Project Progress

I guess I have done a great job on my home projects because I don't have much of a list this week. After a weekend away I was hard pressed to remember where I was on my household project list. Because there are no boxes to unpack and no walls to paint I better consider working on making some additions to the list but the projects are getting smaller. Until that list grows I have been drawn to my patchwork quilt and love the time in my sewing room. Quilting does require some math and I like to keep it simple. I have 900 little squares. I am sewing them into blocks with 100 squares each. Four of the nine blocks are complete and I hope to head back to the project after dinner with friends tonight. This quilt could go much more quickly than my first quilt.

Weekend Away

After being away for the weekend I just had to stop by to see Lincoln today. He is seven weeks old now. It was so beautiful, warm and sunny that we spent time in the yard soaking up the sunshine! I think he was happy to be outside.

My weekend in Des Moines was relaxing and fun. It was good to be back in the big city. I got to spend lots of time with Dale, see some hospice friends and attend a baby shower for Felix who is due in March.

The warm sunny weather was perfect for visiting the zoo and exploring the city a bit. I loved getting to Valley Junction, Trader Joe's, Homemakers, Half Price Bookstore and a couple of movies too. This wallaby must be surprised by the January weather in Iowa this year too!

Happy Birthday, Jay!

This photo was taken thirty years ago today when Jay was celebrating his first birthday. I could go on and on about how quickly time has gone and its hard to believe that my baby boy is so old, but I probably do that every year. It was fun to celebrate with Jay this year too. Briana put the finishing touches on his traditional birthday cookie! Happy Birthday, Jay!

Six Weeks

It's been six weeks since Lincoln was born; six weeks since I got my house and six weeks since I left my job at hospice. I am still in awe of my little grandson and feeling so content and grateful for this time in my life. I do miss my wonderful volunteers but so appreciate their encouragement and affirmation.

I have gotten lots done around the house but I allow myself plenty of time for distractions too. I love my time with Lincoln and I have really enjoyed my quilting this week too. All 900 little squares have now been attached to another square so I have 450 pairs. It doesn't look like much yet but I am enjoying the process.

Winter Cozy

After struggling with that wallpaper project and snow removal I decided to treat myself to some winter luxuries. I got out my scraps and started cutting 2 1/2 inch squares for a very scrappy patchwork quilt. I did a little math and realized that I will need about a thousand little squares. I guess I am enjoying the process because I have more than 700 of them cut already.

Homemade soup, family time and watching the birds and squirrels in the snow from the cozy warmth of my home have been a luxury too. I love being home during the day and enjoying the light for my quilting or squirrels chasing each other around the neighbor's tree. I think that I have mentioned that I am loving this chapter of life!

So Far. . .

So far this has been my least favorite home project. Fortunately it's just a wallpaper border on both sides of the stairwell going to the basement. The first layer went off easily but I found another older border under that. It is not coming off easily. I spent the majority of my day working on it and I will finish before the weekend. This was also a trial to see if I wanted to tackle peeling off all of the wallpaper covering the basement walls. The paper is blue plaid with borders and very dated but I have no desire to struggle with a huge project like this. I have heard that painting wallpaper may be a sin, but I am seriously considering that option. Hey, it's a basement!

Paisley and Patchwork

I have discovered that I enjoy the scrappy patchwork quilting much more than the precision of those gorgeous quilts that other women make. Smaller quilts like my tree skirt are also more fun than the twin size pinwheel that I made. This summer I wanted to make a small quilt that might work for my grandson in the car or out on the lawn. Ashley and I shopped for some paisley to bring together some of the other fabrics. I was determined to include some of Grandma Stone's gingham and Ashley's baby dress fabric.

I put it all together except one final step while living in West Des Moines. Last week when I needed a break from unpacking and home projects I sat on the couch with my needle and thread hand stitching the binding and enjoying every moment. Now I am thinking lots about starting another quilting project. . . a scrappy quilt, patchwork, granny squares. . . something that looks like a grandma made it out of the scraps she has in the house, because that is exactly what it will be. I just need to be sure that I have lots of other things done before diving into a project that may be a huge distraction.

Front Door Project

Here it is, evidence that I did finally complete my front door update. It was certainly more work than I expected, even with lots of help from others. The top photo is the after, below is the before. I do feel pretty successful. It's more current, less rusty and I like it better!

