Missing Mexico...

Even though it's been over a year since we've been to Mexico, it's days like today that make me think of the hot sun and frozen drinks. Ah, the memories!

Mother Nature has been teasing us Wisconsin-ites as of late, and it's getting a bit old. To say I'm sick of winter is a bit of an understatement.

With our last big storm, the lakeshore are got dumped on bigtime, with nearly two feet of snow on top of what was already here. That sucked. Then, last week Mother Nature redeemed herself a bit with, what we would consider this time of year, a "heat wave". Temps in the 40's had people thinking about spring as we watched the mounds of snow quickly melt.

That was short-lived.

Our most recent storm gifted us with nearly a foot of the fluffy white crap. Yay. At least I didn't have to drive to work today.

My poor birdfeeders....

At least all the white fluff makes the trees pretty for a little while...

 Spring and sunshine can't come soon enough... *sigh*

Challenge: Week 2

I thought that since I've been working on my quilt so much, that I would be fitting to include it in my challenge for the week!

WEEK 2: SYMMETRY

Quilt Update (and step-by-step)

I posted about a week ago that I was going to be starting on a new quilt project. Well, I got started over the weekend! It's a tedious process so far, but I think the end result will be pretty amazing.

Using this tutorial as a guide, here is what I've done so far...

I chose this fabric and these three colored flannels:

The tutorial wanted the printed fabric cut to a 45" square, but the fabric I chose was only 44" wide. So I cut that down to a 43" square and the flannel (since it needs to be a bit smaller) got cut down to 42" squares.

Then I layered everything and matched up the edges. I decided to sandwich the dark brown flannel between the pale yellow and light blue. The printed fabric should lay face down, while the flannels will lay face up for all three.

I placed pins around the edges, about 5" apart to hold my layers together.

I used whatever straight edges I had available to mark my diagonal line from corner to corner down the center of the flannel. I used a washable fabric marker (that is so old that it's dry and I had to go over the line about 10 times..).

I then sewed down my line with the flannel side face up. Once that line is stitched, then flip it over to stitch lines about 1/2" apart on the printed fabric side. You want to stitch on the printed fabric because that way any mistakes or bobbin mishaps will be easily hidden on the back side. Especially since it will be cut apart to make the chenille anyway.

Use the sewing machine foot as a guide to space your stitching lines.

Stitching the lines is pretty time consuming! But so far, I'm really loving the way the diagonal quilting looks. I can't wait until it's finished!

Here is what I have done so far, front and back. It doesn't look like much really. The diagonal stitching only covers about 10ish" or so, so far.

... and here is an example of why you want to stitch your lines on the front - where mishaps aren't as noticeable. I had a bobbin issue that I couldn't figure out, but once it was fixed, it was smooth sailing!

I'm hoping to have all the stitching done by the end of the week, then it's on to the fun parts :)

Color Change

After a few years with green and yellow walls (not what was planned, we wanted tan), I decided it was time for a change. The dining room and entry way needed a mini overhaul, so a new paint color was the quick fix.

The Packers winning the Super Bowl may have pushed me into the change a bit too. I've seen enough Green and Yellow (Gold...whatever) to last me a lifetime at work, I don't need to see it home too. Even if it is a muted version. I digress.

Anywho, here are some before and after shots....

BEFORE

 AFTER

The paint color is Behr Belgian Sweet in an eggshell finish. It looks delicious, like chocolate ice cream while is still in the can and like a milk chocolate candy bar once it's dry!

I really love the way it turned out. The darker walls really offset the sage green walls that were already there and make the white wood trim pop. I know the small entry way looks a bit dark in the photos, but in person it's really not that bad.

Overall, I think it was a good decision!

Book Review: "Before I Fall"

"Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver

BOOK SUMMARY: From GoodReads

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

MY RATING:

  

MY THOUGHTS:

"Groundhog Day" meets "The Butterfly Effect". But way, WAY better. That's all I kept thinking about while reading this book.

What would you do on your last day... if you knew it was your last day? Would you do anything differently or keep it all the same? This story really made me wonder about a lot of things. Most people just go on day to day with their lives, not even considering that it might be their last. But what if it was? Did you live your life to it's fullest potential or coast by without achieving anything? Live with no regrets. You won't get a second chance.

Oliver really drills the "what if" factor into your mind with her story. It's very well written and complex for a young adult novel. You get an emotional look at someone getting a chance to relive their last day, to make changes, to make things better and most of all, to say goodbye.

I had read a lot of hype about this book, and I have to say, it really lived up to it - exceeded it even. I loved this book and I'm glad I own it, because I'll definitely be re-reading it in the future.

A little side note: I just to happened to start reading this book on February 12th, not realizing that that also happens to be the date that is repeated over and over again in the story. Not planned, but ironic and a little odd.

