This & That: Pass the Book; Election Layout; Recommendations and More

Happy Friday! I have a little of this and that to share with you today.
First, there's a wonderful free holiday photography class with limited enrollment. It's run by Cheryl Johnson of Feel Good Photos. I've taken it before and loved it!  You can read the review here (although, in retrospect, I think it should have received a higher grade). You can sign up for it at this link. But hurry, as it fills every year.
Second, thanks for all the wonderful comments lately. 
I love voting (and not just to get the cool sticker). I am an unabashed Obama supporter, but I don't want to get into a long political discussion. Instead, I thought I'd share the layout I made for the 2008 election (which includes my "I voted" sticker). The picture is from the back of a magazine I receive from my alma mater.  The journaling is about how involved the whole family was in the 2008 election, how I took Clara to vote with me and the champagne we drank on election night.
I also loved reading about how everyone organizes their linens. I had to look up Amy's reference to "Manchester," which turns out to be an Australian expression for linen (I love learning stuff like that).  Also fascinating how many people use duvet covers. I've decided to keep three sets of sheets for each of the kid's beds and four sets for our bed (like Karen, we use flannel in the winter and twill or knit in the summer). I'm keeping two long and two short table cloths up here in the kitchen (short for when the table is regular size and long for when we expand it for company). I've also decided that we need to start using the cloth napkins, so I'm going to put them in a basket on the counter and see if I can get the family into the habit of using them (because I have a set of 12). I kept two sets of place mats, although I'm not sure why (as we never use them).  My kids use a massive number of towels; still trying to figure out how to curb that impulse.
Several of you have asked about the college application process here. Every senior in high school does something different, and there's a variety of different approaches taken by colleges and universities. Many private universities use something called the "Common App," which requires one long essay and one short essay.  Many of the public Universities have their own application with essay requirements (or do not require any essay). By planning carefully, Henry was able to write one long essay which fulfilled the requirement for most of his schools, but there are a couple of outliers, and he still needs to do those. He applied to ten schools in total: two California state schools; three private universities; and five out of state public schools. He should start hearing back around the end of the year.
Third, it's time for me to pass the book!  I have Trading Card Treasures up for grabs. 

The book is about making artist trading cards using your photographs. If you want a chance to receive the book, let me know in the comments.  The catch? After you keep it for a while, you need to pass it on to someone else to peruse and pass along. For details, check out this post from Melissa's blog Daily Life - Bits & Pieces. The idea of Pass the Book originated with Sian of From High in the Sky (click here).  I will soon be sending the book, Art Saves by Jenny Doh, back to Sian (although I will shed a little tear when I let it go; I might have to buy my own copy).
Finally, be sure to check out Jennifer's Jumbles Frosty Festivities, coming up Novemer 16-18.  You can read more about it at this link.  It's sure to be a lot of fun, and there's great prizes available as well!
Have a great weekend!

Tell Me About Your Linens!

Long time readers of my blog will know that, influenced by Ali Edwards, each year I choose "One Little Word" to help me focus on big picture goals.  My word for 2012 is "home," and one of the ways in which I am focusing on home is to organize my house, room by room. When we pulled the carpet in the downstairs hallway and replaced it with hardwood floors, I had the occasion to empty the linen closet. I used this as the opportunity to organize my household linens (which included cleaning out the kitchen cupboards where I store the kitchen linens).  I put my "heirloom linens" (lace, embroidery, crochet, etc. created by my Grandmothers and aunts) into storage containers, along with baby linens (blankets mainly) that I couldn't bear to part with.   I tossed a large bag of soiled, torn, fully depreciated linens and two big bags of paperwork from the kitchen storage areas.
My ultimate goal in this reorganizing project is to have the "correct" number of towels, sheet sets, table cloths, napkins and place mats in the linen closet and kitchen storage.  So, now I'm trying to figure out that "correct" number.  And I'm looking for your input.  How many sheet sets do you have per bed? How many towels? How many table cloths, napkins and place mats?  Please tell me your linen strategy in comments.  Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday: Election 2012

Instagram, "Election 2012", Nov. 6, 2012.

