Dear Readers,
Here's what we've been up to!
The new neighborhood is lovely,
The view from my craft/sewing room is great,
the kitties have been settling in
and we've done some Christmas decorating.
Now we're settling down for a long winter's nap...
Wishing you and yours a cozy, nap-filled holiday!
This streetlamp web has been here for a month or so. It's held up well despite the unpredictable Oregon weather. Today was overcast, cold and dank. Tonight much the same, but with a dense fog. Fog here never seems to arrive from the distance or roll over the hills like you've seen in movies. It's suddenly *there* in a breath, everywhere and brings with it a damp hush.
But in the streetlight, by this web, you can see the fog rushing by, swirling like the cloud it is, swirling even if we don't notice it.
*bright* and sunny today! great tomato weather! grow, grow, grow!
our little patch of patriotism! what's more all american than growing your own tomatos?
Phew! I was worried it was never going to get here. Now I feel like stretching up to the sun, just to soak it all in! It was lovely here for a few days, in the 70's (and sometimes 80's!) and so very sunny! My plants are thrilled.
While the plants do their thing out there, I'm pondering a quilt in here. People like to joke that I never make anything, just keep buying fabric. Um....that's partially true. I do keep buying fabric, but I really do make things!!! No, really! In any case, I couldn't decide on which fabrics from the ridiculously yummy MoMo Wonderland line I wanted, so I bought a Charm Pack (brilliant marketing on Moda's part! I hate cutting up fabric, they've done it for me!). Now I'm trying to figure out what to do with it! Bought some of the Snip Snip in Chai as a neutral (there are NO SOLIDS that match these colors!). Here are my options:
1.
2.
3.
5.
6.
As you can see, I love me some repetitive line imagery. There are so many choices, I'm having a tough time deciding. #6 gives me the least amount of cutting, #1 was my original plan, but now I don't know, #2 is appealing, but how busy can a quilt be before making you insane?! {side note: I almost titled this post, 'MoMo Fabric, MoMo Problems'. Yeah. Really.}
So, what's the consensus out there? I know people actually read this blog (stunning! thank you!!!), I see the numbers! All you quilters out there, any tips? Anyone? help!........
of course, I did have some help with the fun part of arranging/rearranging:
Frustrated Fluffy:
It's exhausting being a cat, apparently.
(ranunculus)
Is it spring yet? The weather has been tellingly volatile, with rain and sun and hail and sun and rain and wind and sun... but last night it was 33 degrees here! 33! I supposed I should embrace this cool weather because when it's 108 degrees again, I'll be longing for it! Actually, I'll be camped out at the (air conditioned!) library with my laptop and wearing a skirt. A cool skirt. A floaty skirt. And cute sandals, a lightweight t-shirt and my hair back. Sigh....wait a minute...I don't HAVE a cool, floaty skirt! Or cute sandals! Good thing it's not spring yet! Time to prepare. I'm thinking a skirt like this:
(thanks gap.com)
There's a tutorial here and I also have this pattern which could be altered to suit my needs. I'd really like to actually make the skirt this time instead of buying the pattern and letting it languish in storage... what do you think? Linen? Too wrinkly? Cotton? Do you get quilting cotton for this?? Muslin? hm...
It's that time of year, right before spring, when one starts getting twitchy about the season changing. Stores start putting out garden supplies and large floral prints appear on clothing. It's 36 degrees out side and despite the chill, since it's *sunny*, I throw open the windows to air this apartment out! I'm done, people. Done with winter. D-O-N-E. Ten ways to know that Spring IS coming:
10. I bought this purse. I had to have some color, for pete's sake.
9. Fluffy has started shedding.
8. I have the distinct feeling that I want to throw everything I own out and start over.
7. I started buying pink things. See below. (goodwill find)
6. Baby showers.
5. Yum.
4. Asparagus kind of sounds good right now.
3. Baby Alpacas AK!
2. There are actual buds on the trees!
and
1. The fashion world wants us to start dressing like jaunty sailors again.
My husband is watching a documentary about Castro in the other room. I'm drinking Pepsi and trolling along the web. All is calm, all is 57 degrees in the cozy apartment. I love it cold, that way I can layer on the sweatpants and snuggle in to do some good crocheting. Hell, if I'm feeling frisky, I'll even pull out the Slanket! Today we've been married for 7 years and he still thinks I'm a hottie (even in the Slanket!)!
Yeah, we're old beyond our years. Today we're having a Hobby Day, spent in the computer/sewing/wait-what's-that-buring-smell-oh-are-you-soldering-something? room. I actually COMPLETED a sewing project today! No kidding! I didn't take a 'before' picture, but my 9 yr old computer chair looked something like this. Now it looks like this!:
It's SO much nicer to look in here and see that image instead of the nasty gray + cat hair look it had before! I thought about just finding a new chair, but why? This one is still good and comfy.
This past week was one of the most relaxing I've had in years. My BFF (well, hell, it sure seems like forever! 16 years! More than 1/2 our lives!) came to visit from upstate NY and we did a whole lot of nothing. It was fabulous. We each took up a station on the couch and pretty much stayed there the whole week. I feel SO much better. It's good to be reminded of your roots and where you came from, even better to be reminded by such a sweet (and freaking hilarious!) friend.
And so, before I head back to work tomorrow, I leave you with this, from the best episode yet: :-)
Oh, it's cold, people. Second pot of coffee, hoodie over my head, fingers icy, sweatpants and favorite socks cold. It's that cold. Good day for reading magazines, sewing, taking pictures of tulips and snuggling with the kitties!
Oh, and it's a good day for a 100th post, too.
