Sunday, January 8, 2012

What’s in the Stars?

wheel
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.
 
aquarius1

Sunday, January 1, 2012

New Years Day Sewing


They say what you do on New Years Day you will be doing the rest of the year.   This year I decided to get some sewing in so I cut out the squares I need for my Provence Quilt.   I am trying a new way to post the photos.  I don’t know if i will do it every time but it’s fun to experiment.

Happy New Year

happy new year
Hope everyone has an awesome year.  I have goals and wishes that I want to accomplish in 2012.  We will do it!!!

Friday, December 30, 2011

2012 – Word of the Year

 

In 2011 I started to find a word that I could  use to incorporate into my life.   Last year I was a bit late in choosing it but I found the word of Encompassing. while I was posting daily going through the alphabet.  I will be return to summarizing my year in but let me first tell you my word for 2012.

My Word of the Year for 2012 is Intentions.    This word was sparked  by reading the book Mastering Life’s Energies – Simple Steps to a Luminous Life at Work and Play by Maria Nemeth, PhD.    The line that inspired me was from page 39.                       

“I use the word intention in a specific way: intentions are the purposes or aims that lie in our hearts and give us a sense of meaning.”

The book goes on to say how instead of resolutions you should set intentions of how you want to live your life and then set goals to reach the intentions.  An example they use in the book is 

Life’s Intention: To be a creator of beauty.  Goal:  I plant a rose garden.

In some  ways i am still I am trying to figure out who I want to be (or should I say pinpoint who I want to be) and setting intentions is better than resolutions. Intentions don't have the guilt trip if you stumble and are more of a way of life. I am still working on what those intentions are and have not even started the goals but I will be taking the month of January to really think about it.

              intention

www.oneuniversalmind.com

I have thought of a few ideas so I will put them down here so I remember them.

Intention – Be Queen of my own Home!                                    

Intention – Make beautiful Quilts!

Now for a review of my last years Word of the Year.  My word was Encompassing.  I found my word when I was looking at my personal mission statement.  To quote:

I want to be a women who passionately lives life to it’s fullest while encompassing love, laughter, creativity and inspiration in whichever way life leads me.

I think i did encompass all of the things i listed and more.   I had an awesome year.  The biggest part is I have been happy.  I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I can look back on the past year and say I was happy through the majority of the year.   I like where I am right now.  I feel creative, I feel appreciated both and work and with my friends. I feel like I have found a path a can journey along again.  For a couple of years I felt lost with no direction in many aspects in my life.   I haven’t had any major curveballs thrown at me this year and for that I am grateful.  I have lost weight.  Almost 45 lbs ( just don’t ask me about Christmas week  :-) )    I have signed up for another BOM and have gotten all of my Quilt UFO’s in order.    Encompass has been a good word for me.

 

What do you think your word will be?

Thursday, December 29, 2011

UFO Challenge 2012


I have decided to get organized with my UFO’s.  I pulled them out of my closet to catalog them  on and listing them here in no particular order.  I have each on in an ArtBin box.  They are the bomb.   I went through and put in a sheet with it’s working name, a sheet where i could write down the progress of each row or month if it called for it and tried to put everything pertaining to the box.     As i pull them out I will inventory it and see where I am in the process what i have to do get each one done.
This list is a work in progress and I will be updating as I go along.   I am also going to try the UFO challenge from Patchwork Times.   I can’t guarantee I will finish them all but it’s a great goal.
#1.  2003  Floral $5.00 Monthly Quilt from Quilting Delights.    I did not participate in this monthly quilt but  I found all the parts in the sale room at Quilting Delights for one third the price and I picked it up.  It has a country feel.   I don’t have finishing instructions  but have fabric for each of the 12 months.   I don’t have a photo of it right now but will take some of the fabric when i open it up.

#2. 2006  Row By Row Quilt  April 2006 – photo of row quiltOctober 2006. Heart to Hand     This has 7 rows.    I have done the first row but got stuck on the second one on how to do the sailboats.  I am just going to do it  like the pattern says so i can complete it. 










#3.  Kaleidoscope of Kolor  2008 BOM Quilting Delights - Dot’s version  Below is a photo of how this BOM should look.    My version is a deep pumpkin color, which is in the second photo.  
leidoscope of kolor DSC01121


#4. Kaleidoscope of Kolor   2008 BOM Quilting Delights -  Pat’s version  My friend Pat did this BOM with me.  She loved her background in the beginning but as the months went on she got busier and didn’t finish it and by the end of the year she wasn’t so in love with the fabric.  When she moved to Tennessee she gave me her quilt to finish up. 

