TSP2013 - Video

Here is the the finished sketchbook project in one handy video. Please enjoy the lovely music being played by my sweet husband, Anthony.

The music is provided by Anthony Tirolese on his guitar. Anthony is performing St. Henry's Two Step written by the late Peter Chalmers.

Please feel free to share this video.

Links to sites mentioned in the video:

• http://tirolese.com/art
• http://www.flylady.net 
• http://www.arthousecoop.com 
• http://ticketwindow.ca/ 
• https://cozicentral.cozi.com 
• http://homeroutines.com/ and http://my.homeroutines.com/ 
• https://www.evernote.com 
• https://trello.com/ 
• http://www.lumosity.com/ 
• http://www.zazzle.com/Dollinha 
• http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-ana-tirolese.html 
• https://challenge.meyouhealth.com 
• http://www.instapaper.com 
• http://www.netflix.ca 

**FULL DISCLOSER** I do get paid to answer phones for TicketWindow.ca. Also, if you purchase any products from my Zazzle or FineArtsAmerica sites, I get a percentage of the sales, However, I am not sponsored by nor am receiving any compensation from the above companies for mentioning them on my blog.

TSP2013 - Sleep Time

Sleeping
Watercolour and Ink

Around 11pm it is sleep time.

With luck, I'll sleep the whole night through and feel rested in the morning.

This is my last entry in the Sketchbook Project 2013.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Read for 30 Minutes

Reading on my Kobo eReader Device
Watercolour and Ink

Reading is my other great pleasure. I enjoy it so much that I run an online book club. Because I keep a fairly busy schedule, albeit, self imposed, I save my pleasure reading for bedtime. I set a timer for 30 minutes and read, usually on one of my eReaders.  If I do not set a timer I end up reading far longer than I intend. The electronic readers are easier to hold in bed, and the light is strong enough to read but not strong enough to bother Anthony while he sleeps.

I love that I can change the font size for my aging eyes, and that I can read a huge tome without my hands cramping up.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP - Brush My Teeth

Brush My Teeth - Toothbrushes and  Toothpaste
Watercolour and Ink

Before heading to bed I brush my teeth and wash my face. Here are Anthony's and my toothbrushes in their container on the bathroom sink.

Brushing your teeth is an important part of daily hygiene for good oral health.

I colour-code our things so we can easily see and grab them. I am red/pink/purple. Anthony is any shade of blue and Alexander is any shade of green.

On our calendar I use coloured dots buy appointments so we can see at a glance who has an appointment when.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Shine the Sink

Shining the Sink
Watercolour and Ink

FlyLady says that the first thing to do is shine your sink on your way to take control of your home and your life.  I try to keep the sink shined throughout the day, but I make sure that it is well shined before going to bed at night. It is wonderful to wake up to a shiny sink and a clean kitchen.

I am using the purple cloth here to keep it dry and polished.

This was fun to draw.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Sweep the Floor

Sweep the Floor with my Swiffer SweeperVac
Watercolour with Ink

I love my Swiffer SweeperVac! It works great on non-carpeted floors. I especially love how quickly and thoroughly it picks up crumbs from the kitchen floor. My floors have never been cleaner!

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Dust

Dusting
Watercolour with Ink

The main flat surfaces, around the apartment, get a quick dusting daily.

Using the FlyLady method, I have divided my home into zones, and do one zone per week. Each zone gets a more detailed dusting that week.

Anthony says that I made the feather duster look more like cotton candy. I think cotton candy would be a brighter colour and more uniform in colour. Now I have a craving for cotton candy.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Watching Television

Watching Television
Watercolour with Ink

In the evening we may watch some television. We tend to watch a lot of documentaries and educational shows. We enjoy movies, science fiction programs, and crime scene/mystery fiction shows as well. We do not tend to enjoy reality shows or most of the sitcoms on the tube today.

More often than not the television is on as background noise while we do other things. I will draw or be on the computer. Alexander will be on the computer, texting, or playing an instrument.

