From 0-60 in just 2 days!

I just went from a girl who works til noon and then spends the rest of the day trying to keep busy, to a girl with so much going on, my head is spinning!

First, let's talk business...

(I've changed my name to Plain Fancy Paper, but this image doesn't reflect that for whatever reason)

My giveaway has just about a day left. ---> check out the box/widget to the right to see how you can enter to win a fun quilled paper necklace!  I'm trying to promote my etsy shop and my facebook fan page.  But, I'm also trying to get an idea of what calls out to people.  What designs are winners, which ones would you be draw to if you were out shopping at your locally owned/operated gifty shops?  

All this, of course, means I really need to get into the studio on a more regular basis!  I've been very bad about this over the winter.  It's just so much easier to snuggle up with the dog, than go down to my basement studio!

Second, I have my other project...

The Barracuda project.  The 1967 Plymouth my sister and I inherited from Dad almost a year ago, which we were going to restore and get back on the road.  Well, it has come down to me...mostly begging my brother to help me once Spring arrives.  But, staying true to myself, I have decided I really need to take matters into my own hands, and I've enrolled in a Basic Automotive Repair class at one of the Tech schools on Cape.  So, starting in a couple weeks I'll have class every Tuesday night for 8 weeks.  I am hoping it will help with the restore, but it can't hurt to have practical knowledge for every day life, too!

Third...well, third...

Roller Derby??

(source: google search: www.thefedoralounge.com)

Yep!  I haven't quite committed yet, since I don't really know what the time requirements will be.  I'm going to a meeting with about 20 girls to hash out details.  I've always wanted to try it!  It's a great excuse for me to focus on getting back into shape and committing to my workouts!  Plus, most of the girls are moms, so their time constraints are sure to be less flexible than mine, right?  The main issue for me is the money, of course...I'm looking at $300 just for start up gear!  But, again...first we meet...then I decide!  

It seems odd to anyone who is always on the go, but this girl can't remember the last time I had so much on my plate.  I'm sure it's because all of it costs money...but leaves no time for a second job!  This is when we realize our priorities, I guess.

So to all of you busy people, enjoy your week!  Maybe you get an extra day off for President's Day?  Maybe you are home with the kids for February Break?  Maybe, though I hope not, you are one of the unfortunates stuck at home with the flu!  But whatever your reason for being on line and checking in with my little blog...be sure to check out the giveaway!  Let me know what you think, good or bad, please!  And you could be the lucky winner of the groovy yellow flower necklace!

Holiday cheer

Well, Thanksgiving came and went.
Now we can check Christmas off that list of holidays crammed in at the end of the year. 

Christmas Cheer

Every Christmas Eve, the family I have living near me gets together for a little party.  Always there, are my two sisters (Steph, in red; Renee, the tall silver one), Steph's fiance (they got engaged just Christmas Eve morning!!), Auntie Donna (the 'flapper', there), Donna's hubby, and my hubby.  This year our brother was going to join us, since he is nearby and we all recently reconnected (sadly, it took the death of our father, this Spring, but doesn't that seem to happen a lot with adult siblings?).  Unfortunately, he has been going through some of his own things, and wasn't up for a party.  I get it, I do, but it was sad that he didn't make it.
Each year, we rotate the venue between me, Steph, and Donna (since Renee lives in a tiny cottage on Donna's property, the three of us are the only ones with 'homes').  This year was to be my turn again, but Steph and her guy just bought a house this Spring and wanted to host.  Fine by me...way less work!
It was great fun...lots of laughing and eating.  Steph made a delicious dinner of beef roast, stuffing, roasted root veggies, green beans, sauteed cabbage, and some meatless 'meatballs' for the veg-heads.  I brought rolls, and Renee had a cheese plate for before dinner...to go with the deviled eggs and other pre-meal snacks.  Lots of cookies followed dinner, too.
We had a Yankee swap...handmade gifts only, this year! 

Now we're on to New Year's Eve.  Another new year is right around the corner.  Another year gone by without a real vacation, but lots of work and working out.
We're treating ourselves to a trip to Bermuda for New Year's Eve.  It was to be mild and 70's...getting away from this cold 40 degree rain we keep getting here on the East Coast.  Instead, the weather is getting worse there...colder and rainier.  That's fine...we just need to get away from phones, computers, and work.
Two more days of work, a night in Boston, and an early flight out Sunday morning and we'll be on our way to relaxationland.

