Thank you Mom and Dad!

Several years ago, I worked for a fabric company, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I won't go into detail, but let's just say we did not see eye to eye. I was let go (a..k.a. You're FIRED!), and I felt a bit sad at the time. 

However, I've realized that was the BEST thing that could have happened to me. The industry/market experience I gained was invaluable (yes -- enough to put up with the "issues"), and now I have an even better job. I'm working with technology which fires me up way more than fabric does. At this point, the fabric is only important to me because I can use it as a medium for my technology, but the actual fabric collection or pattern? I couldn't care less! 

With fabric, the only option you have is to encourage people to buy MORE. To be truthful, I'm not a salesperson (OK -- I'm an enabler), but I am, first and foremost  - a teacher. So working in the technology world, I teach people how to use the technology they have bought! Oh yes --- this is a match made in heaven!! I'm in my glory, and well --- this is something that I can do any day, all day, regardless of whether I'm working for a specific company or freelancing! 

It only took how long to get here? But a quote that I saw yesterday said, "you are NOT starting over, but you are restarting with experience."  Something like that. WOW --- and how profound these moments are when they come to your brain! That epiphany came while I waited for my oatmeal to cook this morning. I've been in this happy place for several years -- and it didn't happen overnight. 

I'm excited because I have two presentations this morning, and both are prepped. The presentations are done, and the demo bits are assembled and tested. Gosh --- the more I do something, the easier it becomes, and I'm becoming very familiar with Reference Guides, especially when it comes to software!

The more I do, the more I learn, and the more I want to know it ALL. I have just scratched the surface of what my embroidery software can do, but boy, it is exciting when it all comes together. 

So we had our first class on EQ8 software in the morning. Gosh -- I love that software, and again, there is so much you can do with it! I love taking any software and using it for OTHER purposes. It's design software, and anything you want to design -- why not? But then, can I use those designs with my other tech tools? You bet! 

Then we had the session on digital cutters. There is a HUGE need for information in this area. Again, there are so many things that one can do with a digital cutter. Expand beyond what everyone else is doing and think out of the box. How can this cutter help me with my day-to-day life? Yep --- I'm going to push those students, and they will push me, and at the end of the year, we're all going to be so much smarter! 

Here's the thing -- most tech companies don't care about your learning. OK -- that's not 100% true, but their focus is on the bottom line and how many units they sell. They often rely on third-party people to do the teaching/training. And here's a HUGE controversial subject. Is that a good thing if you are an ambassador for a company? Many industry people say NO, but those excited to get free equipment say yes. If you think about it --- the company receives "free" advertising whenever you mention their product, and they expect you to produce things made with it. And all it cost the company was the loan (not something they gave away), but the LOAN of a machine. 

It's all about the bottom line -- it's easy to "pay" people with an equipment loan or fabric, which doesn't cost the company the full retail price than to pay a marketing firm in CASH to promote their product. So for the company, having Ambassadors is excellent, but from an individual perspective, it can involve a LOT of time and effort, and you get very little in return. 

I know many people up in arms about the "slave labor" they perceive Ambassadors do. In a way, it makes sense because some Ambassadors pour their heart and soul into it, and I guess those are the ones that LOVE what they do and don't care if they are being "exploited." Everyone's situation is so different. 

Influencers are another ball game, and I'm not going there. 

I am NOT an Ambassador for any company, but I still pour my heart and soul into what I do. I could do many things that make way more money, but I love to do this, and I can afford to do it, so you are all stuck with me! 

I spent the afternoon puttering in the sewing room, but I don't have much to show. Some of it is for presentations this morning, and some for blog posts. But OH my --- I was able to accomplish what I wanted in editing my embroidery design. It is NOT perfect, but it works; that is all I care about. I'll take that learning experience and expand on it for the next project. Yep -- there'll always be a next project. 

I've averaged 12.5 KM a day of walking since the new year, which isn't that spectacular given that we are only one week into the year, and the weather has been amazing except for the lack of sun, which attempted to peek its head out yesterday for mere seconds. 

