Summer Bucket List

Today is the first day of summer vacation for my family. It started later than I expected since there was a loud, loud teenager party at my house the night before. Tonight we are having a family meeting. We are planning the summer timeline, trips we want to take, excursions, craft projects, home projects and whatever else.

The past few years I've used this great book as a guide to get us out of the house. If we don't do some planning we end up letting the day fly by and no one has left the house. So I'm excited about making plans tonight. I'm hoping we can all inspire each other. I'm probably living in a naive place but I can hope.

We have a vacation planned, a romantic grown up weekend discussed and almost committed to, a few week long camps set up. Now I want to get my cross country runner training (and maybe I can ride my bike along and work on my exercise goal.) I want to get my creative child actually doing some creating rather than just talking about it (like mother like child). I want to conquer some house projects that we've neglected because we've used the excuse of homework and too many other commitments.

I believe things don't just happen. We don't just get miraculous a-ha moments all the time. They do come unscripted and unexpectedly but sometimes you have to plan for the silliness or the adventure. You can't just wait around for it to happen. Otherwise, it's happening out in the real world while you are cemented to the couch!

What do you want to do this summer? Here's a rough start to my list:

Make homemade popsicles, basic ones, designer ones (with fruits and mixed up juices.)

Go through ALL the silly old magazines in the house (preferably while floating in the pool.)

Figure out how to mesh mine, my mother's and my grandmother's charm bracelets into something that means something and something that I will wear.

Purge at least one room a week (including all cabinets and closets.)

Take an artistic field trip once a week (even if one week that means looking at magazines in Barnes and Noble.)

Teach several card classes--make a stockpile, use up some supplies

Clear off the craft room tables and start being productive, a little something every day.

Learn how to transfer my videos to DVD.

Catch up the boys' school scrapbooks.

Catch up on our vacation albums.

Organize my itunes music into better playlists.

Use a picture to create a quilt or paper creation.

There's a start...I could go on but you probably don't want to read it all. Make your own. Type it up. Print it and cross things off. But don't stress about it. Have a friend help you accomplishs some of it. Share the fun. I'll keep you posted.

Happy Summer!

Spring is flying by!

Sorry I’ve fallen off the planet. I was trying to be good and motivated and motivating. I started out last month super inspired. So super inspired that I even spent some time with Jillian Michaels (on the exercise on demand channel). My Michael would ask me if I was going to channel Satan when I was putting off working out with her. I guess he sensed that she is not for the faint of heart. That phase has passed but I really want to get back with it. The practical me and the healthy me and the perfect me want to get back. But the real me (the one that exists) is putting it off. I understand that the world is supposed to end tomorrow, so I need to at least wait until after that to start over.

I have been finishing lots of UFOs! I decided that in the process of cleaning what better way to clean but to just pull what was on the top of the pile and deal. I’m really looking forward to uncovering something that I love. A few of these things were a chore. Like the last of these silly pails. I’m sick, sick, sick of pails! The little quilt I got at my quilt retreat sale for $3 for the pieces and the batting. I added backing and binding, sewed it and finished it. Pretty good for three bucks!

Then I added a closure and stacked some buttons for this.

I got it at the last quilt show for $1 or $2. It’s extra poufy but holds my mini light that I attach to my sewing machine, very handy. Cute colors. Not my usual, but very cheery.

I love the stacked buttons with the bead.

Next I unearthed these notebooks. I had one finished; now I have lots. I’m sick of them too but they are cute---more stacked buttons and some bright colors. I went to sew one and discovered that I had interfacing cut for five more. Sigh. I always start out overzealous. Discovered I had interfacing cut out for 2 matching bags. More sighs, more projects.

I finished these pouches in January but I wanted to show them off. The pattern was drawn on interfacing that I just had to iron on to fabric and then sew on the lines. Easy as it gets!

I had a few more cut and traced so I did these. I couldn’t decide if I thought they looked retro or cheap. Hmmmm, I think someone will like them. I had fun stacking more buttons. I love, love, love buttons! I want to make some vintage looking jewelry out of buttons but that's a whole 'nother post.

This one is the keeper. I love it!! I obsessed for a bit on the gears and watch and wings and then just committed. Finished! Time to go work on something else…