Where Did it Go?!

It's Sunday night and I can't believe it! My weekend zoomed by....

We had a busy day. I slept in which I don't like to do because it's wasted time. I was behind today before I even got up.

I raced to Walmart this morning to reload my moneycard with my paycheck dated today. I bought myself another belated b'day gift of the Swifter Wet Jet. Sad to say, though, that I didn't get to try it out. I bought the girls some new sheets. I haven't managed to get anything else done for their room. We window shopped yesterday and they pointed out the sheets. Theirs are both so ratty that I went ahead and splurged this morning. C is still having a tug-o-war with her dad over her closet. He took the door off as planned months back and still hasn't got the stuff to fill in or cover the places where the hinges were. She's annoyed and so am I. I'm having such a difficult time getting him to do anything.

I told him that since the Log Cabin Quilt is almost done that we had to get going on our room so we would have a place to put it. He just rolled his eyes. I plan on getting my dresser cleaned off and cleaned out so he can get it out of there like he promised. I confirmed tonight that he will do it so I better get moving before he changes his mind.

I also bought a replacement crockpot today. I'm not much of a crockpotter despite some friends and my mom trying to get me to be. I mostly use the ones I've had to keep food warm at potlucks. I needed one today for the food I took to A's Blue and Gold Ceremony for his Boy Scout Pack. M decided he wanted me to make fried rice so I did. I also made some frozen potstickers and homemade eggrolls. I still haven't figured out how to roll them correctly and they looked horrible, but they tasted good! I put asparagus and chicken in them along with Chinese cabbage, shredded carrot, beansprouts, and onion. I have some wrappers left so I'm going to try to make some more. They're really not that tough to make, just time consuming.

The ceremony went longer than expected so I didn't get back up to the quilt shop like I wanted to. I'll have to head up there this week before I forget all the fabric I had picked out yesterday when I was window shopping.

Tonight was movie night at church. C, A, and I went. In honor of Purim, we watched One Night with the King. We didn't go to dinner since we'd had such a big lunch. The movie was good. There is something about a man wearing guy-liner. hahahahahahaha Luke Goss as King Xerxes was easy to look at. (I had to come and IMDB him and, who knew, but he's the same guy who played the baddie in Hellboy II and one of the main vamps in Blade II.)





The only knowledge I had of Esther's story was the Veggie Tales' version and I saw it so long ago. This version had a lot of intrigue and romance so I enjoyed it. Some biblical stories as produced for movie can be very dry and assume too much prior knowledge. I'd like to see the movie again because I missed a lot of the beginning because of audience noise, etc. We also had these silly noisemakers to spin when Haman was on screen which the kids used with glee.

It's 9:30 and I have so much left undone. I'm aching to call in sick tomorrow, but I won't. I don't want to let my boss down and have a poor start to my week.

That Was Quick

I've finished the Log Cabin blocks. Pretty quick by my standards and typical habit. Maybe I've turned over a new leaf. Two quilts in three months if I'm able to finish this one by mid-March.


4 of 5 rows (My table isn't big enough and I still haven't set anything else up.)


M still isn't sold on the border fabric.

I'll Watch Anything

I'll watch anything if it means I get to sew.

We hit the Redbox last night and rented three movies. We didn't have a lot to choose from since most of the good stuff was out. We took out three movies.

Z decided on Land of the Lost. I don't mean to offend anyone that likes that movie, but I couldn't believe how stupid it was. Z thought it was funny so I'm sure the movie was made for the 11-13 old male in mind. M thought it was okay for the sake of notstalgia.

We got a late start watching it because we had to catch up by watching this week's Burn Notice episode On-Demand. I didn't get to watch the movie I rented for me because I was too tired by the time Land of the Lost was done.

I didn't care what was on television because with them watching the movie I could sew without feeling guilty. I have five more Log Cabin blocks to finish after last night. I took a trip to GAQF to get the fabric I'm short of while I was out getting my coffee this morning. They opened the shop early just for me. Probably not, but it was open at 9:40 when I got there instead of it's posted 10. I gave up on makin it to Holly's for more charm packs for the siggie squares and purchased some Chez Moi instead.

