sunday snapshot...

Solar sights

The sun is eclipsed by the moon during a stage of an annular solar eclipse on the outskirts of Beijing on Jan. 15. Astronomers said Maldives was the best place to view the longest, ring-like solar eclipse of the millennium. The phenomenon will not happen again for more than 1,000 years.


I love space. It facinates me!

6 months in...

...forever to go!!!

Even though the wedding was 6 months ago from today...it really doesn't seem like it to us. It has been a whirlwind 6 months to say the least and just a few weeks ago I officially became...

So while I have yet to actually change my license but according to the government...I'm Mrs. Eeds :)

my...purpose...?

Just thinking about the next 49 weeks seems daunting and yet, not quite as last year. At this time last year we had just decided on a bakery to do our wedding cake, were looking into appartments, jobs, and possibilities in Vancouver, and going through the motions in Olympia.

I'm not usually one to set goals. Really, I don't even like the word. Maybe because the words "goals" and "objectives" take over my life during the school year with keeping track of all my kiddos' goals and objectives that I write, teach, track, re-teach, etc and so on.

I looked up a few synonyms of goal and this is what I got: 1. target; purpose, object, objective, intent, intention. 2. finish

I feel that last year was so involved with CHANGE (ps. I'm not refering to Obama-mania here) in our lives that this year I need to have a PURPOSE to do things, see people, go places, etc. Here is a list of some things, some places, and some people that I'm hoping to make a purposful priority in the upcoming 49 weeks...I feel that writing them down and hopefully telling some stories about them along the way will help hold me accountable, if only to myself.

• Keep on sewing ~ I have grand plans for a sweatshirt quilt that I've had the pieces cut out for, for about 2 years.
• Keep on knitting ~ I'd like to complete 3 scarves by Novemeber so I can give them out as Christmas presents. I now know 2 stiches (knit and pearl) and could make some "fancy" scarves. Also, I'm taking a hat knitting class in April/May with my Mom.
• Become a better photographer ~ As much as I'd love a new camera that might not happen but I would like to learn how to use mine better, about angles, and so on. I think taking a class from my wedding photographer who teaches amateur's like myself how to point and click :)
• Spend more time with my husband than with my computer...
• Explore Portland ~ At least once a month Jason and I would like to get out into Portland to find fun places to go or places to eat. Considering I've lived here for 17 years...I don't know much about the city that is across the river.

These are a few of the tanglible things I feel are at the forefront of my thoughts at the moment. There are other things, of course, but these are the ones I feel like sharing on here.

Here is to 2010 and all the possibilities it will bring :)

sunday snapshot...

I know I have an hour until Sunday but I couldn't help myself. One fine lady that I know, Reagan, does something called "Friday Foto" on her blog in which she takes images from MSNBC's "A Week in Pictures" and puts a few of her favorites for the week up. I'm going to "borrow" her idea and make a little twist in that, it it my new goal to post a picture or two every Sunday that I take a liking too. MSNBC also has so many other cool photo albums such as: animals, space, sports...you get the picture!

Martian illusion

This image taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows an optical illusion. What appear to be trees rising from the Martian surface are actually dark streaks of collapsed material running down sand dunes due to carbon dioxide frost evaporation. The image, taken April 7, 2008, was released Jan. 11.

thanks mom...

Without my Mom this post would not be possible. Today I started AND completed my first successful solo sewing project! I've had my sewing machine for 1 year and 3 weeks and today it got put to great use! I even had to re-thread the bobbin (thankfully I still had the instruction book)!!!

My Mom and I bought some fabric from JoAnn's a month or so (more like 2) ago...and it has been sitting in my "craft" room since. The "craft" room is really my catch-all room with hopes and dreams of being used. This was probably the second time I used this room besides to go in and get the vaccum or put something in the Goodwill pile.

The task at hand was to make a curtain for the bathroom. For our wedding and part of Christmas my parents have gotten us basically everything for our bathroom from the shower curtain, vanity item holders, towels, and so on. Our bathroom needed some softening up since the walls were bare and every week I've thought about making this curtain and today I did it!!! Now, my Mom is great at sewing. She even used some our Halloween costumes and some clothes growing up :) She even sewed alot of her own clothes when she was growing up.

Back when we bought the fabric my Mom helped me make a curtain for our little front window...okay...really, I watched her. Today I basically did just what she had done (see Mom, I DO pay attention :)

Here are the results. I am very pleased!!! I went with the Paisley pattern because our bathroom is all one color with pretty un-patterned accessories and we have a sign on the opposite wall from the window that says "Happily Ever After" with a paisley pattern on it that was a wedding shower present/decoration from our family friend Liz.

Before...

After :)

With the lights out...

Nice because it still lets in some light but adds to much to the room!

headed into twenty ten...

We had a very low key New Years Eve this year compared to NYE's past but that didn't make it any less fun. We travled the 2 hours south to Corvallis to hang out with our favorite couple, Robyn and Joe Selman. Robyn and I have been friends for years and Jason and Joe get along so well...it all works!

We brought some food and wine...they had some food and wine and we just had a good time! We played some board games (Blokus) and some Wii games including the new Mario Wii and Rock Band. Jason and I had never played...and it showed but it was so fun!

Jason trying out the drums...I was next!

'

Notice the array of goodies on the table!!!

I am VERY jealous of Robyn's A. Nativity Scene...I want one of my own!!!

Before we ventured down that afternoon Robyn had emailed me about putting together a time capsle..and to ensure that we'll get together in 10 years...2019...to unlock it! We had all these plans of things to include: reciepts, pictures, letters to ourselves down the road...the only thing we accomplished that night was the picture but I've been working on my letter and I'll have Jason write a note and we'll include things like our reciept to our house, the grocery store, and some other random things...should be interesting!

The Selman's and The Eeds'

All in all it was a great evening with great friends. We are (somewhat) passive aggresively hoping for Joe to finish up school as fast as he can and for the Selman's to move to the Portland/Vancouver area...but it is MUCH better now that they are 2 hours away. It really isn't that far!!!

Forever Friends :)