A New Start.

Hello Everyone!!!!!

 Long time since I blogged. Today is  December 2nd 2019 , and it looks like the last time I blogged in 2015 or was it 2014?  That is no matter.  I am going to try to rectify that and try to blog  everyday this December and to update more in 2018. 
 My life has changed  again (which seems to happen every ten years) and I am trying to build a new me and find my Bliss.   I don't think many people use the word Bliss anymore but it describes what I am searching for.   There are other more posh or modern words but I like how the word rolls off my tongue and it seems to fit me right now and the word to use.  I  am going to have it one as my go to words as I build this life.   I might find other words to add to the list but I am starting with this one.

  It's Christmas season.  Time to bring Joy!.   I am excited that the Vlogmas and Flossmas YouTube video's have started.   I am watching them with glee.

Here is the tree in Portland Oregon Pioneer Square to help you get in the Spirit.

 Isn't it beautiful?   Haven't made it down to see it.  But I will.

 One of my goals is to get my financial house in order.   I am a believer in Dave Ramsey, but i haven't made the final commitment to be come Gazelle intense.  I am moving that way, because I don't like how limiting my life choices are that debt has made me have to contend with.  

  In lieu of that,  this Christmas season, I have no money.  In fact I hardly go into stores at all as I just don't have the money to buy anything and I cave so easily.  Well I have destroyed my budget,  I  went into the outlet store for Montavilla Sewing Center yesterday as they have a closing sale (it's in the same building as Fabric Depot and that is such a sad story) and I caved.  I bought a gently used Janome QS30 machine that was 50% off.  This brings my total up to 14 machines.  I will blog about them one day.  Here is everything that came  with it and the machine.

I am having buyers regret, but it will be a great addition to my collection.  Its a smaller size one that has all the bells and whistles (but no thread cutter)  and I won't be scared to break it when I travel to Quilting Retreats.   Looking forward to using it for my next project.

  

Well this is a good start.  Look forward to my next post.  

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𝒯𝑜𝑜𝓉𝓁𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑀𝑒𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝒞𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓂𝒶𝓈,

𝒟𝑜𝓉𝓉𝒾𝑒

2013 word : Follow-Through

I can't believe it's been over a month since i last posted and it was the 1st day of the year before that.   I will get to the photo above in a minute. 

I had a wonderful 2012.  I didn't post very much but I have been busy.    I am doing fantastic in my job and worked a lot of overtime the first half of the year.  I also have been doing multiple house sitting jobs.  It has brought in extra money that allowed me to make a big change I 

moved out.  I can't believe it.  I finally was ready to make the move both financially, emotionally and logically.  It took me over a year to get to that point but I knew i would love it once i did.    I will leave the details for another post.
I also have met someone new.  We had our first date on the anniversary of the death of my former boyfriend.  He is a widow and we both feel we had a little "help" in our meeting.  We moved slowly and we are in a wonderful space right now.    The future looks good. 

I have been enjoying my own apartment.  It took me six months to go through all of my stuff that had been in storage for the 6 or so years and stuff i have collected in my hope chest.  I have made many many trips to Goodwill and have finally found the balance I need with all my belongings.  I am sure i will weed out a bit more but now it's comfy cozy.   I am only 3 blocks from work but this winter has been hard on me again.   It gets dark so soon and we have had a lot of gray days in Jan and Feb.  It gets harder and harder on me every year.   But the sun was out yesterday all day and peeked out today.  

I wrote in my post on 1/1 that I had picked out a word for the year.  Well i wasn't quite telling the truth- I had multiple possibilities but had not yet found one that fit.  Then I found it:  Follow-through.  My word for 2012 was Intentions  and 2011 was Encompassing.  The last two years was finding myself.  I now want to follow  through on those discoveries.   I also have some projects going that i want to finish and thought that having this as my word of the year would help keep me on track.  I thought it would even keep me on track with this blog.  It can either be known as one word or two words but it fits what I want to accomplish this year.  2013 is going to be a year of projects.

I want to also update my blog with all my interests.  That will be my goal.  I will also be updating my pages.  So keep in touch. 


Till next time. 
Dottie.




     

An April update.