Challenge: Week 1

Told you I couldn't wait to get started! One day into the challenge and I'm ready to go with my first photo. AND I couldn't even narrow it down to just one, so you get to see TWO!

Unfamiliar with my new photo challenge? Click Here.

Week 1: SYMMETRY

I thought this would be a fitting photoshoot for today - given the aformentioned Hallmark Holiday and all :) I couldn't decide between the two photos, so I decided to share both. The more I look at them, the more I'm loving the first one though. I gave it a chocolate black and white treatment, I think it gives off a "vintage" effect.

Some of you might be wondering: "What book did you use?" To which my answer would be: "Eclipse!" haha... It just happened to be one of the thicker, hardcover books I own, so it worked out well for this experiment.

Happy Hallmark Holiday!

Otherwise know as Valentine's Day. Me? Not really a fan. It seems unnecessary.

However, I do need to entertain myself for a bit. So here are my favorite movie and TV show couples or in some cases, couples that aren't, but should be, together.

Marshall and Lily - How I Met Your Mother

They are just too cute together. Funny and awkward is a good combination!

Jen & Adam - Rules of Engagement

How she puts up with his stupidity is beyond me, but their TV banter keeps me laughing - so they make my list!

Edward and Bella - The Twilight Saga

Come on now, like you didn't see this one coming? Their onscreen chemistry is amazing. Even if their relationship is completely unhealthy... in a completely obsessive OMGIwouldtotallydiewithoutyou sort of way. That point aside - HOT.

Johnny Cash & June Carter (Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon) - Walk The Line

I just love their story. The music in the movie is a plus too - I love me some Johnny Cash!

Hodgens and Angela - Bones

They have a unique relationship and I love it. They're very cute together, but in a completely unexpected way. I think her Dad being ZZ Top makes things more interesting too :)

Now onto those that should be couples (in my opinion - and many others), but aren't for some reason.....

Chuck and Blair - Gossip Girl

They bond while plotting to ruin people. How can a bond like that be broken? I don't know, but if they don't hook up again soon I might break my TV.

Booth and Bones - Bones

I think I speak for a lot of Bones fans when I say: 'ENOUGH WITH THE TEASING ALREADY!'. That dream sequence from two seasons ago was almost enough to make me stop watching.

Worst. Finale. EVER.

Rachel and Finn - Glee

I basically root for these two because Quinn bugs the crap out of me. What? It's reason enough for me.

Leonard and Penny - Big Bang Theory

Classic 'Beauty & The Geek'. They need to get back together ASAP so the show can stop being all Sheldon all the time.

Ron and Hermione - Harry Potter

One of these two need to man up and admit their feelings already. Seriously.

Ok, I think that's enough for now. I have a lot more 'should be's', but I'll stop for now!

Happy Heart Day Everyone!

New Project

I found a new quilting project that I must try. This beauty - check it out.

I don't know of anyone that needs a quilt, so I decided to just make it for myself! I figure this can be my "practice run" or something. I'm pretty excited to get started!

I'll post photos as the quilt progresses, but here's just a little fabric preview for the time being:

I can only hope mine turns out half as amazing as the one from the tutorial!

Book Review: "And While My Body Sleeps"

"And While My Body Sleeps" by Adrienne Felice

Book Summary: (From Amazon)

A wealthy woman's generous endowment brings Lang Evans to the faculty of Fields University in Wisconsin. As head of the new parapsychology department, Lang will finally have free reign to create an innovative curriculum that he hopes will inspire others to join him in his lifelong passion to explore the vast mysteries of psychic phenomenon.

Once his program is established, Lang culls from his popular classes an elite core of extraordinarily gifted students and asks them to participate in a series of intense sessions. They soon discover that they each have in common an uncanny talent-all of them are particularly adept at transporting their spirits through astral projection.

But how might they put this amazing ability to effective use? They get a glimmer of their valuable potential during one of their clandestine evening meetings; once out-of-body, an unseen force guides them to an abducted child, and through the strength of their combined energies they are able to communicate with the frightened child and bring about a timely rescue. This moving experience demonstrates to them that together they possess a power that comes with a weighty responsibility.

As the group becomes more practiced at their skills, Lang and his students embark on a fantastic adventure, dedicating their unique capabilities to helping others in ways that no one else on earth can.

Their tireless training and fearless dedication lead them through a series of successful missions involving other kidnap victims and even rousting a malevolent phantom-but will they have the courage and knowledge to prevail when confronted with evil incarnate?

MY RATING:

MY THOUGHTS:

This book touches on a lot of different things: out-of-body experiences, psychic abilities, hauntings,  reincarnation and past life - that's only mentioning a few. If those things aren't your cup of tea, don't bother reading this book!

I find this type of stuff fascinating, I could watch shows or read books on the paranormal all day. This book (even though it's fiction) keeps a recurring message about keeping an open mind to the spirit world after death. If you don't keep an open mind, that is when bad things happen - ie: hauntings, evil, etc.

