skip to main |
skip to sidebar
With everything that's been going on, I decided to declare yesterday a "me" day.
I spent some time in my studio. Organizing (a little bit), finding things, and testing out my machine's quilting abilities since I had to take it to the shop about a week ago ... gotta make sure that I remember what to do. ;o)
Anyway, I found enough of the quilt blocks that I had received from my group (A Piece of Work B) to complete a table topper. It was originally supposed to be a finished quilt for my bed, but I never made it that far and ended up stashing the blocks in the messed up studio as soon as they came in. Since they were scattered to the four corners, I have no idea who completed what, but the ones in this table topper are to die for!
I was able to piece the blocks together, quilt and bind this quilt all in about 8 hours. I'm so proud of myself!
As soon as I find the others (I know that there are at least a few), I have pillow plans.
So, no quilt again for my room this year, but at least my dining room table is ready for the holidays.
It just wouldn't be the holidays around here unless things were chaotic. :o)
Is it just me, or is time going by WAY too fast?! It seems like I just took my Halloween decorations down yesterday ... okay, so maybe I did ... kind of.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with our families, enjoyed some Wii competition, and pulled out the Christmas decorations.
To me, there's just nothing quite like seeing Christmas for the first time all over again in your children. Little M is finally at an age where he's starting to enjoy the sights and sounds of the holidays. He hammed it up during dinner last Thursday and kept everyone entertained. And he's starting to figure out just what the decorations thing is all about, even though he hates that he can't touch the ornaments once they're on the tree.
So, with the teeny tiny break that I have from school this week, I spent some time catching up around here. First order of business was to work on my grandma's quilt, which is also her Christmas present. I HAVE TO get that done this week!
I also spent some time getting caught up on gift wrapping ... I'm about halfway done. Whew!
And last night we spent some time cleaning up my studio. I still have a lot of cleaning to do, so no pictures of the mess for now. ;o) Trust me, you don't want to see the "before".
Did I mention I'm also SEVERELY behind in getting my blocks finished for the bees that I'm participating in? Yeah, I haven't had a chance to get those bad boys done since October! Ouch!
Believe it or not, I've finally put some stuff up in my Etsy shop. There's a link to it all on the right ... be sure to check it out!
No quilts yet, but there's some cute Halloween jewelry that I made. I hope to have a quilt or two up soon.
I am in love with Melissa's blog. Seriously. I go there, like almost everyday and just drool over her creativity. To have an ounce of her energy and ability to finish projects ... it's really awe inspiring.
Well, she's giving away one of her fabulous Halloween banners.
And I want it.
Badly.
So, I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that I'll be lucky enough to win this spooktacular banner. And if not, I guess I'll be draggin' my butt out somewhere to get what I'll need to make my own!
What a difference a day makes.
Flora isn't finished yet, I need to buy more flowers, but here she is. I also need to buy another bird because the cats apparently felt that my little styrofoam bird was a chew toy. Good thing it wasn't real.
So ... now that I'm "almost" done with Flora, it's time to hit the books and get started on my notes for class.
I am loving school so far. The people there are great, the course seems easy enough, and I'm learning something new everyday. I also get to do crafty things ... I LOVE crafty things.
We're having a contest on Halloween based on fantasy makeup. I love a challenge. ;o) Anyway, we were each given heads to make all pretty for the competition. With this in mind, I'd like to introduce you to "Flora" ...
She's not the prettiest head I've seen, but I hope to fancy her up a lot over the course of the month. Today was day one. I took her outside and spray painted her a nice, creamy ivory color. She's currently perched on my nightstand getting an "air bath" by way of my fan. I hope she dries out, I'm so anxious to paint her.
Obviously, all things quilted have taken a back seat for the time being. With the demands of school, and all the things I have to make for Christmas, well, my own fun has been put on the back burner. Oh well, at least I'm still making pretty things.
