Sunday Sunset #6

Listening To: My giant iPod list. I currently have the songs sorted alphabetically. I'm in the Fs right now. Just listened to "Fa Fa Fa" by Guster.

Book finished: Living History

Reading: First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh

On the Nightstand: Yes Please by Amy Poehler; Insurgent by Veronica Roth

MakingLists: Packing list for Indiana. Only about a week and a half to go before I leave. I need to get start on actually packing.

Around the house: I finished Arthur's rooms this past week. Now to get started on the rest of the downstairs.

From the kitchen: I tried two new recipes last week. I made a pesto asparagus pasta that was amazing. I had to add black olives of course, but this was a great recipe. I also made a BBQ chicken salad that was pretty good.

Crafting: Most of my crafting time this week was spent making bridal shower invitations. I finally finished yesterday, so they are going in the mail tomorrow.

Watching: We caught up on Episodes and Elementary this week. On the movie front we watched Horrible Bosses 2 and Amazing Spider Man 2. Both pretty good, but I think Horrible Bosses 2 wins that battle.

From Nature: The temps went over 70 this week. Arthur and I enjoyed some lovely walks this week.

Project: Attempting to finish all of my in progress craft projects before I leave for Indiana.

Picture: Fun tunnel time!

Sunday Sunset #5

Listening To: Washing machine. It's the housekeeping task of the day.

Book finished: Remarkable Creatures; Ethan Frome; Seducing the Heiress; Never Trust a Rogue; Scandal of the Year

Reading: Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton

On the Nightstand: Yes Please by Amy Poehler; Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon; Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Making Lists: To do items before I leave for Indiana on the 17th. Sixteen days to get a ton of things done...

Around the house: Putting the finishing touches on Arthur's room this week. I still need J to hang the Enterprise mobile. Everything else is done!

From the kitchen: Nothing new from this past week. But I am listing a few new recipes to try this coming week.

Crafting: I have a few PL swaps to finish this week so I guess I'll focus on those.

Watching: We've been watching our usual currently airing shows. Really we've been staying away from most of television.

Wondering: What should I pack for Indiana? Yeah, I have no idea what type of clothes to pack. Indiana in March and April can have any type of weather.

From Nature: It's been chilly around here this week. By chilly I mean 50s and low 60s. Brr. It's also been a bit rainy. Missing my sunshine...

Project: Sarah's Wedding. She's getting married in April and I'm planning her Bridal Shower. I'm also a bridesmaid and generally helping her out. Lots of things to finish before I leave for Indiana on the 17th.

Exercising: I did our usual Shoreline 4 mile walk on Friday and it about kicked my ass. I was very winded by the end. I guess that weekend away really pushed me back on the exercise front.

Picture: My project yesterday. Cute boy themed project life cards.

Sunday Sunset #4

Listening To: The bees buzzing in my front yard. We have these flowering bushes right along the walk and the bees just love it there. Every time I go get the mail, I listen to the bees.

Book finished: Outlander (finally!)

Reading: Remarkable Creatures by Tracey Chevalier

On the Nightstand: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Making Lists: Finalizing retreat grocery list and packing list. Only five days away!

Around the house: Yesterday I did a massive clean of the house. I did laundry, dishes, vacuuming (upstairs and downstairs), trash, garage organization, playroom cleanup, swiffering, bathroom wipe downs, and curtains hung (dining room, playroom, and Arthur's room). It was crazy, but now things are looking so much better.

From the kitchen: I tried another parmesan honey pork roast recipe last week. Decent but not the best recipe. My plan is one new recipe a week. Next week I'm going to try apple pie cookies.

On the Web: Trying to catch up on my blog roll. Slowly getting there and organizing my the blogs i follow in a better place.

Crafting: I finished up the retreat crafts before the week of the retreat. Woohoo! I am on top of stuff. I also finished my swap card and meet and greet packs. I've been a crafting machine lately.

Watching: The server went down this past week. We've been hitting up Netflix for our viewing selections. We started Star Trek: Enterprise this past week. I'm actually liking it...

From Nature: Very warm temps necessitated the buying of sandals for Arthur and a few summery tops for me. Awesome weather!

Project: Getting the house in order before I leave for my retreat on Friday. I've been slowing finishing the little projects here and there. It's looking much nicer now.

