So a few of my friends have recently started up, or updated their blogs, and it has inspired me to get back into the swing of things over here! I think this blog has exactly (19) views right now, and I'm pretty sure most of them are me, accidentally clicking the wrong buttons & ending up viewing it myself. (Still not quite used to this platform!)
So here's what's been going on since I posted last...only 6 months ago! *Sheesh!
School:
I ended up getting in touch with the advisers at the community college, getting it approved through work, & enrolling in Accounting 201! I actually just had my final earlier this month. It was a basic accounting class, which I really think is just what I needed. Part of it made me super excited about the prospect of going further in accounting, and part of it made me really nervous about the idea. I got an "A" in the class, and really did enjoy it, but I'm perplexed about what to try next. I had thought that there was a "Business Administration" degree/certificate plan that I could pursue, but I'm having trouble finding all the necessary information, and the advisers I've spoken with don't seem all that well equipped to deal with a student that also works full time.
I've learned that I really love bookkeeping & data entry too much to ever be an accountant. It seems like that job revolves around reviewing information, rather than getting your hands dirty with it! That's why I'm thinking business administration might be a better fit for me, but again..I don't feel like I have enough answers yet to make a final decision. I'd like to be able to work towards a bachelor's degree, but part of that might just be my own pride--I'd like to graduate again, and feel like I didn't cut myself short by "only" earning my associates. I'm hoping to get a lot more of this sorted out this summer so I can jump in again come Fall quarter! If I'm going to do this, I want to start taking at least 1 class per quarter, so I'm not 70 by the time I finish! I really am kicking myself for not taking advantage of my company's reimbursement program earlier! I could have had 3 years worth of classes under my belt. :) Oh well, live & learn!
I'm hoping to also clarify if a business administration degree/certificate would give me the information I would need to run my own small business!...Hopefully this is all sorted out soon! I'm the type of person who loves having a "road map", and knowing exactly where I'm going! Measurable goals are important for me! :)
Crafts:
Well, I am in the middle of (4) quilts right now...yikes! I really love quilting, but I hate when it happens like this & I can't pay attention to one at a time. I started the first one of this set a while back when everything was so quite that I had the funny thought to finish it & try to sell it. But then, people started having babies and whatnot, and that plan went out the window! That quilt, and two others I've also started since then are going to end up being gifts to babies/new moms (can't wait to finish), and the one I started most recently is going to a friend of mine who recently received a pretty serious diagnosis & is spending quite some time in the hospital. I think a homemade, flannel (sooo soft) quilt might be just what the Dr. ordered! (Although I do need to call the hospital to make sure patients are allowed to have personal items like quilts in their rooms...I'll make myself a note to do that tomorrow)
Then I also have (2) additional quilts that I'll be starting once this wave is complete! I really do think I need to do a better job of keeping track of all the quilts I've made.. even counting them, maybe! I remember I tried to piece it all back together once from pictures on FB, but I don't remember the # at that time, or how many I've done since then! (Hopefully this blog will help me sort that out.)
Other projects I've started/finished/worked on since my last update are:
Kitchen Table turned Computer Desk
Oh, Mikhal & I had a great time with this table refinishing project! We started out with an old white & pine kitchen table that had been in my family since I was about 9 years old. We received it as a hand-me-down from my Mom when we lived in the apartment, and it served us just fine as our kitchen/dining room when we lived there! Once we moved here, though, we needed something bigger to accommodate the four of us, and the HUGE parties we plan on having. :)
Instead of disposing of this one & searching for another computer desk, we simply decided to give this one some new life! Mikhal helped me with the sanding, staining (oy, the staining!) and the painting, and we ended up with a realllly cute table.
