There's NO business, like SNOW business :-)

Yesterday: It snowed all day. By bedtime we had gotten about 14+/- inches of snow.
The apple trees in our backyard.
I think she was trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue :-)



Snowbunnies


I just thought this was very cool how the snow was piled on the very top of the flag.



Today: I think we got a total of at least 23" of snow.
Has anyone seen my chickens?


Don't think we'll be having a BBQ for a while.


I think there's a car under there.





The pile of snow out front of my house.




But there is hope that spring will come again.

I spent about 45 minutes outside yesterday shoveling and bringing wood in...today I spent another hour or more just shoveling the front sidewalk and paths to the chickens and wood piles and for the dogs.

Yesterday was the kind of day I've dreamed about for a very long time. Snowed in with my kids, just doing things around the house, only thing missing was Matt (he was out on the road doing the routes since the storm started on Wednesday). Today I was even more indulgent and watched a movie (Hello, Dolly!).

I did get some work done on the quilt for my mom. Everything is cutout for the star blocks, and I have 3 of those stitched together...only 15 more of the stars to go and 17 photo collage blocks. It's actually coming together surprisingly fast. I think it's probably because as of right now, it's all sitting on my kitchen counter!

The fabrics aren't quite this dark in real life.

My Mom's Memory Quilt

I'm making progress...of course I haven't cut a stitch of fabric yet and it needs to be done by the end of March (the deadline I've set myself to get it out to the quilter and back before her birthday, May 8th). I've been sneaking pictures and albums out of my parents' house and slowly compiling a rather huge file of pictures.

I have some other people looking for other pictures. I don't have a lot from my mom as a kid, just 1 of her as a baby (about 7 months or so) and 1 of her as a kid at about 4 or 5. Hopefully everyone gets me their pictures asap. What I plan on doing is having a "themed" photo collage at the center of the plain blocks, about 5x7. I've tested the print on fabric and it looks like it's going to work well... so now I just need to order more of it.

Here's the design in EQ6
The white-ish blocks in the center section are going to be the pictures. The quilt is going to be bound in a dark blue (not sure about the back yet).

Here's the fabric that I bought
You're probably thinking: "She's been talking about this blog since I started reading it..." Yea, I have and I realized something last night...the reason for my procrastination is the same reason why I haven't done anything on it in the past 3.5 months of being a SAHM....Avelyn. I didn't want to create a memory quilt, that didn't include a grandchild, my child. As selfish and as simple an answer as that.

Of course now I've given myself additional hurdles to jump while doing this, but I know MIL would be more than willing to take her for a few hours in the morning or other times so that I can work on it. The pattern is simple enough that it shouldn't take me long, but still I need to work on it.

The other big hurdle is that my dining room has been turned into a construction area...everything for the bathroom reno is in there...so I have to try and do this in my kitchen. Wish me luck!

I actually finished something!

I can't even believe it...somehow I actually managed to finish this tote bag!



I had some struggles with it, as the pattern doesn't allow for inside pockets and I knew I wanted them, but I'm pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out. I actually had to quilt the entire bag body on my sewing machine and it actually came out looking halfway decent.

I hate quilting anything on my machine so I avoid making anything that needs to be quilted there. I was a bit tricky though in how I did it: Adhesive spray and painters' tape.

The pattern for the tote bag actually tells you to use spray adhesive between the layers before quilting them...I tried it and it actually worked quite well. The masking tape gave me straighter lines than I could've done on my own.

I finished it just in time too! Two of my cross stitch kits showed up in yesterday's mail.

On another note: Let the 2010 Christmas shopping commence! I got Ave's "big" present! I wanted to get her the LL Bean kid's push/pull sled. I thought to myself, "Hmm...maybe I can get it cheaper on ebay..." and I did. I managed to save $60 by buying it used on ebay.

The seller's mother bought it for her daughter this Christmas, but the kid is too big (she's 4 and it's meant for much younger kids)...it was used to pull presents up the driveway a couple of times...AND she's including a Christmas outfit that her daughter got that's too small too. WOOHOO!

Catch-Up

Breath!

I feel as though things have just been a whirlwind of ending and beginning, from one year to another, and that I just haven't written a REAL post. I don't feel that much is going on, but there are some things.

I called worked last week and told my boss I'd like to come in and discuss my return to work with her and our HR manager when she's next in the office. I could already tell it was getting a bit "chilly" on her end of the phone...great! I was told to contact our HR person to set it up; she finally called me back today. I go in next Monday at 1:30 to discuss my return (or lack there of) to work. I can hardly wait for this conversation *note sarcasm* Either they will be cool about it or completely bitchy and I'm not sure how to deal with it. I just have to keep telling myself, "It's not personal: It's business".