OK -- so I made progress on the cutting table, but not as much as I would like. 

The cutting table

There are still a few things that need to be put away; the rest is the CURRENT projects I need to complete this week. Stuff that I'm prepping or sewing or embroidering. I still have a lot of machine embroidery, and I NEED to get it done. Hopefully, this afternoon, I can tackle the remainder of it. But this is the best shape that the cutting table has been in. And I could have it perfect in about one hour, so I will try to find that hour today. 

Can you believe I only had one picture to share with you? Wait -- there's one more I took yesterday, and let me find it. 

Maybe that large shopping bag isn't such a bad idea. I read the flyer for the drugstore, and they have the most fantastic popcorn on sale, so I went to buy some. I bought four bags and had my few groceries in the bottom. That large bag was a godsend! The popcorn is my afternoon snack when I can get it on sale, and I won't pay full price for it! 

My large shopping bag came in HANDI! (no pun intended -- oh yes --- pun intended!)

It's still too large for most of my errands, so I will chop it down. 

Here are some examples of combining technologies in my world that excite the heck out of me. 

I created all four of these ladybug designs. The one in the top left is 100% machine embroidery. The next one is machine embroidery applique with fabric, the next one is machine embroidery using an outline stitch only, and the final one is done with cardstock. I started with an image in some software. Now that's pretty darn cool!

Four ways to make a ladybug

This next sample started with an image from a coloring book, and I did some outline stitching with machine embroidery. The one above the outline stitching is done with fill stitches in embroidery, the middle one is done with paper, and the one on the top right is machine embroidery applique. 

Projects created from a coloring book photo

That is so much fun, but it taxes your brain to make it all work and even think up the darn stuff! But I'm determined to make this all happen, and the more I do, the easier it becomes!

This is a tree that I cut using my digital cutter. I did this and shared it with you a while back. This is NOT perfect, and I need to experiment some more. That is on my plate for this month. 

My fabric tree cut on the digital cutter

These classes are PUSHING me and my brain to the limit to keep ahead of the students and to become proficient. So bring it on!!! 

I'm very happy filling in my Happiness journal at the end of the day, and I LOVE those colored pens, but I really need a holder for them. It's so much fun to read what happened on this day in 2012 and 2013. As the year progresses, I won't have that entertainment!

I'm not sure how I became a morning person, but I want to thank my parents (we never do that enough) for making me who I am. I know they didn't make me exactly how I am today -- I have a lot of personal experience (i.e., mistakes!) to thank for that. But setting good routines (we were NEVER allowed to sleep in), we had chores to do (as I'm sure most of you did), but just good character and, most of all, the LOVE of doing things with my hands and my brain. And being excited and curious! That comes from both my parents, and I can't thank them enough for giving me that gift! And while my body will grow old and tired, I hope my brain never does! 

Well, it's time to get the day started! So much to do and so little time! And I'm so excited about our classes this morning! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The leaning tree is still leaning

 OH my -- I see you are all putting me to the test with comments! I'll be answering them very soon! 

I found something that might help with the legs of that quilting table, and while the table has adjustable legs, I NEED much more than I can get from those adjustments. More on that another day!

You see, there was a reason that I had to get that Platinum 160 together. I had a visitor yesterday who came to rent the machine. And YES -- it needed to be up! I spent about 15 minutes explaining the machine to her and its THREE modes of operation (actually, there are more if you consider whether you use the foot pedal or the start button), but she took to it like a duck to water!

She likes to machine quilt -- YES -- even free motion, but hates doing it on a domestic sewing machine. So she was in her glory and the one thing I noticed the minute she started playing around with her practice piece was that SHE had practiced on her domestic machine. This was NOT her first round of free-motion quilting, and you could tell!! KUDOS to her for that! 

I think she'll be back! It was great that the machine got set up, and I had some IN-PERSON company for a change. However, because of seeing this person somewhat frequently on Zoom, I didn't feel out of touch with her!

