Think outside the box!!!

OH MY --- I LOVE the Christmas gift exchange idea that was posted as a comment on the blog yesterday. Give a recycled item in good condition to someone! Of course, you don't spring this on people - you ask first if they are OK with the concept. It must have been a hit because they are doing it again this year. An elegant way to recycle and gift at the same time. I love it! Imagine the conversations you could have about the items you are giving? That would be the best part! 

And I have several suggestions for fixing the hat, so that is on the list of things to do this coming week. I wore my toque yesterday, and it was warm, but I still prefer my hat. I checked the Tilley website, and they no longer sell that style of hat. It's all about toques. I forgot to take a picture of it yesterday. 

I'm sure I must have posted it on my blog at some point, but I can't find the picture. However, I found this instead. OH MY  - a post from 2014, and I was cleaning up my clothes. The post's date is March 12, 2014. I think this is the BEGINNING of my cleaning up the clutter. I put all my clothes on the floor in the bedroom and then sorted them. 

Hmmm -- I think it's time to do that again. I don't buy many clothes, but I end up with so many I don't wear. And I must reread that book I was reading - Throw Out 50 Things by Gail Blanke! I was listening to audiobooks way back then!! Who knew? OH -- I just reread the blog --- I was listening to the book on an iPod!!! What's an iPod? 

That might be a good exercise to do over the holidays. I can put all my clothes together on the floor and start sorting. I wonder if I have more or less than in 2014. It better be less! And I need to be even more ruthless than I was before! I also need to retire some T-shirts, and this might be a good time to do it. 

What's hilarious is that I remember saying, on multiple occasions, that I would start the decluttering process at the top and work my way down to the basement. Then I would start all over again and keep doing that until we had barely anything left. I started that process in 2014. I haven't finished the first sweep yet!! 

In all fairness, I have made giant leaps and bounds in getting rid of and tidying up what exists in this house. I had hoped to completely do the office, but it has progressed so much. Perhaps it is time to restart at the top and work my way down! The first thing is the clothes! OK -- I feel the urge to purge coming on! 

By the way -- does anyone know of a Canadian store that sells Electric Quilt books? I want to get one, but shipping from the US is $25 USD, and I'm not prepared to pay that. I can buy it from my favorite online store - still very expensive, but then any paper product coming from the US is costly because of tariffs. 

I had to keep looking at the blog, and yes—there is the hat. Not the best picture, but I've had the hat forever, and it's fantastic. I'll get that hat band fixed!

I have two presentations this morning, and I got everything done, except loading one more picture that I'm sending to myself. I didn't quite get as much accomplished as I would have liked, but I did great! I have some follow-up emails to send out today, and then all that's left for this year is one more writing assignment and the UFO club next weekend. Whatever will I do with my time? Just kidding!

Look what popped into my mailbox yesterday. Not only do I have a new toque, but I have new mitts! They are hand-made (knitted) and then felted! They are gorgeous!!! THANK YOU - THANK YOU!!!!! I can't wait to wear them this morning while walking the dogs. Although, should I really wear them? Leather dog leashes can be harsh on stuff like this. I may wear my old mitts and keep these for walking! By myself!

My new felted mittens

Murphy was on an absolute tear with her bed and blankets yesterday. She grabbed the bed in her mouth and pulled it way across the room. I just stood there and watched her. It was hilarious! And of course, she did that while I did my Zoom calls at the kitchen table. I only froze for a couple of seconds twice that I could tell, but the internet did not drop. YEAH!!!!! Now to get those pods properly installed so I don't have to Zoom from the kitchen. She also found a bone and started banging it on the floor while I was talking. Just like a kid - make a lot of noise while Mom is busy and can't discipline me! 

The aftermath of Murphy's rampage!

Later, I moved the bed back and got her settled so she could chew on her bone. I think that lasted for all of 5 seconds before she was on the move again! She is ten years old and still acts like a puppy!

MOM -- I won't stay here! 

My SIL had been out in the afternoon, came back, and said I was going to be mad at her. Why? What did she do? OH -- she bought me a cookie!!! That's OK. And the cookie was great! 

My snowman cookie

While I was sewing a quilt for myself yesterday, I grabbed some of the half-square triangles from this little bucket and pressed and trimmed them. 

A bucket of half-square triangles to press and trim

Plus, I trimmed all the ones that I made while sewing my quilt! I need to get those things cleaned up! All progress is progress - it doesn't matter how slow we work!

Half-square triangles trimmed!

I dug out one of my Christmas quilts. I laugh when I see this - I designed and made the quilt back in 2016 or thereabouts. It was published in a magazine with Northcott fabrics. I accidentally sent the same design to two different editors, and they both accepted it. Ooops! So I had to design a SECOND quilt with the same collection for one of the editors. I still have both quilts! 

