simplehappy home

West Coast Winter

2012-01-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

So ... now that The Dub's are in the Northwest ... relatively close to the coast ... I like to think that if I went to the beach and looked to my right, I could wave to them. You know, because we are now pretty much on the same street. These beautiful Dubbies warmed my heart this season when we Skyped/Face-timed with them on Christmas night. In fact the whole family was united through technology ... West Coast to East. I realize that this picture doesn't include Baby Sis, but I will not forget her in my next post.

Here are the local sweeties. I can't believe how excited they are to see Santa. Mr. Gee there could not be smiling any harder and the li'l sweet pea practiced her "ho, ho, ho"s all season long. As an after-Christmas present to her mom, she finally started walking.

I missed out on that big moment because I was "up the street" in the SF Bay Area with Ms. Gee and her pup.

I hope your Christmas was this lovely and that you are smiling just as earnestly as Li'l Mr. Gee.

Smart or Smart Aleck??

2011-12-16T18:41:00.000-08:00

Recently Miss Dub1, pictured above, was watching "Annie" with her family. She made the following observation (and I quote ...)

"Those orphans think life with parents makes life perfect. That's pretty naive."

Yeah ... she turned FIVE less than two months ago.

I. Am. Giddy.

2011-12-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

So ... it IS the most wonderful time of the year. I will refrain from singing the rest of that song, but trust me ... I am beyond ecstatic.

I think it's because Christmas was almost non-existent to me last year due to the fact that I moved out of my house on December 29th. This year I have been consumed with Christmas for a few months now. First off was making a stocking for Miss Dub3 (even though she won't be here and that's okay.)

I don't have all of my Christmas shopping done, but you had better believe that I am ready to wrap those babies once they are purchased.

I don't have a mantle but I had a wonderful time figuring out what to do with my pseudo-mantle.

My living room is complete with treats. Pretzel M&M's to be exact and I refuse to say how many I have already eaten.

My trees are up inside and out but I don't have decent pictures of them yet. I will try to post those before New Years.

Oh ... it IS the most wonderful time of the year, don't you agree?

Pumpkin + Orange = Yum

2011-11-20T20:26:00.000-08:00

So ... take your pick. You can have a lovely, albeit fake pumpkin ...

Or some honest-to-goodness Pumpkin Bread.

This is the recipe I used to make the latter. It. Was. Yum.

Libby's Pumpkin Cranberry Bread (printed from Cooks.com)

3 C flour
1 T + 2 t pumpkin pie spice
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
3 C granulated sugar (you could possibly reduce that a smidge)
1 15 ounce can LIBBY's pure pumpkin
4 large eggs
1 C vegetable oil
1/2 C orange juice
1 C Craisins

Preheat over to 350. Grease and flour two 9X5 inch loaf pans.

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat unti just blended Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in craisins. Spoon batter into pans.

Bake for 60-65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to racks to cool completely.

Have a delicious Thanksgiving!

The Pleasantest Thing

2011-11-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

"Oh ... how I love to go up in a swing,

Up in the air so blue.

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing,

Ever a child can do."

With thanks to Robert Louis Stevenson and four of the most joyful faces on the planet.

No Tricks, Only Treats

2011-11-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

So ... this is the last of the Halloween celebrating I plan to do this year. Here are the Grandkids Five in all of their costume glory. I did have the privilege of accompanying the Race Car Driver and the USC Cheerleader to a Trunk or Treat and witnessed their glee over the fact that people were just randomly handing them candy.

I didn't get to see the Ballerinas in actions however I heard all about it. They are SO excited to be settled into their home in the Northwest. However on Halloween night they had some serious coats on over their costumes, so I chose to show you these pictures where they were first trying out/on their costumes.

Oh boy do I love these guys.

Spooky: The Sequel

2011-11-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

So ... just when you thought that the spooky creepiness of Halloween was over ... think again. I woke up to this eerie blanket of fog this morning. Loved every minute of it.

I came home from my walk and was greeted by these guys. They are actually my close personal friends and these homes and their orange residents are rampant where I live. My Bug Man assures me that they are not only harmless, but helpful.

Not so much in the creepy category are the Granddogs, all decked out in their Halloween regalia. Asher went as a (very large) pumpkin and ...

Morrissey went as a bumblebee. I sure do love these guys.

Also left over from Halloween? Candy. Since my home is not easily accessible from the street, I only had one group of trick-or-treaters. I was so excited when they came to my door that I am sure they left thinking I was the creepy one.

Anyone for some Mike 'n Ikes??

Mickey knows the answer ...

2011-10-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

So ... one more time people: What did the butcher say when he handed the customer the empty frankfurter?

(If you are new here, you should know that I ask my children this question every single year. I can honestly say that they are losing interest in answering. I'm over it, really I am.)

I wish you an evening full of candy, lots of doorbell rings and the best prize of all ...

Permission to start thinking about Christmas with abandon.

Miss DubONE turns FIVE!!

2011-10-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

So ... tomorrow (the 25th) is the 5th birthday of my oldest grandchild ... Miss Dub1. This also means that I have held the title of "Nanny" for five whole years. I love that title.

This sweet, beautiful and very smart granddaughter is such a joy. Since I was a newbie at the grandmother thing, she was extremely patient and guided me along, step by step.

Her birthday this year falls in the midst of a move. She has actually been moving (and shaking) all summer long, but in less than a week she will be in her new home (in the Great Northwest.)

I could not be more proud of this young lady. I can NOT believe it's been five whole years! This picture above is her latest, proudly showing off her new 'do.

Kind of reminds of this picture. Kind of makes me sad she is growing so, so fast. Kind of makes me want to seriously cast a spell and hold her back.

Yeah ... that would be kind of bad, huh?

My Quaint Little Town

2011-10-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

So ... the community I live in has frequently been referred to (at least by the members of my family) as Toon Town. But, contrary to popular belief, the home pictured above is not mine. I could only wish my trash cans were that colorful!

The street lights in my community are not tied up in a knot. Nor is the traffic, for that matter.

I have electricity at my house. I also have an electric bill.

But these pictures didn't come from my house, they came from a very fun, exhausting and heavenly "stay-cation" I took this week with Ms. Gee. She arranged the entire thing for the two of us and I will never be able to say thank you enough.

We took hundreds of pictures, but oddly enough not a single one with the two of us in it.

Just picture us laughing, screaming and eating. Yep I'd say those were the three main activities.

Rain & Shine

2011-10-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

So ... I have had some (ahem) complaints about my lack of blogging here. (Oh ... you know who you are.) I am truly sorry, really I am, because I think that it was still Summer when I last posted and now it is 100% Autumn. In AZ the Autumn pretty much arrives in December when there is no time or inclination to focus on it. I was so pleasantly surprised to see it arrive in September here. Who knew?

And on top of all the change in colors which I have been enjoying for several weeks now ... today it is raining! I am loving the rain. I did not love it so much in AZ where my yard and neighborhood had some serious drainage issues. However, here at my home in the Southland I just inhale and enjoy it. I just got back from the grocery store where I got soaked walking to and from my car. I even enjoyed every minute of that.

And lest my descriptions were giving you a chill ... here is Miss Dub3 to warm the cockles of your heart. Oh ... she is such a delight. I spent time with her this weekend (along with all the Dubs) and was nearly sweating from all the ... warming.

Maybe that's why I loved my walk in the rain today.

Wacky Wednesday

2011-09-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

So ... these first two picture of Mr. Gee are because I promised him some blog time, having been consumed with the fact that my girly grandkids outnumber him 4 to 1. Also ... these pics were taken specifically when he dressed up for Wacky Wednesday for Soccer Camp a couple of weeks ago. Every single, wacky bit was a specific instruction from him to his mother. He is one creative boy.

He is also a very sweet boy. I was babysitting him not long after I had the infamous "blackout" and he said "Oh Nanny. I wish I could have been there to protect you." No lie. Exact words.

Then today ... where apparently the wackiness continues on this mid-week day ... I received these two pictures of the elder Dub Girls. The wackiness is apparently a genetic thing.

Oh, who are we kidding. Wackiness has always been a family trait.

It's one of the many reasons I am so happy to be a part of this family.

My Split Personality

2011-09-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

So ... I have big news. I have given birth to another child in the world of blogging. This is due to the fact that I apparently have way too much time on my hands and ... because I have a split personality.

Personality A is what you have seen here more often than not: personal, incredibly proud of my children and grandchildren and not afraid to brag about them incessantly and (as Ms. Gee likes to call it) ... with a little bit of a "snarky" attitude.

Personality B loves anything that is pretty, with pretty pictures and pretty ... prose. This personality is obsessed with the ocean and it's beauty and wants to quilt and tell. This personality likes to decorate.

Over the last 4 years I have tried to combine these two personalities into one measly blog and lately have found that frustrating. So about 2 weeks ago I gave birth to my second blog, aptly titled ...

Sea Quilts
(click here)

I hope you will visit both and visit often. (I hope to be posting on both more often.) If you have linked simplehappy home, I'd love it if you would add Sea Quilts. I am not on Facebook so ... please ... feel free to leave some comments and stop all that lurking.

Thank you for supporting me over these last four years. I'll admit ... I've been a little needy and you helped me more than you will ever know.

Actually ... both of "us" are grateful.

The Parable of the Ants

2011-09-13T16:56:00.000-07:00

So ... you deserve to have fair warning: this blog post could possibly involve a wee bit o' whining. As in wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. Before I go further, however, I do want you to know that I did learn some lessons from my adversity, I am grateful for all my blessings and I am well aware that these problems are miniscule in the grand scheme of things. Having said that ...

It all started Thursday afternoon while I was innocently doing exactly what I am doing now, working on the computer. Without warning, the screen goes to black and the air conditioning and ceiling fans come to a halt also. I was not concerned because I was just about out the door to get my hair cut and figured the power would be back on by the time I returned. Except that as I pressed the button to open my garage, I came to the immediate revelation that it too, was powered by electricity. Manually opening the garage (not an easy task for a weakling such as myself) I then took 30 minutes to get to my appt. (10 minutes away) because every stop light in town was now a 4-way stop. Alas ... no hair cut for me.