While she worked, I had one of the embroidery machines working. There's so much to do and so much to learn! I'll share my adventures in a future blog post, so watch for that! But what fun as I learn the ins and outs of the mySewnet embroidery software. That software is an extremely valuable tool, and there are still areas that mystify me, but I'm getting there! I will NOT let it defeat me!

And what I did yesterday turned out amazing!! Something that I put together, and I LOVE it. It's simple, but sometimes simple is better. 

I mentioned that I reported that large leaning tree to the city. Two days ago, when I was walking past, I noticed this big X on a dead tree stump near the tree. My first thought was -- NO -- they cannot have mistaken this stump for the leaning tree. 

A big red X

Attached to that dead stump was another dead tree. And when we passed yesterday, the dead tree behind was removed at the same height (about 5 feet) from the ground. 

Two dead stumps

Meanwhile, the leaning tree stays standing. You can see it on the left of the photo, so I can't imagine they didn't spot it -- it's a huge tree and leaning very badly. 

The leaning tree

There's even a massive crack in the back of the tree. Oh well, I did my duty, and I'm going to assume the forestry department decided the tree was safe, or if it fell, it wasn't going to hit those houses behind it. But the next time we have a major wind storm? Let's see. I hope I'm wrong. It's become a squirrel condo, as you can hear them inside the tree. 

A crack in the tree

Oh shoot -- I forgot to take a picture of my cutting table, but I managed to get some sashing pieces cut that I need for my 150 Canadian Women quilt. You'll see what I did with them tomorrow. I know --- it's always tomorrow!

Sashing for 150 Canadian Women's quilt

I trimmed the half-square triangles that had been pressed the other day, and no new ones have been pressed. I had other things to do! 

More HSTs trimmed

Oh -- there is a picture of the cutting table, but this is different from what it looks like this morning. I am so close - I'm giddy about the cutting table and my system! I've had a plan in mind for YEARS, and I was drowning in stuff, so I could never make it happen. Well, I'm close! Wait for it!

The cutting table is ALMOST clear

I finally emptied this tray, and now what do I do with it? I was such a sucker for anything with bicycles on it, and this was a nice tray, but I've outgrown it? I'll find another use. It's now in my storage area with other empty containers. 

An empty tray

Speaking of cutting tables, here is a before and after from Cathy. This looks familiar -- the cutting table is a NICE height upon which to place things that are TOTALLY not quilt related. This looks like Christmas stuff. 

A messy cutting table

And now look at it --- all clean and ready to do some serious cutting!!

The after looks much more inviting to work on

I have a few things that I want to quilt on the sit-down quilting machine, and for the moment, they will reside on the machine table. They must not LANGUISH there -- I need to get them done! 

Two small quilts to quilt

As part of my cleanup of the cutting table, I've found more designs I made while at Sheridan College. Well, I don't need any of them, so I'm cutting the paper up to be used in the printer, and it'll be gone. 

A forest design?

Leopard skin?

It looks like an animal or woodsy theme was happening. I have no idea why these were created. But other than that picture -- they are history!

As I mentioned, these New Balance shoes have held up very well, even though they had mesh in the toes. However, I noticed that one of them was starting to get thin. So to eek more life out of them, I got some shiny duck tape and inserted two small pieces in that area. Now the toes are as good as new. And DH had a great way of looking at the cost of these running shoes, which cost $200. OUCH! And to last only three months, but his thought was to look at how much each KM cost, which is less than 20 cents, so that is a good deal! It just depends on how quickly you burn up the KM. 

My reinforced toes

And you can't tell! Well, I need a new pair, but next week, I'm going to source a different brand and one that I might use for the Camino this year. Let's say that I will NOT make the same mistake again. I'll try trail runners, a popular trend, lighter yet equally durable as hiking shoes. 

Oh my -- -I've been looking at quotes for mistakes, and there are lots. The biggest mistake you can make is NOT to learn from it, and I learned big time. So we'll see how that goes. Will I wear my fancy socks? I don't wear them now, so why would I wear them in my new shoes for the Camino? Again, more experimenting to see what works. 