Family Pinwheel

It took me nine years to make this quilt. . .NINE YEARS. I am not bragging and I want to be sure to say that it sat untouched for at least seven years. It was quilted and almost ready for the binding when I moved in 2006 but it wasn't until this summer when Jill agreed to help (push) me toward completion that I finally did the final steps.

The fabrics are meaningful to me. There are pieces from Grandma Stone, Sandi, Jill, Kim and Kelly. Pieces from Ashley's baby dress, Jay's junior high sewing project and some nieces and nephew's quilts also appear. Most of the binding is Grandma's fabric and pieces from my old sewing projects. I only purchased the white fabric and batting. Yes, that's partly because I am frugal but mostly because I wanted a quilt filled with memories and meaning.

Baby Time

I am working on a post about my quilting but this is more fun. For years I photographed my children and family members. As my family grew up I learned to point my camera toward nature, travel locations and landscapes. Having a baby in the family brings me back to the joy of photographing little faces and I am loving it!

Winter Arrived

Winter was a little late this year but it has most certainly arrived. For six years I didn't have to think about snow removal. It's different now. I was out twice yesterday and am about to head out again this morning. Thanks to Travis for getting my snow thrower ready and delivered and to my new neighbor, Dave who seems to be one of those great guys that makes the rounds with his big snow blower helping neighbors it hasn't seemed too bad, yet. But I certainly do not want to do this every week!

One Month

Lincoln is one month old today. He was sleeping when I stopped by to snuggle with him but he is so patient with me. It's also been one month since I got my house. Lincoln and the house have seen lots of changes in the last month. It's so convenient to go to Menards and visit. Today I bought the wrong size of floor register cover so I will be back again soon.

I have absolutely loved this month of life. It's an amazing chapter for me. Although I cannot take photos of Lincoln while snuggling with him using my good camera, I have discovered that I can use my Ipod at very close range. I know that that quality isn't great but I just love his expression below!

Many Visitors

I always love having visitors and its been especially nice to be visited by so many people in my new home. I have loved seeing old friends and get reconnected after living away. Of course Jay, Briana, Travis, Ashley, Lincoln and Mowgli have been very welcome. Other family members have been so wonderful to visit too. Drew, Molly, Kaley, Brecken, Sandi, John, Mel, Jill and Marlee have made the trip also. Marlee is pictured above. She is Jill's baby and the newest family member! I look forward to more visitors too.

Many Faces

I could sit for hours and watch Lincoln's expressions. . . and sometimes I do.

Napping and Sunning

Napping and sunning seems like a great vacation day to me. Maybe that is why Lincoln is such a content baby!

Four Weeks

Today Lincoln is four weeks old. I took this quick shot during his nap today but will post more soon. I have heard from several people that they are looking to my blog to find baby photos and I do not want to disappoint. These four weeks have been an amazing start to this chapter in my life and the time is going so quickly.

Small Improvements

I love the idea of doing home improvements. It brings me pleasure to make simple changes that make the house feel more like my own or more attractive. Going to Menard's is fun until you have to go back again an hour later because you are very bad at spray painting. Doesn't is seem like spray painting would be easy? It's not easy for me. Although I got much better with practice I was pretty heavy handed with the first can. I wanted to update the entry of the house. That's my project. I couldn't find a mailbox until I finally looked on-line. I did find a light fixture that I liked and decided to buy spray paint to update the house numbers to match the light and mailbox. It seemed like a good idea but I made quite a mess. This project which I thought may take an afternoon is taking much longer. The light is up. The mailbox is being shipped and the numbers are drying in the garage. I will post an "after" photo unless it looks worse than it did when I started. The "before" photo is below.

This project actually went smoothly. Just six new updated knobs and one Phillips screw driver. Fortunately I was smart enough to use the existing bolts because the new ones that came with the knobs were not long enough. Absolutely no frustration at all with this project. I guess that's why I found it worthy of mentioning.

Fifty-eight Degrees

The weather has been incredibly mild this winter but when it hit fifty-eight degrees today it seemed like a great day for a walk, even with a tiny baby. Lincoln was very cozy in the stroller and Mowgli was very well behaved. It was a great way to explore the neighborhood. The shadows are very long for 3 PM but it is January!

I have also been able to get some work done outside. I unpacked the clay pots today and hauled away an unwanted bird bath. The garage is more organized and I even pulled out some leftover petunias from last year. It's been great to get to know the neighborhood and my yard, even in January.