This weeks mess!

Hello ..

The winning ticket. -- I'm dreaming big.

Every office needs a disco ball

Ah, Monday ..

productivity ...

So how was your holiday weekend.

Thursday -- cooked all flipping day. 
Friday -- worked while I watched Jackie paint.
Saturday -- worked on estate returns, put up window kits, etc.
Sunday -- worked on more dead people's returns, more window kits.

The fun stuff ....
Thursday -- lots of sewing.
Friday -- even more sewing.
Saturday -- a bit more cleaning in the sewing room.
   not purging but checking out the stash.
Sunday -- finished another boy quilt top ... cut out one more and
   pressed / cut out / and sewed 8 pillow cases.
   pillow cases are a great way to use up fabric!!!!
     (especially whites / beige's etc .... not sure why I bought them in the first place
       but jazzed up the bands with scraps from the scrap tub)

So this week .... it'll be
   more estate returns
   more meetings
   fricking cold weather
   more window kits  (only 2 to go)
   move furniture
      there is an $1100 desk in the garage that needs to get moved in
      ya 3 weeks in the garage.
   get a hair cut ...... the curls are starting to re-appear
   12 more pillow cases
    2 more baby quilts

    ambitious eh?  ... time will tell.  it's dark and cold outside so maybe ....

Happy Week!
M

the incredible mr red ....

supervising in the garden this spring

attempting to direct the laborers #1 wasn't taking direction  

hanging out with mom

sleeping on my car

(the only thing that damn Edge was good for)

today was mr. red's last day ... barn cats never seem to last long, but he was around for quite a few years -- been looking pretty darn tough the last couple of weeks ... the cold this morning was too much.

fortunately/unfortunately, his gene pool will pass on to the next generation

small business saturday

live local
eat local
shop local

my black friday deal --- was a coupon from the gas station for 10 cents off per gallon -- and for once -- I was low on gas.  They also had a "book" of car wash coupons $8.00 savings. 

so I got "undergarments" on Turkey Day (not available locally) and gas yesterday .... hummm 

I worked yesterday --- while Jackie painted trim in my office, the hallway and the bathroom.  It's take 11 years to paint this stuff.   hummmm

more sewing last night -- washed the brown floral quilt ... nice and puffy (maybe too puffy) ... quilted another baby quilt.  more tonight.  time spent at the Bernina is restful.

Diva

Black Friday

  This Diva is at work and will be at 3rd street working all day today.  I did shop on-line yesterday --- Kohl's had deals on "undergarments" and cash back -- so ....  I know "too much information" -- there was a pair of shoes involved also!

  As I stated on facebook yesterday.  Cooking is overrated.  The next big meal will be much simpler.  End.

  I finally got to sew at 6:00, binding on the veggie table runner, binding on the brown floral quilt, 2 -- yes, 2 -- baby quilts were basted and are ready to quilt.  I'm on a roll, I have to finish up the old stuff before starting any new.  Future baby count is up to ..... 6 --- gots to be ready!

Shop safe -- it's ugly out there today (the weather is ugly here)!

Marie

bird is in the roaster

  Dad is in charge of the bird.  Scary.  It's in the roaster and so far he's been doing his dishes.  He watches way to much TV and gets way to many ideas. 

  Slap the damn thing in the roaster, smear it with butter/salt/pepper and let it cook.  It is not rocket science.

  I on the other hand have laundry in the washer and work on my home office desk!  Lots to do before the tribe arrives.

M

ahhh November

the weather has been so fabulous -- I wore capris on Monday (and was not cold) please ignore the untanned legs ... it's November.

sunrise on my morning trek to work (Tuesday) -- playing with the ipad camera ... does pretty well.  Yes, I was driving, yes I was parked.  On my own driveway.

seems odd to be warm and have the Xmas lights lit - looking east from my parking lot Tuesday morning.  (another ipad shot)

 

So I had road trip to Owatonna yesterday .... seminar at Cabela's -- yes, a seminar -- Mn Labor Laws and Unemployment -- actually it was pretty good -- speakers were informative and entertaining.  Did a bit of Cabela's shopping while there ... it's one of the boy's favorite stores.  Shoe shopping and jacket shopping for self -- didn't find any. 

 

Traveled the newly opened US14 home -- it was a cruise -- holy cats, smooth, straight, not a lot of traffic .... beautiful road.  Set the cruise and let it rip -- 70mph the entire 45 miles. 

