December 24 to 31 – Ripped into the gifts on Christmas morning. Had
Christmas dinner at Mom & Dad’s. Went to see Twyla on Boxing Day. Greg, Lindsay, Rob, Bobbi, Wyatt and Brody came to visit. We had our fondue and martini party. I finished sewing my quilt on my new sewing machine. Had brunch with Rebecca and Ryan. Went for supper at Ann’s. Scrapbooked. Played cards with Amber. Went to town with Mom. Counted down to 2011 with a crafterday at Moe’s.

This ends my year of blogging, and I was write about the numbers not ending right. I even went back and checked and the only error I can find is that I used Day 260 twice, which would actually make this day 367. Where are these two extra days coming from!? Further investigation must be done, but I am definitely not renumbering 300+ entries!

Welcome 2011!

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I love New Years, and with the new year approaching I wanted to look back on the resolutions I made for 2010. I make a lot of new years resolutions, but don’t always follow through. I think with 2011 soon to start it’s good to review what I thought I could accomplish this year and either did or did not. Good motivation to do better in 2011 maybe?

I had four major projects that I chose to tackle last year instead of resolutions per say.

1. Ten on Tuesday in 2010 – This was definitely successful. According to my wordpress dashboard I have made 51 posts in the “Ten on Tuesday” category, although I was doing Ten on Tuesday before 2010. I still think I hit almost every Tuesday in 2010. Success!

2. 365 days of Blogging – This was also successful. There were times that I fell behind, sometimes had the words but not the picture, or vice versa, but in the end I was able to blog something about every day of 2010, which was pretty amazing. I would like to make this year’s blog into a book, but I can only imagine the cost. Success!

3. A Year of Fridays – This was achieved with 100% success. I’m so happy with how well this turned out. I’ve already started making it into a scrapbook. What an awesome recap of 2010. Success!

4. Life at 25 – This went well for the first five months of the year then definitely fell off. I haven’t looked back at my photos for the past six months to double check that I got in a picture myself, but I probably did. I definitely strayed from the 28th being picture day, but I definitely tried to get in pictures more often. Kind of a success.

So all in all I think I did well. I think in the future sticking to fewer resolutions is better than making a huge list of possibly unattainable tasks. Here’s to a successful 2011!

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Here it is, completely finished, my very first quilt. I finished sewing the binding on yesterday and proudly slept under its warmth last night. I’m so happy with how it turned out! Including Michelle’s rag quilt and this one I now have two quilts under my belt and the supplies from Mom and Dad to start a new one!

I used my new machine to attach the binding. I’ve seen different tutorials recommending that the binding be hand quilted but this is like a king size quilt. Hand quilting this would have taken me months. I still missed a few spots with the machine that I had to hand stitch, but to be honest that shows on the back of the quilt and how often is anybody going to be staring at the back of the quilt?

I am so incredibly happy with how it turned out. It needs a wash to soften up the fabric but for now I’m really happy just to have it on my bed, finished!

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1. I spent most of the day in the basement using my new sewing machine to finish my quilt, but that’s a post of it’s own for another day.

2. Mom went back to work today and Shane and Michelle went home, so things were pretty quiet around here today.

3. Dad bought a PVR and it’s currently hooked up in the basement which has been amazing for me. I spent most of the day sewing while watching PVR’d movies. I watched The Bounty Hunter, Up In Air, 50 First Dates and Forgetting Sarah Marshall plus two episodes of What Not To Wear. Love that I can just pause the movie or rewind it if I have to leave the TV to do something else!

4. I can’t believe it’s already Tuesday and that Christmas was already three days ago. Tomorrow I am going to see Rebecca and Ryan and having my last Christmas celebration.

5. For lunch today I made sweet and sour pork for Dad and I using the marinated pork leftover from the fondue party yesterday. It was delicious! I froze the leftovers for a quick supper when tax season starts and Mom get’s busy, but now I’m thinking they would sure taste good again tomorrow!

6. I haven’t left the house in two days. I think if I didn’t have to leave the house to go to work this would be a highly common occurrence. I am such a homebody.

7. I’m glad I used today to finish this sewing project because it’s been weighing on me to get it finished finally so I can actually use the quilt. Now I’d like to use another day at home to finish working on my Year of Friday’s mini album or to spend some time purging my bedroom here.

8. Yesterday afternoon while I was putting things away I found a box under my bed with stocking stuffers that I forgot to give Mom, Shane and Michelle so I got to be Santa for a little while again yesterday.

9. On Sunday night after our company left Michelle, Mom and I watched The Wedding Date – a DVD I had gotten for her stocking. Mom loves to watch girly movies but never sits down to watch them if someone doesn’t invite her to sit down and watch a movie with them. We all got snuggled under blankets and enjoyed a couple hours staring at Dermot Mulroney.

10. I also brought home Date Night because I thought Mom would find it funny and enjoy watching it, so we need to find some time one more night this week to watch that one together too.

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Outside my window: the sun is still coming up and the snow has a blue tone to it.
I am thinking: that I should soon shower and get ready for my day.
I am thankful for: sleep, lazy days and family.
From the kitchen: I can hear Mom banging around, maybe making some breakfast.
I am wearing: pajamas.
I am creating: a mini album about my Year of Fridays – only one more Friday to go!
I am going: to spend the day getting ready for our fondue/martini party tonight.
I am reading: Eat Pray Love, still!
I am hoping: that I don’t catch the flu bug that seems to be plaguing the rest of the family.
I am hearing: the furnace running and Mom in the kitchen.
Around the house: are the remains of a happy Christmas – piles of presents, opened stockings, and baking!
One of my favorite things: my brand new sewing machine.