Not all was lost however. That evening I met some neighbors I hadn't known before as we gathered collectively on our front porches to get out of our sticky homes. Several people from church came by to "check on me" which I so appreciated and not long after attempting to go to sleep (and 8 full hours after it was turned off) the power came on and all was good. (You may have read about our little power outtage that affected about 2 million people. I was one of them. I was fine.)

The next morning dawned bright and early as I was expecting my door painter to come, thereby tethering me to my home for the next 8 hours while the door dried. He came. He painted. He left. I went to pour myself a bowl of cereal, but when I opened my pantry door, I discovered that a large colony of ants had taken up residence therein, during the night. I'm not gonna lie -- I shrieked like a girly-girl, while I pulled everything out of my pantry. I knew that I didn't have any ant killers on hand after my move and I knew that I could not leave my house with the door open. I also felt that it might be unwise to call the BugMan and have him spraying so close to my still sticky door. I headed upstairs to the closest thing I could think of that "sprayed" (see hairspray above) and then I came down and coifed those suckers to death one by one.

Eventually, I did call in the professionals who could not come until the next day. Unlike AZ where you just stick around while they spray, these CA exterminators require that you leave the premises. Before I left, he explained that I might still see a few "stragglers" when I returned and not to worry. I went and got my hair cut and then returned to find more stragglers than I was expecting. I fought those (with Windex this time at his suggestion ... and yes he scoffed at my choice of repellent) for the next 2 days, but finally got rid of them all and put my food back in the pantry. Yeah ... that was a mistake.

The next morning while once again reaching for the Honey Nut Chex, I discover the entire side wall was thick with them. All right ... these are definitely not straggling. I called the BugMan who heartily agreed that a return visit was in order and promised to be there in about an hour. Now, officially playing hooky from work, I headed upstairs to sew. About a half hour later I decided to go down and check on my little industrious renters (frankly hoping there were still enough of them to convince the BugMan the error of his ways.) As I stepped off the bottom step and onto the hard wood floors in my dining room ... I found that I was stepping in water.

This time there was no shrieking ... it was more weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. I grabbed towels and a bucket and turned off the valve in the bathroom right above where the leak was (which was actually coming out of a vent and not through dry wall, thank goodness) and the leaking came to a halt. Right then, the BugMan arrives (a different one than before) and explains that I will have to leave while he sprays. I didn't know what to do so I went to a nearby McDonald's while I made the necessary calls to find a plumber. I'm not gonna lie ... I was still a little weepy and I think it was creeping out the nearby children who were munching on their Happy Meals.

Sometime while I was sitting there I had the following thought: If I had not been there waiting for BugMan2, I would have been at work and by the time I returned I would definitely have ruined floors and possibly a giant hole in my ceiling.

I was absolutely stunned by this revelation and yes ... it made me cry even more. I'm pretty certain I will not be returning to that particular McDonalds any time in the near future.

End of story? The plumber came. He fixed stuff. He charged me a lot of money to fix stuff. He did not charge me nearly what it would have cost me to replace floors and ceilings. BugMan2 completely erradicated the ants with one try. I am pretty darn certain that BugMan1 never even sprayed the pantry which was the entire reason he was called to my home.

I will forever be grateful to BugMan1 and his forgetful/slacker habits.

The moral of the story? The Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways and apparently He employs ... ants.

She. Is. One.

2011-09-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

So ... can you believe it? L'il Miss Gee turns one year old today. And let me just say that the only thing that grows faster than her ... is her hair. That girl has a head of hair we could all aspire to have. It's thick and curly and beautiful. Just. Like. Her.

She also has a bit of a sassy attitude which only makes the hair thing that much more enjoyable.

She is also one of those rare babies who will keep the hair band IN her hair on a regular basis. (In the picture above she's also sporting a boo-boo on her nose, but it only seems to add to her charm.) Her talented mother makes all the hair bands, fyi.

I call her my "Girly Girl". She absolutely loves it when I say that. I can honestly say that she is rather fond of me. And visa-versa.

Happy Birthday to my Girly Girl. Nanny is very proud of you.

(My front door is drying as we speak and keeps me homebound once again. At least I have power which I didn't for 8 full hours yesterday. Boy ... I sure do love to complain, don't I?)

My Door has a Rash ~

2011-09-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

So ... my door has a rash. A bumpy, itchy, ugly rash. I'm sorry to say that it has taken me 7 months (exactly) to tend to my door's poor ... itchy, ugly rash.

The good news is that I don't have to pay a penny for the medical bills. Well ... if you don't count that hefty sum I pay to my HOA which then pays for the medical bills.

Unfortunately the painter came today and could not do his job because it was too dang hot on my porch. (I believe that this explains the bumpy nature of the rash the first time the door was painted.) He could only apply some primer and will come back next week.

If this story bored you beyond belief ... then stick around for next week when ... I will discuss the paint drying in brutal detail.

Girl's Club

2011-08-23T21:15:00.002-07:00

One

Two

Three

Four

Four Fabulously Feminine Friends.

sigh

(Don't worry Li'l Mr. Gee ... I'll give you your day too!)

Emma 1977 ~ 2011

2011-08-19T09:50:00.005-07:00

When I received the news that Mrs. Dub had just given birth to Dub Girl #3, I was actually already on the way to the airport to go to Utah for another reason. I was going to the funeral of my brilliant and beautiful niece ... Emma ... who was only 34 years old. She died very suddenly of something that normally takes someone 2 or 3 times her age.

Mrs. Gee and I drove straight from the airport to the hospital, held that precious 5-hour old baby for an hour or so and then drove straight to the Viewing.

The circle of life ... and it's ultimate plan ... were not lost on me.

Emma was honored in grand style on Saturday when many, many people came to pay tribute. Her family (my sister's family) did a splendid job and we all came away inspired and uplifted.

Thank you, Emma, for all of your giving. Give our love to the PDaddy.

(You can see her obituary here. I tried to save and transfer the picture, but it just wasn't happening.)

~ A Touch of Femininity ~

2011-08-19T09:44:00.004-07:00

So ... just to show you that, although I don't listen to others as much as I should, I do indeed listen to myself. (Trust me, that's a lot of listening.) After I posted here about how odd it was that I decorated my room in such a masculine manner, I began to feel ... well, odd ... about that. Little by little I began to make some changes. I bought some new sheets that added a classic, femine pattern to the mix and exchanged some pillows with the family room.

I put plates on the wall that added some girly-girl-curly-que.

Last, but not least ... some flowers. Yes, they are fake but they still do the trick.

And we can't talk femininity without a look at the Dubster Three. I'm beginning to think that the BIG sisters are pretty fond
of the L'IL one.

I'm loving the new changes. Especially that one in the last picture.

Nanny X 5 !!!

2011-08-15T20:32:00.002-07:00

So ... She. Is. Here. Miss Dub3 arrived on Friday, August 12th (8/12) at 3 minutes before noon. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces (also 8/12 ... how cool is that?) and measured 21 inches long. She incurred a few battle scars as a result of her "sunny-side-up" delivery but has healed like a champ and is actually opening her eyes on a regular basis.

Oh how we love this precious little Dubster.

Holding her feels pretty close to Heaven.

~ My Morning Walk ~

2011-08-06T11:03:00.002-07:00

So ... my morning walk usually involves this view. (Except that I rarely have these delightful 4 year old grandkids in the picture which is just the biggest shame of all!!) Not too shabby. Also keep in mind that while I'm walking it's in the mid 60's. Farenheit.

I have decided to change my route on Saturday mornings. It took me a couple of tries to find the perfect beach walking path, but I'm pretty certain that these views meet a certain standard of perfection.

I was quite enamored with this touch of green among the sea/sand/sky.

I'm just loving my Saturday morning walks. Want to join me??

The newest member of the fam ...

2011-08-02T17:28:00.002-07:00

So ... I fooled you didn't I? You thought I was breaking news about Mrs. Dub's impending birth. I really hope that you realized that the picture was not of her darling daughter (to be.) So cute, but not in a Dubbish kind of way.

Nope ... this little guy is the son of Ms. Gee ... aka Riley Noehren. His name is Morrissey. He is a French Bulldog. I am head over heels in love with him.

Ms. Gee is also in love with him, just as she used to be in love with sleeping through the night and having clean floors. Ah ... the life of a new mom.

I will keep you posted on that other delivery.

Seriously ... how cute is he???

Color EXPLODED in Long Beach Yesterday!

2011-07-30T10:51:00.002-07:00

So ... I spent the day yesterday at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach. With friends. Some, medium new. Some, brand new. All ... gooooood ... new. The quilts? Spectacular, colorful, and almost mind boggling when one considers the time put into each one.

The food? Meh.

The Stuff to Buy? Salivatingly good.

Of course I came away with some dots ... and some heavenly varigated aqua King Tut thread ... appropriately called Angel Teal.

And some very sore feet.

Thank you Long Beach for the spectacular fireworks. And thank you ... my new friends.

~ Proud Nanny strikes again ~

2011-07-23T14:32:00.002-07:00

So ... today is Miss Dub2's Birthday. Her second birthday. The fact that she will tell you she is 4 1/2 is of no consequence.

And in true "Dub" fashion she lives up to her name. As you can see in the picture above, she is indeed ... Wonderful.

She is also a Wizard of many talents: making you laugh, getting into trouble, and telling you ahead of time that she plans to get into trouble ... which can only make you laugh. "Don't watch, Mom. I'm gonna be naughty."

And ... Wuving. Miss Dub2 is very, very ... wuving. As you can see, she cares for her young cousin as if there were actually more than just over a year between them. Someday they'll be roommates in college and that 1+ year will make very little difference.