Picture: Finally popped in and got a library card. Now we can get more books!

I will be skipping next Sunday's wrap up post as I will be out of town at a retreat. Yeah for me! Sunday Sunset will be back in two weeks.

Sunday Sunset #3

Listening To: Arthur's laptop sing over and over and over again punctuated with his banging. Oh so soothing. It's not giving me a headache at all...

Book finished: None

Reading: Outlander (still getting through it, hope to be done before next week)

On the Nightstand: Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier; Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Making Lists: Making my usual weekly to-do list. I love my system! So easy, but actually keeps me on task.

Around the house: Lots of house projects in the works. Currently I'm attempting to finish Arthur's room, but I've also bought curtains and rods for downstairs and our bedroom.

From the kitchen: We tried a recipe for spicy black bean sweet potatoes. Extremely yummy and easy to make! Definitely adding this to our list.

Crafting: I had a great card class on Saturday morning. I have a few more coming up for the rest of February. It's going well.  On the personal craft side, I've been pulling items for my February PL pages and potential supplies for March and April classes. I'm thinking an all flower class and maybe a special occasions class.

Watching: We watched Trip to Italy the other night. Not quite as good as the first, but I still love Steve Coogan. We also watched Big Ass Spider last night.  Hee hee! Loved the cheese.

Wondering: Why won't these stupid curtain screws go in? Ugh, I am so over it right now.

From Nature: We've had some rainy and windy days lately. Nice change of pace from the relentless sunshine. Yeah, life's rough around here.

Project: Finishing up retreat prep... Getting so close to the weekend. I can't wait!

Picture: Rare rainy day in East Bay.

Sunday Sunset #2

Listening To: Nina Simone Pandora channel... Arthur really loves it.

Book finished: The Art of Asking

Reading: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

On the Nightstand: Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier; Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Making Lists: Craft projects to complete. I have a new system of keeping upcoming projects visual. This seems to be working well.

Around the house: Currently making a house punch list. I'm trying to make a list of every house project we want to do in the next few months. I've gotten a fair amount of projects done, but I need a master list to keep me on track

From the kitchen: We tried a stuffed buffalo chicken recipe that was alright. It wasn't amazing, but we'll keep it in Paprika for right now.

Watching: Catching up on our currently airing shows. Especially loving Episodes right now!

From Nature: East Bay is much much windier than South Bay. I'm loving the breeze, although I think it confuses Arthur.

Project: Retreat crafts and activities. We're three weeks away and I'm so excited for the retreat!

Picture: Zoo train selfie.

Sunday Sunset #1

Listening To: Ella Henderson new album. I am obsessed with "Ghost" right now.

Book finished: Lives in Ruins; Love Finds You in Hershey Pennsylvania; Midnight in Austenland; The Killer Angels; A Hundred Pieces of Me

Reading: The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

On the Nightstand: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

Making Lists: Grocery lists (yep, back to that), home projects (long and short term), boo club selections, and retreat to-dos.

Around the house: So many home project ideas floating around my head. I did get started on the playroom for Arthur this past week. Still need to assemble some furniture before taking pictures for the blog.

From the kitchen: I made some blueberry crescent rolls this week. Yum yum! Other than that, I stuck to old favorites. Next week I have a few new recipes I want to try.

On the Web: Attempting to catch up on my blogroll. I am way behind...

Crafting: I finally got my craft room sorted out. Now I can get down to the real business of crafting... Check out the picture tour on my craft blog.

Watching: Catching up on some of our currently airing shows -- Elementary, Once Upon a Time, Sleepy Hollow. Oh yeah, and Archer's back. Woohoo! Plus last week J had me watch the complete web series Video Game High School. It started out at a fun web series, become a proper sitcom, and ended as a drama. I loved it! Amazing series.

Wondering: How do I baby proof the electronics? J has a plan, but it will take a few months to complete. I need something for the interim.

From Nature: So excited to be back to the nice mild weather. We need to wear a jacket/sweater in the mornings, but the sun has been glorious. Our new house is in the clouds most morning. Very beautiful...

Shopping Scores: I made a huge trip to The Container Store and Ikea this past week. Lots of items for the new house. Love to organize everything!

Project: The house of course.

Exercising: I bought a Jawbone over Christmas. My goal is 10,000 steps a day. I've only made it to my goal once in the past two weeks, but I am being more mindful of how active I am.

