I'm not announcing this to the world - just to the few who actually read my blog and you probably already know I had another birthday! But did you know my DH Mark also had his? It's true! He'll never catch up to me but we each get one per year - and that is a good thing!! We all got what we wanted for our birthdays and for mother's day, I got a visit from my mom - what could be better?
Things are going well - I have the baby blanket in my car to mail tomorrow and will snap a pic before mailing it - along with a crocheted baby blanket for Julian!
I also finished piecing that top for the bride/mom and once I can get it off to the quilter or onto my frame - whichever comes first - it will also be on the way to being done done!! This is my first quilt in 30 repros and lots of white on white and I do love the vintage look of the quilt. I should really stick to the vintage patterns and fabrics - I find such beauty in their simplicity.
So It's the holiday weekend and I will be sleeping in, selling poppies, doing yard work and still looking for that piece of art for my bathroom! It's the one last thing I need/want. Hoping to get pics of the new room this weekend also and will post!
Looks like we might get a summer in Illinois this year - all the locals are excited ! I am just looking forward to a little rest between all the activities of the Lion's Cluba nd The Legion.
As you enjoy your holiday please remember our veterans and wear a poppy!!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
DRAT - and Drat again!!!
Best of intentions and poor follow through - good thing I am better at work than with my poor blog!
Life has been oh so busy! - I have been away from the sewing machine for a few months!!
Winter blahs?
Hormone angst?
Lack of mecdication?
Too much medication?
I don't know, and not sure I need to analyze the reason - just glad I am back in the sewing room and looking forward to more quilting soon! I was working yesterday on a baby quilt, the last thing I pieced because the baby is due in just three more weeks !! My best friend from college oldest daughter is having her first child (a boy)!! just about on my birthday! What a funny gift - does this mean he has to be called Toby? I'll suggest that! LOL...
so I worked on the baby quilt and worked some more on a long overdue wedding quilt - dare I admit??.... yes I shall ... it's for the mother to be !! So you know it is LONG overdue, but in all fairnesss I did make her one earlier but then decided to let her pick her style so I had to start all over again!!! I am struggling with hundred of little 6" blocks, way smaller than I usually go!
The big annual quilt fest was in Chicago this past weekend and too late I heard it is the last year for Chicago, next year it will be in Cincinnati, OH. I have not gone for several years, admitting I have a huge enough stash to last my life and the ease of internet shopping is just so great - so I did not go.... but I did go to Quilter's Destination in Arlington Heights and spent many hours there working with their wonderful store staff to select fabrics for a new Log Cabin quilt for my room and a few other irresistible pieces of fabric. I got one batik that literally can take your breath away. I fear I may never be able to cut it! The Log Cabin is in new colors, so the bedroom will also have to be re-painted to go with it - see how that works???
So what else is new? Well - we got a new bathroom! Totally gutted our old main bathroom and tossed the 1955 rose colored tub, sink and twink for lovely new biscuit and granite and ceramic tile and glass tile all around. The re-do process was definitely quicker than the planning and shopping, just 3 1/2 weeks from demo to done after 9 years of planning!! lol - so we are very happy and very grateful to our remodeler and we are already thinking ahead to our next projects. I'll post pictures after I get the grout sealed - hopefully this week!
This winter we also repainted all of the first floor except for the kitchen which worked out great - because we just kept the draperies in their dry cleaning bags until the bathroom was done and we saved them from all that dust! The dust is just incredible - we are going to have our vents vacuumed professioanlly, but we may have the remnants of this around for a long long time!!
Other than that Stephen is out of work but searching hard for a new job. He totalled his car during a blizzard this winter but was unhurt and he now has a new used car he likes. Thomas is wrapping up his last few weeks of being a Univ. freshman and we are looking forward to a visit. Work is busy - more opportunities than I have time for. Mark's work is fine - everything is good!
Started yard work last weekend, then had a freeze the last two nights so no planting for another month yet. One of my neighbors was trying to burn her old dead plants and burned up one of my arborvitaes so I guess she is buying me a new tree! Sad part is that it was one of the few older ones - so about 6 feet tall! very established - but I love my neighbor more than my tree - and we can laugh about it! I took her mind off it by giving her the tour of the new bathroom. We did get the patio furniture out for the season and discovered a new crack in our raised terrace -I don't know if it's from the tree we had removed from the side of the terrace two years ago (doubtful) or the earthquake we had last month (more likely).