One of my Christmas quilts

I will admit that the fabric is the classic Christmas colors, and the quilt is beautiful! Now I can snuggle under it (probably the first time it's been used) until after the holidays. My decorating is complete!

Now you may want to see what I was muttering on about yesterday. Well, we had a jacket class yesterday, and the topic was sweatshirt jackets. I was researching different ideas, and this is the type of jacket I was going to do - cover a sweatshirt in fabric. This is one that I made years ago, and it's mostly covered with raw-edge patchwork. You can still see some of the sweatshirt between the patches. 

My sweatshirt jacket

I was going to make another jacket, but this time I would completely cover it with fabric. That was until I spotted this. 

I LOVE THIS!!!!!

You can find the pattern at this link. 

So I had to go shopping, and while shopping, I had my thinking cap on, and well, I'm going down a completely different road now. I must always be aware that if I can make the jacket (or any item) serve more than one purpose, that's always good! And one must learn to think outside the box!!!

This is what I purchased to play with. 

Black and white trim

I'm going to work on a red sweatshirt that has a large logo on the front. It will be a fun challenge to come up with something that's both fun and funky. I hope to start working on that this coming week as well. I still have to remove the sleeves to work on it. 

And that's how quickly I can get bogged down in a new project. I wasn't looking for a new project; I don't need one, but I now have one! But it'll be fun!!!! Plus, I plan to incorporate some sewing machine techniques into the mix. That way, I can wear it and use it as a sample! Yep --- I'm good with that. 

It will be a busy day today because after the two presentations this morning, which I believe will be short, it's back to the sewing machine. My SIL has some stuff that needs to be finished today, so I have to get her started on it. I also have some machine embroidery to get done. 

Have a super day!!! Stay warm - I don't relish the thought of walking the girls in the cold, but once you get out, it's not so bad. 

Ciao!!!!

Out with the old and in with the new!

Mission accomplished! The two (lengthy) presentations are together! I love putting the presentations together, and I spend quite a bit of time sewing, taking pictures, scouring the internet for inspiration or ideas, and amassing the information into a somewhat cohesive storyline that makes sense! 

And I learn so much from doing that. It's amazing what you can find on the internet these days. And yes -- you must be careful that what you see makes sense. It has to make sense to you, but it might not make sense to the next person. Or you may not like the idea. It's a crap shoot, but if something does NOT make sense or seems like extra work, or a waste of resources, then move on because someone else will have a better idea. 

After much research, I found something that blew me away. I can't share it with you until after I present it, but OH MY—why didn't I think of that? So that meant a wee shopping trip, and I can't share with you what I purchased either! Tomorrow. 

I just need to make sure the internet is stable this morning so we don't have a repeat of last month. That was the most distracting thing when the internet went down VERY frequently. I was highly frustrated, and so was the group. 

I want to clarify one thing I mentioned yesterday: the gift-giving thing. I know I said this last year, but it's essential, and I'll repeat it this year. If you feel that a particular person in your life is gift-worthy, but you have no idea what to get them, there are loads of ideas -- books, hobby supplies, puzzles, wine, food, or whatever. The ideas are endless. 

But let's say you have no idea what to get them. Guess what? Why not give them the most precious and unique gift of all? YOUR TIME! Why not schedule a special lunch, or even lunch at Tim's—it doesn't matter. What matters is that you are connecting face-to-face (with your cell phones in your pocket) and actually talking to someone! 

With all this talk about hating Zoom because you like to see people in person, this would be the ideal gift for anyone! You aren't running around trying to find last-minute gifts - what size sock does Suzie wear? And the recipient doesn't end up with a gift they have to regift! 

YOUR TIME is the most precious thing you can give. Give it wisely, but that 2 hours out of your day (you would be spending it running around trying to find a gift) can change someone's life. It can change your perspective and theirs on life. Try it!! And put the *&^%^% ogibe away!!!! Not into lunch? Why not go hiking, biking, shopping, or whatever, but spend QUALITY time with someone instead of buying a gift? This works exceptionally well for the more experienced people in our lives. They would love it if you spent an afternoon visiting - maybe helping them with chores around the house or whatever, instead of another candle to add to the clutter. 

And if they are not gift-worthy and you are buying simply because that is something you always do or you feel compelled to buy, then think deeply and hard. Why are you doing that? Just say, "No gift exchange this year," and cross them off your list! We did that years ago with my family, and we have ZERO regrets about it. I only buy for one person, and that is M. I think Dillon was more excited about the gift than she was, and that's OK. It's something they (Dillon) wanted, but they will both use! 

