Soup is On!

I have been spending A LOT of time on Pinterest lately - I am not to sure why (oh wait maybe because it if packed freakin' full with awesome ideas that somehow manage to inspire me and make me feel totally inadequate all at the same time!!).

I am over 2,000 pins now, with like 1,200 likes.  Pretty crazy.  I have been doing a little organizing and have two boards for pins that I have used - Pinned It. Did It. and Pinned It. Cooked It. There are a few cool things on them that you wouldn't want to miss!  I do not know what I did before Pinterest.  I really love it.

Since Christmas I have tried two new recipes, one of them I am making again tomorrow. :o)

Ham and White Bean Soup
{via}

The first one was not a hit.  In fact, no one - not even CH - would try it.  I think the smell of the (boiled) ham was just too much and nobody but me is really into beans.  It sounded so good that I think I might try it again  and use something other than our Christmas ham.  Perhaps if it where just a ham bone and then chopped ham added or maybe none at all...  I really wanted to like it!

The second one was not much of it with the Shorties, The Mouth and CH both slept through it - The Mouth because he is a lazy neurotic teenager and CH because he was, as he often is, under the weather.  I loved it!!  It was like a delicious slow baked fully loaded potato and lord knows I love baked potatoes.  I had it pinned three time from three different people, it is apparently a copy cat recipe of the Outback Steakhouse Potato soup but as I have never been there I would not know.

I am going to make it again tomorrow so that CH and The Mouth can have some (I gave the rest of the last batch away).  I will make the Shorties Kraft dinner or hot dogs. :o)

Slower Cooker Potato Soup
{via}

Okay, so that is this Monday, next week I will go for something craft!

:o)  Tina

Snap 365 Days 4 through 7

Green Eyed Beauty
Day 4 :: My son has the most beautiful green eyes. :) <3


Night Driving

Day 5 :: We spent the afternoon at Ainsworth Hot Springs and left late. Good thing Hubby doesn't mind driving at night, on snowy roads, in a blizzard - myself I find it so cozy and relaxed in the car after a day like today we may as well have been floating home on a magic carpet. :)


It Is Growing!
Day 6 :: I started this Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt about 15 years ago and it is finally showing some progress!!


BIG Changes in 2013
Day 7 :: I used to own a quilt shop. Now I work for a mechanic doing the books.... it is a big change to say the least! 2013 is all about the positive change for this girl!

I took this picture because I saw a flower in the rim and I had a chuckle to myself that even in the manly man environment I now work in, I am still a girly girl. :)


These photos are all taken directly from my Flickr photo stream. That is new for me, although I have been posting my Instagram photos to it for quite some time.  A friend has assembled a group of people (12 women and 1 man!) in a photo challenge - Snap365.  I hop you enjoy my 365 photos. 

:o) Tina

Snap 365 Day 3

I cheated on Day 3 and used an old photo.  Love Smokies hockey!

UPDATE:  After cheating I actually got a shot that I liked enough to use!

My little bubblehead.

:o)  Tina

Family Dinner (Snap 365 Day 2)

The Little Man and Pita's runts. :o)
Snap 365 Day 2

This evening we had the first of what I plan to be our monthly family dinners.  It was great.

Everyone was happy, the house seemed cosy and cheerful and filled with happiness and love and laughter - just as I hoped.  Just as I hope all of our family dinners with be this year.

The kids were well behaved and the food was delicious. The Mouth slept through it all.

Already looking forward to next month.  We are going to have a dinner of all appies - I am open to suggestions, so send me your links!

Happy New Year!

:o) Tina

Snap 365 Day 1

Breakfast for dinner on the first
night of the year.

A New Year

Every year during the holiday season, I make a list of goals that I would like to achieve for the coming year.  The last couple of years I did not do it and did not have the desire to even achieve any goals and just plodded along.  This year I have plans, most of which are 'home based'.

#1  Perhaps the most important one of all - at least to me - I am going to get my house done.  The decorating, the cleaning, the organizing, the painting, the mouldings, new floor, new door, fix the bathroom.  Everything, at least under way by this time next year.  If I am feeling really ambitious I will add the laundry/bathroom to that list.  Poor CH will have so much to do - he will be happy but very very sore - and he is going to have to let me learn to use power tools!

#2  I am going to loose some weight. I do not have some lofty goal, I just want to get down a size or two and be a little more comfortable in my skin.  I am going to give myself the goal of 25 pounds and see how we go from there.  Since I am working a lot less, I am hoping to have a bit more time for myself, more time for item #1 as well as adding exercises to my daily life.  I am not going to go on a diet - I know that doesn't work for me.  I am just going to try to eat healthier (maybe a little less) and maybe I will become the dog walker rather than CH doing it all the time.

#3 I really really want to make my blog a success.  I have no idea how to do this but I will work on it and hopefully figure it out!