We had a nice Christmas, definitely better than last Christmas...when we found out the week before that BIL and PP were pregnant...whoops! I managed to not get into a fight with my brother, although we didn't spend much time near each other. I did almost got in a fight with FIL... or rather his behavior was TERRIBLE and I seriously wanted to punch him in the nose.

Christmas day he was down here and had a major attitude, granted he had a slight cold and didn't feel great. Matt asked him if he would be able to help him sheet rock our bathroom...."I'll have to think about it" (we found out yesterday, that while FIL was visiting BIL in NH, he helped him sheet rock their entire basement...but he can't help with our bathroom).

Then on Sunday (12/27) FIL, in a moment of kindness, helped Matt move the last of the wood pile into the basement (it only took a couple of hours). We went up there for dinner that night and he was in a mood again. We were doing presents with SIL and Matt's grandparents. FIL sits down next to the tree, MIL asks him to hand out gifts "I don't want to" and flat out REPEATEDLY refused to participate in giving gifts, left the room the minute they were done and went back to his TV (he didn't have a cold at this point). That night he makes some comment about A...I think we were talking about her hair or something...and he goes "It's not like it matters....it's all going to fall out anyways": SIL kind of went off on him about that.

I've been trying to get a picture of A and her grandparents since she was born, but FIL is never cooperative. They're leaving for Egypt for a month and I really wanted a picture before they left...here's the picture I have. He flat out refused to look at the camera. Isn't lovely?! GRRR!! He's been seriously getting on my nerves lately.

We have started a couple of our "To Do in '10" list. We went to Lowe's on New Year's Day to look at stuff for the bathroom and decided that we really don't like any of the bath vanities they have OR we don't want to spend $600 on them. I think we may just build the cabinet and the medicine cabinet too. We still have to sit down and price out the whole project, but we're seriously going to try and get it done for less than $1500. Sheet rocking is really the biggest part of the job, even the tiling of the shower isn't going to be too big. I just want to get it done.

I actually managed to work on a sewing project for the second time since A was born. Yesterday we were snowbound (we actually were all weekend, it was REALLY nice)...Matt brew a batch of beer and I started working on a tote bag in which to store all of the crafting supplies for the kits I bought. I'm hoping to be able to work on it in the evenings a bit, but between A, the dogs, the chickens, the furnace and the rest of the "household to dos" time is scarce.

We've decided on a bit of a sleep routine for us. We're going to rotate nights, as long as she's on schedule. Meaning every other night Matt get's the 3:30 shift and I get to sleep, but if she's wonky and not sleeping I get her. I tried in the crib last night again. She slept for about 3 hours in there, but would start crying every once in a while. Needless to say I didn't sleep during that time and actually considered sleeping on the floor so I was right there....we'll have to see.

The doctor wasn't too concerned, but was relatively adamant about no tummy sleeping. I know once she is allowed to sleep on her tummy that she's going to be a great sleeper, until then.... I honestly can't complain because she's not a bad sleeper, she just doesn't do what I (or the books) think she should. I guess that's partly my problem...I need to get over them (the books) and just do what works for us.

Here's the beginning of the tote bag I'm working on. I bought the black paisley fabric several years ago and absolutely LOVED it, but didn't want to use it in just anything...so I decided to use it in this (I have 5 yrds of it!).

I also went for my eye exam today, that was interesting with a 2 month old that didn't want to sleep. I need a stronger script, no surprise there, but I also have an astigmatism in my right eye...had one when I was a kid too. I asked the doctor about my eyes starting to bother me for up close work (ie. quilting or hand stitching) and he said to try wearing my glasses for that too, rather than just distance.

I'm not sure if these are it, but it looks kind of like them, but they're Mocha and Cream not black.






And I think that's all that is going on right now.....phew!

Crafting and Quilting in 2010

I've started working on my lists for 2010 (posts to come)....the lists of all the things I'd like to do/change in the new year.

I have several very specific things that I need/want to get done this year:

~*~Quilts~*~

#1 - Mom's 50th Birthday Memory quilt
I'm still hoping I'll be able to get this one done. It's only 5 months away and I haven't even started on it. I think once I have a day or two at home, hopefully with Matt here so I can focus on it. The part that is most daunting to me, and will take the longest, is getting all of the pictures together and onto fabric. I had hoped to make this a queen size quilt, but I think I'm going to work on it being a large wall hanging, around 42-50" square. I know my mom won't actually use it as a quilt and she doesn't have room to hang a HUGE quilt in her house.

