the last day of 2012

 

dang, time flies as fast as the hummingbird doesn't it?

 

Happy New Year!

 

Marie

 

  

the last Sunday of 2012

   has not been very productive.  I took my time going to the office this morning.  Yes, I work 7 days a week for another 5 months.  Got to the office -- and realized my office keys were in my other jacket pocket ... drove home ... decided my stupidity deserved an iced coffee from McDonalds.  where, they forgot the "vanilla" in my iced vanilla coffee .... ugh.  finally got to working and nothing went well. 

  so I left for home.  with homework.  yep, brought the wrong pile home with myself.  so .... I broke out the Doritos and I'm goofing around on the Internet.  hummm  

this turkey thought the fence was a nice place to sit and watch for the little birds to dump seed out of the feeders ... she's been there several hours ... I couldn't balance 2 minutes let alone several hours.  she's clucking while she sits there ... noisy creature.

eastbound on the road to nowhere

any guesses?

westbound on the road to nowhere

getting warmer?

nope, not a long-arm sewing machine.  but a hunk of dirt, a good sized hunk of dirt.  we got a lot done in 8 days.  didn't know attorney's could move that fast.  bankers either, still working on that .... they are into a whole lotta details. 

lights & action

mom and i toured lights again last night ... yes, the red ford wandering thru neighborhoods was us. this is the pavilion in the park -- from the back side .... my night photography needs more practice!

holiday sewing -- a wine bottle caddy --- pattern cut from a felt one i bought at Hancock .... it's two pieces of drapery weight fabric fused together, i satin stitched the handle loops.  it's a work in progress --- took forever to get to this point .. putzy sewing

i attempted an over sized log cabin block with my 6" kaffee fassett (fabric designer for you non-quilters) jelly roll ... lots of big bold prints -- went together fast -- nice weight and feel to the fabric

and the rest of the strips -- i just sewed 'em together -- big and bold ...

okay both of these baby tops went together faster than the wine caddy ....

big day today

   well, it's a big day today. 

   bought something -- gotta pay for it.  kinda expensive.

   wanna guess?


   oh ya, it snowed again.  good to be me.


TGIF

M

i think i think i think

 the party known as 2012 is just about done. 

 last day of pre-tax planning.  'tis good to be done.  planners for clients were mailed out yesterday.  the post office ought to love me $1,300 of stamps.  5 boxes -- had to use the truck to get 'em delivered.

 survived the dentist too.  the hygienist was in a torture mood.  forgot to take the advil before my appointment.

 my head is stuffy, my nose is dripping -- time for a day with a book and a warm beverage -- just an illusion, will never happen.

M

holiday, what holiday

  we're back to the daily grind and loving it! 

   Santa and the reindeer arrived.  Much to my dismay, they didn't cook, wash dishes, assist with the laundry or feed the cat. 

   Less is more -- our left overs have already been consumed ...

   I did take time to sew on Christmas Eve, two more baby quilt tops (think red Kaffee Fasset prints in 6" strips) and a wine bottle sleeve.  The wine thingy took longer than both quilt tops.  Pictures on camera -- I'm at work.

   Survived the dentist this morning.  Need a return visit -- can't get in until January .... humm, he seems to be a busy guy. 

ho ho ho
Marie


ps.  56 people read this blog yesterday -- 55 of them must need to get a life.  almost 40,000 hits?   wth

Merry Christmas

this is an old picture -- it is -5' out there this morning ... I tired to find a "birrrrr"  picture

(Since I still do not have ornaments on the tree... this will be the picture of the day)

Merry Christmas

Marie

Christmas Eve

    yep, working 'til mid-afternoon.  then begins the wrapping and limited cooking.  and then

    bessie, the bernina, will be humming .... time for a new project.  i'm done finishing up the un-dones. it's gonna be cool! 

    time to start working on the resolutions!  (he he he) and yes, I'll be taking bets on how long they will last.

merry merry

M

diva -- the power shopper

  yes, I ordered some treats online well before Thanksgiving and purchased a couple of gift cards while at "the dead animal place" (also known as Cabela's).  but Saturday night ....

  I was a shopping diva -- or diva on a mission.

