Welcome to the Monthly Update. What does that mean? Well, it's just little ol me trying to recap what took place during the month so that I can keep track. I kind of use it like a journal. Please sit back and enjoy a peek into a month of my life.
Any links that you click in this post will open in a DIFFERENT window, allowing you to continue reading this without losing the page.
So . . . . If you have followed me in the past, you know that I have set CRAZY goals each month and it's tough when they just don't happen. I think goals are wonderful - believe me, without them I fear my lack of movement. The thing is -- I just don't want another year of unattainable goals making me feel stressed. I have a busy year ahead with lots of surprises, family happenings, and retreats. Those items alone give me PLENTY of deadlines to deal with. As a result, I am introducing the new goal section - hahahaha, it's the same, only reasonable. Let's hit the ground running . . . or not. How about a hot drink and a good read? See, life is good. Oh, and the goals each month are at the end of the post now.
The previous 2018 monthly update links are located at the end of this entry. I hope that you make it that far.
1st - I am staring at the calendar today and have to stop and take a deep breath. It's November and I barely remember October. On the bright side, I have two grands arriving today and since I've gone all summer without any camps, I cannot tell you how excited I am. It's going to be a whirlwind month and it's very likely that I will not reach many goals. I'm okay with that. Now - it's off to the airport to collect my little ones. You can share in our fun by clicking on this Days One and Two post.
2nd - Fun at the Arboretum AND the Children's Aquarium. It's a jam-packed day but memories are being made all around. Ahhh, my heart is just so happy.
3rd - Grandpa is off today and so we all get to play and the zoo is calling our name. I, once again, have a way for you to follow along and join in our fun. Here is the Days 3 and 4 post. I haven't touched a single sewing related item, but I'm really okay with that. These are the best type of days.After the zoo, Jen stops by with a couple of her boys so that some cousin time can take place. Soooo, fun to have the house filled with laughter and fun.
4th - We are opting for some indoor entertainment today. A movie and an arcade fit the bill. I love this picture because it shows that H is just oh so not sure of the entire thing, but I promise, he did smile and laugh and talk about it after.
5th - My son and daughter-in-law are arriving today and the kids have opted to stay home and play in the kitchen. That means sugar cookies everywhere!! What a great day. Yep, I've got this Days 5 & 6 post for you to see their creations and other fun from today.
6th - I have to say good-bye today and that is NEVER a fun day. Some great pictures and then off to the airport. The rest of the day? A total waste. Just let me sulk.
7th - Well hello there sewing machine. I guess it's time to get reacquainted. I have a retreat coming up soon and my part of the fun is just not ready to go. Not even close. I work on the chair backs for several hours but my camera stays asleep. It happens. Now, I have to get packed. It's off to Houston bright and early tomorrow morning.8th - Woohoo!!!! Lydia, Rocky, and I are on our way by 6:30 a.m.. Houston is the destination and the International Quilt Festival is the reason. It's time for friends and fun. I am soooo looking forward to this and you can share in our fun with this Day 1 LINK.
9th - We survived the first day with love and laughter carrying us through. We've been reunited with Val and that alone made the trip worthwhile. I have several posts for you to check out today. Here is the Days 2 and 3 LINK to share all the rest of our fun and shenanigans -- some explained, some not. I also split the quilt show post into two so that it wouldn't be quite as large, thus giving you Eye Candy 1 LINK and Eye Candy 2 LINK. PLEASE click on these to see the magnificent quilts that caught my eye and the stories behind them. In the day links, I share booths we stop at and treasures we find. Always remember that links open in a separate window and let you stay right here as well.10th - Awwww, we have to say farewell to each other and to Houston today. I really dislike this but my sweetheart is at home wanting some company too. I have so many fun things going home with me and the gang has already made plans for next year AND some fun in 2020. Yep, my calendar is already filling that far ahead. Love it.
Love these ladies just oh so much. Thank you Paula, Debi, Rocky, Lydia, Sam, Sherri, and Gwen for making this weekend just such fun. Warm thanks go to Eveline, Frieda, Brenda, and Val as well. They just didn't make the group picture. Good friends and great fun. See most of ya, next week.
11th - It is a complete Recovery Day. My big productive moment came by starting to develop pictures. Woohoo --- look at me go.
