Monday, June 29, 2009

Three things I'm grateful for today:

1. my personal trainer, Kathy. She makes me push way harder than I would working out on my own, and my body is that much stronger for it.

2. gas grills. Grilling out is such an easy way to cook, and the kitchen stays cool and reasonably clean. It was grilled chicken tonight. Yum!

3. Etsy, for giving a chance to stretch my creativity, and really work on my selling and marketing skills, which are mediocre at best.

Three Things

A blog confession. I am not really a great blogger. I don't seem to have the will or stamina or drive to keep at it, and make it fresh and lively and exciting. Yet, I can't seem to let it go. For now, I'm going to attempt to catalog 3 things every day that I'm grateful for. Not original, I know. Probably not that ambitious either, as I've seen other suggestions to list at least 5 things. But, hey, I'm starting slow and we'll see where this takes us as an exercise. Some days, that will be the extent of the entry. Other days the focus will be on another topic, but will end with the three things. That's it. No other rules. Let's get started.

Three things I'm grateful for on Sunday, June 28, 2009:

1. A husband that gives his heart and soul to everything he does.

2. Second (and third, fourth, fifth, etc.) chances.

3. My ripening tomato.

Featured Etsy Blogger: LazyTCrochet

Meet Tricia, the yarn goddess behind Lazy T Crochet, this month's featured Etsy Blogger. She creates knit and crochet fashions and accessories like wearable shawls, shrugs, sweaters and also one of a kind designs like hats, headbands, scarves. I also noticed a couple of patterns in her shop in PDF format, so if you are a knitter or crocheter, check these out!

Here are a couple of my favorites from her shop:

So summery!


Gorgeous color!

She currently has quite a large sale section as well. Interested in learning more about Tricia? Visit her blog, after you shop!

Summer Plans

It's Blog Carnival time again over at Etsy Bloggers, and a big oops from me, because I somehow let May get away from me without participating. So sorry fellow bloggers.

Anyway, the topic I've chosen for this carnival is summer plans. I love summer. I love the hot weather, and I love the lazy, relaxed feel of summer even when we aren't really able to be lazy or relaxed. This year we have no vacations planned, but hopefully that won't stop us from being spontaneous and having a fun weekend away somewhere. In fact, we do have an overnight stay in Chattanooga planned later this month when we head up there to meet our daughter, Laura's future in-laws (and they meet us).

Which brings us to what seems to be consuming our summer for now. Wedding plans. Laura is doing a lot of the planning now since she'll be moving from Atlanta (where the wedding will be happening on this very day next year) to Lexington, Kentucky. None of her bridesmaids live in Atlanta right now, though, so I'm doing a lot of these things with her. With the wedding so far away, planning has been relaxed and going smoothly so far.

I'm also doing a lot of sewing, and will try to improve on my posting about works in progress, plus news and features on my Etsy friends (no promises though... this blogging stuff is work!).

Several of my friends on the list over there of One a Day Challenge members make beautiful wedding jewelry, but I think that Fen, of Bead Flora Jewels may take the (wedding) cake with the weddingist of all... a French beaded bouquet. Feast your eyes on this beautiful creation: