Day 19 and 20

Busy, busy, busy! Remember I said I was learning to play the piano? Well, you wouldn't know it by listening to me play, but I do practice about an hour a day...not all at once but in bits here and there. I am also trying to learn to read music to sing. I want to try out for the Larimer Chorale in April and while I can read music to play the piano, I can't look at music and sing the notes...we'll see how that goes.

If you don't like yogurt...or if you do....here's a recipe I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy. Lowfat Greek yogurt...you can use any yogurt but Greek is a little thicker and creamier...to which you add honey (how much depends on how sweet you want it), cinnamon and sliced almonds...yummy! And you can eat a LOT with very few calories...always a plus.

These first two are more of the matchbook variety...the rest are the old type I've made before. The little red paper clip is NOT a part of the design but just holding them together for the picture...I need to go buy small magnets.

I love the two with the old vintage images.

Day 18

Okay...I'm tired of making cards. So something different today...post-it note holders. This matchbook design is new to me so it was fun to make.

This is what they look like inside...a nice little doo-dad to carry in your purse...you know, when you want to make a note so you don't forget something really important...and now that you're old you forget LOTS of important things.

Okay, I think this card is in here for comic relief. It started out pretty plain so I kept adding frou-frou and now it looks like something my grandmother might have put together...it probably won't make it to the Card Shoppe shelves....but in the spirit of full disclosure...well, you know.

Day 17

Although today is Sunday, and I promised myself I'd do something different today, that didn't happen...it was another day of making cards. However, since I have sooooooooooooo many items I need to get done before February 5, I guess that was a good thing.

It's interesting that cards I think look okay when I do them...like this one...look very blah when I get them posted here. This one needs some help!

Day 16

I probably shouldn't be allowed to work with paint. While adding a little paint to some card stock...you'll see it on the first card below... I smeared some of it on my work surface...of course. Well, no problem...just clean it up. First, spray the smear with Windex...oops, some of it sprayed on a piece of waiting cardstock...and when I washed my hands, I apparently didn't get the paint all off because I left a smudge on the first piece of paper I picked up...aaaaaaagggggghhhhh!! I felt a lot better after a sailed that ruined paper across the room.

I like this card but it still needs something...I'll work on it tomorrow.

Day 15

It's been wonderfully warm for just over a week...hip, hip, hooray! Thoroughly enjoying getting back to walking. Lots of errands to run today and lunch with an old work colleague so only two
cards to show tonight.

Some cards just turn out sooooooooooooo cool...and this is one of those. Really looks very elegant in person.

Day 13 and 14

I would love to write something interesting, witty, attention-getting. But, no, all I have to add today is these cards...at least the Grand Opening pile is growing.

I really like this card. At the Nebraska Junk Jaunt last fall I picked up some old photos. I photocopied them when I got home so I could use them more than once. This is the first time I've tried adding a little color.

Day 12

Back in the days when I had a career, one of my duties was writing...newsletters, press releases, speeches, etc., and I've continued some of that as a volunteer. One day I found a website called Visual Thesaurus...a VERY cool place where you can look up words...where you'll get a wild, crazy, interactive display of synonyms...try it sometime. I subscribe to their "word of the day" and so occasionally you're going to see some of those words here...and today is one of those days.

The word is "perturbation"...when something or someone goes off its regular course to a more disordered state. Yup...that aptly describes my state of mind as I try to get cards ready for the Grand Opening. Maybe a little meditation is in order.

However, I did have a better card production day today...three completed cards and a fourth almost done...yippee.

Day 11

Monday...in reality, not much different from Sunday or Friday or Tuesday...when you're retired, days are pretty much the same. However, in my thinking, the weekend is still the weekend...I think about those days differently than Monday through Friday...think more in terms of going somewhere, treating myself to a meal out...after 25 years of working, habits are hard to break.

This is my Valentine Inspiration Station. Copied the idea from MishMash and it's working well. By putting out all the hearts and red ribbon and red buttons, etc. it helps me to come up with ideas for Valentines.

Day 10

The card below is the complete production for today...one card!!! This can't continue...how will I ever have a successful Card Shoppe without products??