Something weird happened in our neighborhood yesterday. I had filled the car up with gas the afternoon before because the price drops during the day and is highest in the morning. However, when I walked past the gas station in the morning, the price was ONE CENT lower than I paid the day before! How did that happen? And it did NOT drop by 10 cents throughout the day. 

The morning gas price

I found my Christmas tree quilt and hung it up! 

My Christmas tree quilt

I probably say this every year, but this is my first quilt published in a magazine!!! That was way back in 2015 or 2016, for a Christmas special published by Quilter's Newsletter. There was loads of excitement that day! It's a modern Christmas tree, and I love it!! 

While it comes with "built-in" ornaments, I added a couple more. 

Princess Lexi

Miss Murphy

And the tree would not be complete without Mr. Bear! 

Mr. Bear

It's a cute (and easy!) way to decorate, and since we don't exchange gifts and it will be a quiet day, I'm not inclined to go to the hassle of putting up a real tree. I'm not big on the decorating thing anyway. I'm a plain Jane and proud of it! But I have a wreath on the door, a table runner on the table, and my Christmas tree quilt. All I'm missing is that Christmas quilt on the bed. I might dig that out this morning! 

What I don't get is why people feel the need to outdo others. Why? I have zero desire to be better or wiser than anyone else. I'm just happy if I survive another day, with no broken bones and my marbles still in my head! And that I'm happy, relatively healthy, and pretty carefree. 

On my travels in the car yesterday, I was across the street from a Mark's Work Wearhouse, and I needed new winter boots. I have a perfectly good pair of boots, but they are very tight on my feet, and I'm not a fan of wearing them. So I got pretty much the same type of lace-up boot, but several sizes larger. I also have a pair of low slip-on winter boots that are also too small, and I rarely wear them. Both of those will go in the giveaway box, and I'll manage in my running shoes, which I mostly wear anyway, but with deeper snow, I now have new boots.

Out with the old

In with the new

I might actually enjoy wearing them. I'm not going to replace the short boots. The number of pairs of shoes I own could probably be counted on one hand. Maybe two if I find a pair of dress shoes. Yep -- I'm a simple, country girl with loads of enthusiasm, and I wouldn't change that for an instance. 

I am not a fan of FREE things; however, I got something free yesterday. A free hat! When the cashier said that, I dreaded what FREE thing he was going to give me. It turned out to be a pretty decent toque! I had a choice between red and black - of course, I chose red. It had a $30 price tag! 

My new red toque

And the nice thing is, it has a fleece band on the inside. I am not a fan of knitted hats because the wind blows right through them. But the fleece definitely helps. I might wear it today while walking the dogs. 

Fleece lining for the ears

My winter Tilley hat is getting stretched, and I need to find a way to tighten the earband. I've had that thing for eons, and I LOVE it. I must figure out how to pull the band in tighter, as one ear always gets cold on windy days, and it keeps moving around on my head! 

Miss Murphy is so needy these days, she is driving me mad. She insists on leaning against me or my SIL as we are working. It's not enough to stop and give her some well-deserved hugs, but she continually comes back. Then I "yell" at her that that's enough, and she goes away to sulk. 

MOM - you don't love me anymore! 

And to keep her entertained for a few minutes, I wrapped up her favorite toys in the blankets. That lasted all of five minutes, and she had found everything. Sigh!!!!! Then we played ball. She has DADHD -  Dog ADHD.

MOM - I love playing with the blankets

But then, she does have a few quiet moments from time to time! 

MOM - I'm exhausted

Is anyone watching Project Runway Canada? We watched two more episodes last night and are up to date. BUT we have a question. In Episode 4, the guest judge is Mei Pang. What the heck was she wearing? Whatever she had on under that T-shirt made her look very distorted. It was not pretty at all. Click on the link to see an enlarged picture. 

I haven't done anything for the presentations tomorrow, but both are mostly show-and-tell; there is NOTHING to prepare to teach. I only have to get some sewing done, take some pictures, and then put the presentation together. It shouldn't take long to do both. Phew!!!! That is cutting it by the wire, but this is my one busy weekend per month. And the two weeks away didn't help the situation. 

Next year will be better! Am I stressed? Of course, not! I don't stress. Life is too short to waste time being stressed. Another good reason to be a plain Jane - no stress!

The girls must have sensed a rabbit under the gazebo this morning because they were desperate to get outside. And they have amused themselves for quite a while. 

And on that happy note, I'm out of here!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

So many patterns, so little time!

 It's down to the wire for class prep, and everything is right on target! The best news is that I have the entire day to finish up things, so that's great. I completed something significant for the homework last night, and I was dancing around the room as it looks fantastic! 

You have to love it when things come together like that. 

It was an enjoyable day teaching my in-person class, and everyone went home with their heads filled with information. Way too much, but I took full advantage of the day, and they will now have to process the information on their own. 

