2011 Projects – A Book A Week

This is another project I did in 2010 that I loved. I really enjoy the arts and crafts, too but reading has a special place in my heart. So for 2011 I decided to continue my “a book a week” goal. Some weeks I won’t get to finish it and that’s ok but I know that I will read a whole lot more if I set this goal.

Here is my current list of 2011 books. They’re alphabetically sorted and you’ll see most of them are fiction. Some are young adult. Some are nonfiction. Some are from last year and some are new. I might only read a few on this list or many, it doesn’t matter, the idea is just to have a starting point.

  1. Ape House
  2. Before I Fall
  3. Before You Know Kindness
  4. By Nightfall
  5. Catching Fire
  6. cutting for stone
  7. Department of Lost & Found
  8. elsewhere
  9. Empire Falls
  10. Fly Away Home
  11. Flying Lessons
  12. Freedom
  13. Good Omens
  14. Graceling
  15. labor day
  16. Let’s Take the Long Way Home
  17. Linchpin
  18. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand
  19. Man in the Woods
  20. Mary and O’Neill
  21. Mockingjay
  22. My Name Is Memory
  23. Ozma of Oz/Road to Oz
  24. Private Life
  25. Raising Jake
  26. Room
  27. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk?
  28. stiff
  29. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
  30. The Big Short
  31. The Castaways
  32. The Coral Thief?
  33. The Devil in the White City
  34. The Distant Hours
  35. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
  36. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
  37. The Imperfectionists
  38. The Magicians
  39. The Maze Runner
  40. The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
  41. The Sea
  42. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
  43. the unit
  44. the unnamed
  45. the whole world over
  46. the writing circle
  47. What I talk about when I talk about Running
  48. What I Wish I Knew when I was 20
  49. Will Grayson, Will Grayson
  50. World Without End

Here’s to another year of high quality reading. As always, if you have suggestions please leave comments. Last year, I read a lot of the suggested books and loved them.

December 26, 2010 | Literature | 13 comments

Daily Diary – December 25 2010

Last night, right before I went to sleep, I set the table. Christmas breakfast is one of my favorite traditions and I love this table. Simple but beautiful to me.

In the morning, I filled the containers with fruit and got down to making the pancakes.

After breakfast, David got to open his stockings. Let’s just say he was excited.

Nathaniel didn’t really get the concept but once a few presents came out of it, he was fascinated with the stocking.

And played with his cars immediately.

Then it was time to open presents and we always start with the youngest and go in order. So Nathaniel started.

And then David.

Within minutes everyone was playing with their new toys.

Nathaniel didn’t really understand how he got to have more and more toys. David was quite a bit more excited than he was.

But he did love each toy. (especially this camera mommy got him.)

Daddy snapped some photos of me, too. Here I am holding one of my favorite presents, Karen Walrond‘s The Beauty of Different. David was delighted that her name is the same as mine.

I tried to get Jake to take a photo of me and the little boy, but he wasn’t having any of it.

Then we opened David’s present to us. A little candle holder he made and decorated at school. Even the bag was beautifully decorated.

There was some choo-choo watching in between as Nathaniel is completely addicted to Thomas now and cries and begs for it.

After the present-opening was over, I used my brand-new remote to get a photo of all of us. The light was low and it’s not the best quality photo but I still love it because we’re all in it.

And there came and went another Christmas. The kids are eating dinner now and David and I are about to make one more Christmas dessert and then it’s time to get settled down for the night.

I hope your day was wonderful and you were with the people you love. A very merry day to you. And see you tomorrow!

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for another wonderful Christmas. For a simple day with my family.
2. I am grateful that we’re lucky and blessed to have many presents today and more importantly a safe place to be warm and together. I do not take that for granted. I am grateful.
3. I am grateful that I can now cozy up with my new books and just enjoy my time off.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. grateful that i get to open all my presents {* his pick for the journal}
2. grateful that I opened the presents in my stocking
3. grateful for my Christmas waffle (photo tomorrow)
4. grateful for my spiderman megablock toy
5. grateful for my new wii game and playing it with daddy
I have so much to be grateful for today, Mommy, he added.

December 25, 2010 | Daily Diary - 2010, DPGallery | 3 comments

December Daily – Day 24

Since this year is a lot about getting in the photos, I decided to put this photo of Nathaniel and me for the front page today. The colors matched a page I had slated for day 27 so I switched them around.

for the back, I put one of each of the kids opening their Christmas eve presents (they each get one the night before).

