Not quite Wordless Wednesday

The big tree went up yesterday.
No ornaments until I'm sure Bleu is going to be a good boy!

The tree was still standing this morning...

Design Wall Monday - 11/28/16

(Once again, pixler isn't working to edit my photos...when it feels like working I'll replace these large photos and remove this note)

Other than a killer sore throat (like lets not even thinking of eating or drinking or swallowing) on Thanksgiving day, I had an excellent long weekend. I can't say that I accomplished much but I had fun cleaning up the quilt lab, prepping cookie dough for cookie day and whipStitchin'.

This was where I spent a good deal of time. I'm putting the fillers on the sides and the quilt is just too big to handle in my lap, especially since a certain FlufferNutter would prefer to be occupying my lap instead of any quilt. The cats don't bother the table so I can leave it set up for the next time I have a few extra minutes. I've got both the filler pieces on the right side done. Tonight I'll start the left side.

Hexie Club is Friday night where we will reveal our UFO challenge projects so the pressure is on. There is still a lot to do to consider my project "finished" but since I still needed to make 6 out of 23 stars back when the challenge was thrown down in June/July and it's now it's almost in one piece with just the pieced borders to go, I'm considering this a win!

I decided to make Bonnie's Mystery Quilt this year! The colors are right up my alley so I'm all geared up to do another mystery. I'm not soooo geared up that I actually have fabrics pulled but the mystery uses my 3 favorite colors so it was a no brainer to join in. That and I love her mystery style of making all of each unit (4patch, 9patch, HST, etc) at once.

Can you guess how many 4patches I had done when I took this picture?

It just so happens that my 2" strip bin had a ton of neutrals already cut so it was easy to whip up 93 4patches. I'm making a smaller version of her quilt so this will be enough for now.

I also received 2 squishies recently!!!

LOVE the bowtie selvage!

Sharon surprised me with a box of selvages - my January honeyDo list includes playing with selvages.

She also included this great hexie fabric. Yes - the search for new hexie fabrics continues - if you find one at your LQS I would love to hear about it!

I also won this great pair of tea socks from a new to me tea blog: http://www.friendshiptea.net/. Thanks Linda!!! I've got them on today but I just couldn't finagle a decent photo.

Joining Design Wall Monday and Mystery Monday Link up #1

Feline Friday - 11/25/16

Momma has been a lazy blogger this week - we're not sure if it's cuz Zorro tried to burn the house down last Friday or cuz yesterday was Turkey Day and she was looking forward to a few days off. We guess what we are saying is we're lucky that she helped up blog today...

Doesn't the neighbor's new blue siding look fantastic??!!

It snowed last weekend which made Casa Grande look pretty, especially since the pear tree finally changed from green to gold. Momma is still looking for a partridge so if anyone sees one we want to get it for her!!

We think Momma's purple petunia has probably had it but, then again, it made it through several frosts ok and it rained yesterday so maybe it will thaw out...

Bleu is very good at ringing the bell to go outside but has very little follow through when the door is opened for him. Eventually Momma boosted him out the window so he could play in the snow but all he did was sit there. He didn't even want to come back inside. I mean Momma had to drag him back in through the window. That dude cannot make up his mind...

Me? I'll just take it easy right here by the window with a view...

An InLinkz Link-up

Feline Friday - 11/18/16

Hey lady - I can help you strip these dried catnip stalks!

Ahhh Dude - that was sooooo worth turning in my 1 year NA chip.
Got any snacks?

Awesomesauce - it's stuck in my fur so I can take it with me all day!

O! M! G!
It's catnip toy making season!!!

Nope - I didn't even think of inhaling

Momma missed a little at the bottom

Mission Accomplished!

NA = 'Nipheads Anonymous. Of course!!!

No felines were harmed in the making of this 'Nip-umentary...

An InLinkz Link-up

HeLP for Hexie-aholics - 11/17/16

Hello and welcome to our monthly Hexie Linky Party for Hexie-aholics!!

