Happy End of the Year!

This is certainly a year to which I am ready to say 'GOODBYE and GOOD RIDDANCE!' I am happy to end the year without cancer. And I'm hoping 2019 brings lots of joy and happiness to all. 

I'm sharing some of our family Christmas photos here. Above, the two daughter surround me. Yes, I got my hair cut really short because I'm still having issues with lifting my right arm to dry and style it. I'm not sure if I'll keep it this short or not, but it is very easy.

Daughter 2 hosted us at her new home here in Auburn. 

No, I still haven't sewn. It's been so long. I do have some semblance of order in my sewing room though. 

I've looked over my list of quilts in progress and quilts I want to make. I have nixed Splendid Sampler 2 - it's not going to happen. And that's okay.

There are a couple of Bonnie Hunter quilts I want to make eventually -Pferffernusse and Garden Party, but no rush. A friend in my guild gifted me her leftover strings for Pferffernusse so I have that to start with. When will I begin? Who knows!?  

I still have some works in progress that need addition, too. All will get done eventually.

I had my last fill of my expanders a couple of weeks ago. This one was the most painful of all, plus I came down with a cold a few days afterward. I was so glad I didn't have to host Christmas. I am on the mend now, but still in a bit of pain on one side. I'm sure this will pass eventually! I have to go back to UAB on Wednesday, but then I hope I don't have to go back for a couple of months.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Hump Day and Doughnut Day

I'm checking in again. Yesterday was my weekly UAB visit for my third expansion fill. Ouch. (On the way home we stopped at a doughnut shop because I deserved a treat.) Each fill is a bit harder from which to recover. The first took 24 hours to feel better. The second took 2 days. So I'm figuring this one will take 3 days. My doctor did give me a prescription for muscle relaxers this time and I took one last night when I went to bed/sofa. It helped.

I did get some things done on Tuesday. My sewing room is a mess and I started reorganizing and putting things away. Another work in progress - haha! I'm hoping today I'll feel like getting back in there again for a bit. Still no sewing, though I'm itching to do just that.

Christmas shopping is being done on-line - so thankful for Amazon though I do have a missing package. Amazon says it was 'handed off directly' on Monday. Nope. Still hasn't arrived. I called and they are sending a replacement that should arrive today. A friend on our street had the same thing happen on the same day - something suspicious about that.

I am beginning to do a bit of laundry and a little cooking. No driving yet though. But it's good to do a few things around the house.

Slowly, but surely! Thanks for all the sweet comments!

A Work in Progress (NOT a Quilt!)

We came back to our cottage in town on Monday! Good to be here again. Daughter 2 and SIL2 have officially moved to Auburn - now both of our daughters live here! Yippee! D2 and SIL2 lived in our cottage while we were at the lake house. Their B'ham house sold and they have now moved into their Auburn home. 

You may remember my Santa Swell quilt. I made the log cabin blocks and sewed the background together at the lake. Our last few days there I appliquéd Santa in place. So now this top is done (except for cutting away the background underneath Santa. I will quilt this one myself, but I will wait until next year. My arms (especially my left arm) will not be strong enough for machine quilting for a couple of months, I think. 

The work in progress? My body. My chest looks really strange and lumpy and pulled and weird. The incisions have healed nicely though. After the horrific allergic reaction that landed me back in the hospital, I thought I might forgo reconstruction. And I still might. But for now I'm feeling a bit stronger and I think I'll give it a try.

During my bilateral mastectomy surgery (performed by a breast surgeon)...a plastic surgeon came in and inserted expanders under my muscles before closing me up. Expanders are like disk shaped balloons. On a weekly basis I have to go back to the plastic surgeon and he injects saline solution into each expander, about 1/2 cup per breast per week. I have had this done twice at this point. This will keep happening until I'm happy with the size. Yes, it's uncomfortable while it's being injected. And it's painful for 24-48 hours afterward. During this time the skin and muscles are stretching. The expanders themselves are uncomfortable as well, so I'll be glad when this is over.

