Monday, June 28, 2010

No Music but ...

I gave notice at my job today.  My last day is July 30.  
I am going to be a stay at home mom (mostly) for a little bit.
Wish me luck.


L xo

PS - Now that the stress of actually leaving my job is gone, I may be able to post more.  Or sew more.  Or both.

PPS - We may have a mice problem at our cabin.  I may have to sell that place.  I hate rodents.  (Not relevant to today's post but can't get it out of my mind).

PPS - Hope everyone is well.  I miss blogging.  How weird is that? 

Monday, June 21, 2010

Music Mondays






Holy moly, what a week I had.  Illness, surgery (not me), last days of school ... the list goes on and on.


Crazy town.  


Am desperately tired still. But couldn't miss 2 Music Mondays in a row, so here you have it - and in French! 


It is in keeping with my beautiful bilingual country (even though it is really from France - we love all things French here) 

Back soon with the world's biggest blog update ever. Promise.
L xo

Friday, June 11, 2010

Pin it Forward - What Home Means to Me

Today is my Pin It Forward day. 

I am so excited to be part of the Pin It Forward - a blog mash up put together by one of my all time faves in the inspiration department, Victoria of  SF Girl by the Bay and some really talented folks at Pinterest.  

(To be honest, I am a little overwhelmed by the company I am keeping by participating in this amazing blog it forward project - yesterday's post was written by the very talented, Emma Lamb - you have to follow her blog, really.)

The lovely theme of this Pin It Forward is "What Home Means to Me". 

While we plan our renovation and decide the colours of walls and floors, it becomes more and more clear to me that my home does mean not the four walls I live in, but the life I have with the 3 people I live with me inside those four walls.

Since it would be an impossible task to put into words what home means to be, these pictures are as close as I can get (a big thanks to Pinterest for making it oh so easy to put my board together.  I am in love with this Pinterest, it is true).


So ...

Home means everything to me.



Home means that I can be at my best and my worst and be loved either way.



Home means days full of sunshine and children laughing in the backyard.




Home is where I am safe and find comfort.  And sometimes, sleep.




Home means old stories read, new ones imagined ....

and art made.




Home means lots of cake ...



and celebrations and dance parties while making pancakes on Saturday morning.


 
 

Home means ...
 
 
 
 
Without my three boys ...
 
 




 
home would hold little meaning for me.
 

L xo

PS - As part of Pin it Forward, go check out The Road to Wonder Tomorrow on Monday. Better yet, check out the list at SF Girl by the Bay, and visit all the lovely blogs and their "What Home Means to Me" posts.  They are a ton of amazing blog posts to be read.

PPS - You can check out my entire Pinterest board on What Home Means to Me here. I have started a few other boards too. Once you get going, it is pretty hard to stop pinning.  Think of it as this week's For You Friday - you really need to get going on this.  Trust.  Go get an invite.  Now.

PPPS - I grew up in an amazing home (and I don't mean the structure).  I owe my parents everything for working so hard to make sure my brother and I knew that wherever we went in life, we could always come home.  I hope that my children will always carry our home in their hearts.







Wednesday, June 9, 2010

What I am Reading


Reading and sewing do not go hand in hand. Usually, it is one or the other. I am not sure how you would do the two at the same time, actually. 

Sometimes, to satisfy my craving for reading, I'll listen to books on CD or download them from itunes to listen to while I sew.  Do you ever get that way?  Where you can't bear not to be reading?

I have just reread The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  I only reread it so that I could read the whole series together and now I can't find where I put the second book.  Annoying.  I do that though.  When a new book in a series comes out, I reread the series from the beginning.  So, for example, I have read the Harry Potter series a gazillion times.  I am planning on rereading it again in time for the new movie in the Fall.  Strange, I know.

Before that, it was Cutting for Stone which was amazing.  Amazing, amazing.

Now it is Her Fearful Symmetry.  I can't put this book down.  Not good when you have so much sewing to catch up on.  This book is by the author who wrote The Time Traveller's Wife.  That book had me sobbing so loud that my husband came running into our bedroom convinced someone had died.  Not lying.

