What I did today...

I sewed with my Mom.
She has joined our quilting group!
I love that we get to do this!
Here's my January square for 12squared.

gelish nails

I'm not necessarily a princess, diva, what-have-you.  

But I do LOVE sparkles! I'm a sucker for anything with sparkles.

My wallet has sparkles.

I love a good fake diamond solitaire earring!

I have more shirts embellished with sequins than a woman my age probably should...

I'm not a diva. I'm not.

But I must admit, I've become addicted to manicures.

My dear friend has invested in a gelish nail system. It's like shellac. 

It's a gel polish that has to be cured with a UV lamp.  

It all started back in September. She suggested I buy her a color and she'd get practice by giving me manicures. It's the closest to a pyramid scheme that I've ever invested in.

 I've been a bit hooked ever since. I've had the first manicures since my wedding. (see those old hands? they look just like my grandma manwaring's hands!!!)

The best parts?

It lasts for up to two weeks. Seriously.

No chipping, unless a rookie like me tries to help out by putting on the base coat (seriously shortened the life of my last manicure)

It's shiny and pretty. 

 The above crappy iphone pics with my lovely evening living room lighting are actually the pink color below. Seriously.

But this color below?  Good gossip?

It's my current favorite! It was the perfect Christmas color! It was like wearing Dororthy's ruby red slippers on my nails!! 

What I've learned?

cuticle oil is worth your time.

Taking the gelish off the right way is worth your time.

a UV lamp someday may be worth my time. :)

The downfalls? It's a whole system so it's quite an investment, between the base coat, top coat, colors,  lamp, etc. it adds up.  But once you've done all that, you're hooked!

(ps-these opinions are my own, but wouldn't it be lovely if gelish noticed and decided to thank me with my own system? :)

Books read in 2011

This was fun to keep track of on the side of my blog.  I was impressed at how many I read this year. There were some great reads in there. My book club has chosen  some great books and I've already added one for 2012! Here's to another one!

*Insatiable by Meg Cabot (Jan)

*Ape House by Sara Gruen (Jan)

*The Island by Victoria Hislop (Jan)

*Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (Feb)

*The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (Feb)

*Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (March)

*Matched by Ally Condie (March)

*Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (April)

*Room by Emma Donaghue (April)

*Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (May)

*The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (May)

*The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (June)

*I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark (June)

*Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris (June)

*The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (June)

*Entwined by Heather Dixon (July)

*Poison Study by Maria Snyder (July)

*Magic Study by Maria Snyder (July)

*Fire Study by Maria Snyder (July)

*City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (July)

*City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (July)

*City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (July)

*Bossypants by Tina Fey (July)

*Ruined by Patricia Morris (August)

*Fallen by Lauren Kate (August)

*Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (September)

*Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (September)

*Crossed by Ally Condie (November)

*Dreams of Joy by Lisa See (November)

*Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (November)

*The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (December)

*Overbite by Meg Cabot (December)

It's still January. I can still make goals!
Two years ago, I went with the word on my street: Love.
Last year, I made monthly goals that helped keep me on track a bit better.
This year, I'm going for an in between.

I'm going to focus on my ABC's.
My friend posted an inspiring article about The Abundant Life by President Thomas S. Monson in our church's magazine. I loved it,  the simplicity of it, yet how easy it was to apply to everything in life. Then I got my magazine this week and read it again and decided I really needed to focus on it.  Read it! The article is inspiring, no matter what your faith is!

Here are the ABC's for an Abundant Life!

Attitude! I need to have a better attitude  in life, in family, in love. I need a fresh perspective.

Believe! Believe in myself! Believe in the truth!

Courage! Have courage to make changes where I need to. Have courage to do things that scare me but I know I need to.

I really was inspired how it's simple and I can remember the three areas. But I can also apply it to almost every area of my life: my marriage, my family, my work, myself, my spirituality, everything.

And this year, I'm going to!

Book Club-My Kate Morton obsession...

Book Club was at my house last night.

I stress out about hosting book club. What if they don't like my book choice?

This month, they loved it!

We read the Forgotten Garden. You may remember, this was my Hawaii beach read. I have spent the six months after that trip trying to convince everyone that they should read this book.

 We had a great discussion about these wonderful characters, the cross-generation search for where you came from, and the great question that keeps you reading-what happened that day on the boat?????
I didn't re-read it because people needed my copy, but it was a joy to review and discuss it.  And eat cucumber sandwiches  as we talked about Victorian England! :)

I also encouraged them to try more books by this author.  Last month, I flew through her newest book, The Distant Hours.  It is written in a similar voice and style, with strong women characters, in my beloved England, with of course a mystery and a twist to keep you guessing! I loved it.  I loved the old spinster ladies and their nutty little sister-like the British version of Secret Life of Bees!

This is Morton's debut novel. I'm still in the early pages, but I'll keep you posted on what I think....while you check out the first two! :)

On the first day of January...

Day one-

my little one becomes a big sunbeam!

Lulu started primary on Sunday! It was wonderful! She was such a good girl and I loved having all four of us in primary together!

 Day two-
Holidays have tuckered out my little one.  We had a fun family day...with no football. At all. It was nice to have our Dad home with us and enjoying time together!

 Day three-
On the last day of vacation, what did we do? play ALL day! Miss M made a barbie apartment out of cracker and puzzle boxes while the girls enjoyed movies and I caught up on the last of 2011's quilting bee.  A lovely day!

one year of quilting

The first year of 12 squared is finished! 

We're at it again for 2012, with new people and new quilts! And now that I'm caught up, I can get excited, guilt free! 

Here are my two final squares!

November-Tokyo Sun

This one near killed me! It is made up of eight triangles forming a square, created with paper piecing. I had to unpick two of them...twice.  Paper piecing is not my friend. I'm glad I tried it, but it won't be my preferred method, I'm afraid.  But I love how it turned out.  

 

December was Teriney's month.

She took it easy on us and we appliqued small scraps on her circle.  So simple and so pretty!

 Stay tuned for 12squared12!