Anthony is the only one that actually sits and watches a show from beginning to end. He mostly watches documentaries or films. He chooses what he wants to watch and pays attention. If he is not watching television he is playing his guitar or reading (often with a bird by his side). He finds it annoying that Alexander and I cannot just sit and watch.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Listening to Anthony Play

Anthony Playing the Guitar
Pen and Ink

Anthony plays his guitar nearly every morning, before work, and again in the evening, after supper.

This is a very quick pen and ink sketch of Anthony playing while sitting on the bed in our bedroom. He plays finger-style guitar and is a very talented musician. Of course, he does not think he is. That is because he is a perfectionist.

We have been trying for years to get him to record, or at least, let us video him. He won't allow it. It is too bad. Not only should his talent be shared, but it would be a great memento for his son and future grandchildren.

I thoroughly enjoy listening to him play guitar. I also love creating art while he is playing. There is something soothing and "right" about it.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Draw in Sketchbook

Working on my Sketchbook Project 2013
Pen and Ink

There is nothing more relaxing than putting my feet up and drawing in one of my sketchbooks. This is especially nice if I have my husband and/or son playing music while I draw (see tomorrow's post).

The Sketchbook Project 2013 is turning out to be a lot of fun and very satisfying for me. I enjoyed last year's participation and I am pleased I was able to participate again this year.

It is not too late to join. Just go to Art House Co-op's The Sketchbook Project 2013 site. You'll be glad you did.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Package Leftovers & Start Dishwasher

Packaging the leftovers for Anthony's lunch is very important. It gives him something interesting and nourishing to eat the next day, and no food is wasted. Some people call this plan-overs instead of leftovers. I have been doing this for years. It works well in our family.

I then put the rest of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, if I have not already done this, and start the dishwasher. The dishwasher magnet gets turned over to "Clean" so that I know the dishes in there are clean.

Dotty Dishwasher Magnet by Dollinha at Zazzle.

If there are large pots or skillets that need hand-washing I do it now. The counters and stove get a quick wipe, and the kitchen is pretty well back in order.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Cook & Eat Supper

Beef Enchilada Casserole with Tomato-Avocado Salad
Watercolour and Ink 

I cook supper pretty well every night. We sometimes order in or go out for dinner, but that is rare.

Here I am cooking Beef Enchilada Casserole with Tomato-Avocado Salad that I got from Sandy Richard's book Life's On Fire: Cooking for the Rushed.

I highly recommend any of Sandy's books, but this one is my all-time favourite. It was her first book and I found it spoke to me. I have given it as gifts over the years. It is no longer available or in print with no reprints scheduled. However, if you come across it on a discount shelf or through eBay, I strongly suggest you pick it up.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Do Some Artwork

Perhaps not the best example of my artwork, this represents me taking the time to do something creative every day, besides drawing in my sketchbook. I try to work on some actual artwork, or at least plan some out or do some writing.

You may see examples of my artwork on my Fine Arts America Site: http://1-ana-tirolese.artistwebsites.com/

On the right sidebar of this page you will see links to other sites that I am involved. You see samples of my work in any of those sites.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Pick Up the Mail

Pick up the Mail from the Mail Room
Watercolour with Ink

In the late afternoon I head down to the mail room to pick up our mail.

I drew my hand a lot knobbier than it is, and my arm a lot thinner. My son had a good laugh about that, when he saw this. I actually have pudgy hands and a chubby arm.

These days I mostly get advertisements and bills in the mail. It is rare to get a snail mail letter or card. However, when I do, it is a great pleasure.

Click here to see my Sketchbook Project 2013 submissions in one place.

TSP2013 - Take Out the Trash

Throw out the Trash
Watercolour and Ink

Taking out the trash is not a metaphor for anything. This is literally taking out the trash and dropping it down the trash chute down the hall. I do a quick run around the apartment and see if any of the trash bins are full. I empty any that are and take it down the hall to drop down the chute.

We try to be environmentally conscious and not create a lot of trash. Therefore, this task does not happen every day (I do check every day, but don't necessarily have to take anything to the trash chute). I reuse what I can and collect things for the recycle bin (which I take downstairs, to the large bins in the back, as needed). We don't have a composting program in our building and my husband is not keen on the idea of vermiculture.   We don't garden nor have the space for gardening. 

