Advent Calendar FEVER!!

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get on the bandwagon with what everyone else is doing? Advent calendars have been around forever (as has almost everything in this world -- more on that another day!). When M was home, we had MANY advent calendars, and it was fun to watch her open each one -- some had chocolate in them, some had other goodies, and one was to build a Santa's workshop that we lovingly put away each year so she could reopen it the next. 

Since she moved, there have been no advent calendars. Well, that's going to change this year! Wait for that! A famous quilt store in the US has an advent calendar, and a friend of mine signed up last year. The items were fun (lots of branded stuff). So this year, I decided to sign up for a Quilter's Advent Calednar from a Canadian shop. I'll give you all the details when it arrives, and I see that it has shipped and should be here on Monday. 

So that got me thinking about advent calendars in general, and ON MY GOODNESS -- you can buy an advent calendar for just about any interest! Some are very pricey, and some are inexpensive. It's the fun of having some small thing to open each day, although there are enough surprises in my life each day that I don't need the advent calendar. However, I'm looking forward to it. 

Starting December 1, I'll share my surprise with you! Just wait for that! OK -- so it's not a gift for you, but you get to see others open their advent calendars. We'll have a big review of quilting advent calendars at the end of the year! I can hardly wait! 

More writing got accomplished, and everything is on track to get done mostly on time. I'll be a wee bit behind, but I can make it! In case you are wondering why this happens to me -- it's the writing assignment that throws my schedule out of whack. Nothing else. If you notice, I can go for weeks, and while I'm busy, I'm not stupidly busy. This deadline is HUGE, and while I schedule it in my calendar to write it BEFORE it becomes a deadline issue, I seem to ignore those dates and feel I have tons of free time. Then the deadline is imminent, and I'm in panic mode! 

So I'm in trouble because I don't respect my own calendar. I MUST stop this! I'm going to try very hard in 2023 to not make this an issue, and then I'll be busy, but not stupidly busy! I will say that writing has become easier than ever! A blank page never scares me but opens up all kinds of possibilities! Hopefully, that is reflected in the blog as well! I need to write a book! 

Because I'm writing, there isn't much to show you, so you'll have to wait until next week, and I think you'll like what I've been working on! 

But this is the state of affairs in Studio B, and it seems to be getting worse by the day. 

A mess to be cleaned up

And to top it off, Murphy decided it was OK to plunk herself down in the midst of it. 

Murphy, amidst the mess

After Tuesday, the pressure will be off, and I'll be able to tackle the mess and unpack the skid that's in the garage! 

At one point, I realized that I had lost a slipper and didn't want to go downstairs to retrieve it! 

A lost slipper

But as hard at work as I am, you have to stop for the entertainment brought on by the girls. I don't know what got into Murphy, but she rifled through her toy boxes until she found this orange tennis ball. She HATES them, so she must have been desperate for something to destroy. I mean, how cute is that face? 

MOM -- a little bush here, but darn, I'm cute! 

And within five minutes, the cover was off, and the ball was split in half, but she wasn't done! 

How to destroy a ball in five minutes

Then it was time to move that bed to the other side of the room. I've no idea why she does that, but she loves doing it! 

MOM -- don't worry -- just rearranging the furniture!

Then when Lexi came to sleep, there was NO bed. And there is NO WAY the Princess will sleep in that small bed. Oh no! That's not good enough for her. So she lies on the floor, making me feel guilty that I put the table on the sofa! Did you notice that I've put a blanket on the couch so it'll be easier to clean? And there's no way she'll sleep in the bed in the middle of the floor! Not Lexi, who loves routine! 

MOM -- where's the bed? 

And at one point in the afternoon, Murphy crashed on the rug amidst all the toys from the toy box! What a silly girl. I think someone wants a new toy for Christmas! 

Fast asleep

And if you missed the classes from yesterday, here's a link to the offerings and how they will work for 2023. Let me know if there is something else you'd like to learn or make and don't see anywhere. It can be scheduled later next year, and I might host some one-hour technique overviews. 

I would also suggest you revisit this post on MINDFULLY signing up for classes, as the lists of new classes and BOMs come out for 2023. It's one thing to sign up for everything you see; it's another to do them. Auditing is OK, but if you don't do it, you most likely won't learn, and it is a waste of time (in my humble opinion). And most technique classes will be taught repeatedly! What you don't want is a bunch of half-finished projects! 

OH --- and can I just make a random comment here. STOP reading the instructions! I'm kidding (sort of), but some questions just boggle my mind. If the instructions do NOT make sense, then DON'T do it the way the pattern designer wrote them. Do it the way that makes sense to you!!! There are no rules in quilting, and no one said you have to follow any pattern exactly. Make it your own! Let your experience, skills, and creativity out!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!