Goals 2010

I cannot believe how much my life has changed in the past 10 years. Ten years ago tonight I was with a great group of friends making a time capsule (Which has yet to turn up! No one remembers what we did with it!) and cautiously mocking those preparing for Y2K. Remember that?! We are all married now, and many blessings have been given to each family. So I'm reflecting on the past year, and decade, and thinking about what is important to me to accomplish this year. So, here's my top 20 list of things I want to do this new year. Some are more eternally important than others, but I do adore checking things off a list, so I figure I'll be more motivated this way!

1) Become a Stay-at-Home mom, and do it well

2) Take a cake decorating class, or two

3) Take a sewing class, and sew more

4) Make a quilt for Sweetpea's big girl bed

5) Finish landscaping our yards

6) Read the Bible all the way through

7) Find a new home church, and get involved

8) Be a good friend and make connecting with friends more of a priority

9) Have a Girlfriends weekend with my college friends

10) Have a weekend away with Gary

11) Call out of town family at least once a month

12) Have a baby

13) Build L'alfabeto, my Etsy shop, and spend more time on it

14) Participate in two Christmas Boutiques

15) Find, and set aside time for, a couples Bible study with Gary

16) Spend time with God, everyday

17) Pray for the things in my life that are important, consistently

18) Expect, and pray for, a miracle of supernatural proportions for Kate

19) Grow out these pesky bangs (Why do I keep thinking bangs are a good idea?!)

20) Laugh more

I know I will add to this list, and I hope to revisit the list several times this year to stay on track. I know several of these things are beyond my control, but they still need my time and attention. Do you have a list?

Trip of a Lifetime

Way back before actually giving birth to our child, Gary and I made some bold statements about what we would and would not do as parents. The only declaration that actually stuck was we were NOT going to take our child to Disneyland before he or she was five years old so we wouldn't have to deal with naps or strollers there (I know, I know, meaningful stand to take eh?). Thus began our new family tradition of taking one child at a time to Disneyland for their 5th birthdays. Once Goofball was born, we got a big old water bottle and started saving our spare change to take him there for his fifth birthday. Even after Sweetpea was born, we continued saving vowing it would be just the three of us for his special birthday trip. The big 5 seemed monumental, as if it would never actually arrive. Well, it finally did. Last week Gary and I took our Goofball to Disneyland for three solid days of spoiling rotten. It was truly a trip of a lifetime. Everything went so smoothly... great trip over, perfect weather, no long waits for rides, one very well behaved wild boy, and two trips to the Starbucks across the street. We were so giddy and could hardly wipe the big dopey grins off our faces all day. It was so special to give him the undivided attention for a little while and watch our sweet boy turn into a bigger little boy.
So, I have to digress... even though the trip itself was phenomenal, our hotel experience was less than ideal. Oh the hotel room was fine, we're not too hard to please. We were missing bath towels and I dabbed myself dry with a wash cloth, found another human's hair in the tub, and occasionally heard a small beeping sound coming from an unknown source... again, I can work past this. The fireworks from Disneyland started promptly at 9:30 and lasted until 9:42 all the while sounding as if someone was going postal outside our door with a missile launcher, hand grenades, and an assault riffle, again... minor inconvenience. However, just a little piece of advice... no amount of covers to the ears can muffle the throw caution and modesty to the wind couple next door. If you're going to get your hanky panky on, please keep it down lest a bewildered mother has to explain what that noise is to her sweet, not quite five year old. Just saying.

Project 320

Do you know about Project 320 yet?

Please head over and read all about it. The goal is to build a well, to provide clean water for those who desperately need it, to help save lives.

As a little "thank you" for donating, you can win LOADS of amazing goods from some very talented ladies.

Frosty

So if you're like 95% of America... you are in the process of switching over all of your household light bulbs to the new energy efficient CFL variety (if you're not... you should!). At our house, as the old energy guzzlers burn out, we replace with the new and improved. Well, this week the last of our bulbs finally kicked the bucket and that left me with supplies for this adorable little ornament, which will soon be sent off to live at Goofball's teachers' houses. Although, they are just so cute, I think I'll make an extra one for our tree, I just love snowmen!

To get started:
1) Gather these supplies: an old lightbulb, various shades of acrylic paint (white is a must, but the other colors are up to you), some iridescent glitter, modge podge (although this isn't mandatory as I discovered today), fabric scraps, tiny bit of orange felt, sponge brush
2) Paint a thin-ish coat of white paint on the bulb part only (leaving the top silver for now), and sprinkle on the glitter while the paint is still wet (this saves you a step and eliminates the need for modge podge). I found that sticking the silver end in the playdough freed up my hands while it dried.

3) Dab some dark paint for the coal eyes, mouth, buttons, add the tiny orange felt triangle (I used a hot glue gun)

4) Add a scrap of fabric for the scarf, add some detail by cutting some fringe in the ends, hot glue that baby on...

5) Paint the silvery top a color of your choice, wrap some ribbon around the the top, and you've got yourself one darling little snowman ornament... doesn't it feel great to be crafty AND green :)

Winner of the Christmas Giveaway!

Is it YOU?

(click on the link above)

Email me at lalfabeto (at) gmail.com to claim your custom wire monogram ornament. Please include your letter choice and address.

On another note... I'm busying myself making some Christmas gifts for Goofball's teachers... I'll post pictures soon because they're cheap, easy, use recycled bits, and are super cute!

Christmas Giveaway!

Well, I'm into custom orders up to my eyeballs, and loving it! So if I'm going to make 30 custom ornaments, I might as well make 31 right?! Lucky for you :) To get this to you in time for Christmas, I'm going to draw a name on Friday evening.
Winner receives one custom wire monogram ornament of their choice... you choose the letter, color, and ribbon color!

To enter, leave a comment for each:

1. Become a follower of this blog, or let me know if you already are

2. Become a Fan on Facebook (follow the link on the right)

3. Blog about this giveaway, and leave the link so we can check out your blog!

4. Share your favorite Christmas tradition.

I'm Torn

When do we take Sweetpea in for her first trim? Her hair takes forever to comb and is a rat's nest by the end of the day. I'm not sure I can bear to cut off those little precious curls, not knowing if they'll ever come back. Help! What's a mom to do? When did you first cut your daughter's hair?

On a side note, this is one of my favorite pictures from our family photo session with Session Nine Photography, Check them out... they are fantastic!