Picture: I swear there is a very large hill somewhere in that cloud.

Sunday Sunset #34

Listening To: More One Bad Mother podcasts.  I am completely addicted.

Book finished: A Feast for Crows

Reading: None yet. I'm taking a break for Christmas, but will be back reading after the New Year.

On the Nightstand: Life in Ruins by Marilyn Johnson; Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Making Lists: Christmas break bucket list

Around the house: Mom's new house is finally looking put together.  The bar was put in last week meaning she now has a place for silverware. We're still working on some storage issues, but so far so good.

Watching: Daniel Tiger and Sesame Street... that's about it. Mom doesn't have cable and I just haven't been in the mood to watch anything on Netflix.

From Nature: Progressively cold temps this past week.  Brrr!  And they are forecasting snow for Christmas Day.  I love a white christmas, but the cold temps can stay away.

Shopping Scores: I finished up my Christmas shopping this week.  Actually I'm lying.  I have all the wrapped presents bought.  But after Christmas I always take the twins out shopping.  There's always something specific that they wanted and didn't get.  I don't really buy them presents ahead of Christmas.

Project: Finishing up my year end blog posts, getting ready to sign off for the year.

Picture: Best $0.50 I've spent in a long time...

Sunday Sunset #33

Listening To: One Bad Mother podcast.  It is my life!

Book finished: None (see below)

Reading: A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin (it is a monster at 1000 pages, but I'm working through it)

On the Nightstand: A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon; Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale; Life in Ruins by Marilyn Johnson

Making Lists: Never-ending to-do list. Being away from home has allowed me to take a step back and decide what I want to do in the coming year. I've got my new One Little Word picked out and a lot of projects to accompany it.

Around the house: I'm currently staying at my mom's house in Indiana and it's insane. The house was recently renovated, but there are still things to fix.  Just on Friday, the contractors finally finished installing the bar.  Now my mom has kitchen storage!  And they finished the flooring.  We we have to fix the ant problem (an exterminator is coming in next week) and an electrical issue (keep tripping the breaker when using the microwave.  Other than the chaos of recent renovations, it's a nice little house.

Crafting: Working on my December albums (all four of them!) and that's about it.  All of my recent crafting purchases have been sent home to California so no play time for me until after the new year.

Watching: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Sesame Street in the morning.  As we are stuck indoors most days (Midwest cold!), Arthur has gotten to watch some tv during the day. I try to limit it to one episode a day, but on Friday it was a lot more due to the big house construction.

Wondering: Where we should go with our rental car this week?  I finally decided to rent a car for a week while here.  Arthur and I have been stuck at the house because mom's car is used as the delivery vehicle. I need to take advantage of the rental while I can.  I'm thinking the indoor playground, the coffeehouse/playground, the library (probably multiple visits), grocery shopping for mom, visit to grandma and grandpa, coffee date with friend...

From Nature: Cold, but not frigid yet.

Shopping Scores: I've grabbed lots of cute Christmas gifts for the boys and a few for my mom.  Plus I took advantage of some online sales for house goods and craft supplies back home.

Project: Lots of year end blogging posts, retreat planning, preschool planning, and general house ideas.

Picture: Arthur sitting in his car with the tv remote (not the real one, but he loves to pretend).

Sunday Sunset #32

Listening To: Barking dogs and baby yells

Book finished: Thirteen Reasons Why; Divergent; The Hobbit; A Study in Scarlet; Beloved

Reading: A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

On the Nightstand: Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale; Life in Ruins by Marilyn Johnson

Making Lists: House projects; Retreat groceries

Crafting: Working on my December albums (all four of them). I just the first week's pictures printed yesterday.  Now it's time to lay them out, place them, and embellish.

Watching: PBS. Arthur and I have been watching Sesame Street (about 10 minutes) every morning. Lots of fun.

Wondering: When will all my packages arrive?  The problem with online shopping...

From Nature: Cold and blustery here in Indiana. I am completely cold.

Shopping Scores: I've been online Christmas and sale shopping like a crazy woman.  I have Christmas almost done. I also bought a ton of house goods and supplies for preschool when we get back to California.

Project: Planning a ton of things. Specifically I am working on the mom's retreat and preschool. I am also sporadically working on my blog and prepping for next year. And I'm in the middle of a huge Pinterest clean out.