And that’s day twenty-four.

I normally take this album to day 31 but this year I decided to go with 25 days. I want to spend the last week planning and preparing for 2011 so having this project completed and my table cleaned will help me with that. So tomorrow is my last page. I’ve taken it very easy this year and have loved putting this album together even if it’s one of my simpler ones.

December 25, 2010 | DDG10, December Daily 2010 | 2 comments

2011 Projects – Daily Diary

If you’ve been reading Karenika with any regularity, you’ve already noticed that I do a daily post each night that has these four components:

1. A random photo (might or might not be taken on that day
2. Photos + words of happenings around our house – my kids, hubby and me – from that day
3. Three things I’m grateful for that day
4. Three things my older son, David, is grateful for that day

While this takes a little bit of my time each night and I often worry that it scares away my blog readers, I love doing this project and it’s my version of Project 365+. So I decided to continue them for all of 2011. Depending on how the year turns out, I might or might not add some more to it. Maybe a feeling of thought of the day or something. Any ideas?

I love having a daily record of my life, even if it’s just a few words. And I’ve learned that I can stick to projects much better if they are frequent and consistent.

Here’s to hoping I can stick to it in 2011 as well.

December 25, 2010 | Daily Diary - 2011 | 6 comments

Daily Diary – December 24 2010

Today was all about sitting around and doing nothing. I spent most of the day reading. I did exercise and I read to David. David spent most of his day on the computer.

And he finished his advent calendar which Nathaniel checked out with great interest.

And he was also busy being cute.

He watched Thomas while I read and he was very busy being super super cute sitting with me.

I asked Jake to snap some shots and we got these.

And then Jake and David skyped with Jake’s parents. They celebrated Christmas today since Jake’s brother is flying to Oregon early early tomorrow.

Then we lazied around a bunch more. And then finally got up and went to get some fruit for Christmas morning breakfast. By the time we got home, it was almost bedtime, so the kids got into their Christmas PJs and we opened the one present. We always start with the youngest so Nathaniel went first. He didn’t really get it at first and asked for help. But a tiny tear by David got him clear and he got right down to business.

David was next. He got a remote controlled helicopter.

And I got some beautiful penguins. Then it was Jake’s turn and he got a power tool which excited Nathaniel almost as much as it excited Jake.

After a while of charging, they all flied the helicopter. Nathaniel was super scared but he was also terribly fascinated.

Meanwhile, I did a little sketching and some watercolor.

And thus ended our Christmas eve. I am now wrapping the stocking toys and then back to my book. I do still have a few nagging todo items and some emails that need returning. But I promised myself that 24 and 25 would be no obligations, no self-nagging, just doing whatever I feel like doing. So here we are.

I hope you’re having a wonderful time and enjoying this great time of year with your loved ones.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful to see the joy in my kids’ faces as they open presents.
2. I am grateful that I got to sit, relax, and read so much of today. No guilt, just fun.
3. I am grateful that tomorrow is Christmas!!!

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. grateful that i get to open one present {* his pick for the journal}
2. grateful that I played on the computer
3. grateful that i watched TV

December 24, 2010 | Daily Diary - 2010, DPGallery | 2 comments

December Daily – Day 23

I loved that I had two wonderful photos of my kids so I sized them small and put them in the front. I added a sticker for each so I could journal a bit about what they did that day.

for the back, I put the presents photo.

And that’s day twenty-three.

December 24, 2010 | DDG10, December Daily 2010 | One comment

Weekly Gratitude – Pacific Beach

Journaling Reads:
We lived in San Diego from 2003 to 2006. We didn’t live in Pacific Beach but, for me, PB will always be the quintessential San Diego. It is the perfect example of the breathtaking beauty and nature that city has.

At the time we were there, I remember missing New York. Not appreciating most of what I had. But now, when I look back, I am immensely grateful for our time in San Diego.

We recently took a family vacation to Pacific Beach. We stayed right on the pier and got to watch the sun set every night. We got to smell the fresh sea air. We got to play in the sand. We heard the waves crashing and saw fish being caught and the surfers. Of course the surfers.

There are many reasons why we left San Diego and many reasons why I wouldn’t want to live there again. But I am so very grateful for the time we spent there. Grateful that we got to call this breathtaking city our home, even if for a short while. And I am really grateful that we live a reasonable drive from there because I plan to visit many, many times.