Monday, I came home to find a box sitting on the front porch ... and inside were some yummy prizes that I had won from entering the giveaway from the Fat Quarter Shop! How lucky am I?
Thank you SO much FQS for the chance to win such yummy goodies! I won a luscious jelly roll, honey bun, and turnover set in the Mill House Inn pattern! They are gorgeous, but I have no pictures to show you just yet. (You know how I am with pictures ... *sigh*).
If you're still interested, head on over there and sign up for the Fig Tree Club! There's still spots available and you'll get to make some pretty things for around your home (or for gifts)! The link is in an earlier post ... (below this one).
Anyway, school has been kicking my rear end and I also just joined a gym ... time to lose the mommy fat! Wish me luck - it's been a whirlwind of things to do around here! And now I'm gearing up for the holidays too ...
If I had an over-abundance of money to just spend on a whim, my poor studio would look like a fabric shop exploded in there ... oh wait, it already does ... okay, maybe it would look like an ORGANIZED fabric shop then.
Hee hee ...
Okay, so seriously ... if I had some extra funds to play around with, I would give my left arm (that's right - the LEFT one - the one I use ALL the time) to sign up for this club. I have been a serious Fig Tree stalker for quite some time, I just haven't had the money yet to really get down to business! Hurry up and get that job, honey!! :o)
Fig Tree Quilts is putting together a club. Members will receive kits and patterns to make things like lap quilts, totes, home decor items, etc., etc. The Fat Quarter Shop still has some memberships available, so if you're more of a rich girl than I am, run over there and sign up!
It's no secret that I need more clothes. My closest friends all know this, as they've seen me wear the same stuff several times ... the washing and drying of clothes that goes on in my house is insane. I always make sure that the boys are well-dressed, but I neglect my own closet.
So, I'm going to fix this.
I'm starting with pajamas for myself. When I saw this on one of my favorite blogs, I couldn't pass it up. An opportunity to make some pj's with other sewing enthusiasts and a chance to win a $20 gift certificate when it's all over. Umm, yeah. I'm definitely in.
My pattern is ordered, some fabric is on the way, and I'll let you know how it goes. Making clothing is definitely NOT one of my strong points, so cross your fingers for me.
I have been a craftin' fool the last few days.
Aside from sewing the yo yo's together for my pillow, and working on the "Merry & Bright" quilt (yes, I'm STILL not done - it's a LOT of work!!) ... I made some bookmarks, decorated a notebook for me to carry at school, and made myself some pretty jewelry.
Who says ADD is a disorder? I think I'm handling it well. ;o)
Now that I'm all crafted out, and the house is in perfect disarray, Little M gave me some friendly advice:
"Mom, it's time to get a shower, open the blinds and clean up this place! Oh, and fix my bed head, please."
My babies that is ...
Over the summer, a family friend had her granddaughter down to visit. She is close in age to Big T. And they spent most of the visit hanging out, playing, and having a good time. Then he wanted to take her out to eat ... his first "date" ... when did he get big enough to date??
He wanted to sit with her alone, he wanted to pay for her food, and we weren't allowed to talk to them or interfere. Those were the rules. Of course, as two grown women are - we couldn't NOT interfere, so there's now photographic evidence of their first date together. So cute.
The hubster got me up early this morning while he prepared for an interview. It was a brave thing for him to do, as I have not been sleeping well and I very well could have kicked him in the shins in my half-awake state. Yes, he FINALLY got an interview. Apparently, it went well, so pray for us that it will lead to something!
While he was gone, I figured it would be fun to get going on the quilt blocks that I owe to Anna and Kyra for the virtual bees that I am in. Anna's was pretty easy, as I didn't have to think about it. Anything that requires very little brain power is fun. Here's Anna's block:
Kyra's block was a challenge for me. Not because of the construction of it, it was because of her request ... she wanted "wonky". I don't have a wonky bone in my body. It was hard for me to get her block done, but I did, and I'm not sure what I think about it. It's nice, it's cute, but it's not terribly wonky. Here's Kyra's block:
Kyra, you won't hurt my feelings at all if you hide this block in a drawer - never again to see the light of day. I tried though, I really did, I guess I'm just not a wonky person!