Travel for work will be starting again soon for the last bit and then I will be done with that I believe. Life is all about transitions I guess - more on that later.
Life has been oh so busy! - I have been away from the sewing machine for a few months!!
Winter blahs?
Hormone angst?
Lack of mecdication?
Too much medication?
I don't know, and not sure I need to analyze the reason - just glad I am back in the sewing room and looking forward to more quilting soon! I was working yesterday on a baby quilt, the last thing I pieced because the baby is due in just three more weeks !! My best friend from college oldest daughter is having her first child (a boy)!! just about on my birthday! What a funny gift - does this mean he has to be called Toby? I'll suggest that! LOL...
so I worked on the baby quilt and worked some more on a long overdue wedding quilt - dare I admit??.... yes I shall ... it's for the mother to be !! So you know it is LONG overdue, but in all fairnesss I did make her one earlier but then decided to let her pick her style so I had to start all over again!!! I am struggling with hundred of little 6" blocks, way smaller than I usually go!
The big annual quilt fest was in Chicago this past weekend and too late I heard it is the last year for Chicago, next year it will be in Cincinnati, OH. I have not gone for several years, admitting I have a huge enough stash to last my life and the ease of internet shopping is just so great - so I did not go.... but I did go to Quilter's Destination in Arlington Heights and spent many hours there working with their wonderful store staff to select fabrics for a new Log Cabin quilt for my room and a few other irresistible pieces of fabric. I got one batik that literally can take your breath away. I fear I may never be able to cut it! The Log Cabin is in new colors, so the bedroom will also have to be re-painted to go with it - see how that works???
So what else is new? Well - we got a new bathroom! Totally gutted our old main bathroom and tossed the 1955 rose colored tub, sink and twink for lovely new biscuit and granite and ceramic tile and glass tile all around. The re-do process was definitely quicker than the planning and shopping, just 3 1/2 weeks from demo to done after 9 years of planning!! lol - so we are very happy and very grateful to our remodeler and we are already thinking ahead to our next projects. I'll post pictures after I get the grout sealed - hopefully this week!
This winter we also repainted all of the first floor except for the kitchen which worked out great - because we just kept the draperies in their dry cleaning bags until the bathroom was done and we saved them from all that dust! The dust is just incredible - we are going to have our vents vacuumed professioanlly, but we may have the remnants of this around for a long long time!!
Other than that Stephen is out of work but searching hard for a new job. He totalled his car during a blizzard this winter but was unhurt and he now has a new used car he likes. Thomas is wrapping up his last few weeks of being a Univ. freshman and we are looking forward to a visit. Work is busy - more opportunities than I have time for. Mark's work is fine - everything is good!
Started yard work last weekend, then had a freeze the last two nights so no planting for another month yet. One of my neighbors was trying to burn her old dead plants and burned up one of my arborvitaes so I guess she is buying me a new tree! Sad part is that it was one of the few older ones - so about 6 feet tall! very established - but I love my neighbor more than my tree - and we can laugh about it! I took her mind off it by giving her the tour of the new bathroom. We did get the patio furniture out for the season and discovered a new crack in our raised terrace -I don't know if it's from the tree we had removed from the side of the terrace two years ago (doubtful) or the earthquake we had last month (more likely).
Travel for work will be starting again soon for the last bit and then I will be done with that I believe. Life is all about transitions I guess - more on that later.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Minor Update
I am inspired daily by many of the blogs I read. I find it amazing that many people see the same image in daily life and yet perceive it differently. In work we have spent considerable time talking about intentions versus perceptions and how there can often be a gap between the two. Hmmm something to think about......again....
I have finished my Crayola quilt, and was going to mail it today but could not find my camera this morning. In the clearing of the LR and DR last weekend (getting ready for major re-paint) I put it in the kitchen cupboard with the drinking glasses so I would see it every day and know where it is - and now four days later - it is gone!! I will have to ask my DH tonight and get a picture before mailing the quilt tomorrow!
Tonight is our monthly Lion's Club meeting, Friday is something else going on I can't recall, Saturday is our annual Auxiliary Speakeasy dinner/dance and Sunday I prep for another diagnostic procedure to happen on Monday. As much as I hate the procedures I get rewarded with pancakes afterwards so I am looking forward to my trip to IHOP Monday afternoon!