I can't say that I've made much progress on my owl project recently but that's due to some priorities that will be done by next weekend.

I'd really like to get the 4 side pieces attached to the mothership by our next hexie club meeting on 12/2/16...which is when we are supposed to have our UFOs "done". Wish me luck as I wade through all the holiday obligations.

It took some coaxing but, yes, I think Bleu now understands his modeling obligations.

Did I tell you "we" changed his name from Blue to Bleu?
Well, in reality, it's Little Boy Blue to Little Boy Bleu.
Auntie Denise felt he was a little bit French...now he just needs a beret.

I had originally hoped to find more of that great cream batik to extend out the borders but after visiting several stores I've come up empty handed. One store even ordered what we thought it was - the new bolt was pretty close in color but it didn't have the "artifacts" of my original fabric.

I did come across this great blue batik and snatched up 3 yards cuz it was on sale! I'll be able to hit up 2 or 3 more stores while I'm out Christmas shopping in the next few weeks so I'll keep my eye out for the cream but I think the blue will work just fine. What do you think??

And now it's YOUR turn!!! What EPP project have you worked on or dreamed up recently? Any paper shape or vintage project is welcome to join in.

An InLinkz Link-up

Workin' Wednesday

I don't know what software all y'all use to edit photos before posting but the online software I use has been crashed for several days. Very frustrating.

These are the zipper bags I've made recently.  They are always fun to use up scraps of this and that. There are others that are currently on display at the LQS - I'll be picking them up tomorrow before a bazaar on Saturday.

I've finishing mugrugs, catnip toys, and a few random gifts this week around several meetings. This week's meetings all seem to include food so I just consider them dinner breaks and work in the "sweatshop" before and after the meetings. LOL.

See ya tomorrow for HeLP!!!

Feline Friday - 11/11/16

Momma says we are BOTH on the litter box list today...

Momma says *I* attacked Zorro when he tried to get on the bed with her and tore her new sheets. How does she know I attacked him and not vice versa? I mean she was asleep with her eyes closed and everything!

When Momma got up to feed us, she blamed me for ruining some vintage thingy when I was trying to help myself to a a little extra food. It's not my fault that stuff was in the way - er - I mean how does she know *I* did it if she was asleep in a different room with her eyes closed and everything?

We've both tried to kiss up (literally!!) but it doesn't seem to be working - any hints on how to get off the litter box list??

PS - Thank you to all the vets for their service - especially our favorite Auntie Denise!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Niagara Falls Road Trip

So...as I said earlier this week...Last Saturday I had an all day EMT training on cardiac issues in Niagara Falls. It just so happened to be at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino!

Valet entrance.
The top is black due to the curved roof.

We had to walk through the center of the casino for lunch time.

Ka-ching!

After the conference was over I drove 5 miles to a small quilt store and then 5 miles back to the Falls where I almost took a wrong turn onto the Rainbow Bridge to Canada but eventually found parking so I could take a "little" walk through NF State Park. I didn't find the map until I was ready to leave or I would have planned my hike a bit better.

I started on the left and walked down to the gorge (red) and the American Falls.

Then I continued up river which really showed how quickly the water was moving down stream.

Then I walked over the pedestrian bridge towards Goat Island.

Then I walked down to Luna Island which was basically at water level!

Then I walked back up towards the Canadian falls (green line)

looking one more time towards the American falls -
the group of people is down on Luna Island

stairs down to the Canadian Falls.
This is when my phone was going wild  -
I must have wandered into a Canadian cell service zone

Check out that mist!
Lets just say I wasn't making any impressions with my sopping wet hair

Next I wandered back (blue line) over the pedestrian bridge and around the center of the park, heading towards the Hard Rock to pick up a cordial glass for my collection and then to get Indian food for dinner at the food court.

I took my dinner back over to the park but I never found a picnic table. What kind of park doesn't have picnic tables???

The lights coming on across the river on the Canadian side were fun to watch

It didn't photo well but there are blue and red lights on the falls at dusk

That leaves me at the purple line to try to get back to my car before it was too dark in the park. Luckily if you left after 6, parking was free. Whoo hoo for me.

