Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. using some of my birthday money on some socks from Sock Dreams
2. hugs and kisses from Michael
3. the smell of autumn
4. inspiration for a project for our bedroom
5 pancakes for dinner
6. 15 minutes to look through Real Simple and flag some ideas in it
7. a truly amazing phone conversation with one of my very good friends. We talked for almost 2 hours and laughed I think the whole time. It was so great to catch up with her. She is an amazing woman and I am blessed to call her my friend.

U2

I am a U2 fan.



There is this thing going around on Facebook called the Soundtrack of Your Life: "Think of 25 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it: they sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of, they musically shaped your world. They stood up, they lasted, they mattered. They still matter, in some way (even if only in memory)."

I have started it but I haven't finished it but U2 is on there several times. I first heard them when someone passed me a walkman - with a tape of them. It was the album War. And I was hooked. We were on a long bus ride from Omaha to Colorado for Bible Camp and I just kind of lost myself in the music.

Although I saw a lot of bands and concerts in my teenager to early 20's - U2 was one of those that I just couldn't ever afford to see. Or just something always got in my way of seeing them. I really wanted to see them on the Joshua Tree tour. It is my favorite. But it didn't happen. I finally saw them on the Zoo TV Tour.

While watching this concert tonight, I realized that the last time I saw them in concert was my birthday and it was either 1991 or 1992 - I think it was 1992. I think we were living in Topeka at the time. I think I still have the tickets around here somewhere. I was very lucky as I got to see them twice that tour. We had got tickets for a concert in Ames, Iowa as that was the closest to Omaha. I remember Jim and I standing outside Homer Music in the Old Market waiting for the tickets to go on sale. I can even remember what we were both wearing isn't that scary? I really wonder if we were in living in Topeka at that time. But I know that we got them because it was the closest at the time and my sisters (who lived in Omaha) went with us.

U2 then added more dates and a Kansas City date was one of those dates. The KC date on my birthday. And so he got them for my birthday. That tour they had a belly dancer come out and dance on one song for sure "Mysterious Ways" and maybe she danced for a couple more. It was her birthday too - so Bono wished her a happy birthday. It was so cool to hear Bono saying Happy Birthday even if not to me - but on my birthday. It was freezing out. But it was worth it.

I have really good memories associated with U2.

Book Review: Lotta Prints

Lotta Prints: How to Print with Anything, from Potatoes to Linoleum by Lotta Jansdotter


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I keep going back and forth between giving this book 3 or 4 stars. The style of the prints, the photos, the set up of the book - inspiring. Just lovely. The actual instructions to techniques used - lacking. Most of it is basic printing information that is found online or in other books - with better instructions. So it didn't give me any new ideas as far as techniques but as far as inspiration - yes it did! Really easy designs that would leave anything you print on looking lovely. One such inspiration I can't wait to try is the wall hangings. They were ceiling to floor simple cloth wall hangings with a simple print on them. Very pretty - giving a room a splash of color with a minimalistic approach. I don't know if it is a book I need to own but I do think it would provide me inspiration print design if I had it on my shelf but probably wouldn't inspire me one which technique to use. Another plus to this book - many of the print designs could go for either male or female. They are very unisex friendly. Often prints books I have seen are very hearts, flowers and sunshine type designs but this book often has geometric designs put together in a very pleasing way that would work for any gender.

View all my reviews >>

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. going to my favorite Chinese place for my birthday
2. finding old discs with pictures I thought I lost
3. the cool weather we got this week after being actually warm enough we wished we still had our swamp cooler still going
4. handmade slippers to wear this week since it was cool. They were made by my friend Kathie for my birthday. Thank you Kathie!
5. Michael getting the MRI done for his knee. I know it isn't an expense we are needing right now but I am glad he took the step to do it anyway so that he can at least get some answers about his knee.
6. all the wonderful people who remembered my birthday by sending cards, well wishes and presents. I am very thankful to have so many amazing people in my life.

Notepads

I have a little bit of an obsession with having plenty of notepads, scratch pads and sticky notes around.

Besides jotting down little notes, I am a list maker so I always have them around. I have a magnetic one on the fridge for a grocery list. As I run out of things I jot them down there. I have several buy the phone. I leave little notes for Michael around the house or when he goes out of town in his suitcase. I use them I also use sticky notes for books often. I make the places that inspire me and usually write a few words why or what is important about to me and then stick it in the place of the book that caught my eye. Eat Pray Love has A LOT of them sticking out of it.

You will notice in the photo I have several Disney Princesses ones and that is because I like Belle so Michael often buys me things with Belle such as the sticky notes and notepads. I love those little notepads as they are like a book of matches where the flap flips up and then tucks in when closed.

Pumpkins Come with Me

From the Poppy Tree....isn't it lovely?

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for....
1. winter comforter
2. fairy lights
3. photos of family
4. postcards
5. the colors - yellow, orange and red

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. the nice visit we had with Michael's parents
2. a good friend calling me out of the blue...it was so good to chat with her
3. some good news for the business
4. a nice time viewing some friends art at their new studio. Very nice space and great art!
5. chinese food - we had last night and I haven't had it in a few months. It tasted so GOOD.
6. sunny fall days

Gratitude Friday

I am thankful for...
1. good friends who make me smile and laugh
2. the cool weather of fall starting to hit Colorado
3. the pretty leaves changing colors - mostly gone through the state of Colorado but we just started changing here in Grand Junction
4. hot apple cider to warm me up and make me feel just so good
5. homemade pizza using Penzeys Spices
6. fall cleaning - decluttering and reorganizing always makes me feel good