365 Project: Week 47: Christmas Crafts!

This week was very productive - I've jumped in head-first to Christmas crafting! Many of the photos are only partial projects because they may end up being gifts in a few weeks! We got to Skype with Justin's sister and her family on Friday night which was SO AWESOME... I really wish we didn't live so far away, but thank goodness for technology!! 

At long last, here are finally some photos from the AMAZING tote bag that Lisa from Git Down Kitty made for me as part of an 'Art Trade'! You should check out all the awesome stuff she makes, she's truly a talented quilter/goddess of the sewing machine and not only made me this amazing bag, but this wall hanging too if you remember! These gifts give me goosebumps!! 

Just to be clear, this bag is HUGE!! The inside pocket pictured above fits full size notebooks/folders. I could seriously tote Bella's full-grown 65-pound self around in it! (and it's constructed so strongly I probably could!)

THANK YOU, LISA!!! 

I also took some time this week to reflect on WHO I'm thankful for and WHAT it is about them that I'm most thankful and sent them a note to let them know -- have you done anything similar to celebrate Thanksgiving? I hope to start some new traditions that make Thanksgiving more about recognizing WHAT it is that I'm thankful for and not just eating too much turkey and pie... and today I'm SO thankful that we're packing up the Olive circus (Bella and Jasper get to come too!) tomorrow and heading to Wisconsin for a week to spend some much-anticipated family time!!  I hope you're able to enjoy time with your family this week and stop to think for a minute WHAT it is that you're most thankful for - it's amazing how much comes to mind! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

365 Project: Week 46?

First of all, it's seems there's been a pretty big week mix-up... I realized that there's no way that this is week 42, and there's only a month left... unless there's 10 weeks in December (and PLEASE don't let THAT be the case) So I did some back-tracking and realized that I doubled up on weeks 3, 10 and 34... and I'm still at a loss at where the other missing week is... 10 points to you if you can figure it out :) For now, it seems that we're back on track...and with any luck, should end on week 52... *fingers crossed*

Secondly, I'm not entirely happy with this week's photos... the weather has been CRAZY windy and rainy, which makes it impossible to get out-and-about and I haven't been feeling all that great, so I've had no ambition to do it anyways. All excuses aside, almost all of the photos this week were taken of random things in my house that caught my eye or that made my day (see said love note from Isaiah and birthday invitation from Janessa:)

I've also been working on quite a few projects (besides the jigsaw puzzle... that's my mindless activity to take a break from the projects) but unfortunately can't post them as my photos of the day because they are intended as gifts for many of my diehard readers :) so they will have to stay my secret - but know that I AM actually doing creative things around here!  

**Side note: I took a photo today that will be posted NEXT week, of a FANTASTIC bag that my cousin-in-law (that term always makes me think of 'cousin Eddie' from National Lampoon's...which is in no way relates to Lisa AT ALL! :) made for me that I'm excited to share with you - and I know she's been waiting for the photos - they're coming, Lisa!!** 


Are you excited for the holidays?!! I know I AM!! I'm so excited to go home for Thanksgiving next week and see my family for some food, fun, and birthday festivities!! I'm also getting very 'in the spirit' for Christmas with all the projects I'm working on (although I refuse to decorate or dust off Trans Siberian Orchestra until after Thanksgiving) 


I hope you're doing well! I hope you thanked a veteran this week on 11-11-11 - I know I am certainly very thankful to each and every one of them and everything they've sacrificed and continue to sacrifice every day! (Forgive me for not taking a more 'festive' photo that day...)
Remember my challenge that I will be posting ON TIME for my remaining Project 365 posts! :)

365 Project: Week 41 - Alphabet Project!

First of all, let me apologize to all of you faithful followers who have been waiting patiently for a new post... It seems that I'll be posting 2 weeks together again! It's not that I'm not taking a photo every day, it's just that I haven't been getting around to posting them! 

I realized today that I only have a little over a month left and my 365 project will be complete!! (I started on January 1, 2011) I've been throwing around some ideas in my head for what will come next, but nothing final yet. It will be weird to not have a 'purpose' to blogging every week, so I'll have to come up with something similar. Knowing that I'm so close to the end, I'm challenging myself to be ON TIME with my final posts from now until then. It's not like I CAN do it, I've been been getting lazy I guess!

This week, as you can see, I've finally gotten around to taking some 'Alphabet' pictures that spell out 'Olive'. I've been meaning to do this for many months now, just have never gotten around to it. I'd like to get every letter of the alphabet, and numerous choices for each letter. I know it's not an original concept, it's just fun to find all the many places letters can emerge from in everyday life! I don't know if I'll finish the alphabet before the end of the year, but I'll try to get a few more banked up!

Besides the Alphabet, I have WAY too much Halloween candy leftover and completed a coaster project this last week - it was super cheap and easy!! I followed this tutorial, but instead of putting felt underneath, I put cork squares! I highly recommend trying them! They look great! (and make great gifts!! *hint* *hint* Christmas is right around the corner!)


Stay tuned! Week 42 is on the way!