2015: A look back

2015

It has been a VERY BUSY and sometimes hectic year!

We FINALLY remodeled our kitchen!!! But the preparations & it’s completion took centerstage most of 2015.

I am quite proud of myself for a weekly update with pictures sharing all the ups and downs... forwards and backwards... successes and delays...

all leading to my dream kitchen!

(So if you really want to learn what it took to get us here... go back to "week one".)

I started exploring renovation options & obsessing way before January 2015… 

but that is when the real plan and prep went in to effect… 

So all I can really write to describe the year early on is...

I spent most of it 

dreaming, 

shopping,

planning, 

packing, 

& prepping.

Eventually, the kitchen was hallowed out 

and the actual remodel was readied.

(March, 2015)

At about the same time we broke ground on our solar project!

after land prep, the solar panels were placed and ready to create their power

Our big February treat- 

We enjoyed a performance by Ringo & his All-Starr band! 

Unreal… a Beatle here in Tyler!

"I get by with a little help from my friends"

I also participated in the 2nd QuiltCon modern quilting convention in Austin 

QuiltCon show floor between workshops

March in East Texas always means quilt show. 

I entered 4 quilts this year!

April 17th we celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary here in Tyler with a performance by Penn & Teller.

After the show, 

we discovered Teller talks more than any guest 

Tyler ever hosted after 2 hours of stage show silence!

As the renovations continued… 

graduation preparations dominated! 

It was a big year for our kids!

May 7-8th ,we celebrated our son Mason’s graduation from The Berklee College of Music in Boston. My parents were able to fly in to share the weekend making it even more special!

Batchelor of Performing Arts 

in Movie Film Scoring and Music Business 

from The Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass

We flew in from Texas & my folks flew in from Florida!

June continues to be dominated by kitchen renovations...

July 9th we snuck out of town again to head to Notre Dame for our daughter Deandra’s graduation weekend. She waited until we got their to announce her valedictorian surprise… as she received her masters in education.

Masters of High School Education 

from Notre Dame University in Indiana

Later that month we participated in am East Coast cross country drive with the Lambo GIRO…  

August to September were focused on Dining Room remodel

& further tweeting of Scott's garage- recycling old kitchen cabinetry...

& I was able to make a queen sized quilt for Mason's first apartment.

He would message me upon arrival with a pic of quilts back that he love it... 

when I told him that was the back and he FINALLY looked at this side... 

he like it even more!

October, I spent time preparing & attended the 2015 International Quilt Show in Houston!

A workshop I took entitled Jumpstart your creativity with Sue Olson

(currently in mu UFO pile :(  )

November. started out with his “race car” fantasy lambo “camp”...

& concluded withThanksgiving- our first family event cooked in our new kitchen

I LOVE OUR KITCHEN: A DREAM COME TRUE!

Another 2015 achievement: the successful creation (after a bit over a year) to form:

The Tyler Modern Quilt Guild! 

The members available to join in at 

our first formal meeting as The Tyler Modern Quilt Guild

First weekend in December…we finally snuck away for a 75th Birthday Celebration Cruise for my Dad. 

We brought 3 Generations together for an unforgettable celebration. 

3 generations celebrate Marty's 75th birthday 

aboard the Carnival Sensation December 3-6,  2015

(I was really sad my daughter could not join in the fun… but school commitments left it impossible).

And now it is years end…

What lies ahead? 

Hopefully further renovation…

good times with family and friends… 

health…

happiness… 

and laughter.

Happy New Year to All!

If I had to pick the 2 pictures that most "represented 2015 for me... it would have to be these:

"Za Bin"... It represented: sort... pack... and TOSS ...

parking in front driveway... early workers- staying late...

no kitchen meant bathroom & laundry room "kitchenette" 

and eating out all meals for months on end

&

eventually

Appliance heaven!

The Holiday Cookie Exchange

I am blogging a few days early this week because Friday is Christmas. Nearly all my creativity this week has gone to baking & wrapping.

(And tormenting my manicurist for a holiday design for my husbands office party & other events of the season)

my pointers both have Santa hats painted on 

embellished with a rhinestone pompom

The holidays are always surrounded by chaos.

But I do my best to plan ahead...

and then forgive myself when there is still so much to do I go nuts anyways!

Last night I hosted my annual Christmas cookie swap. 

I have been hosting the moms from the school my kids attended for several years. 

The gingerbread house LL bean made for me

Did you actually think I could have done that???

I baked 3 different kinds of cookies this year in my new ovens & loved the convenience of multiple trays in place at once!

(I have come a very long way since my one cookie at a time easy bake oven!)