#2 - Kate's graduation quilt
I haven't even given any thoughts to this as I have no idea what I want to make or what colors she wants. I kind of have to start feeling her out as to what colors and styles she likes, but it will be a full size quilt.

#3 - Falling Leaves quilt
I started before A was born, but didn't get too far. My goal is to finish it. I think the pattern is for a 100"sq quilt, but I think I'll be happy if I make it twin size. We already have a "fall quilt" on our bed, so it would just be nice to have this one for the living room. Knowing me though, it may end up a wall hanging lol











#4 - Christmas quilt
I've already bought the fabric for this. It's a very easy pattern and I REALLY want a Christmas quilt on our bed for next winter. I'm hoping I can struggle through and get it done.















~*~Crafts~*~

On my to do list I have "Learn Counted Cross Stitch/Embroidery". I think embroidery may be out of my league just yet, but I can manage the counted cross stitch (or CCS). I'm buying a couple of kits from Herrschner's:
Mary Engelbreit Mini Ornament Pack
Believe in Magic Sampler
Christmas Tree Sampler

I doubt I'll get the samplers done, but they're really cute and are on sale now. Even if I don't get to them for a couple of years I still have them (or can gift them).

Now let's see how much of this I actually get accomplished...what is it about "the road to hell...."

Dull women have immaculate sewing rooms...

I must be a very exciting woman then! Here's the current state of my sewing room...interesting huh?I'm going through withdrawal...quilting withdrawal. Remember that quilt I started to pass the time before Avelyn was born...still trying to work on it. I seem to be able to get a few blocks stitched together a week. I think it may be a looong time before I actually can sit down for a few hours and work on it.

So far this is all I've gotten of the prospective 56 leaf blocks. Then all the blocks need to be log cabin'ed (meaning rotating strips of fabric around the outside of each of the leaf blocks), then pieced into rows and all together...maybe for next fall.

Of course not being able to work on a project never stopped me from starting another one. I haven't quite started this one, but I do have it in the thought process. I would really like a Christmas quilt for our bed and just recently found this pattern "Christmas Remembered" on the allpeoplequilt.com website. I'm not going to pay their $6 for the pattern. I just sat down at my EQ6 program and found a similar block and edited it to how I wanted it.

The nice thing with this pattern is that it is 25 blocks (easy enough) and they're all about 15" square...so it makes it a lot faster to do. Now, I have absolutely no intention of getting this done before Christmas...I'm shooting for next Christmas.

“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.”

I'm trying not to passively wait, but to keep myself constructively occupied. Now that I've actually have something to keep me occupied I'm not minding the being home all day....I'm actually kind of liking it.

Today I managed to get some more of the kitchen cleaned; of course, then Matt was home for part of the day and he decided to bottle his Pumpkin Ale, so there went my "clean" kitchen.

I also managed to work a bit more on my quilt that I'm making. Over there (to the left) is the magazine cover photograph. I'm trying to do what they say "A Great Scrappy Stash Buster": It's rather hard for me, because I like things to have a pattern and a method to them. Random is not so much my thing, but I'm trying to get over that.

In the past 2 days I have cut 560 pieces of fabric, ranging from 1.5"square to 2x5". I still need to cut another 336 pieces, but as of right now I can start piecing together the leaf blocks. Another plus is that I've only spent about $25.00 in fabric. I pulled everything (almost) from my stashes...the only things I had to purchase was a yard for the background of the leaf blocks and a 1/4 yrd each of 3 purple fabrics and 2 browns: Not too shabby.

I'm not planning on sending this quilt out, but am hoping to learn how to tie a quilt. I also haven't decided if I'm going to make it bigger (the pattern is for 70X80, which is full size) so that we can use it on our bed (we already have a fall quilt)...or if I'm going to make 2 throw size quilts from it (approximately 40x50 -I'd have to make a few extra blocks if I do the queen or throws...not a big deal....or add a wider border), or just leave it the size it is.

