10 days!

Yikes! It's been 10 days since I posted!!!! Sorry dear blog readers. This week was busy and tiring and frustrating at both jobs so not much to blog about. Today, I spent the day as a couch slug and read the NY Times, finished a book, and took a nap. I feel much better now and hopefully this next week will be better. The book I finished was The Seance by John Harwood. It's a good read if you like Victorian-era gothic/mystery stories. I read his first book The Ghost Writer, which was also a good read. I'm now catching up on emails and blog posts and chillin' with the cats.

We are supposed to get snow here in Georgia tomorrow afternoon. If it's gonna snow, it better be bad enough to cancel work on Monday! I don't want any of that teasing snow that doesn't stick on the ground. I want real snow (and a snow day Monday, please!)

A Saturday Sampler Story

Little Quilts is one of the local quilt shops here in the ATL. It is a fabulous quilt shop and if you are ever zipping along I-75, you have to stop and check it out. (Side note: my favorite BBQ place, Williamson Bros. BBQ, is not too far from there and is also a must-stop). Little Quilts has a fantastic Saturday Sampler program where you pay $6 for the first block and if you bring it finished the next month, you get the next block free and so on. If you keep up, you have 12 blocks for $6 plus the finishing kit, etc. Although it means that you are at this fabulous quilt shop every month and usually end up spending way more than $6 each month, but I digress...

I started going to their Saturday Sampler when I first started quilting and learned so much (the directions are very thorough for each block) over the three years and three different quilts that I made. I also built up a good stash but that's another story. Anyway, I haven't done the Sat. Sampler in the past couple of years, mostly because the price of gas keeps going up and it's quite a distance from my house. But I miss these great sampler quilts with that special "Little Quilts" look, so this year I signed up for the auto-ship version online. The first block is on it's way and I can't wait.

One of the past Sat. Samplers is one of my favorite couch quilts and has been well used and well loved.

I think I am well on my way to joining Kristie in BOM-land. I think I'll be the BOM Duchess to Queen BOM Kristie.

Making Progress

Well I am making progress on my Mardi Gras quilt (aka Bonnie Hunter's Orange Crush mystery quilt from last year). I finished the blocks and am ready to start sewing the rows together.

Here are some of the album blocks. I wish there was more contrast between the center black squares and the purple squares but they are all done and are staying done. There is no way I am ripping all that out! I think it's going to be a very busy quilt but I am happy that it is all from stash.

Here is Morpheus in his zen kitty pose. He is very comfy on a big pile of pillows and quilts.

Candy for breakfast?

Is anyone else eating Valentine's Day candy for breakfast? I received my annual box of chocolate from the Best Dad in the World (that would be mine!!) Although it's not breakfast time (it's 2PM), this is the first thing I've had today except for lots of espresso this morning at Starbucks. I hope everyone had a great V-day. S. and I went to a big antiques market (Scott's if you are familiar with the ATL). Didn't buy anything but had lots of fun looking. I then talked him into running by Conyers (not exactly on the way home) and going to Crazy Ron's BBQ for lunch and swinging by Sweet Home Quilt Co.

Karin and Cindi and Sarah had already visited Melisa and I was surprised to find anything left in the store LOL!!! I did pick up a couple of charm packs of the Moda line "Legacy" and can't wait for the yardage to come in. I couldn't spend too much time because S. would get bored but it was great seeing Melisa and Mike.

Now I am off to hopefully get some sewing in before I forget how since it's been so long. I am ready to do some major sewing now that I've had lots of caffeine and sugar!!

Of Dogs and Sheep

Are you watching the Westminster Dog Show? Tonight is the second night and I am enjoying watching the Sporting Group while dinner is cooking.

These are two of my favorites from yesterday

Irish Wolfhound and Scottish Deerhound
(Can you tell I like BIG dogs!)

Although I believe people should adopt dogs from shelters because there are just too many without homes and I also believe that there should be stricter laws against puppy mills and irresponsible breeders, I still enjoy watching these champion fancy dogs strut their stuff in the Garden. It just makes me happy (and who couldn't use some happiness no matter how brief these days ...)

Another thing that makes me smile is sheep! I love photos of sheep, especially lambs--too cute. If you need a smile, check out Kristin's blog.

On a serious note: I am gravely worried about all the folks in Australia dealing with the wildfires. I hope that none of the wonderful quilt bloggers Down Under are affected by the fires. Please know my thoughts are with you.

Tag and I'm it #2

Michelle tagged me earlier in the week and I have been remiss in posting the tag. You are supposed to reveal 10 honest things about yourself that you haven't blogged about and list 5 addictions. Then tag 5 friends.

10 honest things:

1. I love collecting stuff--green Depression glass, Jadite, dog bookends, antique kitchen stuff, anything with black cats, other antique-y and vintage stuff.

2. Because I love collecting stuff, my little house is rather cluttered and I think I may have enough stuff for now.

3. I used to do lots of house repairs and yardwork before I started working 2 jobs (that's 7 years ago) and I really miss having time to do that.

4. I subscribe to "Bark" magazine even though I don't have a dog because I love dogs and wish I had the time to have one again.

5. I never liked oatmeal until I tried Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal with brown sugar, nuts, and dried fruit and now I make my own "Perfect" oatmeal at home all the time, often for dinner.

6. I hate being late for anything and try to be at least 10 minutes early to appointments, etc.

7. I enjoy taking naps on the weekends, preferably around 4 PM on the couch with a cat or two or four.

8. I had platinum blonde hair in high school and most of college (it's now auburn also not it's natural color LOL!)

9. I won an award in the Detroit Science Fair for an experiment with sound waves.

10. I still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up.

5 Addictions:

1. quilting

2. coffee

3. reading and posting blogs

4. books

5. desserts

Whew that was hard. OK I am tagging:

Becky, Karin, Pat, Brenda, and Carol.

Conquering Technology and the Return of Xena

I am doing not one but two happy dances here at Chez Crazy Cat Lady. I just spent all morning/noon/til now setting up a wireless home network system. After much trial and error and wishing there was a neighborhood computer geek to help me, I finally figured it out MYSELF! Woo hoo. (For all you techy people out there it probably is not but a 10 min task, I am sure, but for me it was lots of saying "why isn't this working!!" and "%#^$(&^!!!!!") Anyway, I have the household laptops all happily communicating without wires to the "Internets". Do you all realize that we have gone full circle from bunny ears

back to bunny ears????

S. says the little router is ugly but now he doesn't have to wait for me to read all my emails and blogs before using the Internets. I think I'll have to name the cute little blue Internets machine. Any suggestions?

In truck news, I finally got Xena back from the body shop on Wednesday. She looks better than she has in years after being repaired and detailed. It was very strange driving my truck though knowing that some thief drove her around for two days and messed her all up. And the thief or thieves had the nerve to use up every last drop of gasoline too! There some lingering issues (power locks and windows aren't working, stereo speakers are blown out) that I'll have to get back with the insurance company to fix but at least I have my truck back.

Now on to my regularly scheduled Saturday of laundry, chores, and oh yea maybe getting some sewing in....

Hibernating

Hibernating necessities: laptop, cats, quilts, pot of tea, and (not shown: books and new quilting magazines).

Not a whole lot happening around here...