Man Cave Update

The wood of the roof is finally all in place. The next thing to do is cover it with tar paper. If I know my husband, he will try and do a little of that each evening. It's too bad it gets dark here so early about 5:45 so that doesn't leave a lot of time after working until 5 to get any thing done. Hopefully the rains we have had for two weeks will be done for awhile so he can keep working. He worked so hard yesterday he was in bed and asleep by 7 PM.

Week Four Personal Goal

Well it has been a good week, eating has been in control even with a very stressful day at work. I didn't meet my step goal every day but went over a couple of days so it all evens out in the end. I journaled my food every day. I lost another one pound this week for a total of 7.2 pounds. Since this is the four week mark I averaged out my weight lost which is 1.8/week. That is pretty darn good. I checked my measurements no change in my arm, no surprise their I haven't been doing my arm exercises. Waist is down an inch, this I could tell this week as my belt felt loose. Hips down .25 inch, not a lot but a start. I'm still doing my walking up and down the stairs at work. I going to the gym tomorrow and do all over strengthening exercise. I need to start working on those arms. I'm not worried about getting my steps in tomorrow I'm going to a Quilt, Sew & Craft Expo.

Here is to Health!!

My Genealogy Blog

I'm not sure how many of you are also into Genealogy but I'm starting to get there. This Arizona Family Expo I went to over the weekend really has be all excited again. It has given me something new to learn and work on. Which is a good thing. I have created my own Genealogy blog called me and my ancestors. Check it out if you would like, here. I also placed it on the side arm under Genealogy links.

It is just getting started and I'm sure it will be changing weekly. As I work on finding more out about my family.

Quilting Update

This is the left side border for the Washington Medallion quilt.


This is going to be short, I need to be off to bed. I did some sewing this week but I also went to the Arizona Family Expo so I didn't have two evenings for sewing. Today I also worked on my Family Tree and did some double checking. I also started a second blog for my Genealogy. Check it out here, I named it me and my ancestors.


Here are the Farmer's Wife Blocks I finished this week.

Night all!!

On line Shop

One of my friends has opened a little on line store, please check it out.
Berryvine Quilts.

Week Three Personal Goal

It has been a hard week. It has been stressful at work and I'm a stress eater. Not a good combination. Even with that I only went 200 to 250 calories over my calories allotment most days, not every day. But those extra calories add up. I did journal every day what I ate so I knew what I was doing. Now to get control of that bad habit. I did keep up with my core exercises and my stair climbing. I made close to 6,000 or over 6,000 steps every day. Well a couple of days my pocket pedometer reset to 0000000 so I'm not sure on the exact of steps I took. I'm going to put it in a plastic sleeve to prevent it from reset it. I just came up with that idea. I did lose 1 pound.


I have spent all day at the Arizona Family History Expo, boy did I learned a lot and now I need to do the things I learned. I have to go look and decide what classes I will attend tomorrow. I stayed for the Banquet dinner and we had a live Genealogy Gem Podcast. It was really fun to be envolved with the first live podcast. It was very informative and fun.

No Man Cave update tomorrow, it has been raining all week and we even had tornado warnings last night. Northern AZ had 12 feet of snow. Out backyard is flooded and more rain is coming. I sure hope this rain fills up all our lakes. It sure feels like winter here this week.

Sunday Quilting Upate

Where do I start??
Thursday night I spent the evening filling out the entry forms for the AQG (Arizona Quilter's Guild) Quilt Show which will be in March. I entered two of my quilts for this judged show. I'm entry my Dear Jane Boo Swap Quilt which is now titled BOO It Is Halloween and my Dear Jane Christmas Quilt. I'm a little frustrated with the application because of some of their definitions. I couldn't say it was a first time entry because I had been in a small show before and to use that you had to never had a quilt in any show. This is the first time I have entered a quilt in this state wide show. The second was because I have been compensated for my quilting I am a professional quilter. Well I still think my frame quilting as very amateurish. I don't consider myself one of those very skilled and talented professional long arm quilters. I have a long way to go to get to that level. I hope no one looks at my less than perfect quilting and say Yuck she is a professional. I might have to make a suggestion to have a third category, something between amateur and professional. I also had to take new photos and measure the quilts, width, length and perimeter. I mailed the entries Friday morning. I would have sent it electronically but that wasn't possible. Here is hoping the judges will be somewhat positive. I have never been in a judged show before and I'm a little nervous. My friends and I will enjoy seeing my quilts there. Of course I have also over heard some people's comments on seeing a quilt. Matter of fact I can remember saying one very rude comment myself and after opening mouth and inserting foot, I prayed the quilter wasn't around me. It was a truly ugly quilt and it had Judges Choice ribbon. Obviously I have different tastes than those judges. Oh Well it will be what it will be and I still like my quilts no matter what anyone says.

I guess that was a bit of a rant.


I did make progress on my borders for the Washington Medallion. These are the top and bottom borders and I have my baskets going the right way!!
Next on to the side borders. Between these borders and the center I have 3 floating borders to do. All that measuring and math, yuck.


