They're Coming A Little Early

Hubby called me at work and reported that Dani went into labor around 10:00 this morning. At that time she had delivered 4 puppies...3 males and 1 female. Since I've gotten home I tried calling but no answer. I'm guessing they're probably a little busy since there were at least 6 when they did the ultrasound. I'll post pictures and final count when I can.

Work has been totally crazy this week. This is only the start. So no sewing update.

Expecting

No, not ME silly. Sonny is going to be an uncle again. Dani (my MIL's dog) is due this coming Friday. Can you see her "little" baby bump? I tried to feel the puppies yesterday but she was too excited to see us and wouldn't settle down. It definitely feels weird when a little paw pushes against the mother's tummy at your hand.

When they did an ultrasound on her several weeks back there were at least 6 puppies, possibly more as some may have been "hiding" behind another one. Fingers crossed that they're all healthy and preferably more girls than boys.

Week #30 Stash Report

The previus week I ordered some Portobello Market fabric that was $3.75/yd...how could you pass that up? It arrived this week for 6.5 yards. I've been working on the baby blocks this week but the fabric usage was recorded last week. Although I didn't include the border last week because I am making it a little larger than than the crib instructions.

I checked my numbers for July last year. I added 71 yards to my stash. This year I've only added 9.5 this month. Woohoo! The next couple months will be a test though. We're going up north next month and I hope to stop at a couple (new to me) quilt shops, and then there is the Madison Quilt Show in September, and October is when Aster Manor comes out. I better start making some room on the shelves!

Here are my numbers to date:

• Fabric Added: 6.5 yards
• Fabric Added to Date: 94 yards
• Fabric Used: 0 yards
• Fabric Used to Date (goal 150): 110.00 yards
• Net Used: 16 yards

My goal this week is to finish the Baby Here blocks and start on the sashing.

Lilies & Life

Two years ago I worked on a project with some subconsultants from England. When we were done they bought me this lily as a "thank you". That year it had three flowers on it. I planted it in the front flower bed and look at it now. There are tons of buds on it.

No quilting time this week yet. I hit a "milestone" this week. I have lost 10 lbs since April!!!! I "treated" (not) myself to a little shopping trip; unfortunately it was for clothes since I had an extra 30% off coupon. (I hate clothes shopping.) I bought a couple new tops for work.

I had a voice message from the clinic to schedule an appointment with a dietician. I had called the other day but they said my doctor had to refer me to them. I'll call her back tomorrow. So hopefully my a1c and glucose numbers will be much better in October.

Monday I have a consult with an eye specialist. I'm a little nervous because I may need some laser surgery (no, not the kind so I won't need glasses anymore).

Hopefully tomorrow I can get some sewing time in.

Block Auditions

Here are the three blocks that I can make with the components of the Here, There & Everywhere pattern.

HERE.....

THERE...

EVERYWHERE...

I was going to do the Everywhere design but now I'm not so sure. I'll keep working on making the components for the rest of the blocks and then decide how I'll put them together.

I've said before that I'm not that great in the kitchen. Hubby usually does the cooking because he gets home before me. I realize I have to make more food changes in my life so I decided to look through some of my (gazillion) cookbooks. One of my problems is that I don't like fruit. I will eat apples and pears but that's about it. I love the flavors of strawberries, bananas, and oranges, but I dislike the seeds (strawberries) and texture of oranges. I DO like banana bread and I found a recipe that doesn't include sugar so I thought this is how I can get some fruit in my diet. It was really quick and easy to make. It also tastes pretty good. It may not be much but at least it's something.

I hope I don't jinx myself, but I was completely ecstatic this morning when I got on the scale and saw that I lost 4 lbs since Friday morning. I had to try it a second time to make sure I wasn't dreaming. My fingers are crossed that tomorrow it will still show the 4 lb loss and that it keeps dropping. If it holds, then I'll have lost 10 lbs since April. I'd like to lose 10 more lbs before I'm at my (in my mind) "ideal" weight.

Week #29 Stash Report

No fabric added again this week, but I did poke a button for some Peace on Earth fabric that was $3.75/yd. I'll report that next week when it comes in.

I used up 2 yards starting a baby project yesterday using the Here, There, Everywhere pattern by Prairie Sky Quilting. The components of the block can make three different designs. It just depends how you position them. I'm thinking of doing the Everywhere pattern, but I'll audition all three once I have the components made for one block. I want to thank Jen at Cre8tive Quilter for posting about Prairie Sky Quilting. I haven't seen these patterns around here and thought the pattern she bought was really cool so I checked out their website.

Here are my numbers to date:

• Fabric Added: 0 yards
• Fabric Added to Date: 87.50 yards
• Fabric Used: 2 yards
• Fabric Used to Date (goal 150): 110.00 yards
• Net Used: 22.50 yards

My goal for the week is to continue working on Baby Here, There & Everywhere.

Another One Bites the Dust

I am up-to-date now with the Apple Cider Medallion BOM blocks. Two weeks before the next one should arrive.

Hubby has to work this weekend so I'll have to see what kind of trouble I can get into in the sewing room.