That was the last in-person event of the year, and six one-hour Zoom events are remaining. Some will require more work than others to prep for, but after this weekend? I'm almost home free! I have NOT had the chance to sit down and plan dates and so on for next year, but next week will give me some breathing room to do that. 

I also want to alert you to the Virtual Retreat days for December. Saturday, December 27, and Sunday, December 28 are the "regular" virtual retreat days. And I've planned one on the morning of December 24 (10 AM to 2 PM). We did this last year, and it was well received, as many of us are not traveling or hosting Christmas, and let's face it - many of us have family that are not close, and it's crazy expensive to travel at Christmas. I refuse to hand over good money just because it's a holiday. 

I am NOT a slave to society's schedules and dates. I can celebrate with my family and friends whenever I want. 

I am not Scrooge, but I don't need to purchase any gifts this year - again! It's been many years since I stopped exchanging gifts with anyone. I don't want or need anything, and if I do, it's easy enough for me to go out and buy it. I also don't feel the guilty need to buy for someone else. If there were children in our house, I would buy for them. But adults? Just because it's Christmas? I'm done with that! 

I got a chuckle last night as I had some sewing to do and my SIL wanted to do some handwork. So I set up a table for her -- no room on my tables for handwork, and the cutting table needs to stay clear. Now she has her own spot in Studio B, so I think it will work just fine. Then we logged into Crave, which I already had set up on my laptop - who knew???? And we watched Project Runway Canada. Even though I watched two episodes with M, we started at the beginning. There are at least two more episodes available for watching, and then she's away for a couple of weeks. She will have to watch it where she is because I'll be watching here! 

But fun to watch it with someone, and we booed or cheered for the designs as they came down the runway! It is entertaining to watch while doing handwork, but it's also a distraction, as we both got caught watching instead of doing what we were supposed to!

Because I was back to sewing something and not doing applique, I was able to work on my enders and leaders. Whatever I sewed yesterday is now trimmed! I cannot fall behind on that, or it will become an albatross! All up to date - well, except for the little box of half-square triangles on the end of the ironing station. I should take a few a day and press and trim them, and then that box would be done! 

Half-square triangles trimmed

I also got this pattern the other day. 

Show and Tell by Elizabeth Hartman

It's the latest by Elizabeth Hartman, and it's absolutely adorable. I would LOVE to do it as a sew-along, BUT that isn't going to happen. I might do this one starting in September 2026, but right now, we are focused on Colour My World, and I am NOT going to clog up my schedule. I am loving having some free time to actually sew for myself, and I will not do that to myself. And in doing so, I'm not encouraging anyone to take on too much either! 

The issue with starting a project in September/October is that new stuff would come out at Fall Market (end of October), and if I already have a pattern planned, it has to wait almost a year before I can teach it. If I start in January, we'll have to let the project languish over the summer, since I don't teach in the summer. 

Now- Fall Market has gone! Yes -- there is no longer a Fall Market. BUT Festival remains, which is the consumer show. But the trade show is gone. There's a new show in town, put on by H+H Americas (May) or H+H Cologne (Germany) (March). Many Canadians are heading to the European show, but remember -- those are TRADE shows, not for consumers. It might be fun to go to one, but alas, the March show dates don't work for me. 

The point was that if new stuff comes out in the spring, it's just in time for me to find something to teach starting in October! Perfect!!! 

Back to my schedule. In 2026, Colour My World and the jacket class will continue, both online. Actually, everything scheduled is online. Then there are the clubs - Machine Embroidery (FULL), UFO times two, Many blocks, and - wait - that's it! What??????? Yep ---- I went from a ridiculous amount of stuff to very little. The Many Blocks and UFO club are helping me focus on things I want to complete, machine embroidery, because it's just fun, and also to complete stuff and experiment with new techniques. And two classes. Very manageable and I'm pretty happy about the entire outlook for 2026!

Will I add more? I may or may not add an occasional in-person event or a short online event, like the scrappy sessions, for which I have not set dates. That is NOT a project class, but simply inspiration to help people deal with their scraps. That is the only thing new, and it will be two sessions. I'll let you know when you can sign up. 

Of course, I'll still have any events that are planned for SVP (PFAFF and Husqvarna Viking). I won't give that up, but I have no idea what that schedule will be at the moment. 

My Murphy girl was up to her old tricks. This time, she was back in her bed. Of course, the blankets were tossed, and the bed wasn't in the corner where it's supposed to be. I think she was sulking because I didn't want to play ball with her at that precise moment. 

MOM -- I want to play ball!

As in the moment, when I'm eating dinner! She is so like a toddler, it's unbelievable. Especially when I'm eating, she thinks she has the right to pester me! "Mom, I need to go out, I need to come in, I need a cuddle, I need to chase my ball!" She's relentless! But darn cute!!!!