I'd like to make a quilt with this line!

I'm also toying with an idea of making a quilt for my church's silent auction in the spring. The entire way the youth group is run in this church is another negative in my life so I'm not sure. How could that be?! I have honestly tried to help with fundraising ideas, but I'm constantly rebuffed. The old guard at church is very set in their ways.

M is taking S and Z to the youth group function tonight. They are going to the discount movie theater. He wanted to go. I'm letting him since they didn't decide to go see New Moon. I think they're going to see Planet 51 or The Spy Next Door. I'm not that upset because it will mean sewing time for me.

I think we'll be out a lot tomorrow. A's Blue and Gold Dinner is tomorrow. Oh, yeah I was just reminded of that today. I'm supposed to make an international dish that my kid will eat. oooooooooooooooo-kay............ It's movie night at church tomorrow night. We're watching a movie about Esther. S really wants to go because she wants to dress up as a princess and I guess the audience is supposed to be interactive with the movie, sort like Rocky Horror Picture Show. Booing and hissing when the bad character is on screen, etc.

9 More to Go

I may or may not get the rest of the blocks made this weekend. I'd sure like to, though. I don't have many other plans for the weekend. I'm definitely not cleaning anything. I'm on strike.

I have 11 of 20 blocks made.

I've set them out on my design table.


x8 blocks


x11 blocks

See the pattern? I had to take a picture to see it. I was getting worried that I made the blocks wrong.

The only thing that will get in the way of finishing these blocks is the 101 siggie blocks I haven't started yet and are due to mail out on 3/1. The blocks I don't have all the fabric for. Oops!

Private Retreat

I have decided that I would like to plan a private quilting retreat for myself.

I want to go to a hotel for the weekend and just sew.

I went to a nice hotel last spring with S's Girl Scout troop and I'd like to go there. It was an Embassy Suites. The room had a kitchenette. One of the amenities was a complimentary made to order breakfast like omelets.

I'm going to seriously look into it because I need to get away!

Not a Good Idea

I promise this will pertain to my quilting!

Tension is once again the name of the game at my house. I was given a small reprieve for a couple of days last week probably because of my birthday. The kids are back to talking back and thinking that they can kill each other even in my presence. M is as M does.....

I needed a favor yesterday. To my way of thinking, the response I was looking for was "How can I help?" not 1) roll eyes 2) sigh 3) "It depends on where it is"

I immediately became annoyed. I was pretty sure I knew based upon my memory of the address that it was close to M's work. (I'm too much of a chicken to drive downtown and I didn't want to spend the money to park for five minutes even if I'd have talked myself into braving the drive.) I didn't know the exact address but I knew it was on 17th St and M's home building is on 17th St. I also knew that the place I needed him to go pick the something up at was downtown and not in BFE.

My answer to #3 above was "I'm pretty sure it's on 17th and I only need you to run in an pick a packet of paperwork up for me."

M, "You don't know the exact address?! It makes a big difference, you know. 17th runs all the way into Aurora."

By now, I'M annoyed. I told him just to forget it!!!!!!!!!!!! I would figure it out on my own. He tried to smoothe things over, but I wasn't having any of it.


I would have liked to say:

"Pretend I'm your daughter for a minute"

(He will do anything for her lately, including leaving earlier so he can take her to play practice, turn a blind eye to her attitude toward me and the talking back, and assorted other discretions.)

"Forget that you ate almost all of my birthday cake, including the last piece without asking me if I wanted any of it."

I didn't say any of these things or any of the other things that ran through my head. I shut up and shut down.

I left work at 1:00 and parked at a Light Rail station and took a train back into the city. $4. I ran my errand and then caught a train at a station across from his building home. This amounted to two hours out of my day that I will not get paid for and plus I left work undone.

It would have cost him 15 minutes at the most since the building was one block down from his.

I got home in time to take Z to his ortho appointment. I came home to C doing the dishes. Her greeting? "Your welcome...." Me? "Your welcome for what?" C? "You should be thanking me for loading the dishwasher. What is your problem?" Me? "You're my problem." C? "Well, you should just get over it."

I ignored her for the rest of the afternoon.

