I KNOW I can!!!!

I see no one dared to comment on that quilt pattern! It really is in the eye of the beholder what the "correct" way to place those ribbons is. The fact that we are different is what makes the world go round, even if we don't always agree. 

The same is true for a directional print on the border of a quilt—do you turn the border upside down?

I hope you had a chance to check out the classes that I posted yesterday. You have time to think about what you want to learn, and we should always be learning something. Now, you can decide whether to improve your techniques or make a new quilt. 

I had to laugh because I have already had questions/comments from three people about how to apply binding to a quilt. And yes, there are very different methods, but in my class at The Hobby Horse, I don't just "tell" you what to do. I show you WHY, and then you can decide how to proceed. Trust me—you will have beautiful bindings after the class, whether you stitch them down by hand or by machine!

It happened again yesterday, and I can't seem to stop it. But it's a good thing, so I'm going to run with it. Remember how I said that I was chipping away at the office? Well, I am, and all of a sudden, one day, it'll be neat and tidy. However, I grabbed a piece of art that was on the table and decided I needed to get it hung up. 

I went to one of the storage rooms in Studio B to find my picture-hanging stuff, as I needed a hook for the wall. Yes, I am old school and use hangers with a small nail on the wall. I'm not into command hooks. Before I can hang the picture, it needs a hook or something on the back that I can hang it with. I dug out my bag of picture-hanging stuff. YES, it is all in one spot—or so I thought. 

Darn it—I don't have the type of thing I need. I wanted one of those bars with the jaggy edge that you place on a nail. No such luck. Later in the day, I went to the hardware store, and they didn't have them either. So, I will have to use hooks and wire to make a hanger. That's a job for later today. 

But -- digging out that small bag took me down a different path. 

I had tidied up this room more or less several years ago, but never showed it to you. There are shelves on the other side of the storage room as well. It's not very big, but big enough. Look at that huge mess. What are all those IKEA bags for? What I was looking for was in the white basket. 

A huge mess on the shelves

When I sorted through the bag's contents, I found FOUR containers of picture hooks. Good grief—two of them were brand new. So those went in the giveaway box. 

Many boxes of picture hangers

Digging through the rest, it was clear they were improperly sorted. There was another small basket with stuff on the shelf, so I grabbed it in case the item I sought was there. No such luck. But since this small basket was out, I might as well look at it as well. 

A second basket of stuff

I found a box of plates that go over electrical outlets, and I am sure we have outlets with missing plates. This is a job I never finished years ago, so I brought that upstairs to try and find the outlets. 

A box of outlet plates

I found a tin with thumbtacks and more picture hangers. Good grief—why? I'm so happy that I'm doing this. Can you imagine someone else opening that tin and talking about me and my strange organizing habits? The picture hooks went in one of those little boxes, so they are all together. I think I have a thumbtack box in my office, so those will all be together, and the tin will be empty, and I'll give it away. 

More loose stuff

I also found a set of quilt hangers and won't use them as I now have a different hanging system. If anyone wants them, they are yours for free. Otherwise, they go in the giveaway box. 

Wooden quilt hangers

A little ball inside that slot holds the quilt in place. 

The quilt hanger

Let's see -- Oh, I found these two things. What the heck are they? 

Two mystery items

Were the orange "buttons" from some piece of furniture? And they were to cover a screw? I have no idea where they are from - I really don't have any orange furniture in the house. But, they have been sitting in that storage room for many years and never touched. They are in the garbage. And that tool? I've no idea what that is. It has threads on the end as if it screwed into something. But what? That will likely go into the garbage as well. 

Before I knew it, the second little white basket was empty. So it went in the storage under the stairs where I keep extra baskets. One day, I might start getting rid of some of those, but at the moment, I keep them, so when I need a basket, I don't have to go and buy a new one. Don't worry -- I don't have many at this point in time and they are nicely stored in a laundry basket. 

An empty basket

While rummaging in that storage unit, I decided to take the bull by the horns and tidy up a bit. I'll show you and tell you what I did tomorrow. But while I was there, and my toolbox was handy, I grabbed the needle-nose pliers. 

I had two plaques sitting in the office. See, I am chipping—not leaps and bounds, but chipping! Anyway, I wanted to keep the pictures on the plaques, but I didn't want the wood base. A piece of plastic nailed to the wood held the images in place. 