JCPenney's ... where frankly a little customer service would have been nice.
Bath & Body ... tax client Janet was my personal assistant! 
Herberger's ... long check out lines. 
Shopko ... snagged a wonderful parking spot.  in/out 1/2 hour.
Hancock Fabrics ... this was an attitude adjustment moment for me ....
     yarn/treat and calmness ... I was the only one in the store.
Sam's Club ...
    paper products, cat litter, finger food --- lots of finger food. not too busy.
HyVee ... for more groceries.  another wonderful parking spot.  and they
   sell gift cards for other stores (insert smiley face)

The above was accomplished in 3 hours. 

   Made it to Oshawa for Christmas coffee this morning.  Home and back to work already.  Hoping to be out of here early.  Not looking good.

End of the world night out Xmas event

elves at work

  i thought i'd uploaded a picture of the tree with lights.  i came home from the office after 8:00 last night and it took an hour to realize elf #1 had put the tree up ... (or unboxed the ugly Menards tree). 

 i tossed on the lights and snapped an ipad picture and posted to facebook.  ipad wouldn't focus so it's fuzzy.  looks better that way.

 our elected officials went home for christmas before solving the fiscal cliff ....so instead of the Mayan calendar sending us over the edge it will be our own government.  assholes.  this just sends tax return processing back 45 to 60 days and mrs h, kevin, grammy and i get really tired of explaining that it's not our fault refunds and processing cannot be completed on a timely basis.

so since i thought the world was going to end -- i finished the plastic window kits last night (the 0' forecast was the motivation) and yes, mrs. h i turned up the heat -- just for you.

 party starts at 6:00 pm.  scrap shack.  tasty pizza, good wine, and good friends.

ho ho ho
M

santa

dear santa;

my list is short ...

1.  make the fiscal cliff nightmare go away ... it'll make my life less complicated ...

2.  a magic wand to make all my unfinished projects get done .... my wand seems to have lost it's power  (beating the cat with it might have worn it out)

3.  a personal shopper to finish my shopping ... now that it snowed and the item in #1 is still unsolved ---

4.  if #3 isn't possible -- how about a personal chef and / or pastry chef!



seriously, i think i'm losing my mind.  the "blizzard warning" is adding to the wackyness -- i do love my big red truck ... i haven't slipped, slid or worried about getting home at night. 

Messy messy office

out of control

okay, I'm not blond (it was the first image I found after googling) but I'm frazzled to the max.  -- year end is fast approaching and the world is evidently coming to an end.  if the Mayans were correct I shouldn't be working so hard getting ready for clients falling over the fiscal cliff.

 

we added a bit of self stress to the mix -- more on that one later.  suffice to say --- it's happening peeps.

 

on the positive side of life -- after Friday our days get longer -- more daylight is always a blessing.  by February it might actually still be light out by 6:00pm ... although this Diva will still be coming and going in the dark. 

 

I haven't had time to sew since Sunday ... baby quilt headed out to it's new home today and my first jelly roll strip quilt is getting mailed to a friend in need -- Coc is still in Rochester -- she's in the good care of the Mayo doctors ... it has been a long journey.

 

enough with the whining -- I am blessed

ho ho ho

 

my frugal ways are getting weirder -- I used my 30% off coupon at Kohl's .. to purchase socks and undergarments, which were already on sale. -- good grief --- at Christmas I wasted a 30% off coupon on underwear!

 

 

Marie

 

happy happy monday

  after working most of saturday (and saturday night) ... imagine all the piles of crap stuff that finally got finished up around here (and then picture Mrs. H and Grammy W smiling) ..

  a fast sewing blitz early Sunday morning and then back to the office by 8:30 (noticing a trend).   by noon --- it was time to leave.  the sewing machine was calling. 