Christmas Day, we set out for our usual tradition of a movie and Chinese food (Hubby being raised Jewish, and me being raised to drive 2 hours to spend an awkward day of sitting in the corner while the men in my dad's family 'passionately discussed' nothing in particular).  The theater was packed.  Each year it gets more so.  But the movie was AWESOME!
We saw Django Unchained.

My favorite part of the movie!
(source: ranker.com)

I like most of Quentin Tarantino's movies.  But I absolutely fell in love with Christoph Waltz's character in this movie.

And, after the movie at the, in my opinion, over-crowded theater, we had to have dinner at our second choice (the Thai place we like) because the Chinese restaurant we like was too crowded.  I never thought I'd hear these words, but Hubby is thinking we need a new Christmas tradition, since ours is no longer 'ours'.  I am amazed at the crowds compared to the dozen or so others we saw the first year he dragged me out to a Christmas Day movie!  I can only assume families are getting increasingly tired of spending time together on Christmas?

No matter...January is coming.  More importantly, December 30 is coming, and I get to go away for a few days.  No getting up at 3 a.m. for 5 days!  I'm hoping it will recharge me, not only at my every day paycheck-providing job, but also in the studio.  I'm giving myself this year to make my final decision on my Etsy site: to continue or shut down.  We shall see how the new year treats me.

OH, and in other news...
For anyone following my other blog (barracudadiaries.blogspot.com) where I am attempting to restore an old 1967 Plymouth Barracuda, I had a kind of cool thing happen.  In the grand scheme of things, it's really nothing, but I got pretty excited about it.  I have a twitter account for that blog and facebook page, like I do for this blog.  Well, the twitter is brand new.  As of a few days, I had just a few tweets and no followers.  I'm still trying to get some traffic.  But the fun thing was my first follower.  My only follower as of now.  Gas Monkey Garage!

(source: discovery channel (UK))

I know...it's not like they know me personally or even really care about who I am or what I'm about.  But, I've been watching their show, Fast 'n Loud, since I found it on the Discovery Channel.  They crack me up and they fix cars!  So, I have my classic car and I watch this show and now they are my one follower on twitter.  It just makes me happy, that's all.

Well, on that note, I'd like to wish everyone a super fabulous new year!

this has to stop

I have been doing so little these last two weeks. Despite only having to work Mondays and Tuesdays since after Christmas Weekend, I have gotten absolutely nothing done!

How is it that I can't pull myself together to make things? Or workout? Or even do a complete top to bottom, scrub-a-dub type cleaning of my house? I was going to use my extra time to 'get it together', but instead, I have been doing the bare minimum, as usual.

The house is clean, but I could do more.

I do some serious physical labor at my job, but that's just 2 days a week.

My regular errands (bank, shopping, dump runs) are getting done, but with all this extra time I could've completely cleaned out my basement.

Of course, I have had a few random things thrown in: the infamous neck issue (which gets better then worse...still not gone) that had me practically bedridden for the first week (oh, maybe that was the problem?); New Year's Eve; sister's birthday party; dad's trip to Rhode Island. And I also drove out to my Plan B job prospect, drove up and down the road and never was able to find the place...so I just went about my other errands and went home. I guess I am hoping the other job comes through. If not, then I'll really have to hit the streets.

Mother-in-law sent us some extra money she had at the end of the year (she does this so that she can give us a gift while also avoiding tax payments on her inheritance). Hubby and I have not had a fun trip in a long time. We don't do a lot, but we are not the type to just work to pay the bills and regret our lives, so we are planning a 10th Wedding Anniversary trip to Las Vegas this year. MIL's gift goes right into that fund.

Still waiting on my Veterinary books I ordered. My class starts in about a week and a half. Going back and forth with whether or not I want to take the next step in this 'career', I have to say that signing up for the class and getting positive feedback from my boss has pushed me closer to wanting to go the next step and being excited about it.

Sis and I are moving forward with the car but having a hell of a time deciding on a name for the blog. We are hoping to meet up next week to discuss it. Luckily we have until the spring thaw to begin work. Unfortunately we have to wait til the spring thaw to begin work!

Well, Hubby is stirring so it is time to get dressed for our Saturday morning coffee and walk in the snow...to the beach. Life on Cape Cod really is amazing sometimes. I'm not like Hubby in that I 'need' to be near the water; but, being able to go to the beach whenever I feel like it...and no matter what time of year, it is always beautiful...is a true gift.