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.
AND . . . while the cutting mat is out and the dining room table is already a mess ---- the setting for Christmas Lights is up next. Cut, cut, cut.With my logic, heck - the Christmas fabric is out so I might as well cut the borders for Merry and Bright too (I know it's not done yet, but I DO know how big it will be). Done. Clean up the mess and proceed to make a new one. It's time for the annual trek to the attic and the delivery of the totes down the stairs. Mister LOVES this chore. Grumble, grumble. He counts this year --- 17 totes plus the tree and train. I'm not sure how to tell him that it's likely 18 will go back up. Hahahahaha
2nd - Out and about with my love and lots of fun to be had. Did I really just say that? The coffee part was fun, as was Tuesday Morning. As for the yard, well not so much. Here is the LINK to today's post if you want to see just how it all played out. I'm tired.
3rd - Should I start on the totes? Should I sew? If I sew, I likely won't get to the totes. Yes, I know that about myself. It's easier to use sewing as a reward that housework. Setting to it, half the house is not so quickly decorated and I give myself permission to sew for a bit. Loving this Merry and Bright stocking block so much. Don't you?
Now, onto the Good Fortune mystery clue 2. Step by step it comes together and if you want to follow along, well here is the Clue 2 LINK.I'm calling it a night --- see y'all in the funny papers. Yep, I'm THAT old. I do remember them.
4th - I am hosting a party on Saturday. Today is Tuesday. I think that means I should start some preparations. Meal plans are solidified, my ornament for the exchange is wrapped, the den is cleaned and ready for the holidays AND my sample snowman ornament is made. Woot, woot -- it's a good day. Now, what can I sew?
Merry and Bright is set! I know I make it sound like that is a lot when I just added the last row, but still - it's forward movement. The border strips are sewn together as well but that's it for today. What will tomorrow bring?5th - More decorating on the house is at hand. I do almost every room in it and that takes time. By the time my reward sewing comes around, I am ready. BORDERS!!!
Oooooh, a step back makes a fun picture too.
6th - More decorating (it's getting close now), some blogging, but mostly baking today. Sixteen dozen of these little cuties are ready for Saturday's exchange. Oh, they are melt in your mouth yummy. Would you like the recipe? Here ya go - Cream Wafer Recipe7th - Clue 3 of Good Fortune is out but I just can't pay attention today. So sad. My house, however, is decorated. I am done! You can see all the rooms in this Christmas LINK. Tomorrow is party day.
8th - It's the Second Annual Cookie and Ornament Exchange Party! My daughter and great friends are here and we are just enjoying each other so much. Yummy food is eaten (yep, I'm pleased), fun ornaments and amazing cookies are exchanged, AND the snowmen ornaments are made. All in all --- a great day. Check us out in this Party LINK.
After the party --- two fun things: My copy of String Frenzy (with a FUN note from Bonnie) arrivedand Mister took me for a beer (or two). Could this day get any better?
One last thing - during the party Lydia gave me a gift and I didn't get to open it until just now --- OOOOOOOOH --- lookie. What a darling ornament:
9th - Stephannie and I are off to the Annual Girlfriends Party for a little fun and merriment. It's a great time and you can read all about it in this LINK but I'll share my game winnings (present) here -- more red and white to add to the totes. I mentioned I would likely need another one this year, right?10th - It's a computer day. Blogging, recipes, pictures, retreat work, not much else. No pictures to show. I needed a down day.
11th - Okay, new attitude. I am off to the studio to in search of . . . . what the heck? There is a raccoon out here and it's just laying there looking at me. Back to the house and let Mister know. Brave soul that he is, He takes one look and tells me to call the city. In all fairness, he walked over near it and it hissed at him. How the heck did it get in here? No, I don't have pictures but rest assured that after several hours on the phone, he was finally retrieved and we could determine is entry point. He fell through the ceiling in the closet. Fortunately the door wasn't closed tight so he was able to get out otherwise he may have just died in there. He's hurt but will likely be okay and released again. No rabies. Now, whatever I was looking for hours ago is forgotten and I am off to the hospital as Mom H. has been admitted. Mister gets to finish work and then fix the ceiling. Fun times all around.
12th - Doctors all around me. Argh. I've said it before and I'll say it again --- let this year die. Bone density test, doctor appointment, bloodwork, and then back to the hospital with Mom. I took my Winter Wonderland top to do some embroidery while there but only managed to get about 4 inches done. It was better to just sit and visit with her.
13th - Cut for Clue 3, not much else, I'm just so tired. Why?