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Michelle loved her quilt, which was such a relief to me! I love her, but wow is she hard to buy for. She’s into lots of trends and her ideas about what she likes change constantly, so I struggle every year with what to buy for her. She always covers up with a blanket anytime she’s on the couch, and even though she already has lots I thought this would be something she’d like.

I was right! She’s used it non stop since she opened it and has told me numerous times over that she loves the blanket and that it’s her favorite gift. That means a lot to me!

Here is the backside. This was taken before I started cutting any of the seams to make the fringe. That was a long process which was both hard on my hands and dulling on my scissors. I washed it after and much to my sadness realized that I had cut through the seam in a number of places and had to resew a ton of the quilt. Not easy to do when it’s already started to fray!

This is Michelle on Christmas day, quite pleased with the results. I am too! The most time consuming part of this quilt was actually cutting out all the flannel and the batting, but the actual sewing part was easy. This was definitely not a challenging quilt and I would like to try making one for myself now!

On an unrelated note I went and visited with Twlya this afternoon, plus Greg and Lindsay came over for coffee, and tonight Rob, Bobbi and the boys were over. I love after Christmas visiting!

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So many great things to say about today, but here are the highlights:

1. I got a new sewing machine! After watching everyone else open their gifts I admit I was feeling a bit forgotten. Everyone else had mountains of gifts to open and I had like 5. I know it’s not in the numbers, but it was just depressing sitting there watching everyone else thinking it was all over for me until Mom sent Shane to the closet to pull out my gift! I was completely surprised! We had talked about getting a new sewing machine back in November but she had made it pretty clear that I wouldn’t be getting one so I just assumed I wasn’t. I was wrong! Lots of other great sewing goodies – it’s sure nice to have people support your hobbies!

2. I got Shane a cap gun for his stocking. Worst decision ever.

3. Michelle and I collaborated and bought Shane the Saskatchewan Roughrider overalls and work jacket which he insisted on wearing, no matter how hot he was. He also insisted on wearing the welding helmet that Mom and Dad got him too.

4. Shane and Michelle got me a little video camera! Shane had suggested I open that gift first, but of course I didn’t open it until the end. It will be SO handy for volleyball!

5. Michelle and I set out the yummy caramel corn popcorn twists we made, and then proceeded to eat most of them.

6. I gave Maddy a ball that squeaks. She didn’t like it until it squeaked and then she just went beserk when it did. She never scratches, but when she hears this ball squeak she will actually scratch at you to get it for herself! Hilarious! She didn’t want it at first but once she got it in her mouth she wouldn’t give it back either.

7. In addition to tormenting me with his cap gun Shane also tried to land his helicopter in my hair numerous times.

8. Aunty Shelly, Uncle Jim and Travis gave me a ton of Roughrider stuff, including this hilarious Gopher picture entitled “Gopher It”.

9. Mom loved all of the sewing I had done for her and Michelle was a huge fan of the quilt I made her.

10. Maddy has spent most of her time inside this week trying to keep Keddy from being the one closest to the kitchen. That is until tonight when the two of them actually laid side by side, both with their head on the kitchen rug.

11. There was also a humorous time warp Christmas card from Aunty Gladys in which she wished Grandma and Grandpa “all the best in 1911.”

It was a wonderful day!

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All is quiet in our house, here on the night before Christmas. The stockings are hung on the banister (except for Michelle’s because it was so heavy it fell off), everyone is tucked into bed, the presents from Christmas Eve at Grandma’s have been set aside for the night, and our tummies are all full.

I love our Christmas Eve traditions in this family. I have spent 25 Christmas Eve’s at Grandma’s house but I know the tradition has been going for much longer than I have been alive. The amount of people at Grandma’s changes each year depending on who can make it home, although this year there was a big change as Aunty Karen, Uncle Bob, Rob and Wyatt were all sick with the flu and couldn’t make it. They never miss Christmas at Grandma’s so their absence was noticeable. Nonetheless the food was eaten, the gifts were open, and the living room still seemed noticeably bursting at the seams.

I love this family.

December 17 to 24 – Had the first “Crafterday” on Saturday at Aunty Shelly’s with Moe and Kari. Played cards with Amber. Shane and Michelle arrived home. Went to the dentist. Had supper at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Wrapped presents for Mom. Did lots of baking with Michelle. Had the second “Crafterday” with Michelle. Sewed the last presents. Dale was here. Travis was here. Tried to make plans to see friends. Celebrated Christmas with everyone at Grandma’s on Christmas Eve.

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Michelle and I went to Aunty Shelly’s for the day and made a bunch of cards. I went with the intention of scrapbooking and finishing this Year of Fridays album and I realized once I got there that I definitely did not buy enough supplies when I was in town on Monday. I have no idea what I was counting or what I was thinking because I’m not even close!

Between Michelle and I though we made seven cards in all, most of them being for Christmas. We made four of each design, one for each of us, plus one for mom and one set for Aunty Shelly. It was a fun day with or without the crafting. Aunty Shelly baked most of the day while we were slaving over the paper and scissors! We are maybe a little late with the Christmas cards for this year, but there is always next year!

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