Knitting the Blues

Happy New Year, 2010!

Alright, it is late in the day and I have finally decided to post a New Year's semi-greeting.  I never even posted a Merry Christmas message!  I had so much to post in the week leading up to Christmas and then I thought I'd post it between Christmas and the New Year, like some mosaics with Christmas tree quilts and Christmas teapots, they were really good mosaics.  Too bad I didn't post them.  How about some of my new Christmas decorations?   

My new Christmas tree.

Don't you LOVE IT!?  Inspired by this post at Pleasant Home, I became obsessed with having a theme tree, white, silver and blue (I posted about it here).  Then I found this one at JoAnns on sale.  Who can turn down 50% off?  And free shipping!  I picked up a few blue ornaments and Meg got into it and got some more.  It arrived while Pete was travelling, so when he got home it was already up and decorated and, well.  What could he say?  He had to like it, right.  Truth is, he really does like it. 

I love my four feet tall tree.  It occupied a corner in my dining room, a spot that really needed a tree.  It is actually still there and I love it so much that I might leave it up for a little while.  Or long.  Who knows?  We even stocked up on blue and silver wrapping paper and wrapped a bunch of fake gifts to put under it, it is soooo pretty.

Did I mention I love my new tree?  It helped to make my holiday.  I am totally going to be collecting even better ornaments for it over the year. 

Speaking of the coming year, here is one of my mosaics, filled with inspiration for the year. I hope to be busy, but not too busy to post.

1. mini christmas quilts, 2. State Fair Christmas Quilt/Block - Snowman, 3. Christmas Block Swap quilt., 4. Winter Mini Quilt Top, 5. Christmas Tree Quilt detail, 6. little christmas quilts, 7. Santa close up, 8. Quilted Cupcake Pink and Green Christmas Trees, 9. Holly Jolly Christmas, 10. Up On The Roof Top, 11. christmas quilt, 12. Christmas Sampler, 13. Quilted Christmas wall hanging, 14. winter wonderland, 15. Baby quilt - Front

2010, One.  I spent New Year's Eve watching Up.  Such a great movie.  Another thing I loved.

Snow Day!

And I am losing my mind.  This is why:

I have spent more time in the last two days with a seam ripper than anything else.  I really want this quilted and bound, but the quilting is not going well.  The entire runner is already ditch stitched and what I really want is just the center block quilted.  After trying some fillers I have decided that one big snowflake would be the best thing.  Unfortunately for me, I am not a good machine quilter (yet).  Do you live near me?  Can you quilt?  Wanna put a snowflake on that block for me?  I'll be your best friend.....

One hundred forty-two.  Don't want me as a best friend?  How about a trade?  Cash?  Help me!

YouTube SaturdayThe Snow Day Edition

I still haven't watched White Christmas this season! I think being a little bit snowed in this weekend will take care of that!

Is it possible that we won't have to dream?

If you love that version of White Christmas you should check out this video. Embedding is disabled, but it is a great live version of the song and it made me smi-yi-yi-le. This is what I'm looking forward to:

One hundred forty-one. I KNOW! It is the corniest movie EV.ER! I cry every time the general walks in with his uniform on and the entire group of soldiers stand up at attention and he calls them out for being sloppy.  I just love it!

I just found this (I really have other things I should be doing!), it is fun.

Continuing the Attitude of Gratitude.

While I try to make it a habit of reminding myself of things to be thankful for, both big and small, it always seems to have a greater effect when there is a formal commitment to it.  I started a blog at the beginning of the year that was to be dedicated to a daily recognition of gratitude, but like many things in my life, distraction took me away from the practice.  Today I read this blog (I love this blog-a woman after my own heart.  She had better hope I never find out where she lives or she might find a lot of her stuff goes missing.) which linked to this article and then to this blog.  A gentle nudge to continue looking for the great and small ways that God or the universe lets you know that there is more to be thankful for than not, especially for things we take for granted.  Everything changes and any or all of those things could be very impermanent.  While I won't bore you (or myself) with the details, it is a little something I need lately.

I've decided to go for the thousand things.  I'll keep track on that other blog, hopefully on a daily basis and probably continue a Thankful Thursday theme on this one.   I was going to wait until the new year, but then remembered that life rolls on, regardless of the human imposition of time markers and that today is as good a day as any.  So, here is a list.

1. Holiday music
2. wonderful memories of childhood
3. hot showers
4. indoor plumbing
5. finishing a knit-for-hire
6. good high school band and orchestra concerts
7. the movie White Christmas
8. I didn't have to go out in the frigid cold today

Well, a start of eight.  Not bad.

One hundred forty.  Oh, Jason Mraz.  Make that nine.

Random Wednesday orIf You Are Still Wondering What To Get Me For My Birthday,Some Random Etsy Picks.