14th - Bonnie's Clue 4 released and I'm excited. STRINGS!!! While I'm playing in the string bin, searching for golds and oranges, Mister calls me to the kitchen window. Check it out. For more pics, click on this post: Bird of Prey
15th - Hello Red Hat Day - I do love thee so much. Peek in on our wonderful Christmas party by clicking on this RED HAT LINK .
While I was gone, Mister put the finishing touches on the studio closet ceiling and it is once again secure. I made dinner and a crazy good blackberry/pear crisp for dessert. Settling in to watch television, snuggled up with my sweetheart, he helps me finish de-papering my gold units and I can call this clue complete. Here is the Clue 4 POST if you want to see how it all played out.16th - Sunday traditions are kept alive and our relationship time together treasured as always. Coffee and a muffin starts the day perfectly.
Spotted this mug at the shop and realized how absolutely perfect it is. No, I didn't purchase it, but came dang close.
A little sewing time this afternoon and my green Clue 3 units are sewn with the bonus triangles removed while watching The Sound of Music. What a lovely way to end a day.
17th - I am up bright and early cleaning the house. Yep, those mundane parts of life creep in now and then and if you are having company around 10, well they happen more often. Just saying. I even managed to get my bonus half-square triangles pressed before Lana and Susan arrive. We have a great visit (where oh where was my camera???) and then all go to lunch together and meet up with Stephannie. Again, no camera? I don't think Stephannie even took a picture. Wow. At any rate, back home to mail packages and check out this amazing sunset while walking out of the post office. It changed sooooo quick.
Back home to bake bread, cook dinner, do a blog post, and trim bonus hst's. A little bit of everything today and I liked it.18th - I have time to sew today and Clue 3 is complete with both sets. Here is the Clue 3 POST if you want to see what all was up.
19th - Today is the first day of my sweetie's vacation. He NEVER gets time off in December and this year it just worked out. We have 7 days to spend together and are off this morning first thing to attempt to add another 301 to our herd. We are second in line at an estate sale and have an hour to wait.
Can you believe that the ex-Navy dude in front of us went straight for the machine? OMG. We are so frustrated that we leave the sale without looking at another single thing. Grrrr. Now we are off to visit Mom at the hospital. We think (fingers crossed) that she will be out on Christmas Eve. I think the car knows the path all on it's own now.After our visit, some lunch, some chores for Mom, a car wash and maintenance scheduled, a beer, a stop at Tuesday Morning, to the Arboretum for The Artistry of the Nativity (that part actually was worthy of a post and here's the LINK), dinner at Big Shucks, and back for another beer. Home to do laundry still and pack for tomorrow. Whew. Just writing that made me tired all over again. Now for some sleep.
But wait ---- I want to lay out my Christmas Lights quilt real quick as the last clue for the Snarky mystery has been released. The bed seems to work. I like it. Now to find time to sew it.
20th - Vacation time has arrived and we are off to San Antonio for a couple of days. You can follow along on our amazing adventures with this Day 1 link. The post is chock full of information and pictures that you can enjoy.21st - Bonnie's Clue 5 released today and, yes, I did peek bright and early, but we have a full day of fun planned and I'm a long ways from a sewing machine. It'll get done, no worries. Day 2 (yes, that is your link) in San Antonio is just so much fun. We have explored and learned a ton. Come along and see what this fun city has hidden around it.
Due to traffic (pre-holiday?), it takes us 2 hours longer than our trip down to return home. Wow. However, the need to touch fabric is real, along with some thoughts I had while riding. Hunting down UFO's, I decide to go through them, make sure all the parts are there and figure out where I left off with each one along with what might be needed to finish. Sitting under the Christmas tree with a notebook and pen fits the bill. I know I can't leave this all out, but I have a hunch it's the start of something BIG.
23rd - I know have UFO totes all over the place. Just my Bonnie Hunter's alone are 6 totes and that is where I am starting. With an upcoming retreat in Denton with her, I want to have a few finishes.
A trip to the grocery store must be done and then back home to make a Pavlova Base for my Christmas dessert. It' looks so wonderful.24th - Happy Christmas Eve! An early morning rise lets me finish up the UFO stuff in the living room and clean up my mess. Mister went to get birdseed as he claimed they were looking at him through the window and it's Christmas. While he is out, I use the printer to get a pattern printed just in case I go completely crazy in the next few weeks. It could happen.
