recap!

Phew! I have been busy. I realized as I was doing the page makeover that I hadn’t posted in a couple of weeks, but they were those kind of weeks. In any case, here’s a brief recap of what happened:

recap collage

I Occupied the Primary, met Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, it finally snowed, and little baby Zane rolled over all by himself (and now he rolls over constantly). On top of all this, our little Green Party group has become an official chapter, and I am going to be the interim chair! I am a little nervous about the responsibilities, but so thrilled that it is all coming together.

So, the first couple of weeks in January were action-packed, but I am glad to be back.

I hope you are all having a wonderful day!

{this moment}

Joining SouleMama, and lots of other ladies in this moment.

{this moment} 1/20/12

cross stitch renaissance

I would have posted this before Christmas, but it was a gift. I wasn’t taking any chances. I saw this fun craft in a Martha Stewart Living magazine a couple of months before Christmas, and knew immediately that I wanted to make it for someone. I decided on my brother and his wife, as I thought they would appreciate the whimsical nature of the project. I hadn’t cross stitched anything in YEARS, but it turns out that it is not difficult at all! I was so proud of the finished product, and they loved it, too. Now, I am hooked, and I can’t wait to do more cross stitching!

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Did you make anything special this year? Have you learned/re-learned any new skills?

2012!

Remember when 2012 was in the unimaginable future? We would all be driving hover cars, and eating astronaut ice cream for breakfast, lunch and, dinner. Well, I woke up this morning to find that my car is still solidly on the ground and, thankfully, my ice cream isn’t dehydrated. Still, it does seem hard to believe that we’re already here.

image via.

Yesterday, my husband asked me what my New Year’s resolutions were going to be. I told him, “None! I hate resolutions!” But, then I started thinking about why I hate them, and it occurred to me that they are most often tied to losing weight or giving up whole food groups (yes, dessert IS a food group!), and they most often fail. However, after reading some year-end recaps on some of my favorite blogs, and seeing how much these other ladies accomplished over the course of the year, I decided that maybe resolutions aren’t so bad after all.

So, how about a year of gaining and giving instead of losing and taking away? For myself, and for others, here is what I hope to accomplish this year:

1. Unpack our stuff, and organize the basement.
2. Learn to crochet.
3. Knit something that a person (or animal, I suppose) can actually wear or use.
4. Organize my craft supplies.
5. Help my kids to sleep in their own beds.
6. Finish thank you notes for the wedding (yikes! that was in 2010!).
7. Send out thank you notes for the baby gifts.
8. Blog for confidence (see button on the side).
9. Do a 365 day photo project.
10. Do a major clothing purge and donate what we don’t want.
11. Do something special with my husband on our anniversary, sans kids.
12. Give something to charity every month, even if it’s only a dollar.
13. Participate in some political activism.
14. Save $20 a week for an iPad, as my current computer is on its way out.
15. Create a handmade gift for every member of my immediate family next Christmas.
16. Have a ridiculously immature birthday party for myself (turning 31!).
17. Write letters to my grandmother at least once a month.
18. Find time to read to both of my kids everyday.
19. Explore all of Walpole’s nature preserves.
20. Cook dinner with my husband once a month.
21. Be better about blogging!…and make this my own space.
22. Overcome my fear of tofu, and use it more in my cooking.
23. Read at least two new fiction books. Doesn’t seem like much but,
trust me, that would be an accomplishment!

I guess twenty-three resolutions is probably enough, though I am reserving the right to add to this list if I think of anything else. And, I would love to hear what yours are, if you’re making any!

I hope 2012 brings you happiness, joy, and fulfillment (and a few challenges, to keep it interesting).

Happy New Year! Prospero año nuevo! Bonne année et bonne santé!

christmas card

Here’s our holiday card for 2011, designed at Shutterfly.

Photo Card
View the entire collection of cards.