M had a late meeting. I got pizza for the kids. I didn't eat enough because he had a couple of slices to eat. Then again, he would have expected me to make him dinner.

I finished watching The Jane Austen Book Club movie on Lifetime and then went to bed wishing I had friends like the women in the movie.

Oh, I did....but I ran them all off.

Here's the quilting:

I made two more Log Cabin blocks and got two more ready. I would have gotten more done, but all this bad blood is interfering with my MOJO.

Design Wall Monday

My goal is to finish piecing the remaining 17 blocks. I think I've got a shot of even finishing the top this week since all the blocks are done except for the last two dark strips of fabric.

This is what the quilt will look like:



Head over to Patchworktimes and see what's going on over there!

Short

I'm short at 5'0, but that's not what I'm talking about....

I find myself short of fabric again. I finally got up to Harriet's Treadle Arts on Thursday to get the fabric I was short of for the Log Cabin blocks. It's a good thing because the bolt was done to the last yard or so. I got some other stuff, but I missed my birthday discount. I also got caught in a wicked snow storm, but that didn't stop me from stopping at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants for a #11: a combination Vietnamese dish with rice noodles and raw veggies. I never use the spicy fish sauce it comes with. I only go to this restaurant on the way home from this quilt shop so I wasn't going to let a snow storm get in my way since I didn't know when I'd get back that way. I used to go all the time when I worked at a dentist's office down the street.

I got caught up on the three blocks I didn't have this fabric for and am now working my way through piecing the rest of the blocks. I couldn't wait to see what they were going to look like finished so I cut the rest of the fabrics. I am just barely short of the last fabric which is a 2.5x14.5" unfinished strip. I don't know if it would have made a difference if I'd have planned better in the order I cut my strips. I guess that's what you get for working from a picture and not a pattern. I like to live on the quilting edge. It's a bummer because I was at GAQF on Friday. Why is it that when I go for a sale or a discount that I can never find much to buy?

These are what the blocks look like finished. They're 14". The blocks have become a little unmanageable with the last strips and are taking a lot more time to sew. I'm eager to finish them all, get the top pieced, and find a border fabric.



I bought a couple of fabrics weeks back when I shopped for my aquas. This is the brown Hoffman/Asian fabric that I like. M isn't sold.



Here's a scan:

Hoffman/Spring Street

I had planned another border/sashing fabric in between the blocks and the outside border. I like this fabric a lot by itself, but I'm not sure if it's right with the brown border fabric. I think it may be too busy and/or the print too large. It might make more sense to use a fabric from the Hoffman/Spring Street line if I use the brown fabric from the line I pictured.



I was surprised to learn that it's from a Possibilities (of Great American Quilt Factory/GAQF) line:


Possibilities/Petals and Paisley

I used one of the other fabrics from this line in the Log Cabin blocks. I've always liked paisley!


Possibilities/Petals and Paisley

Feel free to weigh in. This is the pattern the blocks will make:



If I go with any of these fabrics I will need to buy more. I only bought 1/2 yds.

A note if you haven't followed this quilt's progress. I plan to hang it behind the bed in our bedroom. I had a bed picked out, but M is balking at my choice now. His choice is more traditional. I hope that we can find a compromise.

Oh, and when I'm not sewing quilts......

I'm kicking myself! I got so involved sewing Log Cabin blocks that I forgot I needed to make A's sweatshirt for his school music program on Tuesday. Doh! I was actually supposed to have his costume in last week, but I kept forgetting to think something up. I wanted to just find him a space T-shirt, but I never got out anywhere to find one. None of the department stores close to home had anything.

I was actually headed to bed at 10:30 when I saw the bag with the stuff, but was glad I did. It would have been horrible if I didn't get this done.

The sweatshirt was on sale at Walmart where I got all the other supplies, including the planet fabric and silver letters. I used fusible to get the planets on the sweatshirt and then thought better to sew them down closely to their edges for longevity. I hope he likes it!

Take Two

A really good cake!

Cake #2 was so much better. The cake was moister and the frosting was more evenly distributed. Remember my complaints about cake #1 and the lack of frosting? The frosting got thicker as we worked out way to the middle of the cake. The cake was actually two sheets put together to make the 1/2 sheet. One side was taller than the other so the bakery evened out the cakes with frosting. The cake my mom bought for this celebration was from King Soopers, too, but from her store.