MOM -- Play with ME!!!!!

I have a bunch of pictures loaded into my presentation that I need to deal with this morning, and then back to the sewing machine to see if I can eke out a few more stitches before tomorrow! I'm having a blast, and that is all that counts!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Be careful what you wish for!!!!

 Oh my— I read the comments every day, though I'm terrible at responding directly. In addition to your comments, I also get spam comments, which I delete when I see them. 

Can you believe this one? It was NOT a general comment, as most spam is -- it picked up on things I said and replied to them as if it were a real person. That's pretty freaky!

I am thrilled to report that I accomplished a lot yesterday. I have almost completed everything for one class. It was a long day, but I needed to get this done. The issue was that I had NOT completed the homework from the previous month, so I had to play catch-up. That was what I did yesterday. And on top of that, it was appliqué, which takes a long time. Thankfully, all the pieces were prepped, so all I had to do was turn a few edges, stick it in place, and then stitch it down. 

Each tree, there are 16 of them, had three pieces of bias to stitch, then the top of the tree. Not a huge task, but it still took hours. 

My November homework for Colour My World is done!

I am almost finished with the December homework, but you can't see it until the class is over. But thank goodness this part is over because I don't want to get behind with this quilt! It's called Colour My World by Wendy Williams, and we will have our final reveal in June. Everyone is doing a great job so far!!!

We got the quilt quilted as well, and it never ceases to amaze me when a rogue coloured thread pops up on the back of the quilt. Where did this come from? Likely the design wall, but that's why I check all quilts as they advance on the machine. It would not be good to have red thread show through to the front. 

A rogue red thread

And since I was done with the appliqué, I was able to put all the appliqué accessories back - the threads, sewing machine feet, etc. That was good and helps to clean up Studio B. The only thing on the cutting table is my SIL's binding. I moved my stuff off the table and will put back my UFO bucket when she's done. 

The cutting table is clear

While I had no issues working with a messy space in the past, those days are behind me. I need CLEAN spaces to work in. And all is good! 

It was a winter wonderland yesterday morning. It was warm and so pretty to walk with the girls. And of course, they are right in their element. They were thrilled!

That Murphy is very snoopy. I had moved the recycling bin into the room so I would remember to empty it. That left a gap between the desks, and the next thing you know, she was snooping around to see if there were any crumbs on the floor. 

MOM -- -I might find something here! 

At some point in the day, Murphy was playing with her pink ball, and it went under Lexi's bed. Murphy is not smart enough to move the bed, so I moved the bed, and she grabbed the ball. Which she immediately tossed in Lexi's bed. 

MOM -- that ball is mine! 

How audacious of her to then assume ownership of Lexi's bed and proceed to move it out into the middle of the room and muss up the blankets. What was that all about? What's mine is mine, and what's yours if mine? Thankfully, Lexi missed that entire escapade!

MOM - -my ball was in the bed - it's mine! 

After coming back from the gym yesterday, I had to shovel the driveway. Remember how excited I was to have the snowplow clear our sidewalks? Well, this is where you need to be careful what you wish for. Yes -- I am still happy that they are plowing the sidewalks; however, it comes with a price. 

I will need to find some reflector stakes to put along the edge of the grass because they can't see the edge, and we have already had grass dug up along the front. Because the snow was wet, big clumps got pushed into our driveway. And they also put salt down, and when I went to shovel, I had to shovel that salt onto the lawn! Yikes!!! I had not thought about that. 

But it's all good—we will make it work. The silver lining was that the entire length of the street had a clear sidewalk, which made walking so much easier. So while there are a few negatives, we'll learn to overcome those, and the best news is that walking this winter should be amazing even if the neighbors don't shovel their sidewalks. By the way, with yesterday's mild temperature, the sidewalks are clear and dry this morning. ALL of them! It's now minus 10 outside!

The plowed sidewalk on our street

But the best part this morning was that, when I went out at 4:45 AM, there was no windrow at the end of the drive! Yes --- that is exciting. Now they are supposed to leave only a 10-foot section without the windrow, but they cleared the entire width. That was a bonus because all that snow had frozen overnight, and it was like a block of ice! Keep in mind that we didn't get much snow, so the windrow would have been very small. 

The end of the driveway was clear after the plow passed

Yes -- I've already been to the gym to work out with Brooke, and now I'm home, getting myself organized because I'm teaching all day. Then home to finish up everything for the Colour My World class, leaving all day Friday to work on the jacket class prep. I told you I have a plan! I can make this work. And then on Saturday afternoon, I can prep some homework for the two show-and-tell sessions on Sunday. Not much to prep - just some sewing, so that is good. 