Taking a plaque apart

I had previously tried to pry up the brads on the corners and had no luck. This time, I tried the needle-nose pliers, even though the brads were very round. Guess what? It worked like a charm, and in no time, I had the plastic off. 

The plastic is gone

One of the pictures was held in place with some tape, and the other was not. I also peeled the label (metal) off the wood. 

The plaque is dismantled

Each picture went into a plastic bag with the sticky sides out and went with M's keepsake stuff. It's an excellent memory of what they did at school, but I didn't want that big wooden base. The problem was solved, and TWO more things were out of the office. The office, by the way, has become the dumping ground. Whatever I don't know what to do with or how to solve, it comes in here. Hence -- it's a big job to deal with. Which is why I MUST do it. I would never leave this mess to someone else. 

I contemplated keeping the brads, but then I looked at them and realized some of them were bent. So, they went in my sharps container to be tossed when full. 

The brads are in the garbage

I know this will sound very silly, but the feeling of euphoria I got from accomplishing this was incredible. I'm practically running around the house with excitement. And remember that quote from the other day. Let me get it for you. 

The source of energy - finishing a task!

I tell you—my energy is based on how much I get done! I know it doesn't work for everyone, as I'm in good health and all that. But I tell you—the more I get done, the more I want to get done, and the more I do!!!!

I had fun doing some videos yesterday. And let me tell you - that is a "fun" thing to do. Especially when you've taped it, and all is good, except, at the very last second, you screw up and have to do it all over again! It happened several times, but I was good with the final product - I had to tape three of them. 

There is only one problem. I was looking for my phone. What the heck did I do with it? Oh yes, it's on the tripod!!! DUH!!!! Obviously, the phone wasn't there at the moment I took the picture because I needed the phone to take the picture! 

My camera tripod

I updated my Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3 with the latest update, and everything worked well. It just took a long time. I don't think I've ever used a USB to do the update. I have Wi-Fi connectivity, and I'm not afraid to use it!! 

Then, I had a bit of sewing to do and got a couple of half-square triangles done. Oh yes, I had to trim them right away—no slacking off or accumulating for me!!! Holy, I am a new person!!!

Trimming half-square triangles

The customer quilt of the day was finished and I have to trim a couple of them before they can be picked up. 

Customer quilt  - DONE

My queue of customer quilts is pretty slim these days, so if anyone has a quilt they want done, let me know. However, I shouldn't say that, as I know I won't have time for anything other than the ones I currently have until October.  

The next quilt is loaded on the long arm and ready to go later today. Then, I started work on prepping the next quilt. Don't forget I have community project quilts and some of my own that need to be quilted. This area is a revolving door as far as quilts go. 

The "on deck" area for the quilts

And I had to prep the batting for this one. 

Prepping the batting for the next quilt

While I was doing that, I realized that I was walking across the room to get my press cloth. DUH—I have a drawer in that ironing board, so the press cloth is there now, along with my small ruler and scissors, which I use when I'm making the final join on a binding. 

The drawer in my ironing board

I love it when all the components for a quilt are prepped and ready to go on the long arm. This one is loaded and ready to go today. 

The prepped bits for a quilt

So, someone in our house isn't getting the message. I am very diligent about the dishwasher, which I empty in the morning when I'm making tea. Can you tell me why this cup is sitting on the counter? Later in the day, there was a glass beside it. It's nice and neat, but why not open the dishwasher and put it in? 

Hmmm -- why isn't this cup in the dishwasher?

The other day, I showed you a tree that had been hit by a car and knocked down. Well, now it's a lamp post, and these things are big and made of concrete. This happened on a big street near me that is known for speeding. 

A felled lamp post

I have one area in Studio B that needs some TLC. It's what I call my scrapbook area. There are shelves, drawers, and a bookcase, but it's a mess. Look at the table; it is supposed to be clear so I can work there. 

There is a table under there!

I'll eventually get to that area, but it's not on my priority list at the moment. 

Oh shoot—I forgot the links to the software classes. Here they are. All the classes are on Zoom and are specifically for machine embroidery software, mySewnet. 

Stitch by Stitch - Kingston  - scroll down to find the Embroidery Software Series on the right-hand side. 

Needleworks Studio - Cochrane

So check those out and get signed up!!!!

