A Great Day!

The day I knew was coming has finally arrived. I finished painting! I even have most of the paint etc back in the garage and stored! I have some clean up to do, door knob to change, hooks to hang and so forth but that should only take a day or so. I also spent an hour or so in the garage re-arranging in the fond hope that I can get a couple of things in there this weekend (my big-screen tv and a large cabinet made by Larry's Grandfather Cohrt.) We are going to open one of the garage doors--this sounds like something easy but since Tanya's cats live out there many boxes etc are in front of the doors to help keep them warm so it's rather an undertaking. Still shifting and considering placement of some things and trying to get the trash out. I managed to sew together a couple of flannel blocks for another rag quilt. I've been working on using up the fabric left from the quilt I made Brayden last year. If I make a couple of blocks each day I should eventually have enough blocks for another bed-sized quilt.

Now I'm off to cut some denim (the never-ending chore) and maybe some other fabric while I watch the tube. Mindless work for mindless television!

Painting, again

I started on the finish-up painting yesterday. I think I'm finished with white for now! Also have some touch up and the vent covers for the hall bath and I can put it back to rights. Tomorrow I'll touch up the blue in my bathroom and can put that room back to rights. Then I'll touch up the living room--the paint on the walls is the same color so when I was putting it on I sometimes couldn't tell where I was so I missed some spots. Have to go back and fix that. I think my bedroom needs some work along the ceiling (bugs me how uneven it is) so I may touch that up as well while I have the big ladder up here. Then I can pack away the painting tools until next time! Yay! I don't mind painting but I've had enough for a while.

Picked up a research job this week so I'll need to put in some time on that soon. I've worked for this gentleman before and he's a pleasure.

Soon I'll have time for my other projects. I will be so glad to get some time in on the sewing machine and to live in (relative) order!

Finally, a finish!

I spent last evening sewing the trim on this Christmas stocking for Brayden. Four more and I'll be caught up!

Is it Thursday? Already?

Even though I haven't been painting this week the days have just flown by! I've spent a bit of time taking down the holiday decor, not finished yet either. I decided to photograph and inventory everything (for two reasons-one, should I ever need to file an insurance claim and two, so I can lay my hands on stuff) so it's a bit slow. Today I was feeling like I never get anything FINISHED--I do like to scratch things off the list! So-o-o I decided to take one thing that I had everything for and just do it! I made the little flower arrangement above for my room. I like it and it fills the empty place where my little tree was. One more window and I have curtains up in my sewing room and I got out the backing fabric for Brayden's sock so I might sew that up tonight. I feel better. Maybe I should try that everyday? Hmmmm. Trouble is I'll soon run out of those small, easily finished projects.

The sewing room

Well, the sewing/research room is painted and I have moved in. After working almost non-stop in here for the better part of three days I am mostly settled in but am in no way willing to share photos of the space! Maybe in a month or two! My biggest problem is the boxes and boxes of photographs and memorabilia taking up precious space. The sorting of that is my project for February, after the surgery on my right hand. I think I can lift photos etc without them weighing over a pound! When they are sorted then I plan to digitize them and put them in scrapbooks. I'm not really crazy about scrapbooking at this point but I think it just seems so overwhelming. Baby steps. I have also taken stock of all the sewing projects I have on my "To Do" list, have to get started. Need to finish at least one thing every month anyway for the challenge. I have not finished painting, still have the two baths and touch up. That is next weeks point of focus. The rest of this week is cleaning my filthy house and taking down the Christmas decorations. (I can not believe the tree is still up!) I want to photograph alot of them for a home inventory plus pare it down a bit. Ha-Ha! No matter how much I take out of this house and how little I try to bring in I never seem to make a dent in the clutter! I'm keeping busy, maybe too busy?

Painting update

Everything is primed, the ceiling painted and the first coat of trim paint is on--in the sewing room. I've primed trim in my bath, filled cracks, holes etc in the hall and hall bath and painted the attic access. Tomorrow I'll hit the sewing room trim again as well as my bath and possibly the attic access again. Making headway even though I kept Kolby again. I don't know if that poor little guy will be well before spring!

I have a patch (or two) of grass in my back yard! The temperature has been up above freezing the last couple of days and the snow is melting. Unfortunately, it's freezing again at night but it is melting. I doubt that we've seen the last of the snow for the winter though.

Have been cutting out pieces for another denim quilt--Rob requested another as his is becoming very worn. I wonder why, think I made it 20 years ago! I'm going to back this one with fleece, should be soft and warm. I'm also making a smaller one for the truck, they are heavy and make nice picnic blankets or for concerts etc as they stay put.

Double digits!

No snow today and the thermometer hit somewhere in the 20's, with a south wind to warm us up more tomorrow. We might even hit freezing! Not much sign of melting but there is a strip of pavement showing. I think there's more snow coming but it is to be warmer this week--we might be grateful for that!

Rob and Tanya have vacated the new sewing/research room and are setting up in their new space. I think they like it but it's still not organized the way they want. I have begun the process of painting by filling holes in walls and trim. Tomorrow I hope to get the trim ready and everything taped not only in there but also in my bath and the hall bath. I'm sick of THINKING about painting so I'm going to do it until I'm done. The extra room is completely full of boxes from my old sewing/research space and when I finish with paint it will take several days to get it organized. I also need to organize the garage at least a little so I can get everything in there that goes in there. The fun never ends! There's file cabinets in the living room, so the house is a total wreck. (Brayden did offer to take care of my wreck last week with his tail--he's a stegasaurus and it pretty entertaining to watch him swing his tail! I may have to take him up on it!) I'm not quite sure where we will play tomorrow when the boys get here but we'll figure it out! I'm looking forward to it, haven't seen them in a whole week!