People might think I'm crazy, but this isn't the first instance where I've felt that I've gotten jipped on this side of town. I'm treated to better service and better selection on that side of town. M and I were talking about it and he agrees with me so may be I'm not crazy since he usually thinks I'm paranoid.

SO, anywho, the cake last night was awesome!

My mom had to assure the bakery that the cake was really what I wanted and my dad, too, when he picked it up. They thought it was strange that I wanted the cake as plain as it is. I figure why can't I have what I want? Sure the cake looks pretty and all with all the roses, but no one ever eats them. We all scrape them off before we eat our pieces. The baker kept trying to get my mom to let her add some candy, decorative frosting, or something that would cover the top of the cake. Too funny....

My mom's eggrolls were good. They are homemade. My mom makes the filling and my dad rolls them. I made stir-fry with fresh asparagus, chicken, water chesnuts, carrots, mandarin oranges, onion, and snow peas. There is a new product called Simply Asia Stir-Fry Sauce which is very tasty and convenient. I've used it twice now and I can highly recommend it. I found it at my grocery store. Everything tasted great! I loved having my parents and sister over.



I'm off to sew. The goal is to finish the Log Cabin blocks!

I Spoke Too Soon

Right when I get all mopey and down about my family, they surprise me.

I can't say that it's all chuckles and grins here today, but my bathroom is getting clean. M and C are at odds about it because C is becoming wise to her dad's ways. From what I can glean in response to my "all I want for my birthday is a clean bathroom" wish, they agreed to get it done. I don't know how much they agreed that it was going to be a group effort, but there seems to be a big disagreement about the division of labor. C must have thought her dad was going to do more because she is in a very pissy mood since M has managed to bail on her more often than not. He at the rec center right now with A for the swimming b'day party. (Yay, Walmart had their swimsuits out!!) He leisurely drank his coffee this morning, took his shower late, and volunteered to spend his money on b'day giftcards earlier by venturing out to Target for the purchase.

M has a habit of looking at the kids as a source of slave labor. I can honestly admit that I've been waiting for them to get old enough to do more work around the house, especially since they make most of the mess. I see the kids more as partners, though, and not laborers that will take over my work load.

S and I tidied up the kitchen today. I even let her mop. I think she' all over the novelty of THAT job. I'm happy that we've kept up with it. I still need to get in the cupboards to clean and organize, but that's doable. M hasn't bowed to the pressure of cleaning off his junk counter, yet, but I'll keep working on him. I really broke in the oven the other day by almost dumping some chicken breasts into the bottom of the oven. I made a huge mess that still hasn't been cleaned on the inside of the door since the glazed breasts landed there and slid down. Ugh!

A cleaned all the dog snot off the windows with my help. Better to see the dirt between the inside and outside pains..... The novelty of cleaning the windows hasn't worn off for him. He likes to spray things. I even got Z to vacuum out the couch without too much fuss. (C thinks Z is woefully underworked, though.)

I've been doing laundry and supervising. LOL I'm looking forward to the day when I won't have to answer "Mommy is this clean enough?

I may get to sew this weekend afterall!

Weekend Goals, Probably Ain't Gonna Happen

If I'm counting the candles correctly, I'm seven. I still have the dress I'm wearing. I can't remember if C ever wore it, but I know S did. I wish I had taken a picture of HER in it.

I'm so behind. Work is really cutting into me getting stuff done around my house--I miss my Fridays. Life is really getting in the way, too. I can't wait until spring and summer when I have more energy and am just warm. It's cold again in Denver and all I want to do is snuggle up on the couch and veg.

February is almost over and I'm not happy about that.

I had goals associated with my Christmas blog, too, and I've not got anything done. It's going to be a race to see if I can get my Piece and Goodwill blocks done. I also had to deal with another bill from long ago and so there went my birthday money. I'm just glad I had it to use and didn't have to ask M to bail me out again.