Happy Birthday my sweet Dubster!!

May you have your day in the sun before your mom pops out that new Dubster.

Sea. Food.

2011-07-18T15:20:00.002-07:00

So ... I cooked. Well ... "cooking" may be pushing the definition a bit, but let's just say that food was assembled in my kitchen. As finger foods to be served at my Book Club. Last week.

I went with a coastal theme, no surprise there. The cheese ball above is a recipe I have made for over 30 years. (The cheeseball itself is not 30 years old, just the recipe.) I have formed it several times into a pine cone shape at Christmas (using whole almonds to create the look) but let's face it, I have mostly shaped it into balls and logs. No one seems to care.

The recipe is this simple and this good: Take one softened 8oz package of cream cheese. Mix that with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and one can of deviled chicken spread. (Strange, but true.) Add about a tablespoon each of dried minced onions and parsley. Shape it and put the nuts on. Refrigerate it. Eat it. Love it. Eat more. Hide some for later.

These sand dollar cookies are even simpler and you could probably just figure it out by looking at them. Just slice up a roll of sugar cookie dough (from your grocer's refrigerated section ... or with much more time alloted to make your own recipe, Martha.) Take a package of slivered almonds and place five on each cookie to form the sand dollar pattern. (Hint: If using store-bought refrigerated dough, cut it while it is still very hard, but then let the slices soften up just a tad before you apply the nuts so you can "sink" them a little bit.) Bake as directed.

I was thrilled with the outcome and our Book Club was a resounding success. This was partly (all right ... largely) due to the fact that the author of the book we read, Ms. Riley Noehren herself, was with us online to answer questions.

All good.

(I know you thought I was never going to use my huge kitchen, but you were wrong.)

~ How I am Spending my Summer Vacation ~

2011-07-05T17:21:00.002-07:00

So ... using the term "vacation" may be a bit misleading. As the above collage will testify, I am indeed one year older. And slower. And less agile. So spending my summer with a bevy of toddlers and 4 year-olds is testing the limits of my waning agility. The cake only has one candle on it because ... well, because the Gees were wary of catching their house on fire. But spending my birthday with them (and attending L'il Mr. Gee's soccer game) was a summer delight.

Then ... just when I thought I couldn't be any more excited, the Dub Girlz showed up (all 3.75 of them ... and they are all girls) and we promptly spent a day at the Magic Kingdom. And it was magical. Hot, but magical. (Yes, my AZ friends ... it was in the upper 80's and I had the audacity to complain about it. Sue me.) What can I say but yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life fer me. One of my very favorite sentences in the entire English language.

The Fourth was a Fun-Filled day from start to Finish. The 4 year-old's had a "sleepover" at Nanny's the night before and that was just the beginning of a day Full of Festivities and Food and Fireworks. We attended my first Fireworks in my local community and I cannot begin to describe how heavenly it was to basically walk there and back. We also walked to the pool and back. And to a picnic gazebo and back. I love my local community.

Could we smile any wider? I don't think so.

Hope your summer is as swell as mine is.

~ June - Over the Moon ~

2011-06-20T20:08:00.003-07:00

So ...

this just might be part of the reason that ...

I am happy to be here.

In California, one can not mention "June" without the mention of "June Gloom" which means that every (so far at least) June day starts out with a dreary, overcast sky which melts away to sunshine later in the day. I'm not gonna lie ... I'm less than fond of the gray morning skies, and totally surprised at how chilly those mornings are. This AZ girl was used to triple digits by ten.

However ... there is something to be said for the thrill of anticipation as the day grows. On Saturday, the sun was out before high noon, so I immediately headed to the beach. I really, really wish I had a scratch n' sniff blog so that I could share with you the heavenly scent of the waves. You will have to settle for these (unretouched) photos instead.

Gloom? I don't think so.

~ It All Adds Up ~

2011-06-14T18:16:00.001-07:00

So ... take one "Edland" chest from Ikea and add ...

... four "Violette" knobs from Anthropologie ...

... splash on 57 coats of lovely "Calabash" paint by Martha Stewart at Home Depot ...

... and voila ... you have the loveliest of chests of drawers to grace your guest room.

Perhaps I should mentioned that Ms. Gee (of Riley Noehren fame) was the instigator of this entire Memorial Day project, pretty much because she was driven to do the assembling for me. As in ... I'm not sure I have ever seen her happier. Along with being a lawyer/author/crafter extraordinaire, she would like to add Ikea Assembler to her resume. The fact that she lives walking distance from an Ikea has only fueled this passion.

But ... I want it on the record that I did all of the painting.

And the knob installation.

Now ... if I could just have some guests for my guest room, my life would be complete.

World Oceans Day

2011-06-07T18:01:00.002-07:00

So ... I'm not gonna lie. I had pretty much decided to give the ol' girl the boot. Meaning, The Blog. Meaning, why the heck am I posting yet again?

Because tomorrow is World Oceans Day and I felt a strong obligation to give the day a salute ... in fabric.

Thank you Ocean. I am so, so fond of your breezes.

And your never-ending inspiration.

Go here to get a coupon for a free Rubios reusable tote bag. Tomorrow. On World Oceans Day.

What's Up Doc?

2011-05-16T18:32:00.002-07:00

So ... I have noticed an odd phenonemon every time I sit down to machine quilt on this crabby little number.

I'm feeling like I might be allergic to the batting. "Why now?" you obviously ask. Do. Not. Know.

I had noticed over the last year or so that whenever I am putting the three layers of the quilt together and struggling with the rather large roll of batting (I tend to buy it 15 yards at a time) that I get sniffly and sneezy, but that usually ends once the quilt has been sandwiched together.

Ummm, not so this time around. I'm not going to be detered, but it is slowing me up a bit.

They say that the Quilt Police don't really exist. I'm okay with that, but I would really like it if the Quilt Doctor was real and could solve my ailment.

For free.

Like a Fish out of Water ...

2011-05-07T19:29:00.003-07:00

So ... please get over the fact that I have been MIA for awhile. Truth be told, I am not the woman of leisure I once was, who had all the time in the world to sit around and ponder about ... you know ... stuff ... to blog about.

I have a real Grown Up job. As of this week. As in ... eeeeek!

My job involves the kind of hours that most grown ups have. Except that I haven't clocked those kind of hours since ... um ... college.

At one point I considered throwing in the towel on ol' simplehappy home, but I have reconsidered. I just hope my absence hasn't made that decision a moot point.

So enjoy my 2nd Bathroom Crate & Barrel fishies while I take a deep breath and try to adjust to this new life of mine.

Which I am actually enjoying a great deal ... if anyone wants to know.

She's still shelling 'em ...

2011-04-25T09:46:00.001-07:00

So ... this is my first personal quilting project in my new space. Appropriately tied to The Sea, considering my new, closer proximity.

For a project that has spanned almost 2 years worth of time, I have not tired of it. In fact ... quite the opposite.

By the end of today it should be sporting a binding.

I like pink.

Of Fabric and Forgiveness ...

2011-04-21T11:07:00.002-07:00

So ... I am not saying that I am actually forgiving Blogger ... let's just say it's on probation. However, it did cooperate with me this morning on a (private) family blog post so I am willing to give it another chance. The picture above is one that got eaten a week or so ago, of my dining room curtains. I really looooove that fabric ... so ...

I used some scraps to cover a pillow in my family room.

All right ... so I am not completely thrifty and self sufficient. This pillow (cover ... I only paid for the cover) is from Pottery Barn. But it was on sale people, let's not forget that.

In other sewing news, I am actually doing some quilting (for myself) for the first time since I moved. I cannot explain why it is that it took me so long. It seriously made me a little teary to sit down at my machine with a quilt top that I started in 2009. I am loving how it has come together and (if Mr. Blogger continues to cooperate) I'll post some pictures soon.

She got 'em at the seashore, but she is NOT selling 'em.

2011-04-13T15:29:00.006-07:00

So ... the pictures seen here were taken (by me) about 12 miles from my home. Twelve miles, people. I know this because I actually got a flat tire not far from this beautiful site and was watching the mileage very ... very ... carefully as I drove home on my "donut". (Thank you son-in-law, Mr. Gee and AAA.)

But once I was over the whole flat tire thing, I sat and pondered the fact that I have this incredible beauty ... nearly at my fingertips.

I am very ... very ... grateful.

And I have this reminder of a tray full of shells (with a most unusual blue hue to them) that thrill me when the 12 miles stands between us.

All good.

Me and My Cubicle

2011-04-07T13:56:00.005-07:00

So ... first I must apologize for a couple of things. First that the pictures in my last blog were eaten whole by Blogger, and secondly that since it still appears to be a problem, I must resort to plan B to post and the result is the unlightened/un-touched-up photo above. Get over it, because one of us needs to. I have been doing some sewing ... some secret, special, "stunt" sewing (as my friend PKM likes to call it and if you look closely in the [very dark] picture above you will see her blog on my computer screen.) I was asked by Barb and Mary of Me and My Sister Designs to do some applique work for an upcoming quilt to be unveiled at Spring Quilt Market . Let's just say that the work involved some dots ... and you know I love dots!! I can't give you any other hints except to say that you can always count on those crazy sisters. I have loved their work and their bright happy fabrics for years. They are fellow Arizonans and it is indeed ironic that we chose to form this working relationship after I moved to California. Go figure. If you are wondering what expansive parts of my studio are not revealed in the photo ... wonder no more. What you see is pretty much what you get. I'm pretty certain I am violating some fire codes because I must do a wee bit of maneuvering to extract myself from my cubicle, once I have settled in there. It's definitely not for the claustro-at-heart, but it's my blue studio and I love it. Stay tuned for the big reveal of the project ... um ... once The Sisters reveal it.