It will all work out, and then I still have some writing to do and finish my UFOs next week. Thankfully, the number of classes is less and very manageable - the only issue was being away for two weeks. 

And on that note, I'm out of here! 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!

You be the look out!

Yes -- I restocked the retreat supply box with a spool of black and a spool of white thread, and I put a spool on the sewing machine. All set for the next retreat. 

My SIL finished her quilt top and the backing last night. I have realized that my space is not configured for two people to work. Yikes! But all will be good, and I did manage to piece together one thing myself, so I was happy. It's part of the weekend homework, and I took lots of pictures, so I just need to get them into the presentation. 

But I still have three assignments to finish this weekend. I have a plan, and it will happen. I guess that is another reason I get so much done in a day. I work alone the entire day!

I had a couple of errands to do yesterday - well, one of them was to get my annual mammogram. Oh great balls of fire! That machine is insane. For them to get a good picture, the technician thinks we are contortionists. Put your arm this way, don't pull. Then twist your face this way, don't pull. I can only imagine what we look like as we go through that process. And some angles are worse than others for the pressure! Ten seconds seems like a very long time when you are in pain!

I had a meeting just before, and I pushed leaving the house to the very last minute. No time for any delays. Of course, I hit every red light between there and here. I was going to walk, but because of the meeting, I didn't have time. I arrived at the clinic exactly at 1 PM, and then realized the requisition was at home. 

No worries -- apparently, you can self-prescribe a mammogram once a year through the Breast Screening Program. Now - don't you all run out and do that, please check the details on the website or chat with someone. But that is what the receptionist told me. 

I was out of there at 1:14!!! How is that for efficiency?

Since I was in the car and had two errands to run, I decided to do them yesterday, since we may get nasty snow today. Although we did have some snow yesterday, it wasn't much. 

I could NOT help myself. I stopped at the puzzle store. Well, I had ordered a puzzle (or two) in the morning, and the order was ready. My other pick-up was around the corner, and I got both done. 

This is a SERIOUS place to buy puzzles. That's a warehouse FILLED floor to ceiling with puzzles. And the place was busy!!! 

Floor-to-ceiling puzzles

OK -- I confess, even though I had a bag to pick up, I did wander in the back, and well, I bought one more. OK - I bought two more! But you get points when you buy puzzles, and I had a $15 credit, so I might as well use it. I will be finished being busy on Sunday, and I plan to get myself organized to start a puzzle. 

On my way home, I was getting hungry, and I thought I might stop at Tim's for a snack. That used to be a typical thing for me. I'm out in the car, stop at Tim's. However, by the time I got to one, I had talked myself out of it. I have hot chocolate and bran muffins at home. Why pay for a snack? I am so much more disciplined than I used to be, but I really need to cut out the sugar. I might as well take any baked goods I eat and tape them to my waist or hips because that's where they go when I eat them. I am not a fan of the look and feel, and only I can change that. Besides, sweet things are overrated anyway!

It is incredible how the pounds can creep up unless you keep an eye on the numbers and watch what you eat. I'm not a fanatic about my weight, but I don't want weight to inhibit my mobility later in life. I can still see my toes, and I want it to stay that way!

In addition to some sewing, I got a customer quilt done! 

Customer quilt - DONE

The next quilt to go on is for my SIL, and we'll do that today. She will be babysitting it, not me, but it's still going to take some time to help her. I have four more quilts to finish this year for customers, and those are scheduled for next week. Then I can tackle those community project quilts. I will NOT get them all done before the end of the year, but I'll push and see what I can do. 

I logged my 900th book in my reading list! I use an online database that I have to pay for. I know—I should have something in Excel, but this is prettier, and the titles and other book information come up automatically. This does not include any non-fiction books I've read. I started tracking the books I read back in 2007 - thanks to Linda! That averages out to about 47 books a year for the last 19 years. That sounds about right! 

My "read" book list

So all is good in the book-reading department, although I've been slipping over the last two weeks. I must get myself back on track. It's rare for a digital book to be returned unread, and I think one or two did that this week. 

It will be very quiet at the house in a week, and I'll get myself back on track. 

So there's a question going around - are things actually cheaper at the dollar store than if you buy them elsewhere? First, I refuse to buy anything from the dollar that you ingest. Just a conception I have—I don't care where it comes from—I will NOT buy food there. I recently purchased a dishwasher finisher. A rinse agent, I guess, is a better way to describe it. It was $5 for a small container. I checked the price, and it was pretty much on par with the grocery store. But here's the thing. The grocery store version had a resealable top. The one from the dollar store had wax to seal those three holes. And there was too much to put in at once, so the unsealed container went back into the cupboard and hoped that it didn't get knocked over. 