I cooked 4 dozen of each type of cookie at the same time!

I met "the Mommas" through varied parenting groups at school. We were the boosters, the chairman of the prom, the chaperones on the orchestra tour, of the academic meets... etc.

Our kids have long since graduated from HS & their varied colleges. 

Several already married, 

most living far away... 

a few in the military... even further away.

It is that one evening we always still get together & give ourselves time to visit with old friends to play catchup.

We each bring a few dozen "somethings" to swap...

and everyone goes home with a tray or 2 of a mixed tray to share with their family.

I picked up trays at the dollar store & we go around the table and create our take-home platter!

One non baker decided to bring bottles of wine this year as her contribution. 

In spite of contributions by all our wonderful bakers, we all agreed... WIN!!!

BUT it's not really about the cookies.

This year I decided to run out at the last minute and pick up "fun gifts" for a white elephant surprise swap adding to the fun.

Most popular, this Hollywood Fact or Crap Game was stollen repeatedly!

A Ninja Gingerbread Cookie Kit & Gumby!

R2D2 Q-tips were the other item swapped and fought over most!

This time of year-

So much rushing... planning... stressing... it's to be expected.

The parties... the gifting... the traffic... the frenzy

Thank you old friends... for an evening off.

We were missing a few friends- unable to join us this year.

But, those of us who made it- shared a wonderful evening of 

frienship, love, & laughter.

Merry Christmas to Ya'll!!!

...and the Christmas countdown continues

Chanukah has come & gone.

It has been a crazy busy week readying for the rest of the holidays. 

Both of my kids returned home this weekend.
MY HOME ... they both seem to feel the need to remind me- their home is where they live NOW!

I spent most of the week preparing... 
     cleaning & cooking...
     planning & prepping...
     shopping & wrapping...


AND-

The members of my modern quilt group held its very first Christmas potluck & gift exchange as:

The Tyler Modern Quilt Guild!!!

Members of the Tyler Modern Quilt Guild

Tyler, Texas

(oh yeah, and STAR WARS finally opened & ShAmy did it!)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

A Quilt for Kira

I am relieved to say I completed the baby quilt I had been working on these past 2 weeks for a distant relative.

Somehow, I popped it in to the mail yesterday!
I found it so hard to create a quilt with the color choices of someone else when I really do not like the way they work together. I hope she will be happy with it.

Improvised "pick-up sticks" blocks joined and hung on my design wall

Mom's color choices:

Mint

yellow

gray

basted and ready for quilting

Quilted with my walking foot, on my Babylock 

& ready to have the edges squared off...

Ready for binding...

close-up

(I decided on white for binding & created pieced 2 1/2" strips.)

Binding sewn in place... to rear of quilt- ready to be 

wrapped around to front for final machine attachment

And finished... 

label ready to be sewn in place...

Before shipping, I washed the quilt twice in the same dreft I had used to prewash the fabrics and batting before I began the project.

I hope Mom will get her package next week and know it was quilted with love...

Welcome to the world Kira!!!

December 20, 2015:

Mom sent us this pic today!

Quilting & Crafting for Christmas!

It's time to decorate for the Holidays! 
I love the opportunities they share with us for creativity.
I look forward to on-line sharing & visiting the homes of friends.

Below is a table runner created with both machine embroidery & quilt as you go:

Table runner on my design wall

I am so pleased with it's completion, I actually brought it to my quilt guild for show and tell!

Displayed at show & tell while I babble at mike to describe my quilt

Here are some block close-ups:

 And here it is on my kitchen table:

Next up was garland! 

I decided to create my own from ribbons! I collected ribbons of every width, colors, pattern...

I used a clothes line as a "center" and tied the ribbons to it & just kept building up the length & texture...

What I created was a Looooong feather boa & I love it!

And here it is displayed & spreading colorful cheer around my fireplace!

I needed a "gift" swap project & had lot's of thinner ribbons left. 

I decided to create a small wall hanging with them and added some further embellishment with buttons.

My tree,

 shaped from ribbons glued down to a purchased placemat.

Atop, I also added ribbons to make it hangable.

Time for a Christmas tree skirt! 

I used the same fabrics from the table runner & created a colorful dresden plate pattern...

finished skirt on my design wall

And then I added a crown!

I used a crafters metal ring, (purchased in floral section of Michaels) & tied long strands of ribbon around it to let it flow over the tree.

Tree fully decorated:

Skirt, Ornaments, & Crown

Perhaps I will create some further decorations... 

but time is tight, so I think this will likely be it this year... 

Happy Holidays!