~ Of Hassles & Tassles ~

2011-04-04T17:17:00.001-07:00

So ... taking advantage of what little space was left after I plunked a very large piece of furniture right in front of a window ... I added curtains that I am oddly pleased with, considering the weird placement circumstances. (Go here for an explanation, if you must.)

Then ... to my utter delight ... I found this lovely, ornate tassle that matched the colors of the curtains in primo fashion. On sale. At Stein Mart. Woo. Hoo.

Then ... (yes, even more fun ensues), Mrs. Gee found this darling outdoor set (for the young set) that matches the adirondak style of my porch, for a whopping deal on Amazon. There was a small glitch however. Neither of us noticed that in very small print at the bottom of the screen that the set ... which was pictured in white and exactly what I wanted ... actually only came in red. You can imagine my shock when I opened the box. I didn't return them because Mr. Gee is so fond of them and frankly I am too, but still ... a little bit annoyed, I'm not gonna lie. Would you be??

Oh who cares?!? I still love my patio and even more I love the luscious spring weather we have been enjoying.

Have I mentioned how much I love living with open windows and heavenly breezes? Aaaaaaah.

~ Random Stuff ~

2011-03-26T12:20:00.003-07:00

So ... I succumbed again at Target. Can you really blame me?

The mornings in my living room are a little bit of heaven. The light through my "wedding veil" curtains is pretty spectacular.

Mrs. Gee and I made this cake for me to take to a weekday meeting at church. I am really, really popular at church now.

Um ... L'il Mr. Gee can fly. (See here for a picture of Miss Dub1 flying. It must be genetic.) Mr. Gee really likes to bowl. And to smile.

I hope you enjoyed this spattering of shopping, glowing, baking and flying. You've got to admit, that is pretty darned random.

~ Just Beachy ~

2011-03-22T16:29:00.002-07:00

So ... this picture is from a morning jaunt a couple weeks ago. Doheny State Beach at Dana Point, if you must know.

Sigh.

~ Sibling Love ~

2011-03-15T15:43:00.002-07:00

So ... I interupt my absolutely riveting home tour to give you a taste of just exactly what it is that even drives me to decorate in the first place.

Fabric is Fine and Furniture is Fabulous, but let's face it, Grandkids are ... well ...

Grand-er!

~ Singin' the Blues ~

2011-03-12T12:17:00.003-08:00

So ... I have this recurring dream where I move into a new house (that apparently I have just been given) and I keep discovering new rooms that I didn't know existed. How cool is that?! I seriously do have this dream a lot and I'm never wake up unhappy when I do.

This week I discovered a new room in my new house ... that I like to call "the porch". My porch does not have covering so my choices were limited. (The people who bought my AZ house made my patio furniture part of the original deal, so I was starting from scratch.) I finally settled on these resin adirodak chairs with weather proof pillows. Since it was in the 70's all week long, this was a very pleasant room to hang out in. I will say that it would have been a tad more practical for my newly discovered room to be someplace to put my computer, but hey, I'll take sunshine and fresh air and ... blue. I am not complaining.

I potted these hydrangeas that were given to me as a housewarming gift from a (new) friend. Thank you my new friend. Please don't be offended if I accidently kill them.

So ... come on over and sit a spell.

~ The Power of Print ~

2011-03-07T14:19:00.002-08:00

So ... I sewed.

I sewed curtains for my kitchen. I am quite thrilled with how they turned out ... which so beats the alternative.

I love how the cobalt blue in the lovely, leafy pattern shows against the pale aqua of the walls. Once I hung the curtains ... (Oh, who am I kidding, Mrs. Gee hung the curtains because Mrs. Gee is tall and I am decidedly ... not. Thank you PDaddy for contributing some tall genes. Thank you Mrs. Gee for hanging every single curtain [and rod] in my house.) ... I realized how happy I was that there were not beautiful white shutters on those windows like I was blessed with in so many other rooms in the house. The print delights me every dang time I walk into the room. If you ever wondered just why I am so in love with fabric ... now you know.

In other, more excrutiatingly painful news ... my back and I are once again no longer speaking. This could possibly be due to the fact that I lugged things around the garage this morning for about 3 hours. Much of that lugging was into a four foot tall space that is under my living room. The one time that being short could be an advantage and I'm not short enough. Seriously ... that can't be fair.

Oh, who cares. I've got print in my kitchen and room for my car.

And I sewed.

~ From Lakers to ... Lovely ~

2011-03-03T09:47:00.006-08:00

So ... what you are seeing in the picture above is my bathroom as it looked when I purchased the home. The brown here actually showed more like ... gold. To add to the fun, that "little room within the bathroom" was painted a rather bright ... purple. I kid you not. My first thought was that they were going with some sort of a royal theme, until I was reminded (probably by a man) that purple and gold are the colors of the L.A. Lakers. Either way, they were not my colors. Hmmmm ... let's see ... what would I want to paint a bathroom?

You guessed it ... blue. This is the medium hue of the three different blues that were painted in my home in various different rooms. (Not all of the rooms because I left everything that was white ... white ... and I left my bedroom a very lovely beige.) My favorite part of this bathroom is that there was this tiny, useless space beside the bathtub and I made it use-ful by placing the CD holder there, that previously held all my thread in my studio. I love that thing! It actually holds some practical items that I might have had trouble otherwise finding a place for.

And as for that "little room". Not so purple anymore. The same lovely blue with an even lovelier seashell theme.

Don't you just want to hang out here?*

*please make an appointment

~ Ahoy Maties ~

2011-02-27T09:58:00.006-08:00

So ... it's probably weird and ironic that in my new home, where the choices are mine alone, I have chosen to have a somewhat masculine bedroom. This in light of the fact that for 35 years, PDaddy sweetly and silently retired for the evening surrounded by a certain abundance of frou frou. In my new home, I've chosen to give it a sea going theme, with crisp colors and stripes, masted vessels and sea captains/pirates.

Rrrrrrrr ....

I will say that I was rewarded for my efforts this weekend when L'il Mr. Gee came to spend the night and was entertained for hours by the pirates and their nesting ways.

I am really enjoying the very beige-ish walls (a previous color that I kept) which highlight the colors so differently than white. The bed you may recognize from my guest room in AZ and the wall decor from my guest bathroom. Let's face it ... I'm a girl who likes to mix it up. (Not to mention the fact that my window-filled bedroom would never have fit my king-sized bed.)

Do you think I'm weird? (On second thought ... don't answer that.)

(Is anyone else out there having troubles blogging straight from Picasa? Suddenly it won't upload the pictures that way and it's driving me crazy! Blogging straight from Blogger has never worked well for me. Help.)

Oh Scrap!

2011-02-24T15:01:00.002-08:00

So ... I just may have had a major epiphany today. I figured out that I brought way too much stuff with me (oh reaaaaallly)and that some of it ... simply had to be thrown away. (Hoarders? I do believe we can cancel that appointment.) The unpacking and arranging has come down to one last room. One last eensy beensy (8' x 8' if we're lucky) room. This room houses my studio and my office which in my old home were two separate rooms, each of which was at least a third larger than this one. Do the math ... it leaves a ginormous remainder.

The problem is the fabric. Waaaaaay too much fabric. I had really, really hoped to house it in this one room without some separate bin randomly in the garage (two flights down.) As I folded and placed each piece of fabric, I swear to you I weeded out. A lot. But alas, there was still not room for the odds and ends categories. And then came the epiphany: Perhaps ... just perhaps ... if I threw away the two full plastic drawer thingies full of scraps (see top picture) that I could make this thing work. You probably think I was an idiot for even attempting to move them in the first place and I'm thinking ... uhhh, yeah. But once I emptied them into a trash bag and said my good byes, it was absolutely invigorating.

Add to that the fact that I made primo use out of a relatively small closet and I am pleased as punch. I may deserve a medal. Who gives out that kind of medal?

What you are looking at here is the top part of my office filing system. I am well aware that once I pull a single piece out, the whole thing could come tumbling down, but I don't care. I had the guts to throw away my scraps (which I actually did use with regularity, but not at a greater rate than I accumulated them) and my fabric is all in one room.

Now ... bring on the awards. It's a really good week for that in Southern California.

~ The Hoisters with the Mostess ~

2011-02-21T15:11:00.004-08:00

So ... if you had hoped to be the first guest to stay in my guestroom and/or eat at my new dining-room table ... well, that boat already sailed. Ms. Gee drove down from the Bay Area this weekend and arrived just in time to help hoist my new table (along with Mrs. Gee) up a half flight of stairs. (I'm pretty certain she wishes that traffic jam in Burbank had lasted just a tad longer.) Mrs. Gee and myself actually hoisted the first half flight before she arrived. I am certain it would have made for a straight-to-viral video on You Tube in the category of "people who get hurt, but it's really, really funny" except that there were NO extra hands to man the camera. And let me just say my hoisting abilities were minimal at best, leaving the two of them to bruise themselves mightily while maneuvering the very awkward 140 lb. box. I don't know how many ways I can thank them, but I'm sure going to try.

Now just in case you are asking, "Is she seriously leaving that armoire smack dab in front of that window?", the answer is "Yes. Wanna make something of it?" The armoire was supposed to fit in that nook where the the picture is hanging to the right of the fireplace, but alas, it did NOT fit. Plan B was all we had. I prefer to look at it the way you might look at some other odd furniture placement in a fancy magazine and say, "Wow ... I never would have thought to do that, but it actually works and ... hey ... it got into a fancy magazine, so what do I know?" If someone would choose to put my dining room in a fancy magazine, it would certainly help my case, but for now we'll just go with the general scenerio.

After unpacking oodles of boxes full of knick-knacks that I had no business bringing across state lines, I have judiciously avoided buying new ones. This has caused me great anxiety every time I go to Target and run my fingers across any and all lovelies in their new blue and white collection. A couple of days ago, I finally succumbed and purchased these candles. I have not a single regret, however I do have a plethora of other candles that have now been rendered useless. Uhhhh ... nope ... still no regrets.