On that note, I'm off for another day of adventure at my house. Oh -- the applique got done!! Don't you worry about that!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Quilt pattern controversy

 Let's start with the classes before I get lost in my thoughts!!! 

There are TWO more classes at The Hobby Horse, so I will post that link again. There are the October to June monthly one-hour lectures on finishing your quilt. There is so much to share in that! And there are FOUR in-person sessions—two of them are on machine quilting, and two of them are demos on various topics. Angie and I will be doing those two sessions as a team. It will be super fun, a chance for you to get out of the house and learn something new WITHOUT starting a new project!! 

I'm also teaching a couple of classes at Thimbles and Things. They are now offering quite a few in-store classes, but the three that I'm teaching are all on Zoom!! Here are the links to the three Zoom classes I'm teaching. 

Dear Jen, I was silly enough to go another Jen Kingwell quilt! This runs from October to June. 

Orchid Mini (Legit Kits) is a "new" way to paper piece! It's a two-part class. 

Saturday Sampler - this session runs from October to December and covers three topics

There is also Spice Market, which I'm teaching on Zoom and is not associated with a store. For those of you who have signed up, you have received an automated reply and are in the class. I should be sending more information in a couple of weeks. 

I'm teaching machine embroidery software classes (mySewnet) at two stores, and I'll post the links tomorrow. 

So that's a very doable list of classes! And they mostly start in October, which is good because my September is a complete write-off. I'm excited about them and need to start the homework prep, but I have other things on my plate. 

I almost had an applique "fail" yesterday. I got part of the daily quota of applique done in the morning and then went to the optometrist in the afternoon. They dilated my pupils, and I couldn't see a thing in the afternoon. But after dinner, things were back to normal, and I persevered. It would NOT have been the end of the world if I didn't get it done, but after all the work I've done in the past couple of weeks and not get the assignment done? I could NOT let that happen. So it's done, and I'm all set to continue today. I tell you, this seems like a never-ending applique project. There is a LOT of applique, and while I'm much closer to the finish than I was, there's still a lot of applique! 

Then the quilts have to be sewn together and binding and backing made, so I'm not out of the woods yet, but I should be able to finish them by the September deadline. That is going to be a happy day!!!

Speaking of going to the optometrist -- yikes -- she was young! I almost mistook her for the receptionist! But at least I wouldn't have to worry about her retiring! All seemed fine, except they wanted to give me a prescription for readers. I'm not keen on it as I'm super hard on glasses, and having only one pair of readers means I'll be running around the houses looking for that pair. I think I'll hold off for a while before I go that route. Does anyone have experience with prescription readers? 

And here's the other thing. I know that this store has bargain frames. The last time I was there, the bargain frames were in a drawer. This time, they are on the shelf, but in the back corner, along with the children's frames. I want the kids' frames!!!! 

Cool KIDS glasses

Those are funky glasses, and if I'm going to get readers, they should be funky! Can I get a kids' frame to fit me? 

She wants to refer me to someone else because she saw something in my eye, so I guess I better follow up with that. 

I had two phone calls to make in the morning, and I thought both would take forever, but both were quick, and I got what I wanted. My old dentist (at least 20 years ago) keeps sending us birthday cards. Why? So I finally called and the receptionist said, "Oh, your accounts were never flagged as inactive." So that has changed, and I hope to never get another birthday card from them. 

The second was to change an airplane ticket that I knew would cost me money as I had "bought" it cheap through points. After a short wait, I got the BEST call center person ever. She was determined to get my ticket changed without me paying for the change. She tried to sell me on flying at a different date and time than I wanted, but I was firm on when I wanted to fly. Then she tried a couple of other things, and then she tried what I wanted, and lo and behold, it went through without a fee change. 

Now, that could very well be because of the upcoming labor action, but my flight was outside the parameters of that. I won't ask questions - just take the new ticket and run!!!

I had a hot date yesterday with my steam press! I had a lot of fusing to do, and it was so easy and quick to use. The fusible fleece and heavy-weight interfacing aren't going anywhere! It's so much faster than a regular iron. 

The steam press

One more customer quilt is done. This is the same person as the previous one—she loves this style of fabric. Again, it wasn't super large, but the quilting is dense, so it still takes time. The next one (also from the same person) is loaded and ready to go later this morning. I'm right on track!!

