Okay, five things.
1. Are you watching the new season of American Idol? I didn't watch last year, or much the year before that, because judging had reached the point of absurd. It's a new combination this year, and I think it just might work. I love that they're not showing a lot of the really terrible auditions, those poor people you feel embarrassed for, who insist they can sing because everyone has told them so, or at least that's how they interpreted it. Keith Urban is back this year, and I have no complaints about Keith Urban. Plus they've added Harry Connick Jr and he's got wit and style and actual musical knowledge, so it could be good.
2. Wednesday I went on a little outing with friends to a nearby glass studio. We got our craft on. Well some of us did, and some of us tried. The projects were fused glass, so a little bit like mosaic or a stained glass piece. You laid out bits of glass into whatever design you wanted, then cut and glued before handing over to the studio for firing in their kiln.
I am not talented when it comes to stuff like this. I'm good at copying something, but not as good at envisioning something myself. Also, I'm a little bit messy, ahem, and the glue on my fingers took me back to my days as a kindergarten teacher...."Just a little dot boys and girls."
I decided to make coasters, and to keep it simple went with Christmas colors. A lot of the glass choices were pinks and light blues which don't go with my decor, but Christmas colors work. In keeping with a familiar motto here, my design was a bit of a hodgepodge. In other words, abstract art-ha!
Shhh! Don't tell my hubs, but I had to actually cut glass. With a tool! Rest assured no one was injured in the making of these coasters. We won't get them back for another week, so I'll post an after picture then. Supposedly this all melts down into something beautiful. We shall see.
3. My women's Bible Study group started back up this past week and I'm always glad to get back into the routine there.
So. Remember my word for 2014? Yeah. Guess what Bible Study we're doing?
Walking By Faith.
I'm not even kidding. It's a study by Jennifer Rothschild, and I'm really looking forward to it. Unafraid. Walking by Faith. Pretty sure those two things go hand in hand.
4. One of the last things I un-do after Christmas is my Christmas card display. I have a holder in my kitchen for regular cards, and then I hang all the photo cards on our back stairs. I absolutely love walking by there several times a day during the month of December, seeing all the familiar faces from around the globe looking back at me....makes me so sad to take it down in January.
So what do you do with your Christmas cards at the end of the season? I know they can be sent to St. Jude's, or I could put them into an album of some sort, but let's not kid ourselves with that one. I'm still trying to catch up on scrapbooks from the 1990's!
This year I'm stealing an idea from a blogger I follow, Stephanie at The Honey Pot. She's adorable and wise, and you should hop over and visit, because she also has a pretty amazing story. Anyway, she posted this idea on Instagram and I knew I wanted to do the same. Here's the deal...each week in 2014 you select someone's card and pray for that person/family every day of that one week.
We received about 100 cards, so I've added two names per week, but you can do whatever works for you. It's not a challenge or a link up, it's just an idea, but it's one I'm excited about. Our friends and family really are scattered far and wide. Praying for them by name is a way of keeping them close in heart.
5. In other happy news, Daughter1 is coming home for the weekend. She has the day off work on Monday, which makes it all just a little bit sweeter. No real plans, but I'm sure we'll get into something.
Okay, that's five. I don't know why I spend any time wondering if I can meet a particular number. If someone wanted to do a 500 on Friday link up, I could probably manage that too. Enjoy your weekend everyone!
Linking up with 5 on Friday-
And Friday Fragments too, because that's a nice place to be on a Friday in blogland.
Hi! I'm popping in from the 5 on Friday link up and I'm your newest follower on Bloglovin! LOVED this post because we have so much in common! Your stained glass coaster are gorgeous! I've never done anything like that, but it looks like so much fun! As for your Christmas card idea, I absolutely LOVE that and wished I had kept all mine. I display mine on the garland on our stair case and really hated to take mine down as well! Have a great weekend!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see the finished project on the coasters. They look really cool, just like they are. Love the colors.
ReplyDeleteYour number 5 just reminded me I have a 3 day weekend. I forgot I'm off Monday! Yay!! Have fun with your daughter this weekend.
I feel the same way about American Idol and the crafts! I am an imposter at best, or like you said, a copy cat!
ReplyDeleteI had a friend who did the card thing with the cards she received after a surgery. I thought it was such a good idea and then promptly forgot, so thanks for the reminder!
Have fun with Daughter 1, like that needs to be said :)
Your glass work looks wonderful. My hubby worked for a glass company before he retired however it was only window glass.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely want to hear more about your glass cutting adventures. I can't wait to be home! Just a few more hours now :)
ReplyDeleteMy mom adventured into the glass crafting at a local shop in her town. I wished I would have tried it when I was home. It looks very cool. Have fun with your daughter!!
ReplyDeleteOh, the coasters are so, so pretty and what a fun project. Everyone here is doing "painting parties" and a group of my friends are considering us doing it one day before long. I do not have an artistic bone in my body but they say you don't have to. We shall see..............
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your daughter and have a great weekend!
I lost interest in American Idol a long time ago, but I might have to take another peak.
ReplyDeleteYour glass project sounds interesting, and I can't wait to see the finished product. I'm not creative either. I can copy, but not design.
I save my photo Christmas cards, but toss the rest of them. I don't get that many.
Enjoy the weekend with your daughter. I think our son and his family are coming this weekend, too. Haven't seen little Evan in two weeks, so I'm ready for some baby sugar :)
I have never watched Idol. Really.--- Love the coasters! Have fun with your daughter. Blessings
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea for the cards! So after the week is done, do you then discard the card? Maybe next year, as I have already discarded all of the ones we received. I put them aside because I felt bad about throwing them out but then after moving them from one spot to another, one day I just looked at them one more time and closed my eyes while I put them into recycling. Ha.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Harry too! He's quite funny.
Yay for Daughter1 coming home. I think Miss K. and X are actually taking a little road trip up to Seattle to spend the weekend with B and H. And be in the craziness of Seattle for the game. Because they're young like that. :)
My wife tried the stain glass hobby many years ago. I think we still have some glass and tools stuffed (I mean carefully put away) somewhere in the basement.
ReplyDeleteGosh, my cards went in the trash when we took the tree down. I like your idea, though. It would work with my Christmas address list, though, wouldn't it?! Fun catching up with you!
ReplyDeleteI am like you ... I can follow directions, but coming up with a design of my own? Not so much. ;-) I can't wait to see what your coasters look like when they're done.
ReplyDeleteLove the greeting card idea! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend with D1....Happy Sunday!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was watching Idol I never watched the beginning parts because it seemed like they just showed the bad crazy ones. Then when Ellen was on I started watching it from the start. Then I loved when Jennifer and Steven joined. Didn't watch at all last year but I am definitely liking it so far this year! Sounds like a fun time making those coasters. I do miss going to a Bible study. I love that idea with the Christmas cards, I'm going to do that, thanks for the idea. Hope your having a great weekend with daughter1.
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