Work in Progress

This is my motto:
... and this is my work in progress:

New Adventure Begins...

... or it has begun already. I just haven't updated my blog in a while, lol.

So - when I last posted in December of 2008 my husband, Randy, and I were in the midst of looking for a home.

We went through the up and down, teeth grinding, hair pulling experiences of making offers on homes that were "short sales" and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to get an answer. We learned that the term "short sale" is extremely misleading.

Then we found a great house, just exactly what we were looking for, made an offer and went through the emotional roller coaster of the uncertain closing date, the delays, the last minute paperwork. We packed up our stuff and gave our notice at the home we were renting and weren't sure, up until the day we moved, WHEN we'd be moving. Who knew that coordinating a delivery date of your new fridge could be so complicated?

Long story short - we moved into our new place the first week of January, 2009. That's when our new adventure began, and it's a lot more rewarding than the first part of the journey. Well, except for the 1st week we were there when we ran the washing machine for the first time and raw sewage spewed out of the downstairs bathroom... that I would have to rate as extremely unpleasant.

So - after paying a plumber obscene amounts of money and fighting with a contractor about his liability in the issue - we began the "making the place our own" process.

THAT part of the adventure is really cool, and there is no deadline. It's a lot more of a satisfying experience than I thought it would be.

Looking for just the right shades, or sheers, or fabric for curtains. Searching for just the right accent pieces, dining table or red recliner (I HAD to have a red recliner)... that has been fun. Expensive, but fun.

Learning all about sod for the front lawn, trees, acidic vs. alkaline soil, what those three numbers mean on fertilizer bags, and various and sundry other landscaping minutiae has been educational. I thought I despised yard work... but it's MY yard... OUR yard... so it is great! I do NOT hate yard work - when I create the yard from scratch. It's like art! It's like quilting! Again, expensive, but fun.

We get to make this place just how we want it. Don't have to ask permission to paint a wall, drill a hole... we just do it if that's what we want to do.

We have developed our own unique style that reflects the two of us and, at the end of the day when we are sitting exhausted in the living room watching "Jeopardy" together, I feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that is kind of, dare I say, grown up?

Our new adventures may seem boring to my kids - but I'm having a terrific time. I never would've thunk it.

Now, if I could just get Sears to send me that darn rebate on the refrigerator... grrr.

More adventures to come...after all, it's spring and I hear that's a major big deal with yards and plants and stuff.

K

Quote of the Day

I have a top ten stress...

Digerati, the money and personal finance blog from Silicon Valley (where the computer gods live), rates buying a home as one of the most common stressful financial events that you should prepare for.

It is. I would have rated it higher... maybe right under losing a job, or launching a business.

I'm sure it's less stressful than other things... say like being kidnapped by the mob and having your fingernails pulled out slowly with pliers. Or sticking toothpicks in your eye. So, there's that.

We've looked at so many houses, and I have to tell you that people do the strangest things to their houses. Paint colors and wall papers, carpets... that's all the small stuff. I can't even begin to tell you all the strange things we've looked at in houses that would have been perfect, except for _________.

Oh, and we've survived making an offer on a short sale, which takes a LONG TIME... contrary to its name, which is very misleading.

All that being said, I think we've found the one. The One. Yay! More news to follow.

Is moving on that list of stresses? Yes, relocating. Yikes.

Wow, this is sort of like an emotional rollercoaster.

Hey, at least I don't have one of the top stressful jobs on the list. Number one is President of the United States.

Over and out,
K

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am thankful for all that I have in my life. I'm grateful for where I've been, and for where I'm going. I'm thankful for the good times, and the bad times. The bad times taught me that I'm always ok, despite my perceptions to the contrary... and I've learned valuable lessons along the way.

I'm grateful for my husband, my two kids, my pets, my great friends. I'm grateful that I have wonderful, warm friends who are like family to spend this Thanksgiving day with.