I would have liked to get stuff done this weekend, but we've got another busy stretch planned: my parents are coming over for my birthday dinner, A has a swimming birthday party (I've got to find him a suit), and another party for all the kids for a boy from church. I would have liked to plan for the birthday parties, but we just got the invitations on Wednesday and Thursday. Ugh!

I need to schedule some time for me or I'm going to go crazy. I wonder if it's too soon to ask for a day off since I've only been full-time for about a month?

I'm trying not to be disappointed that I didn't finish the Log Cabin blocks like I wanted to this week. Oh, well. National Quilting Day is sometime in March so I think I will have to take advantage of that sale for the border fabric. I don't think I'm going to get to GAQF this weekend.

Oh, and the two things I asked for my birthday? A clean bathroom...that didn't happen. I guess I'm going to have to do it myself! I didn't get my Swifter, either.....

So, I'm Finally 40

If you haven't heard, I turned 40 today.

Thank you to those that stopped by today and wished me well!!

Please don't judge me too harshly.....

M took me to lunch. We went to a urban cafe called Fuel by my work without question. Lunch didn't get off to a good start because I wanted a Coke/Pepsi and I was told by the waitress unapologetically, "We don't serve corn syrup products here. We have a Mexican cola on the menu." (I had to come home and research the whole thing and you might find this interesting. The cola is made from cane sugar.) The cafe was loud and I was sitting about 12" from another table of diners so I didn't feel like I could even talk freely. The menu was inventive, but not my kind of food. I ended up with an overpriced Reuben sandwich and water.

I DID enjoy the company and know it's the thought that counted.

I ended up working late. Work has been difficult is all I'm free to stay. On the way home and desperately looking forward to relaxing and celebrating my birthday with M and the kids, I remembered today is Ash Wednesday. We may have skipped it had Z not been the Acolyte tonight.

Life!



M thought better than to put 4-0 on my cake in candles. He said they thought to do Roman numerals, but it would have been X-L. Smart man!!

Yum-O

(I will be searching for a new cake place. King Soopers is really scrimping on the frosting. I can't believe how thin a layer there was on my cake. Oh, and the kids had to fight over who was going to get the balloons. NOBODY!)



I'm off to bed. It's been a long day.........

I Can't Sew Fast Enough

Well, really, I can't cut fast enough. Cutting fabric isn't my favorite thing to do. I need a sous quilter. I still vow to get the Log Cabin quilt top together by the end of this week so I can buy border fabric.

So, I keep sewing away on the Log Cabin blocks. I still haven't managed to get up to the quilt shop to get the fabric I'm short of. I hope to get there tomorrow and I might as well since it's my birthday and they honor a birthday discount.

Yes, it's 11:30 m.s.t. and, while it's not quite my birthday in this time zone, I'm 40 somewhere. Ugh! 40.... I'm okay. 40 is just a state of mind. Only my body feels 40.

We don't have any plans to celebrate that I know of. M is taking the next three days off, but I have to work even my birthday. Figures! He mentioned taking me to lunch, but S is pretty sick with a cold so she'll be home with him tomorrow.

I got my nails done today, but not as a b'day gift. They were due. The tech tried to talk me into glitter acrylic last time and I would only agree to white with a little bit of glitter. I bowed to the pressure today and went full glitter. I don't like them and I'm kicking myself for one more time NOT speaking up for myself. I can understand if I was getting them done for a party like this, but not every day wear. I'm stuck with them for two weeks. I think they look tacky. I do have my eye on a red glitter acrylic. I would love to get them done with that when Eclipse comes out because I vow to find a party for that premier for sure!



Back to quilting............

I did sew tonight. We are trying to watch Angels and Demons one more time. M fell asleep almost as soon as he put it in last night. We were going to put it in as soon as we got the kids to bed, but we got involved in a couple of linked Criminal Minds episodes and so we didn't get it in until 10. M didn't even make it through the first 10 minutes before he was snoring. I watched the whole thing last night, but I was fuzzy on the beginning. I caught more tonight, but the movie is still confusing to me. I got in some sewing time which is the important thing. I like to sew while watching movies.

I have the last three strips to sew, but here's my progress with the last light fabric. I only got one of the blocks sewn with this strip so I could take a picture for the blog. I'll sew the rest of the blocks with this last light strip and then it's two more darks.