12th - My fingers are flying this morning with blogging and the last of the pictures. Now to get back to my projects. The clock is really ticking away quickly. Some intense dedication and the ability to stay focused allows me to complete the chair backs for retreat. By the time I get to this point -- they are EVERYWHERE! Meanwhile, my sweetheart is helping with the certificates.
Once they are dry, I gather them all up to pack for retreat. I think they turned out pretty cool.
13th - More blogging and pictures start out the day. It seems to be a never-ending job right now. The certificates are finished, laundry is done, I'm packed AND I have managed to cut for the Christmas Lights Quilt-A-Long in a group I belong to. Yep, I need another Christmas quilt in progress right now. The other three just don't seem to be enough.
I'm also teaching the Featherweight bag at retreat. Remembering that Lori drew out the foam layout for it, I give her a call and ask her to send a pic of it to me. Once I print it, I decide to add the sizes to the page before making copies. My sweet man sees that and tells me it really needs to be graphed out better. So, I head to the table to do just that. The next thing I know, he shows up with a light and more supplies. It's at this point as I'm taping pieces of graph paper together that he says, "Oh, that wasn't to size?" I look at him incredulously. You think this 8 1/2 x 11" piece of paper is going to get me a bag large enough to hold the machine? At this point, he takes the paper from me and heads to the computer. Woohoo!!! Now he's in charge and I can work on something else. (A side note -- his page is awesome when he finishes.)
The mail arrives today with my prize from the Ugly Fat Quarter Challenge I participated in. Look at all this fun and something new for me to try. Bring it on.
14th - November retreat means arrival a day early so that we can set up for our fun theme. I am the first one there and get started right away. It's . . . Prep Day! (And here is your LINK to follow our fun and see the room come alive.)
When Debi arrives, I am finally able to gift her with the pillow that was for her birthday. With help from Mindy, it turned out so amazing and she loves it.
15th - Let the retreat begin!!! Your very own Brazos Golden Globes LINK will let you enjoy everything that happens including all the beautiful TA-DA's.As for me, I am working on those Christmas Lights units. First up are some red and green four-patch units. I really do love these little units and I have proof positive that I can sit at a machine and be productive.
Once I complete the little four-patches, I zoom right on ahead to the gold/white half-square triangles. Things are moving along quite nicely. I'm loving this quilt so far and it's relatively easy. Why not keep going? Yes, I'm moving ahead of the group, but that's okay. I'm sure I'll be behind at some point. Onto the black/white HST's. Woohoo. Rolling right along here.
At our awards ceremony tonight, I am presented with the Minerva McGonagall Award. I LOVE it!!!
16th - I only have one more set of units for the Christmas Lights clue and decide to just keep working ahead. I'm having fun and nothing else I brought with me is really calling out to me. I did not bring any extra material with me for this other than the units I had cut out so once I finish these up, there is only so much I can do, right?I REALLY like the way the colors are going together. I only hope this black and green are not too close in color when it all comes together.
Dang --- by peeking ahead again, I find that I can actually keep going on this and put together the first set of blocks. Soon they are all laid out.
I've also brought the pre-cut blocks from the Merry and Bright mystery along to get caught up there and decide that they will make great leader/enders while putting the new blocks together. It works and soon I have checked a couple things off my retreat list. I don't think anything off the monthly goal list, but oh well. Don't the new blocks look just so fun? (Both -- yep the Merry and Bright ones AND the Christmas Lights ones.) I can't do the second set of blocks for Christmas Lights due to needing to cut more fabric --- ahhh, something to do at home.
It's party night at retreat and I am Mary Poppins. What a FUN, FUN, FUN evening. These gals really know how to have fun. It's a perfect time and I don't think I'm awake a minute past laying down in bed.17th - Fun times and great friends. Group pictures with sunglasses and without.
Mister is here today to work on machines and offer unsolicited advice. Did that make you smile?While looking through my bag of projects trying to find something to work on today, I spot MY slippers and finally drag them out. A couple of hours later, they are on my feet and I can put the whole slipper stuff behind me. This has been two years from start to finish. Oh my.
Now what? I brought a couple of rag quilts that are all cut and just need sandwiches put together and sewn with giant X's. By the time I call it a night, I have tackled a good amount of them.