Once my sweetheart returns, we are on our way to pick up Mom from the hospital and return her to her home. Furniture gets rearranged, Pho is enjoyed for lunch, and Mary Poppins Returns in our Christmas Eve entertainment. I LOVE it!!!! After the movie, it's homeward we go to have some yummy dinner made by Mister and then work on pictures and blog posts. Mister and I even manage a cute little selfie for the family chat. (It's a great picture in there, but definitely didn't transfer to this well - drat.)25th - Merry Christmas!! I am in my usual Christmas Morning location. It's still dark out, I have my tea and am just enjoying the moment. It will be a day filled with Mister's family, but I still long for my children and grandchildren to be around. I am trying to stay upbeat this year, but it's just so hard and it's sad to say, but I'll be happier tomorrow.
Mister wakes, coffee is on and gifts enjoyed. I do so love this time with him. Tears over pictures from the kids is always a sign of a winning gift. Love y'all so very much.
Now, moving on -- I have parts to prepare for the Pavolva (which will be assembled at my brother-in-law's house) and a purple cauliflower mash to make. We make it just in time to get on the road and pick up Mom for the day.Dinner is divine and the pavlova is amazing. I'm not bragging, it's true. OMG. Here is the link to the directions for you will absolutely want to try this: Pavlova Recipe and Directions. Mister drew Penny's name in the family gift exchange this year and we decided to reduce the collection by one. Razzle Dazzle has found a new home and it feels good to do that for her. (Why is my picture half and half on exposure???? It's like it got spliced and makes the border on the quilt look green. It's grey.) (Oh, and here is the LINK to our day in case that interests you.)
I hope each and every one of you had a great holiday - that you feel loved and cherished, for isn't that what it is all about? Remember the reason for the season --- and spread that joy all year long.
26th - Okay! I have a plan for the next week. A trip to the studio helped me to remember what a chaotic mess my world is right now. Something needs to be done. I am going to systematically go through EVERYTHING. I started with the BH project boxes and have now moved onto the strip bins and cleaning out the fabric totes. If it can be stripped or stringed, out it goes. If I don't like it, out it goes. The rest gets re-binned neatly and I KNOW what is in each thing. That's the plan at least.
While working all day at organizing strips, it just makes sense to cut for Clue 5 along with future classes. If the blue strips are out --- do everything I need with them all at once. It's a good plan. It just goes much slower than I like as I have to stop and actually go through all the class patterns and make lists of the parts I need. I have 8 classes in February and April, plus the upcoming Quilt-A-Long AND the current mysteries to cut for. OH, and some of the old projects are missing pieces so I'm doing those too. It's a very slow process but so far I'm still just in the strip bins. No yardage being cut.
Once a color is finished, back into the bin it goes. I didn't take a picture of the bins ahead of time, but they were just a jumbled mess, now they are sorted by color.
AND --- the parts for future projects are being boxed up at the same time. I see progress. I also see a huge mess in the dining/living room. No visitors expected.It's time for a break and my sweetie needs sustenance. Scalloped potatoes and ham to the rescue. It's a no-sleep night, so I am up doing mail and retreat stuff. RAIN, RAIN, and more RAIN.
27th - I have determined to rise early each day and get as far on my project as I can. The rest of Clue 5 is cut and I have completed 600 triangles pairs for Pfeffernusse as well.
I am now off to the dentist.I truly cannot decide whether to share this or not, but THREE hours of being beat up by the dentist was not fun. I am in crazy pain again and would really like to call it quits right now. Hello Happy Pills.
I promised Mister not to use the rotary cutter while taking medication, but I can move things around and put them away. The minute I grab my triangles for Pfeffernusse, I realize that I have made a HUGE mistake. They are cut incorrectly. They were supposed to be cut for quarter-square units, not half-square units. Now what? ARGH!!!! This day just keeps getting better and better. HEAVY sarcasm there. Well, I need over 1000 of these for another quilt, Emerald City, so I guess I'll be making a Ruby City instead. Back to red/neutral for Pfeffernusse and more of these for Ruby City. Fun times at Hayter High.
Sneaking in a few minutes with the rotary cutter, I get the green for Idaho Square Dance cut. Yep, I'm changing the colors there too. I can now put this size strips away as all colors have been used in all their required places. That's a good feeling. It's likely temporary as I seem to be about half here right now though.
28th - BH Clue 6 has released and it's STRINGS again. Yippee. I know, I know. Clue 5 is not complete, but it's STRINGS!! I love strings. A quick trip to the studio nets me a bin full of neutral strings that I start sorting by whites, creams, toasty's. What's this??? I lost my paper scissors at least a year ago. The bottom of the bin has kept them safe for me.
