Quilts Completed in 2011

Here's a collage of the quilts I completed in 2011.

They are: Noah's Ark, The Prom Quilt, Purple Pinwheels, Pure Links, the Other Pinwheel Sampler, Shades of Purple, Spiderman, and Rocket Man.

I did make a few other things this year, stockings, cushion covers, and a penguin bag.  oh, we also made a cat tree.

Here's to a quilty 2012!

The List (52 things to do in 2012)

Here is my list for 52 things to do in 2012.  If you'd like to make a list and keep me and others updated on your progress, please feel free to link up.  I plan to check in weekly and provide a link so that you can check in as well.  Hopefully the link at the bottom will work.

If you can't come up with 52 things (I'm struggling),  feel free to come up with a different number and link up anyway.

I'm hoping that having others join me will give me the encouragement (push) I need to get more done than last year.  (I think I completed 19 out of the 52  (36% -- that would be great in baseball, not so much in the rest of the world but I'll try and do better this year).)

1. Get my passport
2. Go to Oregon

3. Visit a National Park (that I've never visited before)
4. Finish making Christmas stockings (four more)
5. try applique - done (sort of) - see picture of appliqued numbers on sweat shirt
6. take a quilting class

7. watch all movies nominated for best picture oscar : 1) War Horse, 2) The Artist, 3) Midnight in Paris, 4) Moneyball, 5) The Descendants, 6) The Tree of Life, 7) The Help, 8) Hugo, and 9) Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
8. Two weekend get aways with my husband (only one -- NY)
9. Make at least one thing for each of my children (and any significant others) and grandchildren (OS (finished ornament), MS (finished ornament), OD - pencil pouch, YS - Raiders Quilt, YD (duvet cover (not yet finished), DIL, Mikey (crayon roll), Andrew (crayon roll), Cooper (quilt & stocking)
10.  rearrange my bedroom - DONE January 2013
11. add another book to my Tintin collection (got five new books for my birthday -- I bought them myself but it still counts) - DONE
12. add another book to my Judy Bolton collection
13.  make Apple Galette
14. take a bike ride
15. make curtains for my bedroom
16. read 6 books - The One You Love, Caravans (James Michener), The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, What the Dead Know (Laura Lippman)(DONE)
I read a lot more than six books this year, including re-reading the Harry Potter books.  Good year for that.
17. Plant flowers in the front of the house (DONE 6/3/12)
18. blog more than in 2011 (DONE by 10/30/12)
19. make 9 quilts (I made 8 in 2011) 1) Coin Baby Quilt, 2) Disappearing Giraffes, 3) Sara's Bird Quilt, 4) Raiders Quilt, 5) Cute Animal Prints Girl Quilt
6) The Liberty Quilt, 7) Jeans Quilt, 8) Cooper's quilt, -- CAME CLOSE BUT ONLY DID 8 AGAIN THIS YEAR.
20. Use more fabric than I buy (stash report?) (bought more fabric than I used)OOPS.
21.  buy 52 - $1 items: plates (6), Napkins (2), gift tags (2), books (1) and clips (1), pattern, pencil pouches (3), Canning Jar (1), baby toys (2), Mouse Trap (1), Madeline in London, US map puzzle, yo-yo for boys stockings (2), -- running total 23 (12/26) (I HAD INTENDED TO GO OUT AFTER CHRISTMAS TO DO SOME SHOPPING, BUT NEVER MADE IT) -- I forgot I bought two pair of jeans for $1 each (one went into my denim quilt - so that makes 25 for the year).
22.  go to a new restaurant (DONE - went to Pho Vi Hoa with YD in April)
23.  go to the flea market (DONE - went on the first Saturday in April)
24. Go to a baseball game
25. Swim in the Ocean
26. Visit the Grand Canyon
27. Make fresh french fries
28. Spend an entire day in my pajamas (pyjamas)
29. Participate in NaBloPoMo - Done (missed three days I think) - DONE
30. Skype with OD - Done
31. Get pedicure with DIL, OD, YD, or KJ (DONE Memorial Day Weekend)
32. Do something different with my hair (either color or cut or ...)
33. See both of my sisters (only saw one :()
34. Spend time with my MIL
35. Visit I and W
36. do a quilt along
37. try a new ethnic food
38. make jerky
39. make ice cream
40. restyle something
41. go thrifting - DONE
42. Watch an NCIS marathon (DONE - 4th of July)
43. Use Gma's fabrics in a quilt (DONE - Sara's Bird Quilt)
44. Take a family picture  - Done - 2013
45. grow something to eat
46. run once a week (OKAY, THIS IS  BUST .. :()
47. rearrange/reconfigure my closet - done (but it needs to be done again)
48. organize my "stash" - DONE
49. karaoke (I really don't want to do this, but thought since I didn't do it last year, I should put it back on my list)
50. Wear boots or six-inch heels - DONE
51. Send Christmas cards
52.  Make a new list for 2013

Post Christmas Confession

I had intended to blog this week but something happened on Christmas day that prevented me .. it is called Kindle Fire.