One of the things I like best about my dining room is that it's pretty much the only room with an excess of breathing room. The furniture all fits in with space to spare. That will change at the end of the year however, because Ms. Gee and I figured out today that this room is the absolutely natural choice as the place to put the Christmas tree. I am guessing that this makes me the first blog you have read lately that is actually referencing next Christmas.

I. Am. Having. Fun.

Thanks for having fun with me.

My Big Fat Brown Couch

2011-02-16T10:02:00.002-08:00

So ... don't be confused ... the above pictured room is of my old family room from my AZ home. I show you this picture (again) because I want you to understand that it was a very large room with a very high ceiling and over the years I picked out furniture for it that was also very large ... one might even say ... massive.

When I first saw my current CA home, I knew the family room was smaller and that furniture placement would be tighter, but I somehow thought I would still fit all the pieces in until Mrs. Gee gently pointed out to me that I was certifiably crazy and that if I were to put all that furniture in the room, not one square inch of floor would show and I would have to step on the coffee table to get to the couch.

So ... I sold the coffee table and the love seat and innocently planned to place the rest of the furniture rather loosely in my new family room. Annnnnd ... that wasn't happening either. Mrs. Gee and I tried every option possible and could not ... I repeat could NOT ... get both of the large blue and white chairs in the room together. So now the very nice man who did all my painting is the proud owner of my other blue and white chair.

As time goes by, and I replace the couch, it will be something more appropriately proportioned for the room. In the meantime, when you look in the dictionary under the word "cozy", you will see these pictures. And if I were in the pictures, I'd be smiling because I love my new ... cozy ... family room.

In other non-furniture related news: I have California plates on my car!!

eek.

~ Paradise Found ~

2011-02-12T10:34:00.002-08:00

So ... here is the living room with some beautiful Saturday morning light. (My Saturday morning also involved pancakes and the first day with my new newspaper.) Pure Bliss.

What you are seeing from this view also gives a look-see up to the dining room.

Which would really be exciting if I could actually have my table delivered, but as you can see, the dining room currently has some ... issues.

I am able to get over that very quickly however, by stepping out my front door ...

... and into paradise.

Don't you worry. I am counting my blessings and naming them one by one.

~ home sweet home ~

2011-02-08T18:03:00.002-08:00

So ... let's make something clear from the start. My back hates me. With a vengeance. Having said that, let me clue you in on something else. I did not ... I repeat, did NOT ... downsize nearly enough. Is that perfectly clear??

Having said that, let me say that I am absolutely in love with my new home. Which ... one week later ... does look a tad bit more organized and unpacked than the first three pictures here. A tad. Like .. don't get excited.

What these pictures don't reveal is the luscious painting that has covered up some darker colors I am not as fond of. Like the brown/gold and purple that was the master bathroom. I'll reveal that in later (more frequent) posts. For now take a look at the living room below which Mrs. Gee and I pulled together so that I could have a few moments of peace each day. Unfortunately, I took this picture without proper light. Get over that and just think ... peace.

Did I mention that I love my home?

Stay tuned to see it take shape.

Oh and ... thanks for your patience.

Finally !!

2011-01-27T20:08:00.002-08:00

So ... the wait is finally over.

I am no longer ... home-less.

I am very excited about my new home.

However, my life's belongings and I will not be reunited until sometime next week.

At that point ...

I'll be burning these pants.

Don't Give Up on Me Yet!!

2011-01-08T10:26:00.002-08:00

So ... I am alive and well and I am a Californian, but what I am not yet ... is a homeowner. My negotiations hit some snags (Short sale? I don't think so!) but in the meantime I am not home-less, due to the extremely pleasant hospitality of the Gees.

My things are safely stored in AZ still which means the suitcase I threw together to last me less than a week ... is having a difficult time lasting 3 weeks. If anyone wants to know, I just really, really like these pants.

The move itself went smooth as can be and my wicked head cold notwithstanding, I continue to feel very blessed. I sleep in a room with a delightful 3.5 year old and I get to cuddle the above pictured bundle of joy any old time I want.

And just in case you were wondering ... the above picture can be explained by one of the following options ... you guess which one.

a) The new homeowners bought several pieces of my furniture and I needed to make sure they didn't make the move.
b) My attachment to the above pictured remote knows no bounds.
c) Nobody puts L'il Miss Gee on a truck ... nobody!

~ Every One Indeed ~

2010-12-22T20:41:00.003-08:00

So ... it's crunch time, people. In one week my belongings will be on a truck. It's been a crazy December to say the least, but I am bound and determined to remember to celebrate December for exactly what it is: Jolly and Joyful and ... Blessed.

So I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, knowing we won't be in touch until sometime in the New Year. I am very excited for my New Life in my New State in the New Year. But don't think for one minute that I'm not counting my blessings from This Year. Such as ...

* I have travelled all over the country to see all of my children and grandchildren ... and they have travelled to see me.
* I have enjoyed the company of fabulous friends who have done way more for me than they should have ... but I must admit that I couldn't have done it without them.
* I have been blessed from the start to finish (and we're not finished yet, but I'm feelin' the blessings in the midst of the [back breaking] process) of this move.
* I have felt and heard and received 100% support from every single person I have spoken to about my new plans ... even though lots of those people were less than thrilled that I was leaving.

* I am spending Christmas with (most) of my children (the others are so tightly packed in my heart ... it's like they are right here) who will forgo the after-Christmas sales and other forms of relaxation to help me pack, clean and drive.
* I have lived such a wonderful life here in the Land of AZ that it's heartbreaking to leave.
* I am so excited about the future that I'm thrilled to leave.
* I have been kept from going completely bonkers despite the aforementioned conflicting emotions.
* I feel love and support from the PDaddy.
* Ditto for that Baby in a Manger.

Try not to forget about me all together until we are next in touch.

Love,
~ Mary ~

~ Calm amid the Chaos ~

2010-12-16T09:42:00.002-08:00

So ... I have judiciously chosen not to show you more of the chaos. Trust me ... it isn't pretty. But I do love my teeny weeny little center of Christmas that helps to keep me from freaking out altogether.

Oh yeah, that and the bounty of friends who are guiding me through the baby steps of this move until family gathers next week.

Yep ... there's no place like home for the holidays. And don't get me wrong ... it is still home.

~ Sounds of the Season ~

2010-12-07T14:37:00.001-08:00

Bah.

Hum.

Bug.

Oooooh ... fa la la la la, la la la ... la.

(It's nice to know that there is more to Christmas than boxes ... wrapped or not.)

~ I'm dreaming of a ... boxed ... Christmas ~

2010-12-02T08:39:00.004-08:00

So ... it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas all right, but let's just say that the view is much better at the Gee's house than my own. I am considering stacking my boxes in a tree-like shape and draping a green blanket over them. What do you think?

I sure had fun being "roommates" with this Li'l Guy, who took his tree decorating duties very ... very ... seriously. ("Mom! Is it time to decoration the tree yet?!")

His Li'l Sis looked on and gave occasional critiques, utilizing her uber high fashion tastes.

And some spit-up.

I do plan to create a small, peaceful Christmas area amidst all the chaos. I do believe that was the purpose of the stable, was it not?

I wish you all a lovely season and the chance to decoration to your hearts content.

It's Beginning to look a LOT ...

2010-11-21T16:57:00.003-08:00

So ... remember how I wouldn't do anything in my sewing room because I didn't want to mess it up and then how I sold my house and immediately messed it up big time??

Yeah, that's what I did. But, trust me, it was worth it.

I agreed to do one more sample for my BC Quilter's Club that would serve as the November/December project. The minute I agreed, I realized that it could prove to be a rather idiotic mistake seeing as I really, really need to keep packing and I already took that little New York detour.

I tried to make up for it by simplifying the applique portion of the pattern (found in Lori Smith's Fat Quarter Quilting on page 46) ... and that did help, I'll admit. I also just plowed through and did the lion's share of the work in one day ... something I rarely do ... and something my lower back informed me just last night was not something I should ever, ever do again.

On top of that, I finished one more project (to be shown later). One more, Arizona grown project. The best part of all is that the 24/7 Christmas music has started in my town and I listened to it the entire time.

And to those who scoff at the wisdom of playing Christmas music in the middle of November, I say ...

Be very, very careful ... Bing is listening.

~ I {Heart} New York ~

2010-11-17T09:27:00.003-08:00

So ... don't think for one single minute that my lack of blogging activity is due to my need to pack, organize and ... pack.

No sirree ... in the middle of the TONS of things to do right now, I took a week off and spent some time with friends and family in NYC.

I have not a single regret and I do have a plethora of fabulous memories. (I won't say exactly how many of them involve food, but just think ... plethora.)

The occasion for our trip was the 20th Friend-a-versary of my daughter, Mrs. Dub and her bestie, Mrs. Jay. Mrs. Jay's mother ... my bestie ... rounded out our foursome. Sonny Boy and the Mrs. served as our local tour guides. And by "tour guides", I also mean "heavenly food guides."

But don't be expecting much from me in the near future.

Seriously ... I have GOT to pack.

The Big Reveal

2010-11-08T09:59:00.001-08:00

So ... I have hinted for sometime about a "project" in my life that has caused me a bit of anguish not to mention the inability to mess up my sewing room. My back has been sore but my faucets have nary a drop on them. Can you guess what my project is??

Yep.

I put my house up for sale.

After almost 20 years in this house, I am moving to something small and fun and cozy. Like ... half as small. Like ... "downsizing" has been the key word for over 4 months. Four long box-filling, charity-giving, trash-overflowing, paper-shredding months.

What this picture above doesn't reveal ... is the SOLD sign.

Yep ... it's a done deal. I will move in a couple of months.

"To where?" you innocently ask.

What you don't realize is that I have been giving you hints for some time now. Haven't you noticed a distinct increase in ocean -related posts? Haven't you noticed my obsession with all things blue and beachy? Do you know I'll be just a short hop from the Gees? Can you guess?