Speaking of mistakes, I was walking yesterday and passed these buildings that are getting a new roof. 

Getting a new roof

And it's the ENTIRE building that is getting new shingles. Now here's the thing. We've lived in our house for 20 years (in August), and when we moved, that area was a field, and it was several years before anything was built there. Let's say those buildings are 15 years. After 15 years -- they need a new roof? WOW!!! 

Well, there is lots to do today -- I have two presentations, and I'm mostly ready for them both. Just a few more pictures to take and add to the presentations. There's so much to share, and I hope people will be willing to make mistakes! If not, well --- as they used to say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink! 

So back to your cutting table -- what doesn't have a home and isn't on your IMMEDIATE radar? Then those items need to disappear --- how you make them disappear is your thing. Put them in a box and label them? Put them on the storage shelves? Donate, give away, throw out? It needs to be dealt with. I know the struggle as I've suffered from that excess for many years. I wish I could find pictures of what my cutting table used to look like. It was horrible! The same cutting table as I have now, with a 12" square open in one corner to work! The rest was heaped with things. I thought that was good! Now I've learned that it's bad! At least bad for me! 

Sit down with a cup of tea one day in your sewing space and contemplate what it could look like when everything is put away. Then pick an area and start! 

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

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!!

New habits

There are TWO new habits that I want to add to my OCD behavior this year. One is to write in The Happiness Project book every day, which takes no time at all, and the second is to promptly respond to ALL the comments that people post on the blog. So far -- I'm good! 

As M (my daughter) mentioned and I had planned, The Happiness Project book (the blue book I just found again) is by my bed, and those new snazzy colored gel pens. My writing sucks, and it is even worse writing in bed. Sigh  - I'll try to make it neater, but there are NO promises in that category. Hey --- if no one can read it, that's OK. It's mostly for me, anyway!

But I will need an easy way to access all those colored pens -- I LOVE them. And I'll choose a different color every day! OH -- a quick and easy project to make! I need to keep a list of those small projects that I want to make, so when I need to make something for QUILTsocial, I already have items to make!

And if people (YOU) took the time to write comments on the blog, I feel it's a MUST to respond to those comments. It's been hit-and-miss in the past, but it's a good connection to people. So if you comment, expect a response from me in a day or two!

Hm--- so I went to the post office at the mall two days ago to mail a sample of an upcoming workshop I'm teaching at the Niagara Heritage Quilter's Guild. That's booked for March 23. I bought a bubble wrap envelope, had it all filled out, and took it to the cash. The manager was insistent that I should use a BOX instead. Better service, faster, cheaper, blah, blah, blah. 

I'd already written on the bubble envelope, so that would be wasting the envelope. The package arrived the next day! So that wasn't so bad for the less desirable option. How much faster would it have gotten there with the box? The same day? I think not!

So I was back at the post office yesterday to mail something else. This time, I used the flat rate box. It was a different person at the counter (DARN!), but I had it all filled out and labeled when I got there, as the cashier commented. Well, why wouldn't I? 

This box is going to Oshawa, about the same distance as the other package, but in a different direction. It was $1 cheaper! Let's see what happens!!! 

Using a flat-rate box

And while I was at the mall AGAIN, I decided to check out this wrap I keep passing. I LOVE wraps, and yes -- I already have a few too many, but this one is very dressy compared to my others, and the best part -- it's plain and can be embroidered!!! 

Can you believe that the one I wanted and saw the day before was GONE? Of course! This time I tried on the item to see if I really liked it. Yes, it's excellent, but I'm not a powder blue girl, so I asked if they had different colors. They have another store, and yes, they do. So they are shipping the other colors to this store so I can have a look. Another trip to the mall!

A powder blue wrap

Of course, they had some gorgeous orange ones, but they were already embellished, and I wanted to do the embroidery myself. 

