A Little Excitement

It's amazing how quickly things can go badly. And how long it can take to bounce back. There I was, kids in bed, husband out of town, ready to set to work on the last few steps of finishing my latest project. The layers were basted together and it was time to cut a few strips for the binding. And in the blink of an eye, I met what may well be an inevitable fate of any quilter: the wrath of the rotary blade.

Ouch.  So that night was a bust, but the fact remained that the quilt HAD to be done for the baby shower that coming weekend. And two days later, there I was back at it.

Tah-dah!  And, as a bonus, I won the "Guess the Price" game at the show. Frapuccinos for everyone!

Finished Dino Quilt Top

Finishing touches on the quilt top... Needs to be done next Saturday. Tick tick tick. 

One Down...

My poor sick babies. My poor unfinished quilt. I got the smaller one done. I guess we'll see how tonight goes. Fingers crossed I can get up early and make it happen. Giving up for now. 

I Might Actually Get These Done

Quilt for Baby M:

Doll quilt for the big sister:

Due date: this Saturday.  Exciting stuff. 

It Must Be Baseball Season

Go Nats!  During baseball season, I find myself home alone an evening or two each week.  Makes for some serious productivity.  I seem to be testing the limits of how many different projects one can work on simultaneously. I'm up to 5, for those of you keeping score.

Mmm... Cross Stitched Beer...

Progress made:

Quilt Top, Cat Paw, and a Pile of Rows

My evening's work. Kids in bed by 7 pm is like magic. 

Luckily, said kids are wicked cute:

Ready to Go!

Pretty little pieces, all lined up.

Also: I have a cute baby who looks cute when she wears cute clothes when she sleeps:

(Another) New Project

So many beginnings!  This is a quilt I'm starting for a baby girl due in July. I talked to the mom-to-be, very casually asked if she had a color scheme picked out yet. She said the walls of the nursery are safe green, with navy and pink highlights (very J. Crew).  But she also mentioned that she's been very excited about dinosaurs and I already had this Dino print fabric, so I'm adding it into the mix. Very excited. 

Inch by Inch

Every little bit counts:

New Project

New cross stitch project is underway. Custom pattern created for a friend who is getting married this fall. I have just under 6 months to complete it. Going to be tight. 

Now You've Got My Attention

Typing up a letter tonight from Mom to Dad.  Excerpt:

I got your letter with the story about the cow.  You've had your share of adventures!

Well, now, I think I'll be shifting over to Dad's letters for a bit to find out what's up with this cow business.  I'll keep you posted!

In other news, my childhood home is no longer ours.

I try not to be too emotional about these things because, let's face it, if I did I'd never be able to get out of bed in the morning.  Leading up to today I had very calmly told myself that "it's just an house" and that "it's the memories that matter."  And then at 9:00 this morning, my brother posted this photo online and I sat at my desk and cried.  

I've become quite an accomplished weeper in the office.  I used to hate to cry in public, but over the past few years I've been able to hone the craft.  Usually I need anywhere from 1-5 minutes to let tears flow, hyperventilate a little, and just.  be.  sad.  I have stopped retreating to the bathroom.  I decided, if someone walks in, whatever.  But anyway, no one ever has.

My parents bought this house in 1976 (or 1977.  It happened before I was born so it barely counts).  I'm too tired to do math right now, but my parents lived there for 30-something years.  Raised 3 kids in it.  Put an addition on.  Painted it 3 different colors.  Mowed the lawn.  Shoveled the driveway.  Sat on the deck.  Buried 3 cats in the backyard.  Thinking of what the time lapse of the life of us in this house would look like takes my breath away.  It was where everything happened.  Birthdays, Christmases, pictures before prom and the first days of school, games of Pictionary, football or basketball in the yard, movie nights, the cellar that flooded repeatedly.  People bringing their pants, skirts and jackets to be hemmed by my mom.  Guys from the band coming by to help Dad pack up for gigs.  The friends of my brothers that I had huge crushes on.

It's just a house.  But it was our house. So I took a moment this morning.  And I guess I'm taking another one now.  A moment to appreciate this house, to mourn its passing out of our family, to hope that the new owners will find as many happy memories and cherish this house as ours did.

The Art of Richard Thompson

The company I work for (when I'm not on maternity leave) released a new short film today, titled The Art of Richard Thompson

It's a profile of sorts of a local cartoonist - a guy thought of as the "cartoonist's cartoonist."  It seems like either you have no idea who he is or you loooove him and his work.  6 months ago I was the former, but now I belong in the latter group.  The guy is so smart it's scary.  He has changed the way I look at cartoons - not just strips but magazine illustrations, caricatures, all of it.  I always knew drawing is something that I cannot do (it has become abundantly clear when trying to color with the Rupper) but I completely took for granted how brilliant it can be.  Anyway, take a look if you've got a minute or two or twenty.  Maybe it can change your view as well.

Also, obvi, I sewed.  I'm on a serious roll here.  Here's what I did today:

Another quilt using my favorite pattern.  Looking good.  This is a pieces of candy quilt - the turtles and the frog/paisley fabrics come from my mom's stash.  They look real swell.

Also:

I finally finished the snow men quilt!  This is also straight out of pieces of candy.  It's sat idle for a while.  But now it's done and ready to have someone snuggle underneath it.  Yay!

