RIngin' in the New Year...

Other than the USA time zones, just about everyone has rung in the New Year already. Angela (soscrappy) is half an hour away (Julie---you too???); I am one-n-a-half hours away; Andi (The Modern Diary) is 2- OR 3 1/2 hours away. (Arizona and New Mexico time zones always confuse me---I know one never changes, but the other does.

Anyway...Angela wrote her post tonight laying out some of her New Year's Goals and Resolutions. (Yes, Angela! I have read it, I'll get around to commenting tomorrow) I had already been thinking about some goals (also) while putzin' in my quilting room tonight. However, those will be mentioned a bit later. First, a catch up on the day.

I awoke at 6:15am with my alarm, and went "NOPE!" and put my head back down. DH had his turn with the nasty lil' bug throughout the night, and I am a VERY light sleeper, so ..... everytime he got out of bed, I awoke as well. So, by 7:30, I finally drug myself out of bed just because I KNEW today was a day to accomplish a lot! I scheduled daycare for the day for ALL THREE GIRLS; I had the days to blow yet before the year ended---nothing like saving it for the last day. So....yada, yada, breakfast, dressed, driven, and I was back at home, ready to tackle Cathedral Stars by 9:00. It took me all day (with a 2 hour grocery & other shopping break mixed in), but I have the middle section quilted. I putzed this morning (boy...I must like that word---I say it a lot) with how I was going to actually quilt it all. I decided on vertical stitch-in-ditch lines with red thread, splitting the red/black HST; I used a decorative stitch 1/4 inch inside the white triangles using white thread; I used a swirly-vertical-loop using "jewel-toned" verigated (sp?) thread. DH and I decided NOT to visit families this weekend after all, so I am going to relax on my original deadline a bit. However, I HAVE set a goal that I finish Cathedral Stars before starting Bonnie's new mystery.

Oh yes, which, BTW, I HAD completely decided that I WAS NOT going to take part in. Seriously---when I went downstairs tonight, I started digging through my stash, which then turned into cleaning, organizing, and ATTEMPTING to find fabrics from my stash that would "fit the bill." (Pictures coming shortly to show the disaster area my Quilting "studio?" has turned in to. HOWEVER, I am proud of my newly created "Fat Quarter" bin....really...look....

Anyway, but 7:00pm, I had finally decided: I was NOT going to take part in the mystery. I couldn't find any brown in the amount requested---I had 1 yard cuts, but no 1 1/2 cuts. I had a few FQ's that I could put together as "scrappy" browns, but....well....I'll admit....there is a collection of browns/pinks/lights that are in this FQ drawer that I'm having a hard time digging in to.....YET. I'm still waiting on a perfect pattern.

Anyway----ironing, folding, restacking commenced, which is when I started thinking of 2009 goals.

OH WAIT!!!! 10:59 for me........3 - 2 - 1 --- HAPPY NEW YEAR ANGELA, CANDACE, and all others in the Eastern Time zone.....


Anyway---so, one of my goals (HA!!! We'll see if it happens!!!) is to FINALLY try to make sense of my chaotic sewing room. WOW! It is ALMOST 1 full year since I threw the room together downstairs; turning it from the "collector-of-all-excess-house-"junk"" to my "make-shift" sewing room. I don't think it'll ever have "real walls," which is fine by me, BUT I do want to make good use of the space as well as have ALL my stash nice and neat and organized.

Yeah.....well......then.....after finding a basket of non-ironed, but washed, fabric.........I think it was "Someone's" way of saying, "Amy, you MUST take part in Bonnie's mystery." Because......there IT was. A beautiful, 2 YARDS WORTH of brown with tiny pink diamonds. I don't remember buying it, have no idea how long it's been in the basket WAITING to be ironed (probably since about June!!!---Remember that post???---I just spent 5 minutes trying to find it, but I give up---it must have been BEFORE June!)

So, yup.....here are the colors that will be used for the Double Delight Mystery ONCE I start it. I MUST finish the Cathedral Stars FIRST before I dive into this one. I MUST be disciplined enough!!! (oooohhhh...but it's SO HARD NOT to start a fun, new, exciting project at the same time everyone else is!!!!) But check out that Shopko fabric price ticket! Please recall that I have only been in "serious-obsessed-quilting" mode for about a year and half, once I inherited my Grandmother's stash. Well, CLEARLY this baby is from her stash---I can't even remember when Shopko sold fabric!!! I was a kid, for sure, and that's 20-30 years ago!

Okay, OTHER 2009 goals
1) OF COURSE, running must be discussed. I hope to get my butt in gear starting TOMORROW to workout (running, weights) at least 20 minutes everyday (excluding ONE day/week--most likely Sundays) to get myself back into training shape. By February 1st, I hope to start training for a Half-marathon in May; and beyond that, I still hope for PR's in all my races. My years are starting to tick away, so I won't have much longer anymore to MAKE those PR's!

2) OF COURSE, quilting must also be discussed. I'll admit that I'm going to take this one right from Angela; I have 10 WIPs/UFOs listed; I hope to tackle one of those a month in addition to other "surprises/projects" that will come along. Other than that, I just hope to keep turning out projects to have people enjoy, whether they be someone I know or as given as donation/charity quilts.

Having said that, I already know 2 quilts that need to be made in 2009. Julie, (my runny buddy gone astray) was home visiting her family and stopped in at the house tonight to give some C'mas gifts to the girls. I showed her the Cathedral Stars, and she brought up the "blue quilt" yet again and how she was going to steal it from me..... This "blue quilt" that I call Scrappy Hearts - Blue was made years ago before I really was obsessed with quilting. It is only tied-not quilted. The HSTs NOR squares line up AT ALL! ; the backing is torn in 2 different spots. Yet, everytime she is at the house, she HAS to mention it and threaten that she is going to steal it away. It's MY baby; in fact, I'm wrapped up with it on my lap as I type-----So, yes....I HAVE to make a lap quilt for her similar to this one.

Also, her sister, Nikki, has taken over as our family babysitter (ever since Julie went off to school). Nikki graduates this year, so it's a GIVEN that a Graduation Quilt will be made. I have a beautiful pattern picked out---it's more perfect for a wedding, but still beautiful! I'm not completely decided on that pattern yet, or not, so.....hmmm.....an idea JUST came to me! Maybe this DoubleDelight mystery could work for one of them....

So, how am I ringin' in the New Year? ....

Bloggin'; wrapped up in a quilt,; rockin' in my glider while DH flips through stations on the TV. It really can't get much better than this relaxed life----unless, of course, if I could get off my butt for a brief moment to make some lemon-flavored Green Tea.

14 minutes left for me. This post took some time to type up; I was disturbed for a few moments, though, when DH snuck up on me (well...TRIED to....!) He had been resting on the couch since 7:00, fell asleep, and when I came up at 10:00, I found him all tucked in and cuddled up in bed already. How romantic, huh?? :0) Then, he stirred....I HEARD him even though he INSISTS he scared me by sneaking up! Come on, dear! You're talking to a TEACHER here! We have EARS like a Hawk has eyes!

Alright---I suppose I can go cuddle up with DH! (giggle)

Happy New Year everyone! May 2009 bring much joy and lots of life for you!