shells

So ... I finally finished my quilt (wallhanging, truth be told) for my precious Miss Dub2. For some reason after I did all the leaf appliques, I took awhile before I threw out the "shells". I liked the way they looked on my cutting board. (Yes, and I like the way all those threads and scraps and what-not look like lying on the floor, in case you were wondering. You can thank me later for not taking pictures of them.)

The letters came courtesy of Carol Doak's 300 Paper-Pieced Patterns that comes with a CD. In. Val. U. Able.

I was very gutsy with the machine quilting ... when I didn't have a right to be ... because it really shows and it really could be better. But I know my little Dubbie loves me no matter what, and will love her quilt just because Nanny loves her.

So there.

blue plate special

So ... I took a blue platter that had been left in the reject box when I moved everything around last winter ...

Added what might be one of my all-time favorite quilts that I like to call A Study in Neutrals with a Blue Surprise ...

Bought some brown place mats because let's face it ... buying stuff is fun, and ...

Voila!! An entirely new breakfast nook.

Same ol' cereal.

Book Learnin'

So ... how do you learn stuff most efficiently?? Do you need it in print in order to understand it? Do you have to see it? Do you have to see it while simultaneously hearing someone narrate about it? Do you need that last one more than once? More than twice?

Then, welcome to my world.

I guess you could say that I am a visual person. But more accurately you could say that I'm a step by step kind of gal. Add to that "third time's a charm" and you would describe how I learn best. The worst way for me to learn something is just to be handed the manual. "EEK!" is usually my reaction to that one. Followed by walking away and eating something decadent. I am just that scared of manuals.

But life is funny. And here I am with a bunch of electronic equipment ... and a bunch of manuals. But ... even funnier ... I am making my way with them. I am staring manuals in the face and I am coming out the victor.

Oh ... I am woman, hear me roar.

Why, just the other day, I was faced with the daunting task of replacing the ink in a printer that is so new, I had not faced that task with it before. I did it. I read the manual. I replaced the ink. I did a dance.

And now I am the proud and humble owner of a camera that makes my old camera look like a wimpy girly-man. I tried on a few occasions to unload the pictures already on it and move on from there, but I was stuck. Even worse, I could find the "advanced" manual, but what I needed was the "basic" manual. I was headed straight for the left-over Halloween candy.

But noooo. Not only did I manage to find said 'basic' manual on the internet, (yes, the internet, children ... amazing but true) I unloaded the pictures, figured out how to work the swively display screen and took the above pictures. Of course by that time it was dark (when I started it was light) and I don't like to do 'flash', but I'm still feeling pretty good.

What about you?? Are you afraid of manuals?? What is your learning style?

And, most importantly ... are you still eating leftover Halloween candy?

blocks and blubbering

So ... I just want you to know that it was just barely November when I finally finished these two.

I haven't checked to see if the November block is out yet, but I'll try to keep on schedule with that one.*

Thanks to Miss Bunny Hill for providing me with these distractions all year long. I'm back to sewing and other projects that occupy my mind and heart. Since I don't use my blog to vent about personal issues, you will think that it's pretty much business as usual for me.

It's not.

But ... as far as my blog is concerned, it is. Thanks for your love and friendship and you're-a-total-stranger-but-what-the-heck-I'll-have-you-in-my-heart-anyway prayers. And even though it might seem like business as usual around here ... keep them up.

Definitely ... keep them up.

* Oh ... it's here all right. And you are correct in assuming that there is no rest for the weary.