Stressed and starting to panic.

There are only 10 days till Christmas. 

I said I would limit the number of handmade gifts that I made this year, in order to limit my frustration and stress levels in the pending weeks prior to Christmas.  Therefore only make 3 “gifts” for Christmas 2010, but then my aunts and cousins wanted some pillows to remember my late uncle, and there was really no way to say no to that, and then they asked “could they be ready by Christmas” and of course I couldn’t say no, instead I said “Sure, no problem”.  So that brings the handmade project list to 6 things by Christmas.

Do you want to know how many are started?

Zero.

Do you want to know realistically how many days I have to sew 6 things (3 of which are new projects that I’ve never made before and there are bound to be some kind of issues).  Two days.

In all reality two full days (a weekend to be exact) should be plenty of time to finish my pending list of doom.  However we all know how I’ve been this year and procrastination has become my fault (although still second to complaining about work...lol)

I’m going to need to buckle down. Focus. And get things done. Anyone want to make a bet?

Okay, i’m off to shower.  I can’t decide if i’m going to go to the staff party tomorrow night and if I am what am I going to wear?  I bought a new outfit tonight, and just not happy with any of it.  Top/ Skirt or shoes.  I think they are all going back to the stores they came from.   Why does dressing up have to be so darn hard!

Our House - The Tour

Okay, its about time I posted pic's of our house.  I finally feel like its a place where its acceptable to show you all!  Although there is still a lot of improvements that we will be working on in the coming years I'm sure!

Shall we take a little tour?

Let's start a the beginning. Here is our entrance way.  Our whole house is open concept and I love that when you walk in you can see right into the kitchen and get a feel for the whole place.

Paul working away at the dinning room table, with our tiny Christmas tree in the corner. I have since replaced that tiny green evergreen wreath with a beautiful teal feather wreath.  Pictures to come.

On the first floor is our dinning room.  This second picture makes our hutch look so small and makes this space seem sooo empty, but I swear its not that bad.  Although it could probably use something above it.

This is our living room - originally this couch looked tiny in the space, but I think its great now allows for a great entertaining space.

Kitchen space - I love the breakfast bar, there is no need for just the two of us to need a eat-in kitchen and a "formal" dinning space.  This allows the best of both worlds. 

Powder Room on the Main Floor/ Landing to the basement

Stairway to upstairs with our fire escape pictures from Ikea!

2nd Floor! 

Main/ Guest Bath on 2nd Floor.  There is more storage in this bathroom alone then our whole last apartment's bathroom!

2nd Floor hallway

Spare Room/ paul's future office

2nd Floor Laundry - Can I tell you what a difference it makes having your OWN washer and dryer.  And how convenient it is have it outside your bedroom!  I like having the freedom to wash things whenever I want/ need.

My work-in-progress The Craft Room!!! With Bonus sneak peak at my Tree Skirt.

And Last but not least, one of my favourite rooms in our house - our bedroom!  I love the colour we ended up painting it.  The purple just wasn't for us.  But this grey is so calming and so cozy.  We got a new duvet last christmas and I purposely "saved" it and didn't open/ use it until we got the house - it was awesome cause when we moved it felt like we had all new stuff.

I know, we desperately need some art/ headboard.  I'm working on it.

We are also getting a new dresser to replace the short one.  I think its pretty, however its really broken on the inside and is not really holding clothes inside it anymore!

Walk in!

Ensuite!

And cute bonus picture of my new "winter" bathroom accent towels!

So that's our place.  And if you want a real "live" version and haven't been to visit, you'll have to wait until April (in Canada) to see us when our episode of "Property Virgins" airs on HGTV.  Don't worry i'll give as much notice as I get so you can set your PVR's to laugh for the full half hour we are on!!   If you live in the states and missed the first 3 airings already, never fear, we are going to be part of their Christmas Marathon I believe on December 23rd!

The great thing about the episode, (which by the way i'm DYING to see) is that when we saw this house during the show it was really the first time we were seeing the house.  We never saw a listing or picture before hand, so all our my reactions are the real deal.

And in case your visiting and have never met me in person before, yes I really get that excited!

52:48

Week 48: Raptors Game with some ZO peeps.  Man I look sickly here. Need colour stat.

52:43

Okay I missed a week, but knew there was a picture taken of me.  Here it is - from my papa's (grandpa's) camera.  The girls at the boys hockey game.

Catching Up

Okay its 12:20 in the morning, and I’ve been sewing since 8:30 tonight, but I’m determined to get a blog post in today!

So here is my Blog Catch up.  Truth is I’ve been writing in this on my desktop since Saturday.  It’s been too long since I’ve made a real post and I need to get back to reality and back to blogging.  As a good friend said, “I’ve been a bad blogger” and it’s true I don’t even have an excuse for it.