I was reminded today of what a small world we live in. The nurse calling to pre-screen my meds for Monday recognized my phone number at work as the same exchange as her husband's work number, who incredibly in this company of 10,000 plus people works across the hall from me and we interact frequently!
I have a gift certificate from my frequent buyers points at a local quilt shop and it's starting to burn a whole in my wallet - so I think I may try to get over there soon and spend it on something for the stash! The challenge is spending ONLY the certificate! LOL.....
Mom has been calling and complaining about the cold down in Florida, so I have ordered some new velour outfits for her to be warm and comfy in. It's great to shop after the holidays and when seasons are changing in the stores, I scored some great deals at Coldwater Creek Outlet on-line and it will be hopefully a nice surprise for her when they arrive.
That's about all the news that's fit to print - more later!!
I have finished my Crayola quilt, and was going to mail it today but could not find my camera this morning. In the clearing of the LR and DR last weekend (getting ready for major re-paint) I put it in the kitchen cupboard with the drinking glasses so I would see it every day and know where it is - and now four days later - it is gone!! I will have to ask my DH tonight and get a picture before mailing the quilt tomorrow!
Tonight is our monthly Lion's Club meeting, Friday is something else going on I can't recall, Saturday is our annual Auxiliary Speakeasy dinner/dance and Sunday I prep for another diagnostic procedure to happen on Monday. As much as I hate the procedures I get rewarded with pancakes afterwards so I am looking forward to my trip to IHOP Monday afternoon!
I was reminded today of what a small world we live in. The nurse calling to pre-screen my meds for Monday recognized my phone number at work as the same exchange as her husband's work number, who incredibly in this company of 10,000 plus people works across the hall from me and we interact frequently!
I have a gift certificate from my frequent buyers points at a local quilt shop and it's starting to burn a whole in my wallet - so I think I may try to get over there soon and spend it on something for the stash! The challenge is spending ONLY the certificate! LOL.....
Mom has been calling and complaining about the cold down in Florida, so I have ordered some new velour outfits for her to be warm and comfy in. It's great to shop after the holidays and when seasons are changing in the stores, I scored some great deals at Coldwater Creek Outlet on-line and it will be hopefully a nice surprise for her when they arrive.
That's about all the news that's fit to print - more later!!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Working Hard and Hardly Working
I have been working very hard at work, and hardly working at all at home. Sometimes that's just how it is and we ride the wave until it levels back out again!
I love my work, it's great working for a company that really makes a difference in people's lives at a very personal level. We've gone through a lot of organizational changes in the past 6 months and we still have more change coming, but we are all trying to feed on the energy that comes with change and are motivated by the successes we have seen to date. So I am working hard and running on adrenalin a lot!!
At home not so much is getting accomplished, I think after the hectic end of year with guests and redecorating and shopping and more guests we are just tired! I did finish piecing the top for RMHC and will be quilting that this weekend so I can get it in the mail the first of the week - watch for a new posting next week with a picture!
I also pulled fabrics last night to make a baby blanket for a friend's daughter who is having her first baby and it will in fact be the first grandchild for my friend. Funny - this my friend's her first child and when she was born I sewed for her a funny yellow quilted bunting with a frog applique and I think I crocheted a baby blanket (but who can recall after all these years?) Her next three children I don't recall sewing for and when she had number 3 I was delivering Stephen so I was really busy with that! But now it's nice to think that I am sewing something for the next generation - it's kind of like a legacy. Which has me thinking maybe I need to just start making baby blankets and stacking them away for this next generation. I do want to make the quilt I promised to Stephen when he was 4 years old "for his baby" so whenever that happens it will be done, whether I am here or not.
For some reason I have been thinking about my mortality lately - maybe it's the persistent iron deficiency that they can't figure out, or maybe it's just old age and being tired - but I am dedicating myself in 2010 to improving my health and my home by unloading, de-stressing, and just simplifying. It's easier to do now that it's just Mark and I at home and we have a good start made - so I am looking forward to continuing.
Within the next few weeks Mark and I will be packing up everything in the living and dining rooms and consolidating all of the furniture to the center of the room to do scraping, skim coating, and repainting. We had some water damage last summer through a roof leak and with plaster walls and ceilings it caused the paint to lift. Which I guess is better than getting holes in the drywall, but it will be a mess for a while anyway! Of course I want to do a larger project while we're at it and replace our fireplace wall, but I will probably back off on that in exchange for getting what I want in the master bathroom this summer when we do the major remodel in there. I have hated that bathroom for 9+ years so this is a big year for us!!
