Thursday, January 28, 2010

Finished for Friday: Hexagon Quilt

This week I finished my hexagon quilt that I started quite a while ago. It's very pale colors so I hope this photo gives you an idea of what it looks like.


The binding around the hexagon points was a learning experience, if you know what I mean. I know how to do it now, but I've also cured myself of any desire to do another hexagon quilt in the near future.




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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

An Abundance of Blessings

My kids work hard. Each of them, in their own way, following their own desires and abilities. I'm learning this week just how much that hard work can be rewarded.

Wasabi Girl has been nominated to participate in the People to People Ambassador Program that will travel this summer to England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales for 19 days. It will be the trip of a lifetime. She's assembling letters of recommendation this week and will have an interview on Sunday. We don't know who nominated her for this program, but it could have been any of her teachers, music teacher, gymnastics coach, softball coach, or someone else she has left a positive impression on. She is such a diligent, cheerful, conscientious student that she deserves this kind of reward.

Jungle Boy has now completed two years of ballet training. What began as "why not?" has turned into a passion that he works hard at every single day. Today he participated in a master class/audition for a summer ballet camp in Vermont - and was accepted on the spot. I could burst with pride. He deserves this for all the hard work and dedication he has put into his art.

Now as a family we are looking at the financial challenge these blessings bring. I am determined to make them happen, and the twins know they need to get creative and do a little fundraising themselves. Wish us luck.

Monday, January 25, 2010

A Touch of Spring

Although we had a brief break in the rain on Saturday, yesterday was completely gloomy again. I set aside the other projects I was working on and made this big pincushion. I sat in my dark sewing corner in the garage and dreamed of Spring as I made it.

It's about 6" long and will probably be stuck full with pins and needles within the week. I don't know what it is about me and pincushions. They all fill up, even though I never buy new pins or needles.

It's filled with ground walnut shells and lavender, so it has a pleasant weight and smells wonderful. Patterns and kits are available at Bird Brain Designs. 25% of proceeds from sales benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Thinking of Spring with a new girly pink pincushion makes my Monday. To see more Monday Makers, visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Finished for Friday: Three Cups of Tea

This week I finished reading a great book, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Relin.




Greg Mortenson has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This book recounts how he endured poverty himself so that he could fund his first school. By connecting with the local people with compassion and respect, and tireless work in the United States, he eventually became the catalyst for creation of the Central Asia Institute, an organization which has now built over 170 schools in the region. He believes that educating young women will change the world and promote peace. I can't argue with him.

This is a great read. Highly recommended.


I also finished this ornament. I didn't have a recipient in mind, but when Jungle Boy saw it, he begged for it, so this will be his next Christmas. The pattern is available at Gazette 94.

What have you been up to this week? If you're going to play along;
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Thanks for playing and have a great weekend!



Please send rowboats

According to the local meteorologists, today we get the fifth storm in a row here in Northern California. I can't figure out where one ends and another begins, so I'll just take their word for it.

I love a good rainstorm - when I'm cozy inside with a cup of tea. With my busy crew though, I'm in and out of the car all afternoon playing chauffeur. Yesterday I felt like a drowned rat by the end of the day.

Hard for me to believe, but when I went to pick up my kids from the middle school, I saw plenty of kids in just t-shirts and shorts. This is California after all. No matter how cold and wet it gets, there are still plenty of kids who don't own anything warm, or don't know when to wear them if they do.

My entrance hall looks like my former front porch, since I had to bring in all the pots that were blowing over in the wind. I'm starting to think those poinsettias should just politely die so I can get rid of them but they're cheerfully blooming on, like some sort of Christmas decoration I forgot to put away.

The back patio is ankle-deep in leaves that have blown in. Not just our oak leaves, but a potpourri of every tree in the neighborhood. There are eucalyptus branches, palm leaves, and dozens of other smaller varieties. That's going to be a mess to clean up.

But I'm getting some projects done around the house. Join me tomorrow for Finished for Friday to see them.

How are you faring? Getting slammed by winter storms? Or are you one of my readers in sunny Australia enjoying a beautiful summer?

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Nature or Nurture?

Two different shopping trips - each twin went with a different parent - and they came home with nearly identical jackets.

I caught them slouching on the couch before school for Debi's "Two for Twosday." I think it's proof that great minds think alike.


Sunday, January 17, 2010

Makes My Monday: Clean and Organized

Do you hear that sound? It's angels singing. My daughters have cleaned their room. Not only have they cleaned it, they moved all the furniture around and completely changed it from a little girl room to a teen room.

Organized? Just look at the books color-coordinated with the Furbies:


And the trolls neatly lined up by color on the windowsill. I had no idea they had that many trolls.


The room is practically wallpapered now in beauty tips pulled from magazines. I would have loved to have this room as a teenager. I asked them how they picked the pages They said they liked the models with clean skin and pretty hair.

