Easing into 2019

Hello Friends,

Again it has been a considerable while since I have been here and I am both bothered and refreshed by that reality; bothered because this space has meant a lot to me over the years and I hated to neglect it, but refreshed because I needed to take a break, some time away, in order to reset and heal.

The last two years have been challenging for me health wise, and while I am still deciding whether to share the details of that or not, suffice to say that I lost hope and felt like all I was doing was surviving - somehow getting through what I needed to do, wishing and hoping for a break from the pain, and then collapsing with exhaustion at the end of the day. It was not good. That being said, I am feeling much better now, consistently better than I have in years. And you know what? This is the first new year in a long time when I have felt like I can actually set some intentions, make some plans, and have a decent chance of achieving them without the fear that I am going to get blindsided and knocked on my ass, completely and utterly derailed. Such an improvement, and such a relief.

 

So what are my intentions for 2019? I've spent the last week or so thinking about that, about what I'd like to do and achieve in this new and promising year:

• Learn to knit. 
• Crochet the flamingo from Edward's Menagerie Birds
• Read 15 books
• Adopt a consistent yoga practice
• Go for a hike at each Halton Conservation Area park 
• Grow my repertoire of vegan baking recipes 
• Pay off a portion of our mortgage
• Ice skate on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa
• Get consistent haircuts
• Create our San Francisco scrapbook

I may add some things to the list as the year goes on, as some things get checked off, but I feel like this is a good start - a good mix of fun, learning, health, self care, and productivity.  

What are your intentions for 2019?

A Soft Place to Land

  

After the fastest summer in recent memory and an absolutely wonderful week away surrounded by forest and water, I've landed softly at home with one more week of holidays before I head back to work and the girls go back to school.

This week is all about squeezing what is left out of summer, while at the same time getting everything in order for the start of another school year.

Time away from home always gives me a new perspective on what is familiar and normal in my life. I see things more clearly. With more appreciation. And at the same time I am full of energy and eager to make plans.

So here I am - making plans, checking things off the list, getting myself and the family organized,  leaning into what is familiar, readying myself for when things ramp up next week....

But I am well rested and I can breathe all the way to the bottom of my lungs....I've landed softly. 

Happy week, friends.

Seven Hundred

This week I published my 700th post, an accomplishment that gave me reason to pause and reflect.

Some thoughts as I consider this milestone:

• The content has changed over the years since I started sharing in this space. I used to do a lot more paper crafts, whereas now I am more focused on yarn. This caused me some angst for a while as I felt like I was deserting something that used to be a huge part of my life, but I am settling, happy to simply enjoy my changing interests and loves. 
• I love how this space chronicles what I have made...and looking back I can see that I have made a lot.
• There have been moments when I have loved this blog, and there have been moments when I thought I'd quit.
• I've stressed myself out over how often I am posting or not posting. Completely unnecessary. I think I have now reached a place where I am okay with what it is and with whatever happens, placing no unnecessary pressure on myself. I have a job and a family, and this is a hobby....no stress needed.
• I am seriously considering no longer posting photos of my girls in this space. As social media becomes a part of their lives (it's not yet, but I can foresee that it will be in a few years)  I think it may be time to give them a bit more control/influence over what about them is shared with the world. Maybe it is time to make this space about my story only?
• I am cautiously considering designing some crochet patterns of my own. I do believe that I have the experience under my belt to make this happen, I just need to get started. I am excited about the challenge, though a bit nervous.....but really, what do I have to lose?
• A site redesign, or at minimum a little tweaking, may be needed.
• Should I include some of my newer interests here: simplicity, minimalism, cooking?
• I am really proud of myself; I never anticipated I'd make it this far.
• Seven hundred posts....are you serious?

One of My Favorite Things (& Thoughts on the Blog)

My kitchen windowsill. I love it. The things that sit on it are always changing, though there are always several plants there since this seems to be the only place in the house where plants do well (in other words, grow rather than drop all their leaves and die).

I have spent a lot of time over the last while thinking about this blog of mine – what I like, what I want to change – and have come to think that perhaps “real life” is lacking from my posts. Most of my posts have been of the "show and tell" type - I make something and I want to share it with you - and that is great, I mean that is why I started this blog in the first place. But that being said, I don't want there to be a misconception in this space that I spend my days sipping coffee and crafting (I certainly wish that were true, but believe me it is not). The truth of the matter is that I spend a great deal of time doing "real life" stuff, honestly a lot more time than I spend crafting, and I want my blog to reflect that. So, moving forward into the new year, I am going to write some more "life" posts to capture and share what is happening around me everyday, what often inspires my crafting. There will still be crafty "show and tell" - I certainly wouldn't dream of stopping that - but there will be a healthy dose of everyday stuff thrown in too. Sound okay? I'm excited to see where this goes, and hope you enjoy a peek into my daily life.

