The Finished Wedding Quilt

I've been making quilts without traditional borders lately, which I sort of like.  This one came together quite nicely, technically speaking.  I was able to ditch-quilt it and it was all pretty square.

And here is the lovely bride herself!  What I find amazing is that I chose these fabrics having no real idea of Sarah's taste these days.  I took a cue from her wedding invitation that had some some straight line, black and white graphics with a chartreuse block of color.  I worried about adding the orange, because people either love or hate orange, it seems.

Shouldn't have worried.  Orange tulips and green accents were at every table.  Now I think I have color ESP.  This photo shows Sarah's side of the wedding party - my second favorite Vermont family....
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...behind these guys:

Darned pacifier.  --cds

Home From The Road Trip

I had grand plans that I would write while on the road, take lots of pictures, comment on interesting snippets of life along the I-95 corridor.  HA!  I am hopeless with the grand plans.

Anyway, we crammed a lot of stuff into our two weeks away, first stopping in New Jersey at peak iris-viewing season. 

We then headed north to Vermont to visit our kids and play with Ruthanne, who is almost 2.

 So cute, so funny, so active!  We had a fabulous week - I can't get enough of this sweet little face.

On our way back south, we were fortunate to be invited to spend a few days with our BFFs at a place in Ocean City, NJ.

Pre-season, so it was pretty deserted, a little windy, but sunny and warm-ish.  We did much porch-sitting and a lot of laughing.  So good.

We are home now, back to house chores, morning swimming, and new sewing projects.  More pictures later this week as I sort through them.  --cds

A Gift Quilt

After quite a hiatus - about a year - I've got another quilt just about complete.  I really like all the fabrics I chose, but once again realize I have the most trouble coming up with a design that really pops.  I'm still handstitching the binding, but I'll get a better picture of the final product this afternoon.  Be back soon.  --cds

It's May 1st!

And May is Self-Helpy Month!   Did you know?   Perhaps you are unaware because it is something I just now invented. I’ve always wanted to invent something worthwhile, and I think Self-Helpy Month is just the ticket. According to Google (and really, who appointed Google God of All Things anyway?), September is “Self-Improvement Month,” but “self-improvement” just sounds lame and pretentious to me. Also it sounds like a diet and possibly exercise might be involved.   Ick.   Self-Helpy Month will be much more fun, informative, and helpful - and there might be doughnuts!!

Let me make this clear at the outset, I am rereading, for maybe the thirty-trillionith time, a book called “Living Successfully With Screwed Up People” by Elizabeth B. Brown. It is a self-help book, no doubt, and I know some people dislike self-help books and that’s fine, I understand.  I do not normally read these sorts of books, either, but this is an easy read; it’s the sort of book you might pick up in the grocery store book and magazine aisle because the title caught your eye (I picked up my copy in the grocery store because the title caught my eye). Let me also make this abundantly clear.   I mean, really, really clear:   I do NOT believe I live with a screwed-up person (so glad my hub doesn’t read my blog); nor do I consider as screwed-up any of my family, friends, or acquaintances.  In fact, I’ve come to believe that the author’s point is that the reader is the screwed-up person anyway.   I mean, come on, it’s a SELF-HELP BOOK!

Probably the most important lesson I’ve taken from this book is the fact that it makes me think more, about relationships, but also about other stuff too.   Thinking is so good for us.  Reading and thinking would bring about world peace.  In fact, if I get any more Zen, I’ll not only be looking like a fat, happy Budda, but sounding like him as well. I only wish I’d come across a book like this 40 years ago.  Never too late for a bit of self-help; however, I do turn 60 in September - during frickin’ Self-Improvement Month! Oh, the irony. --cds