holidays....blah!

So,  this morning I was thinking of what I normally do this time of year. Back in the NM days there was floral design. I would be gearing up for Christmas  orders for parties, decorate a ton of wreaths, and corporate office decorating to complete. These days it  usually is finishing  sweaters for the magazine and photo shoot deadlines. i usually spend the Thanksgiving weekend, christmas  time off, and New Year break  knitting like an idiot to finish Knitter's projects

This year is different, I have no sweater designs scheduled for the next issue...thank heaven. I still have ideas I need to get started for my book, but otherwise I am at a loss of what to do, knitwise. So I have the quilting to play with....

My goodness I get tomorrow off as well.

I cannot wait for this looooonnnng weekend. I plan to get the house in order, then stitch my heart out. Planning to get packers ready for the Sewn Together bee, and maybe finish a few halfway done projects.

If I forget to say it later, " Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!" hope your riches outweigh your worries, and that you can keep it all in perspective throughout the holiday season and that your dearest wishes come true.

another friday!

Wow! this week flew by fast!
i got a lot done at work. i worked all week on the jacket book, playing with numbers for all the different sizes, now all we need is to plug them into the templates.

At home, I have finished all my bee blocks for November, just completed my swap piece which goes out the beginning of December. When i went shopping for the final little needs for the swap i came across a great table top trinket that seems to have been created especially for my swap partner. i bought it along with a few other things that i think she might like for decoration...seasonal or 24/7.

 Weekend plans are to develop and execute the details for my December blocks since my month in Sewn Together.  i was going to give  I may be giving my month to someone else,  but she never and she just responded   and i think she may have just gone missing after falling behind in the process. i do not fault her as she had one of those "life happens" incidents and has just  may have not yet recouped.it seems she has had a difficult 2 months, and hjopefully things will improves for her and her family.

i also plan to work on an idea for the Joann's Quilt Your Colors contest. i had a blast picking fabrics for it. many pieces are already cut out, and  now i have to create blocks and setting  for the piece. i love a challenge.

it's FRIday!

and i am so fried.....i am hoping to take the rest of the day off. i just need some Me time to preserve my mental health. have a good weekend everyone!

busy hands....empty mind

here are 4 garments i designed and knit for the Fall issue of Knitter's 

i always find it a joy to create even though sometimes it means way too many extra  hours working on stuff. 

What are you going to do?

Had a restless night. Today, I have to finish merchandising the winter issue which means calls to yarn companies and  designers, a bunch of orders that must be sent fed ex overnight,  and contracts. That is easy compared to what my 3 friends and their families are going through,

I am frustrated for them..When I lost Luke 10 years ago, I wanted to wallow in pity for a few days, but  life doesn't let it happen...there was too much to do. My family did not know how to treat me...my mother was worried about me, so all I could do was be strong and ease her fears. i bucked up, got back in the saddle and moved on.  Everything went back to normal.

At least everyone thinks it did.

I just spoke with someone on Friday evening who lost her father last year. She asked if the pain of loss ever goes away, and I told her I would let her know as soon as it happens...

i could spit fire

I finally got the block for  Antique Roses done.... Baby Norbert is complete. ( Ihe bat  block was done a few days ago.) And pretty cute if i say so myself...

It is for a Harry Potter Quilt for  the Scrap Happy bee. Not being a  Harry Potter fan, I made sure that the block I had to make would be challenging and something i would like to own myself.  It had to fit into my sewing sensibilities as well. Yeah, with all the  pieces, cuts, seams, and tails there was no sensibility to any of it... other than I was not lazy and I made a block I would love to keep ...I HOPE Kristen loves it.

While the Dragon choice was obvious, considering  my last name, I had ulterior motives. I thought success through this block would breed a series of dragons for family members...ummm...5-hour blocks...ummm... Baby Norbert will be an only child at Casa Rico, but he flies off to his new mommy today. Adios HOT STUFF.

This Block wasn't difficult, just tedious. YET, it was  perfect for keeping me from breaking down and crying from all the crap happening round me. I know I am lucky to have friends that I care about....even if i feel helpless in being able to comfort or help them. This is just one of life's lessons... I am only a bystander, who can pitch in when asked or needed.

