What a Feeling!

Today, in Texas, we got a dusting of snow.  If you are from the South, you know the kind..Just enough to make everyone lose their minds, buy out grocery stores,  and call everything off, but not enough to have any fun.  As it turns out, being free on a weekday evening is a nice thing!  We went to Bath and Body Works to pick up some teacher appreciation goodies.  We went to Sephora and I picked out some new mascara that will hopefully stay on while the kids opened and tested all 1,683 bottles of nail polish in the store.  The girl picked a glorious sparkly red and I opted to give the much raved about Dior Show a shot.
After this, we arrived home at 5:00 where we finished homework, picked up a bit, cooked food in the oven and had a few minutes to sit down and blog!  I would not trade the joy they get from their various activities, but there is not much in life that is more refreshing than an unexpected break.  If only it were bad enough to extend through the day tomorrow!

Progress and a Coaster

I have gotten a lot of stuff started this week.

1. 2 solo dance costumes requiring alterations.

2. Lola's Quilt.  I am expecting a niece any day now and it dawned on me I did not make her a quilt, so I better get on it.  I dug into my stash and found an Amy Butler Soul Blossom strip set.  It seemed to call out LOLA!  Oh, by the way, her parents have not shared her name with the family, so I took it upon myself to name her Lola.  Her sister is Isla (I-la) and I like the ring of it, Isla and Lola.  I cannot wait to meet her and learn the name her parents have in mind.  But until then, "Her name was Lola. She was a show girl......"  

3.  Another baby girl quilt.  Simple squares of grey and cream and navy print.  It will be lovely!  

4. If you are counting, this is quilt #3.  Michael Miller Ta Dot- quite possibly my favorite fabric line of all time.  It would make a lovely gift for Valentine's, My Birthday, Mother's Day, Anniversary, Martin Luther King's birthday, President's Day, Texas Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo, Flag Day, Easter, or National Buy Your Favorite Quilter Some Polka Dot Fabric Day which is RIGHT around the corner!   I also am using Gypsy Bandanna. Happy fun prints!  This one has me a bit stumped, but I think I have found the solution and inspiration to go forth.  Paisley and polka dots---this one may have to be pried from my grasp.  

5.  Handy dandy Ott Lite, Quiet and trusty Janome - I use this machine for piecing and most small projects.  A pom pom that I need to hand sew back on a knit hat.  A coaster.  We will look at that in a moment.  And a frog that my sweet girl bought me in her quarterly school auction.  I like frogs and it was sweet, but I think she had ulterior motives.   I was a bit miffed at her for making me dash home and get her tennis shoes for PE.  I handed down a fee of a Starbucks Hot Chocolate purchased for me and a punishment of being forced to wear unfashionable tennis shoes to school ALL week.  THE HORROR.  Shortly after, she comes bearing gifts......I still love it though.  

6. A scrap stack just out of the package from Fresh Squeezed Fabrics so I can make color coded bins for all of my fabric scraps.  

At $10-12 a yard for fabric, I admit, I hoard every usable inch of it.  It is getting a bit out of hand, but with no scraps, I will never be able to make something like this scrap vortex quilt...........

7. A rag doll in desperate need of her yarn hair.  She has been bald for about 400 days now.  Poor Baby!  

8. Back to that coaster.  I mostly keep it rated G around here, but this jumps right over the line.  It cracked me up and I had to have it.  I find great humor in old fashioned photos being captioned with modern day thoughts.  (Those e-cards crack me up too.) 

There you have it.  My kitchen table.  Thank goodness for our island where we eat our meals!  It may look messy to you, and also to my husband, but to me it looks like progress.  

2014.....GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So what makes me come alive?
Taking perfectly lovely fabric, cutting it to pieces, mixing it with friends and making it into something beautiful.

 For Babies

 For Friends

 For Graduations

For Raffles

For Special Teachers......

You get the idea, right? 

Hand pleating miles of net to become a tutu.

My first tutu- a Halloween costume for my little girl. 

Making a pair of jumbo size pants into pants that fit.

Reading.  I love big books and I cannot lie.  I have about 60 ready and waiting in my old school keyboard Kindle!

Writing.  I enjoy putting thoughts into words onto paper.  Sometimes they take me on an adventure I didn't see coming.  Sometimes they give an answer I couldn't find.  Sometimes they are just for fun.

Cleaning.  Just seeing if you were paying attention.  If you know nothing about me, you would still know that I hate cleaning!  I love clean though.  Weird, huh?

So this year, I am going to make 12 quilts.  Yep.  One a month!  I made my list and I would really like to make 16 quilts, but that kind of put me in panic attack mode, so I am going to go with 12.