5.  2006 June Block of the Month Exchange   A Fathers Journey  Heart to Hand   securedownload   When i was dong the Dotty BOM at the shop Heart to Hand they had a monthly exchange where many people turned in blocks and they drew names. I have reworked the blocks and added more and here is where I am at.





#6. Cherry Hill Sampler panel   cherry Hill Sampler I bought this panel at a quilt shop because i loved the flavor of it.  I have gotten it out a bunch of times to try to design a quilt and keep getting stumped.  Today I found a pattern on the internet that might just help me as a starting off point.











#7.pink and purple Pink Roses and Purple Quilt.    I started this one out as a table runner for a class I took.  I didn’t like how it was  turning out so I changed it to be a small quilt  I am in the midst of working on converting it to 16 squares. 










#8.  Kenny’s quilt   and figure out fabric for Tass’s quilt.   I made a quilt for my oldest nephew and niece.  I now have to make one for my two youngest .  I have the fabric for the boy.  HANGING QUILTSBut in looking at them it might work for the girl.  I will now have to find material for another one –   I will make this one and then decide who to give it to once i find the fabric for the second one.   Here is a really bad photo of the first two. I have learned so much working with my camera since then. Its a pattern of my own design. 






#9.  Mary Engelbreit Baskets of Flowers Panel from 2008   I have some coordinating fabric to go with it.  I found these photos of the panel on the internet so you can see what they look like.  I think i am going to make a pillow for my couch on with the tree bottom squares.
ME basket of flowers panel Emmaquiltback

#10.   2012 Block of the Month – Quilting Delights.   2012 quilt BOM I am currently participating in this and doing it in a red color way.  So this one is ongoing and actually hope to have it done at the end of the year.












#11.  Complete any flimsy to a full quilt
#12.  Complete any flimsy to a full quilt


Monday, November 7, 2011

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.


Monday, September 5, 2011

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.

Friday, September 2, 2011

What I will be doing monthly for the next year.


Well I did it.  i went over to Quilting Delights and signed up for their Block of the Month that starts in Nov.   

The store  goes back and forth between a quilt the shop owner designs and one they get through Maywood Studio’s.   This year it is through Maywood Studio.  The quilt is below and we have 4 color options. 

 

memories of provence2-Black

 

The first is in black and pinks and whites that has long stemmed pink roses and black backgrounds.  I have tried to find photos of it but I can’t find a photo out on the web and i can’t remember the name of the line.   The next three are color variations of the  Memories of Provence line.  The color ways we had were black, red and blue.     In the photo below  its the second,, third and fourth in the stack to the left.

100_3062[1]

I chose the

RED

of the Memories of Provence line.  It just spoke to me.  I am so excited.

 

 

Here is a  blog that describes another blogger  starting the quilt.  That is where I also got the 2 photos above.  Thank you Open Gate Quilt Blog.   I had trouble getting on the Maywood Studio website so I used the two I found.  Dang virus protectors.

 

It’s been  2  or 3 years (or has it been more?) since I have participated in a Block of the Month.  i did get a little burned out but I also was at a time in my life with school full time,  graduation, then losing my job, having no money, looking for a job and then finding one but trying to impress the company so I would get hired on from my temp status that I didn’t sign up for one.   

I start on Nov 10th but the store said that in a few weeks I will be getting the fabric and a cutting list so i can set up my little packets for each month with all my cut up fabric.   I can’t wait!

Today I also bought a cool pattern and made a cool little satchel to hold sewing supplies.  I will update you soon.

Have a wonderful day.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

needlework

needlework by Tadlafleur
needlework, a photo by Tadlafleur on Flickr.
designing a peice.. i hope to have a series using my initals.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Kaffe Fassett

I love this designer... In fact it is a connection with my Aunt. When she died my brother and sister gave me her knitting statsh. In it I found articles on Kaffe from the 80's when she lived in the San Fransico area.

http://youtu.be/ZktTHOFv_mY

My latest finish in Cross Stitching 12-29-2020

  American Promenade by  Annie Beez Folk Art Fabric   18 count Adia Hand dyed by Fabrics by LJ in the Willow Tree colorway. Using all the ca...