Monkey Love

This makes it slightly difficult to get thigs done...

Here's to a more productive 2012...

I didn't get too much accomplished around the new house in 2011. I had big plans, but lacked the drive and energy to get anything major done. I'm not going to make any "resolutions", because I suck at follow through. I am the least competitive person you will ever meet and that extends to personal competition or challenges. I will say that I need to look a few pounds, move more, eat better, and follow-through on projects. I believe these are basically the same things I said last year, but there were a lot of changes in my life in 2011. Hopefully now that my personal life, home life, and work life are seemingly stabilized, I can focus more on myself and the beauty of the small things around me.

I did start the year off on high note, though. Back in June, I talked about a little trip to World Market where I bought napkins to turn into kitchen curtains. I needed eight to cover both windows in the kitchen, but only bought four, in case I changed my mind. Then they immediately discontinued that particular pattern (Tree of Life) and neither store in St. Louis, nor the website had four more napkins. They did however have a 60" x 90" tablecloth, which I snapped up, with the thought I could use the napkins I already owned to make pillow covers for the living room. It all then sat in my "project box" for, ooohhhh, six months. I even bought teal pom-pom trim from Joann's to make the curtains more "curtainey" and to tie the colors in with the dining room more. For some reason, projects involving precise measurements and cutting fabric are very intimidating for me.

Anywho, I finally turned the napkins into pillow covers today.

It was a super-easy, super quick project. I didn't use a tutorial; I simply cut one of the napkins in half, slightly overlapped the pre-sewn edges with the cut sides to the outside, placed the pretty side of the cut pieces against the pretty side of the non-cut napkin, pinned, then sewed up the edges.

Ta-Da.

Only problem?

They overlap completely, but only about an inch and after a teensy bit they start to pull open. I need to get a couple of buttons that coordinate and learn how to use the button-holer on my sewing machine. Maybe I'll get that taken care of by next January... lol

I'm linking up my pillow project over at Loribeth's blog Small Moments. Come check out the other "Shared Moments" posted.

Have you made pillows out of napkins? Do you prefer to use a zipper when you make pillows? Have you gotten any projects out of the way this year, yet? What resolutions do you have this year?

Christmas 2011

Things at work are still insanely crazy. I went from being "just the Receptionist", where I had about four hours of free time a day, to working eight to ten hours of overtime a week. All because my boss, who was the HR Manager and Event Coordinator, got fired (through no fault of her own). We had our annual Holiday Party last Friday, which I ended up coordinating from start to finish. Doesn't it just burn your biscuit when everybody wants their opinions heard and their finger in the pie and to be "kept in the loop", but no one actually wants to raise one of those fingers to help out? Pisses me the hell off. Grr.

Now we've got our annual Holiday Potluck, which (again) has all fallen on me. Where's my raise, people?!

I did manage to get the house all dolled up for Christmas, but feeling motivated enough to to post the pictures is another story. I basically just used all the decorations from last year, with the exception of my new wreath and a few ornaments to match the new color scheme.

LIVING ROOM 

 

DINING ROOM

I didn't do much in the rest of the house... But maybe next year I'll decorate the shelves J is building for me in the kitchen! I also wanted to make Christmas/Winter themed curtains for the kitchen, but didn't get around to it.

I'm just glad the Holidays are over this year. Between work and attempting to reach a Holiday event family balance with a new beau, I am worn out. Here's to a more productive 2012.