Sigh.

~ Costume Gems ~

2010-11-02T14:59:00.003-07:00

So ... I'm sorry to run this grandchild thing into the ground but ... please. When you have an Asian Princess, a Cowboy, a Flower and a Ladybug as cute as these, they demand to be seen.

(And if they were at your door, they would demand you give them some candy.)

Since they are not at your door, I see two alternatives:

1) Send me the candy ... or ...

2) Indulge in the eye candy for yourself.

Happy Nanny Day to Me!

2010-10-25T08:58:00.005-07:00

So ... today marks four whole years that I have been "Nanny". In other words ... today is Miss Dub1's birthday. Her fourth birthday. Four years that I have been the luckiest Nanny in the whole wide world. Happy Birthday to my precious Dubster! You are smart and funny and wise and talented. I. Love. You. I love this picture above which so accurately depicts her "Pippi Longstocking-ness". It seems to say, "I have got some serious moxie going on here."

Since I am celebrating my Nannyhood, let's see what the others have to say:

Miss Dub2: "Yes, I am a lovely fairy princess who just happens to indulge in the occasional marker for a snack."

L'il Miss Gee: "Power to the Babies!"

Lil Mr. Gee: "Seriously ... what IS that smell?!?"

I sure do love being Nanny. Can you really blame me?

~ Coral Singing ~

2010-10-21T14:27:00.002-07:00

So ... furthering my goal to keep my sewing room neat and tidy ... I have resorted to hand work.

Specifically, hand applique on these colorful blocks ... the final design/destination of which is still a big mystery to me.

I just like 'em.

And you?

~She told me so ~

2010-10-11T16:35:00.003-07:00

So ... you may have noticed (if you actually care and you may or may not ... care) that there has been a distinct lack of posts about sewing. Or anything else that is interesting. Truth be told I sort of packed everything up when I had my sewing room painted over a month ago (do you miss that pink and green stencil from the early 90's?) and I haven't had the heart or the gumption to find everything I need. Or to mess it up.

Or to sew.

But I did have this one project on my to-do list that was mentioned here. It involves miles of sewing straight satin stitched lines on a bedskirt.

Mi-les.

When I first blogged about this project, my oldest daughter warned me that it would be the most boring project ever.

E-ver.

And boy, was she right. Of course this is the girl who would not be deterred by such a project, and in fact when faced with one ... taught her Bernina to Sew. By. Itself.

The proof is here. See for yourself.

And I don't know which is worse ... the fact that she can so honestly tell me "I told you so" or that I never could find my seam ripper and had to resort to using my embroidery scissors instead.

Huuummmph. I should have just left well enough alone. That room was so dang clean before I started messing with it.

Please tell me it will be worth it.

~ Fall Forward ~

2010-10-04T18:09:00.002-07:00

So ... I hope I'm not premature in saying so but ... believe it or not ... we may actually be saying good-bye to the blasted heat that was the Summer of 2010, here in the Land of AZ. Last week: still in the triple digits. This week: rockin' the 80's. You won't hear too many people bemoaning the absence of the 90's in this equation. Let's face it, the 90's are so overrated.

This evening we are even enjoying a bit of light rain. Not summer "the wind blew my neighbor's pool into my pool**" monsoon rains, but a lovely light mist.

Along with the aforementioned advantages to Fall, look what I picked up today at Marshall's on sale because of it's obvious summer overtones? Sweet. (You know how much I love dots! And you know how much I love blue!)

Welcome Fall. Please don't toy with my emotions and revert to your old sweltering ways. Please don't make me beg.

'Cause I will.

** There was an evening this summer when I came home to find a rather large inflated child's pool ... floating in my pool. No lie. Some of my patio furniture was also at the bottom of the pool. It was a pretty big day for my pool.

~ OCD: One Crafty Diva ~

2010-09-29T12:22:00.002-07:00

So ... my friend Kelley ... aka Glamma Fabulous has started an Etsy Shop. Kelley loves Halloween like no one I know, in fact it just may border on the weird. But who cares! She has channeled her obsession into these fabulous paper mache pumpkins and as you can see no detail has been left unaddressed. Go ahead ... you know you want one. Just click here.

Then start your own Halloween obsession. It's the perfect time of year for it.

Don't it make your brown eyes ...

2010-09-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

So ... I like blue.

Seriously.

~ The Sisterhood of the Travelling Necklace ~

2010-09-23T10:26:00.002-07:00

So ... you may or may not have remembered that in the midst of my globe trotting ways as of late ... I won another GiveAway. Seriously people, I do not know why my odds for this sort of thing are so high, but I find it best not to ask questions. I made my entry for this one while on my trip to Chicago-land almost a month ago. When Gina informed me that I had won, I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of my L'il Miss and so I told her to send it on to SoCal-land, which she did. Please keep in mind that it was mailed from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. I can feel breezes just looking at it.

I am currently in the middle of a "project" that is taxing my psyche as well as my back and my sweet, breezy, coral necklace serves as the perfect inspiration.

Thank you, Gina and Isolabella. 'Cause it was 107 degrees when I got off the plane in the Land of AZ and breezes are in high demand.

~A Fabulous Forecast ~

2010-09-19T11:50:00.002-07:00

So ... I just got back from a week in Sunny Southern California. Can I tell you how much I love it there? Can you guess why? For starters ... Li'l Miss Gee is a precious, happy, beautiful, baby. I loved, loved, loved nuzzling her. She really smells go-ood. (It's also 30 degrees cooler there, but let's stick to the important stuff.)

I also loved hanging out with this boy and his dog, Ralphie.

I am in serious withdrawal. Do you blame me?

~ Nanny X 4! ~

2010-09-10T16:25:00.003-07:00

So ... L'il Miss Gee arrived yesterday (at 4:15 p.m., weighing in at 7 lb. 1 oz -- exactly the same as her brother, although she was 2 weeks early) and she is more precious than words can say. I will actually get my Nanny-hands on her tomorrow. For now I must risk shorting out my computer as I drool/cry onto my keyboard on a regular basis.

Her big brother, Mr. Gee thinks she is pret-ty special.

He's a smart one, that Mr. Gee.

~ Seeing the Sights ~

2010-09-05T09:12:00.002-07:00

So ... I have been gone for a bit. To the Windy City Environs. The scenery was beautiful, as is rather obvious.*

But I must be perfectly honest and admit that it was the scenery below that particularly caught my eye ... and my heart.

Sigh. I sure do love being a Nanny.**

* These two top pictures are of Lake Michigan, taken from a beach in Wisconsin.

** "Nanny" is what they have named me. I am related to them and have not been hired to take care of them ... although I would do it in a heartbeat for free.

*** While I was gone ... I won another GiveAway!! I know it seems to be unfair that I apparently have a gift for this sort of thing. Just accept it. This particular bit of unexpected bounty is a beautiful coral necklace from Isola Bella. Check out her work. It's yummy.

Is it a Surfboard, or is it a Table?

2010-08-25T15:30:00.001-07:00

So ...

Voila.

White Whining

2010-08-23T15:27:00.002-07:00

So ... have you ever read an article in a shelter magazine where the homeowner extols on the virtues of her white slipcovers and mentions dropping them into the washer with the amount of energy she might use to say ... brush her teeth? Yeah. Yeah. Let me just say that what she isn't mentioning is the back breaking work it takes to ...

1) Unbutton and unzip everything and then struggle to pull the cushions out of their hiding places as if live birth is taking place. (Getting the big piece off the couch is actually easy ... stuffing it into the washer is another matter. The seat cushions are not bad, but the back cushions are killers.) 2) After washing them and drying them enough to get drippy water off of them, I always like to stuff the "innards" back in while they are still damp so that they are sure to fit. More stuffing, pulling and groaning ensues. 3) I do this in the AZ summer so that the drying hours are fewer, but must live with them scattered and propped about so that the maximum amount of air can circulate. With a sofa and a loveseat, this is two full days of living with the upheaval.

The end of this (incredibly boring) story is that I was thrilled with how much whiter they look (thank you, Mr. Clorox) and I wanted them to be done so that they will best showcase my new coffee table. I found it at a thrift store and thought that a) it had very interesting lines and the longer, narrow-er shape I was looking for and b) would look fabulous with a coat of blue ... yes, blue ... paint.

I blame my friend Kelley aka Glamma Fabulous for sending me a map of thrift stores to peruse. I say "blame" because moving a table to the garage to make way for the old trunk which will make way for the new table ... caused me some back pain. Not to mention the aforementioned pain from the slipcovers.

Whine, whine, whine, whine, whine.

It was all absolutely worth it. I cannot wait to show you the finished product.

And, um, thank you my friend.

No Fat Pigs were involved in the production ...

2010-08-18T12:37:00.002-07:00

So ... you're thinking about going to Market, are ya? (I'm talking Quilt Market in Houston at the end of October, but Safeway in August works just fine too.)

If you want to be the belle of the ball and make an ecological statement* at the same time ... you might just want to pick up one of these babies for all your shopping needs. You can find them here. I mentioned my status as president of the Riley Noehren fan club here. My partiality has nothing to do with my love of her products.

I also bought this print of a masted ship in the San Francisco Harbor. My partiality toward ship prints (see here) has everything to do with that purchase.

Check 'em out before Market. You'll be doing a jiggety Jig.

* if Vespas aren't green enough for you, they also come with horses on them. Doesn't get much greener than that.

Whale Rider

2010-08-13T09:59:00.002-07:00

So ...

are you beginning to see a theme developing here?

Sibling Revelry

2010-08-09T19:30:00.002-07:00

So ... here are some pictures of my perfectly precious grandchildren, showing some sibling love. In the above pic, we have Miss Dub1 and Miss Dub2 holding hands, with their fingers intertwined. (Mrs. Dub did point out that this pose is likely to lead to Miss Dub2 trying to bite Miss Dub1's hand) ... but for the moment, let's just enjoy it for what it is ... perfection.

