Going Green

So ... I like the Planet Earth.

As a result, I am doing two (count 'em 2!) things this week to help the cause of all things green.

#1: I am in the market for a new car and I plan to buy one with better gas mileage than the last one (which wasn't exactly a Hummer in the first place) and ...

#2: I am making a quilt with a rainforest theme.

This particular quilt will be a gift for my first grand-nephew who is due in February. When I asked his Grandma (my SIL) what colors to go with, she simply said ... "rainforest".

I had tremendous fun invading The Stash to find the fabrics. As you may or may not know ... I only sew from my stash. It surprised even me how many choices I had. There are 3 other theme fabrics with equal fun, frivolity and ... ecology. I will show off the finished product ... hopefully ... before this baby makes his debut on Planet Earth.

* BTW, I also plan to replace my lightbulbs but had a bad experience the first time I tried. The new 3-way swirly-bulb was too big to fit under the "harp".
** No secrets were exposed in the making of this post. SIL and niece are not bloggers.

Nesting Instincts

So ... my mind is rather scattered at the moment, but I will try and pull some coherent thoughts together.

I like birds.

I know that they are ... like ... all the rage right now as a decorating devise. And I am pretty certain that I like them more right now because ... I see them more right now. Is that how it works? However, I want it on the record that I purchased the above pillow about 8 years ago. So, I am ... like ... way ahead of my time.

One more thing. I really, really like my own baby birds. The fact that they have flown our nest to other nests in scattered parts of the country doesn't mean that I still wouldn't personally catch worms for them. Or sit on them.

Or even applaud them for flying.

Shakin' it up a bit ...

So ... I thought I'd try something new with the arrangement of the furniture in my family room. (I have been a furniture re-arranger from waaaaay back. I have actually cut back on it since we moved into this house.) So this time around I took all of the furniture and ... smushed it into the kitchen.

How do you like it?

Truth be told, I had the carpet cleaned today. And the blue print chairs. And I am having a baby shower here on Saturday, so you pretty much know that I was not self motivated into organization and spit-polish.

And my whole house smells like chemically produced citrus.

And I did lay down and read a magazine on the love seat (on the left above) in that very position and found it quite delightful.

Thank you Chelsea for having a baby before my carpets self-destructed.

And my blue print chairs.

I'm just Great, thanks.

So . . . I know my youthful appearance doesn't immediately give this away, but I recently became a great-grandmother.

No . . . I'm not talking about qualifying my grand mothering skills, I am talking about the fact that my oldest grandchild . . . the ever-lovely Miss Dub (shown above) has become the sole caretaker, feeder . . . and hurler of a new "baby" . . . aptly named . . . "Baby."

It is true that Miss Dub has only recently turned that milestone age of 10 months, but to quote her mother's exact words, "she is ready for the responsibility." We have been fortunate to see video of the young mom in action. She makes every attempt to feed Baby her bottle. It is true that this involves rapid, sharp, jabbing movements, but there is no doubt that she means well. And, you can see here that as soon as she finishes her portion of Baby's meal, she will . . . hopefully. . . give some to Baby.

So . . . of course I did what every self-respecting great-grandmother would do. I made the new baby a quilt. As you can tell, it's not completely done what with the lack of an outer border and backing, quilting and binding, but I spent a most glorious afternoon yesterday, cutting and sewing the squares, dreaming of the day when I can give it to Miss Dub at her Baby Shower which . . . oddly enough . . . I have not received an invitation to.



So . . . a hearty congratulations to all the Dubs . . . may this exercise in responsibility translate as it should when it comes to potty-training and room-cleaning. And may our Baby be all snuggly warm under her quilt during the upcoming, teeth-chattering, Midwestern winter.