I have been MIA haven’t I.
Where have I been you ask?  I don’t really have an answer.   Mostly I have been working, sleeping and I  don’t know what else.  I can’t believe B it’s been over a month since I last posted.
It seems that work has been sucking the life out of me.  Just like aliens have been taking all my energy..   I get home and I just can’t do anything.   I haven’t worked on any quilting.  I have to write a speech for Toastmasters and I keep putting it off.   I have been working on my small rug for my doll house but I haven’t done much more than that.
I have been watching a lot of tv series on DVD.  I have fallen in love with Drop Dead Diva.   I just today watched the first shows of Veronica Mars.  I wasn’t sure on the pilot but it has gotten better.  I have watched Garrow’s Law and I am on the third series of Bramwell.
It has also been a month of record rainfall here in Oregon.  The days have also been very GRAY.  That has been the hardest thing or me this year.    So gray it doesn’t want me to do anything.    I don’t have the energy to get the quilts out and work on them.  I could get so much out if I could just get it out but It just seems just to much work.
I didn’t update the progress on my UFO’s from Judy’s UFO Challenge from the Patchwork Times.    For February – I haven’t even cut anything out so that is not yet completed.  For March the number picked was # 8 which was Kenny’s quilt.  I have given it no thought. 
Today the number picked for April was #10.   This is the quilt I am going monthly to Quilting Delights to get the pattern.  I have been going since November and I haven’t even cut a single piece for it.   No excuse really – just nervous to make that first cut in all the beautiful fabric.
Hopefully I will do something in the month of April. Let’s keep our fingers and toes crossed.
Another thing that I have been reading a lot about in blogs lately is Copyright issues  and how some people feel it’s getting out of control in the quilting world.  I do believe that to a point.  I can understand if someone uses the photo of their quilt or design for promotion purpose and does not give credit or compensation.  But I feel it’s going too far if you are using someone’s line of fabric in your design and you show it on your blog and you claim it’s a copyrighted fabric design and try to have them stop using it.  For me that is going to far.  Why else would you design fabric other for it to be used?  That’s all I am going to say on that for now.   There are so many sides and so many opinions – so if you want to learn more search the issue on the internet and make your own opinion.   I am just sorry that a craft that a lot of people do for creativity release and pure pleasure has turned into such a minefield of touchy subjects.
It’s Sunday night again.. I am off to watch the CMA’s and the spring break song “Red Solo Cup” 
Till next time.

How do you spend your dash?

The Dash

 By Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth

And spoke of the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth

And now only those who love her

Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,

The cars…the house…the cash.

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;

Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what’s true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

And more often wear a smile…

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is read

With your life’s actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

Today

Today is my birthday.  It’s a bittersweet day as I lost a very close friend on this very day two years ago.  This was about a year and a half after I lost  my boyfriend whom i dearly loved.  I have lost too many men in my life and the memories keep flooding my mind today. For some reason the age of 44 is hitting me hard.  I don’t know why it’s just seems old.  Must be something from that timeline I set in my head when I was 15.   I  will be back to my chipper self tomorrow and it’s been a long day so I am headed to bed.

Intentions – The listing

  As you know I have picked Intentions for my word to live by. When I picked the word I wasn’t exactly sure what “Intentions” i wanted so I have been thinking about it in the past few weeks.  I want to live my life by these intentions not just this year.  I want to mold my life to be what I dream.   I am going to list my Intention and then list a goal to achieve it for this year. So let’s begin.
1.  I want to be a Quilter and sew beautiful quilts.   

I have always been a quilter – since I was 18 years old.  This year I want to take it to a new level.
Goal:  Participate in the UFO challenge from Patchwork Times and complete the Block of the Month from Quilting Delight.

2.  I want to be healthy and fit.

I struggle with my weight.  Last year I was diagnosed with diabetes.  I did really well  and lost 45 lbs but then the holiday came and a bit of the weight creeped back on.
Goal: Go to the gym at least twice a week.
Goal: During the summer months (May though Sept)  – Go on a hike, walk  or bike ride weekly.
Goals:  Lose 5 lbs a month.  

3. I want to enjoy the monuments.

Life can get very busy and you can lose people very easily.  I know because it has happened to me.  I want to enjoy the moment.
Goal:  I don’t have a quantifying goal – but just to remind myself to take tame for myself either through reading, sewing or enjoying the beauty of everyday life.