And here we have L'il Gee striking a "this is how big my pregnant belly is" pose. For now (and for the next 6 weeks) this is the best kind of bonding I am going to see between L'il Gee and his L'il Sis.

They both make me just a L'il Teary-Eyed. How about you?

My Hand Basket Awaits ~

2010-08-06T15:29:00.003-07:00

So ... I lied. Eh, it's probably not the first time. In my last post I made a big deal about how much I love hand applique and planned to do my next sample with just such a technique. It took me 2 hours to trace and cut out the pieces and about a minute and a half to figure out that this was not the project for beginners at hand applique. I immediately went upstairs and traced and fused the machine applique pieces in less than 45 minutes. The following day I sewed them on while in some sort of applique-ic trance. I am really thrilled with the results, but I am truly sorry/embarassed about having lied to you.

So, how big do you think this hand basket will need to be to transport me ... um ... you know where?

I may have also lied about the fabrics being bright and happy. It turns out they are more like ... pastel-ish ... and happy. But, by golly they are happy.

How about you?

Project: Every Which Way

2010-08-02T15:19:00.003-07:00

So ... I have one or two (or three) projects on the table (and the floor.)
They pretty much all make me happy.

#1: Project Fun-Way: My next sample for BC Quilter's Club for September and October. I will be using hand applique. What makes me happy about this is that a) it's a very traditional pattern (normally seen in Civil War fabs and such) but I'm using some bright happies, and b) I really love hand applique.

#2: Project Stun-Way: I bought these new nautical looking sheets, and already had a duvet cover and shams (in foreground) with similarly matching stripes. Today I bought this (rather cheap-o) dust ruffle (on left) that I will now add some blue satin-stitched stripes to, which will complete the ensemble. Not so cheap-o anymore. (Ergo: happiness.)

3#: Project Un-Done-Way: I spent over 2 hours on Saturday adding these sashing strips to another quilt in progress. I wasn't thrilled. Today when I walked up and saw it on my wall and found myself still without thrill, I ripped those puppies off and will be starting anew with sashing that thrills me. What makes me happy about this? That I had the guts to just rip 'em off like a band-aid, before I went any further.

How about you? What Projects are sending you Running this Way and That?

Get Crafty this Weekend!

2010-07-30T09:21:00.002-07:00

So ... if you are from the Bay Area, or are in the Bay Area this weekend or will pick up and move to the Bay Area today*, just because I told you to ... then you need to head on down to the Renegade Craft Fair and take a gander at all the wonderful offerings, soak up some creative vibes and drop some pocket change** so you can come home with a smile on your face.

While you are there, make sure (seriously, make absolutely sure) to stop by (and purchase from) Riley Noehren's booth. She does wonderful screen printing and makes them into fabulous totes, purses and ... prints.

The fact that I gave birth to her*** is not influencing my comments at all, believe me. Her work is just so splendid that I need to point you in the right direction.

So ... get going all ready. Make those plans, put on those comfortable shoes ... say "hi" to my baby girl for me ... will you?

*if you are actually moving, I really hope you have already started packing
** it would be best to have big pockets
*** Riley Noehren is actually not her real name, so you are actually not any closer to discovering my true identity ...

Whale Watch

2010-07-26T12:48:00.002-07:00

So ... I finished my whale quilt. I actually finished it a couple of months ago. It took me almost a year. It's been a long year.

My whale quilt makes me happy.

How about you?

A Color Explosion

2010-07-19T10:01:00.002-07:00

So ... please wake up long enough to view one more post from my trip, which frankly is just a blur to me at this point, let's be honest. One of my favorite days was our trip down to Santa Cruz. For starters we were mesmerized by the beautiful ocean vistas not to mention the lobster we had for lunch at a chichi restaurant on the pier. But this day was all about the color. Shockingly beautiful color.

Santa Cruz is home to a traditional boardwalk complete with rides, cotton candy and ... yep ... deep fried Twinkies.

All of this is right on the beach. And no, no, there is no entrance fee. Yes, you buy tickets for the rides and you pay for the cotton candy, but the eye candy is free for the taking.

So ... I took some and I am not giving it back.

Guest Who?

2010-07-15T14:27:00.002-07:00

So ... I must interrupt my absolutely riveting account of my summer vacation, to let you in on a big fat secret:

I am a guest blogger today over at Be @ Home, a fun website devoted to Fun Stuff to Buy. For your home and other interesting places. In my debut as guest blogger, I am expounding on the glorious blessings of pillows. You know I love pillows! Heaven knows I have blogged about them here and here and here.

Take a look-see and let me know what you think. And then buy some pillows for goodness sake!

You know you want to.

Blue Skies in the Big City

2010-07-14T14:01:00.002-07:00

So ... our first day of unstoppable sigh-seeing took us ... naturally ... to the Big City by the Bay. Why ... I believe that's the Transamerica Tower peeking through the trees. Yes, it is indeed.

Pier 39. Full of seafood sandwiches, delicious chocolate and a very colorful flag.

From a Harbor Cruise going under the big ... golden ... bridge. Later we would drive over that same bridge. We like our bridges from multiple angles.

Cruising by Alcatraz. Enjoying hearing about the history ... grateful to not be living it.

Do tell. What is your favorite Treat (edible or not) in San Francisco?

(Is it Rice-a-Roni? Because I seriously do like Rice-a-Roni.)

Ridin' the Rails

2010-07-09T08:25:00.003-07:00

So ... the next leg of our trip involved getting ourselves from SoCal where the Gees live to NorCal where Ms. Gee lives. When I helped move her into her new place last January, I couldn't help but notice that a train ran directly behind her uber hip apartment building. The idea for this Amtrak ride was hatched at that moment and carried to fruition last week. We paid (not a whole lot more) to get a "sleeping berth" even though we weren't spending the night. This was well worth it. We had our own little space, plenty of leg room, free meals in the dining car (where we held our pinkies out as we ate) and were basically treated as royalty. In fact, when we first got on the train, they kept trying to give us our complimentary bottles of champagne, and when we refused the third time, we got a little bitty bottles of Martinellis. When we arrived at Union Station in L.A. (above) we did not have to wait in any lines because the conductor came to us to take our tickets. To us. This may have raised my expectations of travelling to a level I can no longer (or ever did) get while flying.

sigh

For the entire "coastal" leg of the journey, we did not see the sun, but that was not a problem until I saw these grayish pictures. Who cares! It was gorgeous, interesting and engrossing. Neither of us cracked open a single one of the plethora of books/crosswords/electronic game devices that we carried with us. We just stared out the window and soaked up America.

sigh

Thanks Ms. Gee for being a fine travelling companion and for living somewhere that could plant the seed for this trip. Once we were in the Bay Area we hoofed it like professional tourists and continued to enjoy every second. And that, as they say, is ...

... to be continued.

How I Spent my Summer Vacation, Part I

2010-07-06T20:33:00.002-07:00

So ... I have been away for almost two full weeks on a magical, marvelous, magnificent trip. Since my life now that I'm home is basically snores-ville, I will draw out the story of my adventures for posts and posts to come. Sorry. If that is also snore-inducing, at least help yourself to some scenic views.

These pics are all about the So Cal part of the trip which involved The Gees which includes the Mr. & Mrs. but most especially the L'il one. Ms. Gee (related to Mrs. Gee, but not by the "G") joined us before she and I continued on our own part of the tour. The picture above is from Newport Beach. The footprints belong to L'il Gee.

The pier belongs to the State of California I believe ... although PDaddy always claimed any pier as his own.

Here's the little guy playing with Auntie Gee's iphone which was a constant (and effective) source of blackmail and bribery. It's a little scary how adept he is on his own without any coaching. It doesn't hurt that his Auntie has several kid friendly apps.

I celebrated a birthday while I was there. If you are wondering how old I am then ... simply count the candles ... duh. Don't get so caught up in that delicious cake that you miss that grin on L'il Gee.

Stay tuned for our train ride from So Cal to Nor. Please try and stay awake.

Aaaaaaaah ...

2010-06-28T14:46:00.002-07:00

Feeling the Breezes

Feeling' Crabby?

2010-06-21T11:42:00.001-07:00

So ... I was feeling a wee bit crabby this weekend. Mostly (in fact entirely) due to the fact that I was wrenchingly ill. The. Entire. Weekend.

I soothed my soul by thinking about the fact that in not too long, I might smell me some ocean air and feel some temperatures that don't leave me drenched in sweat.

I am very, very grateful that I am on the mend.

Now ... bring on the breezes.

Deja - View

2010-06-17T10:01:00.002-07:00

So ... remember Twiggy? Here is the new/improved Twiggy for the new millenium. I think Miss Dub1 makes a splendid fashion/popcorn model, don't you? I love what she has done with her makeup.

And if it's new summer swimwear you're looking for ... Miss Dub2 models this dashing little number with flair ... all while demonstrating summer meal ideas.

Hope your summer is going swimmingly.

He's still a Winner

2010-06-14T09:56:00.002-07:00

So ... you may or may not have expected this, but PDaddy won an award last week, honored once again for the great amount of pro bono legal work he did throughout his career. I am pretty certain that he is still working for others ... for free.

Also in the "you may or may not have expected this" is the fact that I finished the second little quilt in record time.

Fun, fun, fun from start to finish.

To Dye For

2010-06-07T09:38:00.002-07:00

So ... I have been sewing on my second sample from this book, to be taught at BC Quilter's Club. I'm not teaching it until July, but I like to take it a month early so people can start picking fabrics. Lori Smith used batiks in hers, so I did too. What a delightful process this has been. Batiks are not really my thing. (Although every single one of these came from my stash ... hmmmmm.) I have sewn on them before, but not in such an intricate project (what you're looking at here is only about 16" x 13".) They sew together like butta, I'm telling you, butta. I can really see why people convert to them in 100% fashion.

