I finally painted my bathroom!!! I suppose now is where I should confess to you that I started this bathroom project somewhere around three years ago. It started by taking down wallpaper that didn’t want to come down. I got stalled out on that. Somewhere in the process I had surgery. That stalled it out some more. I finally got all the texturing done, bought new hardware, towel rack, toilet paper holder, etc., and stalled out again. I think the new fixtures have been in my closet about a year or so now. But today, something got into me, and I finished the painting! YEA!!! Now, my DH can install the new stuff! Here is a peek at how I painted it. I am gonna be SO SORE tomorrow!
Category: daily life
I’m So Easily Amused
I am still here, too…
What is going on? I, like Diane, have been in a major funk the last few days, too. And I really don’t know why, other than that I am sick and tired of my day job. It is sucking the life out of me. Then I feel bad for feeling that way, because I try to tell myself I shouldn’t be whining and complaining. I mean, I HAVE a job, it pays quite a bit better than minimum wage, I am ABLE to go to work, I have so many blessings, yada, yada, yada…not to mention the wonderful family I am blessed with. A husband that couldn’t be a better mate for me, a son that I would not trade for any other boy on the planet…so WHY am I feeling so pissy?! I have been so tired, too. Oh well, enough of that…
Thank you all for the comments on my last post. I so enjoy your visits to my little space here on the web. I am tickled that you are noticing and checking on my block progress. I really MUST finish this quilt! This seems to be helping me stay at it. I did two blocks today, putting me five ahead of my one a day scheduled goal. I am starting to feel like I am going to finish this. I realized that it has been almost TEN years in the making. Oh my! I will quilt it with either a panto, or the Quilt EZ contemporary BF’s. I also want to say thanks to those who gave me pricing suggestions on the batting, and about my health. Oh, and thank you for the nice comments on my furniture! I have to tell you, that chair is fabulous for sitting in and doing handwork. I have been sitting there, watching TV, and stitching on binding. It’s just perfect for that.
Other progress to report for the week, is that I have added the 2nd round of logs, light and dark, to the 32 blocks for my cousin’s quilt. Coming along nicely there. Also, I am almost finished stitching the binding on my Mom’s Cornerstone’s quilt. I did take it to Pampa with me when we went last week, and she LOVES it! I knew she would, but it was so fun to see her see it. I hope to have the binding done, a label made and attached, and give it a wash so that I can give it to her no later than Sept. 5th, when I will be passing through on my way to Amarillo for a doctor’s appt.
School started here Monday, and DS was able to drive himself there and back for the first time. He said he really likes his teachers that he got this year, so far. Well, I am going to go take a hot bath, and get ready to settle in bed to watch Crazy, Sexy Cancer on the Discovery channel tonight. I will work on Mom’s binding while watching.
Thanks for stopping by…hope I wasn’t too much of a downer!
Saturday Posting
I love Saturdays. This was a good week/bad week. DS & I had a nice visit with my parents, and got our yearly eye exams done. New contacts and new sunglasses for us both. I went to the LQS, bought some more colors of thread to have on hand for stitching bindings. Ya never know what color you might need and not have it on hand. And for me, it’s about an hour drive to get more.
My roll of batting and batting samples came from Quilter’s Dream. I have decided to place a fairly large order of assorted packaged battings, and keep a stock of them in our store front at the glass shop. There are several quilters here, and no place to buy good batting here in town. I think it might be a good thing to do. I did email them for a “suggested retail” list, but have not heard back from them. Michelle W. gave some pricing advice in a post I have on MQR, and I really like the way she does it, but just wondered if they have any guidelines.
I did complete a customer lap quilt. Beautiful fabrics.
I got so lucky on this one. Once, I noticed that my thread was not threaded over the check spring. My heart sank…I did not want to look at the stitches on the underside of the quilt. They were perfect! Then about 2 rows later, a piece of my check spring plopped down on the quilt top. Oh joy, I thought! When that happened to me with my premier, I had to frog a whole 80-something inch row of Linda Taylor’s Feather Meander panto. Not fun! I finished stitching the row, as I was close to the end, and guess what! It did not mess up the tension! How lucky was that?!
