Getting the Ball Rolling

I've been thinking of going back to school lately and am getting very excited about it. I submitted my application to a local community college today, so I'm finally getting that ball rolling again. I'm looking forward to hitting the books and finally getting my college degree. I'm sure it will be tough at times...especially when I have to take Calculus...but I'm determined to get my degree and do more than I am right now. This kind of comes at a funny time because we're finally getting involved in a lot of things right now and God has given me a peace and actual enjoyment (am I admitting this?) with housework and cooking. Alas, this is something that I've wanted to do for a while, and N and I both think I will excel in Accounting. I guess this is the season for involvement. So keep me in your prayers that I will not give up (which I am ashamedly so quick to do when the going gets tough) and finish the task with energy and a willingness to learn.

Dryer balls

These things are really amazing. I got these when we got our new washer at Fry's. They claimed that you would never need to use dryer sheets again, which apparently clog up your dryer lint catcher and can ultimately be a fire hazard. Anyway, they really work. I've been using them for I think 5 months now and my clothes are so fluffy when they come out. So...if you're looking for a romantic Valentine's day gift for your practical spouse - (LOL) - they're perfect! (I also saw them at Linens n Things this week.)

Happy weekend!

A little sunshine

For a cloudy, rainy, Seattle day!Though it's tough to see, this card has lots of dimension to it. I paper-pieced the rays (I know...crazy!), and hand drew the clouds and used liquid appliqué to outline them. The big "S" is a stamp that I doodled on and the rest of "unshine" was some old stickers I had. I also added oodles of glitter and then some Amuse bling to a couple of corners.

Happy stamping!

Ly, my PT

I've had a very long day today and am just pooped! Today was my first day at physical therapy, which the doctor recommended for my knee pain. I learned some really interesting new things. My physical therapist, Ly (pronounced Lee), is such a sweetheart and seems like she really knows her stuff. She believes the pain in my lower back is causing my knee pain. So, if we can fix the lower back pain, hopefully everything else will fall into place. In order to fix my back pain, I need to strengthen my core muscle, that runs along the spine. We do this is several ways: by doing some really weird muscle squeezing (that I won't get into), strengthening my left buttock, and strengthening my abs. She discovered that one hip (my right one) was a little higher than my left, which was effecting my back. So, with a couple of yanks of my right leg, she pulled it back down into place. :) I also learned that my left leg is a little weaker than my right, which was a surprise to me. The two real weaknesses in my left leg were the butt and hamstring. All in all, it was quite a learning experience. After just a very short time there, I could already feel a difference by tightening that back muscle. I'm excited to do my exercises and see (and feel) the difference!

Foss River & Tanga Ridge Snowshoe

We had a wonderful snowshoe trip on Saturday, walking along Foss River and going up toward Tanga Ridge. It was a beautiful day, with the sun out for a while until the clouds rolled in that evening. We saw a beautiful frozen waterfall, met another Rottie (little 85-pound girl named Emma), and saw a gorgeous snow-covered mountain that I think was Beckler Peak. We carried our packs so we could train some for a snowshoe trip we want to take in March, where we summit St. Helens. It was such a fun day and we were so glad to soak in the hot tub when we got home!

Happy Birthday Caitlyn

Cait, aka "Little Bit," (N's cousin) had a birthday today. I hope you had a fabulous day, dahling! She's a horse lover, so I tried to make her a card similar to her tastes without having any horse stamps. Not sure if she'll like it, but I tried! These are my favorite color combos right now and have been for a while. :)

Happy February!

I can't believe today is already February 1st! This new year is flying right on by! To begin the month of extra-special love, I made a fun little calendar that fits inside a CD case for N's office. I thought he needed some cool (and of course useful) stuff for his desk.I also made this cute little Valentine decoration using up some chipboard I got from Archivers (while at the Mall of America over Christmas). I painted these first, then stamped on them and embellished them. I think they turned out purty cute...and all for about $2! I already had the bamboo skewers and the potpourri that I used to fill the vase. Valentines candies would also be a cute vase filler. :)Happy Friday!