  I vowed to finish up all my projects before I could start something new -- so 9 complete sets of pillow cases are done!  and then the nap was calling -- naps should be a required part of everyday ...

  mom and i did an xmas light tour of st. peter's north end.  forgot my camera.  fell asleep and missed the survivor winner -- hummm.  survivor still does it best. 

 so the new week has begun --

M

Progress

i always think the backs of the projects are as interesting as the fronts.  finished this one up -- bound, de-lined and ready for baby.

another finish -- did the binding this morning -- all by machine -- faster and durable

 

below -- is Nick breaking them in -- I brought them as WIP to share with Mrs. H ... he found them cushy.  It's always good to have cat hair & germs on baby gifts..... ugh.

hug your children day

  sometimes I think know the world is going nuts.  seriously.  wth.  i may be naive and tend to think the best of people first ... but damn ... where do these wack jobs come from and why can't someone see they need help

  i'm declaring it "national hug the children day"

  it's been one of those weeks -- 3 funerals, lots of clients, wacky weather, the craziness of christmas.  and just why does christmas drive us nuts.  that's not the purpose.

 the office re-arrange is almost done, looking pretty damn good.  i like it.  next is my space (robyn, i can see your expression via the internet) -- i really haven't done much in my hovel for a couple of years.  hovel is the word.  the piles are already piling up.  a good couple of working days this weekend should knock them out. 

 some new fabric arrived yesterday.  more on the way.  i dedicated my ebay funds to some fun fabric.  there was an idiot out there that thought my lime green suede jacket was worth $40 ... hummm  the cowboy boots (that were not meant for middle aged women with fat calves) .... $25 .....double hummm ....

6" wide jelly rolls of kaffe fassett ... reds and blues

imagine the possibilities

i'm going to attempt a giant log cabin with the reds -- there is a bit of purple and orange (my new favorite color) in the roll ... so i can add skinny bands from my fabric stash.

hug your children and little ones

12/12/12

as I was chipping ice yesterday -- i tried to remember the greens of spring and the blooms of summer.  dang it's december and i'm ready for winter to be over -- there's 3 1/2 months to go.

 

i didn't realize the coolness of 12/12/12 until i actually realized the date and the facebook chatter.  should have been a party somewhere. 

 

after the early early productive start to the day . i crashed early and hard . today is another day . and tomorrow . and the day after .

 

which the day after and after is supposed to have more snow .

 i . am . sick . of . snow .

 

(sorry whining again or is it whinning or wa wa wa)

 

 

 

productive diva

enough wa wa wa ... time to focus!   so instead of lounging in bed and not sleeping ...

It is 6:38 am and so far I've

1.  wash a load of fancy clothes
2.  upgraded the home computer
3.  took a shower
4.  dumped garbage off at the dumpster
       (it was a dirty rug from the office -- messy job)
5.  pumped gas
6.  loaded cardboard from the desk project to haul
       to the dumpster
7.  had my coffee
8.  finished my book on the ipad ... patricia cornwall's latest

by noon I'm going to need a nap.  busy couple of days ahead so........

toodles
Diva

so, I was

 It is a beautiful clear, crisp, 9' morning.  A sliver of the moon in the southeast sky and a bright star hanging above the horizon -- sometimes there is a reason to notice the beauty of our surroundings (even at 6:00am).

 My friend Larry lost (perhaps won) his battle with cancer late Saturday.  I frequently carpooled with him to seminars all over Minnesota -- we get in the car and visit the entire journey.  Nothing important, very little occupation or client related chatter -- but the little things in life that make a difference. 

 On an early morning (5:30am --"start early -- beat the traffic") trek to Minneapolis -- it was my turn to drive.  It was raining hard, thunder, lightening -- messy traffic and I look over and he was SLEEPING! 

Napping during boring seminars became a regular event.  After a while I got extremely sneaky snapping pictures -- he told me once "I'm just resting my eyelids."

During the Business Entities Seminar -- he felt the need to listen to the Twins game (they were in the run for the playoff's) and read the paper -- all while attempting to listen to the speaker! 

 

Well, Mr. H., I'm going to miss our adventures.  Thanks for sharing your wisdom, enlightening me with your sense of humor --

 

I have no doubt you'll be fishing your way thru every fishing hole in heaven.  Ditto, the deer hunting camps --

sorry

  I thought I could mess with the blog layout/design/colors etc. last night -- at home with the slower internet service.  (Really slow during the blizzard event).  Damn technology is sending me over the edge.