When I finally got home from ALL my errands and was ready to work, it was almost 4 PM. I know -- I spent a lot of time in the morning chatting with people, and HEY -- sometimes you just have to do that. It shouldn't all be about work and head down! 

Time to address the elephant in the room. I've got an offer to cut those wood pieces; however, on my walk, I spotted some short strips of lattice, which I promptly picked up, and they may work. But I'm waiting for them to dry before I use them. The strips of flooring will have to work for the weekend. Then I'll see. I've no shame in picking up stuff off the street if it will work for me! 

The sit-down quilter (Platinum 160 by Husqvarna Viking) is still in the box. I forgot to take a picture of it set up on the table, but it's all set up, and the tension is tested. I had to play with it a wee bit, but it quilts like a charm with two very different colors on the top and bobbin. That's the test of a great machine --- can it sew without getting pokies on either the top or the bobbin. That is NOT recommended, but for testing, it's perfect. 

The Platinum 160 by Husqvarna Viking 

The power tower got moved to its new spot, and the old power bar was removed. Nothing is plugged in yet, and I plan to do that later today. Those cords need to be bundled up -- they are a mess. 

The power tower in its new spot

I had to dig through a pile of old quilt magazines, and OMG --- look at the date. I was practically a newborn when this was published. OK -- I'm kidding, but the magazine is almost an antique! I have sorted my magazines by title, and when I want to read a title, I grab the stack and start browsing. Sometimes they are sorted by date, and sometimes they must be sorted. So the first thing I do is sort by date, and I found FOUR duplicate copies. They are now in the recycling. I LOVE going through these old magazines, and I have some stuff to share with you another day on what I found! 

An OLD quilt magazine

So it's a sad news day. My bag I bought at Stonehenge (YES -- THE Stonehenge) is finally on its last legs. 

My Stonehenge tote bag

This has been my GO-TO shopping bag for the last two or three years. It's been to the library, the mall, the grocery store, and everywhere. But sadly, it's wearing out. I was going to take the side panels and use them on something else, but even the one is starting to wear thin. Surprisingly, the handles are entirely INTACT. 

My tote bag is wearing thin

It's a loosely woven burlap but with a plastic liner. Even the liner is breaking apart. I don't remember what I paid for this bag, but I got my money's worth. 

The bottom corners are almost gone

The holes in the corners are getting too large that I'm afraid something might slip through, so I went to the "bag closet" and found something else. Oh - I found one of those plastic bags, but look at the size? It's HUGE, which I hate. I've used it twice, and it's too big. So (I know --- do not yell at me), I'm going to chop it down. All those plastic bags come in that size, and while great, they are too big! I will take the handles off and cut about 4 inches from the top of the bag. Fiddly? Yes -- but I don't like it. And yes -- I could make a new one the exact size of the Stonehenge bag, but I have these other bags, so I might as well use them. 

The new bag is four inches (at least) too tall

Do NOT worry -- I will ensure I keep the measurements of that Stonehenge bag, as it's the perfect size for me. And I'll recycle the handles and one side, and I will make something cool from it -- just not at the moment. 

I did a bit of cleaning on the cutting table --- this huge bag of leather scraps I bought a couple of weeks ago got put away. I can't wait to use it for little bits of applique. The leather is gorgeous!

A bag of leather scraps

Two more quilt tops from Diane have been added to the "to be quilted" pile. 

Two new quilt tops from Diane

I didn't take a "before" picture, but this is the current projects table, which looks pretty good. I know -- it's messy but much better than it was. 

The current project table

I took that large green tub and filled it with stuff from the table. Things that I won't be getting to for a while. I need to find a home on a shelf for that stuff, which I'll do. Then I could move things from the cutting table that I was supposed to be working on and to clear the space, it went to the current project table. That leaves the cutting table pretty clear. The goal is to keep the cutting table 100% clear, except for the project I'm cutting. The other things I'm also working on, but perhaps not that day, will go on the current project table, and everything else is shelved! That's the goal. I'm close! 

The cutting table this morning

The hardest thing is not getting something done before a new deadline arises, and I must switch. If I could figure out how to make that happen, I'd be golden!! 