Picture: Arthur loved the bubbles at the library.

Sunday Sunset #31

Listening To: Lots of Lindsey Stirling.  Love that violin!

Book finished: Annihilation, Authority, Acceptance, Evernight

Reading: Divergent by Veronica Roth

On the Nightstand: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Making Lists: Projects to work on/complete while in Indiana; random new house stuff; Christmas gifts

Around the house: Moving house of course!  Not much time to settle into the new house, but I'm thinking of projects for when we get back.  I want to make Arthur, the twins, and me reading nooks.  I'm also contemplating how to organize my craft area.  That will have to wait until January.

From the kitchen: Nothing... We attempted to eat most of the leftover food before moving. We were only in the new house two nights before Arthur and I are leaving again, so no cooking.

Crafting: I finished and sent out our Christmas cards last week.  Wanted to check it off before the move.  So glad that's taken care of.  I also packed a travel craft kit for my December Daily album. Ready to hit the ground running this week!

Watching: We finished the Dune miniseries.  So good! And very different from Lynch's version. The next night we finally watched Edge of Tomorrow.  I really enjoyed that film and loved the alien design.  We caught up on some shows: Agents of Shield (really loving season 2), The League, Key and Peele.  The entertainment center went down last weekend, so this past week has been a no TV zone.  I caught up on some reading and of course had a ton of packing to do.

Wondering: Will Arthur actually sleep on the plane?  God I hope so!

From Nature: It's been cool and rainy this past week in the Bay Area.  Loving the "fall" weather. Now I'm bracing myself for bone-chilling temps in Indiana...

Project: Moving to Castro Valley and traveling to Indiana.  So crazy!

Picture: I think Arthur's officially a toddler now!  Such an independent little boy.

Sunday Sunset #30

It's been a few weeks since I've done one of these weekly wrap-up posts.  Thought I would try again before the crazy of Thankgiving and Christmas.

Listening To: you + me and Andrew McMahon. I actually bought two new albums a few weeks ago and they've been on heavy rotation in my iTunes. Especially loving the you + me album.

Book finished: Shadowdance; Expecting Adam; I am Malala; The Awakening; Annihilation

Reading: Authority by Jeff Vandermeer

On the Nightstand: Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer; Evernight by Kristen Callihan

Making Lists: November craft projects; November Pinterest projects; November meal plan; Christmas gifts; travel packing; 2015 TBR pile; moving needs

Around the house: This place is a disaster zone. We are moving in three weeks, and we've already got boxes everywhere.  Our big order of boxes doesn't arrive until Tuesday, but we've already started packing.   J keeps all the electronics boxes so they are mostly packed.  I had a ton of Amazon and SU boxes laying around for temprorary storage. Those are being packed with craft and office supplies. Once the boxes arrive, I'm packing the boys' room and the books next.  Eventually everything will come together, but man I hate moving! Hoping we stay at our new place for a few years.

From the kitchen: Nothing too exciting.  Mostly I am trying to make a meal plan from the random ingredients in the cupboards and the freezer.  The next few weeks will be a hodge-podge menu with mostly tried and true favorites. Hoping to not have to move or throw away too much food.

Crafting: I finished my 30 days of cards for October and started on my 30 days of gratitude for November.  I also need to put together my December Daily album and homemade calendars before leaving for Indiana. Check out the craft blog to see all the pretties.

Watching: All our currently airing shows: Agents of Shield, Sleepy Hollow, The League, Reign, Revenge, The 100. We finally gave up on Modern Family and I gave up on The Vampire Diaries. I'm still watching Once Upon a Time, but it may be next to go. Just getting so bored by the storyline and Emma. On the movie front, J and I are watching the Scifi Channel's Dune mini series. We watched the Lynch version a few weeks back and we wanted to compare.  Two of three nights watched and I must say that I'm really enjoying it.

Wondering: Where to store the packed boxes so as not to endanger the baby or have them be in our way?  Packing with a one year old is no fun. It took me almost an hour to pack on box because he kept needing something or trying to take things out the boxes. Now we have random packed boxes everywhere.  We need to figure out the best place to store them until the move. Maybe the boys' hallway into their bathroom. No one is using the bath right now. Unfortunately I can't move anything there until I pack those closets. Frustrations!