December 24, 2010 | Weekly Gratitude | Leave a comment

Digital Downloads – Holiday Journaling Spots

I wanted to make some holiday themed journaling spots to use on my holiday pages so I thought you might want some, too. Here are the six journaling spots I’ve made:

You can download them by clicking here.

I hope you enjoy them! You are welcome to play with these as much as you want and use them anywhere you’d like. You are NOT allowed to sell them ever. You don’t have to but I’d appreciate a link back if you do use them.

These spots were originally posted at writeclickscrapbook.com

December 24, 2010 | Digital Downloads | 8 comments

Daily Diary – December 23 2010

I couldn’t get this photo to look the way I like but I am too tired to mess with it. Will try something else tomorrow.

A quiet, uneventful day here. David spent a little time on the computer in the morning and then played quietly while Nathaniel napped. During then, he found this baby sock of his and wanted a picture with it.

Nathaniel was kind enough to wake up at 4am this morning and would not go back to sleep. He’s been sick with a runny nose so I am trying to be nice to him but I am so so so tired. When he woke up from his nap, David played some wii (in lieu of Saturday since it’s Christmas on Saturday) and Nathaniel played with his toys..

And David’s batman car.

he played and played quietly.

he and I went to the garage while David played wii and we finally wrapped all the presents. It’s finally looking like Christmas here.

On an impulse, I bought a new lens yesterday so when it came today, I used it to take this photo.

and this one.

It’s a zoom lens. I haven’t used one of those in a long long time. It’s 24-75mm though and a 2.8 which means I have wide range and relatively good light. So for now, it will stay on until after the holidays. I also got a remote for my camera so I can take photos of all of us with it. I am very exhausted now but I also feel so blessed and thankful for my life, my family and that I get some wonderful time off from work so I can be with the people I love so much.

I hope you’re safe, healthy and warm.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I have so much new equipment lately. I love and use each and every single one.
2. I am grateful that I finished my book and started a new one that appears to be a lot of fun. Right now I only want to read fun books, not sad ones.
3. I am grateful that we a few more days off. I cherish this time of year so much and want each of the days to go slowly.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. grateful that I have some more presents {* his pick for the journal}
2. grateful that I played wii
3. grateful that mommy and i finished our first book

December 23, 2010 | Daily Diary - 2010, DPGallery | One comment

My Mind’s Eye Blog Hop

Hello!

Welcome to My Mind’s Eye Holiday Blog Hop!

I wanted to start by telling you how much I love My Mind’s Eye and their beautiful products. The layouts I made using their products are among some of my very favorites. Here’s a recent favorite layout:

I just love the colors and patterns in their paper so much!!

Ok, I can go on and on about that for a long time and I know you’re here for the blog hop so let’s get on with it.

You special word is “MERRY“.

If you’ve landed here from Tiffani’s blog, you’re going in the right order, if not, go back and start on the My Mind’s Eye blog to ensure you can get the right phrase. Trisha Ladouceur is next on your list!!

For a chance to win Holly Jolly, I Believe and Union Square you can do one of two things:

1. Email Amber (amber@mymindseye.com) with all 12 words in the secret phrase.
2. Leave a comment. (My Mind’s Eye will randomly draw one of our designer’s blogs and choose a winner from their blog comments. So, the more comments you leave, the greater your chances of winning.)

The winner will be announced December 30th on the My Mind’s Eye blog.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!!

December 23, 2010 | My Mind's Eye | 207 comments

December Daily – Day 22

I wanted to journal some today so I used some of the rubons I’ve had for over two years and added them inside my journaling. I am not good with rubons and not a fan. This was a fun way to use them up.

for the back, i just had fun. I rubbed grateful on a tag and added stickers and embellies until I liked the look of it.

And that’s day twenty-two.

December 23, 2010 | DDG10, December Daily 2010 | 2 comments

Holiday Project – Handmade Tags – Punched Ornaments

I made this tag for technique week at A Million Memories.

For my technique, I did something simple but fun.

1. I inked my office tag with Shabby Shutters and Tumbled Glass distress inks.
2. I used two of my Martha Stewart circular punches and the Girls’ Paperie Tinsel & Twig Festive Brocade paper to create some three-dimensional ornaments.
3. I then hung them on my tag with twine.
4. I took a few word stickers from the Girls’ Paperie Tinsel & Twig sticker sheet and stitched them down.
5. Then I stitched around my tag twice.
That’s it!!

I made a movie to show you how to make the ornaments:

And here’s one more look.

December 23, 2010 | Scrapbooking, The Girls' Paperie | 4 comments

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