I'm thankful for a job (I should say job(s) plural) that allows me to express my creativity and actually encourages it. I'm grateful for an awesome work environment filled with diverse people and doing a job that helps to make a difference in society. I'm grateful for the long, scenic drive to work. I get to see the seasons change and look at the beauty of my surroundings in the area that I live in. It centers me before I start my day.

And yes, I am grateful that I have a passion in my life... quilting.

'Til next time...

Favorite Quilt?

People often ask me, "Out of all the quilts you've made, which is your favorite?" That's like asking me which of my two children is my favorite... there is no answer.

Each and every quilt is made with love and, when they are finished, they are all so unique. Each one seems to have its own "personality" although some seem to reflect my own personality more than others. So I'll just share those here...

This first quilt is called "Far East Pizazz" and it is a 9 patch pizazz pattern. Asian fabrics are currently my favorite fabric to work with. They appeal to me.

This next quilt is called "Symmetry" and is made from many different black and white fabrics in blocks of half-square triangles, which are sewn together in a "Barn Raising" layout. This one appeals to my sense of order and balance, with a dash of red thrown in to add a vibrant element... hey, just like my life!

Last, but not least, is a "work in progress" that I haven't titled yet. Here's the story behind it:
My Dad and Stepmother gave me a quilt that my Great-Grandmother had sewn. They had stored it for quite a while, but figured that, since I was now a full-fledged quilter, they would pass it on to me. Great-Grandma Oveson's quilt was made sometime in the 1930's and was sewn from scraps of clothing; my Great-Grandfather's shirts, her children's outgrown clothing, her dresses. She patiently pieced it by hand, and then hand quilted it. Some of the satin is a bit tattered, but to me it was a treasure. I hung it up on my bedroom wall like the work of art it is. Great-Grandma Oveson's quilt is made from log cabin quilt blocks. The center of a log cabin block is traditionally red to represent hearth and the heart of the home. She set the blocks in a barn raising layout, which happens to be a favorite layout of mine... so I felt us connect across the years.
Wow, we had the same tastes!

Each night, before going to sleep, I would lay there and look at her quilt. I would try to figure out how to make a log cabin block, and wish I could make a quilt like hers. I slowly accumulated the fabrics for the quilt, in the colors that I love, and one day I took the plunge and started it. I quickly discovered that making log cabin blocks is easy... and FUN!

This quilt will finish out at a little bigger than a Queen sized bedspread. I also decided to go with a barn raising layout.
This quilt is in honor of my Great-Grandmother:

My first quilt

This is the very first that quilt I made. It is titled "Sun, Moon, and Stars" and is a rail fence pattern. I made this quilt in 2005 at a Quilting for Beginners class at a local quilt store after a friend encouraged me to try quilting.
I remember how scared I was. Yes, scared. I didn't even know how to thread a sewing machine! Home Ec was the only class I never did very well in and, at the time of the quilting class, I was certain that I would make a mess of my first quilt while embarrassing myself in the process.

Well, all those things I feared didn't happen. After it was finished, I was pleased with my first attempt at quilting. I decided to keep trying this new thing for a while. Maybe, since I conquered the sewing machine and didn't cut off any fingers with the rotary cutter, I could do this!

One thing is for certain, I knew I liked it. Then, after I made another quilt, then another... I began to LOVE it. I learned new patterns, and finally felt comfortable with my new quilting tools. I began, like most quilters, to collect newer and better tools!

Then I started developing what's known in the quilting world as a "Stash" - which is a collection of fabrics that you might use one day. For you non-quilters, you "add to your stash" when you are on a "shop hop" with your friends. Usually after a good quilt show, or even during... if there are vendors. My stash grew and grew... and it's still growing! And yes, we have actual quilt shows. If people can have car shows, dog shows, computer shows, and art shows... we can have quilt shows.

I also learned the name of the term "U.F.O." which, to a quilter, does not mean an Unidentified Flying Object. It means an Un Finished Object. I have a few of my own U.F.O.'s now, also. One is a Twisted Bargello that, when I was working on it, made me want to poke my eyes out with a pencil. Someday I will get back to it... maybe.

So many quilts... so little time.

Over and out.