Sunday, September 25, 2011

They Say I'll Miss Them When They're Gone


So it started with new tile flooring. Then the oven broke, then the dishwasher. The refrigerator was soon to follow.


Before we knew what was happening, all of our appliances were new. Then Rich decided before he started his new job, he was going to finish remodeling the kitchen. We've hated it since we moved in 7 years ago. Now I also have a new counter top, back splash, range hood, kitchen sink, faucet, microwave and paint! The pictures don't show the color well but it's a really pale celery. Sherwin Williams calls it Heart of Palm. It's brighter than I expected but I LOVE it. It's still one of the smallest kitchens I've ever seen, but it's a WHOLE lot prettier:)
The new curtains will get made next weekend...

It never ceases to amaze me how surprised my children get at the notion of doing their chores every Sunday. For as long as I can remember, we do our chores on Sunday. Everybody is responsible for their own room and each has a variety of other small jobs to do. Sunday comes along, it's the same, week after week. For some reason, it still takes them by surprise that they have to work. Whining, fit throwing, complaining. I won't name, names, but I've got one kid that acts like a 2 year old every time! Boy are they quick to ask for money, though! Well, a certain someone will be quite amazed how quickly I say no the next time I'm asked for cash. I've about come to the end of my rope with this routine.

Anyways, I was just told this week how awful it is when they move out. I'm having a hard time believing it today. Rich & I decided we should take a vacation without them. I thought, we should take that Honeymoon we never had. Ah, to dream. But then, we couldn't agree on where to go...heavy sigh.

Well, I've been pretty busy these past couple of weeks. With sick kids, broken kids, and various dr. appointments and dance classes. But, I did manage to make it into my sewing room once or twice.

The Jack O' Tablerunner, that I wasn't supposed to start until I had other projects completed. I'm so bad at following rules. Especially the ones I set up for myself... but at least I'm ready for Halloween now.
I took a class from Cindy Hagen yesterday and we made these snazzy, swirly table runners. I didn't realize how quick they went together so I didn't buy a backer or binding for it. The edges will eventually be smooth and I think I'll bind it in the white dot print. Or maybe, the red? I don't know what I'll do with it, it doesn't exactly match my Christmas decor but I love it any way!

Hot Cakes for my friend Silvia. Her last day at work is tomorrow & we're all going to miss her:(


The quilt is called Happy Hauntings, I think. It was a block of the month from 2 years ago! The skeleton has 114 bones. And, it's all hand appliqued! It's been done for a couple of weeks but I didn't have a picture to post. I love it! and apparently, so does Fred, he's asleep on it every chance he gets!




These are my latest pincushions, doughnuts. YUM.

I'm getting really bored with these state flowers but I guess there's no deadline to do them. I'm disappointed with how sedate the coloring of the embroidery is.

And, I believe the fat lady is singing, because I need to sleep:) Happy Stitching.




Sunday, September 11, 2011

I'm a mom, I can multi-task!

I woke up this morning wanting desperately not to think about Sept. 11. It's been 10 years and it is still so painful! I thought of Rich's grandfather this morning. The morning after we were married, Dec 6. Grandpa Mantz was going on and on about Pearl Harbor. Me, being the idiot 21 year old, couldn't understand why he was still stuck on that day. I understood this morning. 9-11 is my generation's Pearl Harbor. And, I feel so sad that it will be stuck with us well into our twighlight years.
My first instinct was to throw the terrorists the 1 fingered salute & go about my business like they don't matter to me. But, everywhere I turned, there were people showing their respect for those who died, and those who serve. And again, I found myself being the idiot. So I let myself cry, again, and I started another Quilt of Valor. Just because I want to ignore the hate, doesn't mean I should ignore the men & women out there keeping freedom safe.
This is as far as I got. I've been saving the pattern forever because I HATE flying geese & could always find something else to start. My friend Pat suggested I paper-piece them so they don't totally suck. As usual, she had a good idea, even though, it still kicked my butt. I worked on this for most of 9 1/2 hours and this is as far as I got. The next round will be 8 pointed variable stars, another blue border and then top and bottom rows of more stars. The original pattern is meant to be square, so I added the rows to make it longer & more like a throw quilt. I'm loving the blues that I'm stealing from my Civil War block of the week stash! Wouldn't it be a tragedy if I had to go shopping for more?
I made this bag yesterday. Another kit I've been hoarding. This is supposed to be my new fall bag. It's Peggy Sue by Fig Tree. Super easy pattern and little small by my usual standards. The fabrics are by Edyta Sitar, yummy. Now it just needs a really great button on the flap.
The cupcake is Sierra's latest creation. She had an Irish Cream truffle a few weeks ago & wanted to see if you could put it in a cupcake. All I had was Mint Chocolate Baileys, so we used that and put a chocolate frosting on it. Pretty darned good if you ask me. And worth all the WW points I had to use to eat it:)
Well, the terrorists can still kiss my giant behind! I love my country, I love my family, and I love my freedom. I'm a mom, I can multi-task. I can salute a terrorist with my middle finger, make a quilt for an honored service member & have dinner on the table before bed!