Fabric

As with many things, (mainly books and music) I have an affinity for textures. I'm still mid-craft room/guest room overhaul and lately I've been more fixated on the guest room aspect than anything else. I only have a twin-sized bed in there, too, which is why I think I've been devoting more time to the bed. Finding what I want in that sized bedding is becoming quite the daunting task. I went to Alice Lane almost a month ago and found some killer fabric that I ordered and will have a pillow crafted from. That pillow, while originally was designated for the guest room, will eventually make its way to my bedroom, methinks, because it is so awesome and I want it for me, not my guest. (Sorry, Guest, but it really is too cool to have in there unnoticed. Maybe I'll let you come look at it when you come stay over, but don't get your hopes up.) Anyway, I went to Ikea last week with Rachel to see if I could find something I could use for bedding. I wound up falling in love with almost all of their new fabrics. Because I am trying to do more for the bed with fabrics (pillows of all shapes and sizes and fabrics) and less with the bedding itself, I went a little crazy. One of my projects for the summer (and hopefully before Guest comes over for a visit) is to get the pillows of all shapes and sizes made and looking totally awesome. Even Rachel got excited at the prospect of making a pillow and chose a yard of what she fancied. I just hope that the vision in my head and what the bed actually looks like when I'm finished are the same thing.

At this point I'll even take a "close enough" result.

Here's what I picked out.

Here's what Rachel picked out. I commend her on her taste. I think this is really pretty!

I could have sworn that I got one or two more patterns. Maybe I was actually thinking about my budget that night. Go me. :)

Book list

My summer of reading is going to be keen. I just bought a hammock and have plans to use it, and use it well. On my list of books to read:

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Up in the Air by Walter Kirn (No, I haven't seen the movie)
The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah
The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz
The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston (True story)
If Morning Ever Comes by Anne Tyler
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (Again, haven't seen the movie)
In The Woods by Tana French
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosenay
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
The Witch of Portobello by Paul Coelho
Driving With Dead People by Monica Holloway
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (Nope. Not this one, either.)

I know it's a BIG list, but I am a BIG reader.

And keep in mind the hammock.

April Goal

Yes, I said GOAL.

Get through finals in one piece. I already know I'm retaking Chemistry, but I know that the next time around I'll have a firmer handle on it all. And just because I'm retaking the class doesn't mean I'm not going to go out of this current class without a fight. I'd have a 4.0 if I didn't count my Chem class, so it's balls to the wall. BRING IT!

Is it really already April?!?!

Holy crap! March flew by! I guess it's because I had so much fun. I really did, even with my declining Chemistry grade, WAHOO! I actually have positive feelings about that class, because I am comprehending everything. It's just when I get into the testing center that my mind goes 100% BLANK. So I figure the 3rd time's the charm. That's my biggest road block in all of my prerequisites, and I'm excited to tackle it a third time. I know, it's a lot to have taken a class, but this girl's a math phobic.

I am excited to also get to my checklist of March's goals. I did so well, and I have Nicole to thank a million times over. If it weren't for the monthly goals, I'd honestly have nothing done. So let's begin...

Get the Christmas stragglers put away, as well as any other out of season decorations around the house. This includes the snowy wreath on the front door.

Success!! I did a once over around the house, and Halloween, Christmas, AND Valentine's is down! Easter is up!!

Walk Winston (who, I might add, is such a joy in my life) as much as I can, especially now that he's getting used to his leash and I don't have to stop every 5 feet and tell him, "Come on! Let's go!"

Success!! Weather and time permitting, I took Winston out on walks. I did a lot of extra things in the evenings for friends and family, so it wasn't as often as I'd have liked, but hey. A walk's a walk.

Finish moving things out of the front room and putting said things into their right places.

Partial success!! I got everything out of the front room, but still have a way to go in the guest bedroom/craft room. I'm doing a lot of planning into how the room will be set up now that I'm getting a chance to start from ground zero.

Cook more meals from home. I truly love to cook, but I just don't want to right now. I need to, too. My pants are telling me so.

Not that great in this department. Again, I had a lot of nights where I was gone at strange hours. I did cook a little more than I have been, so that's a bonus.

Prep and get one of my finished cross-stitch projects framed. (I know Nicole, I still need to show you the 'Anatomy of an Easy Project' all finished up.)

Done, done, and DONE! I took just a little piece I did into CraftCenter just yesterday and will be getting it back in a few weeks. The frame costs considerably more than the pattern, floss, and linen, but it's just so worth it in the long run.

Continue to read the scriptures daily.

Not daily, but more frequently than I have in the past.

Continue to find bits of joy in life and be a better person because of them.

Like Karli said, there's a correlation between scripture study and the ability to find joy in life. I can honestly say that there's something in me that's changed, and it's definitely for the better. I'd like to say it's totally me, and through my hard work to be a more positive person, but to be honest, I know it's the prayers of others, the support I get from my friends, and a few people upstairs who are watching over me.