Sometimes the best of plans don't work out and it winds up being a good thing. I had plans to start painting today, but the weather had other ideas! Looks like rain through Wednesday afternoon.
So I killed about an hour blog hopping this morning. There are so many blogs....So many blogs that I've never even heard of who's homes are being featured in magazines! You really could get a complex AND spend hours going from blog to blog to blog!
Crochet Pillow slip from IKEA
I finally made myself stop and clean off my desk. I put away all the receipts I had sitting on my desk (I file them alphabetically by store name in a little plastic file box), then I paid some bills on line, and then I made myself print out a Quicken Report for 2008 so I could do the budget for this year. Yep, it's budget time (finally - I've been putting it off).
I actually could do a budget in Quicken but I prefer to write it out by hand. Somehow it seems more real to me.
In an effort to make this whole thing more pleasant for myself, I lit a candle my husband gave to me for Christmas - Boulangerie Sweet Vanilla & Cinnamon. Isn't the bowl perfect! Made myself a pot of coffee (eggnog creamer)and hopefully I'll be able to stay away from the cinnamon cake I baked yesterday. Although I'm a stress eater so I don't make any promises!
I don't know why I dread this very necessary task! Well I do know, I'm sure I'll be astounded and not too happy with some the financial choices we made last year. For one, although we cut back on Christmas presents, I know we ate out more during Christmas break and I'll probably have a heart attack when I see the dining out numbers!
So, even though I had plans to do something a bit more fun today, I'm getting around to doing things that I really should have done anyway and that's a good thing. Wish me luck!
P.S. Did anyone else get an invitation from the University of Washington to participate in a study about bloggers personalities and style of writing? Just curious.
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36 comments:
Not I, thank goodness!
Everything looks so fresh and pretty. Your dh has a very good sense of what you enjoy. I am imagining the aroma of that candle right now...
Don't float off!
Your home is so beautiful. I feel the same way about so many blogs...so little time.
I laughed when I read your thoughts on looking at the dining out numbers for December. I use Quicken too and was just thinking the same thing! You're one step ahead of me though; haven't started budgeting yet for this year. Happy number crunching! May your cup run over in 2009!
I've been blog-hopping off and on all day! I really need to stop and get started on some laundry!
I hesitate to look at the dining out numbers...period! We tend to do that wwaayy too much, even if it is just McDonald's (which by the way, isn't cheap anymore!)
At least you've set a pleasant scene for an unpleasant task!!
If you are not an Alexandra Stoddard fan, you should be!
I avoid looking at the dining out bill. It stresses me into eating out.
Beautiful photos here, Manuela. I agree that the blog world is full of so many blogs, and everyone seems famous too! Good luck with your necessary evil tasks!
Many times at my job, I have no work to do, so I spend lots of time looking at blogs there.
There are so many wonderful blogs out there, I seem to bookmark at least one new blog every day.
Hubby and I have been reworking our budget, just to be able to save more, I am going to try to decrease our grocery budget and turning off the TV satellite has helped so much too.
Best wishes to you!
Oh I just love your home also! Love the candle you got and I wish there was a smell button so I can smell it. Sounds yummy!
Blog hopping...gosh I love doing it but so many wonderful blogs out there...I do at least try to comment on so many but some never make it back to me but that is ok...I still enjoy what is out there...whole new world to me.
oops...forgot to say yours in one that I hop to all the time...I just love it and your ideas.
Whenever I come to your blog I feel like I am in your home having a chat with you. Your a good person, charlie brown. Oh, I forgot to capitalize the name. Sorry, I'm lazy today. Your home is so comfy, have a great day.
I could blog hop for days at a time. I keep thinking, please don't find anything good because my list of favorites is too long as it is. It's a sickness. At least you're getting something done today! Mimi
Hi Manuela!! I loved your post today (as always:). I especially liked the way you made tasks more pleasant by lighting the candle for yourself (very pretty too, I might add :)!.
Thank you so much for sharing, and for the nice comment on my blog this morning!! You are so right about time flying. It seems like yesterday that I was writing my first book, but it was over a decade ago!! Now my babies are all grown (well...almost). Rosie used to look exactly like me when she was little (we called her "mini-me :) but now she's looking more like her dad around the chin :))...more soon my friend.
Love,
Traceyxo
The pillows are so pretty, I love the scarf! The candle is so great! Hubby and I bought our own present this year, we wanted to make sure we got what we wanted. Waste not want not! lol Check your email I want your advise. lol Its pouring here, we went over to my daughter's house for hubby to fix her van, he was soaked. We were suppose to go to the Post Office, he was freezing. Sorry, will try again. So you got a great letter?