 

I decided on the drive ( I think a lot while driving) ... that I'm pooped for a reason -- since Labor Day Weekend ...

I've ....

   40 hours of continuing education (that's a whole flipping week)

   10 farmers Markets

   sidewalk/driveway construction

   computer upgrades

   an election

   a whole lot of useless meetings

   a road trip to Glencoe

   a couple of Mkto trips

  

There will be an upcoming couple of days where I'll be somewhat motionless. 

 

M

 

 

 

gorgeous ...

   yep, it's a gorgeous morning in the Valley.

   I love getting up on Monday's (insert more sarcasm) but I really love a Monday morning in November when it's 48', beautiful sunrise and a 60' forecast for the afternoon. 

  I wish I could play hookie this afternoon and go for an ATV ride ... might have to re-schedule my afternoon farmer ... I'm sure he has better things to do also!

  So weekend sewing recap:  3 hours Friday night, 3 hours Saturday morning and night, 2 hours Sunday night.  Getting stuff done!  Baby girl quilt #2 is ready to hand sew binding, veggie table runner is ready for binding, baby boy quilt #2 is in pieces ... baby girl quilt #3 is ready to sandwich and quilt.  It was a busy time -- 2 spools of thread -- I'm using up ugly thread on piecing!

Happy Monday --

M

Friday Night at the Bernina .....

I kinda prepped on Thursday Night .... cut my strips and attempted a layout.  I have a unusual large number of expecting parents in my future so I've been whipping out baby quilts.  For this one, I just grabbed pink and green chucks from my scrap tub, cut them into varing widths -- and then try to get the entire quilt to be at least 38" wide and 50 " long .... (or in that range). 

after a bit -- the strips became a top

and an hour later -- a pressed, layered, basted ready to quilt baby girl quilt!  The last couple of similar quilts, I quilted fairly dense straight lines ... where ever my mood takes me. 

I wasn't in the mood to "quilt" my sandwich so I moved on to project #2

I picked up a "scrap bag" on Ebay -- lovely, shopping spot for those of us in rural america!  I trimmed up my strips ... scrap bags are fun - you never know the widths ....

and a giant log cabin is in the works ... I'd spin this pix around .... but it's way beyond my skill level!

So I had a productive Friday night.  I'm off to work and my Saturday night will be spent back at the Bernina!  ... Got to get that baby girl quilt quilted ... lots of new babies coming this winter!

Many thanks to Heidi and Bobbi for hosting!  Hit the button on the sidebar and check out the rest of the great Friday Night Stitchers ....

Thanks for stopping in --- check back in the upcoming weeks to see the other "3" I need to make!

Marie

This week on 3rd Street

Well, a lotta tax planning, a lot of payroll, a zillion meetings. So, tonight it 's pizza and the Bernina.

The Christmas cactus is blooming. Just in time for Thanksgiving.

Nick likes getting the "spa" treatment from Lee (aka: Dr Lee, the computer wizard)



my new flannel pj pants are pretty darn spiffy -- yes I wear them in public and at the office.  Bring on the fashion police -- they are cool.

 

 

it's Friday Night Sew In and I'm joining in .... two more babies headed my way in the next 2 months --- one of each .....

 

Happy Friday !!!

 

M

 

Projects

More things to check off my to do list.

so the lonly stumps after the hedge got axed down. remember that blue building the first 17 years of my working life as a CPA were spent in there ....

 

John digging out the stumps ... and other stuff

 

yep, more to go

 

roots from a tree that was growing in amid the yews.  and a hunk of "round" cement -- might have been part of a clothesline pole?  .. that was the only treasure found. 

 

I miss the hedge already -- it really opened up the block. 

 

M

 

chicken heaven

 well, the "girls" are no longer with us.  5 years and a whole lotta eggs later --- and no eggs for 3 months, it was time. We won't have to worry about 'em in the cold, feed 'em high priced mash (and no eggs) or keep 'em from the coyotes.  Then again -- they were living recyclers -- they ate anything and everything tossed into their coop.  Loved watermelon and canteloupe rinds -- popcorn and sweet corn cobs. 

Spring and baby chicks are a mere 4 months away!

 

flu ? stress ? bad food ?

  yep, it's really good to be me this morning.  3 hours of sleep.

