Peek at My Week (Jan 3-9)

This week has definitely been one for the history books, hasn't it? I hope I remember some of the joy I felt this week and not just the terror. As such, let me give you a peek at my week to record it for myself.

Much of Sunday was spent in the craft room working on various projects. I took a break to enjoy a walk in the park with Pat and Zoe. 

I couldn't help but try out portrait mode on my phone on Zoe. 

Back at home, I finished up my projects.

There was a little art journaling and some tin rainbow earrings made.

On Monday, I decided to postpone my usual errands and take care of other things at the house instead. Late in day, I was able to work on making.

I was thrilled with these results!

Tuesday was a full day of just marking tasks off my list and taking Artemis to the vet. She wasn't very happy with me.

Wednesday was rough in SO MANY ways. To begin, Artemis was quite lethargic when I got up. As such, I ended up taking her back to the vet for them to observe and treat her. Meanwhile, all heck broke loose in Washington D.C. The only way I've been able describe my emotions was with the word distraught. 

In the evening, as planned, I made an "experimental" dinner that combined about three different recipes. I had some ground beef and some couscous and wanted zucchini too.

I used the sauce and egg from this Korean Bowl recipe and the Instant Pot process and couscous from this one. I also saw the addition of the zucchini on another, but ended up just slightly roasting it instead. It was really good, and I'll definitely be making it again. It was a highlight to an otherwise awful day.

So much of Thursday was spent distracting myself, though we did watch quite a bit of news. I finished these earrings that were a custom order for a friend. 

As well, I also worked in my art journal some.

As I was still worried about Artemis, Rosalina got some attention too.

In the afternoon, I went to the antique store to update the booth.

And, I had a few minutes to spare before I needed to pick up Arteis from the vet. So, I walked around the shop and found a few treasures. Here was the main one.

I don't have a picture of the box yet, but it was a tin box filled with the above papers. These are almost all from the GM&O Railroad in 1943. Y'all!! That's where my great-grandfather worked as a bookkeeper then. Crazy right? I've been through the papers but haven't found his name (yet). I've happily sorted all the papers by size since then and still hope to sort them further (by paper type) and maybe share some of them somehow. For now, I'll just hoard them away.

From there, I picked up our kitty. She was still a little feverish, but the vet thought she would be better at home getting some love than sitting in a cell at their clinic. And, he was right. She's steadily improved and seems to be fine now!

I'm not completely sure what I did all day Friday other than constantly check on Artemis and handle some chores. In the evening, we risked a visit to one of my best friend's house for takeout and margaritas and to finally let me give my goddaughter her birthday gifts (from September) and Christmas present. It was such a good visit. Oh, and there were Snapchat filters.

Other than a quick run to pick up lunch, I spent most of Saturday inside with various tasks (like sorting vintage papers and watching Artemis explore the whole house.) I also watched a few videos including this one from Aimee Bishop on Altering Magazine Images that had me in the craft room playing with her technique. 

After a full run of the house all day, Artemis was completely tuckered out.

She's quickly become a vital member of the household!

I'm about ready to head into the craft room now for some play, but first let me share a little inspiration with you.

• From the New York Times, 2020 the year in pictures. 
• At the Crafty Blog Stalker, you can find 20 Heart-shaped Crafts for Valentine's Day. 
• These natural sculptures within vintage garments from artist Ron Issacs are pretty cool. 
• On the Daisy Yellow blog, there's some information on Working Through Creative Blocks. 
• A Little Mess is what Moois Van Me calls this DIY earring tutorial. 
• Find 8 Polymer Clay Slab Earring Tutorials on Craft Gossip. 
• My Friend, Tiffany of Southern Gals Designs, shared a video on 5 Tips on Finding Inspiration. I really love the way she looks at things. 
• You can learn to make this Cranberry Bracelet on the Halcraft Collection Blog. 
• I've long been following The Graphics Fairy for the free images, but you can also finds loads of mixed media inspiration. For one, here are a few Texture Paste Recipes. 
• I'm sure I've seen some of these whimsical felted creatures before, but I can't resist sharing anything that might bring about some joy right now. 
• Craft Gossip has this list of 17 DIY Dangle Earrings. 
• In Aimee's video (above), she mentions "Enchanted Living Magazine". I checked out their website and found an article about how to create a more Elvish/Tolkeinesque home. Yeah, I'm going to have to get a copy of that magazine!

I'm sure I'm going to be looking for loads of ways to distract myself in the days to come. Let me know what you're doing to keep busy. And, here's hoping you find some joy in your week.