*Sniff*, that pretty candle looks like it smells wonderful! :) It must make working on a budget a lot less stressful! I too hate to think about how much we spent on dining out this break, but we were give a few gift certificates, so maybe it wasn't too bad?!
I know I just hate when I know I have to do something but would rather be having fun.
I found a cute lamp at Ikea yesterday, will post that on my blog in a few days.
Your home is so cozy and inviting. I love that you lit a candle and made your coffee special before doing a task you really didn't want to do! I need to do that more often.
Hugs,
Penny
Will you do our budget too. ? Ugh. I dont look forward to doing taxes soon. You are so organized it makes me jealous. lol. I bet that candle smells great!! Take care. mishelle It does not look like anyone got a letter from the Uw. Be careful.
All of your votive candle holders are so festive! Oh my, don't remind me about the dining out bill. We have cut way back, but still! Some days, I just can't bear to eat my own cooking which rules out my prepared meals in the freezer. We really must do better - eating out is such a budget buster. Take care, Sally
Once again I am amazed by your gardening skills. Just putting your bulbs in the pot was more than I did this year. Mine is still on a shelf.
Do you know I have never been in an IKEA store..... I don't get out much...... but you got some cute stuff.... Wish I was there I would help you with that cinnamon cake....
Your home is so pretty and every once in a while it is just relaxing to just let your self go and blog away.....I know what you mean....
HUgs
Linda
I love the candle... and your pretty red and white pillows :)
I love your home. It's beautiful!
Happy New Year, Manuela!
XO,
Sheila :-)
Hi Manuela...great post.
I would love to know more about the study about bloggers. I don't think I would participate, but it would be fun to read about it.
Have a wonderful week!
I see your note about the UW survey! Are you a Washingtonian?
Blessings,
Shilo
P.S. Thanks for your honesty today! Isn't all of life a continual rebalancing?? :)
Love the pictures of your home. So pretty. Red is my favorite color!
Lorri
I did not hear from that University...or any of those magazines...and I get those complexes all the time! Its awful to be jealous.
Good luck with your numbers :)Can I have some coffee cake?
your home looks just beautiful and good for you getting to the new budget already I'm still needing to get to that part.
Budgets, oh the fun! I used to dread paying the bills or writing out a budget and then I decided to look at it as a blessing. I am blessed with a job, my husband too and we can pay our bills. Now I make tea, sit down and give thanks as I budget and bill pay.
Your home is like a magazine shoot. I like toile too and our bedroom is black and cream.
Time does slip away from you when you go blog surfing doesn't it?
Is that an amaryllis on the coffee table?
being inspired by your trip to Goodwill....we spent the day cleaning out the garage (28 years of boxes) and took your suggestion not to have a garage sale...Loaded up the truck and deposited it all over at Goodwill in Woodstock....ofcourse as we were dropping off our stuff I spied a really cute little 2 drawer chest painted pink and missing a knob that was being dropped off that I may have to go over tomorrow and check out....
Manuela,
You are always so competent in doing things to better your life...budgets, organizing.....I need to be more like you.....
Thanks for visiting with me ...always a pleasure to see that you've dropped in...Betty
That is so funny that you said that about getting a complex looking at other blogger's beautiful decor. I feel that way about your blog! I come over here and see your home and wonder why I'm putting pictures of mine on a blog! Good luck with your budget. laurie
Everything looks so beautiful in your home. I too LOVE to have candles burning and yes, the bowl is LOVELY! I have to watch myself with blogging I think most days I could just blog hop all day long!
Kelly - yes that's an amaryllis. Target had them for 3 or 4$ with the pot during the after Christmas sale. They're probably $2 by now!
Manuela
Oh goodness, I call this the bad and the ugly at my house! Don't want to even think about it! And usually I don't....just let it go! I love the monogrammed pillow below...it is so elegant looking. Blessings, Nancy oh, and good luck!
Love the photos! Good luck with the budgeting. I hate budgeting too. We ate out a lot during the holidays too. Time to buckle down and make meals at home again.
Yes I did get an email from the university. So smart to ask fellow bloggers. I have it sitting in my spam folder. I wasn't too sure about it so I didn't delete it. Do you complete it? What are your thoughts on it?
BTW, LOVE your blog! I just found your site from Rhodas!
You are so right about blogging. I almost prefer blogs to magazines these days. I can just spend hours hopping from one to another and there are SO MANY great ones out there!
(I did do a survey about blogging recently, but I think it was a different university!) ??
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