Okay, I'll Admit It

I'll admit defeat. I was poking buttons tonight - a lot of them. If you're going to kick me off of the stash ring, please make it painless!

But I HAVE been sewing lately! In fact, I'm going to sew a lot this weekend. But first thing tomorrow, I have to head over to Ginger's for their one-year anniversary blow-out. I don't need anything. I don't want anything. But there's going to be live music and hot dogs ........ I know, I know, putting me in the middle of a store-wide sale is dangerous. But I'm all poked out tonight!

I'm going to finish up a couple of Christmas wallhangings tomorrow. The Holly Jolly Christmas one I made a couple of weeks ago, and also the gingerbread men one. And then last the borders on the Bundling Board, and the embroidery on All Things Christmas. That should keep me busy!

I went through a few months of not wanting to sew much, so this feels good. Even the buying part feels good, because it's motivated me.

So if you need me, holler loudly. Miss Bernina will be humming away and I might not hear you!

Another ATC Block Done

Four blocks done now. Well, not totally done as there's some embroidery on a couple of the blocks remaining. The fourth block needs reindeer antlers and a rope/string from the reindeer to the package. I'll do that this weekend.

This week at work -- it hasn't been pretty. So let's not talk about it!

I was awakened this morning at 4:30 by a large thump and my bed moving. It was only a 3.7 earthquake, and far enough away that I shouldn't have felt it at all. So I was up then. No point in going back to sleep for 30 minutes. It's been a long day. LOL

Sharon at http://www.redgeraniumcottage.typepad.com/ figured out tonight who my friend Jane is. LOL. I've met Sharon on a couple of occasions - although I don't expect her to remember that! But anyway, we decided to share Jane!

Gratitudes:

~ Tomorrow's another day!

~ Light traffic tonight, for a change!

~ Feeling a bit more combobulated today!

~ Trying to decide on the next project! What fun!

Spooky Nights

No, that's not my evenings here at home. It's the name of the quilt I worked on today. It's a kit I picked up at http://www.fatquartershop.com/ BEFORE I decided to collect Halloween fabrics. LOL. Anyway, these blocks went together in a couple of hours this morning, and I planned on spending the rest of the day doing the sashings and setting triangles.

BUT ........ the next installation block for All Things Christmas arrived! So I'm going to work on that instead. And I wonder why I accumulate so many UFOs! However, this quilt is going to get finished next weekend, as well as the Quilts in a Bag blocks I did a couple of months ago. It's time to start finishing up some things!

I was talking to Jane last night about some of these UFOs that are near finished. I have the red and white shooting stars that's close to done, and also I just need to get a final border on Bundling Board. Those will in line for work the following weekend.

Two UFOs a week - I can do that!! Now that doesn't include the quilting because I won't be doing that anyway. But it will include getting the bindings pieced and ready to go on when the quilts are back from being quilted. Sounds like a do-able plan to me!

This weekend was another lazy one. My left shoulder is really aching me, so much so on Friday night that I totally convinced myself I was having a heart attack. Needless to say I didn't sleep much. Then yesterday the pain was radiating across my chest. Today it's going up my neck into the back of my head. And, yes, this is my good shoulder! LOL. I thought maybe it was a pulled muscle, but now it feels more like a pinched nerve. Extra Strength Tylenol hasn't made much a dent in the pain, and I don't want to take anything stronger because those kind of pills make me feel stupid. Guess I'll be checking in with my doc next week. I HATE getting old!

I think I'm going to light the BBQ grill in a bit and cook some hamburgers. Then I won't have to think about food for a couple of nights this week!

Edit: Daisy is SO not talking to me! I foogerbooed her into the bathtub, and now she's hiding under my bed. This pout will last a good two days!!

Gratitudes:

~ Beautiful weekend with much cooler temps!

~ A long talk with a close friend today! ILY!

~ Laughing out loud at Daisy's snoring!

~ Laughing at myself a lot this weekend! I crack myself up!

Bulletin! Bulletin!

I went to the market tonight!! $156 and I didn't buy anything that wasn't food or cleaning stuff! Not a magazine, nothing!

I was going to dive in and start cleaning tonight, but I think I'll wait until the morning. It's not going anywhere! Besides, I'd rather be quilting!

What a long four-day week. But we did have birthday cake for the VP today. I just ate a teeny piece because I figured all the guys wanted seconds. They did! LOL

I don't have a picture tonight of anything worthy of blogging. Tomorrow I'll post at least one Patchwork Party block because that's what I'm going to start on right now!!

The Week

I have absolutely nothing to blog about since last weekend except about my brother.

He's had a second surgery to correct his back problem. He was in an accident four years ago and has really been suffering ever since. A month before his house burned he had the first surgery where they fixed two discs, but it didn't seem to help much. So on Tuesday he underwent a second surgery where rods and screws were inserted. He called me yesterday morning and said he felt wonderful! I asked him if it was the morphine talking!! LOL He's so excited because he can feel his toes for the first time in four years!

Don and Gail have been through so much in the past four years. It all started with that bad accident. Then the house burning down from a lightning; Gail's mother dying; almost losing Don this year with the intestinal bleeding; another accident two months ago where Gail had a broken arm; and now this surgery for Don.

These two people are just the sweetest and loving, most devoted couple I know. I've never prayed so hard or worried so much as I have over them! They both laughed when I told them I was going to wrap them in bubble wrap the next time I saw them because I've used up my worry quota!

This weekend I plan to clean house and sew. Doesn't that sound boring? Hopefully I'll start the Patchwork Party blocks. If I can get half of them done this weekend, then I can devote another weekend soon to getting them finished. That's my plan anyway! And maybe another pumpkin block or two can get prepped. Oh, and I'm going to start Judy's string quilt. I'm way behind on my timeline for that one!

Kimberly at http://www.fatquartershop.blogspot.com/ is having a fun game and giveaway! If you haven't already done so, hop on over there and join in the fun! I never win anything, so your entry stands a very good chance!! LOL

Gratitudes:

~ My brother is doing well!
~ Weather report - the heat let up a bit yesterday; it was 87 at lunchtime!
~ A certain sense of peace that I haven't felt in quite a while.
~ As ever, my Daisy dog!

Buttons

When I was finishing up the gingerbread men blocks this weekend, I suddenly realized I had no buttons for the blasted things. And I sure didn't want to go out in the heat (had to throw in some weather here!) just to get buttons.

I put them aside for a moment, and then the lightbulb came on. I remembered I had gotten buttons a couple of years ago at a quilt shop near Jane's house. But where were they? I looked in a drawer of my sewing table first because that's where I would put them now. And there they were! Amazing! LOL

These aren't the prettiest or the best buttons in the world. But for $3.99 a bag, with probably over 100 in each bag, they'll do just fine! I saw them in a couple of booths at Road to California quilt show last January, too. There are all sizes and shapes in each bag. Perfect!

Just goes to show if you hang onto quilty things long enough, you'll finally find a use for them! At least that's what I'm hoping for that drawful of rulers that are still in the packages!

I Couldn't Stop!

Went ahead and finished up the other two sections of Thimbleberries Hometown Christmas to finish the first book. NOW I can clean my sewing area! LOL