Ahhhhh

Quick back and forth to the grocery store in hopes of a quick fix for my toffee craving (no luck) and dinner out tonight. Those are my only adventures outdoor so far. Towards the end of dinner, my arms were hurting pretty badly though. The meds had worn off about 20 mins before the check came and I could just feel weird cramp/tendon spasm/some crazy pain going off behind my arm. Now not sure if I'm having an allergic reaction or what, but I was itchy and scratched without really thinking and now one arm around my stitches has a bump on it about the size of a golf ball. Put some anti itch cream on, took Motrin, Allegra, and currently icing. Hope something/everything works. I have a follow up tmr with one of the surgeons. Whew.

On to productivity - so much more productive when I'm not staring at facebook all day. Almost finished with a dress for k that I'm testing for a pattern designer, and also started converting my stamp set unmounting exercise.

So this is what they used to look when I was doing binder sheets. I'm now going all DVD Stamp case. I'm hoping by the time I'm finished I'll free up more room in my craft room!





My old blog has the details here: http://stampingandscrappingwithamy.blogspot.com/2008/07/unmounting-instructions.html?m=1

This is what they look like now! The one on top is the one I converted. The one on the bottom is how now clear mount sets come in the packaging from SU.






Took me forever to set up the initial template in Photoshop Elements. Each future one will take some time to set up still, but will go faster hopefully as I make more. I've got three more tonight that I've already finished the case insert and printed. Will cut and convert tomorrow!

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Monday already?

One child is off to school and the other one will head out the door shortly. My husband is out at meetings too. I thought I would be feeling guilty for laying around today, but the pain was kinda bad last night before I feel asleep and also bad this morning. I've decided to be good today about taking my prescription every six hours and taking ibuprofen every six hours as well (alternating with three hours in between). I like to tell Siri to set me a timer for three hours and hearing her amusing responses. One of my issues and I'm not sure if it is medicine related (certainly food smell related) is the feeling of nausea every now and then. Ugh! It certainly isn't morning sickness - ha ha!

So, last night I had a chat with my 8 year old. He can be the sweetest boy, by when he gets upset his anger is so intense and it makes him so upset. I've had to remind him that he was upset over having to play the lego movie on Xbox one with his little sister because she wanted to play and needed his help. He wasn't very kind to her about having to help and finally we had to just send him upstairs. After he came down he and I had a little chat. First, I didn't yell (yea!) because I think he got a little of his anger from seeing when I get angry so I've been trying to be a better role model. Second, we talked through how here he was getting upset over being asked to play Xbox games with his little sister who adores and looks up to him. I told him he could have a sister who sucks and destroys his legos instead of plays them with him and he could have no Xbox like many people in the world. I even took down memory lane to when their Kids Quest was collecting change to have enough to send lights to children in Africa so these kids could have light to study after they finished their farm chores. I wanted him to be a happy child who appreciates what he has and is grateful instead of focusing on what he doesn't have. So you may be wondering why the long post today? Well last night on FB and also this morning on FB, I read two posts about the same thing. A Blessings Jar! Where you jot down the good memories, miracles, blessings, answered prayers, etc. from the year and then read through them together at the end of the year.

Here are some screenshots from my Pinterest search for blessings jar. Will make ours and post the picture later! I hope this helps all of us cultivate more feelings of gratitude.






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Update

I'm thankful for good friends / neighbors that have dropped off care packages. I'm snacking on my friend Alice's yummy banana bread while perusing a magazine from Amber.

I'm super thankful for my parents who take the kids to their activities, keep me fed, and takes care of me and the kids.

Of course I'm beyond thankful for my husband. We just celebrated our 14 year wedding anniversary on the 27th and then off I went to surgery on the 29th. He waited in the hospital for hours on end with me as they had asked me to go in 2 hours earlier and then delayed me past even my original start time before proceeding. Then I think it took a little longer and he didn't get the updates on when I was moved to recovery. He has been a trooper to sleep on the sofa with me every night and help me all around.

I had a second procedure done (not implants and no don't ask) in addition to the hysterectomy so the recovery has been painful there too. At least they seem to alternate in pain. Maybe my body is sending repair cells in an alternating pattern to each area :-).

I have a few boxes of alcohol wipes / adhesive removers that I keep buying as I keep losing them to clean the gunk from my craft scissors. Miraculously I now have found all three different type boxes and they have been useful in cleaning up all the tape residue. (They are also all together so they now in my craft room so hopefully I won't lose them again.)

As for my to-do list, I walked around more, showered, cleaned my craft room and office for five mins each, printed my pattern, and have started cutting the pieces out. I will probably be able to finish the pattern assembly tonight. Going out is not happening today and I don't think I'll get to any card making.

My stacks of pattern pieces. Won't be able to share photos yet as these are for a test of a yet to be released pattern. I'll post updates on my craft blog when it happens :).


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Today

Today's ambitious to-do list (don't judge, I get tired quickly and spend most of my time sitting / passed out on the sofa):

* Walk around more
* Shower
* Print / Cut a dress pattern
* Spend 5 mins cleaning up my craft room
* Work on a card design
* Potentially leave the house (but it seems really cold out today)

Will update later on what actually was accomplished. :)


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Resolutions

New Years resolutions - I guess I should make some. For 2015, my goals are:

1) Be happier - laugh / smile more; stress / yell less.
2) Develop deeper relationships - I miss real friends and chatting on the phone or in person versus reading status updates.
3) Lose 20 pounds - this might be hard. I should be able to drop the first 10 relatively ok. The next 10 might be tough.
4) Craft more. Once a week seems like it won't happen, once a month seems too little. Hope I'll find something in between. It would be nice to send out birthday cards.
5) Get better organized and clean up after myself better. Learn to leave less trail of destruction. This really means focusing and finishing what I start more.
6) Cultivate deeper sense of gratitude. Be thankful for more and complain less.
7) Do less, sign up to do less for others and more for self/family.
8) Develop better sense of time management. I always think I have more time to finish something than I actually do. Then I end up stressed, grumpy, in a rush and #1 and #5 go down the drain.

There are lots I'm sure, but will start here for now.



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New show addiction!

I haven't really sat down and watch tv in a really long time. I like The Blacklist recently and will occasionally sit down and watch shark tank with my husband.

I've recently discovered Marvel's Agents of Shields on Netflix and have been addicted! I've watched all of Season 1 and then realized Season 2 wasn't on there.

I found some of Season 2 on demand but it started on the 6th episode. Had to purchase the first five episodes on Amazon Prime to get my fix. Now I'm in business on demand! Sadly, I'm about to run out of episodes and then what will I watch? :-/


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