Showing posts with label Sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sleep. Show all posts

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Color Gets Me 'Jacked'!

(Guess What?!  This photo of mine was used in a recent
Brave Girls Club 'Awesome Things' video!  Go to
www.bravegirlsclub.com and check it out!)


Hi World!

Okay, today is Thursday, and I've gotta be honest--I'm operating on 3 hours SLEEP!!


Yeah, I can't believe it either.  One part of me says 'correct the errors' as I type, and the other says, 'leave them in--it's factual'!


Do you have nights when you struggle to sleep?


I think the reason for me was working on a quilt top all day...




(close-up detail of prints)
As you will see, the colors and patterns are very vibrant.  This is the new line of Paula Nadelstern fabric (arriving soon),

and I was asked to make a sample for the shop I work at part-time; 'Greenbaum's Quilted Forest,' in downtown Salem, Oregon.



(Currently, we are celebrating
our  111th year in business!!! 
That's in one family; from the
opening until this very instant, which is amazing, don't you think?)*


Anyway, one of the great things about quilt shops are the samples of quilts you can go look at for inspiration.  New fabrics, new patterns, examples of hand or machine quilting; samples for upcoming classes, it's all there. 


At Greenbaum's we love color, and bold, fun prints, so the owner, Sylvia Dorney is constantly asking staff members (or--more like this: WE BEG HER to make samples for the store when new fabrics come in!!)



(Laid out and coming together)


Yesterday, as I said, I put together a quilt top, using a pattern we really love at the shop; called, 'Perfect Ten.'  It uses 10 fat quarters (each about 18" x 22"), cut up into several sizes, then reassembled.** 



This is a great pattern for a coordinated group of fabric, but after I got through putting it together, I was so excited.  I was 'mawing' my stash, to see if there were other combinations I could put together!


(That really says something, huh?!)


If you know me, you know I LOVE COLOR!


If you don't know me, then please take a look around my blog, and know that I believe Color is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. 


It adds the Spice to Life.


what I'm getting at is, I got all 'jacked up' on the excitement, the color, the construction, and being in my studio again, that last night, I could NOT get to sleep!  (I did remember to take these photos for you, though).


Tonight, I'm hittin' it early, and Tylenol PM even earlier!



(if I want to skipp onto my ufo's instead and make somehting for meylserf, is that bakdo fm e to twant to do?  haha! 

(art by Melody Ross, Brave Girls Club)

mayvbe i shouwld get soemg lseep firstl!!))



*ps...we were also named a 'Top Ten' Shop by American Patchwork & Quilting about 10 years ago, and about 5 years ago, they named Greenbaum's one of the All-Time 'Top 20' Quilt Shops!  My picture even got into the magazine, along with the other staff members!


**Is there a man in your life who makes little comments like, "I don't understand how women can take a 'perfectly good piece of fabric,' cut it up and reassemble it again?" 

To that, I say: "hmmm, how about wood-working, dear?!"

(just remember, we're all trying to keep America's economy afloat!)

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Merry Day After Christmas To You

(art by Melody Ross, Brave Girls Club)

Happy Day After Christmas!



Did you get what you wanted?



I did!



A glorious 'Jammie Day' all to myself!



No, there's no self-pity or loneliness--my real Christmas was on Christmas Eve morning. My kids got to town the night before, we all went to church (fantastic candlelight service); dined on Chinese food after!

the famous 'smilin' tucker'!


Home to the chaos of two big Labs, trying to make friends with Maggie, my usually isolated kitty. We all finally got to sleep, with me planning to go work out with Evan, my son-in-law, at 7 am.



All's good, then, when bending over to pluck the workout shoes from under the bed, I felt my back 'tweak'...


(Mostly, this gets started with stress and being 'wound up'--how Does that happen THIS time of year!??)



I worked on stretching it out after the workout--2.6 miles on the treadmill, yay!- but it was still a little painful at the end of the day. I took a muscle relaxant to help me sleep, and I certainly did!!



Glorious Fantastic Sleep!




The Christmas celebration itself was warm and perfect!


  • Going to Mom and Dad's,
  • the 'Bumpus' Dogs,'
(two Labs, a Golden, and a Blind/Deaf Shih Tzu!--Careening Around!!),
  • a crackling fire,
  • yummy brunch***

with Thick Slices of Ham, Fresh Fruit, and a Cinnamon Bread Pudding!!
(she used more than 3 ingredients!)

Wow!
***Great Job, Mom! 
(here's the little tree quilt I made
which I gave the kids--
isn't it perfect here?


Then, happy faces all-'round, as we went one gift at a time around the room, conversation, appreciation, LOVE reflected there!


So Great!







Thank you God for my beautiful loving family.







After, the kids went off to various other-family celebrations...I watched Christmas movies with the dogs!!


(Maggie was in hiding, in the Garage!)

Later, the kids came back, collected all, and 'dashed away, dashed away, Dashed Away, ALL'!!



Once I told Maggie that, "The Big Dogs are Gone!"--she slowly emerged from the Garage, and then the two of us watched some Christmas Movies.
(Thank goodness she likes 'chick flicks' too!  She was riveted to '27 Dresses' last night~!!)

I am happy to report that the Hallmark Channel still has Christmas movies on, even a day after, and I was able to set the timer to record a few--


I just may have a SECOND Jammie Day in a week, on New Year's Day!!


I have promised myself to purchase POPCORN ahead of time!



Being a new Blogger, I knew there were a zillion people 'out there' who are blogging...who really knows how many zillion (and what they/we all think is important enough to 'say',

BUT!

                                                                 (haha!  That's a Big BUT!)

today, I've had a lot of fun checking out other blogs...there are SO many creative people in this world, and the blogs I've seen are rich and textured, and full of light and life. 


Down below the post, I've added a few buttons of places I really love. I'll add some more, perhaps, or put them in my favorite blog list.  I'm still on 'Explore Mode.'  I'll keep you 'posted' on what I find!


Here's a few for now-- Check out:

www.alphastamps.com
(There are all types of gee-gaws, mixed media supplies, and FUN! There's even a great giveaway contest to check out!)

Rebeca Trevino: http://rebecatrevino.blogspot.com
Obtanium Art
(amazing collage/found object art)

www.journalgirl.com
Samantha Kira Harding--a very talented, funky Art Journaler