Whew!!!

This was a SUPER BUSY week! But all is well. I took this photo yesterday afternoon, sitting on a bench at the Auburn University Arboretum. This is the bench where Hubby proposed to me almost 33 years ago. Now we've come full circle - Daughter 2 had her bridal portraits taken here yesterday. I went with her for her hair and makeup appointments. Then Hubby, Daughter 1, and I all helped with the photography session. It takes a village. Big success!

We had our final walk-through for the new home yesterday morning. All the items we asked for are in progress. We'll do a final FINAL walk-through just before closing next week. In between the home walk through and the photos, we bought a washer and dryer and refrigerator for the new home. We can fit a lot into one day!

Today I'll be working on the table toppers for the tables at the wedding - they are almost done. And laundry - must do laundry!

I haven't forgotten that I need to post the instructions for the next section of Bliss, but it's not happening just yet. Please be patient - it's coming.

Today's Project...

Today I worked on a wedding project - no surprise! I'll be wearing a navy lace dress. I wanted to add a bit of bling, so I found these beaded belts. The only problem is that the stark white background doesn't look good against the dress.

So I bought some navy dye and went to work this morning.

And here's the final product, drying in the sun. I have more beads that I think I'll sew on to bling it out even more. I think this will look much better against the dress.

Yesterday's Auburn trip resulted in clean teeth, a clean car (inside and out), a trip to Target and Hobby Lobby, and a couple of other errands.

Tomorrow I'm headed back to Auburn again: final walk through for our new home and helping Daughter 2 with her bridal portraits. Fun day!

Fun Mail Day!

I had ordered some fabric samples and I got them yesterday! OMG! I adore them!!!! This seems to be a new company and their website went up about a week ago in the UK. Here's the address:

Melanienelsondesigns.co.uk

My favorite design is obviously the dachshunds, but she also has elephants, cats, giraffes, and flowers. The designs come in a variety of fabrics - the samples I received are cotton sateen and linen. 100% cotton is also available.

I'll be placing an order soon! I plan on ordering the linen to make some new pillows for the cottage. Won't that be adorable???!!!! And I may have to have some of the 100% cotton to put in a quilt. 

I'm off to Auburn this morning - dental appointment and then I'm meeting one of the wedding vendors for a quick hand off. And maybe I'll run into Walmart for a few things. 

Have a great day!

The Word of the Year: MOVING

So many quilt bloggers pick a word to inspire their year. I don't ever do that, but if I did...it would have to be MOVING.

In February we moved out of our Auburn home when we sold it. Over the last two days we helped Daughter 2 move out of the condo. (Yes, we are selling it too - it's under contract and will close in a few weeks.) And up next (in a few weeks) we'll be moving into our new home.

This latest move went well. We realized on Saturday that the trailer I'd rented was not going to fit everything. So I went back to U-Haul and rented a 15 ft. truck. Yes, I drove a big truck! I only drove it from the U-Haul store to the condo though. Both the trailer and the truck were loaded by some really nice moving guys. We drove back to the lake with all the stuff and got a good night's sleep. Then yesterday we left early for Tuscaloosa in a caravan: I drove hubby's SUV pulling a 12 foot trailer, Daughter 2 drove her car, and hubby drove the truck.  We had more moving hired in Tuscaloosa to unload everything.

The only casualty was a table - the top pulled away from a leg - it's an easy repair and will be good as new! Oh, and a couple of lamp shades were crushed - again - easy to replace.

We took a lunch break mid-afternoon - the ORIGINAL Dreamland for the BEST ribs EVER! YUM! We really pigged out - no pun intended.

Hubby and I drove back to the lake last night, a bit tired, but happy with another thing marked off our list.

Today I'll be doing some list making, organizing, and planning.

Time Out for Boating

We took the time for a boat ride yesterday afternoon. Can you tell Cooper LOVES boat rides?

So today we are headed to Auburn to pick up a Haul trailer. We have some moving labor hired to help us load up the condo stuff and stow it in the trailer. Tomorrow we'll be taking the stuff to Tuscaloosa, helping Daughter 2 move.

We have another fun and busy week ahead, including a dental appointment for me, bridal portraits, another walk through of our new cottage, etc. Sewing? Haven't had much time, but I've been thinking about it! Does that count?

