Quilting

The long awaited quilt is finished.  I only bought the fabric 18 months ago.... and started it last January.  I am a girl who will not be rushed, OK?

Honestly though, I have never been more challenged or more proud of a craft project.  From choosing the fabrics to deciding on a pattern to troubleshooting the multitude of problems I came across, I did it all myself.  I had it half quilted last Spring, then let it languish through the Summer (It was too hot to wrestle all that fabric).  I conjured up additional delays in the Fall (I was busy!) and into December (It's CHRISTMAS, I just can't right now).  I finally sat down and finished the quilting, then delayed a few more weeks due to binding intimidation.  At long last I found a tutorial that allowed me to knock it out in a week!  I am not a seamstress or a quilter, but I think it looks pretty good.

I used a Disappearing Nine Patch pattern, with sashing to increase the overall size of the quilt.  Although I love it (as does the recipient who is excited to receive it on her 7th birthday), I don't think I will attempt another quilt until I have a machine that can really handle it.  My little Brother did a good job, but was a tiny bit overwhelmed at times.  Much like its operator.  In the end, we both won.

Fighting the Power

After a horrible, awful, no-good, very bad Monday, Tuesday dawned with hope and light.  

Well, it dawned with hope anyway.  The light came later - about 2 hours after I got up at 5am (J, we really gotta talk about these early mornings wake ups).  And the hope was coupled with RAIN.  Yes, RAIN, in the midst of a grey January morning.  Who ever heard of rain and ice together?  Michigan, that's who! And apparently my driveway had to get in on the action, as it was coated with a thin sheet of ice from back door to garage. 

Despite a slippery start, I knocked out my early morning errand, played a few rounds of Mario Kart (as Donkey Kong, per request of the 2 year old - I think he sees a kindred spirit in that ridiculous ape), and then headed out to the thrift store and one of my 3 favorite shopping destinations: The Costco.  

First, I scored a new cookbook.  $3.95.  Not bad!  I expect it to fully live up to its lofty claims, and I am already feeling very trusting towards all 350 recipes.  Maybe I should do a Julie & Julia thing and make a recipe a day for a year.  

Maybe not.  (My jeans are already thanking me).

Next, I went to The Costco.  Ah Costco, I do love thee.  Where else can one purchase a new sofa, a gallon of milk, 18 lbs. of apples, 2 dozen tennis balls, a gas generator, and a prescription for allergy medicine all in the same visit?  

(fyi, I only bought one of these items)  

But I did buy 20.23 pounds of pork.  Apparently I decided that our household was in the midst of a pork shortage that must. be. rectified.   I really think that the weather just made the idea of pulled pork sandwiches sound irresistible.  So, now my freezer is filled with swine and my belly is full of churro and hot dog.  

See, I told you it was going to be a good day.     

The Post Where I Express My Disappointment With The Month of January

January, you get a bad rap.  I'm not saying you don't deserve it, but part of it is not your fault.  Much like August, your position on the calendar is much to blame for your unfortunate reputation.  You lie in that peculiar no-man's land of time, trapped between the excitement of the December holidays and the far-off possibilities of Spring.

While you begin with a bang, it's not always of the joyous variety.  The pressure of resolutions and change and examining the imperfect are not my idea of a good time (not that I am opposed to self-review, it's just that 1/1 is in direct conflict to my feelings that this should be an ongoing process vs. a yearly one).  Mother Nature's wintery penchant for grey skies and frigid temperatures do nothing to enhance your questionable reputation. And 31 days of this drudgery??  FAR too much.  

So I mark off the days with an increasingly heavy hand, eyes glazed over with thoughts of sunny skies and Caribbean breezes.  Florida's siren song is calling... if only my lottery ticket seller/ Fairy Godmother/ Guardian Angel would hear it too.  In the meantime, I fill your days with phone calls and playdates, spicy food and woolen mittens.

And PS - I'd still rather be cold than hot, so January, you totally have the edge over August!!