From Nature: Cooler temps have made it feel a lot like fall around here. Halloween was rainy (defiantly need it!), but that was okay.  Our only activity was a costume party and trick or treating indoors at the Children's Museum.  We were nice and dry. Looks like we will be back to high 70s by the middle of next week. So long fall, it was nice meeting you again.

Project: I have an entire list, but the biggest one is MOVING! So much to do before we physically move. I am determined to declutter a bit and organize a lot before rooms get packed into boxes.  Doing a decent job so far, but really need those boxes to move to the next steps.

Picture: Too adorable!  At the Children's Museum on Halloween.

Sunday Sunset #29

Book finished: Entwined

Reading: Shadowdance

On the Nightstand: I am Malala; Expecting Adam

Making Lists: Grocery list. Our food situation is approaching critical. Need to get my meal plan in order for this coming week.

Around the house: Dealing with the aftermath that was Arthur's birthday. We didn't have it at our house, but we still have a giant mess to clean up.

On the Web: Following the shit storm from the CEO of Microsoft's comments on gender and raises.  I imagine the Microsoft PR department is scrambling.

Farmer's Market Finds: Kettle corn, sausages for lunch, and German pastries.  Yum yum!

Crafting: I finished all of Arthur's party decorations with time to spare! Now to finish my PL swaps and keep up with my Card a Day project.

Watching: While J was gone on a work trip this week, I caught up on all my cheesy season premieres -- Revenge, Once Upon a Time, Reign, and Sleepy Hollow.  I also rented Pompeii (hilariously bad) and A Winter's Tale (makes me want to read the book, gotta be better right?). Other than those few things, I spent most nights reading, crafting, or hosting a board meeting, so not much TV overall. This weekend we caught up on a few other shoes (The League, Bad Education, Last Week Tonight) and watched the documentary Dinosaur 13.

From Nature: After 90+ degree temps, the weather has cooled back into the low 80s.  Thank goodness!  I don't want it to be 40 degrees, but 90 was a bit much.

Project: Arthur's 1st birthday party is over and a huge success.  Now on to the next big project: Preschool Playdate.  We are hosting this Friday and our theme is apples.  I've got it mostly planned out, but now I need to buy the crafting supplies and ingredients for snacks.  And finally set everything up on Friday morning.

Picture: An angry Arthur selfie.

Sunday Sunset #28

Listening To: Fall Out Boy and Florence + the Machine.  Weird combo I know, but I decided that I really want to listen to the entire discography of both these artists.

Book finished: No Turning Back; Dune

Reading: The Living Dead

On the Nightstand: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; The Awakening by Kate Chopin; Entwined by Kristen Callihan

Making Lists: All the craft related projects for October.  So many to figure out what, how, and especially when.  This month may just be a black hole.

Around the house: Continuing my battle with the tornado that is Arthur.  At this point, I could vacuum everyday and no one would be able to tell.  As it is, I do vacuum about every other day. Constant, constant.  On a happier note, I'm starting to serious destash before our upcoming move.  J wants to find a place and move before Christmas, so I'm starting now.  Not packing yet, but definitely weeding through the crap.  We saw a few properties this week and at least two possibilities.  We may put in an application for those two.  Still mulling it over a bit.

From the kitchen: This past week's meals were some of our tried and true favorites: Italian beef sandwiches, buffalo chicken sliders, tacos, tilapia, and bbq chicken.  I did attempt a new recipe on Friday, tomato pie, but it turned into a soggy gross mess.  We got Thai takeout instead of eating the pile of goo. Since J is leaving on a work trip and we have Arthur's party on Saturday, I've only got one new recipe up for next week: Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup with Rosemary Rolls.  We'll see how it goes...

Watching: Lots of Key and Peele... Seriously addicted to that show.

Wondering: When and how much food should I buy for Arthur's party?  We now have about 60 people coming... Crazy times!  And I can't forget about beer!

From Nature: Such a contradiction.  We've had 90+ degree days while parts of the midwest saw their first snowfalls.  Can we have something in between?  I would love a good 70 degree day right about now.

Shopping Scores: Finishing up the last of the party supply buying (except food).  I think we now have all the nonperishable items.  I also picked up more supplies for the preschool playdate and the fall social.  Getting close!

Project: Final prepping for Arthur's party next Saturday.  A fair amount still to do.