#4  I am going to sell my stuff everywhere I can.  I am in the process of ordering fabric labels.  Once they are sewn into and/or onto my stuff, I am going to take owls and bags to Nelson and start there.  Hopefully I will have some luck! I have a few shop in mind:  

#5 As part of #1, I need to get some UFOs done - or give them away to others to finish.  I have far to many incomplete projects laying around and they just don't seem to get done.  I crossed next to nothing off of the list I made in 2011 and I am sure there are lots of new things that have not been added. Perhaps in January I will put that on my list of things to organize.... a new UFO list.  Sounds scary. :(

I think those are the main things.  It is so nice to making a list of personal goals rather than professional.  I am so happy - so excited for me new, less stressful, less busy, way more fun way of life!!

Happy New Year! :o)  Tina

In Closing

I read this on Facebook:

Important! Please make sure you "close out" your old year before you start planning the new one and falling into the "fresh start" energy. You can write a journal entry, make a list of what happened, observe the things you experienced, and think about what your role was. Remember that everything happens for a reason and you create your reality...so spend a little time contemplating why certain things showed up and others didn't.

I don't know who wrote it but it seemed like a good idea to reflect on my year - the intricacies, the ups downs and way downs... SO here goes.  I am not feeling so great so you won't be subjected to my usual over wordiness.  ;o)

January

For New Year's 2012, I learned a valuable lesson about people.

They are not always as nice as they seem.  In October I was asked to make a table runner for a little old lady that I was quite fond of.  I finished it over Christmas and delivered it to her at the beginning of the year.  It did not go well, you can read about it here. It was not a very nice way to start the year.

Later in the month I decided to move the shop.  The new spot was like a little home away from home and could have been so great, but other things happened and everything changed...

First finished quilt to leave
our new location!

February

February was an action packed month.

The Little Man turned double digits, The Mouth came home (and his girlfriend went to Calgary), and we moved the shop, it snowed a lot and we had our first Quilt Till You Wilt in our new spot.

It was lot for one month - and the shortest month of the year at that.

March

Not my best month of 2012...

I turned 39.  How can that even be?? I am now nearing my 40th birthday and have not even figured out how I can be as old at 39!

I attempted 31 Days of Pinterest - and would have pulled it off too if it was not for...

the pink eye that lead to the car accident...

And so there it is, the beginning of the end of one thing and I did not even see it until so much later...  

April

April was pretty quiet.

Went to massage a lot. A lot.  Also tried out the chiropractor - didn't like that although he was nice - and really cute. ;o)

Got in a war of words with my brother's x-wife's nasty current boyfriend via Facebook as he made a nasty comment - on Facebook - about my 10 year old son. Nice. I know.  You can read about it here, and here.

It would seem that even the quiet months have their drama.

Silver City Days

May

Penelope turned 7. :)

We had family pictures done.

I made my first batch of baby owls and whole lotta bags.  It was the beginning of what is become something great for me!

It was Silver City Days and we had nice - albeit exhausting - family time.

Things were looking up, best month so far. :o)

June

I did more bag and owl sewing and began attending the farmer's market.

I was offered a part time job. Excited for a pay cheque. Terrified for the possibility of real life.

More importantly - we bought a TRAILER!  I wanted one for so, so long.  And now we have one. And I am happy!

July

We camped.  Rain or shine.  And made some nice family memories. :o) (More here.)

I continued to sew a lot and attend the Trail Market every second Friday.  Bliss.

The Mouth went to Calgary with PITA and never came home.

August

More of the same in August.  I really did have a nice summer.

I joined a block swap - but I have not been very good a keeping up with it.  I am going to get caught up this week while school is still out - as soon as I get off the darn computer.

September

Seriously - grade 5 and 2.  Almost as unbelievable as my being 39.

I got my settlement for the accident and CH and I planned a trip to Calgary to see the Mouth and his boss.

I got a job.  And I love it. It is easy going and I can make my own hours.  I am happy.  I have a good feeling about this!

October

We went to Calgary for Thanksgiving.  We had a good time... it was relatively uneventful.  The Mouth's Boss was non-communicative.  It still bothers me.  

I went to family court with H1 this month as well.  The judge basically told him what I have been telling him.  Come and spend time with the child on his terms. For the love of God man, snap out of it!

The BIG decision was made.  I picked one of my kids up from somewhere and they were hungry and wanted a cheese burger from McDonald's - $1.49 cheese burger - and I was not sure if I had the money and right then and there I decided I was done with it.  Sugar Shack Quilting would no longer interfere in the lives of me or more my family... well once it was closed that is.

November

The big decision behind me, notice was given and the packing and sales began. I am still tired!  Totally could not have done it without my Mum.  Seems everyone else bailed - there in the good times, not so much in the less than good.  I get it, it is human nature.  I probably would have done the same and it is not the first time that my Mum has been the one holding me up when all I wanted was to lie down.

My house was packed to the rafters.  The main floor, literally, looked like an episode of Hoarders for about three weeks.  Now it is just the dining room and my future office.

The Mouth came home and we 'remodeled' the upstairs porch so that he could have a room.  Good times.

December

Christmas was my December. :o)

And now here I am feeling like it is already 2013 and there are still 2 days left of 2012!  I have plans and I am eager to get started!

:o)  Happy New Year!!  Tina