(Don't chat me up too much, but I'm wishing I'd interchanged the first two lights near the center in their placement. Oh, well!)


Yay, for pictures. My camera card is toast, but M's works great!

Quiltathon Weekend

I promised myself that after missing the last Quiltathon that I would participate in February's. I'm very grateful that Judy of Patchworktimes suggests these sewing weekends as they are a great motivator. I knew I would have to make an effort to sew this holiday weekend. I'm pretty surprised at how much I was able to accomplish since I rarely am able to just sew. I always have places to go and chores to complete even on Quiltathon weekends.

I had a busy day on Saturday. We made an appearance at a Chinese New Year celebration that my company contributed time and resources. We decided not to stay long in order to take in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. I still hold out hope that Z will get inspired to read more by seeing books adapted to screen. It worked with New Moon, but I'm not holding out hope this time as he hasn't even inquired about the book. I was glad that I took the time on Friday to finish the binding on M's Saratoga Lights quilt since we were so busy on Saturday. I couldn't let the day end without completely finishing this quilt. After dinner, I completed the quilt by sewing on the label.





(The pattern for Patchworktimes' Saratoga Lights can be found here.)

We stayed close to home for Valentine's Day. I fixed cinnamon rolls for the kiddos before quickly stepping out to treat myself to a Starbucks' latte. I fixed M eggs and bacon for his Valentine's breakfast before jumping right into my day of sewing and ....laundry. Yes, the laundry must get done even on Quiltathon weekend. M took C out for a round of errands. They ran into a nasty accident on the highway. We had gotten some snow in the middle of the night and I don't think people took the conditions seriously because there was a 13 car pile up on I-25 and then another two smaller accidents along the way to their destination. I was happy I stayed home to sew.

So, in addition to finishing M's quilt, I made some nice progress on our Log Cabin Quilt. I didn't have time yesterday to get up to the quilt shop where I bought the one fabric I'm short of so my chain sewing had to be limited to 17 of the 20 blocks I need. The shop is closed on Sundays. I hope to make it up there this week. I sure hope they still have the fabric still or I'm going to be screwed as it's right in the middle of my blocks and I went ahead and continued sewing the blocks anyway.


I had to edit the photo and so the above photo is cropped, but my block is not. Something is wrong with my camera card and the file is all wonky.

I would have liked to finish the latest strip on all the blocks, but I've run out of sewing energy for now. I'm going to do my best to get these blocks finished this week and the top finished. My birthday is this week and I'd like to take advantage of some birthday discounts at a couple of quilt shops to buy my border fabric. I'm still not clear on which fabric direction I'm going for the borders. I've seen some nice choices but I didn't want to buy anything until I had the blocks finished and set to see their effect. This is the quilt I'm using as inspiration.

Sorry! and M's Quilt

I'm sorry about the last post! (It's been deleted!!!) I slipped. I really am trying to be positive even if it kills me..... I've got some great news about an amazing thank you that I received in the mail yesterday. I'm simply not ready at the moment to share.

I posted a better entry about M's Saratoga Lights quilt on the Christmas blog, but I wanted to post a short entry here, too, since I've mentioned it and Frecklesquilts is no more.

M's quilt is finished, including the label. I'm proud of myself for making this quilt and getting it quilted. M has his first quilt made by me and it's a finish by me! I need moments like this!!

All's Well

Hogging the couch as usual!

The fact that these two have their heads together can only mean trouble even if they're sleeping. I'm actually amazed that they're this close to each other. They usually don't like each other much, but I guess when it comes to sleeping on the couch or the cold hard floor they can get along to share the couch.

A couple of updates. We got the closet cleaned out except for a stack of magazines on the floor and a few items on the shelves. I still need to get up there and dust, but that's for another day. I am almost 40, but certainly NOT fit NOR fabulous. My knees were killing me again after a day of getting down to pick things up, etc. My body is betraying me.

M wants to redo the closet with Elfa organization items.. I don't want to wait. I'd rather have a new bed and mattress than a jazzed closet. I'm going to find a cheaper option. I hope to paint in there by the end of March, hopefully sooner.





