He knows who has been sleeping....................

I know EXACTLY why I get so much done in a day. If you ALLOW others to control your schedule, you will accomplish NOTHING. If you are 100 percent in control, you can get loads done.

Case in point, DH asked me to drive him somewhere (at 9 AM) (it's a long story which I won't go into). But FIRST he had to take a call and no idea how long it would be. I had to leave at noon. Well - bottom line, I delayed doing my errands because I would do them at the same time as I drove him. Then he ends up NOT needing the ride (and I found that out at 11 AM) and that totally messed up  my day. I then had to scramble to get the errands done before I had to leave. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!  

Anyway, the errands got done, we were right on time for lunch, but I HATE HATE HATE when people ask for a favour and then it screws up your day.


I did manage to get a small quilt done in the morning.

Charity quilt - DONE

I was supposed to get the bindings put on this one and another one before our guild meeting last night, but I just could not. You'll know why in a few minutes.


This morning I could NOT HELP MYSELF...............

I decided to start shelf by shelf and get that thing really truly organized for 2014. I started by taking everything off ONE shelf. Now I have to find a home for the things that were there. Hmmmmm - I found THREE projects that are completely cut, marked and ready to sew. At first I was going to put them in storage, but HEY - these would be perfect for retreat sewing, so YES - I have started to pack for my next retreat (which is three months away!!!!). One can NEVER be too prepared!!!!!

I will deal with a box or two throughout the day and find a home for it. Obviously some of the stuff will go back on the shelf, but maybe NOT this shelf. I think I will designate this top shelf as "things to do for other people".  Hmmm - I wonder how much of that there is???   I may put gifts on there as well - things that were bought or started that are for someone specifically. OK - so there is a category, there is space and I can deal with those parameters.


The other day I had the story about my black fleece jacket. Still wearing it - no time to get to the store to find a new one. Maybe after Christmas. Well it is NOT just the jacket - it is the socks too!!!!!!

Remember I got this nice pair of new Hudson's Bay socks

Well my go to socks are white ankle high socks. Well - look at what has happened to my favourite pair of white socks...............

Yes - the one on the right is slipping down into my shoe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    ACK!!!!!!    I love these socks!!!!!!!!!!!!

And why are they slipping???????????????

Look - the elasticity is completely GONE in the top. See how it bags around my ankle??????   And DO NOT look at those moccasins. YES - they need to go as well - there are holes in the leather, the fur is gone around the top!!!!  YES - I have asked for new slippers for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh CRUD!!!!!!!!!    I hate to throw those socks out as they were wearing so WELL. No holes - not even close in the toes or the heels. But alas, I have thrown them out (or I will) because they have become a pain (literally) in the foot to wear.

So what am I wearing these days?????

NO SOCKS!!!!!!!!!!    I know - it means that I have to get more pairs out, find the matching pairs after laundry and right now - that is just too much trouble. Isn't that just the saddest thing you have ever heard!!!!!

I find it hysterical that I can spend HOURS and DAYS organizing my sewing room, but finding a matching pair of socks is beyond me!!!!!!!    And I have TWO baskets FULL of socks. Most of them are brand new because I keep wearing the old stuff over and over until it dies. Well, I guess it is time to dig out the matching pairs from the clean laundry and dig out a new pair to replace the old (just NOT the same!!!).


Well the Critical list of three things is working AMAZINGLY well. It took me a day or two to get my act together, but I think it is going to really help me work through that giant TO DO list. Now I was writing the three things on a piece of paper and then DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I have this dry erase board RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE when I sit at the computer.

So now the ORANGE dry erase board has my weekly calendar with the quilts scheduled in with other stuff and on the right is the critical list of three things!!!!    I LOVE IT. 

You see - this organizing this just have to evolve. You have to live with one "solution" for a couple of days and be open to change (I know - who would have thought!!!). This is also very sad, but the idea to use the dry erase board that I already had, was when I saw a cute little dry erase board at Chapter's. I did NOT buy it, but I almost did for the critical list. Then I thought - I already have one - use that.


If you are looking for a GREAT quilting book to give a new or even experienced quilter - this is an AWESOME book.  I have had the book in my hands on several occasions, but NOT really read it. I had to do a book review for the guild and finally read through the entire book. She gives VERY good information on seam allowances, accuracy of seams, and other information that I feel is very well done. Often, the books that give those basic instructions do not cover the items as well as they could. This book is pretty close to the way I like to work - in fact, there are some sections which I would almost say I wrote myself!!!!

