Wordless vacation post

Flying by

Wow, I can't believe that I've already been here 2 weeks! Thank you for all the checking in emails. I miss all my crafty activities and while I don't really have any progress to report, I wanted to post and say hello.

Work has been great. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. Even though it's a large company, it definitely doesn't feel that way. While the majority of the employees are scattered across the globe, in the HQ (where I work) we have a few hundred but you'd never know it. People are always introducing themselves so I'm meeting a lot of new faces. It's great since I'm such a people-person.

I'm settling into a routine too. My room is starting to feel like mine (thanks to Brooke for providing some fabulous pictures that now live on my wall!) I'm even making peace with my roommate's cats - well, except when they whine early in the morning! ;-)

Summer has definitely arrived here in the District. During the time I was a student here, I managed to avoid the "real" summer, as I arrived in the early fall, was abroad in between my first and second years of grad school, and then left before it got really hot. I know I'm in for a doozy - thank goodness for ceiling fans, central A/C, and summer dresses!

I've got a somewhat lengthy commute so I've gotten a lot of reading done (which I love, especially having my Kindle!) and am satisfying my crafty craving (well, sorta...) with a little embroidery. After seeing all the photos people took at Quilt Market, I'm itching to get some new fabric and have my sewing machine. ::sigh:: I'll be back in NYC next weekend and hope to get a little stitching time in. I'm crushing hard on Anna Maria Horner's "Loulouthi" and a number of prints from Tula Pink's "Prince Charming." So happy to still be reading crafty blogs and perusing flickr often. I'm living vicariously through all of you!

Well, off to do laundry, groceries, etc. Have a great long weekend everyone! :)

Summer's end

Now that my vacation has come and gone, it really feels like summer is ending. I can't believe that it's almost September and while fall is usually my favorite season, this year I'm not as enthusiastic as I have been in the past. I think it mostly has to do with my lack of full-time degree-related employment. I hate that it still dictates how I feel and I'm really going to try and focus on all the other wonderful things in my life. I'm going to approach fall as a fresh start. Crisp leaves, sweaters, and cool evenings are definitely welcome, especially after this steamy summer here in NYC.

Vacation was WONDERFUL. My sweetie and I spent 10 days in Southern Maine. His family has a little cottage there that his grandfather built in the 1950s and they've gone almost every summer since he was a kid. His uncle recently bought a house across the street so we got to spend some time with more family. We overlapped our trip with my sweetie's brother and his girlfriend, then had the house to ourselves for a week. I absolutely loooooove the beach and while that was certainly the focus of our trip, we did lots of other fun stuff too. Maine weather is certainly cooler but we still had many sunny, warm days (though the water was never warm enough for me to go in - I'm spoiled by years of Caribbean vacations and 80 degree ocean temps). I'm super freckled now and am sporting a pretty silly bathing suit tan!

Each morning we'd take Louie to the beach (dogs are allowed before 10 am and after 5 pm). This was his first time going to the beach and he loved it (though like his mom, didn't want to go in the water!). This was also the first time that we took him off his leash without any sort of enclosure or fence outside. He was great and with the exception of a few times (a flying seagull, a giggling child...) he stayed near us and bounded along the beach, making lots of friends. We'd take him back to the cottage and then go back to the beach ourselves. We usually spent the afternoon at the beach, then came back to shower, read some more, and get some dinner. It was so simple and relaxing! My sweetie and I read a lot and didn't turn on the TV once (and I didn't miss it!) The cottage is adorable with a small, screened in porch, walls made from knotty pine, and cute rustic touches like old quilts (yay!) and funky vintage cookware. We slept A TON, going to bed before 10:30 many nights and waking up early. There were lobster rolls, ice cream breaks, and many other vacation food adventures. Our last night there we had steamed lobsters. Mmmm!

Besides the beach, we also spent an afternoon in Portland (about 40 minutes away) and rode a ferry around to some of the small islands near the harbor. We also played miniature golf (always a vacation fave), went kayaking in the salt marshes (so cool - we saw a turtle and tons of birds), and made s'mores on the grill.

While I love living here in busy NYC, it was so nice to get away to a simpler, quieter retreat. I spent some time working embroidery projects and reading a lot. It truly was an escape for me and my sweetie and I'm so glad that we got to spend all that time together, away from the stress of real life. I definitely feel refreshed and recharged and ready to keep up my energy for the job search. I've gotten a few leads recently so hopefully, I'll hear some positive news about my job search soon - cross your fingers for me as this could be the start of something really cool... We have lots of fun stuff coming up this fall including a few weddings, a trip back upstate to see our families, and visitors.

Now it's back to reality. We're both back to work tomorrow and have spent the day hanging around, unpacking and settling back in. Sundays are always dreary, especially rainy ones after vacation is over.

For pics of my Maine adventure, check out my Flickr photostream here.

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer! I'll be back blogging about crafty stuff soon.

Where did the day go?