Anyways, that's where I am. Tomorrow I can get up and start piecing together 56 leaf blocks (with an average of 10 rows of stitches each - for a total of 560 rows of stitches). You know, when you start thinking about all of the individual pieces, cuts, and stitches that go in to a quilt it's no wonder a homemade quilt costs what it does to buy. If I can get 1/2 the leaves pieced tomorrow I will be happy :-)

A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on. -- Carl Sandburg

Today I had my 38 week OB appt: Blood pressure was 120/80 (higher than the last few times), I'm still a bit iron deficient (but nothing to worry about), I'm now a solid 2cm dialated, and 50% effaced. The doctor seemed to think I could very well go in to labor before my next appt, but there's no guarantee of that.

I'm seriously hoping I don't. We're having a huge sale in the store this weekend and it just would not be at all convenient if I went in to labor. If nothing else, I'm hoping for Sunday, and my temp at work is hoping not before Tuesday. We're all just going to have to wait and see. My last day is the 20th...any time after that is good. Of course, after the OB checked my cervix I'm now losing bits and pieces of my mucus plug. Even that doesn't mean anything, it could still be weeks before I go into labor.

Of course that said, I always prepare for the "worst". I wanted to have the nursery done this past weekend and I've just about succeeded. I finished the bookcase on Friday and Matt and I carried it upstairs on Sunday and since then I've been putting the finishing touches up...I do still have picture frames to hang, but here it is:


Here's the quilt: The lady who does all of my quilting did this as a gift...if you click on the picture you can see just how fancy of a job she did quilting it...it's absolutely gorgeous.

And the room:

“Do not plan for ventures before finishing what's at hand.” Euripides

I'm too tired to post much more than this...boss gave us the day off today...so I spent the entire day working on the quilt top for the baby: It's done. Took about 10 hours, but I'm more than glad to have it done and mailed out to the quilter.

The blue and white at the edges are the paint and molding in the dining room, not part of the quilt. Now I'm showering and going to bed....more later....

Remember these two furry beasts?

They're not furry beasts anymore!

They went on Saturday for a grooming! I was a nervous wreck the entire time I was waiting for the groomer to call. We got our dogs 3 years ago (July)...we took them to a local groomer that fall...the groomer told us "don't bring that one back" meaning Thyme (on the right). Matt asked what was wrong and he said she was a nervous wreck. So we didn't we could manage Thyme's grooming on our own.

Sage went to them one last time, I think 2 years ago, and they told us then "don't bring her back unless she's tranqu'ed"....uhh ok. Let me just say I was never really impressed with these groomers...they are rather rough.

For the past two years, we've been managing their grooming as best we could, while trying to find someone that would actually groom them. FINALLY, this past month I found someone...a lady from Brooklyn who was willing to give them a try.

Obviously, she got them done. She did say, that they are ruined for life, as far as grooming goes. Her feeling is the same as mine....that whatever that first groomer was doing really scared the bejeezers out of them. BUT, she's willing to do them again.

A $100.00 later and the dogs are done! She charged me an extra $5 each since they were so difficult (it took her 4 hours to do them) and I was just so glad that she did them and got them done (even their nails clipped!) that I tipped her $20. They both feel and look so much better now.

Here's an interesting tid bit: When we got them from the previous owner (an old lady that had them and 2 white bichons) she told us they were bichon and border collie, which we could see the bichon, but not the border collie. The groomer said what she sees is Scottie mix....Thyme has the hair/beard of a scotty and Sage more the build and disposition of a Scottie. Ironically, that's what Matt and I had said in the past too.

~*~
This weekend I decided to start working on some of the sewing that needs to get done for the kid's room. I decided I would start on the valance for the curtain: I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this yet, but it will come to me. Here's a tease of the blocks...I have to make 4 more then figure out how to place them together. I'm sorry the picture is so scrappy...it's the camera.

The rest of what I have to make for the room is the curtain panels (which are easy enough - just a hemmed stretch of fabric), a quilt, a wall hanging, and I'm hoping MIL will make the bed skirt ...then my major sewing should be done...I'm going to hold off on the bumper until last (not something we'd need right away, if we decide to have one).

~*~
I think I picked out my shower dress: Now to order it. It was tough to find a dress that I liked and didn't cost a fortune. There was one I liked more than this one, but it was only available in a small...I am not, nor have I ever been, a small. Hopefully it fits and looks good.

~*~
The only other "exciting" thing this weekend was that I ordered the first of our cloth diapers. The Bum Genius 3.0s are on sale...buy 6 get the 7th free (and free shipping). I got 7 diapers for $100...I thought that was pretty good.

My mom started yelling at me for buying them...then asked, "well how many do you need?" I said at least 2 dozen of the BG3s plus a dozen of the prefolds..."Oh, Ok". I think she realized she was being a bit ridiculous about my buying diapers lol.

