Happy Turkey Day!

This video makes me sad for the turkey, but it made me laugh anyway.  I hope you have lots to be thankful for this year!

A Month of Thanksgiving: Days 23 and 24

23.  I am thankful that I was able to go to the crazy over-crowded grocery store unaccompanied by my lovely children.  Something about the combination of my kiddos and the shopping makes me want to grind my teeth.  You know, more than I already do.

24.  Today I am thankful yet again for my girlfriends.  They came over today to help me tame the squalor that is my house.  We got distracted by chit-chat, so no actual squalor-taming was accomplished, but I was super glad they came anyway.

Mid-quilt Squee!

After moving the sewing machine into the (boxes-from-Daddy's-house-filled) game/craft area, I continue to wrangle the quilt through my tiny sewing machine. 

Perhaps this should be a new Olympic sport.  Amish women the world over could compete in Quilt Wrestling!  There could be different divisions!  Hand quilting!  Machine Quilting!  Hand Tying!  Oh, the excitement!  Or maybe not.

Anyhoo, I love, love, lovity LOVE how the quilt is coming together.  It's not done yet, but I had to share a little mid-quilt photo because I'm so stinkin' excited!

A Month of Thanksgiving: Day 21 and 22

21.  I am thankful that I got to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with my aunt, cousins, and their children.  I love having family close!  Also?  I am thankful Cousin N liked my Cranberry Salad enough to keep the leftovers.  I am making it again for Thursday, and there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.  Unless that thing is pie.  Which is a whole other story!

22.  I am thankful my friend and her kids joined us for a play date at McD's.  Her daughter is Z's best friend, and her son is just Q's age.  And?  She is delightful!  Also, I am thankful for the two new moms who came to the play date for the first time.  Meet Up just keeps working its magic!

Trick My Comforter

I (finally) finished the topper for Z's souped-up comforter set.  I could have a TV show like that car show where they take the plain car and make it crazy cool, but for inexpensive bedding!  Trick My Comforter!

The next step, actually quilting the topper onto the comforter, was at hand.  I have never quilted anything in my life.  I just jumped in like I usually do, assuming I could do it.  After a quick consult with Google, I was off and sewing.    How hard could it be, right?

Really hard, as it turns out.

The first seam was easy-peasy: just a straight seam across the top.  No problem.  Then I ventured into quilting territory.  I had no idea quilting was a full contact sport!  I actually worked up a sweat wrestling the comforter through my machine to attach the center panel!  My machine is on a desk next to a wall.  Trying to get a full sized comforter through the tiny inside area of my machine and then running into the wall?  Insane.  Clearly, I didn't think this plan all the way through!

In true Scarlett O'Hara fashion, I decided to think about it later.  Instead, I finished pin basting the layers together (safety-pinning the layers together).  See how I used that quilting term like I know what I am doing?  Thanks Google University!  Then I pinned the edges down and figured out how to work the corners.  I had hoped to do mitered corners, but my imprecise sewing made that impossible.  It took a couple of hours (as measured by Tivo'd programs), but I finally got everything to lay flat and look nice.

Today's plan?  Sew the straight seams then take another run at the interior quilting.  I'm sweating just thinking about it!  I think I will move my machine to a table with more space around it.    Pictures soon!

A Month of Thanksgiving: Days 18 - 20

18.  I am thankful for my Thursday lunch date with my girlies.  Especially since I am kid-less with Q in Mom's Day Out!  I am also thankful for Z's dance school.  Great instruction and age-appropriate choreography.  Yay!  Can't wait for the Christmas mini-recital next month!

19.  I am thankful for TheraFlu.  It's a miracle in a mug.

20.  I am thankful for the lovely fall weather that allowed me to send the kids outside to play this morning.  It let me rest my plague-ridden body on the couch while they burned off energy beyond my range of hearing.  Yay for free-range children!

A Month of Thanksgiving: Days 15 - 17

15.  Monday I was thankful for a play date with my friends.  Gotta love getting Q all tired out while having some adult conversation!  The Big Mac didn't hurt, either.  (Did I mention that since I got back from my dad's my resist-er is broken?)

16.  Yesterday I was thankful for being a stay at home mom.  I got to chaperon Z's kindegarten field trip.  We had big fun in the corn maze and on the hay ride.  Getting squirted with fresh milk - straight from the cow! - was an unexpected bonus.  The whole day was a welcome reminder that leaving the classroom was a good move on my part.  I need to save my patience for children who share my DNA.  Finally, I am thankful that my friend Jules could pick Q up from school with only last minute notice.  Such a good friend!

17.  Today I am thankful for a quiet day at home so I can work on getting my house presentable for Thanksgiving!  Unfortunately, I am feeling drawn to projects upstairs instead of the more pressing downstairs ones.  Oh well, they have got to get done some time, right?