They have a reading nook, a study area, clean organized closets and orderly drawers. I couldn't be happier. Remains to be seen how long they can maintain it.

I'm so proud of their big clean up. Their good job makes my Monday. Visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation for more Monday makers.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Finished For Friday: Facelift



Look! New digs! I'm so thrilled to have a new playground. I even have a new badge for Finished for Friday that you can grab from my sidebar. Feel free to grab my new blog badge too.

Warm thanks to my fabulous designer, Michelle at Shabby Creations. She worked so fast! And she was even able to get a picture of a tuxedo cat like my cat Hestia and a picture of my dream harp. And a Jane Austen book! It's all very me.

To play along with Finished for Friday, just link up below with a post from this week describing something you've finished. Be sure to visit the other players to give them all a pat on the back.


Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Hoarder in My House

The theme this week is "purge and sort." While I have been doing my own usual post-holiday closet cleaning, I've also decided the time has come to put my foot down with Drama Girl. The piles of clutter in her room are holding her back from comfort and creativity. It was getting really bad. Time for drastic measures.

We purchased a half dozen storage tubs and started filling them. "Don't sort yet!" I said. "Just get everything into these tubs so we can move them into the hall and really clean this room. Then we'll sort carefully what you really want to put back in."

It's been really hard for her. She wants to fondle and review every little scrap before it goes into the tubs. The whole clearing process has been incredibly slow. Meanwhile I am itching to get into that room and get every last speck of dust out of every corner. If it were up to her, the project would stop where it is, tubs part filled and room part clean. And mom tearing her hair out.

But I figured out a compromise. She had filled several tubs but had lost interest in the whole project. I decided to let her get going with the sorting side even though the room isn't all clear yet. So I sat down in the hall with a tub and started sorting through it myself. "What's this? A note to a friend? Were you passing notes in class? And why on earth did you keep it? Is this from two years ago? Good grief!"

My monologue brought her running in terror. "Don't touch that mom! I'll go through it! AAAGGHHH! Don't look at my stuff!!"

Bingo. She sat down right away and got through the first bin. 90% went into the trash and I tried to play it cool but I was cheering inside. "Sure you don't want me to help you with that dear?" "NO mom!! I'm doing it! Look! I'm sorting it all out!" Meanwhile, I took the empty tub and with her permission went to refill it with more glorious "stuff" from her room.

I'm so thankful. This room will get clean. Probably faster than I thought. She's a great kid, just has a hard time throwing things out. But she's learning.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Makes My monday: I won!

Over the weekend I got this delicious set of quilting goodies from Pat Sloan; quilter, teacher, designer, and cheerleader for her swarms of fans. I had entered her New Year's giveaway and out of all of the many contestants, I won! She sent me some of her fabric line, her latest book, a pattern and some beautiful colors of Aurifil thread.



Her book has some real eye candy in it. She uses photographs as inspiration for the color choices in quilts, and teaches the reader step by step how to audition fabrics and fine-tune decisions until the colors really pop. I love this book. Thanks Pat! I have some photos in mind that will lend themselves to this technique.

Winning goodies makes my Monday! Play along with Cheryl at Twinfatuation to see more happy Monday moments.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Finished for Friday: Late/Early Christmas

This is a wool felt table runner I finished this week. I just couldn't get to it last month and I didn't worry about it too much. It's for me, and I'm going to pack it away for next year. I love working with good felt, it's so soft.

I'm so happy to check off the first item on my long list of goals for this year. What have you been up to? To play along, just add your click on the Linky below and add the address for a recent post about something you've finished. Can be anything -- my projects just happen to be crafty. Then feel free to grab a button from my sidebar if you'd like.

Lit and Laundry

Let's make 2010 a productive year to be proud of!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Wordful Wednesday

Leave it to Jungle Boy to see the macabre in a set of napkin holders. I found this squirt gun strategically aimed at the lined-up Santas.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus. Join her for more pictures with stories behind them.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Tuesday's Toonlet

The AA Shuffle

related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]
The AA Shuffle

Please tell me we're not the only family to rotate batteries between gadgets! Do you use rechargable batteries? I think we at least need to get a charging station for the wiimotes.

We keep a bag of used batteries because our trash pickup company will dispose of them properly if we set them aside. Ironically, Wasabi Girl has found that when she needs batteries for something, she can usually find ones that work in this used battery bag. Makes me wonder if some gadgets are just lying when they die.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Makes My Monday: New Beginnings

I love the beginning of January. I love starting new goals and feeling like I have a chance to do things differently. I've made a lot of goals for this year (no resolutions - too hard!) and I hope you're able to achieve yours.

Here is my new ort jar, ready for my scraps from embroidery projects. Off we go!

Makes my Monday is hosted by Cheryl at Twinfatuation. Join her for more happy thoughts to start the week.

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