At some point - I'm thinking in the first few months of 2019 - I'll have another surgery to take out the expanders and put in implants. This entire process is so strange for me - never thought I'd have plastic surgery! My goal is not to be big - just to feel comfortable in my clothing and a bathing suit.  

All this may be more information than you really wanted, but I'm not embarrassed by this at all and believe in honesty. 

I tried sleeping in a bed, but it didn't go well. So I'm back to sleeping on the sofa on my back. And that's okay.

I haven't done any sewing this week. I still tire out very quickly and don't have much energy. My goals each day are very small. Today I hope to put away some clothes I brought back from the lake. Yesterday I made a grocery list for Hubby. Little goals. And that's okay.   

More Binding!

I finished binding the second ORL quilt. Don't they look cute in front of the fireplace? Those chairs are sitting there temporarily - we had to rearrange the lake furniture to allow for a recliner for my recovery. A recliner is a really good thing for breast surgery recovery! I've had to sleep in it a good bit. 

I can also get comfy on the sofa with a large assortment of pillows under and around me. I look forward to being able to sleep in a bed again. I really look forward to being able to sleep on my side again!

I did get the last surgical drains out a few days ago. I also had another small procedure that was uncomfortable. We'll be going back to UAB weekly for the time being for more little procedures. And I'll still have at least one more surgery in the future. My body is truly a pincushion. I'm really tired of being stuck! 

The entire allergic reaction trauma has left me anxious and fearful of needles and procedures - I was never like this before. My skin's reaction was so severe that I was told I was on the verge of being treated as a burn patient. My white count also skyrocketed (triple the normal value) which left me so weak and disoriented. It was really bad and scary. My UAB doctors say they've never seen this happen to a patient before. 

Today I'm feeling pretty well. I still have backwards days where I don't feel as well, and that's to be expected. Without the surgical drains I can now shower all by myself - a big win! I wish I felt like baking Christmas cookies. I wish I felt like doing lots of things...but I know I'll be stronger very soon.  Until then I'll sit here in my recliner and rest! 

One Christmas Quilt, Finished

I finished hand stitching the binding on one of these! My version of On Ringo Lake...

My friend, Beth, quilted them for me a few months ago. I took a few days off between stitching down the binding of the other one. I had Hubby put it beside my chair this morning and hopefully I'll begin it later this afternoon.

I'm slowly getting a bit better. But I'm much weaker at this point than I was hoping to be. That second stay in the hospital really took a toll on me. I can dress myself now, which is good. I can fix myself a cup of hot tea. But that's about all I can do. Hubby is doing a great job at meals, laundry, and everything else. I'm lucky to have him.

Tomorrow I have doctor appointments and I hope I'll get my remaining 2 surgical drains removed - that would be nice.

In about a week we'll be heading back to our cottage in the Auburn/Opelika area. We are looking forward to being there during Christmas. I think my two Christmas quilts will be our only decorations, and that's just fine.

For now I spend a lot of time on Pinterest and I've been watching YouTube videos of Japanese hand sewing - making little pouches and bags. I've had a sudden interest in making some funky jewelry. I want to make some little sewing projects, too (hence the Japanese videos). Once we return to our cottage and I am able, I want to sort through all my sewing stuff and reorganize. I want to focus on finishing my UFO's. I don't have any big quilts in my queue at the moment - just want to finish some things and work on some small Japanese inspired stuff.  Sounds like a plan to me.

When I knew my surgery was approaching, I ordered a few Lularoe legging outfits because I knew they'd be comfortable during recovery. Okay, so now I have a problem. I've ordered two more this week. If you see me out and about, I will most like be wearing Lularoe. I think I have 7 outfits now. They are so comfy. And the knit fabric feels soft against my incisions. And the Christmas ones are so stinking cute!