OK -- so Lexi and Murphy are entirely different in their food habits. Murphy has to sit and wait for her food because she'd be gobbling it down before the bowl even hit the floor. She is very good about this and waits; she also knows to only touch Lexi's dish when it's empty. 

Lexi, on the other hand, is a grazer. She can leave her food all day and eats it when she feels like it. But she also likes to squirrel food away, which is hilarious. She will take a few morsels to the dog beds and try to hide them. Well, it's hard to hide it under the blanket when you're standing on it. And, of course, now that the food is OUT of Lexi's dish, it's fair game for Murphy. If we only had Lexi, I'm sure we'd be finding dog food everywhere in the house! 

Lexi trying to hide dog food in the dog bed

At last, all the stabilizer is removed from the large piece of embroidery. There is still more to remove from the smaller piece, and I made good progress last night. What will I do when this is done? I'm sure I'll find some other handwork project. 

More stabilizer removed

OK --- so how many of you spend the time EACH DAY deleting ridiculous accounts that start following you on IG. I don't have a ton of followers, but I get new requests almost every day, and I check them out and delete them. I didn't always do this, so from time to time, I try to scroll through my followers and delete those robotic accounts stuck in the middle of my good followers. 

What a flipping waste of time and the comments you get from some of those robot accounts are ridiculous. How does anyone fall for that?? Oh, people do, but it's a shame!

So there are FOUR presentations this weekend. I've got all the distribution lists in order (I think!). I don't know that I'll do that to myself in the future. I still have more work to organize, but getting those distribution lists was the worst! Well, just time-consuming, and lots of intricate filing was required. I'm still not out of the woods yet, as I have more e-mails to process for classes at Thimbles and Things. I'm trying to keep up! And I've got a couple of pocket folders that I'm using to store all my notes and ideas for the classes. 

I'm super excited, but there is one ISSUE with any of these clubs or groups. I can only encourage and inspire, but I CANNOT do the work for them. They will only learn if they are willing to make mistakes and take chances. The other day, I played with my embroidery machine and did some programming. I had a vague idea of what I wanted, primarily by size. Ultimately, I created something very cool, and who knew that was possible? It came about only because I was WILLING to spend the time and play! 

Wish me luck communicating that to the group! 

Here's a good quote. 

Well, it's time to get moving!! There is MUCH to do today, and I've now in catch-up mode!!!

OH --- so if you have cleared up your ironing board, it's time to move to the cutting table. You are going to remove EVERYTHING from it. As you remove the items, what has a home can be put away. Do THAT! Then what is left? OK -- so you have one or two projects that you are currently cutting --- put those back on the table. Then evaluate everything that is left. If it is stuff you still need to complete but need more time to work on, get a box and put it in it. Label the box and keep it handy so you can get what you need. But leaving it on the cutting table is distracting! I'll be working on my cutting table today. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

The elephant in the room

 You know how life is -- there are good days and bad days. Yesterday fell into the bad day category. It wasn't a BAD day, but I barely got anything done. I spent the morning on the computer getting the class/club distribution lists in order and getting e-mails to the various groups. I have ONE more to do for Saturday morning, and then this weekend is finished -- I just have to prepare the presentations, which should be quick as I've been sorting e-mails and saving pictures as they come in. 

Throwing them into a presentation takes no time; finding and saving pictures takes time. Hopefully, I'll be good! 

And after I walked the girls together, I realized that my FitBit died, so I didn't get that 2 - 3 KM. Sigh --- But all is good now, and I'll easily make up that distance. YES - I could enter it manually, but I won't. I still got almost 10 KM, so it was an OK day in that area. 

After I returned from the mall from my combined errands and walk, I was on the phone for the rest of the day. And not necessarily accomplishing anything but calls that needed to happen. I'm happy to report that my phone is working fine! 

I was in Walmart, walked past the children's section, and saw TWO cute dresses with ZERO adornment. WHAT?? That never happens -- I was tempted to buy them and embroider something on them! Try to find a T-shirt with nothing on it.  