The top is stained pretty dark, because we wanted it to match our bedroom furniture set, and the legs were painted a shade of red to match the accent colors in our room. :) All in all, I am really happy with how it turned out, even though we thought it might have defeated us a few times. :)
We're still trying to figure out how to get the chair seat stained the same color to match.. :)
LOVE art for our bedroom
I had seem some neat wall art projects on pinterest, and decided to incorporate a couple into our bedroom for the big empty wall we had near our bed. I've always loved the "love verses" in 1 Corinthians, so we used that for our theme. I purchased big wooden letters that spell out "LOVE is..." and then glued tiny wooden letters onto (3) separate canvases with the rest of the verse. Again this was a DIY project that got a way from me a little as far as cost & time put into it, but I'm so happy with the end result, the long nights spent painting all the individual letters feel so worth it! I had a couple of the letters fall off the canvas during the moving/hanging process, so once I glue those back on, I'll make sure to get a picture posted here of the finished product!
I'm also going to continue with the "Love" theme for our room. I think it matches up so perfectly with the red color we've got going for our accents. :)
Some other ideas I've got bouncing around are to do some kind of "love" related throw pillows (for both the loveseat & couch), and maybe a wall hanging or framed embroidery project with some "love" related lyrics. I especially love Warren Barfield's song, "Love is not a fight".
More to come on these projects, I'm sure!
Misc. Household improvements with M
M & I were both really feeling antsy about the lack of decoration in the house, so for a while her & I (or her & Mikhal during some work days) went out slowly started finding things to help make it feel more homey! We ended up getting new curtains for the dining room, living room & "library", as well as a new table cloth, new art work, new shelves, new lamps, etc... basically, the place is looking much more lived in, and loved! Everyone is always so impressed when they come to visit. We even invited the landlords over, and they were really happy to see that people who loved the house as much as they do were living here & taking good care of it. :)
Real life "pinterest" board
Part of our household improvement project was me finally getting some kind of boards up in the green room to organize my upcoming art projects! I found both a white board & bulletin board, and Mikhal hung them up for me on the wall! I am able to switch them out so I can keep the one that I'm using most often at eye height, with the other hung below. It's pretty neat! I've already got quite a few things listed to work on when I have time. :)
Doiley Coasters
This was another idea I got from pinterest. When L, C (Friends) & J (sister) and I were up in Seattle a few months back, we stopped at the "Re-store" where they sell old building materials, and I picked up some cute 4x4" tiles, with the intention of turning them into cute coasters. :) Finally this last week I picked up some paper doileys, & spray paint to finish the project! I really think they turned out pretty neat.
{Updated to include pictures!}
Well the biggest piece of news is that Mikhal is currently living in & working in Alaska! He's been gone 2-3 weeks (it feels like forever, so it's hard to keep track of how long it's really been), and will probably stay on up there until 1) he gets called back by the union, 2) his brother in law runs out of work for him. His brother builds houses, & got quite a few good jobs for this summer, but needed help to finish them, and Mikhal could certainly use something to do (and we can always use extra $$!!). Luckily I'm going up to visit him for a week next month, so it will help break up the fact that he will be one for probably 2 months once this is all said and done! The only good thing I've found about him being gone so far is that I've been able to spend some good quality time with girlfriends I haven't seen in a while! It's been great! :)
In other news, I'm only 2.4 pounds away from my goal weight! For those of you who don't know me well, I've lost 35+ pounds over the last 16 months or so! It's been a LONG process, but I'm so close now, and I've really been motivated these last few weeks to finally break through to goal weight! I've got my weigh in (Weight Watchers) tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes! I'd been pretty 1/2 hearted on the program for a while, and was getting frustrated with myself for my yo-yo weight gains & losses (1-2 lbs a week). Hopefully this is the week! Then I can start my 6 weeks of maintenance, and then on to being a free lifetime member! :) It's a pretty exciting prospect. I think once all is said and done, I'll probably be in the best shape I've ever been in. I'm already seeing muscle definition that I've never had before. Just going to take a big more fat burning to uncover some more. :) *haha. I'm both excited, and kind of horrified at the idea that I'll be able to post a before & after picture up soon! I've got the exact "before" picture in mind, and will take an "after" in the same place in similar clothes, etc. Stay tuned! ;)
Well, I think those are the biggest updates so far! I'll do my best to get better about taking pictures to go along with all these facts, I know it makes for a LONG read without something to break it all up, but I appreciate you staying with me. :)
Until next time...