Picture: Hurricane Arthur, the aftermath...

Sunday Sunset #27

Listening To: Anberlin, Fall Out Boy, Brandi Carlile, all from our iTunes account

Book finished: Fairest Vol. 3; An Abundance of Katherines

Reading: No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman

On the Nightstand: Dune by Frank Herbert; Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Making Lists: So many lists!  I spent Friday morning writing down everything I needed to do and then organizing that big list into topical lists.  I have one for Arthur's party, one for the fall social, one for my Meetup group, one for the house, one for Christmas... You get the idea.  At least now I have a much better picture of what I want and need to do in October.

Around the house: Slowly starting to destash and simplify.  If we are going to move soon, I don't want to have to pack all this junk.  We've only lived her for 2 1/2 years, but we already have accumulated a ton of crap.  I did the kitchen last week, but still need to work on the others rooms in the house.  And I can't forget about the closets, including the storage one and balcony one!

From the kitchen: I made a new to me version of pot roast that I think I will keep.  Very yummy and ridiculously easy.  I need to look up some new recipes for next week and finally make the pretzel bites and rosemary rolls that I was planning on for last week.  I ran out of time and parchment paper...

Crafting: Besides teaching a few classes (Project Life and Halloween/Thanksgiving cards), I've been spending some time organizing and planning.  A few friends and I will be selling at a couple of craft fairs this holiday season.  I've been attempting to comb through my stash and completed cards to see what I have to sell and what I need to make.  Definitely thinking some stationary sets or modified notebooks.  Plus I have 30 Days of Cards coming in October, Arthur's birthday thank you cards, the fall social, and future classes to prep for.  Busy, busy!

Watching: We're making our way through The Newsroom S2 (I love Sorkin!) and have started some of our returning shows (Downtown Abbey, Modern Family {argh this one!}, Sleepy Hollow, and The League).  Plus, we've really been getting into Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.  Loving his commentary and in depth pieces on current news topics.  The one about student loan debt was spot on!

From Nature: We finally got a bit of rain this past week.  The weather reports stated that we hadn't had any significant rains since March!  No wonder we're in a drought!  The rain was nice, but very short lived.  We need more...

Shopping Scores: I haven't taken any pictures, but I've been buying a ton of Christmas stash supplies, Halloween supplies (including Arthur's costume), and party supplies.  Arthur's birthday party supplies are almost completely bought.  I should get the last package this Monday. I've also got a few more craft supply packages on their way for later in the month.  Amazon has been my best friends lately...

Project: Take your pick from my giant list.  I feel like I'm working on a million different things right now because I am!

Picture: Arthur and a meerkat checking each other out at the Happy Hallow Zoo.

Sunday Sunset #26

Listening To: Mumford and Sons.  I've had their albums on repeat lately...

Book finished: Washington; Winterblaze; Fingersmith

Reading: No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman; An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

On the Nightstand: Dune by Frank Herbert

Making Lists: Grocery list for the next two weeks. Projects to finish before Christmas.

From the kitchen: Last week I made a few new recipes -- Apple Cheddar Stuffed Chicken with Dijon Pan Sauce (very yummy) and Tater Tot Casserole (American shepherd's pie)

Crafting: I finished with my holiday swaps, my September swap card, and my Halloween and Thanksgiving class cards.  Plus, I caught up with PL for the family album.  I was on top of it this week.

Watching: We finished Game of Thrones S3 (yeah, I know, way behind), The Newsroom S1 (so very Sorkin), and Gravity Falls S1 (my little guilty pleasure).  Even though we finished three seasons, we didn't actually watch too much tv this week...

From Nature: Beautifully sunny and breezy.  That's the Bay.

Project: An upcoming movie.  With J's new job in the city, we need to fin a place that gives him a shorter commute.  From our place now, it will be almost 3 hours a day in commute time (2 hours on the train and about 1 hour walking).  We're looking at Fremont in East Bay.  Not my absolute favorite, but it's close to the BART line (faster trip into the city) and way cheaper. We've looked at three places so far, but none are right. We have the time to shop around a bit.  However, with the market around here we will have to jump when we find a place we like.  I'm hoping before Christmas... But that also means that I need to start packing/decluttering now.

Picture: Arthur enjoying his first sushi.  Don't worry it was imitation crab and shrimp tempura.