The pink trash bags that I have pictured is what I use when I run out of plastic shopping bags. The building has a rule that all trash must be bagged before being sent down the chute. When I shop I use reusable cloth totes but now and again I'll get the plastic bags when I run out of them for trash.  I have these pink, as well as purple, trash bags that I get at Dollarama, for when I run out of shopping bags. The pink ones have a rose fragrance and the purple ones smell like lavender. I actually use the purple ones in the our bathroom all the time because they look pretty and smell nice. 

At 5¢ a grocery bag in the grocery store you get 20 for a dollar. Since these will only end up being thrown out, I really don't want to spend a lot of money on them. Most of the grocery bags do get reused several times before finally ending up as trash bags.

TSP2013 - Feed the Birds

Dexter the Conure
Pen and Ink with Watercolour

Dexter is an eating machine. He is constantly stealing food off Anthony's plate.  Sometimes, he does not even need a plate. Here you see him taking some of Anthony's sandwich.

Dexter sneaking some peanut butter sandwich
Photo by Ana Tirolese, taken with iPhone

One day he Dexter grabbed a cracker off a plate and was happily walking away with it. It made me think of an ant carrying something bigger than its body. He looked so funny and cute.

You may also view my uploads on my Art House Co-op profile for The Sketchbook Project 2013.

TSP2013 - Clean Bird Cages

Baby Gillespie - Cockatiel with a crooked beak.
Watercolour and Ink

Bird cages are quickly cleaned (change the paper on the bottom). A more thorough clean is done once a month, or sooner if needed.

This is Baby Gillespie (because he trumpets very loudly). He is a white cheeked cockatiel. As a baby he smashed into a window and left him with a crooked beak. We take him to Dr. Shawn Tucker every few weeks to get the beak taken down. Baby loves Dr. Tucker and is always happy to see him.

Baby loves to socialize provided he is in his cage. He does not enjoy coming out to play and is still a bit wary of hands and people.  He came to us in November after having been a breeder. I hear he was a great dad. His mate passed away. We are very patient with him and he now comes to the edge of the cage and talks, sings, and gives kisses. He used to try to hide before.  We hope that some day he will also enjoy coming out to socialize.

Baby Gillespie wondering what the silly lady is
doing what that funny contraption in here hand.
Photo by Ana Tirolese, taken in iPhone 

You may also view my uploads on my Art House Co-op profile for The Sketchbook Project 2013.

TSP2013 - Empty Dishwasher

Empty the dishwasher of clean dishes and add dirty breakfast dishes
 Watercolour with Ink

The dishwasher is set to wash just before I go to bed at night. In the morning, as part of my morning routines, I empty the dishwasher and put away the clean dishes. I then start to refill it with the dirty breakfast dishes, and continue to fill it with dirty dishes (lunch, supper) as the day goes on.

I have a dishwasher magnet on the door to help everyone know if the dishes are dirty or clean inside the dishwasher.

Black and White Dishwasher Clean-Dirty Magnet by Dollinha
Browse more Dishwasher Magnets

It helps to remind us, especially if I am a little tardy in getting the clean dishes out.

You may also view my uploads on my Art House Co-op profile for The Sketchbook Project 2013.

TSP2013 - Take Meat out of Freezer

Taking meat out of freezer and transferring it to the refrigerator
Watercolour with Ink

I check my dinner schedule and if it calls for meat in tomorrow's meal, I take it out of the freezer today and put it in the refrigerator to defrost.  Here I am taking out some ground beef to make Beef Enchilada Casserole.

My meals are planned ahead of time and are put on the calendar so I always know what's for supper. I automate most of the tedious tasks in my life so I have time for the tasks I enjoy. I hope to have an ebook out soon on how to automate menu planning.

Yes, that is a FlyLady sticky on my fridge.

You may also view my uploads on my Art House Co-op profile for The Sketchbook Project 2013.

