The Snail Mail Project

I think I've been living under a rock - or maybe I've just been along for the ride for a bit...  Apparently people have been coming up with "birthday projects" for years now.  I learned about the phenomena from Elise's blog - one that I started following this past fall.

For those of you who have been under that rock with me, a birthday project is something akin to a new year's resolution.  You pick a goal / project that you will work toward completing by your next birthday.  Often it involves a quantity equal to your age. 

40

My age is now 40.  First thought - how on earth will I finish 40 of anything before 52 weeks roll by???  OK if I made it a simple task of eating 40 cookies I'm certain I could manage that, but I would like my goal to have a positive effect on people around me - my friends, family, even strangers.

I love to brainstorm and create crazy amounts of lists - just ask my mother.  I often run my lists by her - my ever present sounding board!  This time I came up with my project ALL ON MY OWN!  {smile}

The snail mail project

Did you notice - our address and my age match up this year?  It has to be a good sign, right?

OK - hands up - who out there doesn't enjoy getting a FUN card or letter in your mailbox??!!

To me the mailbox is like an unopened package.  It stares at you, teasing you, waiting for you to open it and see what's inside.  My sweet husband, Joel, chuckles and shakes his head at the hopeful enthusiasm I have when I venture out to our mailbox.  Often I come in with a handful of "regular mail", but the next day I'm back out there with that same optimism!  Our two dogs agree - the mailbox is a wonderful place to be!  (of course their excitement stems from the fact that they get to go on a grand adventure out the front door, with the potential to visit with the neighbors, but still the word mailbox is part of their vocabulary, and they know exactly where it is!) 

With any luck, the Snail Mail Project will put some fun back into the mailbox for friends and family as well!

In an attempt to keep my project from overwhelming me I've decided to set up a few parameters (I'll call them anything but rules - who wants rules for a fun project?). 

1. The goal is to send out FUN snail mail during at least 40 of the next 52 weeks.
2. There must be at least two paragraphs of a handwritten message contained within the snail mail.  {really, a card is nice, but a couple of short paragraphs in your handwriting is so much sweeter!}
3. Try and surprise someone new each month.  {sorry mom, you're not going to get ALL the mail from this project!}
4. Write a short blog update for each successful week. 

That's it - what do you think? 

The benefits - I get to write letters...  OK, I already do that, but not often enough.  Those letters will go out to a wider audience (if parameter number 3 is carried out properly).  Recipients will be pleasantly surprised that there's more than bills in the mystery box that sits at the end of the driveway (hopefully).

Who wants to join me???  Help return the mailbox to the happy stop on the way in from work.  And if this catches on and spreads like wild fire, maybe the price of a stamp will hold steady for a while... 

If you've made it this far...  Let's go spread some sunshine!

~ Kathy

Basket Weave

It's National Craft Month, so I decided to have some fun with yarn...

Let me first put out there - I cannot knit - at all.  No matter how many times my grandmother has tried to teach me, it just doesn't stick (I'm sure if my cousin's wife, Lucy, is reading this she is appalled!).  But I have managed to use a crochet hook pretty well.

I tend to veer toward EASY projects.  I can follow a pattern, but since I usually only get to spend a short amount of time in the evenings to do crafty things I  like to spend the majority of the time actually playing, and not deciphering where I left off, and what step is next.

I came across this basket weave pattern through a crochet newsletter which included a link to the video.

The hardest part - counting out the correct number of chains to start the pattern.  Well at least that's been the hardest part for me....  

Right now I'm a few rows in, and I suspect this will take more than just National Craft Month to complete, especially since the yarn I chose is a little pricier than what I usually go for, but oh I just LOVE the colors!!! 

Looks like I'll be making a lot of trips to the local A.C. Moore with my trusty weekly coupon to buy one skein at a time.  {smile}  Each skein seems to add about two rows to the afghan.

Eventually I'll be back to let you know my basket weave afghan is DONE...   for now I'll be taking it one row at a time!

~ Kathy

40-tude!

Well this week I will join the 40 club.  {it's getting easier and easier to say that as I've been practicing getting comfortable with that number}

One day in January, as I was driving home from work I was stopped at a red light behind a car with the license plate simply stating

40-TUDE

I'm pretty sure it was meant to mean fortitude, but I've decided to use it as an abbreviation for 40 attitude or 40 'tude.   And I've decided that my 40 'tude will be something akin to "sassy".  Now I have absolutely no clue what exactly sassy is, but it sounds FUN!

And to celebrate, I've made a fun card using today's OWH sketch #163.

I left the card blank inside to make it a little more versatile.

Have a great week!
~ Kathy

Hello March!

I'm not sure if March has come in like a lion, but I had a bit of time to play with paper today, and figured if she hasn't come in like a lion, then she'll go out like one.  My lion looks a bit odd set off-center, but I really didn't want to crop his tail!  {smile}  My apologies for the dark photo, but I figured if I didn't get him posted tonight he wouldn't make it here.

March has always been one of my favorite months - yes, the birthday celebrations and gifts often caused this euphoria as a kid. But now, as an adult, I'm enjoying the increased amounts of daylight, and looking forward to the signs of spring.

So "Hello March!", I'm welcoming you with open arms.

~ Kathy

One Little Word

Well, it seems that so far I've been a much better blog follower than actual blogger.

One blog that I stumbled across in one of those "This looks like an interesting link" chain of events is that of Ali Edwards.  She introduced me to the concept of One Little Word.

One Little Word is akin to making a New Year's Resolution. However, instead of listing of the things you'd like to accomplish, you pick one word to focus on throughout the year. 

In 2013 I will focus on this one little word:

Create

There are so many ways that this word can be interpreted.    

In 2013, I will find ways to create:

• adventure
• opportunity
• passion
• art
• time
• myself
• happiness
• space
• kindness
• memories
• a healthy lifestyle
• smiles / laughter
• my story
• projects

This year I'll enter a new decade in my life, and with my one little word I'm pledging to take a more active role in how the days, months and year play out.  I am hopeful that this will also lead to creating more blog entries - we'll see how it goes.  {smile}

~ Kathy

P.S.   I wanted to include at least one photo in this post, but for some reason the system isn't letting me browse my drive at the moment...  hopefully  I'll get this issue figured out for the next post.