As I read, I found myself wondering if some of this stuff could actually happen. It would be pretty amazing if it could, and hey, for all I know it actually does. I guess it's all a matter of what you believe.

Overall, I think the concept of this book was great, it was the writing style and speaking style of the characters that earned it only 2 out of 4 stars. Not bad for a book I only paid a quarter for at a used book sale though! This book is also set in Wisconsin (my home state!), so I thought that was pretty neat, that's why I bought it in the first place.

*****************************

A NOTE: That new book review plan that I mentioned last month? This is it!

I feel like I was giving away too many details the way I was doing my reviews before. This way, the only real detail I'm giving you is exactly what's printed in the book jacket or on the cover. I'm just going to give you my take on the book and a rating to go with it.

New Challenges

I've been searching around online for a photography challenge for a few weeks now. I came across a lot of different options, but it took a while to find just the right one.

A lot of people like '365 Challenge' - where you take and share a new photo daily. Honestly? I don't really have the time for that. So my search continued. A few things that I was looking for were: something I could do self-paced, something that would help me step outside my photographic comfort zone and something that didn't take time everyday.

I finally came across this. This list met my challenge criteria and with a little tweaking, I think I can make it work!

So here's what I came up with....

Weeks 1-4 (February 13-March 12): SYMMETRY

* shooting one photo a week with the theme of symmetry. Symmetry is an “imprecise sense of harmonious or aesthetically pleasing proportionality and balance.” source

Weeks 5-8 (March 13 - April 9): SIGNS

* shooting one photo each week, with the theme of SIGNS. The more interesting the sign, the better! source

Weeks 9-12 (April 10 - May 7): DOORWAYS

* shooting one photo each week, concentrating on DOORWAYS. A doorway is a passage from one place to another. We can stand in one place and peer into another. Often you can capture contrasting scenes, colors, and textures. A door is the “book’s cover” to a home or a building, it creates the first impression. source

Weeks 13-16 (May 8 - June 4): NATURAL LANDSCAPE

* shooting one photo each with of a NATURAL LANDSCAPE. “A natural landscape is one that is unaffected by human activity.” That means we need to find a location that appears to have NOT been touched by human hands." source

Weeks 17-20 (June 5 - July 2): FLOWERS

* shooting one photo each week, with the theme of FLOWERS. Shoot flowers in the wild, flowers in a vase, flowers wherever you find them. Shoot the details of a single blossom, or a wide expanse of wildflowers in a field. source

Weeks 21-24 (July 3 - July 30): COLOR THEORY

* shooting one photo each week, with the theme of COLOR THEORY. For this challenge, pay attention to how the colors affect the photograph. Perhaps the composition can be about the contrast of different colors. Or the frame could be filled with a single color. source

 

Weeks 25-28 (July 31 - August 27): DOWN LOW

* shooting one photo each week, with the theme of DOWN LOW. This theme is more about the composition than the subject. Get down low on the ground. Don’t just shoot up into the sky or ceiling. You can do that standing up. Show whatever subject you choose from a very low point of view. Commit to shooting below 12 inches. source

 

Weeks 29-32 (August 28 - September 24): MACRO

* shooting one photo each week, with the theme of MACRO. source

 

Weeks 33-36 (September 25 - October 22): SHIFTING SEASON

* shooting one photo each week, with the theme of SHIFTING SEASON. Capture the fall leaves and the incoming of cooler temperatures. source

Weeks 37-40 (October 23 - November 19) : ARCHITECTURE

* shooting one photo each week, with the theme ARCHITECTURE. This is a theme with a lot of subject matter waiting to be shot, and a lot of leeway in how you choose to shoot it. For example, you could shoot wide, showing how a building fits into its environment or how an entire city skyline appears from a distance. Or you could shoot an individual architectural detail that may go unnoticed. source

 

Weeks 41-44 (November 20 - December 17): GADGETS

* shooting one photo each week, with the theme of GADGETS. Our lives are so packed with doo-dads and thingy-ma-giggers that we use and even need. We probably don’t even need to venture out and find any gadgets, to get enough subjects for this challenge. source

Weeks 45-48 (December 18 - January 14): RESOLUTION

* shooting one photo each week, with the theme of RESOLUTION. What are you resolved to do in 2012? What do you see others around you resolved to do? Photograph them. source

So that's that! I took a lot of what PhotoChallenge had to offer, but moved things around to better fit with my start dates. I think it should work out well!

My challenge starts next week with the symmetry theme, I already have a few ideas in mind that I'm pretty excited about! Since my weeks start on Sundays for each challenge, my goal will be to post each weekly photo at some point between Saturday and Monday.  

It's Back!

After about 2 months of web hosting issues, Day Zero is finally back up and running (for now). Hopefully it stays that way.