No photos today, as I was unable to locate my camera. Hmm ... me thinks I'll have to come up with a solution to that. But I digress.
Today was the first day of school here, or as I like to call it, "Mom's Christmas". Big T was up and at 'em by 6:45 ... the bus didn't come until 8:05 ... a little anxious? I made him some eggs (over medium), some toast, packed his lunch, and helped him pick out his first day outfit. Even after all of that, we were banned from watching him get on the bus. Apparently, that's what moms and dads of babies do. He's a 6th grader now after all. (sigh) ...
When did the time start going so fast?
We got some horrible news this week ... the hubster was laid off from work on Monday. And while I had taken a couple of days to mope around feel sorry for us, there's been a lot of little things happening around here to make me realize that it's not so bad.
For one, the hubster hasn't taken a vacation in a long time. Even though this isn't "technically" a vacation, the time he's been home has given us a chance to enjoy our little family - even more so than the normal weekends off.
Secondly, the layoff has given the hubster the final push that he needed to sit for the CPA exam. He's been putting it off for far too long. Just something he needs to get finished, and now he has the time and the motivation to do it.
And finally, he's found out just how marketable he really is. Today, he's out and about meeting with 3 different recruiters - all of which have positions that need to be filled. The prospects are good and I am hoping that we won't have to be without cash flow for long.
In the meantime, we've been focusing on the little things ... like snuggling on the couch to watch a movie, cooking dinner together, and giggles during bathtime.
I've decided to join another quilt-along.
Why yes, I am crazy actually.
Apparently, my need to quilt trumps my desire to keep a spotless house. I've heard that a spotless house is a sign of a wasted life anyway, so I think I'm doing a good job of living on the edge. ;o)
So, here's a sneak peek at the quilt I call "Merry & Bright". It should be finished in a week or two and will be put into the Etsy shop. We just don't need anymore quilts here, in Florida, during the summer.
And if you think you're up to joining the quilt-along, you can find us by clicking on the logo.
Summer is FLYING by! More so for the kiddos than for me. Big T is dreading starting the 6th grade - more scared actually. Little M is still trying to figure out a new routine. I think we're finally dropping a nap, but we haven't merged the two naps into one yet. He's been taking two naps, but they're shorter and getting closer together. We'll get there. We still haven't lost the binkies yet. I just don't have the heart, especially now that he can say the word "binky", which comes out "peen-key" in Little M style.
Both boys just seem to be growing like weeds ... *sigh*
Picking up Big T from summer camp.
Little M playing in the grass in Ohio.
I managed to get a LOT done today, but didn't take a single picture. Not. even. one. I bought some rechargable batteries at Target last night, but failed to actually put them in the camera. So, no pics today - and now that it's raining and dark, I can't take any now either.
I WILL have some pictures tomorrow though - and I also intend to work on a nice header for the blog ... I'm full of ideas and fresh out of energy to get it done tonight.
The most exciting news though is that Rachel, over at p.s. i quilt is giving away a $50 gift certificate for the Fat Quarter Shop. I don't know about you, but I have my eye on some Christmas fabric (among other things). Head on over to her site and sign up for the giveaway!
I figure that now is as good a time as any to start blogging ... it seems like everyone else is doing it, why not me?
I finally have the house cleaned up, getting ready for taco night with the family. (I LOVE tacos!) Of course, it's always nice to have the house clean anyway, so tacos or no tacos, it needed to get done. I also managed to clean off the dining room table so that we could use it tonight ... imagine ... eating on the table instead of wherever we can find a spot! Craziness!!
Anyway, no quilting today, but I intend to drag everything out later this evening after dinner. You didn't think that the table would stay clean for more than a few hours did you? ;o)
