Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Its the most Wonderful-LY BUSY time of the year . . .

How are things going at your house, are you getting through your holiday to dos? One of my to dos should be organizing my To Do lists. Something pops in my head, I write it down so it doesn't get forgotten, then I stick it in my calendar. My calendar is fat with post it notes.

With all the hubbub of decorating, shopping, and errands my days are hectic and seem to just fly by. There are two things I make sure I'm not dropping from my daily routine, running and sewing. One keeps me in my jeans, the other keeps me sane. All it takes is 5 miles in my running shoes and 60 minutes in my sewing room, that's the perfect combination for me. Some days my 60 minutes of sewing starts at 4 am, which I know may sound alarmingly early to some of you, but my body has yet to adjust to the time change so I'm taking advantage of that hour by doing something I love instead of just laying in bed and staring at the walls. The only downside, I'm pretty much worthless after dinner, all tuckered out, I'm lucky if I get half way through a magazine before falling asleep.

All my Birdseye star blocks are now done.


They look better in person but you do get a nice feel for the color combinations in this picture. The stars went together fast, one reason, because I spent the time up front selecting my fabric combinations, and the other reason, I'm using my Fit to be Quarter ruler (by Open Gate Quilts) when squaring up those half-quarter triangle squares . Having the right tool for the right job is such a time saver and this time of year I'm all about saving time. If you don't have one of those rulers put it on your Christmas List, I bet Santa will bring you one!

I loved making each block, I think each one is perfect, not a stinker in the bunch. Next up, nine patches and more nine patches.

The other day, when I was in Home Depot picking up a $20 gift card for my mailman (what's up with the government allowing postal workers to accept gifts with a market value of $20 or less but not cash of $20 or less!) they had a rack of poinsettias that looked too good to be real.

But they were real, and really cheap, $4.99! I've had this one a week and a single leaf has yet to fall off. I think this is the direction I'm going with for new holiday decorations, fresh flowers. They look great and once the holidays are over, no storage issues! When I bought it, I figured if it only lasted a week, for that price, I could go back and buy another one and even another one, but I'm beginning to think this one is going to last until Christmas! I'll keep you posted.

11 comments:

  1. Wow, if those blocks look better in person, I'd be falling over! They look fantastic from here :) Really you got THAT poinsettia at Home Depot??? I'm going to have to take a look at the one by us!

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  2. Those blocks look so good, Ms. Carrie would be proud!

    You may be surprised about that Poinsetta. Watered regularly and kept in the right light it can last indefinitely. Back when I worked, one year the boss gave everyone a small one to decorate their space. At the time, my cubicle was next to a sunny window and I set the plant there. Not only did it thrive but it GREW! It lasted at least two years (before it got too big for the space and I had to get rid of it) and grew into a big bushy green plant although I don't remember the red leaves staying or regenerating. If you keep it past the holidays, my only advice is to prune it back so it doesn't get spindly.

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  3. LOVE-LOVE-LOVE these blocks!! This quilt is going to be stunning!!!
    P

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  4. That is a beautiful poinsettia. I need to discipline myself to do more sewing. But with all the potential moving stuff, I just can't sit down and work real well. Too much on my mind...

    Ninepatches are next? Hmmmmmm!

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  5. You have a flair for color choice. The blocks are beautiful.

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  6. Your blocks are lovely. The colors have a cozy feel to them. I loved reading the article about your red and white tribute quilt in AP&Q. Just awesome!

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  7. Love the colors on your blocks...they are perfect! I have been busy sewing and decorating too...and raking and raking leaves!

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  8. Your blocks look GREAT! It is going to be such a nice quilt when you get it finished. The poinsettia looks wonderful and I like the "no storage" idea. LOL!

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  9. The blocks look wonderful - enjoy all the nine patches!

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