This time I've already made a copy of my list to keep for myself so I don't have to try and remember on my own!

Ok, now that I can actually see what was on there, I can recap what I've completed. Here goes nothing...

Complete:

#30: Exercise at least twice a week

I've actually been doing this more than twice a week, on a fairly regular basis since about August! I've gotten myself into a routine that seems to work for me. Now all I have to do it stick to it. So far, so good!

#52: Add 5 excellent photos a month for a year to my portfolio

Done! In 2010 I shared with you more than 5 per month. PLUS I have tons of others that I've kept to myself. I'm hoping 2011 brings me even more photo opportunities.

#56: Don't drink coffee for 2 whole weeks

Now, I did do this... but then I got a Keurig for Christmas. So now I drink it almost everyday. But the key thing here is that, at some point, I went 2 weeks without it!

#86: Build up my savings to 3 months worth of pay

You don't really need the details on that. Pretty self explanatory.

Working On:

#46: Try 30 new recipes (0/30) - I'm up to 6 out of the 30 now!

#76: Fly by myself (eek!) - In May, I'll be flying to Washington (state) and back. Just me. By myself. Yes, I'm terrified. I'm meeting up with my friend Sarah to go on a five day adventure, but she's flying out of Tennessee, so I'm on my own. At least I was able to get non-stop direct flights - thank God for small miracles.

That's all for now, but guess what? I'm have 43% of my 101 goals complete! I think that's not too bad for a year. So now I have 600 days left to complete the other 57%. Think I can do it? We'll find out in September 2012!

Book Review: "Awakened"

"Awakened" by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

Book 8 in the House of Night series

Zoey and Stark have made it back from the Otherworld where Stark helped Zoey to piece herself back together after losing Heath, her human consort. But being fully alive again, doesn't mean everything is back to normal.

Feeling safe on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, Zoey and Stark have decided to stay there for as long as necessary. While there, Zoey begins to be groomed by the Queen to eventually take over. Zoey and Starks relationship has become something else entirely and they are now closer than they have ever been - he is now her Guardian Warrior, sworn to her for life.

When the sudden death of one of their friends happens back in Tulsa at the House of Night, Zoey must make the decision to go back there to face Darkness and Neferet. Neferet has plans to bring down Zoey and humiliate her in front of everyone, to take away her credibility as a High Priestess. Fortunately for Zoey, Nyx is on her side. But that doesn't mean the the Vampyre High Council will necessarily side with her.

When Stevie Ray confesses a secret, Zoey has to chose between doing what she believes is right and doing what everyone else expects of her. With everyone else believing that Neferet is not evil, Zoey does the logical thing and sides with her friend. Only time will tell if that was the right choice.

In the Otherworld, Heath, Zoey's former human love, is given three options by Nyx. He can stay where he is and remain content for eternity, he can return to earth in a reborn human form and find his way back to Zoey's heart or he can disguise himself as Darkness to help Zoey take down Neferet - although Zoey would not know it's him. Heath has a tough choice to make, will he make the right one?

Would I recommend this book?

Sure, it's certainly better than book 7. I really enjoyed the Zoey/Stark storyline in this one.

I can honestly say that I'm both relieved and a bit sad that this is the last House of Night that's published right now! Relieved because I'm ready for a change of pace, but a little sad because I'm curious to see how the story continues on in the next books. I guess I'll be patiently waiting for November to find out!

Now I just have the task of trying to decide what to read next.

Book Review: "Burned"

"Burned" by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

Book 7 in the House of Night series

Zoey's soul has been shattered. She is now caught in the Otherworld with her human consort, Heath, and unsure of what needs to happen next. Bits and pieces of her are missing and wandering about, just waiting for the answers.

Back in Venice, Zoey's friends are doing all they can with a short timeline to help bring Zoey back to them. With all of them pulling together and searching for answers, answers slowly reveal themselves. It is soon realized that Stark, Zoey's Warrior, must find a way to get to Zoey without actually dying. He must go to her and protect her while she puts herself back together.

Kalona has followed Zoey to the Otherworld by command of Neferet. She wants him to do all he can to keep her there. Stark holds the answers on how to defeat Kalona and bring Zoey back home, but can he get there in time and succeed?

Back in Tulsa, Stevie Ray (Zoeys red vamp BFF), is hiding a big secret that might tear her away from everyone. She is on a mission to make the red fledglings that have sided with Darkness change their ways, but she is more like them that she would like to admit.

Would I recommend this book?

Sure. Books 4 and 5 are my favorites though, now things are just getting out of hand. "Burned" is getting into the emotional journey of Zoey, things get pretty crazy.

Again in this book, the point of view is all over the place. Drives me nuts!

Next up is book 8: "Awakened" - which is also the last of the series that is currently published. The next book is due out in November I think.