And that's my update for today!

Thankful for SO MUCH!

Where do I even begin?

Last I left you...I had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had met with lots of doctors and had my surgery scheduled. The long wait leading up to surgery was really hard. The worry and dread. The unknown. So much on my brain.

I decided on a bilateral mastectomy - I didn't want to do a lumpectomy because I would have also had to have radiation with that. I didn't want a single mastectomy because I would have to continue to worry about that remaining breast. The surgery was on 11/9/18 - about a week and half ago. I had to spend one extra night in the hospital because of some rogue swelling in one place, but was happy to have this behind me.

Once home (lake house...1.5 hours from hospital) Hubby and I realized something was not right. Over the next few days we made two trips to a hospital emergency room near the lake and called my surgeons back in B'ham. We were pretty sure I was having an allergic to something. I continued to worsen and by last Friday we drove back to Birmingham, knowing I needed to be back in the hospital.

I will not go into details here, but will just say that the next few days were really hard. I had lots of medical tests, saw lots of doctors. They had to rule out lots of things. During this time my skin was the culprit - itchy, red, burning. Did you know the skin is the largest organ of the human body? It was excruciating. But I'm here to tell the story!

I ended up spending 3 more days in the hospital (Hubby by my side!). I'm on mega doses of steroids to counteract the allergic reaction - an antibiotic was the culprit.

Enough about that. I'm home again. I feel so much better. Yesterday I even felt like a bit of hand sewing - I began to stitch down the binding you see above - one of my On Ringo Lake Christmas quilts. Happiness. I had not sewn in a long time - just wasn't in the mood or not feeling well.

Last night we were able to share the good news with family and friends that my pathology reports from surgery cam back - all very good news. So thankful. No more treatments needed.

Thank you to all my dear readers for all your love, support, and prayers. I will eventually get back to blogging on a more regular basis.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Stitch in the Ditch

I think that I last posted about basting my Christmas row quilt. I basted it and then spent a few days machine quilting, stitching in the ditch between the rows and borders. I've decided that some pearl cotton hand quilting would be nice. I have several colors of thread picked out to use. This will make a great project for my surgery recovery...in addition to the knitting...and some hand appliqué. 

Mickey was cold yesterday and the only sweater we have here at the lake for him is his Christmas sweater. So he matches the quilt!

Yes, my breast cancer surgery is finally scheduled. It will be in November. I'll be glad to get it behind me!

Our new furniture was delivered over the weekend. The sofa and love seat are charcoal gray. We were finally able to design and hang a gallery wall in the living area- yes, Denim Cooper has a place now.  I LOVE a gallery wall! See the two copper lamps in the picture? Those are Microsun lamps I bought in June when they had their scratch and dent sale - great light for hand sewing! Later today we hope to finish hanging pictures in a couple of bedrooms.

Thanks for all your love and support!

Moving Along...

My Santa Swell is progressing nicely. I made the other blocks. And then I sewed them all together. Boom.

Then I laid the BIG santa in place on top. The directions call for Santa to be fused to the background around the outside edges. BUT I didn't bring any fusible web to the lake.  I rarely use fusible anymore anyway. So I'm in the process of hand appliquéing Santa onto the top. Do you see where the quilt top is shadowing through the beard? No worries, that'll be cut out from under Santa.

This kit has you sew enough blocks to also make a table runner AND a pillow - so I'll have a couple of more little projects to finish, too.

I had my MRI yesterday...at 6 am...2 hours away. We hit the road at 4 am and were back home around 9:30 am for breakfast and a nap. The results were good!

Next step - one more doctor appt before I make my decision as to which surgery option.  Over the weekend I wrote a detailed pros and cons document on each of my surgery options. It made me feel so much better to get all this out of my head and onto my computer. Making progress...