Sorting complete and I have found a few misplaced colors and a few batiks. It appears there are enough whites for this weeks clue, but I may have to enhance the cream ones with some 1 1/2" strips. That's okay.
While in the studio, I also found this stack of red triangles leftover from some other project. They will be mated with some neutrals and go into the never-ending red/neutral HST disaster.Some time in the studio and I have found most of the fabric listed as I went through each pattern. Yes, I am old school and use pen and paper A LOT.
I even found some time to sew. Woot woot. Clue 6 strings are underway.
29th - Today is a definite mystery day. I am sewing like crazy to get caught up. I am switching back and forth and actually finish 6 before 5 but will present them here in the correct order. Here is the Clue 5 LINK followed immediately by the Clue 6 LINK. I am caught up and breathing a sigh of relief. Now, to try and stay that way as I'm sure the reveal is not too far away.As I am working on Clue 5, I discover that I cut WAY too many triangles. Jeez Louise. The whole process of using things up just took a bad turn. Now I need to find a way to use these black triangles. Yes, there are a few too many blues also, but I'll deal with them. I have a hunch most of these black ones will find themselves in the back of this quilt.
I am also deep into prepping for future classes. I found a TON of cut off ends leftover from Midnight Flight and put them to use cutting for Dawn's Early Light. Isn't it awesome to just clean up and find treasures? All the HST's are ready and I can move on to something else. Tomorrow. I'm kinda done for tonight.30th - The morning is spent working on my own little disaster zone. Starting out with Smith Mountain Morning clean up, inventory is taken - (Yes, almost exactly 5 years ago, I managed to cut all the strips for this and they have been living in the project box ever since.) With a little bit of sorting for variety,
I then hit the cutting table and then the large HST's are ready to sew AND I still have a multitude of strips left
Since I still have a wee bit of time, I start cutting on the color sets for Sandcastles, another upcoming class and manage to get the neutrals and greens finished before my time is up today.
All the rest of the strips have been prepared and hopefully, tomorrow I can knock out the remaining colors. I also got a little start on the next units for Smith Mountain Morning. I think I may lose my mind trying to keep track of all that is going on at once. Wow.
The rest of our day is spent with family celebrating Mom H's birthday and on our way home my sweetie decides that dinner and a drink would be lovely. The Old Monk is our destination and every time we are here, it brings back such great memories. Mister has to work on New Year's Day, so this is our own version of an New Year's Eve - Hello Guinness, my old friend.
31st - It's New Years Eve and I am up and working bright and early. We have a bright new theme in the Facebook group which explains all the craziness that I have been up to. You can check it out in this New Theme POST. Christmas jammies will be the wardrobe for today and apparently my sweet man has taken it upon himself to record the event.Embracing the chaos is my mantra right now. Mister is twitching like crazy but I've informed him that this will likely occupy the next couple of weeks. Back to Smith Mountain Morning.
Woohoo!!! I have one project complete and ready to go. Now to get these sewn by the end of 2019. Oh yes, it's another UFO year in addition to the new classes. I didn't do magnificent this past year, but I certainly gave it a valiant effort.I also have the rest of the Sandcastle sets finished. It's a good day. I know it doesn't seem like much, but believe me, I had to almost cut the entire Smith Mountain Morning quilt AND I still have strips left that went into the bins.
Now, a little Prosecco is being offered to me. Fireworks are all throughout the neighborhood and some are really big. I LOVE them so much. Cheers, ya'll.
Well it is the end of the another year. Did I accomplish all that I set out to do? Oh my goodness no. I think some items have sat on the list each and every month this year. I did make progress though and that's a good thing. This year has definitely been a challenge so I hold tight to what I did manage to finish. You can see all the items that are NOT quilts in this Annual Non-Quilt Items Post and those that do qualify as a quilt in this Annual Finished Quilt Post.
I hope your year was wonderful and that you can look back and find things to smile about. Seriously, if a toothless person can find a way to smile --- well . . . . At any rate, keep on creating and let's hope that 2019 brings us all a bit of relief and happiness. See y'all in January of 2019 and
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 - Clues 3-6 completed
Rag Quilts worked on -
Pat Sloan mystery quilted and bound -
Snarky Group mystery set -
UFO Monthly Items:
2 BOM - Whimm's -
Ohio Star Set -
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 - Clues 3-6 completed
Rag Quilts worked on -
Pat Sloan mystery quilted and bound -
Snarky Group mystery set -
UFO Monthly Items:
2 BOM - Whimm's -
Ohio Star Set -
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
November 2018
Inspiring post. On now to tackle my sewing studio .
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