Customer quilt - DONE

Murphy and I sat outside in the morning and enjoyed a cup of tea. She only wanted to sniff everything or get as close to me as possible, so she was a royal pain. I'm sure Lexi would be much quieter! 

MOM -- new smells in this corner!

I'm browsing through some old quilt magazines, and while they are old, there is so much in them that's applicable today. They over-bought fabric, had trouble finding places to store it, had too many UFOs, started too many projects, etc. I'm reading these old magazines as part of cleaning up the shelves in Studio B. It's an extremely slow process. Instead of reading a book when having my tea, I need to be reading those magazines. I paid for them and will read them, so don't tell me to toss the old ones. I have a plan! 

But I got a chuckle out of this ad. 

Do you know what those rectangles are?

Do you know what that is? How many of you had quilt-themed cheques? OK—what's a cheque? I had someone do some work several months ago, and I didn't have cash, so I gave him a cheque. I think it was the first cheque he received!

Here's something controversial I found in the magazine (dated Summer 1999). What are your thoughts on the design? 

Baltimore Brides Quilt (designed by Patricia Cox

Did you see anything amiss? How about in this picture? 

Do you like this design?

I remember when things like this caused considerable discussion in the guilds. The ladies who had been quilting much longer than I would think this is proper. Myself? I find it unsettling!!! Can you spot what I'm talking about? This is one thing that relates to "we've always done it this way!" There is no right or wrong in this situation; it's what makes you happy!

Something was weird at the gas stations yesterday. There are two kitty corner to each other, and they are usually POINT 3 cents different in price. Yesterday? They were FIVE cents different, with the other one being 148.6. GASP --- Perhaps someone made a mistake? I think this one is the correct price, but it fluctuates throughout the day, so it's anyone's guess as to the gas price. 

The price of gas is down!

And when I was out reading in the afternoon in the backyard, Yep—big slacker that I am!!! Miss Murphy was being entertained by something in the forest. At least she wasn't barking!!! 

MOM -- there's a good show on the forest channel!!!

And then it was dinner time. DH is still not feeling well, so I wasn't sure he would make it to the table, and I couldn't start the game alone! But there is the EXIT game!!! We whipped through the first two puzzles like they were nothing!! Did we get lucky? Or is the game an easy one? Or are we just that much more intelligent? 

The latest EXIT Adventure Game

Either way, it was fun to get back to it!! 

I can keep Studio B relatively neat and tidy, considering that I'm currently working on a few projects. But when I had to use the steam press, it was a joy to simply plug it in and turn it on. I wouldn't have been so happy having to make room on a table for it, dig it out, etc. So, the bottom line is that it's better to keep your tools out than your projects. So the serger, the steam press, the sewing machine - whatever tools you have. I'd make room for those and find tubs to put the projects in. You can only work on one of them (or two or three) at a time, so put the rest away to prevent them from distracting you. 

That's what I've done, and I'm shocked at how much it has changed the way I work. Yes, I still have Mount Projects in the room, but it's easy to ignore because it's out of the way. I have space to work, and it's fabulous!!!!

Well, it's another day to progress on the sewing stuff, so I'd better get started! Remember to check out the classes above, and if you have questions, let me know. 

Have a super day!!! 

Ciao!!!

A focused mind is a wonderful thing

One final word on doing things alone. It's not that I don't have friends - I have friends and acquaintances I could call on to do some things. It's not that I couldn't drag DH along, but here's the thing. We need to learn to live with ourselves and FOR ourselves. When we are alone - how do we handle a crisis? How do we handle the good times when we have no one to share our victories with? How do we handle the mundane things that happen every day? If we don't know how to live with ourselves, what will we do as we age and friends and loved ones disappear? We will be lost. I have no intention of getting lost. 

We've all had some problem areas in our house that we want to tackle. I mean, in the decluttering or organizing world. It's an overwhelming space—like my office. Well, I'm chipping away at that space. But here's the upside to all this sorting. Studio U became a dumping ground for a lot of stuff, but after I got that large rolling cart, I was able to find a home for many things. 

Once you find a home for some things, you want to find a home for everything. The beauty is that the more times you hit the same room, the easier and faster it becomes. 

I sorted the small wall hangings into two piles. One is for quilts that I will likely never need—I wonder who would like a small quilt, or what I can do with these small items? The other is for quilts that I want to keep. I found a spot in the guest room at the bottom of the closet to store those two containers. 

