2008 IS better

Hello friends,

I did not realize some of you were still checking this blog. I'm touched. I admit that since joining Facebook, I didn't even think about my blog. But like anything trendy and/or new, Facebook started to, well, annoy me. Too many applications for me. So for those friends who knew me before Facebook, I return.

2007 sucked. I don't want to talk about it.

2008 is much better already. January was pretty quiet. No big drama, except an announcement of a dear friend's engagement. See better already. February is proving to be a better month. 1) The New York Giants won over the undefeated New England Patriots. The upset isn't what was great. The game itself was intense, close and so much fun to watch. Love it. 2) Super Tuesday. It's exciting to see an election that isn't so clear-cut in both parties. Another intense and fun to watch event.

Super Tuesday was super for me. I was told of my promotion! Effective February 1st, I am now Office Service Coordinator. It's a two level promotion. I got a 7% increase in salary, which is separate from the annual performance raise I will receive in April. Pretty awesome. Of course this means more substantial responsibilities like supervising but I was already kind of doing that. No problem.

It's an exciting time at work. I'll be traveling to Phoenix later this month with a little weekend trip to Denver to visit my beloved Pennington’s. In March I'll be traveling to LA and San Francisco for more training but will be staying a week longer to visit family and friends.

This year is going to be about discovering my joys. I'm going to try all things that interests me: studying the bible, taking more sewing courses, creating B&W photographs I can frame, trying intricate recipes, throwing dinner parties, baking cakes and decorating them, doing Yoga & Pilate consistently, dancing, watercolor painting, playing and watching tennis, and recently learning to golf! What is life without fun?

My Sewing Machine

I had hoped to get my sewing machine by Friday so I could start putting together pieces of fabric over this three day weekend. It's Memorial Weekend for those who are not currently living in the US. =) But sadly it's in transit. I actually missed it by a day. Rotten luck.

Usually when I order anything I have it shipped to my work. Since I don't have a doorman packages have a 50/50 chance of being received my ME. The other times someone else gets it. Unfortunately this time having it delivered to work caused me to not get my machine for the weekend. According to UPS tracking my machine was to be delivered today, Saturday. Well since the Ship To Address is a commercial address they wouldn't deliver on Saturday. If I'd had arranged to have it shipped to my home, I would have several bobbins threaded. Oh well guess that pleasure has to wait until Tuesday.

Hope your having a good holiday weekend.

From Knitting to Sewing

Summer is hard to do knitting so I've decided to take up sewing.
I started my 4-session Sewing: Skirt course at Make Workshop (www.makeworkshop.com).
Basic class with a goal.

As some of you know I live in skirts and dresses year round. But paying a lot of money for one that's simple and plain makes me mad. I just bought a jersey dress from Old Navy for $25 that I could have made in the color and fit I want.

I've been wanting to learn and do it for a very long time. I even took an old, old sewing machine from my last job believing I would get it fixed and teach myself to sew! Sadly the machine would have cost more to repair than purchasing a new one (which I did at Target for less than $100). Also I have to admit that when visiting my amazingly talented friend Nam at her apartment surrounded by fabrics and beautiful bags that she creates, I was a little envious. I've sewed before but very basic like hemming jeans. Jeans are forgiving.

Now I'm not naive. I know making your own clothes like knitting your own sweater isn't cheap. Heck it's probably gonna cost same if not more. But I don't think I would mind if it's what I want in color/pattern, style and fit. Wouldn't you agree?

Of course there is a good possibility that like my knitting this hobby would lose momentum. That's okay. I will be just as happy using my new sewing machine and skills I've learned in class to hem pants. That would be worth all the cost.

More to come...

London-Paris in March

Clearly it was Friday the 13th cause my luck couldn't have been worse.
It snowed all day to my surprise. Sure we got snow before but it never stuck through the day and into the night. Well it did on the day I was to leave NYC for London. Jetblue cancelled all their flights but not British Air. Instead they put me on an earlier flight so I could sit in the plane for five hours. We de-iced three times. I got to London alright...five hours later than my original arrival time. Yep I shouldn't have left on Friday the 13th.

First Night in London

My friend Heather (the girl with Alias-ish RED hair) took me to a wicked party. She's part of Burning Man(http://www.burningman.com/whatisburningman/about_burningman/faq_what_is.html) and this party was ata member's "flat." Very cool people and fun. Their parties always have a theme and a dress-up factor. The British Burning Man people call it "Fancy Dress Parties." The theme of this one was Fairies and Forest Creatures, can you tell? They take it very seriously from "dressing" up the "flat" to themselves. I had to borrow Heather's purple shrug. Thank God I packed a moss green dress.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2007 friends.

The first day of this new year brings rain. It's light, bring gray. Odd thing is that it's not cold. It's 55 degrees outside. 55 is above the temperature for our building's boiler. It's colder than 55 degrees inside. The slight chill provided an excuse to stay in and bundle up in front of the TV. I've caught up on my netflix movies. A couple of them I've had over a month.

I spent New Year's Eve pretty much like I'm spending New Year's Day. Quiet and at home. I've been under the weather lately and didn't feel like risking it. My sister Christina stayed in as well. We opened a bottle of champagne and rang in the new year with Ryan Seacrest. He's no Dick Clark and that's sad.

I hope 2007 will be a better year than 2006. 2006 was tough.
2007 is suppose to be a good year for me. It's the year of the pig and I'm a pig.

Yes, that makes me either 24 or 36 this year. I won't say which is right. ;)
I truly hope 2007 will be a good year. Whatever it may bring I pray it's will bring joy and happiness to myself and to you my friends (especially for those who had it rough lately).

No resolutions this year.
Actually no admitted resolutions because it's the same as the year's before.
This year it will be more about doing than wishing.
As said before "this year will be different."

I wish for us all it will be different, better for all of us.
Love you all.
Cindy

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year