What have I been doing since the summer you ask? Since unfortunately that was my last “regular” update.  Even if you’re not asking, I’m going to re-cap for you. (‘cause let’s face it a four month detailed update could take a while!)

Well I’ve been up to lots and yet, a lot of nothing. 

It’s been a bit crazy since we’ve moved. We settled in quite quickly since we had visitors for the first three or four weekends.  But it didn’t really start to feel like “home” until after the first month or so.  It just felt weird at first like we were visiting but that’s long gone and it’s our home now and it feels pretty darn good!  Even though there is always something to be done, it’s nice to know that you’re coming home to something that is truly yours.

Our house

We jumped right into summer and as usual we had a bunch of weddings that kept us pretty busy.  We also had a steady stream of visitors to the house for a while. I just checked back to my day planner and we actually had something on the go every weekend for 8 consecutive weekends from the first weekend we moved.  That will wear anyone out in my opinion!  

Sarah & Gary's Wedding - August 2010

Because we constantly busy I felt like all we were ever doing was cleaning! We’ve been learning that with a house with 2 extra bathrooms and a lot more space than we’ve ever had takes a lot more to up keep.  Not that I mind it one bit, it’s just taken a few months to get the hang of how to keep things an acceptable “tidy” level.  It’s also a battle sometimes who is doing what and where does this go and where do we keep whatever it is the other person is looking for.

I still don’t have decent pictures of the house with our stuff in it.  Project for this weekend I guess.  We are having all of Paul’s KW crew over on Saturday for a house warming, so more cleaning and then I’ll take some pics to post.  I will also give me a chance to show off some of our Christmas decor.

Okay, its late and I need to try and get some sleep.  But I’m going to make a list here of updates that are coming – hopefully keep me on task , I mean after all I am a list maker and a good list always puts me in the right direction. (I just don’t always get to the end!)

Blog Topics to Come:

Summer Garage Sale Finds

Canning Tomatoes & Pickles

Our nephew Rhett

Paul’s trip out west and is surprise gift home 

Steph & Steve's Wedding

Sewing Show Loot

Sewing Round up from May till November (seriously this is supposed to be a craft blog, and I haven’t actually blogged about crafting since MAY!?! You can officially stop following me for this reason alone, although, I swear it’s going to get better!)

52:40 - 52:47

Okay, one update, all the pics. 

52:40 - Steph & Steve's Wedding

52:41 - Okay so this picture was actually taken during wk 40 at Steph & Steve's reception - however I missed wk 41 so this will have to do!

52:42 - Sam's 30th B-day Party, picture of all his cousins that were at the party from both sides of his family

Currently I have no picture for week 43.  However there was a picture taken of me (and the girls) at the boys hockey game that week, its just on Papa's camera - so hoping I can get a copy and upload.  Until then i'm a week short for this year.

52:44 - Halloween Party, I was a owl with my cute homemade costume

52:45 - Mark, Lisa & Rhett come to see the house and share some cuddles

52:46 - On the way home Friday Night, long week rainy weather.

52:47 - Again Friday Night, trying to figure out some sewing ideas in the craft room.

52:39

Coffee Cake with my new "shoe" cake lifter from Lisa and Mark. Mom and Aunt Rose came down for a the day to see the place and visit.

Currently...

... super stressed out about work

... waiting for biore face/nose strips to dry on my face so i can be super pretty for Steph's wedding on Tuesday!

 

... love that I got two packages in the mail this week!  

... feeling semi-relaxed after having a super hot oatmeal bath

... wishing that the package from sears was what I really ordered (free motion foot), and not some random useless foot for my sewing machine...grrr

 

... excited for my week off to relax with friends and get some sewing done!

... SOOOO excited for Stephie & Steve's wedding on Tuesday! Can't wait to share their day and see everyone all dolled up and pretty looking

... loving my Pauly and the beautiful Tiffany's necklace he brought home for me from BC last week!

... looking forward to the Milton Fall Fair this weekend, even if it's just Pauly and I going.

 

... going to watch one (maybe two) episodes of House season 6 then heading to bed

... thinking about how I should get my hair cut tomorrow - short bob? stylish angle bob? 

okay, lame update, but update none the less.

52:28 - 52:38

52 week catch up! Good thing is i've still been taking weekly pictures, even though I haven't been posting.  And man, I didn't really realize it had been 10 weeks since I'd posted a picture.  Eeek.

52:28

Sleeping on the way home from the house on the day we moved everything from Mom and Dad's storage unit.

52:29

First ride home on the GoTrain - Feet up and relaxed.

