Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Lacking Inspiration

As if you haven't noticed, I have been a bit absent.  I mean, do I even have any readers anymore?!  It has been months!  I envisioned my time of unemployment (yes, still unemployed here!) to be a fantastic time of sewing and crafting.  That has unfortunately not been the case.  I have been lacking inspiration and motivation.  When the stars do align and I get some sewing in, I end up feeling guilty most of the time.  Shouldn't I be looking for more jobs?  Shouldn't I be cleaning more?  How can I do something so self-centered to enjoy this time of unemployment when __((anything else))___ should be done?

So, here's a little most about what I have been up to these past two months.  Besides cleaning and looking for jobs, of course.

I spent some time with my new niece.  Isn't she just the cutest?!  Ok, she may be scowling a bit in this photo and it's one of the only ones we have together, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.  She's adorable!


I visited a great friend in Colorado and enjoyed wonderful company and 70 degree temperatures when everyone else was freezing in Michigan. Yes!



Started drinking green smoothies.  Yum!


Planned to run a 10k but accidentally ran a 5k on Thanksgiving Day instead.  Don't ask.  But, look at that fabulous sparkle skirt I wore.  I was inspired by this wonderfully obnoxious skirts at Team Sparkle.  I couldn't bring myself to paying $30 for a skirt to wear over my running clothes, so I made one myself for approximately $7.  I am quite confident that the workmanship is much higher on the real sparkle skirts, but I figured I was running and it didn't matter if the ruffles were attached perfectly.


And then, most recently, I celebrated my wonderful husband's 31st birthday with a long weekend getaway to rural Ontario.  We rented a home right on Lake Erie and enjoyed relaxing by the fire overlooking the snowy lake.  Just beautiful.


What kind of birthday cake do you make for your husband who eats two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a day?  A PB&J cake, of course!  :)


We may have built a snowman while it was blizzarding too.


So now that I have the dreaded catch up post over, maybe I'll keep you updated with some more sewing projects soon.  I actually HAVE finished a few quilts.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

You're on my blogroll, so still reading here. Your niece is adorable and so is your sparkle skirt. I hope you find inspiration soon - I was floundering for a bit but have since recovered and you will too. Can't wait to see your newly finished quilts.

Andrea said...

You're back! yay! You're on my google reader, so when I saw you had a post, I flew right in to say hello again... I hope you find your inspiration and motivation soon, too. I could have written your first paragraph, substituting unemployed with my move to a new city. Thinking of you!

demoreeann said...

your niece is adorable! :) it's tough getting adjusted to a new lifestyle-- you'll get back into sewing stuff soon, i'm sure. miss you!

Sunshine said...

Great update - thanks for sharing some personal things :)

How did the vanilla extract turn out, by the way? Are you using it for your holiday baking?

I'm in Ontario myself right now, but much farther north, in Sudbury... Cute picture of you and your niece! I also have very few pics of me and my little family members - no one seems to be taking photos when I hold them - maybe they're all busy watching that I don't drop them???? :)

Leslie said...

i am loving this post...what a cute niece...that sparkle skirt for the marathon is a riot...i love the cake you made....do you have a recipe for those green smoothies? it looks amazing, please share

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Merry Christmas Nicole. I'm still reading. Looks like you've been doing wonderful things. I am unemployed too, so I understand your first paragraph completely as well. What helps me is to remember that when I was working, I wasn't working 24/7. I could still enjoy time off everyday, and now that I had more time, I should use it well - even if it is doing things I enjoy.

Meghan said...

I still read and very much enjoyed your catch up post.

April (Polkadot Sparrow) said...

Cool sparkle skirt! And I can totally tell that your niece is very cute. And I'm unemployed, too, and struggle with the same "to sew or not to sew" dilemma. So I sew. It makes me happy. Esp. after looking in vain for a job. :)

Lilac Barries said...

I was unemployed for 3 months last year and I had the same feelings about sewing/quilting. Sometimes though you need the creative outlet so you can get inspired in other areas of your life.

My husband and I just started doing green smoothies as well and I'm quite enjoying it. Any suggestions for a good combo?