December Yuletide and Holiday Spirit

I read a lot of blogs and inspiration is everywhere for me. Sometimes I find it quite difficult to focus on the things that bring home the bacon - these 9+ hours sitting at a desk in an office, surrounded by coworkers. The fourth quarter billable challenge is wearing on me, for sure. Mike tells me to suck it up and just get through it. So that's what I'm going to do. Only two and a half weeks left though, then I have eleven blissful days away from work to craft and sew and sleep and enjoy the peaceful winter on our little hill above the town.

We've made an offer on another house. I try so hard to not get excited lest the same torture is around the corner like we experienced with the short sale earlier this year (and last year). But oh do I love dreaming about how I will make that new house a home! Paint colors, homemade curtain and shade ideas, furniture upgrades (in time of course) and how our family of 2 will grow. I decorated the house on sunday - candles and strings of lights everywhere and ornaments hanging from doorways. Our house is too miniature to put up a Christmas tree, but it's festive all the same. That will be another thing that I can't wait to do - decorate a full size, live tree in our new house! Ideally I'd like to get a potted tree and after the holidays plant it somewhere - our yard, or somewhere where we'll be able to watch it mature.

I've turned on the Vince Guaraldi Holiday station on Pandora at work. Is it too soon to be this excited about the holidays? Big life changes are right around the bend, I can feel it! The sun rose with a bang this morning. It's a bit how I feel too - raw edged, on fire, unpredictable, energized and eager.

Simple thoughts

Outside my window.... I see a hallway of busy bees bustling to and fro. Though I wish I was looking out of my living room at the rain pattering the window sill.

I am thinking... about redecorating but our house is so teeny tiny (and a rental) that it is pointless. I think I will reorganize instead, and donate more things. Things things things. How do we accumulate them so quickly?

I am thankful for... the fact that Mike and I (and Mo) can function around eachother in our 600 sq ft house without too much complaint :)

From the kitchen... comes some new and exciting recipes from my numerous cookbooks needing attention this weekend.

I am creating... many things on the sewing machine. Namely a small quilt for a newborn baby. I must finish this before said newborn is a toddler! Also would like to get started on Christmas gifts. Still unsure of what form they will take.

I am going... to meet up with a dear friend after work over a glass of wine. It's been too long.

I am reading... A Year In Provence

I am hoping... to really create a lot this weekend (after putting in some extra time at work, blegh!)

I am hearing... the new Kings of Leon cd and work mates talking about stormwater system design and pipe sizing

Around the house... I will be definitely be putting away my mounds of clean clothes this weekend and getting some quiet crafting time in. (I figure if I write it down it'll be more likely to happen..)

Diaper Bag for Amy and Adeline

Fun to make! Loved using the Hawaiian print! Yay for babies!

Long time no blog

I've been sewing, but not a lot. It took me 15 hours in 5 months (I won't allow myself to take that long again for sanity's sake!) to make this quilt for sweet baby Dylan Olivia. Pictures are horrendous - it was dark, 10pm, and the quilt was going to it's new home in the morning, so no time for a photo shoot, unfortunately.

Ankle Surgery and First Shower

*Cue angels singing!*

Tonight Mike took a shower with his casted leg for the first time since his ligament repair/major ankle surgery last thursday. It was an ordeal. The surgery AND the shower. I broke a steamy sweat. Didn't help that we tried it on the hottest day of the year. Scene of the crime.

We wrapped his cast and leg in a towel, then duct tape, then a big plastic bag, then more duct tape, then another draped towel. Probably overkill, but his cast didn't get wet!Towel graveyard.
Hey hey I'm clean!!

Happy Valentine's Day

I just adore this song and video. Sexxxy!


Ben Harper - Morning yearning
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Juggling Act

There are so many things happening right now! So many balls in the air it feels a little hard to take a complete single breath. In a GOOD way though!!

Girls weekend in McCloud/Shasta area concluded on sunday. What a fabulous time but I'm still trying to gather all the photos to share. Reconnecting with my ladies was so fantastic and so necessary!
I'm engaged!! Mike proposed last night and I am really having a hard time concentrating on anything today! So happy and excited for our future. The ring is just so gorgeous and simple and beautiful and I can't stop looking at it. I wuv him so much. <3

We're still trying to buy this short sale house. We made the offer in early October and are still negotiating with the bank. Hoping the next thing out of them will be 'we've reviewed your offer and contract and ACCEPT!' but, alas, it takes months and months for any movement from them, so we're in for the long haul with this one. The $8K tax credit is over in April, and April is coming too soon! I hope we can get in on that. I'm always down for a little extra cashola!

Two of my good friends are due in June/July. One is requesting a home made diaper bag that I can't wait to start, and the other will be receiving a lovely girlie baby quilt :) Such fun! Oh also I'm going to make a set of six placemats in exchange for some sweet Keen thermal boots (already in my possession)! The sewing to-do list is growing...

Mike has a bum ankle and is dealing with trying to get a surgery and it's all very complicated and another unknown hanging over our heads. I just want him to feel better and be healed!

Finally, work cannot be busier right now!! Projects are ramping up in various stages that all need my undivided attention.

Pics to follow - just need some t-i-m-e.

Going to the snow..

..but we aren't going skiing! Well, most of us at least. A little less than a dozen of us girlies are headed to Mt. Shasta area tomorrow morning for three days of mountain fun! We plan to sew, read, play games, gab, get a little sauced (because there won't be any kids around!!) and relllaaaaax in our huge rental castle! Many of us are in the Underground Sewers (though we have direly neglected our own group blog) and plan to work on our various projects and maybe one of us will finally get one of those quilts done! We will be minus one member this weekend - sadly - due to back issues :( BUT the good news is it is inspiring her to be the coordinator for the next girl's weekend in the summer. We'll miss her dearly!!

Looking forward to it ladies! See you tomorrow ;)

Calvin's Quilt

I finished my first-ever quilt. I work well on a deadline. It took 16 hours, 3 non-consecutive days out of one week to get this completed. Organic batting, designer fabrics, and homemade binding complete this baby quilt. Sally (mom-to-be) looooooves it, she says, and it is on her own bed until Calvin is born. I feel so very accomplished and look forward to actually finishing the two other quilt tops just sitting around waiting to be completed.It measures approximately 42" by 54"

Here is the back - and Mr. Mo tripping out on it, of course.

I'll leave you with this wonderful shot of Mr. Mo Belly. He plopped himself right down on my quilt during the photo session. Over the course of the marathon sewing on Saturday, I had to lock him in the bedroom TWICE so I could get things done without him jumping on the quilt, squeezing under the quilt mid-stitch, stealing pins, hitting around bobbins, and just acting out general mayhem all over my crafting area. I probably took 30 or 40 photos during the process, and his foot, or wisp of a tail, or blurred body are in over half of them! But I still love this little (getting bigger?!) pink belly of his:

A jotting of sorts

It is a little frightening to post my rusty writing (and horrendous print) on the internets....

I made a whole lotta potholders!

The gift of choice this year was to make everyone potholders. Fun, quick, easy, and pretty! These are just a few:

And here are the splendid wrapped pressies a few weeks ago:
And Mr. Mo a few days ago:

Calm and Uncharacterstic Sunday

Views from my backyard this mid afternoon. I've started writing again - the old fashioned way. I hope this new year brings many lovely poems. It sure has been a while. Little divebombers love that bush

Can you see all the birdies?