AMANDA'S BASKETS: Weekends and Words

Monday, January 10, 2011

Weekends and Words

I took this picture today to share with you because both the cloud formation and the light effects were so striking. I'm not the greatest photographer, but I try to capture unique pictures.

Well, how was your weekend? Why not get yourself a cup of coffee or tea, sit down and tell me all about it. I hope that you had a restful and renewing time. And I hope you took some time for yourself.

On a sad note, it's hard to know what to say about the events in Arizona. The news was very distressing to hear. My thoughts, as I am sure most of yours, go out to all involved, especially the families who lost loved ones, hoping that they will again find peace and hope in their lives.

Well, I finally choose my word for the year...actually, I choose two. And I have posted them on my sidebar so that I remember them. Sometimes I get so busy with living that I forget any special emphasis I want to keep in front of me.

What are the words? Courage and Perseverance. I probably choose them because of my family situation, but also to keep me focused on what I want to accomplish this year.

My definition for perseverance is a steady persistence in a course of action especially in spite of obstacles, or discouragement. My definition for courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty and continue even if fearful.

For me the two go together well. And hopefully by keeping these two words as a beacon, I'll be able to accomplish those things that I really have my heart set on. And what, you ask, are those things?

Well, a blog that I am really proud of is one thing I want to achieve. I'm not blogging to make money, but to create something that I feel good about sharing with all of you.

Also, I want to be more serious about my artful creations. I want to spend more time experimenting with new techniques...basically step out of my comfort zone.

So, did you choose any words for the year? And do you have any special things you want to accomplish this year?

I hope that together we can each be successful in our ventures. I'll definitely keep you up-to-date on how I'm doing. I'd love to hear how your doing.

Thanks for taking the time to visit. Talk to you tomorrow.

CRAFTING IDEAS

I decided to play with box making. (That was one of the demonstrations this past weekend but they included fabric.). So I first made a box shape out of a flyer that was card stock weight. I used my grid that makes fold marks - one size for the bottom and the same size plus one grid mark for the top. After folding, I cut the fold marks at both ends, overlapped them and glued using my stick glue. I then used scrap decorative paper to cover the entire box, inside and out. The top and bottom were loose before adding the scrap paper but after adding it, they fit nicely. It was an easy, fun and fast craft. And the result was really cute.

BOOK IDEAS

(New). I was looking through the recipes and marked many of them. The first one I want to try is the Wake-Up Potato and Sausage Breakfast Casserole. Everyone here likes the Jimmy Dean Breakfast Casserole so I thought I would try this one to see if it's just as good. The recipe is very similar except instead of bread, it calls for potatoes. Being originally from the midwest, you know that potatoes are golden for me! I would eat them breakfast, lunch and dinner and still not get tired of eating potatoes!