The mini quilts

Then, I was able to clear the pile of Trendtex quilts, and I took pictures so I could share them with you one day soon. There was a pile of medium wall hangings, and I also found a space on the rolling cart for those. 

The larger wall hangings need a home. The next time I need samples, I'm going to have to rejig the rolling cart to make that easier, and I hope to find a home for these larger wall hangings then. In the meantime, they will reside in Studio U. It'll also help when I donate a quilt or two from the rolling cart to make room for these. 

The larger wall hangings still need a home

Do you know how good it feels to have a home for those quilts? I can roll that cart from room to room if I need to move them, but no more rolls of quilts, no more piles of quilts to move! It's so darn exciting!!! And NO quilts are under any bed. Those areas are free of anything, except maybe dust bunnies. 

The desk in Studio U is completely clear. I've eliminated all the small drawer units in this room except one under this desk. It has some knitting stuff in it, so it can stay. I need to review the cabinets under this desk, but everything is pretty good. There are knitting UFOs in there, but we're not going there today! 

The desk is clear

There was a small basket of stuff where the sewing machine sits, and I sorted through all that, and it's dealt with. It takes so little time to buzz through and clear up those odds and ends, but it takes a long time to get there. Is it worth it? You bet!!!! 

All that remains of the "junk" in this room are a few boxes sitting on the cutting table. That stool is likely going to be donated, as well, as I won't use it. I also have a bicycle stand that is used for indoor training. Unless someone wants it, it's going to hit Facebook Marketplace. Don't worry about the price - it's going cheap - just to get it out of the house. 

The cutting table needs a bit of work

Now that this has been dealt with, more or less, it's going to be a breeze to keep neat and tidy. I love being able to buzz around a room and tidy it within ten minutes. I think I'm down to three minutes in the kitchen. Everything has a home, and only a few small things sit on the counter, so if you're diligent about putting stuff away - it's super easy. I also put things away as I use them. DH does not, so when he cooks, the kitchen is a disaster - it drives me crazy, but I say nothing since he eventually puts it away. 

In my cleaning process, I found dried-up glue sticks and dried-up Krazy Glue. All of them are now in the garbage. It's so nice to be able to take a few minutes to do this. 

Dried-up glue sticks

So here's a bit of advice for you. I understand you may be so busy that you need more time to clean and tidy. I tell myself that I'm going to have so much MORE time because I'm cleaning and tidying. And I deal with the little things right now, like the garbage. Getting to this point has not been easy, and I swear it's something that most of us have to train ourselves to do. I wish I had started earlier, but I have no regrets because I'm doing it now. But I wish I had taught my daughter about this. 

I need to go through that batting closet in Studio U the next time I need batting bits. There are lots of other batting supplies besides the bits, and I'm going through it all and will use it up for my community project quilts. I'll probably use the other stuff on the shelf BEFORE the batting bits. It all has to be sorted, and it all has to go!!! I want that closet clear, and I have a plan! 

Yes -- I should dive into the office and get it cleaned once and for all, but I'm chipping away at it, and it's going to happen. It will --- I'm just "savoring" the process!!! 

I completed a customer quilt. It wasn't too large, but because she likes dense quilting, it took some time to complete. 

Customer quilt - DONE

And then, I tackled the applique for the day. Yesterday was the worst day in terms of the quantity and shapes of the pieces. 

A lot of work to get these leaves done

However, the good news is that those leaves are done! No -- I'm not done, but like anything else, I'm chipping away at it, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Little bit by little bit - it WILL GET DONE!! I am not going to let myself down now. I'm still determining where this focus comes from, but I'm taking advantage of it as much as possible. 

I thought this quote was rather interesting in the light of what I'm trying to do these days. 

Interesting quote

I swear this works!!! I'm gaining energy from the clean spaces in my house and checking things off the lists. I'm almost always happy, but I feel happier and more content, knowing I'm finally taking charge of this stuff. I don't know why I waited so long or what my tipping point was, but I'm well over the other side, and this will hopefully be the new me for the rest of my life! I want to prove everyone wrong and say that I sewed up my entire stash!!!! Good luck with that one, and you can stop laughing now!!!!

You know the saying, "She who dies with the most fabric wins?" I want to be the one who dies with the least amount of fabric. 