So here's what's been going on since I posted last...only 6 months ago! *Sheesh!
School:
I ended up getting in touch with the advisers at the community college, getting it approved through work, & enrolling in Accounting 201! I actually just had my final earlier this month. It was a basic accounting class, which I really think is just what I needed. Part of it made me super excited about the prospect of going further in accounting, and part of it made me really nervous about the idea. I got an "A" in the class, and really did enjoy it, but I'm perplexed about what to try next. I had thought that there was a "Business Administration" degree/certificate plan that I could pursue, but I'm having trouble finding all the necessary information, and the advisers I've spoken with don't seem all that well equipped to deal with a student that also works full time.
I've learned that I really love bookkeeping & data entry too much to ever be an accountant. It seems like that job revolves around reviewing information, rather than getting your hands dirty with it! That's why I'm thinking business administration might be a better fit for me, but again..I don't feel like I have enough answers yet to make a final decision. I'd like to be able to work towards a bachelor's degree, but part of that might just be my own pride--I'd like to graduate again, and feel like I didn't cut myself short by "only" earning my associates. I'm hoping to get a lot more of this sorted out this summer so I can jump in again come Fall quarter! If I'm going to do this, I want to start taking at least 1 class per quarter, so I'm not 70 by the time I finish! I really am kicking myself for not taking advantage of my company's reimbursement program earlier! I could have had 3 years worth of classes under my belt. :) Oh well, live & learn!
I'm hoping to also clarify if a business administration degree/certificate would give me the information I would need to run my own small business!...Hopefully this is all sorted out soon! I'm the type of person who loves having a "road map", and knowing exactly where I'm going! Measurable goals are important for me! :)
Crafts:
Well, I am in the middle of (4) quilts right now...yikes! I really love quilting, but I hate when it happens like this & I can't pay attention to one at a time. I started the first one of this set a while back when everything was so quite that I had the funny thought to finish it & try to sell it. But then, people started having babies and whatnot, and that plan went out the window! That quilt, and two others I've also started since then are going to end up being gifts to babies/new moms (can't wait to finish), and the one I started most recently is going to a friend of mine who recently received a pretty serious diagnosis & is spending quite some time in the hospital. I think a homemade, flannel (sooo soft) quilt might be just what the Dr. ordered! (Although I do need to call the hospital to make sure patients are allowed to have personal items like quilts in their rooms...I'll make myself a note to do that tomorrow)
Then I also have (2) additional quilts that I'll be starting once this wave is complete! I really do think I need to do a better job of keeping track of all the quilts I've made.. even counting them, maybe! I remember I tried to piece it all back together once from pictures on FB, but I don't remember the # at that time, or how many I've done since then! (Hopefully this blog will help me sort that out.)
Other projects I've started/finished/worked on since my last update are:
Kitchen Table turned Computer Desk
Oh, Mikhal & I had a great time with this table refinishing project! We started out with an old white & pine kitchen table that had been in my family since I was about 9 years old. We received it as a hand-me-down from my Mom when we lived in the apartment, and it served us just fine as our kitchen/dining room when we lived there! Once we moved here, though, we needed something bigger to accommodate the four of us, and the HUGE parties we plan on having. :)
Instead of disposing of this one & searching for another computer desk, we simply decided to give this one some new life! Mikhal helped me with the sanding, staining (oy, the staining!) and the painting, and we ended up with a realllly cute table.
The top is stained pretty dark, because we wanted it to match our bedroom furniture set, and the legs were painted a shade of red to match the accent colors in our room. :) All in all, I am really happy with how it turned out, even though we thought it might have defeated us a few times. :)
We're still trying to figure out how to get the chair seat stained the same color to match.. :)
LOVE art for our bedroom
I had seem some neat wall art projects on pinterest, and decided to incorporate a couple into our bedroom for the big empty wall we had near our bed. I've always loved the "love verses" in 1 Corinthians, so we used that for our theme. I purchased big wooden letters that spell out "LOVE is..." and then glued tiny wooden letters onto (3) separate canvases with the rest of the verse. Again this was a DIY project that got a way from me a little as far as cost & time put into it, but I'm so happy with the end result, the long nights spent painting all the individual letters feel so worth it! I had a couple of the letters fall off the canvas during the moving/hanging process, so once I glue those back on, I'll make sure to get a picture posted here of the finished product!