Sunday Sunset #25

Book finished: Becoming Mona Lisa; City of Bones

Reading: Washington by Ron Chernow

On the Nightstand: No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman; Fingersmith by Sarah Waters; An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Making Lists: Grocery list (it's that week again), projects to do, daily tasks, craft classes and events, fall social projects, pre-Christmas planning.  So many lists!

From the kitchen: I tried three new recipes this past week -- sweet garlic chicken (decent), potato ham bake (mediocre), and cake mix lemon cookies (amazingly awesome!).  I'm looking at a few more new recipes for this coming week, but need to narrow them down.

Crafting: Next Saturday, I am attending a SU demo event.  As part of the event, I am participating in a card swap.  That's 50 card fronts that I need to make by Friday.  This may have been a mistake...

Watching: Finally getting around to catching up on Parenthood S4.  J and I are continuing with The Newsroom S1.  And that's about it... we've really not been watching much tv at night this week.

Wondering: Will I have have any time to work on projects during the day?  Arthur's non-napping is really taking its toll on the house and my personal attitude.

From Nature: It's been breezy lately and it's downright lovely.  It's still warm, but it almost feels like fall.  The change helps me justify hot coffee in the morning.

Project: Besides that crazy card swap, I am attempting to clean and organize my crafting space.  I need a better system of packing for classes and crops without tearing everything apart and then having a giant pile to put away.  I need some different storage options.  Right now I'm trying out some different configurations in the hopes that I can work with what we have.  Don't have high hopes.  I'll probably need to buy something else.

Picture: Arthur selfie. He's really be obsessed with the camera this week.

Sunday Sunset #24

Listening To: The Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse Pandora channels.  Jazzy goodness. And Arthur loves it.

Book finished: Reasons My Kid is Crying; The Orphans at Race Point; Moonglow

Reading: Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon

On the Nightstand: The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald; City of Bones by Cassandra Clare; The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan

Making Lists: Stampin' Up to order lists, projects to complete list, TBR lists for the rest of 2014, house projects list, baby craft ideas list. Lots and lots of lists.

Around the house: I finally put the twins' bunk beds back together.  They've been in disarray since they left at the end of July.  Every time I think about it, Arthur is sleeping in the room so I can't fix them. Finally got a chance yesterday.  Now on to organizing/destashing the random office products bin in the office.

From the kitchen: Nothing really excited from the previous week.  However, I have a few new and interesting recipes to try this coming week.

Watching: We finally started The Newsroom.  So far, I like it, but it's no West Wing. We'll keep with it I'm sure.  We're also enjoying Garfunkel and Oates, and True Blood, Game of Thrones (S3).  Plus, Doctor Who started again!  Woohoo!  So excited to see where Peter Capaldi's takes the Doctor.

Shopping Scores: Arthur's early birthday present arrived on Saturday.  I bought him the green one.  Now we have to blow it up so he can play.  Hope he likes it.

Project: Lots of crafting projects lately.  I've got the Meetup running and people are starting to RSVP for classes and events.  Now I need to nail down my card designs for those classes and events.  And order any supplies I need for those classes and events.  And make the sample cards.  Busy, busy, busy, but hopefully this all pays off.

Picture: State of the dining room table.  Trying to catch up our scrapbook albums

Sunday Sunset #23

Listening To: Random iTunes shuffle. Loving my eclectic collection. (And so is Arthur)

Book finished: Casino Royale; The Little Prince; Sunrise; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Diary; Ten Things I Love About You

Reading: The Orphans at Race Point by Patry Francis

On the Nightstand: Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn; Moonglow by Kristen Callihan; The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald; Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon

Making Lists: Lots of various to do lists

Around the house: Attempting to keep the house clean with a whirlwind of destruction.  Also trying to reorganize and clean my craft space after prepping for fairly disastrous open house and card class.  Neverending...

From the kitchen: I tried out a few new recipes these past few weeks --

• Reese's bottom cheesecake cups -- Holy cow!  Yummy!
• Black bean soup -- Needs more spices
• Apple and garlic pork roast -- Easy and yummy
• Slow Cooker Sausage Breakfast Casserole -- Burned on to and bottom.  And the sun dried tomatoes were a bit much.  With modifications, this could be good.