Since the book I bought on sale at the thrift shop the other day is sewing-related, I thought I'd share it with you. It's called Fabric Science and looks like a textbook. This is the 9th edition and was published in 2010. I paid about $7 for it. The latest edition is the 11th edition, published in 2015, and costs much more! Yes --- there is new stuff in the 11th, but for my purpose of educating myself, this edition will suffice. I don't need the absolute latest. It's a fascinating book on how ALL kinds of fabrics are made. 

Fabric Science book

Do I need another book? Probably not, but I hope to read these books soon. 

Here's something else I'm trying to do, and it's easy at the moment because of my schedule. But that is being mindful of many things. I used to come in from walking the girls and make a cup of tea. I'd tidy the kitchen while the kettle boiled, then go downstairs or to the computer and drink the tea while I worked. The tea was always cold at the end and took hours to drink. 

I'm trying to be mindful about enjoying that cup of tea. I take it outside and sit on the front patio with a novel, reading and enjoying my tea. Then I start to work! We need to do the same with food! We eat so much without realizing that we are eating—it's very unhealthy!!!

As we were having dinner last night, DH piped up with, "Where's those games we were playing?" OH GOSH—that totally escaped (pun intended) my mind. So I ran downstairs and grabbed the first one I saw in the stash. We start tonight!!!!

Our NEXT EXIT adventure game

This is a small game with ten puzzles, so hopefully, we can complete it before the craziness of September travel hits both of us. 

I promised to talk about classes today, but I'm running out of time. 

I will post the links to the classes so you can sign up for them. I'll start with the Hobby Horse. This link will direct you to THREE classes—two of them are INPERSON machine quilting. The third one is a Zoom class (9 - one-hour lectures) that will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about binding and finishing off a quilt. The sign-up and payment are online. The class on finishing will be loads of fun and very informative, and you won't want to miss it. 

The best part of all three classes is that they are TECHNIQUE classes, so they will help you make better quilts, learn something new, and hopefully finish up some UFOS without starting a new project! That's a win-win!

OK—I'll deal with the next set of classes tomorrow, but be sure to check those out. 

On that note, I'm out of here!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Doing things alone is a good thing!

There are several things I have learned over the years in setting expectations for how things turn out. 

1. You can over-plan! You spend so much time planning the event that when it actually happens, it's melodramatic and a let-down. The event occurs in a flash, and there's no time to enjoy it, especially if you're constantly watching to see that everything happens as planned. I suppose part of the event is the planning, but that's not me. I like to wing things! 
2. You can do anything alone! I do not know why doing things alone has such a stigma. It used to be worse, and things like sitting in a restaurant alone were considered very uncool. You had no friends, you were a loser, or whatever. I've since learned that if I didn't bite the bullet and do some things alone, I would never experience many things. So, I have zero issues doing things alone. The first thing DH said when I told him what I was doing was - "and you're going by yourself?" YES, I AM!!!
3. I don't hold high expectations of having the best time of my life. I'm going for an experience, and if it doesn't turn out exactly how I want, I'll go with the flow. It doesn't mean I'll accept shoddy, but I'm OK if I have to be flexible. Being flexible is easier when you're alone.  

Having said that, I had no plans for my birthday until last week. Then I decided that I would go to the mall. I know—big, exciting plans! But one of my favorite "treat" restaurants is at the mall. There is this amazing creperie, and they serve sweet and savory crepes. The place is usually packed at lunchtime, so I went a bit early, and I had a sweet crepe for lunch! As well as a hot chocolate, and it was delicious. 

My apple pie crepe

And my hot chocolate

I sat out in the small seating area in the hallway rather than in the restaurant, and lo and behold, someone I knew stopped by, and we had a grand chat! I rarely meet someone I know at the mall, so I think that was part of the plan!!!

Wait—after I came back from walking the girls, I sat outside on the front patio and drank my tea. I drink the Yogi teas, which are nice. 

Yogi tea

Until several months ago, I did not realize they had a quote attached to each tea bag. Look at my quote from yesterday. 

The quote of the day

I thought that was pretty fitting for me at this moment. I may be one year older, but that doesn't mean I'm still not trying to improve myself. I want to be a better person, learn everything I can about what interests me, and continue my journey. 