18th - Last day --- once again good-byes all around. It was such a fun retreat and we already have ideas for next year. The dates are booked, theme selected, and we have our committee in place. Life is good. Until next year (meaning January, not November), take care my friends. Brazos Out!Oodles of treasure went home with me this time. I wanted to get a picture while at retreat but it just didn't seem to happen. Now is the time. Swap bag contents and other gifts, fabric for my Good Fortune back from Val, a fat quarter bundle I won as a door prize, and my uniform. Very fun.
Now for time with my sweetheart!!! Hello delicious drink. And that's the end of another busy day. Whew --- let's just take it down a notch.19th - Just a day! Not much else to say. Didn't accomplish a dang thing.
20th - First thing this morning, I booked the rooms for Houston 2019. It is the Sapphire Anniversary next year so we will make one more trek back and play it up well. After that, we're gonna do something a little different in 2020 and the plans for it are already in motion.
Suzanne is over this morning to help me with the Plus Blocks exchange. I want these done and off to the post office TODAY!!
It takes us several hours (mostly because neither one of us can count) but the task does get finished and I have a tote of packages ready for mailing and another full bag of those to be handed out at various upcoming events. Yes --- another item off the list and behind me. I didn't participate in this one due to a complete lack of time, but I really do like the way they turned out. Now to get the group Quilt-A-Long for 2019 organized.21st - It's the day before Thanksgiving (am I the only one or does it feel remarkably early this year?) and I am making jam. I think that is a first for me. When going to the store yesterday, I discovered that raspberries were dang cheap and bought enough for a batch of jam. Ohhhh, yum. I get it made first thing so that it can set most of the day before freezing it. Now to pack and make sure everything else is in order.
Mister is released from work around 2 and we are on the road within 1/2 an hour. It's still not early enough and it takes us 2 hours just to get to Weatherford. However, from that point on, it's clear roads and a wonderful sunset to watch. Yep, I certainly do have an Abilene LINK for you to follow along with all our fun while there.
22nd - Happy Thanksgiving to all!! We are loving our time with family. Games and conversation and food. What could be better?
23rd - This is the first Black Friday in many years that I have not been at the cutting table working on the Bonnie Hunter mystery as it begins. It will have to wait on me this year. Instead, Jen, Bekah, and I are on our way to Todd Mission and the Texas Renaissance Festival. We are off for some girls time and three generation fun. I have a great Festival LINK and you really should check it out, especially if you've never been to this one. It is HUGE!!!
24th - Early this morning, I am back on the road getting the three of us into Abilene by noon and then Mister and I start our trek back to Dallas. Along the way, he spots a sign about a quilt shop in a local town and we decide to check it out. Now, YOU need to check out this Cisco, TX LINK to see all the fun we have there. I even have a separate Red Gap LINK that is just about the brewery we discovered as well. What a great afternoon together, however, we still need to get to Dallas tonight. Back to the road we go.
25th - The Sunday morning ritual of walking to the coffee shop has taken place and now I get to take a few pictures of the treasures I found while shopping yesterday. I THINK I'm going to go completely crazy and make two of this years mystery in two different colorways. It makes perfect sense for someone who are accomplished very little this month. Right?Taking my new little fat quarters, out to the studio I go to pull fabrics in that palette. It looks like I may just have enough to make this happen. I still have strips and scraps all over to pull from as well.
Now to cut the remaining parts for the Christmas Lights blocks. I wished I'd taken the fabric with me to retreat, but it's happening now. I'm also getting the next Merry and Bright block cut to use as leader/ender when I sew.
Taking a good look at Bonnie's Good Fortune Clue 1 lets me run out to the studio and check the strip bins. Oh my, I think I have enough already cut to get through this clue in both colorways. Perfect.
Trying to get at least one checkmark on my list this month, I also lay out the Whim's blocks. It's been a PREP day all around.
26th - Up early to get my copy of Bonnie's new book ordered, then I turn to blogging and some pictures. Now, I get to sew. Focusing on the Whim's with Merry and Bright as leader/ender, I soon have three finished blocks. Woot, woot!! I am seriously doing a happy dance here.
Next, the remaining Ohio Star blocks get laid out and I have determined the two units I have to make for the Christmas Lights blocks. Tomorrow is another day.27th - My desire to get the Christmas Lights blocks finished is strong. Why??? It's kind of crazy to me as I'm several weeks ahead of the group but this quilt is calling to me right now. Let's get these units put together.