The bad week part, is that whatever it is that ails me, which I think is fibromyalgia, is really flaring up this week. I have been so tired, and I hurt, hurt, hurt. My shoulder, my right arm, right hand, legs, hips…whine, whine, whine. I called in sick yesterday, and stayed in bed extra long. My hand & wrist haven’t felt this bad before. My palm is very sore to put pressure on. Typing doesn’t really hurt, but using my mouse does, and if I try to twist off a lid, or lift something, OUCH!
Oh, another good thing…my new furniture arrived. Karen K. wanted me to post pics, so here it is. I love it.
Now I am going to so do some sewing. Have a great day!
Saturday Progress Report
I got the binding sewn onto the front of Mom’s quilt, and have it trimmed and ready for the hand stitching. I also did one block on my starry log cabin UFO. Only 76 to go! I soaked some muslin in Bubble Jet Set and ironed it to freezer paper sheets for future quilt labels. I feel like I’m coming down with a headache. So my next move will be to put on my swimsuit and go hop in the hot tub. This would also fall into one of my favorite things category. It’s my own little oasis in the backyard. 
Then I think it’s off to bed early tonight for some TV watching, and providing my head doesn’t really flare up, I’ll start stitching on that binding. Hope you had a happy, productive Saturday!
Sunday Ramblings
Mom’s quilt is coming right along, and I’m really liking it. I hope to get all the purple areas done today. Then on to yellow. 
Yesterday, I finally got fed up looking at our beaten down, dilapidated, much used and abused sofa. DH & I took a trip downtown to the local furniture store. I have a pretty, dark brown leather sofa and chair and ottoman coming. Woohoo! I can’t wait til they are here. He had a sofa and loveseat on the showroom floor, but I wanted a chair, so he ordered them both in so the dye lot would match. I was hoping to have a sofa yesterday, but oh well, what’s another couple of weeks.
Jan had this in her blog, and since you get more chances to win by referring others, I am posting it in my blog, also. 😉Sharon Schamber is giving away a quilt! How cool would it be to win a Sharon Schamber quilt?! All you have to do is sign up for her new network. Click on her name for details.
Also, I want to give a shout out to one of my favorite blogs to visit. Carla is a very talented artist and all around good people! Her blog is always a great time. She can be found at Feathered Fibers.
Enjoy your Sunday!
A butterfly, good food, and more FABRIC??!!
I had hoped to blog this stuff yesterday, but spent most of the day battling round 2 of a headache. My shoulder is really flaring up, and I believe it causes part of my migraines. I don’t get to go the chiro again til Wednesday. Not soon enough!
Now for the fun stuff! Did I say I wasn’t going to buy more fabric, til I had used up some of my stash? I know some of you have seen that stash in my other blog. I had a moment of weakness. I’m blaming it on my Mom, for getting the ball rolling with those batiks she bought for me, the email I got tempting me with words like “blowout sale” and “FREE shipping”. What’s an addict to do? Buy SIX more BOLTS of fabric, that’s what! It was $2.50 a yard! And it’s the good stuff…last year’s line or whatever, but hey, I have clothes in my closet way older than that, so why would I care if my fabric is a little “aged”? $2.50 a yard and FREE shipping…there really was no other option but to buy, buy, buy….right? I was a little embarassed by my weakness, so I thought I had changed the usual shipping address from my husbands shop to the home address, where I might have a chance to slip it onto my fabric shelves unnoticed. Mind you, he never complains about my fabric purchases. He is worth his weight in gold, and my DH is a BIG guy. He comes in after work Friday evening, toting it in the door. “You got packages.” I did? Ohhhhh yea. Hmmm….Two new western fabs to go with the two I already have. Here in Texas, cowboy fabrics will never go out of style. Paid for the other two bolts with only one baby quilt. The three pastels are Robyn Randolph’s. I needed more fabrics that I can use as background’s or coordinating fabrics to go with busier prints. And lastly, a pretty Tuscan textured fabric. I also ordered it in a pretty green, but alas, it was all sold out.
