Things that make me .....

I finished my word quilt this past weekend!!!

The blue fabric is hand dyed fabric in my stash 

and the background fabric is snow dyed fabric

 I created when we had snow last winter!

This winter I haven't been able to snow dye...

I played a lot with free motion quilting...

it's always easy to experiment on small projects.

The binding is some of the hand dyed fabric

 on which I had stenciled

with iridescent fabric paint... 

I am happy to have finished this word quilt

but it is a little more monochromatic than I am used to creating

so it may need some embellishing...

not sure yet.

This past week was 'winter break' in New York State schools.

Not really in need of a break from winter 

but Sugarbaby and I made our way down south to warmer and sunnier Florida

for a little R & R...

I always find plenty of inspiration in the little things...

flowers...

leaves...

raindrops...

seashells...

ocean waves...

French desserts...

and sunsets...

Feeling happy!

Swirling as a cinnamon girl...

Warning....

I couldn't find anything interesting to talk about 

even after yesterday's rendition of These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Maybe it's because I don't have much creative to post about today...

I spent a good deal of time shoveling my way out of  my parking spot

when the wet snow got packed under my car 

as I attempted to back out...

(maybe the motorcycle wouldn't have been such a bad idea)

and by the time I broke free, 

I was drenched from the rain (not snow!)

and then I had a 3 hour lunch with an old friend!!!

So back at the ranch....

when I opened up my new bread maker

that Nature Boy gave me for the holidays...

it made me think of a fellow Canuck and his song,

Cinnamon Girl...

I am sure you are scratching your head...
and are now convinced that the madness of last night 
has continued!!!

Well...

I looooooooove the taste of cinnamon!!!
I especially loooooove the taste of cinnamon bread!!!

Luckily my new bread machine came with a recipe
for cinnamon swirl bread....

that's when tune of Cinnamon Girl started singing in my head!!!

"..I wanna live 

with my cinnamon swirl

I could be happy 

The rest of my life

with a cinnamon swirl...."

Don't say I didn't warn you....

Step away from the microphone!

(PS ...one of my blog readers (I think I have a few)

 asked if I would 

post about my studio and working there...

great idea, Kathy!

I just have to get there!!!

so stay tuned.....)

.

Julie Andrews... eat your heart out...

I am a huge fan of The Sound of Music

and so in desperation to create a blog post for today

I looked toward Julie's many songs for guidance..

Phones in white cases with blue satin sashes, 

snowflakes that stay on my nose and car dashes, 

frigid white winters that freeze up and sting, 

these are the least of my favorite things. 

Good thing you can't hear me sing!!!

Yes, I must accept that it is finally winter

and we have a winter advisory for tomorrow 

(bah humbug!)

but that first frigid day (flurries included!)

is always a shock to the system!

Luckily,

the roads were dry today 

as I headed down to the city

to imbibe at the "Genius Bar" at the Apple Store

They replaced my Iphone 

(which had 9 days left under warranty.... who knew???)

When the ice bites, when the phone rings, 
when my poetry's bad, 
I simply begin typing ridiculous things, 
and then you are sure that I am mad...... 

Maybe tomorrow I can come up with an interesting (ha)  post!

Failed.... again!!!

I tried and tried... but I just couldn't do it.... 31 consecutive days of blogging, that is.

With weather like this in December in upstate NY...

who could blame me????!!!

A failure is not always a mistake, 

it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances.

 The real mistake is to stop trying.

-B. F. Skinner

Failure is really a harsh word isn't it???

I have made many mistakes this year

but I now realize that 

it was really simply the best I could do at that moment in time

Those mistakes are done

and I need to focus on the joy of the present moment!!!!

(this was my word for 2014... I am working on one for 2016, how about you?)

And yes, there were presents lol!!!

This week, I couldn't blog about my latest projects 

because these projects were under wraps (so to speak)

... or should I say, wrapped!!!

There was a pillow to commemorate a beloved pet...

cookies in a jar to layer...

pouches to fill with junk...

a shawl to knit and knit and knit...

and

cookies to bake....

(wait!!! I didn't bake those cookies!!! the kids did!)

Even with all the hubub going on here,

Amazon left a new house for Olive...

Now that those projects are in the hands of loved ones,

I can move on to the myriad of unfinished 

and unstarted projects

and I will surely have plenty to blog about!!!

Wishing all of you peace, joy, love, and new projects this holiday season!!!

It's kismet...

You may or may not know this...

but I am not a huge fan of winter...

Sure fresh snow is pretty and all..

but the cold temperatures and the long winter season

can get downright depressing!!!

HOWEVER

this year, 

I decided to embrace the frigid season

and make friends with Jack Frost..

so I bought some snowshoes...

and it's December 11th....

and feels like spring in upstate NY!!!!

Aaaah... the life of a jet-setter!

Yes, I like to travel!

I enjoy getting away and exploring new territory!

Texas..

France...

Israel...

Hawaii...

Vegas...

to name a few places...

BECAUSE...

I always learn something new....

I can eat foods I can't find at home 

(which is not saying much... 

food selection for a vegan is not great in an area surrounded by dairy farms!)

I can be inspired by the surroundings.

 (okay, I haven't climbed Mt Rainier ... hubby did)

Sometime, I even bring home a souvenir (or two.)

And if I am really lucky, I can forget about winter!

So this weekend,
I headed to Manhattan...
not too far away (about 3 1/2 hrs)
 but in some ways, it feels like worlds away.

My original intent for the trip was to see the Empire Quilters'
"Urban Inspirations" quilt show at FIT
but I took along my youngest, Sugarbaby,
and we hung with our good friends at their apartment in Chelsea.

Of course....

I was inspired by the surroundings...

NYC architecture makes my heart sing....

I  learned something new....

(who knew?)

Actually, I went to the panel discussion on collecting quilts
moderated by Paula Nadlestern

which included Amelia Peck (The Metropolitan Museum),
Elizabeth Warren (American Folk Art Museum),
and Roderick Kiracofe (collector, dealer and author).

I thought it was very interesting
but some did not...

I ate foods that I thoroughly enjoyed....

dairy free!

meat free!

It is a vegan paradise!!!!!

Too bad they don't deliver upstate...

Of course, the show!

Lots of wonderful quilts....

My favorite was "We Are All Too Round" by Roz Manor

Her humor is wonderful!

as is her hand work...

her embellishments...

her layout...

made me smile!!!!


and yes, I even came home with a few souvenirs...

(I have to say that Judy Gula's booth Artistic Artifacts was my fave).

Of course,
eventually I have to return home...

There is always laundry to wash.

There is homeschooling to do...

(Actually, I  Nature Boy graduates in June!)

and yes, winter to return to...

even if it is March 30th!!!