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Today is my blog-versary. It seems so weird that before my blog, I couldn't ever seem to keep a journal going for more than a few days. Yet now I have one whole year of my life and crafting journey chronicled, and I didn't even have to force myself to do it. I can positively say that blogging has become a habit.
This has been a very full year - full of blessings and trials. Thank you for letting me share it with you.
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Sorry for the lapse in posting. What with trying to finish all the doors and trim at the house and internet problems at Mema and Pop's, finding a snippet of time to blog has been challenging. So obviously there has been even less time to take pics - no visuals today.
I did manage to find time to join Project Improv. This is my first time to participate in an online project. This one seemed do-able, not too stressful, and a lot of fun experimentation at the same time. I'm excited about doing this and hope it will help me get more comfortable with the whole idea of improvisation. I chose to do the blue/green colorway for my donated block, seeing as I have a plethora of those colors in my stash. Wish me luck!
Oh, and today is craft day for "the syndicate" as Meg calls us. I get to take the morning off painting to craft. Yippeeeee!
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Not really knowing exactly what I was doing, I gave the improv thing a try. At first I felt very inadequate and stiff. As I got into it, it got easier and faster to just pick up a scrap and sew it to another and another and another. Cut a little here, sew a little there. I used it on some burp cloths for a friend who is having twin boys!
I can't wait to have the time to read up on how to really do improv, but this kind of got my feet wet. I also can't wait to mine the depths of this blog. Thanks for the tip, Meg!
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New sport? Hardly! For the past two days I have been painting the baseboards. Sounds great doesn't it. Well, it's not. It's tedious and not all that comfortable. You either squat and waddle along as you go, or sit and scoot. I guess you could go on all fours, but that would really wear on the knees. Posture is not required for the job; a hunched over back actually works best. As well as tipping your head upside down to be able to see what your doing down there near the floor. No wonder my back was aching last night. Joel and I agree that in all of the jobs that we have done in the past few months, baseboards are our least favorite. Don't get me wrong, they look GREAT all shiny and white, but getting them that way is no fun.
On my way home from baseboarding today, I heard a prayer on the radio that kind of stopped me in my tracks. "Whatever is frustrating us or what ever is exhilarating today, Lord, let us praise you for all of the above." Confession time! I was not praising the Lord for those baseboards. I was actually kind of grouching about them. Not out loud mind you, but in my heart.
So, I have decided that I will find some things about those baseboards to praise about.
Life lessons while baseboarding.
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Can we have some confetti here? Maybe a blast or two on a party blower? We have reasons to celebrate. First, Noah did great at quizzing Saturday. His team won first place and he won the top quizzer award for TNT Book Two! So proud! Thank you, Lissa, for all the hard work and time you put into coaching our kids. We love you!
Second, the walls are DONE! I painted the last closet Sunday between church services!!!! Thank you, Rebekah, for overseeing the nursery so I could finish painting and see Noah recognized during the evening service.
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Noah is a part of our church's AWANA quizzing team. Today he will speed quiz against other churches in the Houston area. He has been tearing it up in practice and is very confident. That kid has no nerves! I on the other hand have to sit in the audience with nerves enough for him and me both. The pressure on him stresses me out! Does that make sense? I think it's called being a mother.
These quizzing competitions are always long with lots of down time in between sessions, so I'm bringing this along to read through. A splurge that I richly deserved - at least that's what I'm telling myself.
Last year my Easter/horrid-never-ever-gonna-wear-it-skirt made me give up on sewing clothing for myself. But then Angry Chicken came out with her 5 minute skirt and Alabama Stitch Book had the reverse applique one. I drooled a little, thought about it, then promptly said it couldn't be done. Well, I'm gonna give the one in Anna's book a try. Maybe if that one goes well, I'll try Alabama's. I really love that skirt!
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Light. It's amazing how much I've missed it. Even though we had no light fixtures at the house, I would walk into a room and flip on the switch; then I'd feel stupid because it was a useless cause. All these weeks of painting at the house with only sunlight to work with. It did save us from working till all hours.
This is my dining room. The color is so warm, cozy, and chocolaty. It makes me want to eat - chocolate. Chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, chocolate candy bars. This could be bad for my figure.
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I see that many of you are popping in from Quilting Bloggers. Welcome to simple Analogy!
For those who don't know about Quilting Bloggers, it is a site that connects quilters all over the world. If you're like me, sometimes it is daunting to try to find other blogs. Yea, I know Technorati, etc. are out there, but still, I just haven't quite figured it all out. Quilting Bloggers makes it easy with their directory of bloggers who quilt. You can search by country, state, alphabetically, or by name. It's the mother load of quilting ideas!
Right now I am so interested in the whole improvisational quilting idea. I want to learn, but until I get back in my natural habitat, that will have to be put on hold. If anyone has a favorite improv book/site you could recommend, please leave it in the comments! I'd like to at least be studying up on it in the mean time.
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Mom bought a new multi-strand necklace for a trip, but there were no earrings to match. Problem solved. We took off one strand and I used the beads to make these.
***I owe you an explanation about Hamburger Helper. I do not mean to offend any that enjoy HH, but HH is a dirty word at our house. Joel detests it. When we first got married, I couldn't cook at all! I tried HH out on him once. He was a patient bridegroom, but that just about did him in. I never made it again. But I do use it as leverage to get my way sometimes. When any of my crew are getting awfully near to crossing the line, all I have to say is "Hamburger Helper" and they straighten up. My men are grateful to Meg for giving me my start in the culinary arts.
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Our church does a few fund raisers to help the teenagers with the cost of summer camp. Usually camp costs $150-ish for the whole week. Last year, because of the fund raisers, the kids only had to pay $50. I appreciate the effort that our youth pastor makes on their behalf to make summer camp affordable.
Sunday was the first fund raiser of the year. A dessert auction. Make a dessert, donate it to the auction, bids are placed, and the winner takes it home. There are two kinds of bidding. The majority is all silent bidding. You write down your bid on the paper in front of the dessert. The next person that wants to bid has to go up $5. They close the bidding 15 minutes after the morning service; the winner pays and takes home the goods. That's the section my donation was in.
My $16 dollar cupcakes(minus the peanut butter and replace the peanuts with mini choc chips), split into two auction items with a dozen cupcakes each, brought in $90. Not too bad! Not like I could afford $90 for cupcakes, but still - compared with the other section of bidding, mine were a steal!
In a church there are always those legendary people who are famous for their dessert. These people were asked to donate their famous desserts for live auction. Grandma Niece's apple pie, Ottis's peanut brittle (simply the best - I get some for free every Christmas), and Mrs. Lock's coconut cream pie. The latter stold the show going for $425. $425 for one pie! My those people love our kids! I love them too, but within reason. They raised $2,700. Not a bad day's take.
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