Last Full Week of Maternity Leave

Sigh.  It's the last full week of my maternity leave.  Oh, what I wouldn't give to have another month to look forward to.  Not only because Baby E is becoming less larval everyday, but she's also settling into a delightful nap schedule which has allowed me to do all the laundry, dishes and tidying I need AND do things like sew and exercise.  Which makes my heart very happy.  But on the bright side, I did get a lot of things done around here that I'd hoped to.  Setting goals when dealing with a newborn is a dangerous thing.  The whole cliche thing of moms not being able to shower, brush their teeth, or feed themselves?  Totally and utterly true.  It's really amazing to go from a fully (mostly?) functional human being to a person who is just happy if she's got clean underwear on.

Anyway, on to today's sewing:

This is the 4th or 5th time I've used this pattern.  I keep going back to it because I love it.  You get lots of different fabrics, the rectangles aren't supposed to match up so you don't have to sweat lining corners up, basically it doesn't take a lot of brainpower and it's virtually impossible to screw it up.  Which is very important when every moment counts and the last thing I want to do is have to re-do something.

LOOK WHAT I DID TODAY

 

I SEWED.  I hoisted my sewing machine up on to the table, I threaded the needle, and I SEWED.  This is a moment almost three months in the making.  Even before Baby E was born (oh, right, I also gave birth.  Somehow that seems like less of a big deal.  Cuz, you know, that had to happen.  This was effort), I had to put away my sewing machine due to the kitchen construction taking over the rest of the house and my thoughts and energy.  But the kitchen is put back together at long last, Baby E is mercifully beginning to settle into a nap schedule so today was the day.  I SEWED.  Oh if only I didn't have to go back to work in 2 weeks.  Stupid mortgage and desired to buy food and things.

And speaking of the kitchen, there's this:

 

 Kitchen: done.  Ish.  Mostly.  Enough for me.  Please enjoy this fancy panoramic, complete with plastic bags strewn on the floor and boxes and milk crates shoved in the corner.  Martha Stewart, I am not.  But this is about as neat and tidy as this room is ever going to be.  I love it.  I love it love it.  Needs stools (oh and to pass inspection but that's another matter and it don't have anything to do with functionality of the space).  And new windows are on the way for the whole house.  Dude, I'm such a grown up.

And, just for cuteness, Baby E:

Complete with velour purple pants.  Girl clothes are every bit as fun as I thought they would be.

Nov. 28, 1969

As mentioned, it's been a busy month.  But as I sat here, while CavanaghSpawn2.0 slumbers peacefully in her bouncy chair, I thought - Hey why don't I type up one of Mom's letters?  And I'm so glad I did.  This one really tickled me.  I'm going to share the whole, because I think it's so wonderful.  In just a few paragraphs, she shows how she's so innocent - new discoveries about the postal system, cataloging wedding gifts - yet enduring so much as a 21 year old new wife worrying about her husband a million miles away.  And I love love love the postscript.  Side note, I have no idea who Mrs. Giarla, the Petersons, or the Cyrs are.

Nov. 28, 1969

Dear Dick,

    I found out that I don’t have to use air mail stamps.  I’m only paying postage from Salinas to San Francisco.  The rest of the way it goes military.  I may try the same experiment your mom did.

    I got found pieces of silver with the monty the Petersons gave us tonight - a serving fork, a table spoon, a gravy ladle, and sugar spoon.  It came to $81.  I’m sure you can’t get excited about it, but it is nice.

    We also got another wedding gift in the mail - a set of butter dish, salt and pepper shakers, and a bowl - of stainless.  It’s from the Cyrs.  Very nice.

    You know, I just can’t comprehend that you really are so far away.  I think it’s because of last year when you were at Benning and Ord.  I must still think of it in that way.  But Mrs. Giarla was right when she said it would be different.  I miss you more - physically - than I ever did before.  But then I feel that you are here with me - or within me.  I’ve mentioned that.  It’s like something bottled up inside me - sometimes I just want to yell…

    Goodnight my dear sweetie-pie.  Be safe.  I love you very much.

   

Love,

Candice

X

P.S. Why don’t you address my letters to Mrs. R.H.Ray?

Some old photos.

**Note - the photos below are from a while ago - like a month I think.  A lot has changed - kitchen and human being wise.  More on that later.

Another Kitchen Update and a Dinosaur

Due date rapidly approaching... kitchen taking shape... Not much commentary today.

Etsy request for a dinosaur pattern...

So Long, Old Friend

Today we said good-bye to the huge column in the middle of the new kitchen space.  Actual progress!  Still feels like the end is a very long ways away. but this is something at least.

Kitchen Continued

More kitchen fun.  But now we have a floor and a frame for a closet.  So that's not nothing.

 After much prodding, I have been assured that they "should" be able to finish up by September 14.  How that could possibly be possible, I have no idea.  But the term "cruising" was thrown out there, as in from this point on the crew will be "cruising."  I think just showing up everyday might be a nice start.  I'm hoping that in 3 weeks, this frustration will all be a distant memory and CavanaghSpawn2.0 will be coming home to a functional household. I just need to figure out who can give us a ride.

In other news, we took another trip to the farm.  The weather was rainy most of Saturday and on Sunday I woke up with some horrible allergies, but I did get a few pics of the Rupper and his BFF Louis.

Work it.