I started sewing the binding on M's quilt last night. I didn't get very far, but at least I started. I don't know what I'm in the mood to do tonight. We had a big storm in my area last night and so it's cold. When it's cold, I usually huddle up in my bed or on the couch. Maybe I should huddle up under M's quilt and sew?

....edited 9 p.m.

My solution to solving the what do I work on problem? Well, the husband comes home to nix dinner plans because he's decided to go to a meeting across town for Boy Scouts. I crank the heat to 74 and sew on my machine instead of bundled beneath a quilt sewing.

The latest strip added to the Log Cabin blocks. I will have to make a run to the quilt store. I was only able to get 17 of the 20 strips I needed out of the 1/4yd of fabric I had.

Nagging Until it Hurts

M and I do a lot of dancing around each other.

On our good days we do our best NOT to annoy each other. I look the other way when he drops a couple of paper towels on the floor to clean up dog pee and walks away. (I pick them up after him and 409 the floor without comment.) He insists that he would eventually pick them up--he was just waiting for the paper towel to do it's job of soaking up the mess and drying for easier clean-up. (Yeah, ugh....leaving a pee soaked paper towel on the floor for 24-hours is the worst of his habits.) HE ignores my spending habits and the fact that he has to clean up a lot my financial shortfalls and messes. (I think these worst of our habits.)

I generally try not to rock the boat. There are times, usually when I'm in a bad mood about something else, that I push the envelope. I did that today. I wasn't really mad about anything else, I just didn't want another Saturday to go by without getting some stuff done around here. I voiced my desire for M to clean out our.....HIS....closet last month. MY plan is for the closet to be cleaned out and organized so that we can get rid of the dressers in our room. A good closet is going to waste while we barely have enough room to navigate the limited pathway between our bed and the dressers which are clothes storage receptacles and that's about all. I stopped using my dresser a long time ago except as a catch-all for unmatched socks, important documents like the kids report cards, and the top to store the clothes that I do wear. M has clothes in his dresser that he hasn't worn since we were first-time parents except for one drawer of T-shirts.



I've been after him for years to go through and get rid of stuff. He probably would have complied if it had been his own decision and not me trying to get him to do it!

I woke up this morning raring to go. (I love Saturdays because I get a HOT shower.) M made pancakes for the kids while I puttered around the house picking things up and vacuuming. (Stuff that needed to be done, but more an example of someone working and that I wasn't going to be a weekend slacker.) I made a list of chores for the kids to complete this weekend, mostly kitchen-related. Then, I dropped the bomb on M. I've had bags for M to take to Goodwill for a couple of weeks. I knew he had errands to run that included a grocery store run and a trip to Grease Monkey to get my oil changed. I casually asked him what his plans were and he confirmed the previous. I suggested--okay, told him--that I would like for him to take my stuff to Goodwill. In the same breath, I suggested--okay, told him--that it would be great if he would go through his stuff to include in our donation. He grumbled, but when I got back from my trip to get the needles I like for binding sewing he was doing it.... Well, wonders never cease!!

The closet is still a disaster and I need a dust mask to work in there, but we've got a good start. I'm noticing stuff that I bought years ago on clearance for Halloween and Easter, three totes of more clothes that we've not missed in years and probably don't fit, and a bunch of toys that M took away from Z in punishment. There was also a pair of size 13 Vans tennis shoes that I bought in error for Z that I couldn't return because I lost the receipt. S could have worn them a shoe size ago so I'll have to remember them for A.

Oh, and I discovered a whole stack of quilting magazines, books, and the instruction manual to my sewing machine that I thought were lost forever!

I'm being a baddie as I sit here and blog. I'm grinning because the kids all wanted to go run errands with their dad and no amount of dissuading them could get them to stay home--boring as heck at Grease Monkey, no lunch out, and "I'm not buying you anything." The sacrifice of being out with their grumpy dad probably had something to do with my list of chores. The house is quiet--no kids fighting... I'm as happy as a lark even if I'm doing laundry and cleaning a closet.

Psych!

For anyone arriving after Googling Psych the television show....Sorry! Although it's one of my favorite television shows, this post isn't about it.