FFF: On Triumphs and Defeats

Artists in Blogland is sponsoring an art journaling challenge called Fall Fearless and Fly, with new prompts every other week through mid-January. The third prompt (click here) suggests using black and white for your color scheme and journaling about your greatest triumphs and defeats. I loved using paper scraps, gesso and white paint to build up layers of texture and then highlighting the page with micaceous iron oxide and carbon black.  As for the journaling, try as I might, I could not bring any triumphs or defeats into focus.  I kept coming back to the idea that my life is currently a work in progress, and I am not ready to claim great triumphs or concede any great defeats. I've got a lot of irons in the fire right now; hopefully these will mature into triumphs come spring. 

Hello Monday

Hello Monday (a meme started by Lisa Leonard) . . . 
Hello autumn veggies at the farmer's market . . . bought brussel sprouts, green beans, cauliflower, artichokes and broccoli. I'm missing the summer fruit but it was fun to talk with the local bee keeper who makes these terrific candles in her kitchen.
Hello healthy eating . . . This week, I'm planning to make tostadas; tri-tip; beef/tofu and broccoli; teriyaki chicken with dry braised green beans; hamburgers; and pesto ravioli with broccoli and chicken. What's on your menu this week?
Hello furniture moving as we put everything back onto our beautiful floors.
Hello darker evenings and lighter mornings as we turned the clocks back this weekend.
Hello fingers crossed that Clara makes the basketball team and that Paul has a good week (he was pretty tired today after a mid-cycle chemo infusion).
Hello last two college applications  for Henry. He's sent eight out so far (three today). These last two require different essays/writing submissions than the others, so that means a bit more work. But he's pretty committed to wrapping them up in the next week so he can be done with the process.
What are you saying hello to this week?

Storytelling Sunday: On Becoming Me

It was a dark and stormy night. Winter, 1980. Walking home from a party. Alone.
Alone was a new concept for me, just recently having broken up with the guy I had dated since starting at University. But alone felt just fine. 
I had taken a flier and said yes when invited to a party by a girl who had been in a few of my classes but who I didn't know well. I went to the party and found it full of friendly folks, including one old acquaintance. I mingled. I drank. I danced. I sang along to Steely Dan's "My Old School" at the top of my lungs. I felt free and light and full of life.  I realized I felt happy. Happy because I could just be myself. Free of expectations, imposed by others, of who I should be. Happy to be on the path to becoming me.
Happy because I knew that, after every storm comes clear open skies. And happy to know that I would be there to greet the new day.
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This story is brought to you as part of Sian's Storytelling Sunday. To read more wonderful words, check out this link.

A Giants Halloween

It's been a very busy week here. Our family's favorite baseball team, the San Francisco Giants, won the World Series! On Wednesday, there was a huge parade in down town San Francisco. Unfortunately I had to work, but the kids both went. Clara went with our good friends, Molly and Jack. Henry went with a bunch of friends from school.  Meanwhile, back at home . . . 

The hard wood floor project is coming along nicely. I love it but it really has put a crimp into my creative side because everyone is smooshed together in my bedroom.  Also, I wasn't able to put up a Dias de los Muertos altar because we aren't able to put the furniture back yet.  Wednesday was also Halloween . Henry was the only one who dressed up this year. . . 

Here he is with his super-cute girlfriend, both dressed as cops. He went to a couple of different Halloween parties this year (on two consecutive October weekends). It's been years since he actually dressed up, so that was kind of fun to see. Clara hung out with friends from her old school for a few hours on Wednesday night. Paul and I went to a fun Halloween party. It was great for him to get out of the house - the first time in a while. I just wore some Giants fan gear. 
I hope to get back to some creating soon!  I want to participate in Bernice's Attitude of Gratitude project, as well as the Sketchbook Challenge's Life of Spice topic this month.  On Sunday, I hope to have a story for Sian's Storytelling Sunday. . . not sure if I can manage his prompt ("It was a dark and stormy night . . ."), but I might give it a go.  Finally, there's a new challenge up at the "Fall Fearless and Fly" series hosted by Artists in Blogland.  There's plenty of inspiration out there. I just need the initiative!