old-fashioned quality! Don't let those corporate drones tell you what you can and can't do! "

And that, my friends, is the most beautiful sales pitch I've ever read. I do believe I'll be placing an order by the end of this weekend and look forward to receiving the fabulous product in the mail. The lost treasure has been found. Never shall I have scrunched pages in a binder again!

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3 part card pouches

Oh my, how the days slip by! Especially as summer is winding down.

Things in my office have changed a bit. Our roles have all been redefined in some way. In good ways. My boss is great in that regard--he makes a point to put people in positions where they'll be able to truly succeed. And he doesn't want to stand in the way of our own personal progress. All in all, work is getting better again. This is a great time of year... we have the opportunity to get things back in order and learn up on the product!

Moving on... I'm making a real effort not to talk about work outside of work. :o) I'm happier that way.

I've been working away on my Montessori materials. My albums are not seeing a lot of progress--I'd like to get some more trainings under my belt to continue with that. The project has evolved and moved into the materials aspect. I have a lot of wonderful vocabulary cards, 3 part reading cards, nomenclature and classification cards to be finished! I have all of the files saved and I'm, slowly but surely, printing, cutting, mounting and laminating them.

The next phase is sewing the custom pouches for each set. I spent 1 1/2 hrs last night at WalMart picking out fabrics--and purchasing 1/4 yard of each! I know I'll be heading back for more soon enough. The first thing on my list was to figure out how I wanted the cards to fit in the pouches. I found great inspiration here. It's just the right format and style... the children love to have a surprise; opening each different pouch will be a thrill for them as well! Photos to come :o)

I also have completed the first step in completing the front yard! The first layer of mulch is down--definitely need more to fill in but it already looks much better. Next step is to put in the cedar edging. So, go me! Finally the pile of mulch bags is gone and the lawn is on its way!

Gardening

I thought I'd fall right back into my old blogging habit. But I was wrong. I found myself getting caught up in everyone else's blogs this week. Paying no attention to my own.

I guess I was in more if a listening mood. Rather than a talking mood. Please note: this is a rare moment so I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted! I've never been the type to be short of things to say :o). But I'm back now and on to the latest project. Unfortunately, it's not a fun one...

I'm going to force myself to work on my yard this week. That needs to be my project--it's looking pretty rough at the moment. I have a large oak tree in the front yard and there's an area below it which used to be landscaped. As time went by and the owner got older, the yard fell by the wayside. What's left is some edging grass in a half circle around the tree. And lots of weeds. I mean, LOTS. Several weeks ago, I purchased many many bags of mulch. I decided that I'd mulch out the inside of that half circle for a couple of reasons: (1) to make the grass edge look like it's supposed to be there (2) because it will help with the weed growth and (3) it will keep the termites away (I bought cypress mulch which is great for this area).

Needless to say, I have piled up the bags of mulch in the front yard and let them sit there for weeks now. With all the rain, the weeds have gotten a bit out of control and it's just time to get things straight. I did some research and found that I don't have to use a plastic tarp under the mulch as had originally been suggested to me. In fact, you can use biodegradable products (newspapers, old paper bags, other recyclable paper products) to help block the weeds and underlay the mulch. This way, the weeds die for lack of light and nutrients and you still have the option to plant later. There's a great book about a process called 'lasagna gardening' by Patricia Lanza--'lasagna gardening' techniques include layering leaves, manure, cardboard/paper products, etc to produce a weed free garden. What a concept!

At the moment, I just want it to look nice. With winter coming, I don't plan on planting until next year. And with the way I've put off the maintenance already, I think I just need to finish step one of the project before I make any further plans! I suppose this will need to be my accountability--I've got to get it done this week! Any thoughts/suggestions? I'd love to know what others do with their landscaping or if you have some tricks up your sleeves.

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::Please forgive the awful phone quality photos. My digital camera bit the dust::

Just a few of my latest creations. I haven't been doing quite as much beading lately but thought I'd share some of the latest. The local store carrying my pieces sticks to the blues, greens, and earth tones (colors of the ocean). Since I live in a tourism oriented beach community, those are the ones that sell the best. I end up making a TON in those colors..

The orange and pink ones are just fun for summer and give me some variety of inspiration :o)

Sundays and Mondays are my days off from work. I spent both days working on my albums. More specifically the art cards and corresponding research I've done. I'll have to share some photos of those at some point--but I don't want to bore you with all of the uninteresting details.