Wax was used to seal the dollar store version

It seemed to be used up more quickly as well, although I'm sure that's just my imagination! I'll go back to both places and check the quantity and price. I may no longer purchase this at the dollar store. The container has changed since I last bought it there. 

Of course, our house is busy with the girls, and they provide no end of entertainment all day long. Miss Murphy is NOT one for sleeping in a bed. She quickly gets hot, but I couldn't resist when it felt cool in the house in the morning, and I grabbed her blankie and wrapped her up! I don't think she was amused. 

MOM - I hate blankets

This is how she prefers to sleep. On the blanket, not under!

MOM - this is much better

And then later in the day, she was playing around with her toys in the other dog bed. There was a treat in the pink ball, but it was stuck, so I fixed it, and it didn't take her long to find it! 

MOM - this bear needs to be taught a lesson! 

And then seriously? What is going on here? Yes --- I could barely spot Murphy in the picture, but at one point before she got that deep into the bushes, her tail was more exposed and was wagging like a flag in a hurricane! I guess Lexi is the lookout!

Teamwork!

While the two of them do not seem close, they are very close and love to play together. Or chase rabbits together, which is what I suspect is happening here. Murphy has quite a path system carved out under those bushes. I can't imagine a rabbit would be safe under there. No idea what they were searching for, but Murphy came in the house with muddy paws! 

Mom -- nothing to see here! 

Phew - I had a few extra minutes, so I downloaded the photos that I took from the homework yesterday into the presentation, and they are arranged, so one less job to do this afternoon. I might just make the deadline! 

Don't worry - even if the class were tomorrow, I have enough information in the presentation to keep them going. The rest I can explain through some pictures. It's all good. 

On that note, I'm out of here! I'm off to spin class and then home to tackle some projects! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

My secret Santa

One day back, and I'm way behind in what needs to be accomplished this week. However, there is no sense in getting overwhelmed, no sense in panicking. Just slow and steady, and it will all come together! 

This is the only FULL weekend for classes, and the fact that I was away two weeks in a row didn't help with the prep work. I have a plan! I will make it happen, and I've already accomplished quite a bit in the first two hours of this morning! I never accomplish much on Monday with Monday Sewing, but the rest of the week isn't much better. I have a meeting and a mammogram today. An all-day class on Thursday, plus two quilts to quilt this week, but it's all good! 

My SIL has almost completed the quilt top she is making. It has to be on the long arm tomorrow! I see she only has five more seams, so she can accomplish that today. She's learning pretty well, and all is good! 

I get a chuckle out of Lexi. She is all happy and smiles, until the moment I attempt to take a picture of her. She hates the camera!!!!

MOM - -STOP taking pictures!!!!

But that sweet, innocent-looking dog has a sassy streak to her! I caught her yesterday, whipping the top blanket off her bed! Yep - she just grabbed it and yanked! 

MOM - this blanket isn't straight in my bed - fix it!

And when she was done, her bed looked like this. What was that all about? 

MOM - I want a remake!!

Maybe she wanted the "sheets" ruffled up? I don't know, but I remade her bed, and then she was happy to sleep there. 

Murphy, on the other hand, is just a wild dog. Her bed, which she never sleeps in, started off in the corner with her bigger blankets rolled and folded so they can hide her toys. That's Murphy's version of a puzzle. While I was away, my SIL did NOT put a treat in the pink ball that you see, and Murphy kept looking at it and sniffing it. No treat magically appeared. 

MOM -- where are the hidden treats? 

By the time she was done with her blankets, both she and the blankets were in the opposite corner of the room. The bed stayed where it was. She did NOT get the blanket unwrapped, so that is something to occupy her later today. What a goof!!! 

MOM -- I need help!

And then she lies on the floor to look so innocent. She LOVES the camera! 

MOM - -see how quiet I am? 

They had a riot outside yesterday with the cooler weather. This is their element, and Murphy loves the outdoors more than Lexi. Go figure! Often she is lying in the snow. This was her at almost 9 PM last night. Happy as a clam on the snow by the pond. By the way, you can see the green light on the heater, and those fish are loving the heater! I probably need to buy a new bubbler, since the other one wasn't working well, and I don't think it was clogged. I must get that done next week. No time this week. 

MOM - I'm guarding the fish from predators! 

Murphy and Lexi get along just fine, but they cannot coordinate their schedules. In this picture, it looks like they both want in — NOPE: only Lexi will come in. Murphy will wait until I'm settled doing something, then decide she wants in. I swear, 50% of my daily steps are for those girls!!!! I'm just kidding, but they can be very annoying. 

MOM -- I need in and NOW!!!!!

I cleaned out the bobbin area of the retreat sewing machine, and I changed the needle. Shoot -- what I should have done was wind bobbins. WAIT - I still have bobbins in my bobbin rack, and I'm using them up, so no need to do that! 