I didn't ask for it, but my wonderful children gave me one and since then, that's all I've been doing in my spare time.  No blogging, no knitting, no quilting, no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry.  (okay, I did have to go to work, but that was about it.)  I've been playing this horribly addictive game called Angry Birds and I read a book.

Other than me becoming obsessed with the Kindle and the game, we had a wonderful day.  All of my children were here.  My DIL even made dinner so that I could play.  Here is what I looked like after spending a little time with my new love.

Here are some less ridiculous pictures of Christmas morning.

The boys with the requisite holiday guns.

Missing from these pictures are my children (ages 22 to 31) playing with their dart guns.  Dart fights kept them entertained all day and made it dangerous for those of us without shield or our own guns to even walk in the house.

Anyway, I have been slowly working on my list for 2012.  I wanted to have it done before today, but as long as I upload it tomorrow or in the next week or so, I'll be fine.  Shay had suggested that I make this a linky thing.  If anyone would like to join me, there will be a link available.  I'll try and check in weekly to update on what I've done.  and hopefully others will join in and update as well. 

So what is the "list" about?  The list is a bunch of things that I would like to do in the coming year -- rather than making resolutions that I probably won't keep, I make a list of goals, fun things to do, etc. , one for each week.  Not that one has to be done each week, but it's a nice number -- I suppose I could do 12 or 24 or something like that, but 52 sounds very ambitious.  Anyway, it wasn't my idea.  My niece, Katie, has been doing this for a while and she got me doing it two years ago.

I'm hoping that having others join me will give me the encouragement (push) I need to get more done than last year.  If you can't come up with 52 things feel free to come up with a number that will work for you and link up.

The stockings ..

were hung by the chimney with care ...

15 Minute Challenge - 3rd Week in December

So I finished a few things this week and as always, when I finish something I feel like I need to reward myself by being lazy ..

Tuesday - knitting
Wednesday - knitting
Thursday - finished knitting project
Friday - nada
Saturday - worked on rocketman
Sunday - made fudge; finished rocketman
Monday - made toffee

not much time to finish Christmas projects and I have two more things I want to start knitting and finish.  Let's see how that goes.

To see how others are doing on the 15 minute challenge or to link up yourself, click here to go to Life in Pieces.

Wordless Wednesday

15 Minute Challenge - 2nd Week In December

Tuesday - knitting
Wednesday - knitting
Thursday - nada
Friday - knitting
Saturday - worked on quilting rocketman; knitted; made bread

Sunday - knitting

Monday - knitting

Haven't gotten much quilting done, but I've been working on Christmas presents.  I'm hoping they are well received.

Check out how others are doing with the challenge at Kate's Life in Pieces.

Favorite Things Friday

I'm linking up with Shay at QIMP. Please click on the link and see what other favorites are being posted about today ...

My favorite this week is baking bread.  Every Christmas, I bake cinnamon bread for co-workers and friends.  I start tomorrow and will be done in two weeks.  I will probably make at least 12 loaves of bread .. depending on how much I decide to eat -- and if I can make some other stuff for co-workers.

We have three parties to go to tomorrow night (I think these are the only three parties we have this year -- and all on the same day!).  The first includes a white elephant gift exchange, the second is a dessert party, and the third is an ugly sweater party.  I am going to bring loaves of bread as gifts for the hosts.   Looking forward to it -- all the way around.

Bright?

Just wanted to let you all know that I became a follower of my own blog today.  I was trying to figure out who one of my followers was and I inadvertently started following myself.  Honestly, I think I've done it about 10 times.  Am I the only one?

15 minute challenge - 1st week in December

So this week was a bit of a challenge.  I have a few knitting projects that I realize I can work on during my commute and at work so I did some of that this week.  I also started quilting rocket man, but have become overwhelmed by it and am letting myself be too busy to work on it.  Probably do some tonight.  On Friday, I had a holiday party with my office so that left no crafty time and on Saturday we helped #3 son clean his house, which took all day .. but here's what I did.

Tuesday - put rocket man together
Wednesday - started quilting RM
Thursday - knitting
Friday - NADA
Saturday - knitting
Sunday - knitting
Monday - knitting - finished the first cowl (except for weaving in the ends)

Also, on Sunday, I made fudge (and ate about 1 pound of the five I made) and some homemade laundry soap.  I'll let you know what i think of it after I've used it .. those two things, along with church, watching a small grandchild, laundry, grocery shopping, making dinner, and doing the dishes kept me busy.

Check out Life in Pieces to see how others have done on the 15-minute challenge this week.

Favorite Things Friday

My favorite this week is actually sewing related.  My sewing machine is in the dining room.  When I'm not home, I unplug it, but leave it on the table with the cover on, with the hope that the boys will not mess with it.  Usually they don't.  I generally try to wait to sew after they have gone to bed or when they aren't home.  But on some occasions, I sew when they are here.  And when I do, the boys want to sit on my lap and "help" me.

I try to be patient and let them "help."  Mikey will sit and help guide the fabric.  Andrew doesn't really do anything.  But they both want to sit there.  It's very sweet and special.  I wish I had a picture or two to post.  Next time it happens, I'll need to get someone to take a picture for me.

So that's it.  that's my favorite this week.  Just in under the limit.

To see more favorites, check out Quilting in My Pyjamas.