TSP2013 - Computer Time

Computer Time
Watercolour and Ink

I spend a great deal of the day on the computer answering phones for TicketWindow.ca, doing design work, writing, reading, creating, social networking, etc. That would be extremely boring to draw. So, to represent my computer time, I give you logos of the sites and programs that I use most often. Yes, there are many other sites and programs I also use, but these ones are opened nearly every day.

Lumosity, Daily Challenge, and most of my email and Facebook time is actually completed before 9:00am. Everything else gets fit in between T.W. calls.

According to RescueTime.com, this is a typical week for me on the computer:

Rescue Time Chart for week of July 29 to August 4, 2012
Screen Capture

According to RescueTime I am more productive than 86% of people (it does vary from day to day, hour to hour).

Rescue Time Productivity Email

I don't always feel productive.

One of the beauties of setting up routines is that I can work on automatic pilot for most of the tedious day-to-day tasks, allowing me to free up my mind and time for the creative tasks.

You may also view my uploads on my Art House Co-op profile for The Sketchbook Project 2013.

TSP 2013 - Work Day Starts

Work Day Starts
Pen and Ink with Watercolour

This image is in the wrong order. There are several other household and computer tasks I do before 9:00am, when my work day starts, but I was so excited about drawing the app logos yesterday that I drew this logo today (spoiler alert: I'll draw more logos tomorrow).

I work from home answering phones for TicketWindow.ca. TicketWindow sells tickets for different events and performances throughout Canada (Mostly in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Alberta). Right now, being that it is summer, the phones are not very busy. We do have times when the phones are ringing off the hook, but we are in our slow season. I can and do other work between calls, both on and off the computer. I am tethered to the computer because I use VOIP for TW through my desktop computer, but I have a long cord on my headset.

During the day I get caught up on email, webdesign, social networking, logo design and other client work, blog posting, working on my book(s), working on various projects of my own, research, read, and online education. I also do a bit of housework to force me to stretch my legs (nothing that keeps me off the phone for extended periods of time).  And, of course, I do sketching and artwork...which I can be completed from my computer chair.

You may also view my uploads on my Art House Co-op profile for The Sketchbook Project 2013.

TSP2013 - Eat Breakfast and Make To-Do List

Eat Breakfast and Organize Day's Schedule
Pen and Ink with watercolour

I have my breakfast in front of the computer, more often than not. Usually, it is a bowl of cereal, however, I sometimes will have toast or raisin bread.

While I eat breakfast I organize my day. I used NowDoThis.com to set up a bunch of tasks that need to be done. I grab the information from the different apps and calendars to organize my work day, my housework, and my drawing time.  I find I am most productive when I set up my To-Do list / schedule this way.

NowDoThis is a simple website in which you add the tasks that you want to do in the order you want to do them in. I have tweaked my list several times to find what works for me and I keep a copy of the list in Evernote that I can copy and past it into the NowDoThis window. I tweak it some more for a particular day, then go for it.

Click on the Edit List link and this window comes up.

Write your To-Do list in the box in the order you want to do it in. You can copy and paste it from another program such as a Word file or an Evernote file. You can edit the list throughout the day if you find that you need to change the order or add/remove tasks. Click Ready button when your list is complete and you want to start.

If you add a time to your list, as above, NowDoThis will give you a simple count-down timer. Click Start when you are ready and it will start to count down. 

View of the count-down timer.

When your time is up, you will hear a "ding". You can then click the Done button.

The next item in your list will pop up. I did not add a time limit to this item so no count-down timer showed up.  I will click  the Done button when I finish this and the next item on the list pops up. I usually alternate between a computer task and a non-computer task to force me to get up often throughout the day. You can have several timed items in a row if you want to control your computer time. For example, 30 minutes - read email; 30 minutes - facebook; 70 minutes working on book project; etc. 

When you complete everything on your list you get this very satisfying All Done! message. I try to organize my day so that I get a certain amount of housework completed before 9:00am, which is when my work day starts. I then include a few housework items that take only a few minutes here and there in order to get off the computer and stretch my legs. I have all my regular task, computer and otherwise, completed early in the day so that I have the rest of the day to do creative work with no time limits. 

You may also view my uploads on my Art House Co-op profile for The Sketchbook Project 2013.