4.  Be Queen of my home home.

Currently I live in a condo with my mother.  I want to move out and have my own space.  I have had to work through a lot of anxiety in the last year on the fincial front.   It’s finally possible to do it again and I am scared to fail.  The worst that can happen is fail and I have done that before and I have survived.
Goal:   Look at apartments.  The more I put it out in the universe – I know it will fall into place.

5.  Always Dream

I am always dreaming.  I dream about quilts i can make, things to sew,  books to write, furniture to remake, rooms to decorate and ideas to create.  I never want to stop dreaming.
Goal:  Write the outline and the first chapter of my book.
Goal: Paint a piece of furniture.
Goal:  Design a quilt pattern.

I really do believe in the power of goals.  These last few years have shown me how awesome I am.  This boasts me as I self doubt my self and I should know that I deserve all the happiness that I can make.  I have also learned the power of hard work and the results it can lead and I love how my life is so far.

What’s in the Stars?

Every year as a new year starts I like to read my “Horoscope”  Many years I have printed them out and put them in my journal book.   I would then through out the year read over them to see how well the fit my life.  Some times they reflected what was going on  but many times they don’t or it’s very vague but it always gives me a kick.
This year I decided to record them here. I have included the Yearly and the January predictions for love, work and a general overview.  Do they fit so far as of the 8th. They do a little. 
It’s all in good fun – so enjoy!!!

Year 2012 Overview

This is the year to come out of recent hiding, Aquarius. Saturn, your traditional ruler, will be making its way to your sector of fame and recognition this year, so get ready! Your standing in the world takes on great importance, especially during the latter half of the year. The total solar eclipse in November in your career sector is another huge catalyst to boost your professional status. Being born under the sign of fame, this spotlight is in keeping with your destiny, darling. It's time to come out of humble reclusion, and let yourself shine!
Jupiter spends the first half of the year in your home and family sector, placing the focus squarely on family dynamics and other long-buried issues. You'll gain many philosophical insights during this period about not only your roots, but your role in your family. This is a chance to expand your viewpoint on past events that have shaped who you are today. You may also find yourself in a more introverted and introspective space during the first half of the year until Jupiter enters your romance and pleasure sector in June.
Perhaps the best news is that foggy Neptune is finally leaving your chart in February, allowing you to see clearly - especially in your relationship to yourself. After perhaps suffering some serious disappointments and disillusionments over the past few years, you have started to doubt your ability to read people accurately. However, you'll no longer be under the influence of Neptune's illusory powers, so you'll be able to get back on track. But beware: Neptune will move into your money sector, potentially obscuring your ability to be spend within the bounds of your financial reality. The upside is that Neptune in your financial house could bring an inspiring and soulful means for you to earn money. The arts - film, dance, photography or painting, in particular - could play a bigger role in your income than in years past
Jan Monthly
There is a lovely, crackling kind of electricity in the air, as the year gets going on the 1st and 2nd. You have the sense that you're on the edge of a discovery, that you're ready for a new kind of internal freedom. Wow! What are you going to do with this wonderful energy? Sit down and write? Go out and jog? Paint a picture? Call a friend? Whatever you decide to do, you're going to make the right choice. You're in a deeply intellectual kind of place on the 7th. And somebody finds your intellectualism very, very attractive. This could turn into an awfully romantic moment! Just make sure you aren't getting in deeper than you can handle. Business deals must be handled with kid gloves on the 13th and 14th. If you don't have any kid gloves, warm wooly mittens will do. You can pretty easily bring people together on the 19th -- even if they have completely divergent worldviews. You can't be beat on the incredibly awesome 24th and 25th. Any dreams you've been nursing are sure to come to fruition now. Prepare your acceptance speeches! You want to help others on the 30th and you should go with that. Embrace the weird and the strange on the 31st. It will embrace you back!
 