I have made the next section of bliss and photographed it. I need to write the instructions still, but as soon as that's done I'll post it here.

Have a great day - I won't post tomorrow because we'll be heading out early to Tuscaloosa. See you on the flip side!

Lake Life

We had a big storm here late yesterday afternoon - then the sun magically came out. AHHH!!!

 

And just another hour later we were blessed with this sunset. Again, ahhhh.....

We have been living here for about 2 months now. Previously, the longest amount of time we'd stayed here was about a week. It's been wonderful to have this lovely spot to enjoy while we wait to move back to the Auburn area. And we've been here at the perfect time of year. Most people around here are only weekenders - these are mostly vacation homes. And so while we've been here we've been almost the only ones on the street.

But now that the weather is warming up, the neighbors are appearing on weekends. Last night 4 cars appeared next door - not sure how many people, but I know there are at least 2 dogs. These neighbors are so nice! But our dogs bark more knowing that there are people and dogs over there. During the warmer weather, we enjoy the lake more during the weekdays - less boat traffic, less people. More quiet and peaceful.

And so now that the busy season is here, I'm glad that we're getting very close to moving into our new home. As much as I love it here, I think I am "laked out" for the time being. I can wait to be in town again so I can run out to the grocery store or run errands at a moment's notice. And I miss my Auburn friends!!!!

Do you have big plans this weekend? We have a quiet day today then we're off to Auburn tomorrow to help Daughter 1 move. Have a great day!

Full Blown Wedding Mode!

My project for today was filling small bag with orange and blue m&m's. Then I put the bags in little hexagon boxes. Then I put cute little stickers on the boxes. DONE!

Everything is falling into place, as I knew it would.

I'm thinking I can relax and sew this afternoon! Hexies, anyone?

How to Design a Hexie Quilt from a Photo!

I know many of you have been waiting for this article, and you were very patient. I had intended for this to be in the next issue of Hexie Love, but as you know, I'm not producing new issues. In the future all of my articles will be here on the blog.

The link to the article is under the tab at the top - Hexie Love Issues - click on it and you'll find the article. Enjoy! And if you do design a quilt from hexies, please let me know!!!

The Wedding Quilt (and Three Dogs on a Boat)

I gave the wedding quilt to the happy couple at the shower Saturday night. I think they like it! I'll get a better picture of the quilt soon.

We had a fine time at the shower, arriving back at the lake just before midnight.

Then we were up and at 'em early Sunday to host Mark's family for the day.

 

Here are the doggies waiting for a boat ride - they LOVE a boat ride.

Today Hubby and I are a bit pooped. But we are feeling well and ready for the fun week ahead!

Hope you have a great day!!!

BIG Weekend!

We are SO busy and it's all GOOD! So many things are happening at once - we're just taking it one day at a time. Last night we celebrated Daughter 2 having her LAST day of Pharmacy School. Later today we'll be at a couples shower in North Alabama. Tuesday is the Auburn University President's Luncheon and the inspection for our new home. Whew...

Glad I finished the binding project....

I hate I missed Catherine Redford's lecture to our guild and her classes, but at least I got to visit with her Wednesday evening. I hear my guild loves her!

Hope you are all enjoying a happy weekend!

The Humongous Binding Project is DONE!

You know, all I have done lately is hand stitch BINDING! I do enjoy binding, but enough is ENOUGH already! I'm very happy to report I finished last night. Sigh...

I now have a stack of finished projects that only need labels. Whew!

Being the engineer and math lover that I am, I decided to add up how many inches of binding I've done in the last few weeks:

Total binding in inches- 1458!

If I had only been binding one quilt, said quilt would measure more than 30 feet by 30 feet. That's a lot of binding!

I do still have a sleeve to hand stitch - I made it yesterday and have it pinned in place. I think I'll work on that a bit this morning.

This afternoon will be FUN! I'm driving to meet someone from the Birmingham guild to hand off...Catherine Redford! Catherine and I have been friends for years and I can't wait to see her. She'll be speaking at the Auburn guild tomorrow night and teaching  couple of classes on Friday and Saturday.

First Boat Ride of the Season

It was too windy Saturday, so we waited until Sunday to take the pontoon boat out. Cooper assumed his regular spot with his head hanging out the front - he like to feel the wind in his face.