Yes -- for those of you who live near me -- I went to the mall in the rain. I don't care! It wasn't raining hard enough for an umbrella, although I had one with me. Here's the thing about the weather. There is NO BAD weather, only bad clothing choices. I have jackets for freezing cold days and regular temperature days. I have jackets for rain, and I put a vest underneath if needed. I have a variety, so I'm always prepared for any temperature. Fleece lined jeans for those freezing days, my Tiley hat, and my red scarf. 

I've various pairs of mittens, depending on the temperature. So there is NEVER a BAD weather day at my house. Oh -- I have a pair of rain boots that I wear if it's raining or wet. I have winter boots, but I rarely wear them; I'm mostly in running shoes. And I might add that those New Balance shoes are starting to look a bit dirty, but they are holding up very nicely. I bought them at the end of September - I'll have to check the date when I started to wear them, but I've put a LOT of KM on them, and the mesh toes are still intact. I'm impressed! It'll soon be time to buy another pair. 

The heels, the soles, and the inserts start to break down after about 800 KM and then become harmful to your knees, back, and feet. So for those trying to eek 10 years from running shoes --- it's not a good idea! Of course, it depends on how much you walk; those shoes have over 1,000 KM on them in three months. 

I won't show you my cutting table this morning. It's bad, but hopefully, everyone has their ironing board in tip-top shape. Oh shoot -- I was going to share those before and after pictures with you, and Let me find them. 

I LOVE this space -- it looks cozy and has LOTS of windows!!!! The issue wasn't so much what was on the ironing board but that it needed to be in the right place. See how it's covering part of the cutting table? 

A before picture

Also before picture

And now that some things have been put away and moved -- the space is much more useable!! I love it!!!! Thanks, Anne, for sharing the before and after! And I bet that didn't take very long. Hmm -- What quilt is on the wall? It looks neat!

The after

Here's my public service announcement to you. If you use an electronic calendar, like Google or Yahoo, or an app on your phone, mark these dates. 

October 1 --- book your furnace maintenance and BOOK dates when you want to clean or change your furnace filter. 

October 2 -- time to shop for advent calendars (if that's your thing). We found that some popular ones were sold out when we finally thought about buying them. Or if you're into the quilting ones, those get ordered in March. 

Check the expiry date on IMPORTANT documents, like your passport, your NEXUS card, driver's license, or whatever. Put a note SIX months in advance in your calendar, so you have time to act. I know people who lost their NEXUS card because they didn't renew in time and tried to use it, at which point it was confiscated. 

And as you think of important dates or reminders -- put them in the calendar, and DO NOT IGNORE them when they pop up! 

OH MY GOSH --- this is hilarious, but remember I said I KNEW where that little blue book was? The  Happiness Project? Well, after spin class, I had a more thorough search in that area and NO BLUE book. Darn, where the heck could I have put it. And then I'm standing at the computer desk, and NO WAY!!!! That little blue book has been sitting less than two feet from my head every time I sat down. 

See --- the book with the blue cover and the yellow pages --- that was the one I was looking for, and it was right beside the computer! Well, I laughed, and the original place I looked was where it USED to be stored. 

The blue book beside the computer

Oh my -- -when I opened it up, I saw that I started to use it in 2012. Over ten years ago, I noticed that I wrote some stuff in 2013. It's mainly used near the beginning of the year and sporadically throughout. I can still use the book, so I will try and make that a habit. It's ONE sentence per day; how hard can that be? 

These two entries are from January 31, 2012, and 2013. Look who I went to see in 2013 -- Louise Penny!!! How fun --- she was very popular back then and is even more so now! And look --- NO snow at the end of January 2012. 

January 31 entries in The Happiness Project book

This book is so fun --- you get a snippet of something that happened without much effort. I will leave this by my bed, and before going to bed each night, I'll write the day's highlight. It will be a hoot to go back and read through it later. I may need to put it by the computer -- I'll see what spot works best. 