Why is it on the days that you don't have to work, time flies much faster? Seriously! I just looked at the clock and have no idea how it go to be 7:30. That's not to say I didn't get a lot done today, but still. I had many more things on the list, most importantly pictures upon pictures to show you all! But now it's late and the light sucks. Call me cheesy but it being the 1st of the month (um, we won't talk about how ridiculous it is that it's JULY), but I was doing a little reorganizing/cleaning/etc. including taking stock of unfinished projects (quilting ones, my knitting ones are too high to count...). I realized that I have 2 large quilt tops just hanging out in my cabinet! One would make a perfect picnic blanket. Too bad I'm not Wonder Woman (not to mention, out of batting and too broke to buy 5 yards of fabric for backing!) or else I would finish that sucker up and me and my sweetie would have a nice new quilt to use this weekend (which will hopefully be filled with lots of park time). Another one is made of all Kaffe Fassett fabric, featuring these big gorgeous purple flowers! I also have 2 baby quilt tops (but those were more recent so they haven't been laying around unfinished for that long) and more ideas cooking. Not to mention the never-ending hexagons that I can't seem to get enough of... Thanks to G and L for helping beef up my scrap stash! Who knows what those little shapes will become but I can't imagine myself sewing a whole stinkin' quilt of them by hand. Props to those of you who plan on doing that, though!

So now that it's getting even later and I've babbled on and not even shown you any pictures, I may as well go watch some DVRed Top Chef. And pick a project to work on... ;-)

365 in a flash - and a giveaway!

How is it possible that I've been blogging here for 1 year!? Time flies! My life has changed in SO many ways - both good and bad. My crafting, especially my quilting, has come really far and I continue to love it. Here's to another many years of craftiness and fun!

Because it's my 1 year blog-iversary TODAY, I'm hosting a GIVEAWAY! Over the past year, I've been fortunate enough to learn a lot about fabric and accumulate a pretty decent stash. Here's what you get: one ziplock bag (the big storage size) STUFFED with usable scraps from my collection. Could be some Amy Butler, Kaffe Fasset, Tina Givens, Laura Gunn, and even Heather Ross! I'm currently in the process of putting the bag together so no pictures yet. But you all like surprises anyway, right? And I guarantee, it's a yummy bunch of fabric goodness.
Here's how you enter:

1. Leave a comment - anything! Your favorite book, summer vacation plans, inventive ice cream flavor, etc.
2. Become a follower - and leave a comment letting me know you're a follower of my blog! (If you already follow my blog, you can leave a comment to let me that.)
3. Follow me on Twitter - and leave a comment here letting me know you're following me there! (If you're already following me there, you can leave a comment to let me know that too.)

So that's 3 separate chances to win! I'll keep the giveaway open through 12 pm EST next Thursday, July 1st. You have a whole week! Make sure you leave a way to contact you when you comment (email is best). I'll use Random Integer Generator and pick a winner next Thursday or Friday! :)

To celebrate with myself, here's what I'm up to: new library books (these are just a handful - you should see the stack on my desk!) iced coffee South African style (with ICE CREAM instead of ice), and awesome fruit salad. Off to do some crafting and hide from the heat (which is approaching 100 degrees - yikes!). Psyched to work on some new baby quilts (pics soon!), the present quilt, and listen to Lush Life (hurray for free downloads).

Stay cool all - and thanks to those who've become my bloggy friends in this crazy large world of internets. You rock!



Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in the magic will never find it! ~ Roald Dahl

93

It's gonna be a hot one. This calls for some soccer watching (go USA!), sewing, job searching (never ends), and generally hiding out from the humidity (my hair is very thankful). Mmm, iced coffee here we come.

Summer's here

Summer's here and it makes me crave being a kid. My summers were spent at camp where (much to the surprise of many of you who truly know me) I loved being outside, playing in the dirt, swimming in lakes, hiking, and drinking tons of bug juice (remember bug juice?!). I remember falling asleep on the bus ride home, skin all tight and prickly from a day in the sun, hair smelling like chlorine/lake water, and comparing my sandal tan to my friend's.

After the nightmare that was last week, this is a week of rest and recovery. Strangely enough, my work shifts (those that I didn't get covered due to illness) were canceled. It's actually not that strange and there's a good reason behind it (still figuring out payroll at the store) but it certainly came at the right time. Instead of making endless to-do lists, frantically trying to squeeze in errands/appointments/etc. I've been taking it one day at a time. I went to the doctor for follow-up on being sick (as per orders from the ER - see, told you it was bad) and I'm fine and she says all is well. But still - and I know I went on and on about this last post - I need to rest and regroup. So that's what I'm doing this week. I'm running errands here and there, doing little things around the apartment, and just generally trying to listen to my body and mind. It's been nice being home watching soccer (so sad SA is out) and sewing (HUGE relief that I finished all my June quilting bee blocks) and then being able to pop out into the park with the dog for a bit. I'm really trying to take it one day at a time.....

I decided that my hexagon quilt will be a gift. I can't tell you who it's for or for what occasion in case the recipient reads this but I promise I'll reveal once it's been given.

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oh, hello

Hi all - sorry for the absence. Last week was completely hellish. Those early inventory shifts were a nightmare and then I got THE WORST stomach/intestine virus EVER. Seriously. Not fun. But now I'm feeling better and today is officially the start of summer. Hurrah!

Many other bloggers have been posting about taking time to relax. Maybe it's that summer mentality we all desire, but I too am joining in. I've been getting way to wrapped up in so many things and need to take time to relax, enjoy the little things, and just do things that are fun. It's been a very stressful time for me - and as seen from getting so sick, I realize that I need to just cool it. There are many things in my life that still feel (after a long time) out of control to me and I need to work on feeling balanced and in control. I need to focus more on taking care of myself and enjoying each day.

I may be around here less and less but that's only necessary. Besides, we should all be out enjoying the sunshine more!

I powered through my June quilting blocks and am feeling too lazy to post them all here. They're in my flickr photostream though, so go take a look.

I'm off for a walk in the park with Louie.

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the question themselves, as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, some day far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. – Rilke