Can you keep a SECRET???????????

This is NOT a secret, but it was such a good deal that I feel it should be a secret.

M and I both have cell phones with Bell. When we got our new phones two years ago - we got locked into three year contracts. The length of contracts has since been changed and the maximum contract length you can get is 2 years.

The phone that I had was awful and I just couldn't take it any longer so right after Christmas - I got a new phone. That meant that I had to pay $165 to pay out the remainder of that contract. I was charged $50 for a new phone which I later received a credit for as I argued that technically I was a NEW customer since I had paid out the contract and they had a promotion of $0 phone to new customers. I believe I purchased extended warranty and whatever - anyway the total was a couple of hundred dollars. I reluctantly paid because I had no choice except to hang onto the crappy phone. By crappy - I mean I had to wait up to one or two minutes to enter an app especially ones like Facebook. Sometimes the phone let me into messages quickly and sometimes it did not. It just wasn't reliable.   And I am HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY with the new phone. Just got to get used to the new stuff, but it is great - see I do embrace change!!!!

Then M wanted her phone upgraded!   She has an iPhone. When I asked her what was wrong - she said the battery was crappy - I said BUY A NEW ONE. Well - apparently you cannot change the battery in an iPhone. Just another reason why Apple is so damn proprietary!!!!    Are you kidding me???  You cannot change the battery?????   I mean the best way to get your money's worth out of any extended warranty package - make a note to yourself and after ONE year - get a new free battery!!!!

At last I gave in but trust me - we have had MANY discussions about new phones. Because of my reluctance to switch her phone, M went shopping. So last night we went to Wireless Wave (a kiosk in the mall and they are somehow connected with all service providers????)   They would pay out the contract for $50, NOT $165. The new phone - a fancy Samsung Note 3 - was $50. THEN they offered to buy her iPhone back. Seriously??????   And they would transfer the data????   Where do I sign??????????

The bottom line - M got a new Samsung Note 3, an extended warranty, paid out the old contract and do you know how much we paid??????    THIRTY THREE dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    And that included tax!!!!!!!!!    I do think the girl made a mistake. Anyway - I was shocked and MAD!!!   I really should have gone there with my phone. Now they would NOT have bought my phone so the deal wouldn't have been as good - but I could have saved $100 on that contract pay out!!!!!!!!

The moral of this - SHOP those kiosks in the mall!!!!!!    Wireless Wave - check it out. I was IMPRESSED.


Last night was guild night. Helen Anne did take pictures of the block of the month which I will post later - no time this morning.

Anyway someone asked me - have I completed anything yet this year?  Am I making progress???   So I thought about it and went back to my note book. While it doesn't look like I am getting anything done - I AM GETTING STUFF done. That is WHY it is so important to document this stuff because you forget.

I have completed the following:

Finished the applique for a small Christmas wall hanging, prepared the backing and binding
Quilted SIX quilts for community projects
Made binding for FIVE quilts
Stitched down binding on FIVE quilts
Worked on applique for two gifts
Made a quilt top - gift
Worked on Bonnie Hunter mystery

Well something to that effect. And that was in nine days!!!!    So while I don't have anything concrete to show for that - I did get stuff done and it was stuff that was in my schedule.

Binding for one of the quilts I just completed

Binding for another quilt - both will get stitched on this weekend

And while I am working - I am tidying up as I go!!!!!!    That part is VERY important. Once the quilt is trimmed, I remove the batting from the backing. I sort the batting and there are FOUR spots where it goes depending on size. The very skinny pieces go in the garbage, the 1 - 2 inch wide pieces go in the drawer to clean down the long arm and the bigger pieces go in a bag that gets given to a guild where they join them for placemats. The BIG BIG pieces get measured, labeled and stored in the closet!    I do the same for the fabric pieces. 

Yesterday I had the pleasure of doing this quilt. My first one since the upgrade. OH BOY - a whole new machine!!!!!!!!!!!     You do NOT leave the machine sitting there without the needle down - the machine just moves on its own!!!!!    But smooth????????????    Oh boy - it is like a brand new machine. No effort!!!!!   When I was done I used to give the machine a push and it would go down the length of the quilt so I could start over. Let's just say that we no longer do that!!!!    The machine just whizzed down the rail so just a tap will do!!!!

Another community project - DONE!!!!!

The next quilt is loaded on the machine - plush for the backing - while I love plus as a backing and it works fabulous on the machine, it is a bit more of a pain to load. Then I got FOUR pieces of batting from the closet (so easy to find because they are ALL labeled with their size). Joined them with the fusible interfacing and that piece is now ready to load in the quilt. This is one of MY quilts - one of my surprise gifts. I just love it.


If you have stuck with me this long - I have a surprise for you. Well for those who live close by.

Monday Motivators is extremely popular. So popular that some people CANNOT get in because there are so many people already coming. Well NOW there is THURSDAY!!!!!!    I have some Thursdays booked and if you are interested - let me know. It is first come, first serve. There will be a cost associated (haven't quite figured that out - but around $5 - $7 for the day). We will be meeting at Hillcrest United Church which is on Trafalgar and 5 Side Road.  

The dates: January 23 and 30
                 February 27
                 March 6 and 13
                 April 3, 10 and 24


If you are interested - send me an e-mail    or leave a comment on the blog. I will book you in for the
date (s) that you want.   I am excited as I really do try to sew at home, but I get distracted so this will be a couple more dedicated dates!!!!!    Can't wait for you to join me!!!!



On that note - I had better get this batting in that quilt and get to work.


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


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