Thank you for visiting and reading. Have a wonderful weekend.

Blog Your Heart Out

I have been nominated by Katie to participate in the Blog Your Heart Out Challenge. This is an online chain letter where I need to answer 5 questions and then pass the questions on to 5 other bloggers. Sounds like fun.

Thanks for the nomination Katie. Here are my answers to the questions:

Who/What encouraged you to start blogging?

I was encouraged to begin blogging by all the great blogs that are out there. I was so incredibly impressed by all the creativity and the sharing, and I wanted to be a part of this wonderful community. I was also very much encouraged by my husband to start up my blog and show off my crafts.

How did you choose what to blog about?

I was originally going to only blog about scrapbooking and card making, but the more I thought about it, I realized that I would be leaving out so many of my other crafty pursuits. So I decided to include my crochet projects, my sewing projects, some home decor things...making my blog a place for all things crafty.

What is something most people don't know about you?

I took German language classes for 13 years. I don’t speak German very well despite this, but can understand when others are talking.
I have a Health Studies degree with a minor in Gerontology.
I love being at home and pottering around.

What three words describe your style?

Creative, Planner, Simple

What do you love to do when you are not blogging?

When I am not blogging I love to work in my garden, bake, cook, and spend time with my family. And of course I always have a craft project or four in the works.

And now I send these questions to these five bloggers:

Michelle @ http://pagemasterdesignsonline.blogspot.ca/
Betty @ http://bettys-crafts.blogspot.de/
Julie @ http://julieslifestyle.blogspot.ca/
Mary @ http://crochetingthedayaway.blogspot.ca/
Kate @ http://sssinthesun.blogspot.ca/

I look forward to learning a little more about these ladies. Thanks again for the nomination Katie.

A Blogging Award for Crafty Cucumber

I am very excited to tell you that I have been awarded a Liebster Award from the lovely Julie who blogs about her life and her crafts at Julie's Lifestyle. I really appreciate all the comments and support that I have received from Julie and am so humbled that she would recognize my little blog with this award. Thank you Julie.

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It is a way to bring attention to these blogs and build the blogging community. The meaning of Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. How nice is that?

As a recipient of this award I need to do the following:

1. List 11 random facts about myself.
2. Answer the 11 questions the awarding blogger has asked me.
3. Nominate 11 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) for the award and link to them in my post.
4. Create 11 questions the nominated bloggers have to answer.
5. Let the nominated bloggers know they have been nominated.

(These are the requirements for the people whom I nominate as well)

Sounds like fun, so let’s get started.

Random Facts About Me (Rachel):

1. I love to crochet, scrapbook, make cards, sew. Basically, I love to make things.
2. I love drinking coffee, especially out of a pretty mug.
3. I do not like dogs. I realize this makes weird as so many people love dogs, but so be it - the cheese stands alone.
4. I played field hockey when I was in high school. So much fun, but so many injuries.
5. I have a lot of grey hair – sometimes this bothers me and sometimes I don’t really care too much.
6. I have been married for over ten years.
7. I love listening to country music. And dancing to it too.
8. I love the ocean – the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the salty air.
9. I hibernate in the winter but spend as much time as I can outside in the summer.
10. I have seen Bon Jovi in concert four times.
11. I love gardening. 

Here are my answers to the questions that Julie asked me:

1. What do you have planned for the summer? This is the first summer in seven years that I will be working full time (the last seven summers I have been home with my girls), so it is going to be a little different. We have a camping trip planned, are attending a family reunion, are leaving some time free to just hang out in the backyard or visit the park, and have ambitious plans for our garden. 
2. What is your favorite outdoor activity? Biking and Gardening.
3. What is your favorite indoor activity? Crafting – crochet, scrapbooking, sewing. 
4. What is your favorite season? Spring and Autumn.
5. Why did you decide to blog? I was at home with my two girls (who were quite young at the time) and I needed something that was all mine, something that I could get totally absorbed in. I also wanted to join the blogging community – I was so excited by all the sharing that was going on that I just needed to be a part of it and share all the crafts that I was doing.
6. How did you pick the name of your blog? I am not sure. It just came to me, I liked the sound of it, so I went with it. 
7. What is your favorite dinner? Soup and crusty bread.
8. What is your favorite drink? Coffee, followed closely by Somersby Apple Cider.
9. If you could travel to anywhere in the world where would it be? Europe.
10. Do you like to wear makeup or no makeup? No makeup.
11. Do you like dressing up or wearing casual clothes? Both. Some days I am okay with comfy pants and a t-shirt and other days I want to put a little more effort in. It all depends on the day.