I also made some progress on my Farmer's Wife Sampler and made six blocks all today. OK 5 of them were easy ones. I'm on the Yahoo list for this and 3 more blocks and I will be caught up with the Block of the Week list. I'm sure liking my fabrics I'm using for this.

Well I really need to go to bed, Mondays sure come to fast.

Man Cave Update

It was dark last night when I came home so I wasn't able to see the progress on the man cave. Today I went out to take a picture and at first I couldn't see the difference. On closer examination I did see an edge added to all the over hang things. I would go ask him some things but he is in bed sleeping.



He has also started adding ply board to the roof. I think for right now it is just up there. I think he wanted to get it off the grown because it is going to rain this week, or so they say. We need it but he would liked it to wait a week or two. It's still getting too dark too early for him to work on it after work, which is bumming him out.

Week Two Personal Goal

Well I'm happy to report I have had another good week.
I ate no candy at work for 5 days in a row, that is a big accomplishment. Believe me I know where all the candy bowls are in the hospital.
I purchased a pedometer and set a goal to walk 5,000 steps every day and I made 5,000 plus every day. I hope to work up to 10,000 steps per day.
I climbed steps everyday.
I only went over my calories one day this week.
I have been doing my core strengthening exercises everyday.
I wasn't as good as I could have been about going to bed on time.
I happily lost another 2.5 lbs for a total of 5.2.
My little money fund is getting bigger!! I'm feeling a little skip in my step again. I feel good.

Sunday Quilting Upate

I stopped sewing early for me tonight. I'm tired and if I'm going to be healthier I need to go to bed when I'm tired. Normally I'm doing this blog post after 10 PM, night it's only after 9. A much more reasonable time since I do need to get up and go to work in the morning.
Here are the updates!!
First Washington Medallion:
These are the two blocks I had holes in them last week. All done!! Thanks Jane for the extra fabric.



Here are the blocks I made this weekend. I was going to do those last 6 seams, but decided not to. No sense pushing the edge of the envelope. These are the last of the 6" pieced blocks for the borders of the Washington Medallion. I'm so glad. This week I'm going to start adding the side triangles, these blocks will all be on point.

Farmer's Wife Sampler:


I started working on these for a break from the other blocks. Also six inches but not so many small 1/2 square triangles. Plus I'm really liking the Pink and Chocolate. These are two different lines but I'm sure they will all look great when they are all mixed together.





And last is the practice piecing I'm doing for the Mystery Quilt 2010, those non traditional Baptist Fans are pretty bad. I did OK on the wiggly cross hatch. I'm so glad I decided to do a practice piece.
Well off to bed for me.

Take Care and have fun stitching!!

Man Cave Update

It might not look like a lot of progress was made but this is a very slow part. Each one of those cross beams needs to be notched so the cross beam going the other direction can fit into the bottom one. I know my honey wishes it was going faster. In the mean time I'm a Man Cave Widow on Saturdays. It's a good thing I can entertain myself.

Week One Personal Goal

Well I had a good first week. I lost 2.8 lbs which is nice and part of my goal but the other part is I only went over my calories 3 days during the week. I went over by less than 200 calories. I even had two days when I didn't have chocolate at work. That is a big weakness of mine. I wrote my food journal every day. I'm using Spark People for my calorie counter and my exercise journal. I'm not doing my old routine of 5 days at the gym. In Nov of 08 I suffered a server plantar fasciitis attach and have had foot pain for over a year. It has been acting up again. But in spite of the pain I have been more active at work. I'm using the stairs both up and down. Usually I just do down. The other day I took a break and went up and down half a flight of stairs 4 times. I'm also doing some core strengthening exercises. Today I did two flights up at once and one flight up and down three different times. I need to work up to that previous exercise routine. I also turned my nose up at lots of candy at work, french fries and other junk food. I have increased my veggies and keep my fruit in take the same.

There was one afternoon that I was really ready to just munch on some candy. I wrote in my note book my word for the year HEALTHY. The desire to eat candy went away. I really only wanted to eat it because I was bored. It was a boring meeting.
I have used my word a few times this week. I think it helped.

So today I paid myself $6 for my weight lost and $5 my weekly fee. I'm putting my money in a pretty little tin for it to build up. I undecided if I want buy a new camera or a Wii fit with my winnings.

I know not every week will be good, but a lot of good weeks run together will lead to good results of better health.

For all Women

Just so you know you are not really invisible.

See this fun post

Colleen's Blog

What a surprise I had when I came home from work today and checked my blogs that I follow and saw this lovely post. It is so fun to know that something is appreciated. Who knows I might have to do it again for my next Blog Anniversary, but that is a ways off.

Sunday Quilting Upate a Little Late

I really had a busy 3 day weekend, between being on call and taking all the Christmas decorations down. It is always fun decorate for Christmas and it is always nice to get back to normal.

My sewing was interrupted a lot on New Year's Day by being on call but that is part of my job and it allows me to live in doors and eat both of which I really like.

I did manage to get 2.5 borders of the 3 on my Mystery Quilt. I was going to put it on the frame but the more I thought about my experience with last years mystery quilt. I decided to do a practice piece first.