Etsy Buy Handmade knittingtheblues

An attempt at a random list was going to be made, but it will wait. I'm too tired. My skills as a writer have been used up editing and rewriting cover letters tonight. If my kids had to pay somebody for the services I provide......

One hundred thirty-nine. Is Christmas next week? Why do I feel as if I have the time to make all of my gifts if I get started right now?

Dear Santa Claus,

Normally I don't write you a wish letter, but today.  Well today I am feeling a blue Christmas coming on.  You see, I was virtual window shopping over at The Fat Quarter Shop today and saw something on sale that I really loved.  I had places to go today, but I just couldn't get this thing off of my mind and decided that as soon as I got home I would just buy it.  (I'm not that good at the waiting for Christmas thing.  Delayed gratification is NOT my middle name!)

I pulled into the driveway and threw up the sash.....  Okay, popped open the laptop, headed straight to the FQS and, and......AND!  GONE!  SOLD OUT!  NOT TO BE HAD AT THAT AWESOME PRICE!  My Christmas is taking a turn to the blue.  I'll have a blue Christmas without that FQ bundle.  I'll be so blue thinking about that FQ Bundle.....

Okay, so I'm no lyricist.  So sue me.

Santa, I know that you don't want me to be sad.  Or continue to write bad lyrics.  You can make it up to me by shopping over at FQS and leaving something extra special under my tree.  How about a few hints:

A couple of yards of this fabric would cheer me.  Hey, it's on sale!  Santa!  Bring me this fabric!

And since we are on the topic of blue fabrics, a bundle of cuts from this page would have me jumping for joy!  I'd love to make a lap quilt or wall hanging including these especially:

Or maybe to see all of the blueness that I sew, this excellent little Bendable Bright Light would help brighten up my mood. 

Santa, you know me.  I want a blue Christmas!  The bluer, the better.  Heck!  I have two entire blogs devoted to blue! Help make this the bluest Christmas ever, Santa! 

One hundred thirty-eight.  Decorations of blue, on a blue Christmas Tree.  Won't mean a thing, without Blue under the tree.....  I know.  I keep trying.  But let's just say one of those fat quarter bundles happened to be hiding someplace around your workshop......  Oh, and check the Jolly Jabber for more info on my letter to Santa!

YouTube Saturday

Ooops, I almost forgot about YouTube Saturday.  Well, I didn't forget exactly, I was just never near my computer when I thought about it.  So, very late on Saturday, here it is.

Why is it that the music of our childhood memories is what brings back that feeling of holiday spirit better than almost any other? I was listening to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass today. I love it.

I always loved this corny song.

This one is the best! And kinda funny, too.

I just love this album! The videos demand an apology from me, but the music!

I adore this version of Jingle Bells:

One hundred thirty-seven. You, too can own this album. You really shouldn't wait.

Ten On Tuesday

I'm straying from the topic today because.......

It's my BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

and 

it's all about 

ME!

Me, me, just me! At least for me it is all about me. If I don't make it all about me, who will? Right?  So, ten things about me.  And yes, I do realize that this could be the most boring post ev.er!

1. I was born in 1962.  I am not afraid to say it.  47.  It does seem very strange to see it written out like that.  Forty-seven.  Four.  Seven.  I don't have any feeling about it at all.  Just numb.  Almost like it isn't really my age at all.
2. Atlantic City is my place of birth.  We lived right outside of AC, and moved when I was little, but when we would visit relatives each summer it was a huge treat to go to the boardwalk and get a birch beer.
3. When I was eight I fell off my bike and broke both bones in my left leg.  A man getting out of his car picked me up and carried me to my parents, telling me not to look down, which of course I did.  Bones coming through skin.  Not something you want to see.  I found out later that the man had a heart condition and wasn't supposed to lift anything.  
4. I am obsessing over tinsel Christmas trees.  I really want one.  
5. Not as my main tree, just a fun one.
6. I love presents.  I think I should get one every day in December.
7. I love Christmas, but find it harder and harder to find the spirit each year.  I listen to the music, decorate, do the gift thing......  "Where are you Christmas?  Why can't I find you?"  HEH.
8. I have decided to be nice to the cats that live in my house.  Let me be clear:  I have always been a better mother to them than anybody else, I just don't care for them and am probably allergic to them and sort of wish they lived someplace else.  I thought if I was nice to them that I might start to love them.  It isn't working, but they like me a lot more for whatever that is worth.
9. I love jigsaw puzzles and if one is in progress I will stay up too late and ignore everything else I have to do to find "just one" more piece.  I love to have a holiday puzzle going and have completed one, but I am leaving it out so that I don't start another one just yet.  Things to do, dontcha know.
10. I plan on spending my day with at least most of these:

One hundred thirty-six.  Okay, so the running shoes, not so much today.  I have been using them regularly, though and will hit the gym tomorrow.  The teapot is hot again and the fabric (LOVE!) is turning into a little something special.  I got a little bit of money for my birthday and I think more of that fabric will be making its way to my house.