I nominate the following blogs:

• Terhi @ http://tellimaria.blogspot.fi/
• Svetlana @ http://wanttocrafteverything.blogspot.ca/
• Lenny @ http://getinspiredandbecreative.blogspot.ca/
• Katie @ http://whatkatiedid2.blogspot.co.uk/
• Crystal @ http://crystaljustus.blogspot.ca/
• Shawna @ http://scrapyourmamanevertaughtyou.blogspot.ca/
• Becky @ http://memoriesbybee.blogspot.ca/
• Jill @ http://www.lapinetoiseau.com/
• Jessica @ http://www.jlfbarnes.blogspot.ca/
• Apryl @ http://onescrappysoul.blogspot.ca/
• Amanda @ http://bringingupallie.blogspot.ca/

And ladies, here are my 11 questions for you:

1. What was the last book you read?
2. Describe your perfect day?
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
4. What is on your nightstand?
5. Early riser or night owl?
6. Coffee or tea?
7. You wake up to a rainy day, what do you do?
8. You wake up to a sunny day, what do you do?
9. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
10. What was the biggest surprise of your life?
11. Favorite animal?

For those of you who I have nominated, I really hope you accept and participate. This is such a fun way to spread the word about different blogs and learn a little about the bloggers themselves. Please leave a link in the comments if you do participate so that I can read your answers to my questions.

Thanks again Julie for the award. Much appreciated.

One Year Blog Anniversary - Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered my one year blog anniversary giveaway.

Last night I got all scientific and wrote your names on small pieces of paper, put all the pieces of paper in a hat, closed my eyes, reached into the hat, and pulled out the winner's name.

Congratulations Fabrizio!

Five handmade greeting cards are coming your way.

Thanks again to everyone. I am looking forward to sharing many more crafty things with you in the next year.

One Year Blog Anniversary - A Giveaway

One year ago today I started this little blog of mine.

Happy 1st Birthday Crafty Cucumber!

I am insanely proud of my work here. Blogging has been such an incredible creative outlet for me and I can’t imagine not doing it. I really do love it, a lot more than I thought I would to be perfectly honest with you.

My goal when I started Crafty Cucumber was to carve out a little space for myself on the big old internet where I could share my craft projects, tell of my crafting adventures, and discuss my creative process. I love looking at the last years worth of posts and seeing the sheer number of projects that I have completed, the work that I have done, and what I have accomplished. It is truly satisfying to see my creativity displayed in this space. That is the thing about a craft blog – you have a running tally sheet of what you have done, daring you to complain about the list of unfinished tasks. 

Through this year of blogging, I have rediscovered my love of writing. It had been years since I really wrote anything of substance, and with this blog I have had the wonderful opportunity to do purposeful writing each week. It has been incredibly satisfying to stretch my writing muscles, and as the year has gone by I feel like I have gotten more comfortable in my writing style, more confident in making my own voice heard as I share my projects, and more willing to put things out there for the world to read.

I have also loved sharing my work. Because what fun is crafting of any sort if you keep it all to yourself - none at all.  Working away at a project, knowing that I will be photographing it and sharing it on the blog is so incredibly motivating and it is so much fun to know that like minded people, fellow crafters like myself, are going to look at it. I love the sharing part of blogging, that is for sure.

Of course, hand in hand with sharing, is my love of feedback. I am so happy when readers leave comments on my projects.  Oh dear, if you could have seen me the day I got my first comment, you would have thought I had gone right mad.  All of the feedback I have received this year has been positive and encouraging and I thank everyone who has ever commented on my posts for your kind words.  

To continue the sharing, and to thank you all for reading what this crafty girl has to say every week I would like to celebrate the first anniversary of Crafty Cucumber with a giveaway. 

What is up for grabs you ask? Well after a year of 'Card of the Week' posts I have amassed a giant collection of handmade greeting cards and I would like to offer the following five cards to one lucky reader.

Two birthday cards:

Two thank you cards:

And one blank card:

Wouldn't you love to have these handmade cards on hand? Of course you would.

There are two ways to enter. Of course, if you do both you will have two chances to win, so why not?

1. Publicly follow this blog by clicking on the "Join this Site" button on the sidebar. If you are already a follower (thank you), you are already entered.  
2. Leave me a comment on this post with your contact information so that I can get in touch with you if you are the winner.

The deadline for entries is February 28th at 12:00 pm EST . I will randomly select a winner on March 1st and announce it then.

I have truly enjoyed sharing my work, my thoughts, and my life with you over the past year. Thank you so very much for reading.

Why I Love Blogging

I started this blog less than a year ago and it has been a wonderful outlet for me.

I love the writing.  Before I started blogging it had been so long since I had actually done any writing and I forgot how much I enjoy it.

I love how through my blog I feel connected to other crafters who are sharing ideas.

I love the motivation blogging provides me to keep trucking away on projects.

And I love that when I am feeling a little run down by all the mundane chores and feeling like I have gotten nothing crafty accomplished, I can look at all the project posts I have done and breath a little easier.

This little blog of mine is a wonderful part of my life and I love it.

Thank you to everyone who has ever read here.