The movie version of The Time Traveller's Wife was an unbearable disappointment that I would rather not talk about.  Not lying.

I have only read about 70 pages of Her Fearful Symmetry, but this book has had me from the first pages. 

Don't you love when that happens? 

I'll keep you updated on how it all goes ...

L xo

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Things I Learned ...

x



making my first modified bento box ... (which doesn't look like a modified bento box because I haven't cut it up yet - waiting for instructions from sweet Greta) for the Mod Bento Box Swap.
  1. I need to pin EVERYTHING.  I so want to be one of those people that just whip things together but I have to come to the sad realization that the "whip it together" kind of quilter just isn't me.  To just "whip it together" means to just pick it apart later when seams don't measure up.  So, I have to pin.  It takes more time, that is for sure.  And while we are talking about it, how do these people whip up quilt after quilt after quilt?  It seems like they must have elves helping out or something.  I do not have any elves.
  2. I am also not one of these people that can cut a bazillion layers of fabric at once.  Oh no, not me.  Because why be good at at least 1 time saving technique?  I, rather, have to cut in little bits to make sure everything doesn't go wonky.  Even then, my cutting is sometimes wonky.
  3. I think my first instinct in making this block was to make sure everything "goes" and thus, my bento box turned out too matchy matcherson.  I think there is a "throw caution to the wind" (kind of) component to these boxes.  Not having to plan everything out may make for some gorgeous blocks.  Sounds good to me.
  4. I have a lot of fabric.  It is kind of crazy.  While I believe this will help with the with the matchy problem of above, so much choice has lead to a very big mess in my sewing room.  There will be no pictures of said big mess.  I need to clean it up.  I also need to clean up the rest of the house.  I didn't learn that from making the block.  I learned that from looking around while typing this.  
I think this will be an ongoing list that grows as I make more of these.  I'll let you know.

L xo

[Edited to Add] 

PS - Add to list that I am learning that I may not be good at following instructions.  The reason why I didn't cut the block up last night is because I was unsure whether it needed to be four 7.75" or 8" squares.  If I had gone back to the instructions, I wouldn't have had to send Greta an email or ask the Flickr group (thanks, Meg!) because it was clearly written that the blocks are 7.75" (thanks, Jessica!).  

Monday, June 7, 2010

Music Mondays




Better late than never. It has been a long, long day. My sweet S had minor surgery today so our day started at 5. All is well.

I worked on my pillow a little but nothing to show, really.

L xo

PS - The next few weeks are going to be crazy sewing time. I have to finish blocks for bees and quilts for babies. Wish me luck

PPS - Sorry for missing For You Friday - hopefully back this week.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

I Am in Awe


Let's take a minute to look at this pillow, shall we?  It is my pillow.  Not made by me (I doubt I could ever do such a good job) but for me! Made by my Pillow Swap 3 pal, Val.  

Can you believe it?  

I am in love with this pillow.  It is beyond gorgeous and made so well.  As this was a blind swap, I really lucked out, didn't I?

This pillow has made my day.  Really.

L xo

PS - If there is a Pillow Swap 4, I am signing up and crossing my fingers I get Val again.  Hint Hint.


An Almost Productive Weekend


Fussy Bee Block #2
Originally uploaded by lnwcohen
So. Here's the lowdown on sewing this weekend ...

Two Fussy Cut Bee blocks done (the picture is one of them).

One string block sewn at 3/8" seam allowance instead of 3/16" (don't ask why it isn't 1/4" because it isn't my block).

The letter "T" sewn. The letter "K" still in the planning stages.

Pillow Swap pillow started and plan for completion awaiting sewing this evening. If my swap partner doesn't like it, I'll take it back because I do.

Fabric for my June blocks mailed.

Porkchop Swap charms mailed (I am thinking that I will have lots from other packs to share with anyone who wants them - just send me a note).

Hexagon charms sent to my girls.

I think I am almost getting my groove back. Having terrible weather and snow helped. Nothing to do but stay inside. A lemons, lemonaide thing.

L xo
 
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