That's about all from the white house :-) Have a good week!

What a day! I got up this morning and headed to O-town to pick out carpet for the nursery. While at Low.es I decided to check out the big rolls of carpet that they had....I found one for 82c/sqf and it was really nice. For what I would have paid at the remnant place for carpeting I managed to get the carpet, padding, and the trim to finish it. WOOHOO! AND I got 10% off...I had some coupons here, but since I wasn't planning on buying carpeting at Lowe.s I didn't take one. I mentioned to the sales guy that I forgot my coupon and he gave me one :-D AWESOME!

After that I headed to the quilt shop in O-town; I hadn't been since they moved to their new location: They definitely have more room now. I putzed around in there and managed (of course) to find some fabrics to buy.

On the way home I saw a sign for a barn sale...it was on the way so I figured I'd stop. They had some baby stuff (car seats etc) out front, but nothing that I wanted to buy. I did, however, find a lovely tea/coffee pot with a matching sugar bowl and creamer...the spout is chipped on the pot but my MIL should be able to fix it...it was only $11! I now have a nice, matching pot and creamer/sugar set!



I stopped at the store to reveal all my finds to Matt and my mom, then went home to have lunch and go to the other quilt shop to get some thread and spend some of my birthday gift card. Here's the fabrics that I got...The dark one on the left is a Christmas fabric that I had bought a couple of years ago and loved!, but of course I hadn't bought extra; the greenish one I just liked; the rest I thought I might just use in the kid's quilt or somewhere in her room.

Now, I really just hope we can get this carpeting installed tomorrow; because once that's done the furniture can go back and I can start doing my thing and having fun :-)

It is at the edge of a petal that love waits. - William Carlos Williams

The final verdict is that my camera is getting sent off to Nikon to be fixed BOO!!!! I tried everything to get the flash working again; so off it goes tomorrow and hopefully it isn't gone forever. I hate not having my camera! Right now I'm using my dinky Kodak z740: BAH! It's not a camera! It's a toy!

Here's the last few pictures that I took with my nikon before it was broked'ed :-(

I'll miss you my nikon :'(

On Wednesday I got an awesome packaged from Katie at The Happy Hours. She knit that hat herself: Isn't it absolutely adorable! The book is a "Mother's Journal" with lots of awesome bible verses and places to fill in your own thoughts about the topic pertaining to those verses...It was all beautiful and I was beyond touched to receive such special gifts: Thank you Katie!

Today's mail was very exciting as it contained several exciting things, or rather 1 package which contained several exciting things.

I ordered the fabric for the kid's quilt, as well as the pattern, a book (50% off), and a couple other patterns. I have to say: I haven't opened the fat quarters all the way, but I am absolutely IN LOVE with the colors (of course this crappy "camera" doesn't do them justice) (please ignore all of the other junk on my kitchen counter).

I have one more exciting package coming in the mail (I really do prefer to get money from family, since no one will actually "gift" me these things): I had found a tutorial a long time ago on Little Birdie Secrets for making cupcake bath bombs. After another friend gave me one for a birthday gift I decided that it was high time to try and make my own.

We carry some of the ingredients in our store, but the rest I ordered from Brambleberry.com....hopefully it arrives soon and I have lots of sweet smelling success with them. If I do, my sister has decided that we're going to give them as favors at my shower :-)

All day today I was thinking about all the crafty and fun things I wanted to post about, now the only things I can remember are the two I posted about (I think I'm in a bit of a mood...I don't know why).

Oh, I did "finish" the closet! We, obviously, still have to do the floor in there and reinstall the door (it needs to be trimmed down), but I think it's kind-of-maybe-sorta-done. I plan on getting one of those hanging closet organizers to put on the upper rod, so I have a place for diapers, burp clothes and such.

Tomorrow I'm heading to O-town in the morning to pick out some carpet (reminds me: Matt and I need to measure the room tonight). I'm seriously hoping they have something I like. I'm very much a remnant carpet person...I can't believe how much they get for carpet at the home improvement stores. Hopefully I'll be able to get everything for less than $150; then Matt and I will install it on Sunday (*fingers crossed*).

Once the carpet's done, I have to touch up some paint, move in the furniture, and then all that remains is the sewing and decorating of the room. Hopefully it will keep me busy while Matt is working at the fair...I'm already missing him :-(

I honestly can't remember anything else I wanted to say....there's so much to do around here and I'm just completely overwhelmed I think. Between projects and cleaning and cooking food to eat...I just don't want to do anything!