Watching: Finally saw The Lone Ranger and don't know why I wasted my time.  Argh! On the tv front, we've been enjoying The Wil Wheaton Project, Drunk History, King of the Nerds (S1 and S2), and Game of Thrones (S3, yeah still behind).

Wondering: How September is going to work?  I have many things cooking right now.  Busy, busy, busy.

From Nature: Temperatures have been usual, but the breeze has been extra fantastic lately.  Often we don't get much of a breeze down here in South Bay, but this past week has been lovely.  I really enjoy this weather.

Project: I actually have two giant projects currently in play --

• I took on the task of writing a nonfiction book aimed at middle schoolers.  This is going to be a longer term project as I'm in the planning stages, but eventually we want to possibly self-publish.  I know this is vague, but I can't disclose too much right now...
• A mom and crafter friend and I are launching are own crafting Meetup within the next week or so.  We're currently tweaking our name and description and laying out classes for the upcoming months.  Hopefully we can gain some customers and share our love of crafting.  I'll post a link when we've launched.  Getting really excited about this one!

Picture: Such a big always-moving little boy!

Sunday Sunset #22

Book finished: Journal Bliss; How to Sell Your Crafts Online; Pinterest Perfect; Handmade to Sell; A Long Way Down

Reading: Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

On the Nightstand: The Little Prince; Sunrise by Mike Mullin; Moonglow by Kristen Callihan

Making Lists: Grocery, tbr piles, picture book list, kitchen inventory, projects to finish list

Around the house: Everyday is a struggle recovering from Hurricane Arthur.  Vacuming is a daily task, along with the dishes and laundry.  I found time to dust and even rearrange some of our living room organization.

From the kitchen: I tried an easy recipe for chicken yakisoba that was incredibly yummy.  It is being added to our regular recipe line-up.  For next week, I've got a few more new recipes and even one for Guiness chocolate pudding.

Watching: In terms of television, we've been enjoying The Wil Wheaton Project, Star Trek: TOS, True Blood (finally catching up on S7), started Halt and Catch Fire (undecided so far)

For movies we'e been all over the map lately:

• Bad Word - better than I thought it would be
• Particle Fever - doc about CERN that I actually found interesting
• Non-stop - crazy Liam Neeson movie
• Game Change - somehow never watched it; very crazy
• A Long Way Down -- for book to movie comparison; really enjoyed it; read my review here

From Nature: After some pretty high temperatures for our area, we're back to normal.  Thank goodness.  I was sweltering.

Shopping Scores: I used my Kohl's cash for a couple of cute comfy outfits for Arthur and a pair of capris for me. Yeah! I have another pair of pants that actually fit.

Project: I've been working on 11 Project Life card swaps this past week.  They are almost ready to be sent out.  I just need to put the finishing touches on them, label the packages, and get to the post office.

Picture: Climbing into his jumper... oh no!

Sunday Sunset #21

Listening To: Attempting to make a blogging playlists for my Spark ecourse. So far, I've narrowed it down to ~400 songs.  I think it needs to be narrowed down even further...

Book finished: Fairest: In All the Land; What Happens in London

Reading: Nothing at the moment, I just finished a book today

On the Nightstand: A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby; Various crafting books

Making Lists: Blog tasks, household tasks, party planning, September weddings (sister and J's brother) related tasks, simplifying tasks...  Lots of things to start thinking about for fall.

Around the house: As the boys have only a few more days here, we are attempting to organize, pack, and generally clean out their room.  The house has gotten a bit disorganized and cluttered over the summer.  We really need to do a thorough cleaning and organizing.

From the kitchen: Nothing too exciting this week, but I am thinking of lining up some new recipes for the next month.

On the Web: Pondering my blogroll and trying to decide what to cut...  I keep finding more and more interesting crafty blogs to add.  But I've got way too many blogs already.

Watching: Top Gear, Mythbusters, Drunk History, Star Trek movies

Wondering: How long will it take me to actually work through the Spark ecourse?

Shopping Scores: We finally finished our Back to School shopping!  It took a very stressful trip to Target, but we got it done. Okay, I'm lying.  We still need to get Alex a pair of pants.  Then we will be done.

Project: Prepping for the twins' departure.  We have lot to do in the next few days: arcade, haircuts, packing, library returns, dinner out, etc.

Picture: Baby snack shipment!