goodbye 2008 + welcome 2009

2008 was a very good year for so many reasons. I had the opportunity to travel to 4 countries, and to 9 states (Louisiana, Texas, Indiana, California, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio, and maybe more, I just can't remember). Just thinking about the experiences I had last year, kind of makes me sad that I might never get to experience such a wonderfully stressful year like this one again.

Good-bye to the wonderful experience of Natalee's adoption and hello to a beautiful family.
Good-bye to Greg being 30 and hello to me turning 29
Good-bye to the wonderful sites and horrible smells of Egypt.

Good-bye to good times in IsraelGood-bye to a short trip in Italy
Good-bye to fun bus rides
Good-bye Cabo
Good-bye to pharmaceutical conventions that take you lots of great places
Hello to the start of a new hobby

Good-bye to CHA in Chicago
Good-bye to a job with wonderful individuals that I will always treasure and hello to a life of freedom and creativity.

Good-bye to the fartmaster
Hello to years of good espressos.
I also want to use this opportunity to point out what a good and generous wife I am. I don't drink coffee of any type, but my parents got this espresso machine for Greg for Christmas because I decided to forgo my present from them. Now, don't you think better of me already? :)

2009 promises some fun new adventures as well. I plan to say good-bye to city life and we have exciting things in the works for Studio Calico.

In thinking of my goals for this year, I've decided to focus on two daily goals:

• to do something creative everyday (courtesy of Paper-Source)
• to read the Bible daily, using this as my guide
  

I also want to work out more and to finish my quilt, but I thought 4 goals would be pushing it. In my experience as a District Manager, I never focused my reps on more than 2 goals at once because I had read something somewhere that said it's just too much. I suppose we are simple beings. Whatever, the case, I plan to post my creativity here and my progress with my Bible reading and quilt...maybe not my work-out schedule :)

Best wishes to you for a wonderful and prosperous 2009! I'll leave you with a layout made from scraps of old kits throughout the year. I made this Christmas layout and didn't use a single product that is considered seasonal in any way. I decided to do it as a challenge to myself, and if you've ever done anything similar, please link me as I'd love to see it. I love re-working items to get a totally different effect than they were originally intended.

Supplies: Patterned Paper (Sassafras, 7gypsies, Making Memories, Scenic Route); Paint (Claudine Hellmuth Painterly Pink); "Believe" (K&Co.); Shimmer Stickers (Making Memories); Ticket (Creative Imaginations); Pen (American Crafts).




To make the circles in the green Making Memories paper for the Scenic Route paper to show underneath, I used a 3/4" punch. To make the circles with dots of paint, I punched a larger circle out of a sheet of scrap paper with my Mega Circle punch by Marvy Uchida (love that thing!). Then, I used the sheet of scrap paper as a stencil along with the next-to-smallest Claudine Hellmuth brush and paint to make the dots. As always, let me know if you have questions.

Also, if you're in the Bowling Green, KY area and can tell me where to get a typewriter services, I'd be most appreciative.