Let's Catch Up

Happy New Year from us to you! BubbaLou was so excited to get a crown, hat and two noise-makers. Mama and Daddy were excited that she couldn't blow hard enough to make the noise-makers work! Sy and I actually watched the ball drop with my sister and a friend. We didn't get home until about 1am. I cannot honestly remember the last time I was up that late (by choice.)

Here's a picture of the quilt I did for the holidays. I love it, and think it came out really well for my first quilting attempt, but I will never do it again. Snipping the edges of all of those block nearly did me in. The red you see is the back of the quilt.

On a less happy note, I'm job hunting. The shop I was hired to run has not done the $$ we had anticipated, and the owner cannot afford to cut my paychecks anymore. Yeah, it sucks, but I'm trying to be positive. I have a second interview for an office position today, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

And if anyone who reads this needs yarn, I'll be cleaning out my stash on eBay. Being out of a job and all, I need to generate some $$. I will also be giving up some Hallmark Disney ornaments and some various other "stuff" that, hopefully, someone will just have to have! Give me a few days, but then check out bubbasweepea on eBay!

Missing

Between working full-time, a million birthday parties, and Thanksgiving, I've been busy. BubbaLou recently turned 3, so a party was required. 8 (maybe 50?) small children running around my house. Their parents, some Aunts, Uncles, cousins, friends...I had a party with 25 or so people (4 days before Thanksgiving.) I just love a challenge, and birthday cake. Red velvet with the most amazing frosting in the whole wide world. I could eat it by itself in a bowl, and I'm not really a frosting girl. Just give me the cake.

Bubba's favorite gift, a REAL, pink guitar. I can't tell you how many renditions of
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" I've heard.

I've also been busy on the sewing front. Here's a scarf I just completed with some extra fabric from a quilt I'm doing for the couch. It's a super-soft flannel in beautiful holiday prints. A little whimsical without being childish. The quilt and scarf have exposed seams on one side that get clipped and then fray in the wash, making a little fringe around all the blocks. I saw the quilt in progress at the local quilt shop and even though it's a little too "country," I thought it was pretty and it gave me a good excuse to buy the flannel I had seen on my last visit. Yes, I need an excuse to buy fabric. This is a taste of what 336 quilt square blocks looks like. I think I actually cut out closer to 400, but only needed 336. My kitchen looked like it was covered in a film of fuzz after I was done. Well worth it, though. I just think these colors are so soft and pretty. And it will be nice to have something seasonal on the couch to snuggle up in.

I do not need an excuse to buy yarn. In fact, my local shop was having a coupon sale...how convenient. I bought some wonderful washable wool for a new hat for my Dad, and some bulky, 100% silk yarn in a beautiful, shimmery silver. Perfect for a holiday scarf. Taa-daa. As if I've got nothing better to do.

The holiday baking season has begun, after all. And my darlin' Sy gave me the three BIG King Arthur Flour cookbooks for my birthday. I told him I might as well just paste the pages to my thighs. These cookbooks have centerfolds, for crying out loud. I wanted to lick the pages, it's baker porn.

Abbie, do you want some more pumpkin whoppie pies? I can't be the only one eating this stuff.

Something to do...

A new fabric shop has opened here in Sunapee Harbor. The selection is small, but beautiful. I just couldn't resist buying a bundle of fat quarters in pretty pink and green vintage-ish prints. I think this will become a pillow for BubbaLou's new room.

The shop is called Pins and Needles and they will be offering classes. My family is full of quilters and they've all been saying I should learn...just what I need, another "fiber" hobby. Let's face it, it's just an excuse for me to collect more fabrics and notions! Better than gambling, I guess. Hopefully there will be enough extra money for me to take a beginner class this fall, I really would like to learn the "proper" way to do this instead of fudging along. And since I live in the freezing northeast, I can always use another quilt...or another sweater, or fleece jacket, or wool socks! My beading hobby has taken a back seat until Bubba is old enough to do a little better job at helping me. Picking up thousands of seed beads off the floor is not fun. For me. But I can't blame her...they do look like sparkly confetti.