Cleaning out the bobbin case

I was surprised when I opened the bobbin case that there wasn't as much lint as I suspected. Although when you look at the picture above, there is a lot. I'm pretty aggressive in digging around, and I might not have been that aggressive the last time I cleaned the machine. Do NOT tell any technician that I'm aggressive - they will yell at me. I know --- there are loads of little springs and doodads inside, and well, I'm finding loads of lint! 

The bobbin case is not too bad

I have an account with a real estate company simply to keep an eye on what's happening in my neighborhood. It is definitely NOT a seller's market these days. The number of houses that are not selling or selling below the list price is huge! I typically look at all the pictures to see if the houses are updated (kitchens and bathrooms) and anything unusual. 

Look what I found!!!!

TV on a stand

OK—so you may not be as excited as I am, and you may even have one of these. But I never even thought of putting a TV on a stand that big. I bet I could put my computer monitor on there, so if I wanted to move it to another spot or raise it, I wouldn't have to move my entire computer desk. I'm not about to rush out and buy one, I just thought it was a cool idea. 

By the way, this house was definitely filled with TV watchers. They had a MASSIVE TV in every room in the house. I think that's a bit overkill!!! We only have one! 

I have decided to take on a massive job for 2026 - organizing my embroidery files. Oh boy— I don't even know the extent of this job, but it's HUGE, and needs to be done! 

Some of my designs are sitting on OneDrive, which is HORRIBLE because it backs up to your hard drive, and when you try to delete things, it's a frigging nightmare. I plan to get rid of everything on OneDrive except for my work presentations or anything for a class. Once the class is over, I plan to move it back to my computer. 

OneDrive is an excellent tool for sharing files (working files), but for anything else, it just seems like rabbits - it reproduces, and you have a mess. OK -- most of that is likely operator error. But yesterday, I moved a whole pile of files over. MOVED and guess what? They are still on the OneDrive. Sigh....................

Moving files

And I think what happens is that it pulls files from my hard-disk backup and reinstalls them. Yes—I have a love-hate relationship with OneDrive. Mostly hate!!!! 

So I must learn yet another thing -- how to deal with the files on OneDrive to empty the darn thing out. 

Here is the current status of the Pony Express staging area at my house!!! There are things for four people, and none of them are urgent, so that's a positive!!! It's not too cluttered, so I can live with that.  

Pony Express staging area

Sharing a house, particularly the kitchen, might be a challenge. My SIL is staying with us for an undetermined amount of time. I don't want stuff on my counters!! Help!!!! I will have to clean some cupboards so she can put her stuff away. That's a job for later today. Thankfully, the cupboards aren't that full, but I like to spread out - thinly!!!!

I remade the fourth component for the project that I found the day before. It didn't take that long, but when I compared it to the other three parts, there were two things I did slightly differently. Good grief -- one task and I messed it up! But you can't really tell, and it's going to be just fine!!!! It's a gift, so I will share it when it's gifted. But I have to set it aside - I do NOT have time to do the final assembly, and I want to make a second one. That's a project for next week. 

Some machine embroidery

When I got home, this small gift bag was sitting on the half wall inside the house. It had been left on the porch while I was away. If the person who left it there is a blog reader, they would have known that and planned the drop-off strategically!!!

A drop-off gift at my house

They were even sneakier in that they did NOT put their name on the tag, but they have very neat writing!!!! 

Hmmm -- from my Secret Santa

And what's inside? I couldn't wait until Christmas! It's a die to help me plan my day!!!! It's relatively large, and it's fun! We were playing last night. It kept coming up with finishing a UFO or organizing my stash - both of which I need to work on!!! 

The die from my Secret Santa

I have one person in mind for the secret Santa, but I'm not sure. Anyway—THANK YOU for the fun gift! I'm sure it'll get used a lot!!!

I got a notification that the particular puzzle I wanted, which was previously out of stock, is back in stock. Wait until you see what it is. Who would have thought it would be sold out! Anyway, I also have to pick up something around the corner from the puzzle shop, so now that's an excuse to make a trip. I don't have time, but I need to go! I have put the puzzle in my cart, but I MUST pay for it before the darn thing sells out again. Of course, I'm trying to find a second puzzle to buy -- why buy one when you can buy two? I'm so bad. Oh dear -- I added two more puzzles to my cart. Sigh.............

But then someone sent me this. LOL --- can you imagine? 

How about this for a puzzle? 

On that happy note, I'm out of here. I have to walk the dogs, and I see the temperature outside has risen by two degrees since I got up. I should just wait a bit longer! Then it'll be time to start the work day! What I get done early in the morning is a bonus! The work day officially begins at 9 AM or thereabouts. 

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!!