Today is day 30 of my Whole30 eating plan! I did it! Okay, not quite...I did eat peanuts for the first part of the 30 days and later learned that peanuts are not allowed. I've switched to raw cashews since. Starting tomorrow I can slowly add more foods back in my diet, but I don't think I'll do that yet. I want to eat this way for at least another couple of weeks. Whole30 has made me feel energized. And since I know that I'll be having surgery in the near future it makes sense to me to keep eating as healthy as possible.

Today I plan to baste my Christmas Row quilt. I want to machine quilt it in the ditch and then add some touches of hand quilting with perle cotton.

A big thank you to all of you for the sweet comments, emails, and messages I've received. A special thanks to JM - a blog reader from Australia - she has been sending me a funny email every day and I adore them! Laughing is the best medicine!

I Wore an Orange Dress

Do you remember this dress I made a couple of years ago? I decided to wear it to my appointments at the hospital in Birmingham. I wanted to be dressed in orange and be 'put together' and show some of my personality. (Unfortunately I was always in a hospital robe (not the dress) when I met every single doctor - haha!)

Somehow receiving this tote of goodies made this all real for me. It's not a bad dream.

I liked all the doctors - that is good. But they want one more test - an MRI - before I can make a decision on what type of surgery to have. Hopefully that will be scheduled soon. I do like that the decision in totally mine on which surgery. This helps me feel a bit in control of this out-of-control situation.

Still eating healthy - last night's dinner was lean steaks with capers and ghee, baked sweet potato wedges, and a lovely salad. I was weighed at UAB Wednesday and I've lost 12 pounds since Sept. 2 - and I'm never hungry. I really love Whole30 - it's retrained my brain on what I now want to eat. I don't think I'll be falling off the wagon.

Yes, I'm staying busy. I've finished half the blocks for my Santa Swell quilt. I'll start on the other half today.

Happy Friday to you...

Staying Busy

Hubby is doing his best to keep me busy and distracted. Yesterday he took me on a morning boat ride - not our norm - it was peaceful...

Our doggies love a boat ride!

Next he took me to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant - I've figured out I can get Chili Rellenos  (my favorite!) without the cheese and stay on Whole30. So good.

Then it was back home for a nap for both of us - neither of us had slept well the night before.

I then spent the afternoon finishing the cutting of my Santa Swell quilt - ready to sew!

I've been thinking I need a project on which to focus in doctors' waiting rooms. My hand sewing won't work because I won't have the proper lighting - I really need good lighting with my bad eyes! I thought punch needle might work, but there are too many thread changes needed, and again...I need good lighting. I saw a really beautiful needlepoint canvas of a yellow lab - nope, again we have thread changes and not enough lighting.

This scarf jumped out at me yesterday. It's double knitted (I think that's the term) so each side is the opposite of the other. I'm not a knitter. But if I can get this started and figure out the pattern, I think this might be a good waiting room project.  You can find it at Purlsoho.

I ordered the yarn and knitting needles last night. You KNOW I'm not a pink girl....so I selected a gray and white color scheme - I figure it will match anything I wear.

So I guess I will become a knitter - haha!

Happy day to you...

Cutting Out Another Quilt

Our girls and one SIL were able to get away and come to the lake for a few hours Saturday. It was a much need fun distraction for me. Hubby grilled out burgers, we went on a fun boat ride, and the girls helped me with some little projects. One redid the quote on my felt board - I'll share it soon. And the other opened and set up a clock that arrived while they were there. The UPS and FedEx truck come here daily it seems to bring things I order online for the house.

Yesterday afternoon I wanted to do something quilty, but I didn't want to sew. I had brought this Santa Swell kit to the lake and started cutting it out. I'll probably finish the cutting today.

I'm still following Whole30. Officially I'm on day 23 of 30. However, I realized halfway through that I had been eating peanuts and they are not allowed - peanuts are a legume - well, darn! When you mess up on Whole30, you are supposed to start over. So I'll add another couple of weeks onto my 30 days. Yes, you do this for 30 days and then you can start adding foods back. 