Speaking of that, have you ever watched those decluttering shows and then wondered what it looks like a month later, a year later? Did the person learn anything to maintain the neat and tidy in their house? Or was it just a one-time thing, and they returned to their old ways? 

I know this is a very small thing, but every time I open my utensil drawer and see this, I get excited. 

My utensil drawer is still neat and tidy

It didn't take very long to organize, and it cost very little to get the three trays. It keeps the utensils that we use handy, so it's easy to put them away and even easier to find what you want. I know there are things in that drawer that we do not use (like, who needs six spatulas?), but they are neat and tidy, so they can stay. 

The utensils that went into the other drawer are never used or very rarely used, and we don't have to shuffle through a ton of stuff to find what we want. Just a simple task can make a huge difference in how you live your life!

Anyway, once I finished my brunch, I had some shopping to do. I also stopped at the optometrist to get my sunglasses adjusted. They were so stretched and bent out of shape that I'm surprised they stayed on my head. 

I even found some new shirts, and they were all on sale. One shop, so that was good. I have an upcoming filming session, and I really didn't have anything appropriate, but I found three tops, some of which can be embellished with either embroidery or stitching, so I've got to put my thinking cap on. 

And then I went to the movie theatre. Yep—all of this is in the same mall. Rather than me driving around to various places, I'm happy to change. My optometrist moved out of the mall (he was in the Lens Crafters store), but in order to go to his new location, I'd have to drive. I hadn't been with him long, so I have no qualms about switching to the new optometrist. So, I have an appointment for later this week. 

I had a gift card for the theatre, so I got popcorn and a drink and paid for the movie with the card. With enough money left for another movie!

Ready for the movie!

All the seats in this theatre are comfy reclining ones, which I think is changing in most theatres these days. Anyway, it was a great movie, and I was happy. I saw Twisters, in case you wanted to know what I saw!!!

Reclining seats are the best at the theatre!

After that, I walked to the thrift store to pick up a book I'd been eyeing—it was seniors' day, after all. At first, I thought the book was gone, but nope—it was still there. And what's the deal at the thrift store? I'm into the Dowdle brand of puzzles these days, but they charge the SAME price for the 300-piece puzzle as the 1000-piece? That's not right!! 

It was a tad HOT yesterday, but that's OK. You just walk on the shady side of the street. All my purchases fit into my little shopping bag, and I was good. 

Let's say I was NOT hungry for the rest of the day. I didn't eat much, but that bag of popcorn, which I couldn't finish, filled me up!!! 

I sat in the backyard, reading my book, and chatted with my aunt, who also shares my birthday. 

Here's a couple of animal pictures to share. This is Lexi at her grooming station in the forest. Three more brush fulls of hair, and she still looks a mess. And the pile in the forest gets bigger. Where are the squirrels and rabbits? They should be stealing this fur to make their nests, but of course, on a hot day like yesterday, they wouldn't be thinking about winter at all.  

Lexi getting her daily groom

And this picture would freak me out. My future son-in-law took this picture from a window in his house. He has company!! He lives near the Capilano Bridge in North Vancouver. But if you look at the map, there are very heavily treed areas right at the city's border, so it's not surprising. This is the second time he's shared photos of bears in the backyard. I guess when Little Bear goes to visit, he only goes in the backyard with supervision!!! 

Hello friend!

I did no other sewing or quilting, other than the little bit I accomplished in the morning. I didn't even touch the applique!! But I have a few extra days built into that schedule, so I'm not worried. It was nice to take a day off! 

Yesterday was the day I was supposed to fly home from Spain. Although I still have three weeks blocked in my calendar, I must return to serious work! I have deadlines looming for some stuff. September will be brutal regarding things that must be done and events to attend, and then the quilting classes start back up in October. But all is good!!!

I know some people just can't entertain the thought of doing something alone, but seriously -- if you wait for someone to do the things you want, you may never get a chance to do them! I had the most fantastic day celebrating my birthday, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Doing things alone is a GOOD THING --- we need to stop the stigma that this is bad!!! Trust me -- it took a while for me to wrap my head around this one - the thought of eating alone in a restaurant terrified me because I thought it made me look like a loser. Today, I look at people eating alone and call them confident and practical!! 

Tomorrow, we're going to revisit the class situation for the fall!!!

On that note, I'm off to spin class this morning. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!