Amy Artisan

Family | Travel | Craft | Life | Books

Author: Amy (page 36 of 84)

Looking…

A new year! A time to look back…a time to look ahead…a time to look around…

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Looking back…2013 seemed to be a return to a more balanced work/life integration. As I mentioned, most of my travel was for fun. At work, I transitioned into a new role and am enjoying the challenges of learning something new. I enjoyed the challenge of tackling a Whole 30 and incorporated several things into my regular routine throughout the year.

Looking ahead…2014 is 365 new chapters to be written. I’m making lists, goals, jotting ideas of what I want this year to be. A return to fitness – it’s time to combine the success of 2010/2011 with the new nutrition learned in 2013 and get serious once again. As I “play” in the kitchen, I need to share the results more. Increase the knit stitches around here and share them. Memories have been captured in recent years & sit in the cloud – it’s time to redefine what is scrapbooking for me & get pictures onto pages. Continue to make new memories with family! Later this year is a milestone birthday…I’m starting to pull together a list of things I want to do before then.

Looking around…I started blogging out here in January 2006. Much has changed since then – in my life, in the world, in social media. The blogging community has changed quite a bit. I miss it when I’m not actively posting here – I joke about mentally blogging so many things – the reality is that the blog provides a framework for writing, whether or not I ever hit publish. This year I want to be hitting publish more. I see a couple of blog link ups that I think I will jump into this year as a way to stay connected.

If you are still here, thank you for continuing to look…I look forward to seeing what unfolds!

On Flights & Family Time

As another year winds down, inevitably it has us looking back on the year & determining highlights. For me, a highlight of 2013 was the fact that I wasn’t constantly on the road with work travel. In fact, I only had 4 weeks of work travel this year. With 26 flight segments taken in 2013, only 1 trip was for work. That means that the others were for fun times with family. So where did those flights take me? Here, a few highlight pics from fun times in Georgia, Wisconsin & Texas…
May - A surprise trip home to cheer Rebecca in her first super-sprint triathlon.

May – A surprise trip home to cheer Rebecca in her first super-sprint triathlon.

June - Artisan Family Great Lakes Getaway. We enjoyed a week around Lake Michigan - first at Mackinac Island and then in Door County, WI

June – Artisan Family Great Lakes Getaway. We enjoyed a week around Lake Michigan – first at Mackinac Island and then in Door County, WI

July - In Marinette to celebrate kid birthdays and take in a Brewers game!

July – In Marinette to celebrate kid birthdays and take in a Brewers game!

August - Rebecca & I go back to Mercer to see a thrilling win as Mercer returns to football for the 1st time since 1941.

August – Rebecca & I go back to Mercer to see a thrilling win as Mercer returns to football for the 1st time since 1941.

October - Fall fun in Marinette, including the pumpkin patch and haunted hayrid

October – Fall fun in Marinette, including the pumpkin patch and haunted hayride

October - Trick or treating with the girlies in Texas.

October – Trick or treating with the girlies in Texas.

December - A quick trip home to the 'Ville to enjoy a Family Christma

December – A quick trip home to the ‘Ville to enjoy a Family Christmas

As the 2014 calendars are being opened, I’m already making plans for trips  & adventures with these dear ones!

Glory…

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…And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:8-14

Merry Christmas from the Artisan Family!

Hidden Joy

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I have “one spot” in my living room for my Christmas tree to go. When the tree is up, it blocks a favorite framed antique botanical print I picked up during a family vacation to Bermuda. I take the art down for the month & instead of having an empty nail for the month, I hang a Christmas decoration there – even though it is pretty well hidden. This year, I chose a JOY cutout that I had picked up after the holidays last year. In the last couple of years I’ve noticed that I am drawn to “joy” as a theme of my Christmas – decor, Christmas card selections, greetings & more.

As I sit in my living room this month, the lights of the tree reflect off the glitter in the joy. As I catch the glimpse of this “hidden” joy, I’m reminded of the many moments in life where hidden joy can be found. Sometimes a detour can turn into serendipity that yields joy – or a moment of frustration dissolves into laughter – or a text or pic from a dear one arrives to your phone just when you need it most. Be it big or small, hidden joy is a delight to find.

What hidden joys have you found this year?

Wandering Knit in Progress…

Wow! Actual knitting content!
WI Wanderings Afghan in Progress

WI Wanderings Afghan in Progress

During my time in Wisconsin, I had many opportunities for day trips and other wanderings. Where possible, I would find a local yarn shop & pick up some sort of yarn souvenir. After a while, I had quite an assortment of skeins & I was wondering what to do with them. I decided to make a “crazy afghan” of all the skeins to be an afghan for my new PA home. After looking for pattern inspirations, one thing was clear: I needed a simple pattern that would be easy to pick up & put down as needed because knitting has been so haphazard. On March 4. 2012 I cast on 296 stitches while sitting in my hotel room and began the afghan. I am using a 2 row repeat and the 2nd row is just purling. Since then, I have knit and knit and knit and moved cross country and knit during the football season and put it away during warmer weather and brought it back out again for football knitting. I’m nearing completion on the afghan – hopefully by the end of football season, the afghan will be off the needles & on the back of the sofa. Once it is finished, I’ll share more details about the yarns and adventures that comprise this memory knit.

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