I truly don't miss any of the forbidden foods and I do love how I feel when eating so 'clean.' Last night we had spicy tilapia with cauliflower rice (with sautéed celery and peppers) topped with jalepeno relish. It was a big plateful of food! I've now bought raw cashews for snacks to replace those peanuts. This morning I tried coconut milk (no dairy allowed!) in my coffee and I love it! Were it not for Whole30, I'd be stress eating chips, cheeseburgers, french fries, cookies, etc. I'm so thankful for Whole30.

I'm actually dreading adding foods back - I've so totally adjusted to my new normal. Though a small glass of red wine will be nice...

I hope you don't mind, but I'll be sharing about my cancer journey here at times. I hope to look back on these entries in a year or two and remember my feelings and thoughts. 

Diagnosis day was hard. Such a shock. And it was so hard to tell loved ones. I let Hubby tell most family members. But I woke up the next day with a determined positive attitude. It would be okay. But, I have to admit that the last couple of days have been hard. I'm not sleeping as well and seem to be on the verge of tears at times. I know this will pass and I'll get back up again. I'm looking forward to meeting with my surgery team this week and knowing my options. I'm ready to make whatever decisions are necessary and move forward. Meanwhile I'll try to keep busy. I want to watch a funny movie today - something that makes me laugh out loud. Any suggestions from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime?

I will say that I've learned so much about my my friends and family who love me. Every single message, text, email, call have helped lift me up. I more determined than ever to keep surrounding myself with positive, supportive people and move the negative ones to the side. Yes, there are negative ones, too, and that has added to my stress as of late. Today will be a good day - if I have anything to do with it!

Make your day happy!

A Sew Day!

Yesterday was a new day. I sewed! And I finished my Christmas row quilt top. This will be one of my favorite quilts because most of the rows were made by dear friends. I almost ran out of fabric for the border, but with some piecing I was able to make it work, barely!

I wish the colors showed up better in these photos - they are much more vibrant than it looks. I have the batting and backing here at the lake so I might just get this quilted myself - we'll see if I get it done before Christmas....

TV Report -

We watched The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society movie on Netflix - SO GOOD! I had read the book years ago and the movie did not disappoint.

We binge watched Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime - again so good!

Weird thought of the day-

I am a Cancer (astrology) and I have Cancer - haha!

I need a few things from the store today - Hubby wants to take me. No, I'm fine, I said. I feel great. I can drive. I can go by myself. He really wants to take me - he wants to take care of me, I get it. And it's so sweet. It's not like getting the diagnosis has made me into a weak and sick person - I feel just like I've always felt - healthy and well. So I will go shopping (by myself!) and he will wait for a contractor to come to fix one of our punch list items.

In late August I decided to begin Whole30. It's an eating plan - not a diet, though most people do lose lots of weight. Basically you can eat meats and vegetables (as much as you want) and some fruit. No bread, flour, sugar, alcohol, legumes. There's more to it, so go to the site if you are interested in learning more about it.

When I found out I needed a biopsy, I almost gave up Whole30 before I started. But I didn't. I started on September 2. I'm so glad I did! Without Whole30 I would have been doing lots of stress eating this month. I'm eating good, whole foods and loving it. I don't miss the things I can't eat. This has given me lots of energy and I know this good fuel will be something that helps me heal more quickly and continue to feel strong.

Last night's dinner: Spice-Crusted Salmon with Carrot 'Fries' and Avocado-Kale Salad with Chipotle Dipping Sauce. (With a little help from Blue Apron.) Blue Apron has Whole30 options during September and I'm really enjoying preparing them. Good, clean eating!

Have a good day!

I Have Breast Cancer

I was going to keep this quiet for now. I've told family and close friends not to tell anyone. I had to let it sink in. But today I felt compelled to share with my dear readers and friends across the world. Family and friends...you can share now if you'd like.