I'm really glad I did. I'll be making nice Non- Traditional Baptist Fans by the time I finish the practice piece. I didn't get very far on my practice piece, just the markings and two little fans. The thread broke once, sure sign to me it is time to take a break. I haven't gotten back to it again.



I also worked on part 9 of my Block of the Month Washington Medallion. As you can see I'm missing a few pieces of fabric. Some were along the line I cut something wrong. Luckily for me one of my friends who is also doing this quilt but is not using this fabric is going to give me some so I won't have holes in my quilt block. One of the blocks as you can see is just as I left it last night at my machine. There is even a pin in that one seam that is waiting for more pins and to be sewn.

This evening Richard & I went to Empty Nesters for Family Home Evening, that for folks with no kids at home. There was a pot luck dinner and we gave the lesson. We do have young adults at home but they work most evenings so they aren't here. Now it is time to call it a day.

Night all and Happy Stitching!!

Man Cave Update

I'm just not sure where the weekend went but it sure did fly by fast. I was on call for my job on New Year's Day and Sunday, so I had to stay close to home. I don't have to go to the hospital to help any one, but I do have to remote into their computer from my computer here at the house.

Richard was able to start adding the material for the roof to his man cave. He was a happy camper to have two full days to work on it.

First Mini Quilt of 2010 Finished

I don't know why I agonized over this little class sample so much but I did. Now it's done and I will take it to the shop tomorrow. I'm happy with how it turned out. The next step is to make my handouts. I do have to redraw it in EQ6 since I changed it a little while I was making it today. Oh in case you are wondering what that little mark is on the bow of the large sail boat is, it is FL. If I was going to have a sail boat I would want to be in FL with it, not here in AZ.


Since I am going to the shop and I'll be teaching EQ6 in February I decided to remake my EQ6 class poster and take it down tomorrow. I like the layout of this one better than my original poster.

Now all I need is for students to sign up for the classes.

Word for the Year

Every year we make goals, last year I wanted to lose weight but I didn’t make it a goals just a wish and because of that I actually gained weight. So now that my foot pain is worst and it might get better if I got the extra pounds off and my clothes are too tight and other things I have noticed that I don’t like. I’m really making this a goal this year. I even have a plan to make it more interesting such as paying myself instead of the Biggest Loser group my office is doing. I also want to make it more of a life style change than just a number to reach on the scale. I had been thinking about this for a couple of days and thinking I wanted really to be healthier. Yesterday while blog surfing I saw a post about a word for the year, here & here. So guess what my word of the year is, you guessed it. Here is my outline of how that feels to me.

Word of the year Healthy
This word will help me to
• Eat Healthy
Right choices
Right amounts
Right times
• Move Healthy
Stretch More
Exercise More
Be More Active
• Think Healthy
About food
About people
About my life
• Act Healthy
Go to bed early
Get up early
• Listen to my Body
• Be Balanced with work, play, spirituality and learning
• Be Happy
• Be Grateful
• Lose weight
Pay myself $5 a week
Pay myself $2 for every pound lost
Weight in on Friday
Build back up to previous exercise routine
Buy a special something with my winnings
Keep a food journal
Write weekly on the blog about my progress
• Think Win – Win
• Be Neater

My quotes to help me.
Although difficulties and poor choices may surround me, I have a clear vision of what to do and how to get it done. I am not distracted.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.
~Melody Beattie~

This will be a hard goal for me; I do love food and enjoy eating. I’m not one of those people who eat to live, I live to eat but I need to change that paradigm. I know I can do it, that why I’m bearing my soul to all about this I don’t want to leave me any loop holes.
I weighed in this morning and Friday will be my weigh in day and blog entry day. My tracker is on the side bar, down a little by my quilt goals. I didn’t want it right at the top.

A great New Year to you and good luck with your goals.

Quilting Goals 2010

Happy New Year to all my Blogging Friends
I sure hope everyone will have a good year and will be blessed with Health & Friendship and the Important Things in Life.

I have of course have been reflecting on the last year and the year to come. First for my quilting goals for the New Year. My list is longer than I thought it would be but as I went through by PIGs (Projects in Grocery bags) and WIP (Works in Progress) I kept finding more fun things I want to do. I had to rein myself in or there would be no room for surprises. I'm really want to resist all surprises this year. Some surprises are OK like quilting a quilt for a friend. Plus one of my friends wants to pay me to make a quilt, so I have to leave some room.
In addition to these quilts to start or finish I have some other quilting goals like learn to follow a pantograph on my frame. Increase my library of designs that I can quilt. And practice more, even if it is just yardage of fabric. Maybe between quilts I should just have yardage up and quilt a little every day, even if it is one pass. Now that I thought of that, that is a very good idea!!
The other parts of my goals are to use up my stash and not to buy fabric unless it is for a project, none just because it is pretty or I like it. I have too much as it is, so why add to it. Plus I want to use up the stuff I have. The not buying is going to be hard but the reality is I have lots of wonderful stuff already and I want to use and make, more than a life time probably.

My list of quilts is on my said bar but here are the pictures.