What did I do? I took my granddaughter, Abby, out to breakfast and for a shopping trip to Target. This is an annual event for her birthday. I knit a little on my green and gold scarf that I'll wear next year to all of CSU's volleyball games, I finished Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol", I watched CBS Sunday Morning...love that show...and I made this card.

Starting tomorrow I'm getting up earlier and trying to speed up the card production line.

Day 9

Warmth...wonderful sunny warmth...stroll through the park, feel the sun on your face warmth. Such an uplifting change in our weather. And two more cards done.

Day 8

The weather forecast for the next week is that EVERY day will be above 40...I'm so excited! As I was making cards today, I tried to find some material I knew I had...nope, nowhere to be seen. Sometimes I have a compelling urge to clean out closets and throw away stuff. Why? I have a very large basement and lots of shelves...I could store tons of stuff. But, no...I throw it away so I'll be more organized. And you know what's coming, right? Yup...within six months of the throwaway...I need it!! So, I guess that's where the material went.

But I did get these cards made.

Day 7

One of the theories about global warming is that there is a tipping point at which another ice age will develop as opposed to continued warming...yup...that's the theory I'm going with. -9 when I got up this morning....high of -2...cold, cold, cold! I've lived in Colorado for 10 years and it has NEVER been this cold for this long...I mean, c'mon....we've had snow on the ground since December 1...unheard of in Fort Collins.

More cards for the Card Shoppe.

Day 6

It's about 5 degrees right now and it's been snowing ALL day! I only got one more valentine card made...more production needed if I'm going to have enough stuff for the Card Shoppe. Part of the distraction was the request to make a graduation card for one of my daughter, Michele's, co-workers...and I was happy to do it as she is a great customer!

Day 5

As I mentioned yesterday, I have an idea for a card shoppe open just 4 days a year...the 1st Friday in February, May, August and November. It's going to be in my house, will be called the Four Seasons Card Shoppe, and will feature all handmade cards. The idea is to bring your calendar and buy all the cards you'll need for the next three months.

In addition to the regular cards...get well, birthday, sympathy, baby...there will be a "focus". At the Grand Opening in February it will be Valentines Day and Easter so there will be lots of cards for those events.

Sooooooooooo, that's my job between now and then...make lots of cards.

Day 4

Well, after two wonderful weeks of candy, cookies, prime rib, mashed potatoes and gravy, LOTS of bread and butter, it's now time to pay the piper. I had lost 13 pounds before the eating splurge of Christmas and New Year's started and I'm not even thinking about stepping on the scale for at least a week...maybe two. But back to the diet today....oh, soooooooooooo hard.

Starting to make cards for the Grand Opening of my Four Seasons Card Shoppe. More details later. I'll post a couple of cards because every day needs something cool to look at.

This was one of several cards I made for a knit shop around the corner from me.

Day 3

Making progress at the piano...moving it in sight was a great idea. Picked out about 5 pieces from the book and I'll be practicing those. Also will be looking for the sheet music for Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata...one of my favorites. Went walking for the first time in 2-1/2 weeks...that's a must every day, Jacque, even if it is FREEZING cold!

Granddaughter Abby's 8th birthday...and her favorite gift...an iPod.

And my favorite pasttime...making cards. Rubber stamps allow me to pretend I have artistic talent...it's great fun.

Day 2

Goal #5...Play the piano. Received a HUGE surprise package about three months ago from my brother, Edward. It was a full-size piano keyboard. He bought it for someone else, they didn't want it anymore so I was the happy and excited recipient...yippee!

I practiced every day but when getting ready for the Thanksgiving crowd, I put it in a spare room. Haven't played it since. Sooooooooo today, I bought two music books, moved it into the living room and now I'll go back to practicing every day.

And here's the cool camper I mentioned earlier. The part you see with the three windows folds down into the hard-sided area, so it's very compact and there's very little wind resistance.

Day 1

Okay. I've read a LOT of blogs...some regularly. I should know how to do this. What am I going to say...it should be something interesting in case anyone besides me reads this. Well, I enjoy pictures, so let's put in a few.

We have had a VERY snowy winter...way more than normal. Here's my "backyard art" bike shivering under several inches of the white stuff.

I love taking pictures of fences...and I think this one looks very cool.

This is the view out my French doors to the deck. Those are two chairs and a small table...my snow measurement devices....I can see how much snow we're getting by watching it build up on the seats.