Micky, as usual like to be in a lap.

Selfie with Mickey!

I continued my binding during the weekend while we watched the Masters.

This week will be fun and busy! But for today...I will bind...

I'm so glad so many of you are enjoying the free issues of Hexie Love! Have a great day!

A Morning of Errands

It was beautiful day to run errands in Auburn. The sun was shining, the students were out and about, and all was right with the world. My errands consisted of dropping off checks and picking up checks.

-Dropped off check to pay for painting the front door of the condo

-Dropped off check for wedding caterer

-Picked up check - closed out business checking account

And of course, as I left town I did my next two weeks of grocery shopping. Done and done!

Thanks so much for all the good wishes for my retirement. You are all awesome! And since I no longer have a specific schedule... I am going to put (what would have been a Hexie Love article) an fun tutorial on the blog next week! Stay tuned!

Today I have plans to continue binding... getting there, one stitch at a time! AND, when the temperature warms up later today we plan to have our first boat ride of the season. Happy Dance!

The "R" Word...

This a a year of change for our family. Our younger daughter has only ONE WEEK left in Pharmacy School! And she's getting married. We're downsizing in a big way and couldn't be more excited. We are so happy to be in the place we are...

I've been doing lots of soul searching. I LOVE what I do - love Hexie Love - love quilting. You know I do!

But...yes, there's a BUT!

I've decided that with our simple life in our new community...I want to simplify my life even more.

And so, I've decided to dissolve my business. I've sat on the idea in my mind for quite a while, chewing on it, seeing how it tastes and feels. And yes, it feels right to me.

I'm RETIRING!!!!

No worries for you if you are making this year's Block of the Month and Bliss, both patterned in Hexie Love. Over the course of this year I'll be providing the patterns here on my blog - you won't miss a thing!

And the old issues of Hexie Love? They are all FREE now! Look up at the top of my blog - see the tab. Help yourself! Let me know if you have any problems with this.

My blog will keep going, I promise!  I'll keep sharing all the quilts I make and the projects I work on.
So nothing will really change as far as you, the reader, goes. You'll still get the patterns - for free - but I won't have any self imposed deadlines. I think we all will be happy.

And so, that's my news for today! I'm headed to Auburn today - a few errands to run there. I wish you a very happy hexie day!

The Family Pets

Last night we had a group text going with our daughters. I sent them both this photo of our doggies in hubby's lap. Yes, Cooper is trying to be a LAP dog!

Daughter 2 sent this photo of her sweet kitty, Arwen, at the condo.

And Daughter 1 sent this photo of their Scout, chilling after playing outside all day.

We are definitely an animal loving family!

I haven't had many quilt related photos lately - everything is secret but will be revealed soon, I promise! I'm still binding today! Around and around I go...

In other news, I had the nicest phone call yesterday. A sweet woman who lives down the street from our new cottage called. She had heard from mutual friends that we are moving there and wanted to welcome me. She invited me to the neighborhood women's group, too. I think we're going to like this neighborhood!

Binding, Binding, Binding!

Binding is the name of the game today! I know some people don't enjoy binding a quilt, but I love it. It's relaxing and repetitive. No thinking involved!

So here's the cake I made hubby yesterday. It's not the prettiest thing ever, but it sure is delicious! It's a Pina Colada Cake and is SO EASY! No mixing bowl, no mixer, not even a spoon needed! Just dump and bake! I got the recipe HERE.

One of my readers asked for a house update. As you remember, we sold our 4000 square foot home in Auburn and planned to build a new big home in that same neighborhood. We moved to the lake in the meantime. Then we did a BIG switcheroo and decided not to build. We put a contract on a tiny (1600 square foot) cottage instead. The cottage is just outside Auburn in the town of Opelika. It's in a fabulous golf community that has lots of amenities we plan to use. I love that the cottage is Craftsman in style - my favorite!

The builder is busy adding in a few things we requested: screening the back porch, adding a few additional electrical outlets, and planting some new bushes in the back yard. We close on the home exactly one month from today! But we won't move in until a couple of weeks later, after Daughter 2's wedding.