Year 2012 Romantic

Your romantic sector can expect plenty of planetary action in 2012, bringing an abundant supply of love and pleasure. Venus will be visiting this corner of your chart for an extended stay between April and August. During Venus's retrograde period between May and June, you may enter a period of reflection and reconsideration over recent romantic developments; you may also encounter unexpected reunions with lovers from your past. In any case, you'll be revisiting sweet memories of love to remind you where you've come from - and help direct you where your love life is going!
The new Moon solar eclipse in mid May will make a strong imprint on the love sector of your horoscope for the duration of the year. The effects of the eclipse will be revealed as an unfolding of events during 2012's second half, all having to do with romantic matters. Current relationships could develop quite quickly, causing a bit of a whirlwind in your heart. When Jupiter joins your love house in June, this will only amplify the power-of-love theme.
Although you often pride yourself on being rather detached and objective, you could find yourself swept up in the drug of love before 2012 is finished with you. But with two of the most benefic planets blessing the romantic house of your horoscope during the second half of 2012, how can you go wrong? Enjoy your fate as a hopeless romantic without having to suffer the tragedy of unrequited love. If anything, you'll be the one turning down offers!
Jan Monthly
A super hot affair is potentially in the works for you as the year gets going on the 1st and 2nd. Did your eyes lock across the dance floor as midnight struck? Or did you notice each other at the coffee shop? Do they have that special something that you just can't resist? Are you available? Did you get their number? Oh, my! What an exciting start to the New Year! You're using your brain on the 7th. How's your heart doing? Be very, very careful as you conduct any romantic negotiations on the 13th and 14th. After all, everybody's got a hungry heart. If you don't have what it takes to feed theirs, let them down easy. A casual get-together could turn very romantic on the 19th. You're irresistible on the 24th and 25th. And they wouldn't resist you if they could! Pay attention to your dreams on the 30th. They might be a big help in sorting out how you really feel about everything that's going on right now, romantically. Try something way, way off the beaten track when it's time to choose a spot to have dinner on the 31st. It will pay off!
 

Year 2012 Career

This promises to be a stellar career year for Aquarius - your star is clearly rising! You've been in a bit of a gestation period for the past few years, but now you're getting ready to unveil your genius. Though 2011 may have felt like a bit of a stalemate for you, you'll soon realize that you were simply collecting experiences, ideas and dreams that will all be put to good creative use this year. Saturn will be sitting strong at the zenith of your chart for the next few years beginning in October. Under Saturn's tutelage in your career house, you'll be applying the proper focus, discipline and follow-through necessary to make things happen. Your time has come!
While Mars is retrograde until April, you may still be holding your cards closer to your vest as the incubation period continues. But with Mars powering up your sector of resources and other people's money for such an extended period (the first six months of the year), you should have no trouble asking people for backing you might need to get your larger-than-life plans off the ground. You'll be highly resourceful during the first half of 2012, so take advantage of your innate networking skills - they will most definitely pay the bills!
Come springtime, your projects will go off the charts. November's total new Moon solar eclipse in Scorpio will further trigger amazing events in your career house over the latter part of 2012. Themes of death and rebirth - as well as a total transformation of how you approach your career - are certain to emerge, and you'll be required to possess much more power in your chosen field. Do you see yourself as a key player, a leader and a pioneer? Hopefully so, because you're about to be called upon to step into the biggest shoes of your life. No playing small! This is your year to see and be seen, Aquarius
Jan Monthy
Discovery is your keyword on the 1st and 2nd. There's electricity in the air and your brain is working overtime! You need to keep your eyes open for whatever it is that the universe wants to show you this month, then be alert to ways in which you can use that information! If you think about it and decide that what you really want in your career is the opportunity to help people, then get to work on that on the 6th. Approach your boss with your thoughts on the 11th. You'll really make some progress on the 13th, and that will make you feel good! Get in a jog on the 18th. Think it over carefully on the 20th: What's your biggest goal? Why not focus a bit on the bread-and-butter of your career on the 24th? Is it time to think about taking a special class? Learning another language? Gaining a new skill? Sounds good! On the 30th, you're feeling pretty charitable, again. Go ahead and think way, way out of the box on the 31st. That unexplored territory is where you'll find everything you need to make a real go of your wackiest, most out-there ideas.
 

Something to think about......

We all struggle day to day in figuring out what makes us tick.  Below are questions we can ask ourselves to make sure what we are doing is what we want to be doing.  

1.What are you passionate about?


2.When you wake up what do you wish you could be doing?


3.How do you want to spend your time?

4.What REALLY turns you on?

5.What’s fun for you and not work?


6.What activities do you like to do?


7.What gives you a sense of fulfillment?


I found these questions from a blog. who is asking herself these questions she found in an article in the Costco magazine.  It's always interesting on where a person gets their inspiration for change.

What I made sitting on the porch!