 Parking lot is plowed, sidewalks are shoveled, steps are cleared.  Ready for business.  Too bad I'm going to be at a meeting -- the first of many for the week.

 Happy Snowy Monday.  (and ya, it's cold)

M

Shoveling Diva

yep, 8 heavy wet inches of snow.

buried the bird feeders

and the wind chimes

piles of homework.  yep, I work Sundays -- I bailed from the office after the first six inches and the second round of sidewalk shoveling -- I came home to assist with more shoveling, assisting #1 -- putting the blower and the bucket on his tractor and bracing the rafters in the machine shed.  It is good to have skills.

I stole this from Jean's facebook page.  Grandma Dranttel's carolers....they are the only thing that looks good in the snow.

quilting diva .... busy diva

so, remember when we all wanted to be Lynette Jensen, the Thimbleberries Diva ... well while cleaning out the stash of "ready to be quilted" projects I found this .... so I started free motion quilting ....

Baby Lance Christopher arrived early last Sunday Morning -- 2 lbs 13 ounces ... needless to say I wasn't ready .... this is the second attempt at a quilt for him .... I like it -- strips of batik with a couple hunks of snow thrown it ... lots of straight line quilting ... nice thin, non poofy batt .. 

and ya, I quilted with lime green thread --

frogs on lily pads for the back!

my expanding collection of 31 bags ... are they cool or what!

and yep, gotta love the snow -- the blizzard warning for tomorrow seems a bit unnecessary -- i'd be happy if it hit somewhere else.

the end of the project is near

Robyn's new/used/made-over workstation -- still working on the layout -- she needs to tell me where to put the computer yet -- the fax will move and the mini-table will hold her typewriter.  Yes, we still have a typewriter (rather -- Robyn has a typewriter).

from another view ...

okay I ditched all the excess furniture in the "kitchen" office .... thru the course of the day I managed to give away the ugly computer desk -- it will get re-purposed in a new house.  The extra computer/chairs/etc will get moved into the file room.

oops -- forgot the pocket doors were open.  It's a really cool old shack.  I'm lucky to be it's owner.

SNOW ....  it happens people, why or why do they forget how to drive in it. 

Progress

The desk is finally in place. I pleaded for labor on Facebook -- Doug and Andy toted it in for me. I got frustrated with numbers and clients this afternoon -- so I put it together -- some assembly required (famous last words). A late farm client says to me -- need help flipping the desk? Done!!!

King Nick

Progress is good.

24 inches of heaven

last week on Daisy Lane ...

  So did you all enjoy my week of pictures -- I uploaded most of them from my iPad.  It is a handy gadget.  I'm forcing myself to use it more.  Seriously thinking about purchasing another one and linking them together at the office. 

  It's been quite the week.  Lots of numbers got crunched.  $$$$$$$$$$$$  heavy on the income out here in rural america.  That is a great thing.  I didn't get my furniture relocation project done -- but will start tomorrow.  The new renters have moved in.  Baxter, their dog, is pretty damn cute.  He's a pug.  I worked every night so the only sewing was Friday night, last night and this morning. 

  Big rush to get baby boy quilt #2 done.   Lance Christopher Schultz arrived last night at 1:41 am.  2 lb 12 ounces and 14 1/2 inches -- 28 weeks -- Mom had issues with pre-eclampsia.  So I'm still quilting on his but will finish tonight and get it bound.  He's going to need the warmth.

  I got to meet Sandi Anderson (of A Legacy of Stitches) on Friday.  I won a package of scraps off her blog and she delivered it.  Can't wait to play with them!  Someday when we both have more time there will be coffee, treats and a long chat in our future! 

  I love ebay.  I really love it when the stuff I'm trying to sell --- sells.  Cleaned out my stash of pre-cuts last week.  What was I thinking?  I can't believe I bought some of it.  Musta been on sale.  I also gave 2 trash bags of fabric and 1 bag of batting scraps to a quilting friend.  The clean out continues!!!!

 Toodles

Marie

So if you are in need of a pair of ladies Dingo boots -- 8 1/2 medium ... find 'em on ebay ...

or a lime green suede jacket from Coldwater Creek -- not sure what I was thinking on this one either.