I'm enjoying the photos of Nora on facebook. She is such a doll. Makes me miss her more, and I don't get to go out again until April.

I did some block cutting today and worked on a cross-stitch Larry started years ago. I have other people's UFO's as well as my own!

Dancing flakes

If the last snow was a soft, white, lace curtain then today's snow is dancing it's way down! Not adding much to the piles on the ground but it looks nice. Snow is funny. The first one or two are considered seriously neat by nearly all. After all one must have the white stuff to sled, ski, snowboard, snowshoe, snow mobile or just build a snowman! With each successive snow folks get a little less enthused and start to grumble (some never stop) then is just IS and we all just get on with life. I'm sure most people (Lucas and I are exceptions) are at the grumble stage but haven't quite made the "just IS" state. I still enjoy it's beauty and do whatever it is I want to do. I have given up trying to keep track of the number of inches we have on the ground and will just reduce it to A LOT for Missouri. To be followed, I'm sure, by more.

Another 4 inches!

Yesterday the snow began falling (as predicted) like a soft white lace curtain muffling all the sounds outside. It snowed and snowed not the huge flakes of a major snow but not the tiny flakes that don't accumulate either. Depending on location in the metro the forecast was for 2-6 inches it's hard to tell but I think we got about 4 inches here. Once it quit snowing it began blowing around so we have more drifts. Last night it was pretty, today it was trouble! Tanya had work so Rob got out Hank the hulking snowthrower and cleared the drive, I think the fun has gone out of it at this point. They made it less than a mile when a slick spot caused them to stop in a snow drift! I dug out the truck and took the shovel up but a kind soul had stopped and was pulling them out--no harm to either the kids or the car. Luckily, Rob was driving very slowly so they didn't go completely off the road and down the hill which would have required a tow truck. Some of the roads are pretty fair, not our street. The wind is causing sub-zero wind chills so it is very dangerous--we're staying pretty close to home and worrying about those that must be out.

I've nearly finished hauling my office stuff up to the extra room. This is a good thing as I'm not sure we can get anything else in there! Think I may spend a few minutes stacking boxes a little higher in a bit. Also I've nearly finished Brayden's Christmas stocking I'm stitching his name in place. Do you hear the Hallujah Chorus? Unfortunately the fabric to finish the back and my machine are buried in that extra room as is my next cross-stitch project and my hand piecing project. A good reason to stack boxes up!

Have asked to be part of the One Project a Month group again, see I already have the button up, I hope I made the cut! I didn't finish one thing a month last year but this is a new year! Ever hopeful that's me!

It's still cold!

The title says it all! More snow in the forecast for tomorrow and the coldest temperatures yet. I plan to run a couple of errands this afternoon; fill the gas tank, hit the grocery store etc as the high on Thursday is to be 1 degree F! It's not such a problem except that the side roads are still snow packed and icy which makes getting around a little dicey. My truck with it's sand tubes manages just fine but why go out if you don't need to? I have plenty to do here at home.

Rob nearly has the wall in the garage finished. My brother, Bobby is coming over to teach him how to frame in a door. He's been very thankful for all the hours spent on job sites with his Granddad while growing up! I have nearly all my boxes moved up to the spare room from the basement as well. Rob is hoping I'll get the desk ready to go while Bobby is here-ugh! Once I've my things out of there then they will move down. It will be unfinished but Rob starts classes again on Monday and he wants most of it done. Once they are out of the room I get to paint-trim, walls and ceiling then move my sewing/office in. I can't wait until it's all done!

I also decided to make the dreaded change over in laptops. My laptop's monitor has been doing strange things with colors for a while and has lately begun going black so I am changing over to Larry's. I'll say right up front that I do not like it! I will get used to it of course but there will be a lot of grumbling first! I have yet to set up this years finances, Quicken, spreadsheets, budget etc. Not a lot of fun for me. That is my other big project for this week. Does anyone see any sewing in there? Me neither.

Baby, It's cold outside!

A cold front blew threw and dropped us into single digits! It's currently 8 degrees F (-13 C) with a light wind, light snow, and even colder temperatures to come. I'm truly grateful for a warm home! While I still feel the cold from the glass the new windows keep the breeze out. I went out for a few groceries and some Christmas fabric (on sale, cheap, for Christmas this year), came home and am thinking a few hours of sewing under a thick quilt would be lovely. Too bad I haven't got one ready to quilt! I really prefer the cold so I'm good with this. (Larry and I had a running commentary--Larry, "I hate cold weather!"--Me, "I hate hot weather!" )

Guess I'll box up somethings here in the basement to haul up to the extra room while we change over rooms. Rob and Tanya are moving to the basement (this involves a wall in the garage to separate her cats from mine, a door of some kind at the bottom of the steps and new flooring) and my sewing and office are moving to their old room (which has to be painted before I can move in). I makes me tired just thinking about it, sigh. I think when we finish the arrangement will be more comfortable. I still have some touch up painting from before the holidays plus the hall bath to paint. When it warms up (a couple of months from now) I will organize the workshop. One of my goals for the year is to be able to lay my hands on anything I want without hunting! (I'd really like to find my crockpot!) I have a bunch of goals for the year, probably too many but I aim high!