Pinterest Challenge 2014

While the guys were watching a movie last night I had an epiphany. I ❤ Pinterest! As of right now, this very second, I have officially 31 boards which include 424 pins. Maybe a small number compared to yours but it screams at me...MAKE ME! 

While listening to a local radio station one of the girls said that she decided this year to do 1 Pinterest pin per week. What a great idea is that?! She had missed a few weeks here and there and commented that she was 6 projects behind. I'm not gonna panic if that happens. Maybe that week I'll do an easy pin. Or maybe I'll just skip to the next week. I hate failing so there will be no rules.

So for 2014 I will be doing 1 pin per week. I'm looking at it this way...by next Christmas I will/should have 50-ish cute things that I could give away or horde for myself! 

My goal is to get back to some me time, doing what I like. Not just being but doing. I'll be creating and blogging. 2 things I have gotten away from. Feel free to join me if you'd like, no real commitment needed.

I feel like I'm rambling because I'm so excited...trying to figure out what I'll do first.   

I have debated deleting this blog for some time...almost a year by the looks of thing. We have long since been The Collins 7. Many things have changed since January most of which I have no control over. I have worked hard on just letting go this year. I can't control most of what happens in my life so I have just been focusing on the things I can control. 

I was reading a post on a friend's Facebook page this morning and it inspired me to take even another step back and enjoy the simple things in life. Make more time for my family...and by that I mean the 4 that we have here in my home. Do special things with them. Whether it be play the xBox or watch silly videos on YouTube...I need to work on making more memories.

This summer we were camping. I was trying to take a nap. The boys didn't want me to so they were in the bed with me tickling and goofing around. Simon thought it would be funny to pull his pants down and rub his butt on my head. It was totally disgusting! But he thought it was the funniest thing that had ever happened. He commented, "This is the best camping trip ever!" Yea I was sure my hair smelled like butt the rest of the day but that little comment made it all worth it. 

We just had my niece for a few days after Christmas and hopefully we made memories with her too. She got to stay up way past her bedtime, sleep in the living room, and eat whatever she wanted. We ate out almost every meal and were gone 2 of the 3 days she was here. We just had fun together. She loved to see her cousin drive, so he drove us everywhere we went. It was really a good time. 

While we were out one of the days we stopped at Hobby Lobby and I bought a sketch pad and a new set of markers. I am going to do a calendar journal this year. I am by far an artist but who cares?! I love markers and I intend to scribble as I feel necessary. 

I think this quote "It doesn’t matter what time it is. Think in months. Years. Someone loves you. Where are you going? There are some things you will never do. It doesn’t matter. There is no rush. Be the best prisoner you can be." will be my favorite for the year. Life shouldn't be a rush, there is always someone who loves you (in my case my boys and husband) . And I will say I do feel like a prisoner...in the most positive way possible, this is my life and I am stuck with it. I need to make it the best it can be.

Productive Weekend

Wow! I finally got some sewing done this weekend. I have HAD 5 quilts in progress at the beginning of the weekend. Now I am down to 3! I was able to get my room finished up and felt like working. 

I have been working on this quilt since October 2011. It was the last Mystery All Day/Night Quilt that I went to at my local quilt shop. I was sick with the flu on that day and felt terrible. I think because of being sick I just got the feeling I didn't like the quilt at all and just didn't want to work on it. I finally decided that I was going to finish it and give it to my mom...for Mother's Day 2012....her birthday 2012....Christmas 2012...you can see where this is going. Well it is awaiting shipment to her now! I hope she enjoys it.

This quilt has been in the works for just about as long too. All of the material in this quilt was purchased at a local antique mall. I came across a booth that had 3 or 4 huge baggies of vintage material for a buck a piece! When I got home that day I was amazed at how much I actually had gotten...yards and yards of some. I knew it would all go together in a quilt someday! The back is done up with the bright yellow you see here. I don't know how some of you get the great pictures of your quilting! I gave up trying to make it look cute and opted for the auto timer on my camera. :) Anyways this quilt is all mine!!

I scored a ton of material from a co-worker's sister's garage sale this summer. When I saw this I knew it was going to be a dish towel! Stitched up 3 little towels. I just love the design of it. I think one of them will find a home in the camper this summer so I can always have it with me. 

I also made up a curtain for a basement window, but it's not that spectacular so I didn't bother to share it. 

Hopefully this momentum will keep up so I can get some more work done. 

Have a great afternoon!

A new year...a new house....

...well not a real new house but a rearranged house. I love the way that moving things around can give you a new outlook. My 6 year old told me the other day that it was nice that I gave myself a new kitchen. It made me realize that he does notice the little things that I try to do every now and then for myself, and I'm not a bad person because I want things for me.

My new kitchen consists of 11 cabinets and or drawers organized...out with the old! I moved the microwave and the Keurig, cleaned up the junk pile that was growing overnight...and I love it! 

The living room got a good vacuuming and picking up. Moved the loved seat just a few inches and angled it differently and it really makes the room feel more open. I still have my little Charlie Brown tree up with Christmas lights and the ceramic light up Christmas Tree burning bright and I love it. 

I am really trying to get back in the habit of blogging. We really have a lot of drama going on with our teenagers and I hope I can find this to be my outlet. If nothing else get my mind off of things. 

My next area to get organized it my crafty sewing room. It has puked its self all over our basement. My husband loves a clean house and I'm sure he just cringes every time he walks downstairs. If nothing else, I need to make myself clean it up for him. ;)

I am currently reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave. It is about a young woman who is 16 and a refugee. I haven't gotten too far into the book, but I really like it. It was published in the UK and is set in London...both of which appeals to me. I came across a passage in the book today that really spoke to me. 

'Psychiatry in this place [ Refugee detention center] is like serving an in-flight meal in the middle of a plane crash. If I wanted to make you well, as a doctor, I should be giving you a parachute, not a cheese-and-pickle sandwich.' To be well in your mind you have first to be free, you see?

The book goes back and forth between point of views between 2 characters so hopefully I quoted that correctly, but point being, something I have got to work on this year is realizing that I can not fix ANYONE. I have to be the best person I can be and hope that those around me who need help and guidance will realize that and work out their issues. For me to be healthy mentally I have to be free of all the other drama, and not let it bog me down.

Well with that said, hopefully next time I will have great news of a clean and organized crafty room, and maybe 2 quilts I have almost finished....will be finished.

Have a great weekend.

Every now and then I get in the mood to blog. It always seems to come at the end of the year. I can not believe it has been since April since I have blogged! There has been a lot that has happened, a lot of which I debate on sharing here.

I just don't know what everyone would think of my life. I only have 1 family member that truly follows me and I know she would say, "Post what you want. It's your blog." Or at least I think she would.

My life is stressful. I am really trying not to let other people effect me. I can only do so much...but sometimes just getting it out there makes you feel better. Getting a little piece of advice can make the day go better.

I have a lot of projects I'd like to share but just don't make it a priority to get them done...much less share her on my blog.

So, opinions please....How much personal information/crap do you share on your blog. Is it ok that I haven't posted in 8 months? Am I going to Blogger Hell? ;)

I hope that everyone had had a very Merry Christmas and has a Happy and Prosperous New Year!