Let's Get Caught Up

1. First, I am an epic fail in the virtual bee department.  Blogging isn't the only thing that didn't happen over the last 6, 7, 8 months (how long have I been gone).  I didn't sew.  I mean nothing.  I absolutely hated going downstairs because downstairs = all the sewing I wasn't getting done.  And all the sewing I wasn't getting done = all the people I was disappointing.  Not so fun.  I didn't even read a quilting blog the whole time.  It made me feel so so bad that I couldn't do what I committed to.  Same goes for Flickr.  Haven't been on in ages.  Probably have missed too much to mention.
2. I didn't buy much fabric at all while on hiatus.  It doesn't seem like I missed much.  Correct me if I am wrong.  While there doesn't seem to be much doing with fabric, it does seem like the quilting blogger universe has been very busy.  So many amazing quilts!  I want to make pretty much every quilt I see.  I am not going to make every quilt I see ... how do you think I got into this mess?
3. I didn't go to the Heather Ross Sewing Workshop in Palm Springs in January, as I had planned.  I am going to the Workshop in New York in October though.  The Workshop is the same time as Canadian Thanksgiving, Yom Kippur and the Sewing Summit in Salt Lake City.  My planning skills aren't what they used to me.  Obviously nor are my calendar reading skills.  Still going to New York.
4. When I had to cancel the Palm Springs Workshop, I talked to the Heather Ross on the phone.  It was my first brush with sewing/quilting stardom.  She is very nice.  
5. Since starting to sew again (and by again, I mean in the last 2 weeks), I have gotten a little bit finished.  I haven't trusted myself to sew anything but a straight line.  While sewing again is kinda like riding a bike, I have been making a lot of mistakes.  Thank goodness I have a seam ripper.  The seam ripper and I are new best friends.
6. I can't seem to find more than 5 things. Oh, I am charging my camera RIGHT NOW so hopefully this will be the only picture free post you have to read through.
7. I turned 40 about a month ago.  It has been nothing but great so far.  
8. I made it to 8.  I'll take 8.

L xo

Let's Stay Together

Well.  It has been quite a while, hasn't it?  I have so much to tell you.  I have so much to show you.

So.

Let's stay together.

L xo

Change of Plans

[image courtesy of Sue Spargo]

I am suppose to be at a day long Sue Spargo course in 6 hours.  Yep, it starts at 9:30 and it is 3:16 exactly right now.  This is some early morning blogging, isn't it?  

We have had coughs and colds and sore throats and the list goes on and on as does our collective illnesses.  It started with E on Friday (with a late night trip to the Children's Hospital thrown in).  Carried on with me starting on Saturday (no end date as of yet) and now is with our S who woke me up with his cough cough coughing.  He has finally fallen back asleep after about an hour straight of back rubs and forehead kisses.  

So it isn't looking promising for my Sue class tomorrow. And I worked really hard on getting everything ready for the class.  I mean, there was a lot of hand sewing done, my friends (something I didn't know how to do until last week-ish).

But I am not bothered in the least about missing out.

I am sure I will be able to take one of her courses in the future.

Because being a mama comes first (and I am not quite sure if in my sick, and now sleep deprived state, I would be any good at the course anyhow).  

Last week, Courtney over at C Jane wrote about how she broke her commitment to blog every day until Christmas because her little one was sick and needed her more than her blog did.  It was an amazing post about commitment and being a mother and what you go through when your child was sick.

I thought a lot about that post all day Friday, because it spoke to me  in light of leaving my big corporate job because in my heart I knew my children needed me at home more than my job needed me or I needed my job.  

I thought about that post Friday night as I stood in my driveway, uggs and pj's on, sobbing as I  watched Darrell drive with E to the hospital.  No one warns you when you have children that you will from that day forward wear your heart on the outside of your chest - with no rib cage or muscle to protect it, the heart is easily broken, especially when faced with the knowledge that your child is sick and that it is beyond you to heal them.  I am humbled by the strength of parents who deal with the chronic illness, or worse, of their child, on a daily basis.

And I am thankful for the doctors and nurses who worked hard to make my E well.  

So, there is a pretty big chance that it will be S and I snuggled up tomorrow watching ICarly all day (oh ICarly how I loathe your silly show).