I love my work, it's great working for a company that really makes a difference in people's lives at a very personal level. We've gone through a lot of organizational changes in the past 6 months and we still have more change coming, but we are all trying to feed on the energy that comes with change and are motivated by the successes we have seen to date. So I am working hard and running on adrenalin a lot!!
At home not so much is getting accomplished, I think after the hectic end of year with guests and redecorating and shopping and more guests we are just tired! I did finish piecing the top for RMHC and will be quilting that this weekend so I can get it in the mail the first of the week - watch for a new posting next week with a picture!
I also pulled fabrics last night to make a baby blanket for a friend's daughter who is having her first baby and it will in fact be the first grandchild for my friend. Funny - this my friend's her first child and when she was born I sewed for her a funny yellow quilted bunting with a frog applique and I think I crocheted a baby blanket (but who can recall after all these years?) Her next three children I don't recall sewing for and when she had number 3 I was delivering Stephen so I was really busy with that! But now it's nice to think that I am sewing something for the next generation - it's kind of like a legacy. Which has me thinking maybe I need to just start making baby blankets and stacking them away for this next generation. I do want to make the quilt I promised to Stephen when he was 4 years old "for his baby" so whenever that happens it will be done, whether I am here or not.
For some reason I have been thinking about my mortality lately - maybe it's the persistent iron deficiency that they can't figure out, or maybe it's just old age and being tired - but I am dedicating myself in 2010 to improving my health and my home by unloading, de-stressing, and just simplifying. It's easier to do now that it's just Mark and I at home and we have a good start made - so I am looking forward to continuing.
Within the next few weeks Mark and I will be packing up everything in the living and dining rooms and consolidating all of the furniture to the center of the room to do scraping, skim coating, and repainting. We had some water damage last summer through a roof leak and with plaster walls and ceilings it caused the paint to lift. Which I guess is better than getting holes in the drywall, but it will be a mess for a while anyway! Of course I want to do a larger project while we're at it and replace our fireplace wall, but I will probably back off on that in exchange for getting what I want in the master bathroom this summer when we do the major remodel in there. I have hated that bathroom for 9+ years so this is a big year for us!!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Loree's Friendship Star
Here's a pic of the birthday surprise quilt for Loree - it finished about 72 inches square and is made primarily of the Hoffman Empress collection. gotta run - pizza is here!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Back in Chicago!
Well - The trip was great - quick but great! I had to keep it a secret as I was flying back to Buffalo then driving in to Niagara Falls to a surprise birthday party. I have yet to unload my pictures but hope to get that done soon and will add one here of the quilt being delivered to Loree. Loree is a friend of my mom's (mine too) back from when I was about 14 years old. (That wasa LONG time ago!!!) They have remained best friends although time and distance has kept them apart and Loree's family decided for her 75th birthday that they would have a party! They had a beautiful event at the new Seneca Casino Hotel in Niagra Falls, NY and it was incredible. The event which was cocktails, dinner and dancing, was hosted by Loree's eldest daughter Linda and planned by Linda's daughter Chandra. Everything was just perfect and so much attention to detail it was amazing especially since Chandra does not live in the NF area. This would be a feat if you were local, let alone living 500 miles away.
We were afraid with the snow storms in Chicago and the East coast on Wednesday and Thursday that our flights Friday morning would be impacted - Mom was flying up from Miami and I was flying across from O'Hare scheduled to meet about 15 minutes apart in BUF. Both of our flights were delayed, but I arrived only about a half hour before Mom so I was in baggage claim ready to meet here when she arrived. The trip to NF was simple as there was very little traffic on the snowy roads. I had a rental car from National and they upgraded me to an Impala which handled the snow and slush with no problems. We made it in by 2:30 and the party was at 5:30.
I had brought the quilt in my suitcase so I could also pick up some bread from DiCamillo's bakery in Lewiston to bring home. The quilt was spread on a table in the cocktail/dancing room and everyone signed the back with messages to Loree. I ran upstairs at the end of dinner to iron the back so the pigma ink would be permanent. It was really wonderful to meet all the kids that I knew from my own youth and see the poeple they had become in life. Most have remained in NF, which is so different of course from my countrywide ramblings. But it was really beautiful to see 4 generations of a family come together with such love for Loree. Most of the kids gave little speeches of thanks, or read poems they had written and one of the grandsons did a rap. Mom and Loree were glued side by side all night just taking it all in, and it was nice to see them together again!