Disappointment

That describes my day. Today I had my cholesterol and a1c (diabetic) tests. I had such high hopes that my numbers would been better since my last test 3 months ago. My a1c number went UP .1 (to 5.9) along with my glucose number. (If your a1c number is 6.0 or over on three consecutive tests, you're considered a diabetic.) I thought I was going to start balling right there in front of the lab tech. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Who would have thought that eating could be so difficult?!?! I really wish that I would have met with the doctor afterwards but I had changed my original appointment to today so now she was busy. I think my next move will be to see if I can meet with a dietician who can hopefully tell me what I'm doing wrong.

On a little bit brighter note, all of my exercising did lower my total cholesterol so it wasn't a total bust.

Thanks for letting me throw my little pity party. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Week #28 Stash Report

Not much sewing again this week. I managed to complete one more Apple Cider Medallion BOM block. One more and I'll be caught up. I did add some fabric this week though....my monthly FQ bundle (Glace) from Fat Quarter Shop came in the mail.

Here are my numbers to date:

• Fabric Added: 3 yards
• Fabric Added to Date: 87.50 yards
• Fabric Used: 0 yards
• Fabric Used to Date (goal 150): 108.00 yards
• Net Used: 20.50 yards

I hope to finish the other block this week. After that I want to start quilting Hot Cross.

Another BOM Block Done

I was feeling pretty silly for not being able to finish piecing one block last week (especially since I was on vacation) so I decided to finish it today. I have two more Apple Cider Medallion blocks to finish and then I'll be caught up.

Week #27 Stash Report

Nothing in and nothing out again this week. I did work a little bit on another BOM block but didn't get it finished.

Here are my numbers to date:

• Fabric Added: 0 yards
• Fabric Added to Date: 84.50 yards
• Fabric Used: 0 yards
• Fabric Used to Date (goal 150): 108.00 yards
• Net Used: 23.50 yards

I definitely could use more time off, but it's back to work tomorrow. This morning we helped the neighbors clean up from last night, and I helped my cousin get food ready for her step-daughter's graduation party. Later we'll go to the party and catch up with my aunts/uncles and cousins. Then I think I just want to veg out on the couch the rest of the day. These last couple of days have been very busy! Have a great week!

Missing You!!!

My Wesley bear.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Wishing everyone a wonderful, safe 4th of July! We're pretty much set for the party tonight. Hubby is finishing up the mowing. I just put the cheesecake in the oven. I found a recipe in my diabetic cookbook so I thought I'd try it out. Being that I'm not that great in the kitchen, I am pretty proud of myself. (Although we still have to taste test it.) Hopefully the rain stays away and the wind stays at a minimum...enough to keep the bugs away but not enough to mess up fireworks.

We finished painting the railings yesterday. It looks MUCH nicer than the weathered wood look. We still have the trim around the garage doors but that can wait for another day. Yesterday afternoon hubby finally got to do some water skiing. It still was a little cool in the morning to go, but then the sun finally broke through the clouds and by the afternoon it was great out. We went out on Lake Winnebago with SIL, BIL and little Zack (2 years old). My BIL took Zack water skiing with him. (I'll have to see if I can get a picture from SIL.) It was Zack's first time and it didn't even phase him. After he got in the boat he said, "I fall down in the water." He is so funny! He knows all the water skiing terms too, like "grab the rope" and "Hit It!" when you're ready to get pulled up. He's so smart and polite for his age.

Brewers Beat the Mets

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I’ll start at the end of the day yesterday and go backwards.  Last night we went to the Brewers game.  It was the second game against the Mets.  We had originally planned on getting seats in the family section in front of the reporters, but it was sold out.  We upgraded (we are on vacation after all) and ended up 5 rows behind the visitor’s dugout.  Wish my camera would have been able to zoom in closer, but I can live with it.  The game started out bad with Burns giving up two runs (thanks to David Wright’s home run…not a fan of the Mets but he is some nice eye candy) in the 1st inning but then he settled in and didn’t give up another run.  Then things picked up when Braun got a double, but thanks to the Mets’ error, ended up scoring on the same play.

I was surprised there were quite a few Mets fans there.  Our “neighbors” were really cool.  One younger couple was from Chicago (Cubs fans…eewwww), but they were very nice and we chatted with them throughout the night.  On the other side were two guys from New York (Yankees fans) and we chatted with them a little bit too.  The type of seats we were in would have cost $750 at a Yankees game…WOWSERS! 

It would have been neat to see Trevor Hoffman come in and to hear Hells Bells blasting, but I was glad he didn’t need to come in.  The Brew Crew pulled it off and won 6-3.  Today they’ll be going for the sweep.

As for the rest of the day, in the morning hubby pressure washed the house while I cleaned up in the garage.  We ended up running out of time to work on priming more of the railing because we had to stop by the neighbors to figure out what we all needed for the party (we have a joint party since it’s her b’day on the 4th as well), then stopped by the wife of our friend who passed away earlier this year.  We’re taking her out for lunch today.  

On our “break” I finished Apple Cider Medallion BOM block #8 (who knew we were that far along, I thought we were only on #5…how time flies).  I am 3 blocks behind so this morning I started cutting out the another one.

Today it’s still cool (mid-60s) and cloudy.  Great weather to be doing stuff outside, but hubby is worried that “Water Ski Wednesday” with his friends will be cancelled.  Me too, because while he’s skiing with his buddies I plan on sewing.  But never fear, his sister said they’ll be going out tomorrow so there is still hope that he might get to ski this week.  And believe me, I’ll be remembering to wear (and reapply) my sunscreen. 

Time to get off the ‘puter and get something done before we leave for our lunch date.