Get Talking - Kicking Off

For Christmas in 2015 (yes, I know, only just over a week ago) I received a little box. In that little box are 50 cards. And on each card is a question.

They are from Kikki.K, my favourite stationery store.

Finding things to put on my blog has been a bit of a struggle (other than books to review and reading challenges), so I thought this might be something fun for each week.

The first card is:

What are you planning right now?

There are a few things I'm planning:

• Crafts for Kids Camp
• Some house cleaning tasks, like washing windows and curtains
• To make some new notebooks
• Going grocery shopping
• How to rearrange my DVD collection (it no longer fits on the shelves)
• What to do with all the paper scraps from my cardmaking projects
• How to fit in a cardmaking day before the end of the school holidays (along with what seems like a million other things to do as well as needed rest)
• How to fully tidy my desk and keep it tidy (I tend to dump things while trying to sort out their actual home)
• What books to read for this year's reading challenges
• Making prayer a priority

That's a pretty big list so far, and there are more things I could add.

How about you?

What are you planning right now?

Blog Plans for 2012

Ok, so I've been thinking about how I've been blogging this year, and what I want to do next year.
As yet, I have no real answers, so I thought I should think about why I originally started blogging and what my blog has become since then.

Originally I started blogging because it was a way of keeping a scrapbook that included video and music, as well as thoughts and pictures.

Then I started joining weekly memes and finally doing book reviews.
I enjoy telling people about bookas that are available, particularly those by Christian authors. The only problem is that most publishers won't send books to Australia, and I refuse to read e-books. Books are meant to be held in your hands, the pages turned and bookmarks put in when you absolutely have to put the book down because something else is demanding your attention.

But I digress ...

I also have a blog where I just talk about my craft, cross stitich and sewing projects (although that hasn't had any updates for months).

For the past couple of years I have participated in some blog challenges - mostly book related (final count for the 2011 Contentment Reading Challenge to be posted in the next couple of days).

I wasn't sure what challenge to do in 2012, or if I should do one at all.

I think I might not do any challenges in 2012. My life is going to be very busy - I'll be working and studying, as well as participating in children's ministry and home life. I think I'll just see how things go.
I would like to start up "My Favourite Things" again, but I have to have the time.

For now I think I'll just go with the flow and blog when I can. There will be some more book reviews, provided I get the books.

Oh, and by the way, I've been blogging for almost 5 years (just 24 days before my blogoversary) and I now have over 700 posts!

Blogging in 2011

I really enjoyed the reading challenges that I participated in this year, so for 2011 I'm joining another one. This challenge is hosted by 'Seasons of Humility', and is called 'The Contentment Reading Challenge 2011'.

The purpose of this challenge is to re-read some of the books that are already on your shelves, and be content with things you have rather than keeping on buying new books. There are a few different levels to this challenge, but I have decided to go for the highest and re-read 20 books from my shelf.

If you would like to join in please have a look at the guidelines.

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I've also been thinking about doing something of my own for next year, but I'm not going to tell you about it yet, because I haven't quite worked it out. Let me just say that it sort of springs from a song from 'The Sound of Music'.

Design Restrictions

Some of you may know that I am in the middle of an interior design course. That has been challenging, but the most challenging thing is working with my own space.

Money, or lack thereof, is one restriction.

But the biggest for me at present is working with the furniture I have, and of course the space in which to put it.

For years I have played around with room designs. I draw scaled rooms and furniture pieces that are blue tacked on so that I can move them around. But even in that I can only move them around within the contraints of the room and what the furniture itself is.

This is my current layout design. It's probably a bit hard to see, but you should get the general idea. The main problem is that this is all 2D, but I have yet to come up with an easy way to make the furniture 3D.

I've been toying with rearranging the furniture, but some things can't change, and the placement of structural an built-in elements are really limiting. The wardrobe and window limit things quite a bit, as does the fact that one wall backs on to the toilet.

Sometimes people really don't think when they design houses. Why, would you plan to have a toilet back onto a bedroom - seriously!? But that's one of the dilemmas that I have to deal with. So that's why I have one whole wall filled with bookshelves. I'm trying to use the books to block out some of the sounds from that small, but necessary room.

But it also means that is something I won't even consider moving when I think about rearranging the room.

Sorry about my rambling. I never was that great at getting my thoughts down on paper. And this is kind of paper - the electronic kind!

10 on Tuesday - Things You Need to Plan For

10 Thing You Need to Plan For

1. The future

2. A Wedding - maybe one day, I hope

3. Your Career

4. Parties

5. Shopping for a new wardrobe - 2 weeks, 2 friends, but how much money should I spend?

6. How to get everything done in a day that you need to

7. Getting this blog post done

8. A Holiday - Tassie in November!

9. Christmas - what should I give everyone this year?

10. Eternity - where will you spend it?