Speaking of fun things to sew, I saw this in the paper this morning. And I'm thinking ... you know ... Father's Day is just around the corner. I am always trying to help you people out. It's exhausting sometimes.

So ... weigh in on the batiks issue. Thumbs up or down?

And while your at it, any fabric ideas for the pants?

The Many Faces of Mr. Gee

2010-05-31T14:39:00.002-07:00

So ... The Gees were with me this lovely Memorial Day weekend. L'il Gee was the most fun, let's be honest. (Mom and Dad Gee: you were fun ... you just weren't the most fun.) This top pic is of the l'il guy perfecting his badmitton serve.

Here he is with the Go-To Grin.

This would be the Fake Pouty Face.

Not really sure what to call this one.

I guess he just gets tired of the paparazzi. It's tough to be so popular.

Good Things - Small Packages

2010-05-24T09:52:00.002-07:00

So ... I am (somewhat) caught up on all of my projects that I need to do for my teaching duties at this store. This little beauty pictured above is the Club sample that I'll be teaching this Wednesday. It comes from the book, Fat Quarter Quilting by Lori Smith. All of our club projects for the next while will come from that book.

Just so you know ... this puppy is just a wee thing, measuring only about 16" x 22". But if you are thinking I whipped her up in a couple of hours, you would be sorely mistaken. That there's a lot of piecing and a lot of applique.

And a LOT of fun ... who are we kidding?

A Whale of a Good Time

2010-05-20T09:28:00.002-07:00

So ... yesterday afternoon I did something I had been excitedly thinking about for a couple of weeks. I wandered up to my local Cinema and spent 1.5 glorious hours in a trance as I watch the aforementioned documentary. I was mesmerized as I believe the other two people in the theatre were also.

I love, love, love everything to do with the ocean and to see it all on the big screen was absolutely a thrill to me. My favorites, of course, were the whales, but there was nary a creature I didn't feel absolutely facinated by.

There is only a short message at the end regarding the obvious (but unheeded) call to quit throwing your trash in the ocean people, a point already beautifully well made by then.

See. This. Movie. Then go to the beach (with a trash bag in tow) and see it for yourself.

Good Morning New York!

2010-05-15T10:17:00.003-07:00

So ... along with being a shout-out to Sonny Boy and the Mrs. who have a *New York Sunrise* in their life every single day, I just wanted to show you that procrastination didn't exactly pay, but it did eventually pay off. Remember how I put myself under the gun and full of stress when I made a last minute decision to make this New York Beauty quilt to teach? Well, I finished it in time and I must say I'm tickled pink about it.

The pattern is my own but was inspired (as was the quilting) by several quilts I saw in Radiant New York Beauties by Valorie Wells. I'll be teaching *New York Sunrise* in August at Bernina Connection. It's on a Saturday, so I know you all can be there.

You heard me. Be there.

Gee Whiz!!

2010-05-10T20:57:00.002-07:00

So ... I haven't been the best of bloggers lately. (Oh reaaaaaallllly.) If you must know, my services were called upon to spend the week in delightful So Cal and take care of my precious Mr. Gee for half the week and then spend the rest of the week with all the Gees, soaking up the sun and celebrating motherhood.

And Grand Motherhood.

The top pic is from our day at the "small park". (Mr. Gee has many, many parks from which to choose, but on our first day alone, he chose the smallest one.) Several days later, I took him to Pretend City where he participated in several grown-up-type jobs and drove several grown-up-type vehicles. The picture above is of him driving his favorite truck. It was my favorite also because it allowed me some rest from hauling my gi-normous purse around. Some people might think this is an activity to be reported to those who enforce child labor laws ... but I beg to differ.

This last pic is from our Mother's Day FunFest. The water in this pool was heated and he was oh-so-tempted by it.

Thank you Gees for letting me be a part of the festivities and for trusting me to spend all that (exhausting) quality time with the Mister. Now that there will be two, two, two Gee children to look after (yep ... and the next one is pink!) I am definitely going to have to do some endurance training.

Starting ... tomorrow.

Tinkerbell is Alive and Well!

2010-04-25T20:21:00.002-07:00

So ... I'm guessing that you probably want to learn to fly too. First, you must know that it's all about the Magic Fairy Dust.

Combined with the delightful exuberance of Miss Dub1.

A lesson in Blue and White

2010-04-20T12:55:00.003-07:00

So ... my dearest Sonny Boy and Mrs. Boy were here this weekend, and I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed their visit.

While they were here, Sonny Boy was very helpful with some man-around-the-house/tall-person jobs. I even mentioned to him that I might want him to go a certain store where exotic rugs are sold, to help me buy a rug I had had my eye on for many moons and then help me move the furniture necessary to lay it down.

Just yesterday when we had a few minutes before taking them to the airport, he mentioned it to me, but I foolishly declined and made him haul around pool tablets at a different store instead. Besides, I hadn't entirely made up my mind on the rug and wanted to add a few more months to the decision making process ... because that is what I do.

And yet today, when I just happened to make my way to that store and happened to pass by the exotic rug department I decided, what the heck, I can do this thing by myself.

Which I did ... while expending much sweat in the process. The moral of this story:

Moms ... listen to your children. They are generally smarter than you.

A Pile of Pink Procrastination

2010-04-13T18:45:00.002-07:00

So ... I have finally sewn something to blog about (I have actually been sewing my brains out, but I'm not ready to blog about that stuff quite yet) but it comes with a cautionary tale attached. Yesterday morning, while on the treadmill, I started thinking about what I would present that evening at the Teacher's Meeting at Bernina Connection. Most of the classes I teach are "Basics" and I repeat them each time ... hence no need to do anything but paperwork before the aforementioned meeting. However, it's nice to have something new and normally I would have been planning it for at least a couple of months ... or at worst a couple of weeks.

While thinking about it yesterday morning, I realized I had approximately 6.78 hours to plan, prepare and 'patch', that is if I chose not to eat, shower or use the facilities during that block of time. Despite those unpleasant odds, I still decided to go ahead and "whip up" as much as I could, knowing I do have a couple more weeks to actually turn the sample in.

It took me a couple of hours to pick and draft the pattern that I wanted and another couple to make this one measly block. I have a vague idea what it is I will do when other blocks of a similar nature are added to it, a point I was able to bluff my way around while showing off my pseudo-sample at the meeting.

I will say that my pinks and greens drew some oohs and aahs. I was also chided by a few close friends who held completed samples. I vowed (in my head ... not in public) to finish this one with flare and then go on to learn my lesson.

But you've got to admit that the pinks and greens and ... dots ... do make up for a multitude of personal shortcomings.

Right??

Let there be Light ...

2010-04-08T11:04:00.002-07:00

So ... one of the things that I love most about my house is the face that it lets in so much light. After living in the Sunny Land of AZ for over 20 years, light pretty much must be injected into my veins on a daily basis or I am not a happy camper. The picture above is of the Dining Room where I recently removed the heavier toile curtains and replaced them with these white and gauzy beauties.

More light in the Family Room.

Ditto ... my Bedroom.

Oh ... I just found this picture on my other camera when I downloaded it. If that isn't the lightest, brightest bit of sunshine you've ever seen, then I don't know what is.

Here's to a Pastelicious Weekend ...

2010-04-02T08:46:00.002-07:00

So ... yesterday a friend brought me this absolutely splendid flowers. And yes, they smell as lovely as they look.

A few weeks ago when the Dub Girls were here, they picked out this scrumptious bunny for me. It's no surprise that she is dressed in pink. That is Miss Dub1's all-time favorite color. Consequently, this is my all-time favorite bunny.

I wish you a sunny and spectacular Easter weekend. That is indeed what has been ordered for my neck of the woods.

Life is Funny

2010-03-27T19:12:00.002-07:00

So ... life is funny. Take today for instance. I had a busy day and upon returning home, I stopped to get my mail. It was all pretty much junk except that lo and behold, there amongst the junk was a ... magic key. (My mail comes to one of those multi-user boxes at the end of the street where, if I receive anything bigger than the usual, I am given a key to open another ... larger ... box where I will find some sort of package. I agree ... this has game show written all over it.) Much to my delight and shake-my-head-surprise it was from my friend Ginger. Let me explain:

Ginger and I have never met, we live thousands of miles apart, but we know each other three different ways. (#1) She is the sister-in-law to not one but two of my daughters' roommates. (#2) She is a quilter and a blogger and (#3) She won a Give-Away of mine back in the day when life was normal and I did stuff like ... give stuff away.

Well, my package contained these three oh-so-lovely fabrics that are oh-so-me with a note that said she was weeding through her stash and apparently found these fabrics screaming my name and so she took the time to send them on to me.

Wow. Life is funny.

And good too.

Oooh ... Shiny

2010-03-23T13:01:00.002-07:00

So ... I got some new appliances. Let's just say that they were long overdue. Let's also say that I am in awe of their beauty first and their functionality second.

So why am not cooking up a storm and making plans to be The Next Food Network Star?

Give me time. I'm still trying to get over the fact that every time I pass the fridge, lights reflect off of it and I think it's open. That and the fact that I am having a hard time letting anything smudgeable near the stove top.

I'm sorry Ina. I promise to do you proud.

Just give me some time.

Like a Hole in the Head ...

2010-03-17T13:51:00.002-07:00

So ... I went to Target today. To buy one of those little basket dealies that holds chlorine tablets for my swimming pool. Because the old one basically disintegrated.

I found one. I bought it. But ... unfortunately ... that's not all I bought.

I also bought this swell pillow in these swell colors which I pretty much didn't need. At all. Ever. "Was it on sale?" you ask with a bit of cynicism in your voice. Oh ... yes siree ... for a whopping 15% off. Please know that I am aware that means bumkus. It was just a start of my rationalization process that ended when the woman in front of me in line was buying the exact same pillow.

So, it's pretty clear that I was destined to buy it.

Please don't let me go to Target again.