I'm also going to continue with the "Love" theme for our room. I think it matches up so perfectly with the red color we've got going for our accents. :)
Some other ideas I've got bouncing around are to do some kind of "love" related throw pillows (for both the loveseat & couch), and maybe a wall hanging or framed embroidery project with some "love" related lyrics. I especially love Warren Barfield's song, "Love is not a fight".
More to come on these projects, I'm sure!
Misc. Household improvements with M
M & I were both really feeling antsy about the lack of decoration in the house, so for a while her & I (or her & Mikhal during some work days) went out slowly started finding things to help make it feel more homey! We ended up getting new curtains for the dining room, living room & "library", as well as a new table cloth, new art work, new shelves, new lamps, etc... basically, the place is looking much more lived in, and loved! Everyone is always so impressed when they come to visit. We even invited the landlords over, and they were really happy to see that people who loved the house as much as they do were living here & taking good care of it. :)
Real life "pinterest" board
Part of our household improvement project was me finally getting some kind of boards up in the green room to organize my upcoming art projects! I found both a white board & bulletin board, and Mikhal hung them up for me on the wall! I am able to switch them out so I can keep the one that I'm using most often at eye height, with the other hung below. It's pretty neat! I've already got quite a few things listed to work on when I have time. :)
Doiley Coasters
This was another idea I got from pinterest. When L, C (Friends) & J (sister) and I were up in Seattle a few months back, we stopped at the "Re-store" where they sell old building materials, and I picked up some cute 4x4" tiles, with the intention of turning them into cute coasters. :) Finally this last week I picked up some paper doileys, & spray paint to finish the project! I really think they turned out pretty neat.
{Updated to include pictures!}
All my supplies
I sprayed the doileys with my quilting/basting glue, and it held them on perfect while I was spraying, but released just as easily when I was ready for them to come off!
These are just two samples of how they turned out. I had others I liked better, but I think they are on a different memory card!
Personal Life:Well the biggest piece of news is that Mikhal is currently living in & working in Alaska! He's been gone 2-3 weeks (it feels like forever, so it's hard to keep track of how long it's really been), and will probably stay on up there until 1) he gets called back by the union, 2) his brother in law runs out of work for him. His brother builds houses, & got quite a few good jobs for this summer, but needed help to finish them, and Mikhal could certainly use something to do (and we can always use extra $$!!). Luckily I'm going up to visit him for a week next month, so it will help break up the fact that he will be one for probably 2 months once this is all said and done! The only good thing I've found about him being gone so far is that I've been able to spend some good quality time with girlfriends I haven't seen in a while! It's been great! :)
In other news, I'm only 2.4 pounds away from my goal weight! For those of you who don't know me well, I've lost 35+ pounds over the last 16 months or so! It's been a LONG process, but I'm so close now, and I've really been motivated these last few weeks to finally break through to goal weight! I've got my weigh in (Weight Watchers) tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes! I'd been pretty 1/2 hearted on the program for a while, and was getting frustrated with myself for my yo-yo weight gains & losses (1-2 lbs a week). Hopefully this is the week! Then I can start my 6 weeks of maintenance, and then on to being a free lifetime member! :) It's a pretty exciting prospect. I think once all is said and done, I'll probably be in the best shape I've ever been in. I'm already seeing muscle definition that I've never had before. Just going to take a big more fat burning to uncover some more. :) *haha. I'm both excited, and kind of horrified at the idea that I'll be able to post a before & after picture up soon! I've got the exact "before" picture in mind, and will take an "after" in the same place in similar clothes, etc. Stay tuned! ;)
Well, I think those are the biggest updates so far! I'll do my best to get better about taking pictures to go along with all these facts, I know it makes for a LONG read without something to break it all up, but I appreciate you staying with me. :)
Until next time...