I'll post again soon about what else I did in NF!
Well - It's time to work, so I'll add the pictures later - but I am home again and now working on my Crayola challenge quilt for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. This is my third RHMC challenge and I am really enjoying the quilt. I am making a Snail's Trail pattern and my quilt is Crayola colors Carnation Pink and Aquamarine. It is due to be at the host's home by February 1, so I am working hard on it. I made 15 blocks last night and hopefully can get five more out of the pink fabric I have. Otherwise I may have to do some substitution.
We were afraid with the snow storms in Chicago and the East coast on Wednesday and Thursday that our flights Friday morning would be impacted - Mom was flying up from Miami and I was flying across from O'Hare scheduled to meet about 15 minutes apart in BUF. Both of our flights were delayed, but I arrived only about a half hour before Mom so I was in baggage claim ready to meet here when she arrived. The trip to NF was simple as there was very little traffic on the snowy roads. I had a rental car from National and they upgraded me to an Impala which handled the snow and slush with no problems. We made it in by 2:30 and the party was at 5:30.
I had brought the quilt in my suitcase so I could also pick up some bread from DiCamillo's bakery in Lewiston to bring home. The quilt was spread on a table in the cocktail/dancing room and everyone signed the back with messages to Loree. I ran upstairs at the end of dinner to iron the back so the pigma ink would be permanent. It was really wonderful to meet all the kids that I knew from my own youth and see the poeple they had become in life. Most have remained in NF, which is so different of course from my countrywide ramblings. But it was really beautiful to see 4 generations of a family come together with such love for Loree. Most of the kids gave little speeches of thanks, or read poems they had written and one of the grandsons did a rap. Mom and Loree were glued side by side all night just taking it all in, and it was nice to see them together again!
I'll post again soon about what else I did in NF!
Well - It's time to work, so I'll add the pictures later - but I am home again and now working on my Crayola challenge quilt for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. This is my third RHMC challenge and I am really enjoying the quilt. I am making a Snail's Trail pattern and my quilt is Crayola colors Carnation Pink and Aquamarine. It is due to be at the host's home by February 1, so I am working hard on it. I made 15 blocks last night and hopefully can get five more out of the pink fabric I have. Otherwise I may have to do some substitution.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Surprise quilt finished!!
Yes - I finally finished it this weekend and will be packing it away for a trip later this week. I wasn't thrilled with the quilt as I made it, each block was pretty, but it's not really 'my' colors, and when I put the blocks together it was 'okay'. It wasn't until I finished quilting it at 4:30 Sunday morning that I said -'wow - this works' and I love this quilt. I'll give more details when I post a picture next week (after reveal) and hopefully it's new owner will love it as much as I do.
Now my home is back to just Mark and I (and Merlin) and it seems very very quiet, but I really, really like it!! I love my family and friends and entertaining, but it had been just two weeks since Stephen moved out before the holiday started and I felt like we hadn't really transitioned into being empty nesters. I feel like now we can start on that next phase of our lives together. So... as I try to tell my husband last night how much I like just the two of us together, he tells me he doesn't! LOL - city boy - he's used to more hustle and bustle and constant noise. I held my tongue and didn't remind him the holiday was different for him than for me (gift shopping, food buying, food prepping, decorating, cleaning, etc etc) Maybe next year I'll let it be his turn altho he swears that somewhere in our wedding vows I agreed to doing all those things for him! Oh well - it's never boring.....
Now my home is back to just Mark and I (and Merlin) and it seems very very quiet, but I really, really like it!! I love my family and friends and entertaining, but it had been just two weeks since Stephen moved out before the holiday started and I felt like we hadn't really transitioned into being empty nesters. I feel like now we can start on that next phase of our lives together. So... as I try to tell my husband last night how much I like just the two of us together, he tells me he doesn't! LOL - city boy - he's used to more hustle and bustle and constant noise. I held my tongue and didn't remind him the holiday was different for him than for me (gift shopping, food buying, food prepping, decorating, cleaning, etc etc) Maybe next year I'll let it be his turn altho he swears that somewhere in our wedding vows I agreed to doing all those things for him! Oh well - it's never boring.....
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