We have THREE storage units full of all our belongings and of course, it won't all fit! So we'll be picking and choosing. The rest of the stuff? Our daughters will get to pick what they want. And then we'll sell the rest. BOOM! I know this process will take a few months at the minimum.  Can't wait to live a more simple life!

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

And here he is, relaxing on the pier with the dogs. Can you see Mickey in his arms? We celebrated his birthday with the kids on Easter, so today will be more quiet. I am going to make him a cake today (shhh...it's a surprise). And if he gets home from work on time, we'll go out to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

His presents this year all revolve around our new cottage. I gave him some really nice swim googles - there are three pools we can use, one of them indoor. Daughter 1 gave him a really nice Yeti koozie to keep his beer cold while he watches TV on the screened porch. Daughter 2 gave him Pickle Ball paddles and balls. Are you familiar with Pickle Ball? There are courts in our new neighborhood and we hear it's very popular there. It's a low impact game - sort of a cross between ping pong and tennis. Pickle Ball is one of those sports that people can do as they get older. We're going to give it a try!

In addition to cake baking, I have a list of phone calls to make and paper work to do. UGH! But it has to be done and so I'll do it and get it over with. Then I can sew this afternoon!

In other random ramblings...Hubby and I have discovered the TV show, Bosch, and have been streaming it on Amazon. LOVE IT! It's a crime drama and is riveting.

Hope you have a great day!

Boats in the Water

We started with the Sea Doo Saturday morning. DONE!

Sunday it was the pontoon boat. DONE!

Now they are both "parked" at the pier on their lifts. Happy Dance. It's really worked out well living here during this time of year. With Hubby's father still weak and exhausted from lung cancer and its treatments, it's up to us to do all this prep for summer at the lake.  Hubby has been working his tail off here, but all the work is almost done.

We celebrated by enjoying a cold beverage on the pier to enjoy sunset last night. Then we grilled out burgers. Ahhh....

As far as the pet containment system goes...
The comments contained valid points! Don't worry - we NEVER leave Cooper out without being with him. And we only put the collar on and use the system a couple of times per day. He still goes on long leash walks with us every day. I'm still up in the air about the system. He's learned quickly, but he will not poop so close to the house. So we still must leash walk him to do all his business. (Not a bad thing since it forces us to walk more!) And so, I'm not convinced this will work long term for us. We'll see...

And in quilty accomplishments:
Over the weekend I quilted all three quilts that I had basted last week! Today I'll be binding! Yay me!

Can You Teach an Old Dog a New Trick?

The answer is YES! Cooper is really not old - he's only three, but we've been teaching him something new. There is no fence here at the lake and we were a bit worried about living here for months with two dogs and no fence.

Mickey is easy - he would always prefer to be inside. So we can take him on a leash and he immediately does his business and is ready to go inside.

Cooper? He loves to be outside! He wants to run and play! And he can't run on a leash.

So we ordered a wireless pet containment system.  There is a base unit that we keep inside the house - it plugs in and has an on/off switch. We can set the radius of "containment." Cooper wears a special collar when he goes outside. We placed small flags around the yard at the edge of the containment circle. If Cooper gets close to the edge - where the flags are - his collar beeps. If he goes beyond that point, the collar emits a small shock. It sounds cruel, but it works beautifully. He only got shocked once, the first day. And that was enough! He knows now that if he hears that beep, he needs to turn around!

He's been outside this morning having a grand time! He loves it! We'll be ordering another unit for the cottage. We can't have a fence there, so we're relieved we have a good solution. The cottage neighborhood has 18 miles of walking trails, so we'll put Cooper on a leash for hikes. But he can go in our backyard with no leash and no worries.

I quilted another quilt yesterday! Yay me! Hope to do another today...

The water is up here - which means it's time to put the boats in the water - we hope to put one in today!

How Many Quilts Can You Baste in One Day?

I basted THREE quilt yesterday! Oh yes, I did! Admittedly, I used fusible batting - making the process go rather quickly.

Do you not love these two fabrics???? The feathers! I die! The feathers are just too pretty to cut up; I love to see them in all their BIG glory.

I also did some wedding stuff - printed out lots of little labels that I'll be sticking on little favor boxes. I'll probably work on this project more today.

And Yay! It's April! April and May will be very busy around here, with a big graduation, a wedding, and moving into the cottage. Let's get this party on!