If you have to have breast cancer, I'm told I have the best kind. Wonderful prognosis! Very treatable! Caught very early! (Ladies, stay on top of your mammograms - that's how mine was found.) 

Please don't feel sorry for me! I actually feel much better since the diagnosis than I did during the weeks of multiple mammograms, a biopsy, and lots of waiting. The waiting is the WORST! (Well, the biopsy was no fun either...)

There are so many good things: I have a wonderful husband and two fabulous daughters who are supporting me. And I can't forget my mother and brother who are calling to check on me. I have a fabulous network of quilting friends who are basically my backbone - two of whom are breast cancer survivors. 

We'll meet with my surgery team next week to develop a plan of action - I look forward to having a plan!

If you know me personally, PLEASE DON'T CALL. I'm on the phone more than enough right now talking with family, close friends, and doctors. You may email or text if you'd like. Those who already knew this news - my closest bosom (ha!) buddies and family members - you may keep calling!

I truly don't want sympathy - this is a common issue amongst women and it's my turn to take the bullet. I'm really okay! And ready to attack! 

Though I haven't felt like sewing in weeks, today I do - I plan to sew today! Yay!

Enjoy your day - I will!

More Lake House Before/Afters

I did sew a bit one day, but have not gotten back into my groove yet. So here are couple more lake photos - I LOVE before and afters - don't you?

Above is the entryway to the house BEFORE! The walls were covered with grasscloth wallpaper which had been painted over. I really hate it when people paint over wallpaper! Strip it first! I know it's hard because I've personal stripped plenty of wallpaper. But it's so worth it!

And there is the AFTER.  The wall are shiplapped and white. There is a new ceiling fixture that you cannot see in the picture.  And my vintage treadle base makes a wonderful and airy entry piece. The map is of Lake Martin - it's vintage and has been in the house for the last 28 years. The sign above is personalized and given to me by one of our daughter. And yes, the floors are new, too.

And here is the BEFORE of the downstairs bathroom. Dark! This room also has wallpaper that has been painted over. What's more, they never painted behind the toilet! Hubby really wanted a walk in shower in here because we sleep in the adjacent bedroom.

TA-DAH! LOVE this bathroom now! It's bright and light! So much better!

Here's a close up of the shower tile - two rows of subway tiles and then a row a gray penny tiles.

And that cool, round pillow I made for the living room? Yeah, well it didn't work there so it is living on the screened porch.

I've been enamored with punch needle on Pinterest lately. I had brought some punch needle supplies with me here and pulled them out yesterday for a bit of screened porch play. It's something. 

Back to Sewing

I finally started sewing again; it's been weeks! I'm working on borders for my Christmas row quilt.

I'm also getting back into the swing of cooking - a healthy meal last night! Yes, it was as good as it looks, served with salmon.

Here's another peak at our bunk room. This used to be a large closet. It may seem crazy to get rid of a big closet, but we find that our guests usually only stay a few days at most and don't need a lot of closet space. I found this idea on Pinterest: I hung (with Hubby's help) an Ikea shelf rack upside down. Now guests have a handy spot to hang their clothes.

As for the stained sofa.... I decided the sofa is just too big. I don't want to keep it even if I could get the stains out. So Thursday we went furniture shopping. We have ordered a new sofa and love seat. It was fun picking out the fabric. The new furniture will be delivered in 6-8 weeks.

And that's it for today!

Popping in from the Lake!

Life is beginning to be a bit more 'normal' - whatever that means - haha! We moved into the lake house a week and a half ago. We are almost done unpacking and are beginning to hang pictures and artwork. Hubby is spending lots of time in the yard, getting it back in shape.

Above is the 'before' and 'after' of the kitchen. It was 'L' shaped before and now it is 'U' shaped - much bigger! The island is the same except it's been painted and topped with quartz. The vent hood is hammered copper and all countertops are quartz. Note that the soffit above the cabinets is gone - much more storage now. LOVE this transformation!

