Farewell 2010-Part 1

I usually do a best of recap at the end of the year...best photos, best memories, best scrapbook pages. I'm just not feeling it this year. Maybe since scrapping and photos took a bit of a back seat to other events of the year. So, instead I've decided to do a little 2010 recap....photos, words, memories, crafty goods....an anything goes recap, month by month.

January

My word for the year. Actually did a lot of this for the first few months of the year. Not so much as the year progressed....


Jack and Andrea's wedding:


Reading, creating, soup making
State budget cuts include a 50% cut to music therapy

February

Lots of knitting:


Pretty flowers:


Begin Post Baccalaureate program in Special Education
Research grad school options
More scrapping:


March

Rain and rainbows:


Cupcakes, real and knitted:


Obsession with felt:


Bridal shower invites
School work
Shopping for bridesmaids dress pattern and fabric
Making stuff:


April

1st grade practicum
Easter brunch:


Yarn, yarn, yarn:


Visit from Ellen
Week in the Life:


Private pay music therapy:


Trip to OR
Tulip Fields:


Bridal Shower fun:


Adorable bride to be:


May

Mother's Day brunch:


Job applications
Letters of recommendations
State education exams
Grad school application
Schnepf Farms Peach Festival:


Simple pleasures:


June

Summer cooking and eating:


Exams
Assignments
Applications
4th Anniversary
Uncle Dave's Race Across America:


Now that this is my longest post ever, I've decided to take a break. Stay tuned for the recap of the second half of 2010 coming soon....

Around Here

First, the Christmas recap with no photos. Can you believe I took absolutely NO photos of Christmas. None. Sad. Christmas Eve we celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday with a big lunch. I brought my camera along, took it out to snap some pictures and oops, no card. Seems I left the card in my card reader. Nice. The party was great, everyone had fun, the vases we made for centerpieces using old pictures of my grandmother were a big hit. I'd share a picture, but....actually, here's one of the collages we used on the vases:


Fun right? After the party, I headed home to make Chocolate Souffle Cupcakes with Mint Cream for Christmas Eve dessert. These were awfully tasty and even gluten free for my mom. We headed to my parents for Christmas Eve dinner complete with Christmas crackers, crowns and present opening. Oh and I brought the camera again, with the card, but this time with a dying battery and no camera bag with spares or a charger. Ugh. Not my finest move.

We spent Christmas morning being lazy. Shawn and I exchanged stockings, opened a few more presents and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon hanging out. I made Moroccan Quinoa to take to my aunt and uncles for Christmas dinner with my giant family. It was a good time with lots of food, family and fun. I didn't even bother taking my camera, figuring some sort of camera faux pas would occur. Hopefully one of my camera toting uncles will share some pictures with me.

Sunday was officially pajama day. Traditionally, I try not to go anywhere or plan anything for the day after Christmas. I love spending the day in my pj's being lazy. This year, pajama day included internet surfing, scrapping (until I ran out of adhesive) knitting (and some unknitting...I seem to be doing this a lot lately), several episodes of Dexter (while eating chocolate drizzled popcorn) and staying up way too late reading Hunger Games. Perfect lazy day if you ask me.

The past couple days have been a mix of to do's and want to's. I have several assignments and two exams due by Jan 2nd, so there are things I must do. I'd much prefer fun things however. I've been doing my best to balance the two. So far this last week of 2010, I have:

• studied for and taken an exam (got 100% too)
• worked on a final project
  
• created a study guide for exam 2, which I will take on Thursday
• done all the laundry, including sheets and towels
• organized and purged 3 giant piles of random stuff I've been meaning to take care of
• purged the giant pile of magazines and catalogs
• made and consumed Ina Garten's Macaroni and Cheese
• downloaded and read 9 chapters of Catching Fire
• went to a doctor's appointment
• ate lunch at the Duck and Decanter with my sister
• hit Last Chance, where I found a pair of Paige jeans for $30 that though I didn't try on, fit me perfectly
• picked up some more adhesive

Not bad for mixing the to do's with the want to's. The rest of the week will be much of the same. More studying, homework and cleaning balanced with more crafting, reading (for fun) and lunch and dinner dates. Happy Winter Break!

The 10 Returns

I haven't posted a Tuesday 10 in a long time. So, here goes:

1. My halls are partially decked for Christmas. We have a tree with lights but no ornaments, we have wreaths and stockings hung and a portion of my ever growing tree collection is out. The rest of the stuff still sits in boxes. Apparently, decorating is a slow process this year.

2. I'm am all lesson planned and ready to go for the 8 days left of school this year.

3. I was in desperate need of new shoes this fall/winter. So, new boots arrived yesterday (I paid $30 for them, less a $10 gift card), new flats today (I needed to up the amount of my target online order to qualify for free shipping and these were a perfect find) and another pair of boots are on their way (another good deal with a 30% off coupon). My feet are now much happier.

4. Love this story from the news tonight. Don't love how many students do not get music at school.

5. Am making progress with my Christmas shopping, Just a few more things to take care of.

6. I've had my Christmas cards for a week now. Better get busy addressing them one of these days. I ordered them from here. I'll share later. They turned out pretty cute.

7. I am so tired, I keep getting distracted and mesmerized by the tree lights as I type this post. I'm tempted to turn everything off and spend the evening staring at the tree.

8. Am getting this for Christmas. Though I've been told it might not arrive until the end of the month.

9. I've become kind of lazy about dinner lately. Last night we had take out, tonight it's left overs and tomorrow will likely be take and bake pizza. I did buy ingredients for sesame noodles and potato broccoli soup at the store on my way home today. We'll see....

10. Am looking forward to possibly seeing the Nutcracker this weekend with my mom, grandma and sister.

Happy Tuesday!

Musical Interlude

This is awesome.

My PVC Instrument, DRS Talent Show @ Yahoo! Video

Today

Today I....

• ate a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast...it's been bagels not cereal and berries for breakfast lately. I think I'm on a carb kick.
  
• did two music therapy sessions
• picked up tamales that Heather and Angie made...dinner tomorrow. yum!
  
• bought books and toys for my classroom at Borders
• witnessed two grown woman acting like children, fighting over cutting the line at Paradise Bakery. Both of them ended up cutting in front of me (quite hypocritical of the one who made a big scene about the other one cutting), but being nice and respectful paid off and even though I ordered last, my food was ready first. Karma.
• finally got my oil changed....it was long overdue
• got rid of the box jungle (too many online purchases around here)
• watered my poor neglected plants
• unloaded and loaded the dishwasher
  
• wrote my first paper for my new grad school class
• did 3 loads of laundry
• felt queasy off and on all day
• ate a burrito with black beans, rice and avocado for dinner
• am spending the rest of the night in bed with my ipad and yarn and maybe some Dexter

New cards went up at simply ArTistiC this week. Here's mine:


Happy Weekend!