52:30

Lego Land @ St. Jacobs Outlet Mall

52:31

Attempting to strip paint from the dressers. 

52:32

Sarah & Gary's Wedding

52:33

Canning Simmer Sauce and Pickles.  Extreme concentration!

52:34

Finishing baby Rhett's quilt a week before his arrival!

52:35

My first cuddles with sleeping but way so cute nephew - Rhett Cronin.

52:36

Elaine & Patrick's Wedding

52:37

Sunday night to myself - hot shower, face mask, big brother and a good magazine

52:38

Metro Party, Kim and I share a romantic cheesecake on a stick..lol

I owe a real post

...but seriously too tired.

While sitting in bed, on the lap top returning emails and catching up on some blog reading, I came across this, and in particular this.  How totally awesome is that quilt.

I'm so in love with it.

I need to find more time to quilt. And I want to start canning and pickling things in particular tomatos and pickles. Yum.

Here's to finding more time and doing things for me. 
(And that will include some blogging and picture taking and showing off my new house. Real soon. I promise.)

So cool!!

Okay I know I owe a real post and some pictures of the new house, not to mention my 52 week photos for the last few weeks, but look at my cool titles!

Cool eh!  I found this link a while ago and it has great detailed instructions on how to change your title fonts - to anything you want.  It only took me about 20 minutes to get the whole thing set up and I'm so pleased with the outcome.  Now my header is less to be desired and needs some work, but i'll get to that eventually.

I mean i'm still unpacking and should be done a million other things right now (like the hours of work I brought home) but one day of doing nothing is good for your soul ... right?  Beside I actually did accomplish quite a bit today and don't feel the least bit bad that I didn't do any work today.

I do have a lot of work to do tomorrow though - actual work not just things around the house - although I have that too! And I think my sister and brother in-law are coming for dinner.  But i'm hoping to be back with a better update along with lots of photos!

woah.

Moving is a lot of work, so sorry for my lack of posting. (I seriously just wrote packing instead of posting, clearly my head is still in moving mode)

We are at the new house - almost one full week here.  Its starting to feel like home, but to be honest I still look around and feel like we are just "visiting" and we'll have to go back home soon.

I can't write much or post any pic's yet, cause my camera cord is still in a box somewhere.  But hopefully later this week.  I'm actually working on plans tonight instead of relaxing or sleep like I'd much rather be doing.

We had Uncle Barry up for the weekend, and it was definitely a good thing, he motivated us and helped us get so much done around the place.  Then Paul's mom and Steve and grandma and grandpa came down today for a visit.  They bought us a brand new freezer, it was a surprise, cause we thought they were bringing us their old one.  But its great!  We are so excited that we can stock up on stuff now!

Okay i'll post more with pictures this week, but right now I need to motivate myself to get some "work work" done, cause its going to be a very bad week if I don't.

Half a year passed, half a year left to go.

And oh what a first half of 2010 it has been.  This 52 week project has been fun, although I don't think i'm taking advatage of it the way I should be.

I really wanted to increase my photography skills, and so far its a quick picture here and there, and usually on a Sunday night when i've realized "crap I need a photo".  But regardless of what I wanted to be and what it has become - I'm enjoying it.

Priorities? oh well HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Again, quick post aka me procrastinating other things that NEED to be done.

It's Thursday but it feels like Saturday!  I love long weekends!  But this one there is a lot to be done.

First of all I'm still in my jammies un-showered and feel asleep at 10 last night instead of finishing the things on my "wed to do list".  Update Blog was on that list, so technically I'm just catching up!

I'm sure I had important things to write about yesterday, but today my thoughts are we are moving in 12 days - exactly 12 days and when i look around the house there is still stuff everywhere. Look for proof I just went and took a few shots:

Kitchen, spare bedroom, living room, office area.  So much stuff left, and so little time.  We are heading up to Meaford tomorrow afternoon/night to camp with paul's family.  And although we both really want to go and relax a bit.  I definitely think we I might regret not staying home to pack.

But you've gotta make time for fun right.  Cause when it comes down to it I know that i'll get the packing done plus if worse comes to worse, we can make trips back to the apartment to get boxes even after the 12th, we can just make sure the movers move all the big stuff.

Oh in other big news this week, I got myself an iphone! :) It went on sale a few weeks ago, and i've been thinking of getting one to make my commute a little easier.  So, after a long day at work, on a whim I went and got it.  I think Paul is happy that I won't be touching his anymore.  ha ha

Alright, its already quarter after 9, I have an hour to do so much! Gotta run!

ps: Happy Canada Day!  Last year at this time, I was relaxing pool side with these girls:

Wishing we were back there now!  Both of them are on vacation from teaching for the summer as of today. Super jealous I am.