M

snow

Dear Santa;
   thanks for the snow, I'd really like it to melt, soon.  The chilly morning (26') really stinks.  I like it much warmer.

Marie

Henry's Quilt

Henry's Quilt .... I literally grabbed hunks out of my scrap bin, chopped 'em up and sewed them back together. 

5 rows of straight line quilting in each row ... a presser foot width apart.  Don't ask how big it is -- I just keep adding strips until it looked big enough -- bound with leftover strips ... I forgot a picture of the back-- its bright blue with green frogs jumping off of lily pads.  kid friendly.

yep, it's hunting season -- Nick headed to his truck.  No deer shot yet, seen lots of does ... only has a permit for a buck.  so .... it was 76' yesterday (this was before it heated up, but he's still over dressed)

and this morning it snowed.

yep, love living here.

saturday night on 3rd street

 i must be the only nerd who works on Saturday nights.  yes, work.  actually there is a deadline coming up and i'm not totally ready for it and the upcoming week promises to be busy.

 so i'm at work.  me and the cat.

 took a trek to Joanne's ... $252 later i left.  i was in search of blades for my rotary cutter -- found 'em and $232 of other stuff.  i really wasn't paying much attention to the fullness of my cart -- hummm.
     21 yards of fabric -- 3 quilt backs and some scarf flannel
     4 booklets of card stock for scrap booking
     2 new rotary cutters (one big/one small)
     2 sets of extra blades (see above)
     4 skeins? ... balls/packages of yarn
     1 medium bag of scented pine cones
              it fit in 2 bags and everything was on sale.  ugh.

so, i'll be on a spending freeze for the rest of the month.  holy crap i still have sticker shock.  sam's club was pretty dull after that.

m

don't try this at home

yes, I was rolling down the road ... I held up the camera and shot .... never looked thru the view finder

I was stopped at a stop sign.  anyone care to guess the location.  turned out better than I thought.

Okay -- finally Friday -- I'm hot-to-trot to start another baby quilt and dang -- my rotary cutter is dull, so I switched to a smaller one ... ditto --- I'm not driving 25 miles tonight to get a new one ( or replacement blades -- which I thought I bought and stashed).  So I'm changing plans -- the crochet hook is next and a lot of TV with a bit of reading sandwiched in between. 

down time is good, really good.

Happy Friday/Weekend.

night travels

  I had a mini road trip last night.  I left the office at 5ish ... and drove into the setting sun -- dang I hate daylight savings -- also known as the endless darkness.  Sunset was gorgeous -- it was enjoyable and it calmed me down after 48 hours of nerves, excitement and constant go go go. 

 Arrived in Nicollet and the meeting was in the Community Room at the school -- west facing windows so I was able to enjoy the last rays of light -- reds, oranges and pinks.  Then 2 hours later the trek home was even better.  The stars were clear and bright --

  I met 3 cars the entire return trek.  Yep, took the scenic (even in the dark) road home.  3 cars and one raccoon crossing the road ahead of me. 

  Supper and in bed by 9:15 -- missed the Duck Dynasty -- but they'll be repeated sometime over the weekend.

  Good travels.

Marie

election

  it's over

  I won -- I won big.  I've always said I'm not a politician because I don't like campaigning -- I'm not the "flag-waving-vote-for-me -- in-your-face" type.

  It is very humbling process and I am extremely grateful for the support of all the residents in my District.  Let the work continue and the ugly game of politics cease.

Marie

( I don't have a picture of a "happy dance" .... but picture a middle aged, gray haired Diva dancing down the street -- )

and yup, I'm wearing my flannel pants ... the ones with the reindeers -- I need 'em today -- late night and early mornings are not good for me !!
 

okay ... ready or not ...

  sorry, I'm nervous and hence I babble.

  So to keep myself from thinking too much ... I've did a bit of work (bit, the key word) -- installed plastic on the windows in the front room and the green blue room -- and played a lot on the computer.  hummm.  In another hour it's home to cook, sew, nap and play on the computer some more.

  4 hours until the polls close.  all indications are a fairly high voter turnout.  not sure if it's the presidental election, the voter id amendment or the marriage amendment.  it all makes me nervous.

  have i said i'm nervous yet.   hummm  keep plugging away.  not thinking about it is good.

M

Election Day

  I wasn't nervous until this morning.  Had a bit of the shakes (the lack of caffine might be the cause).

  Calm and cool -- the waiting just drives me nuts.  I'm not very patient.

