Ideas

My goodness, there are some really creative people out there! I realized that I spend way too much time writing or thinking about writing and should be taking pictures of life and stuff. That seems to be THE THING in the blogland visits I make. I do know how to use my camera, and I do know how to download the pictures and get them into my posts; maybe not in really neat ways, but at least they are there. So, I will need to start taking and posting more pictures.

Another note: baking GALS has opened round 16, so if you have some time to bake, some cash to mail a package to a service person, go and see if any of the bios interest you.

Another note: Check out the great martini recipes posted as part of the Martini Madness apron swap at flirty apron. I'm a gin purist, but some of the others sound pretty interesting.

FNSI 2/19/10

Oh Yeah! here we go again-except that I will probably be in Providence and taking my FNSI project with me. The 19th is an ice show date for the band, and of the three shows in February, it is the only one I can go to. I hope to video it, and then make a dvd of all four years of ice shows.

But the ice show is not what this post is about. It's about another Friday Night Sew In set for 2/19/10. Again, it doesn't have to be sewing, it's just an opportunity to dedicate some time to UFOs (UnFinshed Objects). I will probably take Will's blanket so that maybe he can get it before he graduates from high school--he was born last October but I didn't hear about it until November.... so, go to http://www.handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com/ and register. Follow the instructions and get in on the give-away, and happy finishing!

I love birthdays!

They keep coming, so it isn't worth ignoring them. Tomorrow is the last of my 50s birthdays, and it doesn't even seem that weird. I may decide to stay 21, like at the Harbor Inn in the Flats. If Aunt Dorth could be 18 for 60+ birthdays, I can keep being 21.

I really raked it in already, too! Lilli (and Jack, I assume...) got me two CDs I wanted, Rosanne Cash and Susan Boyle. Rosanne's is the the first part of the essential list her father created for her as a teen-it's very cool. Susan's is a little disappointing as she sounds the same on almost all the songs; they didn't vary style very much. But, she has an amazing voice. Then I got a birthday check from my in-laws, always the right size and color! At work we had cake, two kinds because not everyone eats chocolate, do I really know those people? and my cube neighbor, Sean, gave me a newly released dvd of Dr. Who, 1963-1966. VERY COOL. My friend Angie and her mom are giving me a kitchen aid mixer, professional grade, that is a duplicate at their house--and I am not allowed to not take it. I am so blessed with friends and family!

The day (well, on the west coast) started with my little sister (in law) calling to sing me happy birthday, not realizing it's tomorrow. That was fun, and we had a good laugh. Tonight my brother called to get wishes in before we got busy celebrating tomorrow. That was nice, too.

This has been a great day! and it's not over yet.....

FNSI-oh yeah!

So here is my entry into the Friday Night Sew In:

Sarah and I went to the fabric store and got Butterick 4914 and a springy matte jersey print.

I traced her size, cut it out, and started putting it together. I also spent most of Saturday sewing, thinking I could finish it for her to take back to school today, but that didn't happen because I hurt my knee coming upstairs for a try-on. I did have to adjust the side and shoulder seams, but it sure looked cute while she was trying it on. Sleeves are basted in and a ballpark hem will be done, and I'll mail it up to her. She wouldn't let me take any picture to show the work in progress on...but that's KS for you.....

I will also work on my bee balm blocks this weekend, and fix Lill's jeans so she's ready for camping. It feels good to be sewing again.

Ah-ha, a great Ides of January idea!

hi! You know I'm part of the Bee Balm online quilting group. (Which, by the way, will get me a 10% discount at the "fancy" fabric store in town when I flash my card) Well, today I linked to Angie's Chitchat Corner to see what was new with her-she's one of the other Bee Balm-ers, and she was blogging about this Friday night sew in. So of course I went over there to take a look-and it's a great idea! A Friday night set aside to work on a project-like I don't have anything at all around the house, right? check it out, it's just a commitment to yourself to spend some time sewing or whatever-ing on Friday the 15th. Ah, life doesn't get too much better.

Happy New Year

I have my computer back, all to myself. Sarah is out with friends in the District, and Lilli is on a plane back to AZ. Instead of the usual five laptops jockeying for space on the coffee table, only one rests there, and I can again use the table as my footrest. We have had a wonderful few weeks with the girls home, even their usual arguing hasn't made me too crazy. Lilli is flying back to buckle down for research, writing, and orals in April. She's such a marvel to me, beautiful, brilliant, and still my kid who sits on the living room floor wrapping rocks to send to everyone for presents. She's been gone a little over 3 hours, and I'm missing her like crazy already. BUT, she taught me how to use the webcam on skype, so tomorrow we will be chatting with visuals. She also reloaded and fixed my iPod so I can have my music at work or downstairs.

Sarah will be home for another week, and hopefully get what she needs to get done, done. She, too, is a marvel. I learned a lot about Asian Art when we drove to Cleveland; she explained her paper to me and other aspects of dynastic China. it was cool-definitely a "speak in Brown to me" moment.

Speaking of the downstairs, I am at the thinking stage of prioritizing my UFOs to see if they can get finished. This is a recurrent theme on many of the blogs I visit, so I feel I am in esteemed company. Either that, or we all start way too many things and get sidetracked into other projects. Gee, quilting comes to mind--how I never got into it earlier is beyond me, and to see the stash I've built already, in a few short months, is gratifying-or sick, depending on your point of view.

Tomorrow I have promised to finish up errands with Sarah, then the time will be mine to start on sewing stuff. I have a few online quilting bee blocks to do, all the sets of coasters I cut but didn't make as Christmas gifts-I will be so far ahead next year!-the prototype for the martini madness swap which I promised to Lilli, the baby blankets to finish before the boys graduate from high school, Lilli's blouses, and Sarah wants me to look at a few patterns she bookmarked. Then, there is the mending and patching of jeans to get to. So, if I can carve out that time for myself, I have lots of things to keep me happy. Or, I could just curl up with a nice cup of tea and some of the "new to us" books from yesterday's jaunt to the used bookstore.

Last, but not least, I need to report that I did bake cookie press cookies this morning for the girls as promised. I colored them, but only pressed out trees and swirls. I did learn two things: one- I don't like gel food coloring, and two- like riding a bike, I haven't forgotten how to make them. My Grandma Reva, not to mention Aunt Lill, would be proud.