I took the day off on Friday to have a long 4 day weekend.  Everyone needs one of those once in a while.   I went out with my friend Kim.  She does scrap booking, holds the title of a ceramic maker proudly and is a fantastic cook.  She is the one I took the cake decorating classes with.  She is a great inspiration for my crafty goodness. She is currently into making dog collars and leashes.  She can do anything she sets her mind to and does it well.   Our styles are so different but I let her passion for crafts motivate me.

We went out to lunch on Friday and then we were off to the Quilt stores.   First was Quilting Delights where I signed up for the 5.00 block of the month that is now costing 135.00.   I wrote about it in my last post - so check it out.  I have been going there about 8 years I think.  On and off.   I first heard about the store from a temp that worked in my office for 2 days.  That's when I signed up for my first Block of the Month and it really got me back into quilting.  I never saw that temp again.. So i always have thought of her as a guardian angle.  The store has 30's prints, bright colors, and big quilts.There is a lot to choose from of a wide space.

Then on to Pioneer Quilts.   A totally different store then the first.  It's small and cozy and is full of wool patterns and quilts, some Kaffee Fasset bolts and civil war prints.  This is the store I found the Farmer Wives book way before the quilt-along blazed a trail through the Internet. I was looking at their classes and they have a group that meet monthly to work on wool quilts.  I might just have to look into that. 

While we were there I picked up a pattern for a cute pattern to store my sewing tools when traveling or whatever.   After stopping at Joanne's to pick up some batting, Kim and I went home to sit on the poach enjoying the beautiful day  and spent the  rest of the afternoon  sewing up the pattern.  We alternated between talking outside and going inside and sewing on her Brother Embroidery Machine.  I loved it.  I want one.  ;-)   Now if I only had enough money for everything I want.   That's another blog post.
Here are photos of my attempts.  We gave our selves new names.  Stupid 1 and stupid 2.   lol    We shared the sewing machine but were using different colored thread so we took turns.  Well I got to the completed stage first and when I went to turn it inside out guess what happened?   This:

Yup,  I  sewed it inside out.  All of the pockets were on the inside. So then there was a lot of this going on.

Yup ripping.    But I reread the directions and then this happened.

Yes.  a completed carrier!!!!  ;-)   It has 3 pockets and flap that comes over the top.
When my friend tried turning hers out the first time she thought she made the same mistake but it turns out she just had the pocket turned inside out and once she fixed that it came out awesome.  Forgot to take a photo of heres.  When mine  was completed it just felt like it was missing something.  What I did then was play with my friends machine.  I got into some of her cute stitches and ending up putting a half circle bunting  stitch on the front of the flap.  The perfect touch.
We then looked around her stash and found some neat fabric and we made another one. By the time we were done with that one it was dark.  So no photos of those.  Good thing to - because I was trying to be fancy on the stitching and guess what.  Yup..  back to the seam ripper.  So I will post the completed on another day.

A Sunday note.

Things are going on in my life...

I am house sitting again. 3 minutes from work. It is so nice to leave work at 3:30 and be sitting on the couch working on my needlepoint by 3:45.
 

I have made great strides on this lately. I am on the bottom 3rd. Of that portion the two corners are a light apple green and white check. I have finished one corner and just have the white checks to finish on the other side. Still have the middle portion to finish. I feel so soothed when I stitch and it makes me think of my aunts  (my fathers sisters) who are great needle workers. I am so excited to start my next project when I am done.

I finished my cake decorating class Here is the final product.

Do I love it? No. I don’t like the size of the cake I used, it didn’t turn out like I had it in my head and I had so much trouble baking it. I made it in the kitchen I am house sitting at. Let me tell you there is nothing like missing your own kitchen. I had to make two versions. The first one had one disaster after another. First I couldn’t not find any oil or Pam to put in the pan so I gave up and made it anyway. In checking it when the timer went off I discovered I had turned the oven off and had to cook it longer. When it tried to get it out of the pan it fell apart and half of it stuck to the bottom of the pan. On the second one I decided to use butter to powder it with the flour I finally found but it turns out it was rice flour and I lost one of the ends when I took it out of the pan. But as I told them in class I was learning – and I learned so much.

This is my friends cake. It turned out awesome. She went ahead and made one out of the book. Of course perfection.

We have signed up for the next class.

The Flowers and Cake Design class.

We will see how it go’s.

I have been watching some good series lately…

Watched  

In the middle of

And just started and have on the shelf

I am reading

and also found another series in which I have read the first one.