Next, I thought I’d share our brunch with you. Another thing about living in Texas, if you like Mexican food, you can find it here. Whether you prefer authentic, TexMex, mild or smoking hot, we’ve got it. This would fall under the category of authentic, and once the green sauce is liberally applied on top, smoking hot. It comes from a local restaurant, La Casita. Started by a woman in one of those little snow cone type stands, serving some of the yummiest breakfast burritos. She quickly outgrew that little stand, and now has a walk-in restaurant. We ordered the huevos rancheros, for take out, yesterday. Here it is in the takeout box, two eggs on crispy corn tortillas, spicy shredded beef, refried beans, a homemade flour tortilla, hot green sauce, and a cheese quesadilla in a crispy corn tortilla, that you will see on my plate, once I moved it all over for easier eatin’. By the time I was finished, my tounge was burning and my nose was running. Yummy!
I know that Carla R., Jan & Michelle will especially love this next part. I got pics of a beautiful Swallowtail butterfly, laying more eggs, I think, on my dill yesterday. This is what the caterpillars will eventually turn into. I’m getting concerned that my dill supply is not staying up to the rate of demand. I planted more but it isn’t coming up too good. I was thrilled to finally get some butterfly pics. 
Here is a shot with the butterfly and the caterpillars in it. 
If you find these guys on your dill, parsley or whatever, please don’t see them as pests. Try to spare a bit of your garden for them, and let them have a chance to find their wings.
I did manage to get the backing sewn together for Mom’s quilt. I am going to get it loaded today. Not sure if I will get anywhere on the quilting. NASCAR is at the Brickyard today. I will be watching the race this afternoon. Go Bobby!
Just Yard Stuff Pics
Well, I don’t have anything new to report on the quilting front, so how about the rest of those piddling around the yard photos I promised.
This is my little plum tree.
I just thought these leaves at the tip top of it looked pretty. Reminded me of pretty fabric, or a pretty art quilt. This pic is just to give you a perspective of where they are on the tree.
Day lillies that came from one little sprig, in a stryrofoam cup, brought home by a 1st grader, for Mother’s Day. These are also one of the things that make me happy when I see them.
And lastly, a hosta blooming.
Storm at Sea Top Finished!
I finished my Storm at Sea top last night. Not the best piecing job, but hey, it’s done. I did discover that those points really do match up much better if you take the time to put a pin in them! LOL! Who knew? This one will be challenging to me when it comes quilting time. I am running way late this morning, and have to drive to our Borger office for work today. Firearms inspection and requalifying is today. So no sewing on my lunch break today. 😦 Guess I better run!
Not Much Progress to Report
I managed to get one more row sewed together on my lunch hour yesterday. I did one more while cooking dinner last night. That’s as far as I got on any quilting projects. I did peruse some books & magazines, looking for a good project for my batiks. Right now, I’m leaning toward a jewel box quilt. Today, on my lunch hour, I sewed the remaining 2 rows, and got all the backing fabric for my Mom’s quilt pressed. I don’t know if I will get to do anymore later or not, depends on how I feel after work, fixin’ dinner, cleanin’ up dinner, and doing a little cleaning in my bedroom/bathroom.
Another online friend asked in a recent blog about what things make you happy on a daily basis. That query, thank you Ronda, along with reading a couple of blogs by cancer patients, reading about a mother losing a son in another friend’s blog, and a couple of friends close to me going through some difficult situations recently, have really made me count my blessings the last couple of days. Just to start, this is not my official blog yet of things that make me happy, that will come when I have more time to put into it, I have to say how happy my family makes me. Also, knowing that He who is in me, is greater than he who is in the world. During your visit with me today, notice the new box in the sidebar, Soul Food. I’m not sure how often it will change, but I wanted a space to share verses, etc., that really touch me, or speak to me, from time to time. I absolutely love this first verse. When I came across it during a personal devotional time, it was an AHA! moment for me. If you have one you would like to share with me, always feel free to add it to the comments of the current post, whether it’s relevant to the post or not. I’d love to read them. Thanks for stopping by!
Ramblings From Randi, The Wild Rose Quilter 