And, now for the blocks. Why stop?This little train just keeps on going until I have a beautiful stack of them and I do so love how they look. This has to be one of the easiest patterns I have ever worked on and it goes together perfectly. I can't help but ask myself why it took so long for me to work on it. Crazy. Both sets of blocks are now ready for the next part. However, I think I need to shop for some more gold. Drat --- oh heck, what am I saying? I have shopped very little for fabric this year. It's a treat.
Oh yeah --- leader/enders came together today and this is the last of the Ohio Star blocks from forever ago. Now this quilt can go forward as well.The rest of the day is spent sewing strip sets for the Good Fortune clue and then cutting the subsets. Isn't that a pretty little stack of fun?
28th - Oooooh, I can't stand it and first thing today I take all my Ohio Star blocks and lay them out. The white squares and setting triangles were cut way, way long ago but apparently I did something right, as there is not a shortage of them. Yay!! I hope I get to put this top together before the year is out.
Now to focus on the mystery and after a few hours of being alone at home (such a rarity, I know), it is done. Here is the Bonnie Hunter Clue 1 link to see all my fun leading up to decorating the kitchen like this and the end results.
29th - The long-awaited dental appointment has arrived. Are my teeth ready? Yep, all the implant posts are added. I'm told I may need a Tylenol and OMG what a crock that is. I take one and it doesn't even begin to cut the pain. Moving on to something stronger, I attempt to take my mind off it by heading to the fabric store for border material for two quilts. Once back home, I am down for the count. My next appointment is in four days. Ugh.
30th - Clue 2 of Good Fortune is today. Still on pain meds, I do locate the required strips already in my bins for BOTH colorways. How amazing is that? Then is start to gather the supplies for the party on the 8th of December. I'm afraid to cut much while on medication so steer clear of that.It's not a very great way to end the month, BUT I guess it could be worse. I did not check off many items but with everything else that has gone one, I'm okay with that. Honest. Life happens and it sometimes doesn't go the way we wish but new opportunities come along with it. I had a GREAT month (well, until yesterday) and look forward to December. Another year has almost come and gone. That's crazy to me, however, I really want to enjoy all that the season offers now. Let your world be filled with joy and share it with one another. Until next month, keep on creating.
Personal Goals:
REPLY TO COMMENTS: This is a big one for me. I want to stay on top of it and will work very hard to do so. It may not happen the day of the comment, but I will be fairly current.
UFO for this month:
Pineapple Blossom - quilted and bound
Garden Party - quilted and bound
Texas Tumbleweeds - quilted and bound
Current Projects:
Quiet Book - 2 pages finished -
BH Mystery - Clue 1 complete
Rag Quilts worked on - YES
Pat Sloan mystery - Block 16 made, Block 17 cut out and ready to sew
Snarky Group mystery - Current and ahead a little
UFO Monthly Items:
2 BOM - Whimm's - DONE
Ohio Star - 6 blocks made - DONE
1 Row by Row block -
Winter Wonderland backing/binding/label made -
UFO Handwork Items:
1 Box finished for tea set -
Red/White embroidery between blocks finished -
Links to Previous 2018 Monthly Update Posts:
January 2018REPLY TO COMMENTS: This is a big one for me. I want to stay on top of it and will work very hard to do so. It may not happen the day of the comment, but I will be fairly current.
UFO for this month:
Pineapple Blossom - quilted and bound
Garden Party - quilted and bound
Texas Tumbleweeds - quilted and bound
Current Projects:
Quiet Book - 2 pages finished -
BH Mystery - Clue 1 complete
Rag Quilts worked on - YES
Pat Sloan mystery - Block 16 made, Block 17 cut out and ready to sew
Snarky Group mystery - Current and ahead a little
UFO Monthly Items:
2 BOM - Whimm's - DONE
Ohio Star - 6 blocks made - DONE
1 Row by Row block -
Winter Wonderland backing/binding/label made -
UFO Handwork Items:
1 Box finished for tea set -
Red/White embroidery between blocks finished -
Links to Previous 2018 Monthly Update Posts:
February 2018
March 2018
April 2018
May 2018
June 2018
July 2018
August 2018
September 2018
October 2018
Fun read and impressive "done" list.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kay. I do feel that I have had "better" months at marking things off, but I'm still moving forward and that's the important part.
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