Anyway, do not take this as wallowing, there is no room for ":poor me" in life. I  recall MY favorite M*A*S*H episode...( the details are a little vague but)  BJ is wallowing about his kid meeting Radar upon his discharge and way back home to Iowa. In meeting BJ's family at the San Fran Airport, the kid calls Radar "Daddy", BJ is crushed, pissed, helpless, and lets rage get the best of him. Eventually Hot Lips smacks him back to reality reminding him that he has so much to lose because he has so much.

I got the message....

Life is not fair

I just checked facebook to find a long-time knitting friend has just died of cancer...she still lived back in NM so I will not be able to make the memorial service on Thursday. She had been battling cancer for quite a while...so of course this was expected but still it sucks. She was my age and leaves behind a loving husband and two kids. ....sad time in Casa Rico,

My dearest friend, Sue, is also fighting cancer, and she is in a lot of pain plus really feeling down. She is making plans for the eventual reality of death, and it is just so hard to be so helpless and fear that you cannot say anything comforting enough.

Plus one of our coworkers is suffering from a viral infection that invaded her spinal column..meaning she cannot feel any of her extremities. She most likely will not make it back to work...she has had a hard couple of years and this on top of it just makes me wonder how some people can struggle through it all.

Please keep these people in your thoughts, positive energy never hurt anyone.

Peace to everyone, and remember to be kind to everyone, and do not take life and your dear ones for granted.

Can you hear me now?

So this weekend was somewhat productive....I planned to sew on Friday night but got waylaid when I realized my cell phones were missing. Back to work, scoured the editorial suite to no avail, even went to the dumpster to sort through the trash...see Friday is trash day and the cleaning people emptied my garbage, maybe they fell off my desk and into the trash can. But it was way too dark and was having no luck...plus because we share the building with a doctors office, I didn't want to be sorting through medical refuse. Who knows what I might encounter in the dark. I gave up, thinking I would check in the morning.

Of course, when I got back home I couldn't concentrate so I just vegged out and worried until bed. i tried to relive my steps and see where the phones could be. Went to bed and had a restless night...morning couldn't come fast enough.

I got up at 6:30, and headed to the office, I wanted to make sure that the garbage company did not take the trash away. went to the office and as day broke I looked out my Est facing window, as I pulled the drapes aside....guess what I found....my phones on the window sill!

I have no idea how they got there....next up....super glueing one to each ear!

So Saturday afternoon and today I made blocks for 3 different bees.

A mother's love

from a co-worker:
Hi Rick,

One of my facebook friends posted this. I think that this mother is very insightful and thought you might like to read her blog post.

http://nerdyapplebottom.com/2010/11/02/my-son-is-gay/


I got this note this morning and read the post, you all should too.
This mother is much like mine. I am thrilled that this 5-year-old was given an opportunity to enjoy Halloween in the spirit that is intended.

I will not bore you with small details on what a great MOM I have; other than, she is one of my best friends, and biggest supporters. I probably did not live up to her dreams or expectations, but I will never know...she would never impose that on any of her 7 children. I would give my life for her as I know she would for me as well.   And just for the record, my DAD is just as wonderful.

I have a truly blessed life!

Opportunities missed.....

At stitches I am offered a job, with a construction company.....
The husband of one of my biggest fans says,


"...you probably can't even cut a 2X4, but you'd make my wife happy."
Ummm...geee... i think i am flattered "Of course i can cut a board and I swing a mean hammer, but only till I break a nail then it is back to domestics for me ."

Home again

I am back from Hartford. What a great time, Stitches was a huge success. My talk went over really well as did the Fashion Show and Student Banquet.

While there we visited Sew Inspired fabric store
We bought some great stuff.....my sister bought her fabric for the Ravishing in Red bee, as well as a couple of Bali Pops in the HARD CANDY color way, and two jelly rolls as well.
I got some Rowan fabrics that are ever so wild... a black and gold mosaic type fabric, and red black and gold combo.

Also bought 3 new books...
Rule Breaking Quilts by Kathryn Schmidt,
Super Strata Quilts by Pamela Mostek and Susan Nelsen,
and Bias Curves by Wendy Hill.
They are pretty amazing free-form style quilts.

The 4of us dropped over 700 dollars in about 2 hours, but bought some great stuff.
I really like what all  I bought and have some great plans.