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Oh, how I don't want the summer weather to end!

P.S. Please excuse the beach hair :o)

Time...

Time is something that we too often take for granted. When we have 'too much time', we're bored. When we 'don't have enough time', we're stressed. Somehow, we're never satisfied with the amount of time we have in our lives.

Lately, it's started to slow down at work. My daily desk job is in the customer service field--vacation rentals, actually. Summers are spent dealing with guests' complaints, booking only a few reservations, and just doing our best to keep our heads above the water. As summer winds down, the calls become fewer and I find myself having more time on my hands. Don't get me wrong; by this time each year it feels great to not have as many difficult calls to deal with. At the same time, it seems like there's so much extra time; unproductive time. The booking season begins to pick up but that doesn't occupy my day nearly as much as issues during the summer.

I actually look forward to going home so I can continue work on my many projects. I don't want to go to bed at night feeling like I've not accomplished anything that day. I've been organizing a lot of my research materials for my Montessori Albums--I admit I spend hours finding the right articles, printing new material, compiling information, organizing and reorganizing. Does anyone else out there slightly obsess over such things? I know I'm not alone on that front :o)

I also take time every couple of days to make jewelry. A local store started carrying my pendant necklaces this summer and they can't seem to keep enough of them in stock! It's been incredible to find the ins and outs of selling my pieces in a retail setting. In the past, I've just sold a few to friends and friends of friends. It's all been by word of mouth and just for fun. Now it has become much larger and I'm starting to build a name for myself locally. It's great to see and hear that people appreciate what you do!

Back to the topic at hand... I choose to spend my time productively and on things I enjoy because I know that's something I have control over. I can't control how much extra time I'll have at work each day--that changes by the minute sometimes. But I CAN choose how much time I have when I'm at home. The amount of time spent on projects can be changed depending upon my stress or energy level, etc. I choose to be productive so as not to become 'bored'. I also choose not to overschedule myself in an effort to de-stress.

Maybe that's something that we need to be more careful about. CHOOSING to allow ourselves enough time each day, yet not depriving ourselves of the opportunity to enjoy each moment. To lead productive, full lives without the stress of overscheduling and overcommitment. What do you think? Doesn't our society dictate our time too often? We're either lazy or strung out--nothing in between. Food for thought, I suppose. Good words to ponder.

An Appropriate Introduction

I suppose I should properly introduce myself. I'm your typical, but not so typical, 20-something trying to find their way through life. I'm extremely passionate--almost obsessive sometimes. But that can be one of my best qualities :o)

I guess you could also call me 'artsy-fartsy' and 'crafty'. I spend most of my free time on projects; anything from sewing to scrapbooking, painting to photography, and jewelry making to cooking. I'm more of the 'enjoy my time at home' type, for sure. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy spending time with friends and just getting out and exploring the world around me. But it brings me deeper joy to devote my energy to projects and those who are closest to me.

I currently work at an office job--not my long term goal but a great, easy job for saving money for the future. I worked previously in a Montessori school which is where I found my niche. I believe that the Montessori method and way of life provides a well rounded foundation in each child. It enriches their lives more than any educational setting I've ever seen. I look forward to completing my certification and having a classroom of my own. To guide those precious children in their own journey. To provide them with the tools necessary and allow them to explore, create, and grow in that environment. And to give them the school experience I wish I could have had myself.

I love life and the future it holds. I know that there is so much in this world that I'd love to see and experience. I also know that I'm not bound to my current situation. I choose to be here today in order to give myself a better future. Each day is an opportunity to grow and improve. Each day is a step closer to the goal. And each day is a blessing.

Every time I watch the sun go down, I know that I'll wake up to another new beginning.

Disclaimer: I'm not quite sure where this blog is going to lead. Just like my life, it will evolve with each day that goes by. We'll just have to wait and see where it goes. I hope you'll join me on this journey and look forward to taking you with me.

My New Beginning

It's been a few years now since I was a part of the blogging world.

I'm at a point in my life where I see things beginning. Beginning to change. Beginning to move in a new direction. But really beginning to move in an old direction. A rebirth of sorts. It only seems appropriate that I allow this new/old beginning to permeate different areas of my life.

So here I am. Again. I look forward to where this rebirth will take me.