Now that I have the park map I hope I can go back and hike the rest of it some day as this was a pretty quickly paced hike before it got dark. I'm still going to hedge that it was a good 3 or 4 miles. Smart people would have logged it on their Fitbit...

Did you vote yet today?

 I voted!!


It's your cat given right as an American and your vote CAN make a difference.


Momma joked this morning to vote early and vote often. Can you believe after 8 years back in NY she actually received an updated voter registration card, info on getting an absentee ballot and "anti" campaign materials for voting in Miami. Huh?? Wha??? She was not impressed.

Design Table Monday - 11/7/16

I had a nicely busy weekend. I spent all day Saturday in Niagara Falls - now don't get too excited cuz I left home in the dark, spent all day in a EMT conference (in a casino!), spent about at least an hour walking around the state park at the Falls, picked up Indian food for dinner and then drove home in the dark. I'll show those pictures later this week.

Yesterday I slept in a wee bit thanks to the time change and then got busy making zipper bags and mugrugs for the next holiday bazaar.

I spy something that starts with a Z!

The table works as my staging area - each pile is a different pattern but I sew them in
any order depending on which ones match the thread color I'm using at the moment.

The prep always takes the longest - cutting batting pieces, letting cats outside, cutting fabric pieces, letting cats back inside, matching fabrics to zippers, letting cats outside, matching fabric to trims, letting cats inside again, answering rescue calls and eventually one gets to the sewing part! Phew!

I've got 4 almost finished...the rest should move right along since all the decisions have been made already.

99% of the branches have buds!!

And, just because everyone at my office loves it, I thought I would share my Christmas Cactus. I know it's the beginning of November but this little beauty likes to blossom 3 times a year. I don't do anything special to accomplish this  - in fact, I think it's merely because it's by the front door and the blast of cold air every time a customer comes in "forces" it to blossom at Halloween, Christmas and sometime in the spring.

Feline Friday - 11/4/16

Z - Hey Blue! It's time to get our costumes on!!! The candy grubbing, costumed little people kiddos will be here soon!!

Z - I definitely feel like the man of the house when Momma puts on my collar and tie.

B - Zorro, you have got to be kidding! I don't mind the jester collar so much, not even the bells, but what's with her selfie obsession?? I am NOT posing for that flashy thing!

Z - You just need to look adorable - then you get more scritches and snackies for playing along.

Z - If you act interested in the kids and their costumes, Momma even moves the cat tree closer to the front door. I call Crow's Nest!!

B - No way Dude - I'm gonna go hide under Momma's bed.
Z - Your loss Dude cuz here come the kids!!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Bibliophile Files - 11/1/16

Uhhh...I have to say this was my worst reading month ever. Not sure why I only finished 3 books but it is what it is.

Luckily, goodreads.com says I'm still 4 books ahead of schedule so I should still finish 84 books by the end of the year. I'll be driving to a conference this weekend and I need to dedicate some time to sewing Christmas bazaar items this week and next so that should bring me some good "reading" time. Wish me luck!

FINISHED:
     I'll give you the Sun - some nice twists and turns.
     The Tombs - another excellent book in this series!
     Grasshopper Jungle - I'll admit that the story/concept was interesting but the writing style and the reader made this nearly torture to listen to. It was short choppy sentences, with lots of repetition, and the reading was almost staccato. Ugh.

IN PROGRESS:
     on my iPhone - Pennies for Hitler - this is a YA book about a young boy in Germany during the World Wars who discovers he is Jewish. He's secreted off to England and later to Australia. It's quite interesting but I'm not yet sure where the title comes in to play
     on my home stereo - Memory Man - I started with book 2 in this series so some of the details in this first book feel a bit repetitive - on the other hand it's good to get more detail and understand where the series started. Can't wait for the third book to come out next year...

And now it's your turn! What did you read in the last month?? A novel, magazine, quilt pattern or cereal box??