But who knows .... Sue is teaching a course in Italy in the Spring ...

L xo

PS - If this post rambled, forgive me. It is almost 4 in the morning, after all.

Music Monday

We haven't had many sunny days here in Calgary lately.  It feels more like we live in Vancouver or something.  Rain, rain, rain.  The gloom is kinda getting to us all.  

But

D and I off to Scottsdale for 6 days on Thursday.  We were made for sunny days.

And

the sun is meant to come out starting Thursday so my sweet boys, who are also made for sunny days, will have sun too (and their Grandma too!)

L xo

PS - If I owe you a block from a bee, I am working furiously to get them all done before I leave.  I don't want all those blocks hanging over my head.  Next year, I am only joining one Bee.  That's it.  I just bit off more than I could chew, didn't I?

Dare to be Square

Dare to Be Square Quilting by Boo Davis from Quiltsrÿche on Vimeo.

I may be late to the party on this one, but I just picked this book up yesterday and ohmygosh, I love it.  I haven't done a lot of solid colour quilting but this book may change that.  I absolutely love everything in this book.  And I am picky.  Which doesn't mean I don't pick up a book even though there may be only 2 patterns that I like.  But it does mean I am not quick to wholeheartedly, without reservation tell you to take a look at something.  

I am wholeheartedly, without reservation telling you to take a look at this book (or the video about the book - which, as an aside, I find very clever.  The whole video/book thing.  I used to review books for a national newspaper here in our sweet Canada and love all things books and, while the actual book will always be my first love, I am kinda digging technology as a means to get more people to read.  But I digress).

Take a look at this book because it is quirky and fun.  And has great patterns that everyone can do.  And is really well written.  That Boo has talent.  And from the patterns, I would guess also a great sense of humour.  Absolutely lovely, if I do say so myself.

I hope all is well with everyone.  We have a dog with a stomach ailment at Casa Cohen.  Restless nights to say the least.  Poor sweet Chester.

L xo

PS - In non-quilting book news, I am starting the Harry Potter book series (yep, all 7) again, for the 8th time, in preparation for the movie release in November.  Love them.

PPS - Boo's book is very cute and not offensive.  Her website may be for some of you (just sayin because I don't want to offend anyone).  I dig it because it shakes things up and I think that is a good thing.  Some may not.  (can you tell I am a lawyer, geesh, all the warning and waiver language ...)

Music Monday

Well, well, well, here we are again with a Music Monday.  I think every single preteen, teenage, twenty something girl needs to play this song over and over (advice from my almost 40 self who may now, finally, know a thing or two about this sort of thing).  Listen to the lyrics girls.  And go get a copy of Kelly Cutrone's book If You Have to Cry, Go Outside.  I wish I had that book in my early twenties.  Not everyone is going to love the book but it has some good advice, let me tell you.  Even for all of us out of twenties ...

And don't we love Sara Bareillis?  Yes, we do.

L xo

PS - This one is a dedication from my 20-ish self to that oh so awful ex-boyfriends from times gone by.  While my hot yoga self would offer love and compassion to those who may have done me wrong in the past, the Leanne I know and love revels in the fact that karma is a bitch, baby. xoxo

PPS - Next Music Monday we are getting all up and positive on it, I promise.  I am going to share my favourite album of right now.  It's a good one.  Promise.

Scenes From a Domestic Life

Well here we are at Friday.  We made it through another week, and we did well, didn't we?  This was Chester and I yesterday.  Laundry folding in the living room while we listen to Mindy Gledhill on the computer (I haven't downloaded her album to my iTouch yet).

Chester is at daycare today (playing with a schnauzer - how cute) .  Boys at school.  Yoga soon.  Coffee with some "friends that are boys" later.  And then a sewing session (and pizza) at Out of Hand.  Hooray!

But first, more laundry and kitchen cleaning.

All in all, a pretty good day, don't you think.  If I can get my act together, I'll post pics of what I get done tonight, tomorrow.

L xo

PS - Have an absolutely wonderful Friday.

PPS - There is snow on the mountains.  I had the most amazing view driving home this morning.  The sun was shining and there is snow on our Rocky Mountains (I know I said that already but snow = skiing and we LOVE that).  It was beautiful.  I am such a lucky girl.