Snow Day!

Our house in the snow, originally uploaded by Crazyquilter.

If I'm posting two blog entries in one day, it must be a snow day. I have to admit I love having an unexpected day off, even better two of them. We have tomorrow off too. I got out this morning during the snow because I had forgotten my cell phone in the car. I'm not much for braving the cold and snow, but it was nice taking a few pictures. I'm using the time to knit a baby blanket for my nephew who is due in a couple of weeks, a perfect project for today's weather. I promised to make a pie tomorrow if we didn't have school. Looks like I should get out the can of cherries.

Behold

Journal -2008-01-26, originally uploaded by Crazyquilter.

Sometimes the covers of our church bulletins are perfect for a journal page. I'm enjoying the cupboard I cleaned out. It's nice having something from Mom's house in my kitchen.

I'm also enjoying a snow day today. It's really coming down. For a few pictures taken through my kitchen window, go to my flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/68499916@N00/ .

New computer

Journal, originally uploaded by Crazyquilter.

We finally broke down and bought a Vista computer. So far I love it. I haven't tried to put any of my old software on it yet though. There are lots of things I will miss if they won't work and I'm guessing they won't. Maybe the old one will hang on if I'm not using it much.

Bills, what bills?

2008-01-13, originally uploaded by Crazyquilter.

Ok, I'll admit it. Sometimes I forget to pay the bills. So far nothing has been shut off, but we've come close. I had the idea that maybe if I put a chart in my journal and wrote down when I pay the bills, I can keep on top of things better. One can always hope.

I finally got upstairs last weekend and did some cleaning in my atelier, as I finally decided to call my craft/art room. Now if I could just remember how to spell it without having to look it up. I have a tendency sometimes to journal or sketch on whatever is handy. Most of the time the bits and pieces make it into my journal in a timely manner. Sometimes they don't. This sketch was done over a year ago. I found it in a pile of stuff I intended to glue into my journal. Better late than never I guess. I still need to do a couple of pages for a trip we took summer before last that I left blank in my journal. I have lots of ephemera to put in it. I just have a hard time going back and journaling something that is over.

The red squares are from the label off a roll of vynal wallpaper that I used to line my shelves with. When we first graduated from college and got teaching jobs 15 years ago, we bought an older house that needed to be completely re-wallpapered. We went to a warehouse place and bought enough for the whole house for $50. We had enough left over to do one room in this house, the bedroom ceiling here and to line the shelves for the rest of our lives. Talk about a bargain!

New Year's Day 2008

2008-01-01, originally uploaded by Crazyquilter.

I actually finished this a little before midnight on New Year's eve and went to bed. I was in the mood for New Year's though. I say finished, but I couldn't glue the frame part on until I got the clock hands from the previous page done. Loose stuff in my journal bugs me. I was glad to glue it all down yesterday.

The red stripes are from a flag pharmacy bag. I love the way they show through on the dictionary pages that preceed this page. Somehow the stripes are perfect with all three of the prior pages. I'm liking working with these sections of vintage pages.

New Year's Eve

2007-12-31, originally uploaded by Crazyquilter.

This clock belonged to my great-aunt, who gave it to my grandpa, who gave it to me about 15 years ago. It was just a plastic clock, but I enjoyed it. A few years ago it got wet and I dried it out and straightened out the clock face, and it started working again. This time when it fell off top of the medicine cabinet, where I had unwisely put it, barely missing my husband's head, it broke in parts. Of course, I had to save the face for my journal. Those are Modigliani's eyes peeking out.

It's taken me a week to post this because I had the hardest time actually getting the clock into the journal. I punched a hole through the page and even put a patch of other paper under it to strengthen it. Then I couldn't find the other clock hand. It had broken before Christmas and I put the hand somewhere for safe keeping. When I finally found the hand, I didn't have a paper fastener. I have everything else imaginable to work in my journal with, but no regular sized paper fasteners. I planned on bringing one from school, but forgot three days in a row. Finally, yesterday, I stuck a few in my shirt pocket. Then, when I went to put the hands on finally, I couldn't find the shirt. I had taken it off and it was noplace in the house. It turned up on the couch, under my husband. I do like the fact that the hands can move.