 

Still working on collecting all of the DMC threads and working on my design books. Quilting is not at the forefront on being worked on but it’s never far from my mind.

Well it’s getting late and I will update you again soon.

A romantic vision.

I stayed up all night watching the wedding. I was in love with the way she looked in the blush veil. I was reading blogs on Friday and someone said that the dress reminded her of Marie from the movie Sound of Music - I can see that. I can also see how it reminds them of Princess Grace. Two grand ladies to be compared to. What do you think?


I liked watching the pageantry and the tradition. I loved it.

Sorry I have been gone so long.....

Did you wonder what happened? I just got unmotivated. I was house sitting and posting daily felt more like a job then a creative movement, I got behind and then I just stopped. I have been in an uncreative state for a while as I was working lot's of overtime but it has settled down. What a wonderful thing it is only working 40 hours a week is again.

Lot's has happened since January.

I got hired on at the company I have been temping for. I start on Monday. I am making the most money I have ever made since 2001. For some people it's not enough but for me it's a nice treat and an accomplishment. I have either been unemployed or working a temp job with no benefits for two years. I will have to get use to being paid only twice a month now. That will be odd and will have to reshift how I pay bills.  At my prior job i got paid every other Friday. It was like that for almost 7 years.

I have decided to buy every color in the DMC embroidery line. I have about 1/3. It is so fun looking at all the colors in my plastic thread holders. I will take a photo and post my collection but here is a sneak peek of one i found on the Internet.

In looking for the above photo I stumbled across this awesome craft idea...


What else?


I want to decorate. It's a combination of a romantic country, shabby chic, lots of flowers and wood and white and color and soft lines with strong lines ... They say the more you put it out in the atmosphere the more you will get it. These are a few of the looks I love.

I am taking a class on fondant and gum paste at my local Michael's. It's beyond fun. It's awesome. I made a beautiful rose. I took photos so I will post soon.

Won't be so long between posts!!!!

L – Day 12

Today I was thinking of words that start with L.  I was blank.  My coworker came up with love.  That’s a good one.  Then after coming back from lunch…  it hit me lunch.   I should have taken a photo of my lunch but it wasn’t that memorable. Then I looked at my mission statement which I have posted on my wall at work.

It made me think of laughter and life.  To enjoy life.   But those weren’t the right words either but reading the statement with a new slant got me thinking.  I still haven’t picked a word to live by this year.   I think I have found it.  Encompass.    I wrote this mission statement my first full year at Portland State.   A good friend helped me but through the bull***t to really figure out what I want to be.  As I have been living life I have really tried to remember who I want to be.   I have tried to live with passion, to  laugh, to be creative especially through my struggles in the last few years – good and bad.  I am finally in a good place I hope and I know that the words above have helped me. Back to my L word.  I think the word for today is lists.  I am not normally a list person, I make a list for special dinners and for trips but I don’t live my life by lists but I am finding I do in one area.    I have made lists of books I read, books I want to read, movies i have watched and ones that look good to view.  A couple of years ago a friend ( the same one who helped me with my mission statement) told me how he keeps track of  the books he has read in a little notebook.  That seemed so intriguing that I decided to do it.  I went to a book store and found a journal that had quotes from Jane Austen and little drawings of the era.  I loved it.  Since then I have kept of all books I have read.  It’s so cool to go back and look at how many I have read in the last 4 years or so.  I have also started an excel spreadsheet of  authors and all the books they have written to help me keep track.  I have many many on there.  I love going through and checking off ones i have read and ones I can search for.  Another L word. Love.  I love it!!!!!!

J – Day 10

I own a blue corduroy jacket.  I have had it for a long time.  It is just heavy enough to wear when it’s cold and light enough when it’s in the 40’s or 50’s.  It is a casual jacket but I love it.  It is like an oversized shirt but is a very comfy corduroy. It has worn very well over the years.
I remember being out shopping with my friend Sherry.  We went to the Dress Barn and I saw  a wall of jacket’s that I fell in love with but I was short on money that month.  She was such a dear friend and bought it for me.  This was at least 15 years ago.
It is very simple in style and I am always wanting to jazz it up a little and add embroidery on to it but I have never figured out what I want.  I wear it to work a lot so I don’t want it to casual but I would like to make it a unique piece.  Also I don’t have an embroidery machine so I would be doing it myself and I don’t know if I could do it as professional as I would like.   Also what would I put on it?   Something  that wouldn’t go out of style would be my first thought.  I would probably put flowers on it.  The next question is which one?