I am also going to read 12 books this year.  It is not much, but I am making 12 quilts, so back off!

I am going to make another tutu and dive a little deeper into costuming.  And I am going to take another 2 pairs of jumbo pants and make them fit.  It will be my Super Bowl Sunday tradition.

Finally, this is the toughest one of all, I will clean up my sewing area to help maximize efficiency.  I will also clean out one cabinet a week to purge this place of excess and help me be a little more clean.

I am going to bring JoY to the World (sing it!) one stitch at a time.  That's my dream.  And you are coming along and I am going to write about it all!

2014..... Get Set!

Ahhhhhh!  It is January 4 and I still have yet to firmly embrace the New Year.  Maybe it is being home with the kids and the fact that not much really changed at the stroke of midnight.  Maybe I am a little overwhelmed at the things I would like to do and see happen in 2014.  Maybe I just need a little bit of quiet time.  In search of that, I ran away from home for a little bit this afternoon.  I got a pedicure.  I was drawn to dark royal blue polish this time.  Very uncharacteristic.  RED is my signature color.  You know you want to say that in a Southern Draaaaawwwwll as Julia Roberts did in Steel Magnolias only pink was her "signachuh cullah." Anyway, I picked a shiny blue polish off the shelf and looked at the name of the color....I always look at the name of the color.  People get paid to name those colors and I want to see just how clever they are and I want to see if the name of the polish speaks to my mood.  And the color was called Resolution by China Glaze.  What!?! Even my nail polish choice was telling me to get it together.
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I interrupt this post to let you know that my son is walking around the house blowing a duck call and I am not sure if I want to bust out laughing or scream.   I just laughed.  Now my daughter is playing jingle bells on the same duck call. 1)I hope no one has the flu.  2) HOW DO I EVER GET ANYTHING DONE?
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So I have thought and thought and I have a list a mile long of this and that and little things that I want to do, but I do believe that I have distilled it all down to one goal or resolution  or mantra if you may.

Drum Roll Please.....................

In 2014, I will live by this quote from Dr. Howard Thurman, author and pastor.

"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

Ok, lets be honest.  I found the quote on Pinterest.  I had to research the source.  Buuuuut, inspiration can be found anywhere.  Right?  

And that's where I am today. Getting set!  Looking at the things that make me come alive!  At the present moment, post homemade spaghetti and meatballs, post shoving the last of the Christmas decorations into the attic, that is a book and a bubble bath!  Excuse me while I get to livin'!  

2014....On Your Mark!

Oh my, how the time flies.  Very cliche' saying it,  but it is true.  2013 was a pretty good year, though as I try to really reflect on it, all I see is a blur.  A blur from behind the steering wheel where I spent much of my year driving up and down the road to baseball and dance and back again.  And believe it or not, I liked that part of my year very, very much.
I learned some lessons in 2013.  I learned that the only one who really has my best interest at heart is myself. I learned that the voice of God maybe is not a voice heard by my ears, but a feeling felt deep in my gut.  I learned that when I put myself in a place where I am not able to use my gifts and talents, I wilt. I learned that my dad is on the short list of people who probably have my best interest at heart too. Well, I have always known this, but now I really, really GET it.  I learned a whole new level of respect for our nation's educators and that I will probably purchase all my teacher gifts at Spec's from now on.  At the end of the day, these people deserve a nice glass of wine.  And if they don't like wine, Spec's has an INCREDIBLE selection of Gummi Bears. Who Knew?!?   I learned just how much I like Gummi Bears!  As I make my plans and set my goals for 2014, my #1 priority is to use these lessons to guide me and make 2014 a better year for me and my family.   That will make for a HaPpy NeW YeAr!

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say.......

Well, my fearless followers, I am sure you are wondering where in the world I have been?  I have been with Ozzy Osborne going off the rails on the CrAzy TrAin!  And it hasn't been a good crazy either.   Good crazy is baseball tournament weekends.  Good crazy is Nutcracker week.   Good crazy is last minute Christmas shopping.   This crazy has had me stressed, mad, sick, hot, cranky and generally "none fun".   None fun is how my daughter used to tell me she was not enjoying something.  I like it because none fun seems to have more impact than no fun.  Since I had nothing nice to say, I, go ahead and finish the old saying, I said nothing at all.    Because that is what my Mom taught me to do.   This was more of an emotional lock down.  Also, I didn't want to turn my rainbow all black and grey and dull writing rage posts.  If you are in to rage posts, go check out People I Want to Punch in the Throat.  She does rage well, and is funny too.  She had lots of commentary on Miley at the VMA's.
Anyway, as I was stewing, I gained some perspective on things.  I learned I need to be more specific.  When I applied for a job at the kids' school, I prayed for God to put me where he needed me most.  I interviewed for a position that I wasn't even considering.  I got it.  The people who hired me left the school.   The job turned out to be totally different from anything I expected.  I cried a lot and considered quitting.  I was moved to another totally different position.  I am now feeling much more at peace with everything.  I am not sure if God got me where he needed me the most or my principal got me where she needed me the most, but whatever the truth is,  I am happy in my new position.  Buuuuut, the next time I am considering making big life changes, this will be my prayer.  "Dear God, That was one amazing train ride we had last time.  Please, I beg of you, put me on a direct flight to where you need me the most. First class, if that is not too much trouble."  JUST KIDDING. Maybe.