That is, if I can still read my writing. My handwriting has NEVER been good, and let's say that I was at the top of my typing class. It's so much easier and faster, and less painful! 

And it even looks like I tried different colored inks, but I went shopping yesterday, and look what I found. 

A nice set of gel pens

This was a good lesson in looking at prices before you buy. The set of 10 pens was $22.98. 

The 10-pen set

The set of 14 pens was $19.98. The set of 14 used to be $29.98, so when they did the price drop, they only dropped the higher price item. Check before you buy!

The 14-pen set

My power tower arrived yesterday. There are 14 outlets on it and 4 USB ports. So that is amazing, and you can turn off the power to each segment if you want to shut off the electricity drain to various items. So that is good and something we should get in the habit of doing. Apparently, leaving appliances plugged in to run the little lights, timers, or whatever, consumes electricity. I don't know how much, but every little bit helps. 

The new power tower

Anyway, that tower is going to replace this mess. And I'll be winding up the cords with little holders, so it looks neater. The nice thing about the towers is that if you have bulky blocks (like that big one we see here), you don't lose a plug because of it!

A messy power bar

And for heaven's sake, if you are still putting your power bars on the floor - STOP. Put them on the table where you don't have to crawl around to plug and unplug things! 

So here's a small habit you can change. Let's say you want to take a few more steps each day but are not up for a long walk, then park your car further away from your destination. This is the gym, and I ALWAYS park my car away from the front entrance. But it amazes me, how many people get their cars as close to the entrance as possible. They even wait for someone to pull out. People --- you are at the gym!! A few extra steps will not kill you! Plus, when you park further away, you are less likely to get the side of your car dinged by someone else! 

Park away from the entrance for a few more steps

So I got that sit-down quilting machine, and it's still in the box. I know -- I need to get it up and running. But the big issue was the table, which needed to be level. What to level it with? 

The quilting machine is still in the box

Last night, I searched the house for something wooden that I could put under three legs. Nothing in the garage and nothing in the sewing studio. Then I remembered some old planks from the floor that used to be in Studio B. They were stored in the furnace room. Will they work? I had to put TWO layers under three legs; the table is level at last. Now I need to find someone to cut these pieces, so they are smaller. I'll move the ones in the front so you can sit there. But that job is done! Now I can open the box and get it out! 

The table is level

OK -- so let's think about habits. Have you figured out ONE that you'd like to acquire or change? Make it a manageable habit. Don't start with trying to walk 20 KM every day starting today. That is NOT going to happen. You'll fail after the first day. But if you said something like I want to sew every day. OK --- so that's a general statement, but it works. Now we have to do TWO things to make that happen. We have to carve out a time for that. It could be as little as 15 minutes. Put that in your calendar and try to set the same time every day. Set a timer if you can't sew for more than 15 minutes. 

And then the thing will be to remember to do that! So if you don't have a calendar, make some sticky notes and put them on the bathroom mirror, by the coffee maker, or wherever. You MUST be selfish and carve out this personal time. And you can DO it! Our mothers did so much in one day --- tended gardens, looked after children and/or animals on the farm, made all the meals, cleaned up the dishes, sewed the clothes, etc. Compared to what we do today, we work about 1/10th of what they did! 

I don't care if your husband wants to do everything with you -- then teach him to sew! If you have kids or grandkids, get them entertained with some toys in the sewing space while you sew. EVERYONE needs to know that you have PERSONAL needs and you need time to yourself. I've said before that I'm one of the most selfish (and unselfish) people with my time! And you should be as well! 

I have changed many habits over the years, and I LOVE routine! But I hated computer work and ignored it so I could sew all day. I've since learned that I NEED to spend at least one hour a day at the computer to keep on top of things. Now it's a habit, and I don't resent it! 

I got one of five writing assignments completed. There is much less urgency when there is no immediate deadline! But I did it. I hope to get another done today, but I have a few car errands, which won't take long. 

Have a super day!!! 

Ciao!!!!