  Got up at 5:30 -- hit the shower and sat down at the Bernina for 20 minutes of quality quilting -- baby boy quilt is coming along nicely.  I'm really really liking the dense-straight line quilting.  The texture is cool.   Although, my lines really aren't that straight. 

  Off to VOTE ... my polling place doesn't open until 10:00 ... very few of us reside in TRAVERSE TOWNSHIP !!!

Marie

reality check

  I'm a big girl, I know the world isn't always fair.  But somethings things just touch the nerve that pisses me off.   Sometimes humanity is just flipping disappointing.

  Happened today.  Read the headlines.  I hope beyond all hope that it isn't true --.   It's not looking so. 

  Children are a gift -- they should be treasured -- no ands, ifs or buts.  Hug your special ones tonight -- just because.

  Okay -- I'll get off my soapbox --

M

I don't have a kid picture -- this is the best I can do for now.

 

Sunday Afternoon Sewing

Okay, I'm using the blogger app on the iPad. Planned, cut, pieced, basted and started quilting on the "boy" version. I'm about half done with the quilting - keeping me busy!!

I hit up my stash tub and cut strips of varied widths ... tried to avoid flowers and girly colors ....

ummm I have too much pink in my world.

I did press and starch before cutting !

another ebay jewel -- Flea Market Fancy -- all fat quarters under $ 60.00

I'll look at it for 60 years before I cut into it.

messy messy extra work table.

Saturday Night Sewing

oh good grief ... I posted the original pixtures from the iPad and forgot to come back and add some "words."  Yep, started at 7:00 Saturday night and by 11:30 I was almost done with the quilting ... bobbin thread was empty so off to bed I went ... during the 3 loads of morning laundry and the "fall back" for daylight savings time change -- finished quilting and whipped on the binding. 

I think (memory is gone) .. the strips were part of a moda scrap bag I picked up on ebay.  the rest is Kona snow... the back was a hunk from my stash.  It's like 40 x 50ish (didn't measure) .... I quilted pretty densely in the "log cabin" square .. it really added to the texture -- the plan was to applique in the center but ....

shhhhhhh   ....  Stephanie, attorney up the street, is having baby.  I thought at Christmas and last Thursday she said "no, I'm due in 8 days and I'm going to go early" ... hence the rush job.  She'd better be having a girl .... it's in the washer now and headed for the dryer!

M

aaahh no market, no fun run ....

  the ability to sleep in ......  really didn't happen.  I started reading at 5:05 -- at least I was in a warm toasty bed.

Today's Project List:
  Laundry
  Cleaning
  Work

  ROAD TRIP
    the stamping Diva's planned an adventure!
 
  SEW SEW SEW
     Christmas is coming!


toodles

88 hours!

M

Turtle (waffle) Cookies

3/4 C sugar
1/4 C butter
1/4 C oleo
2 sq chocolate melted
1 3/4 C flour
1 egg
1/2 C chopped nuts
1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 C milk
1 t vanilla

mix sugar and butters.  add melted chocolate & egg.  alternately add milk/vanilla with dry ingredients.

add nuts

bake in waffle iron

frost with chocolate frosting.




  Yep, bake in waffle iron .... don't ask about the heat setting -- the 35 year old hand written (jean's writing) receipe card doesn't mention the heat setting.  back then waffle irons were on or off. 

  Cookie baking event for charity in early December -- thought I'd share a couple of our favorites.  Someone has a dairy princess butterhead and it's getting cooked up into cookies. 

M

November

   holy cats (aka holy crap) it's November.  where did October go.  I really wasn't that busy but wow, it sped past.

   yesterday I had a road trip to Henderson, MN.  a happening place it was exciting to see all the changes ... I can't remember the last time I was there, might have been a Legion baseball game (6 years ago) ... I was chauffeured so I didn't get a chance to meet Sandi (http://alegacyofstitches.blogspot.com/) but it's going to happen one of these days.  After all she drives pretty close to my office on her trips to Mankato and the fabulous quilt shop!  I see a return trip to Henderson and the new yarn shop and a cup of coffee in our future!

  no Halloween trick or treaters at our house .... sometimes when you live on the edge of nowhere that happens.  our trick or treater is now 18 and was in class all afternoon and evening -- he's not liking that schedule very well but the quarter is more than 1/2 done ... 

  need to set some November goals!  he he he ...

Marie