Cut the Scraps by Joan Ford

She also has a second book, called Scrap Therapy Scraps Plus One.   I haven't read that book, but I am going to look for it. Joan uses a system of storing scraps which she calls Scrap Therapy. Now I don't know that I would cut my entire stash (or scrap stash) into the units that she talks about because I think it is a bit restrictive, but I am certainly going to try cutting part of my stash into those units. Can't wait to get started!!!!!


Oh yes - speaking of which - I almost got sick this morning as I unloaded those boxes from that 2013 shelf. And in looking for spots for some of those projects, I was sick just thinking about the quantities and how the situation got so bad and how I am going to rectify the situation. There is SO MUCH. It is very sad. BUT since I am going to put together a plan to get through some of it, I feel a bit better. But to just leave it on the shelf and NOT do anything about it - well that is just so wasteful!!!!


We had our Monday Motivator lunch yesterday. Lynn and I car pooled to the lunch and it was AWESOME!!!!!!

Traditional turkey lunch. I had TWO big pieces of turkey - I never eat that much meat and I paid the price for it later in the day. 

Now there is NO PROOF of this whatsoever, but many people refuse to eat turkey or blame their fatigue on the fact that turkey is "supposed" to contain a sedative called tryptophan. 


While turkey does contain tryptophan which is an amino acid, there is no proof that it causes drowsiness. EXCEPT I was exhausted yesterday afternoon after eating those two big slices of turkey. To the extent that when I got home from the lunch I had to have an hour and a half nap!!!!!    I haven't had to nap in the afternoon in months!!!!!   Not sure what the problem was, but I DID NOT get those two bindings sewn on. And I was running around like an idiot to get my photo copies done for the guild meeting (that were supposed to be done in the morning when I was waiting for DH). 


Lynn and I zipped up to Greenwood Quiltery after lunch and OH MY - we had fun. She found borders for her quilt and I found a few novelty prints. 


Of course since I had a nap in the late afternoon - I was a wreck when it came bedtime. I could not sleep and woke up constantly all night. I will pay the price for that later today!!!!


Well - look who I found peeking at me when I got home from guild meeting.............

Elf on the shelf!!!!!!   (It really is a hoot to figure out where to hide the darn thing next)

And if that isn't "creepy" enough, how about the FitBit. Remember I bought them last week? Well I have mine installed and working and for a little gizmo - it works like a charm. Tracks my stair climbing, steps, sleep (yes - it fairly accurately recorded my very restless night). You get encouraging messages and I JUST LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!    I have linked up to some of my friends who also have one and now I can see who is the most active!!!!!!!!!!!!

FitBit stats on the computer

BUT if you were a paranoid person, this is a small device that you slip in your pocket and it keeps track of a lot of information which it then downloads to your computer and phone. I DO NOT care about that kind of stuff being out there.  So I am having fun with it and since I did NOT get to spin class because I slept in and did NOT take the dogs for their full walk (again waiting to drive DH somewhere), I will have to make up for those missed steps somehow or I won't make my 10,000 steps today.


Well - here are the ladies at lunch yesterday. Everyone was supposed to wear a fascinator and I don't see everyone wearing one??????

Sarah and Jackie

Karen and Lynn

Claudette and Flo

Barb and Judith

Daphne and Elaine

Marian and Gayle

Joyce

It was great fun and we also had a small gift exchange. Hmmmmm - I was in charge of the order of getting people up and NO ONE chose the gift that I brought. So I TOOK MY OWN GIFT back home. And why would I do that?????   Because it was an awesome calendar with patterns in it from Weeks Ringle. I was going to put it on my list, but now I don't have to!!!!!!

Calendar from Modern Quilt Studio

There are thirteen patterns in it for modern quilts and you also get the calendar. I think it is a fabulous deal!!!!


OH yes - at our guild meeting last night - we had a group of the Sweet Adelines. OH MY GOD - I so want to sing like that!!!!!!    It was so impressive, just watching the animation of their faces, their bodies and trying to figure who was singing what part. It sent chills down my spine on more than one occasion.  Apparently they can TEACH you to sing like that. Hmmm - I seriously doubt they could help me?????


Well on that note - I am out of here. Got to get my critical three things done and I have quilts to do. The story of my life. Just one more week???   and things will calm down. Then I can really focus on my projects.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And yes it is CLUE TWO of Bonnie Hunter mystery posted this morning. She is definitely picking NON Bonnie Hunter units for this quilt. We are making chevrons this morning and I bet some people are already cutting and sewing!!!!!!!!