  

I like the 4 above.  The first two could be cool.  The third is so like my own drawings but I think would be too plain.   The fourth one just intrigued me.

What color would  I do it in?  One color or many colors?   This is why I haven’t done it.  Too many choices and afraid I wouldn’t like it once I made a decision.

I – Day 9

Sunday was so busy.  I headed home and took down all of the Christmas decorations and put them in the corner until next weekend.  I then  went out to dinner and a movie with my sweetie.  We had the lightest battered fish and chips and then then went and saw True Grit.  Both of us have seen the original but we don’t remember much but a few scenes.  In watching the new version ( which we both liked) it would seem familiar but then not.  Needless I didn’t get to post so I am posting tonight.
I don’t know what to reflect on for I.  I tried looking up words for I on Google and I found the following which I thought was interesting.

20 Adjectives that Start with "I"

1. Idiotic- selling your friends bogus stocks in an attempt to make money to cover up bad investments.
2. Immoral- see above
3. Indigenous- native to a certain area.
4. Illogical
5. Irrelevant- not pertinent, like mentioning Pokemon during a golf game.
6. Indigo- the color on the electromagnetic spectrum between 420 and 450 degrees in wavelength, placing it between purple and blue.
7. Improper
8. Icy
9. Irreconcilable- differing beliefs that cannot be brought to agreement.
10. Inferior- lower in rank.
11. Impeccable
12. Intelligent
13. Inert- unable to move, like a rock right before it is thrown into a river. Does it begin or end its journey?
14. Incredible
15. Interesting
16. Infernal is like all things that are of the netherworld of the dead, hellish, like small child howling in a nice restaurant.
17. Irate describes someone who is really, really, really, mad.
18. Ironic - meaning the opposite of what is expressed.
19. Integral- something upon which all other components are based.
20. Inconceivable describes something that cannot be imagined by natural means.

I like the examples.

D – Day four

 

Darkness – that is what I think of when I think of the letter D.  It seems like I have been surrounded by it.   

        

This fall and now winter I have been going to work in the dark and returning home in the dark due to long hours at the new job.  I only see the sunshine, if it shines, from the window of the office.  Even on the weekends it’s either gray skies or i am doing errands at twilight.  It has made me restless and tired.

Maybe I am looking at it all wrong.

 

A man must dream a long time in order to act with grandeur, and dreaming is nursed in darkness.

Jean Genet

C – Day Three

Cooking is the inspiration for today. I made spaghetti and garlic bread. It was good but could have been better.

Mojo is back..

I started this as a quilting blog but I have not been doing much quilting since I was laid off last year. You would think with all the time off I would be doing one a week or once a week but I have been focusing on finding that job.. which is a job in itself and haven't taken the time to get any of them out.
Today I wanted to sew. I am going to participate in another bazaar in the fall. Maybe this time I will get some things done and not disappoint my friend. So today I devoted to cutting the project. .
I cut out the piece of fabric I need for one project from a fat quarter. I had 19 fat quarters that I got in the clearance bin from a quilt shop on the West Side. Then I got ambitious. I decided to cut up the left overs into blocks of 4X4 and rectangles of 3X6. I even got a couple of 3X3's due to misreads of the ruler. lol I don't have a plan for them but I am going to set up containers holding them and continue to do this with leftovers.

Below are photos of the process.

The stack of fat quarters.

The cutting.

The squares and rectangles.

For my project.

I have also started a label for another quilt I did a long time ago. I like to embroider my labels. This quilt has a yellow tulip in the middle that I got as a kit at a local shop that is no longer open. I then did a piano border surrounding it with scraps that I had from the 80's and other scraps from other quilts. I then took that completed square to the Sisters Quilt Festival and found the green border. I love it and had it hanging for many years in my cube at work. I decided to call it the Golden Empress after the yellow tulip. (side note to myself... that could be a good title for something lol) I made the quilt around 2000 but I can't remember when and I am just now getting the label done. Bad quilter.

I am still continuing to work on my needlepoint pillow. Here is a shot of the yarn.

That is what I was working on today. It felt so good. I need to do it more. Happy Quilting.