I've done my best to psych myself up into tackling the closet this weekend. I know, I know, I've talked about it before and not done it. I have to admit that I was hoping M would get in there before me, but no such luck.

I plan on making out a list for the kids. I think they should be able to figure what their responsibilities are by now, but they continue to be resistant to doing things without me nagging them to death. I might as well get over my dreams of them voluntarily doing things around the house.

SO, on that note, I'm going to talk about happier things. Until I get my main blog up and running I'll just have to talk about all my quilting on this one even though it strays a little from my goal of keeping things separate.



I got the binding machine sewed on the front of M's quilt. I'll hand sew it down to the back tomorrow. (I seriously considered using the machine sewing method, but I don't want to try it for the first time on this quilt.) I still struggle with the no-bump binding everytime I do it despite the fact that I've done so many. I hinted to M that he should give me some cash to hangout at Starbucks all day and sew the binding. He laughed me off as usual.

I'm so not about the Big Reveal because I can't wait to share. You get the idea of the quilt with the binding. Oh, to take a picture when it's all done!

A Mess......of Binding and Birthday Plans

I've started to drop subtle hints about what I want for my birthday on the 17th. I am going to be 40 so I figure that rates some good loot, right?

On my list is this:

I'm nothing if not practical!

I'd like to ask for a bunch of other stuff, but M just paid a lingering bill for me, none too happily, so I don't dare. We've also got impending property taxes, taxes, all all four kids' b'days in April and May. I'm still hoping that M's aunt and mom don't think 40 is too old to send b'day money. We had discussed how last year's birthday was going to be the last one I acknowledged, but that doesn't mean they have to?!

I don't think finishing M's Christmas quilt will even win me any points. I picked up his quilt from my new quilter last night. She did a nice job on it and I'm very glad to have found her! I pieced the binding this evening and hope to get it sewn on tomorrow with hand finishing this weekend.





He does seem to like it, though. I've quilted for over 12 years and I've never made him a quilt. I really went all out. I don't plan on displaying this quilt anywhere. I know he intends to use it.

Staying Motivated: Quilting, JUST DO IT

The ugly truth of my struggles lately is that I've had to force myself to quilt. I picked out projects that were supposed to inspire me and I am, but I've still had difficulty getting over the hump and actually sewing. Even shopping for new fabric didn't completely get me over since I had such difficulty finding what I needed, settling on my choices, and not being afraid that I wasn't making the right decisions. I've also questioned whether or not my quilts would have their place to rest since I continue to struggle in getting things done around the house because of my waning motivation and the family's utter lack of disregard for my goals.

So, the heck with it! Sometimes you've got to stop analyzing and just do it....

I've officially started sewing the Log Cabin Quilt.



I have 20 blocks to make for this quilt. I'm being very organized and efficient by sewing all 20 strip by strip instead of making them one block at at time. I don't have enough fabric for the next light so I will need to make a run up to the shop. I knew I should have bought at least a 1/2 yard, but for some reason on that trip to farthest quilt shop away from where I live, I was being frugal?!



This is the quilt I'm making.

The Queen of My Castle in February

February is my birthday month. I like to pretend that I'm the Queen of the Castle in February, my birthday month, but then reality quickly sets in. The biggest problem is that no one but me thinks I'm Queen material. My kids probably see me more as the Wicked Stepmother....

Working full-time has its ups and downs. I like the extra money, but not the hours when I'm not busy enough at work. I've not had one day when the kids haven't called me. Yesterday, my mom called me because S wasn't where she was supposed to be and didn't meet up with A and come to her car right away. She was off with a friend buying something. Z called me shortly after they arrived home to protest that S was eating one of his egg sandwiches. I got home and was immediately met with complaints from C that Z refused to unload the dishwasher until he was darn good and ready. M came home to my demand for a family meeting where I learned that Z has five missing math assignments since the beginning of the quarter in January.

Everyone spends so much energy fighting with each other and finding ways to get out of doing things. I wish I could bottle that energy or somehow refocus it to attack the housework and repairs.

They think I'm kidding when I asked for the bathroom to be cleaned for my birthday mid-month. Well, I know M knows that I'm serious. I'll have to buy my own crown, though.