I talked here about getting some porch furniture sand blasted and powder coated. Here it is in all it's fresh oil-rubbed-bronze finish with newly reupholstered cushions. Looks great for 26 year old furniture, doesn't it?

Morning traffic...

Evening grilling...

. 

Cooper LOVES it here! He swims every single day.

We have worked so hard over the last few weeks and are so glad we are slowing down now.

The best news? We went to Auburn yesterday and I brought back a sewing machine and supplies! I think I'll be sewing again this week - so happy about this!

My biggest dilemma in the house is the sofa. We were hoping to save it. It's a sleeper sofa with removable slipcovers. I spent two solid days washing the slipcover using Oxyclean, bleach, detergent, and anything else you could think of. But there are weird stains that are huge and are not coming out. Any suggestions? I've even thought of dying them to see if that helps - they are ivory in color.

We may just have to buy a new sofa - and that's okay, too.

I'll be sharing a few more pictures of the remodeled house soon. We have a few more 'punch list' items that are being done here and there - the design/remodel group we hired to take on this project has been the BEST! Such a pleasant experience!

Enjoy your day!

I'm Fine!!!

Thanks so much for all the emails to make sure I'm okay. I'm fine! I've heard from sweet readers from all over the world. Just been busy with home life and lake stuff. Since I last showed you the dark brown beams, I should show you the new color. I like this much better!!!! It's a pretty gray and looks great with the floors. I'm happy! No more beam dreams!

I haven't been sewing - almost nothing done on that front! But that's okay - sometimes life gets in the way!

We'll be moving into the lake house in several days. Yay! Yes, we will still keep our cottage in the Auburn area. This is why we downsized a couple of years ago - we knew the lake house would be ours and didn't want a big house in Auburn. Now we own two small homes and will go back and forth between the two on a whim. Someone will be living in our cottage while we are at the lake home for a couple of months. But we will still be back and forth often and as needed. There will always be a free bedroom for us at the cottage. I'm still trying to decide what sewing projects to take with me to the lake. I want to take them all!

That's it from here - just wanted to check in and let you know I'm fine!

Obsessed with Beams...

No sewing here. I was incapacitated one day due to lack of sleep the night before and a huge allergy attack. And I've been having beam paint thought overload.

This is the lake house living room ceiling. It used to be a popcorn ceiling. The designers have covered it with wood and added beams. I like the ceiling and beams, but I don't like the brown paint. I especially don't like the brown paint on the trim and around the windows. Everything else in the house is more gray. I'm in discussions with the designers - will meet with them next week to decide what to do. I know - in this big world of problems this is a small thing.

On a positive note, I love the new mirror in one of the bathrooms.

Because we have recently asked them to replace the toilets we are having a bit of a delay. When the toilets arrive, the plumber will come and do all the plumbing - connect dishwasher, sinks, refrigerator, bathrooms, hot water heater, etc.

The plan for today is to attend the Waverly Tomato Festival (and grab a yummy BLT!) and to sew!

Plugging Away!

I'm still a bit off my quilting schedule, but I'm doing what I can. Monday I made binding for two quilts - stay tuned! - and did a bit of machine quilting. I'm hoping to sew this binding on the quilts today, maybe??? hopefully???

And I did make the latest Splendid Sampler block. These are challenging little blocks! I did not do EPP as instructed; I hand pieced this and then appliquéd it in place. I know - I like to make it even harder don't I? Haha!

Things are hectic around here! We have lots to do in preparation for moving in to the lake house. We will probably go there today to check on progress (if the rain lets up).

Here in Alabama, Books A Million had an amazing sale yesterday. All books except children's were on sale with coupon for a penny per page. Yes, we went. We bought 6 books - there was no limit! The lines were long, but we moved through pretty quickly. I heard the line was two and half hours long later in the day! Whew!