I learned that I have amazing friends.  I knew this, but they stepped up their game for me over the last few weeks.  Friends who let me cry.  Friends who listened to my insecurities. Friends who genuinely want to see me succeed.  Friends who genuinely want to see me happy.  Friends with much more faith in me than I have in myself.  Friends who make me laugh.  Friends who make me cookies. Friends who make me better, just because I am lucky enough to know them.

I have learned that I have amazing kids!  This too is something I knew, but they proved it to me, again.  They put desserts and notes in MY lunchbox the first week of school when I was overwhelmed and did not do the same for them.  They made me a clip board to keep my bus list on.  They made me a sign to hang on my classroom door so I wouldn't be the only one on the team without one.  They have been on the ball in the morning and patient in the afternoon.  They were without a doubt sent to me on a First Class ticket and I am eternally grateful.

I have learned that my dad is so wise and my mom will do just about anything in the world to help me- even post surgery, even in a cast "boot".  I have learned that my husband is very patient.   I have learned to walk around the baskets of laundry that need to be folded and put away.   I have also accepted that they may be there for the next 12 years because there are more important things to do.    I have learned that I really do miss my sewing machine.  Last of all, I have learned that 9:00 is a good bedtime for me these days!  Good Night!

PS- The forecast here is finally cool in the morning and below 90 in the day.  This greatly increases the chance for rainbows!

Running Mind!

I am almost fully recovered from my surgery!  I have only little moments of pain, but they are different and more due to stiffness in my back.  I am so much happier without constant. nagging. pain!
Since I have been forced to slow down, my mind has been in overdrive.  Maybe by putting my thoughts down here for your amusement, I can get some peace.

1) Texas Rangers!  They took the lead in the AL West this weekend.  In looking at the schedule going forth and cross comparing it with the A's, I have decided that they both have a pretty light schedule coming down the stretch.  Assuming nothing ridiculous happens, it will all come down to who can win the most head to head games.

2)  I got a job!  I have never gotten a job and then not started for 3 months before.  That part has been bad for me.  It has given me lots of time to question it.  Can I do it? What was I thinking?  HOW am I going to pull it all off?  What am I going to wear?  I have been comfy (ok, probably too comfy!) for a long long time! When will I make dinner?  What was I thinking?  I kind of wish I could have started right away so I didn't have the chance for all these questions to enter my mind.

3) I am really excited about being at school with my kids.  It will all be fine.  I can do it.  It will be worth it.

4) I need to get some serious sewing done.  Tutu, Quilts, Halloween Costumes, Derington Christmas Gifts.

5) I need to clean my closet.  Out.

6) 2-0 Rangers in the top of the 8th.

7) I need to organize recipes and plan a menu for like the WHOLE month of September.  Then dinner won't be a surprise.

8) I need to clean out my daughter's drawers. She is "down stream" size wise from a couple of very fashionable and generous neighbors.  We need to make room for the latest windfall!

9) I need to get the kids back to school outfits.  I am not going nutty because all trends indicate they are about to grow. Also, see #8.

10) I need to back up my pictures.  My poor kids are pretty much only documented in digital photographs.  If my computer dies, they are gone.  I think I will do that now.  

11) I need to read a bunch of books.  OK, I want to read a bunch of books.  

12) I need to get moving again. With my doctor's approval.  I think I will try some pilates classes at a dance studio down the road.  I have tried running and what not, and I hated it.  And I QUIT.  So, I am going to get back to what I once loved, dance.  When I get back some flexibility and strength, maybe I will dust off my ballet slippers!

13) I wonder, often, how does The Pioneer Woman do it?  She has double my amount of kids! She takes amazing photographs.  She makes amazing meals.  She home schools her kids.  She writes cook books. She helps on the ranch. She watches tons of movies and tv shows. She has a TV show.   AND she seems to love her sleep as much as I do.  How does she do it?   I hate her so much.  Really, I love her so much, but sheesh, she is making this Suburb Woman feel a wee bit inadequate.

Wheeew!  That feels a little bit better.  I think I will haul out my recipes and begin that plan!