WIP: Finish line!

As always, I make plans and God laughs.

Actually, I don't think he even knows I exist...small potatoes over here...but I sure make Mr. Boss laugh at my "to do" list!

What messed up the plans?  A quilt.  Actually, TWO.  So I really shouldn't complain!

Baby Boy Quilts

Two little boys took center stage on Friday.  To read about them, you are welcome to go Monday's post and find out about their stories.  Very special baby boys!!

Baby William's Elephant Quilt

I was able to fix the cut corner (also in Monday's post).  I think I successfully added a rope embroidery stitch from the elephant's trunk to the heart.  I also removed the button eye. It started to bother me that I might have made a possible choking hazard.  I am still on the fence about it's replacement!

 

And...it made it on Ole Betsy (my long arm machine) yesterday!

 Now to trim the edges and get to work on the binding!  

The biggest challenge?  I dived right in and used soft and cuddly fabric as the backing and everything I read said it would be a challenge...and it was!  Stretchy, stretchy, stretchy.  And my thread would occasionally get caught.

But I followed advice I found on some other blogs that said to just make sure you have a lot of excess fabric.  I am glad I went for it, though, it will be so soft on his skin!

Baby Connor's Giraffe and Hippo Quilt

I finished blanket stitching his name and embroidered eyes that I am really thinking would look good on the elephant now!

*Tutorial for the eyes HERE*


I was too tired to do the binding of William's quilt last night, so I loaded Connor's up on the machine and it is ready to go if I find some time today or tomorrow!

Christmas Quilt

ON HOLD for at least a week.  After I finish the babies' quilts, I am going to pack up for my scrapbook retreat!!!

Organization

Last week I said that I wanted to get three things done...and I did.  I tore out my favorite photos/inspirations and the rest of the catalogs and magazines in the trash.  My photos for the retreat are printed and sorted, and the DVDs are all organized.  I shared it HERE and there is also a really cool link to a right/left brain creativity test that a lot of quilters/sewers in my online sewing group that just loved to take it!

I am not going to pretend I will get much done this following week, so I won't make goals.  I am always too tired to get to business when I return from my three day scrapbook retreats.  And I really don't feel like having my husband NOR God laugh at me again!

I can't believe the retreat is already this weekend. 

WOOHOO!!!!

(and hoping I can get the ladies to let me take some photos of our retreat place and some of the amazing work they do!)

LINKING UP WITH LEE AT FRESHLY PIECED AGAIN!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!!

My left brain won...

The ongoing battle of the left and right brain was vicious, but the left side won this week.   After my post Wednesday, I became curious about which brain I actually use...so I Google'd and found a test you can take HERE!

Funny thing, I always thought I used both and knew that the Right won on some occasions and my Left won on other occasions.  Guess what?  I was right!! 

Looking for some fun? Go and check it out!!!  And I love that image above, don't you?  Makes me want to do a project for my studio...a quilt?

So now...how did my left brain win?  Organization.  No sewing was completed whatsoever since Wednesday.  I am hoping the left side is quite satisfied for a bit, so that this weekend is more successful!

Scrapbooking? 

I was able to sort through all my digital files,  organize them into simple albums to upload to Walgreens and picked them up!

295! 

If you are in need of a good deal, they have a great coupon code HERE...60% off!

DVD Movies

Mission accomplished! Mr. Boss is a happy camper, once again.  The drawer that was overflowing the spare drawer we have in the Family room is empty!  The three bins I have for "new" movies had enough equal to about FOUR bins.   Loose discs galore.  Movies in the wrong slots in the already organized binders. I think I counted 30, and I know that is low because I put about 25 away about a month ago! 

 How do I organize it?  Take a deep breathe.  Gather it all up on one place...preferably a nice big table!


~ORGANIZE~
 Get your trash can ready!  Put all the loose discs that have a place, where they belong.  Then I sort.  Sort by Cartoons, School Musicals/Home Videos, and then all the rest.   If a movie has people and characters, like Alvin and the Chipmunk, I do not categorize them as Cartoons.

You will find things like this:

Grrrrrrr.....


~Organizing systems~
Purchase an organization system.  I like the three binder collections I find at Target.  But I found THESE which I really like too!

I know that you can use CD binders which are larger and hold more discs, but I love these because the insides have room for two discs and then on the opposite side a place to put the movie cover.
 The covers make finding movies that I am searching for much easier.  I am a visual person, so looking at some of the discs with the teeny tiny label just don't cut it for me!  If you can handle it, then I suggest the CD binders!  I have those for all our CDs and actually keep the covers for those in the adjacent pocket!

~Alphabetize~
 I put the cartoons and home movies to the side.  
And then put the movies in alphabetical order.  I know this doesn't look bad...remember I did it the first time about 6 years ago.  It took forever (I think I had over 100 to do at that time).  I do this about every two years..

I start adding my new movies behind the letter I am working on.  So African Cats and Australia were added right before the Bs.  I am not going to fib...I take out the C's to make room for them.  And then move the C's I took out and add any C movies behind the current Cs.  I continue this until I am through all the way to the Zs.  And, yes, I have a Z movie...Zathura!

It is a bit tedious, but, like I said, I only do it every other year.  We don't buy that many movies anymore!  The first time is the EASIEST because you just pluck them in!  I, DO NOT, alphabetize within each letter.  My right brain starts getting the shakes at that point.


~Place~

And when I say pluck, all I do is pop the discs, place them in their slots, slide out the "label", trim the front cover off, and slide it in the empty pocket!

Some movies come with two discs...and lately, I have found three.  I will confess...if there are three, I will double up two of them in one slot (shhhhhh!).
For the movies that only have two discs, I try to share a slot.

I leave the one in it's state and then fold the second one, and slide to the bottom.  
I also try to keep the sequels together, and again, if only one disc each, I fold the sequel cover.

And occasionally...we have a problem...no cover.  How this happens, I will never know.  But I just slip a post-it there. 

I try to find an image online to place in there later.  But not while I am sorting...NO distractions!

After the "regular" movies.  I add the Cartoon movies to their perspective binders.  Same way as above!

Then my "sets" or special collections go in the empty bins that I store new movies in (two empty ones now..woohoo!!!) and the home movies go in their own box (an old scrapbook box to be exact!)

And how long did this take me?  About 3 hours from start to finish.  There were 3 phone calls, one baby playing with that pile of plastic and needing attention, lunch, a bottle, and two diaper changes.


So not too bad!  


That is worth a few hours of quilting in my Studio over the weekend in my book, since Mr. Boss is so happy, don't you think?

WIP: Not all sewing!

I have started feeling like one of "those" bloggers.  At least 3 posts a week?  So I apologize to those that are like "Give it a rest, Heidi!"  My excuse?  I have too many things I need to get out of my head!!  It physically throbs and aches if I don't get it out.  

And I just adore Lee's  WIP Wednesdays!   It feels like it is my very own personal assistant letting me know what tasks I have left to do!  I am actually adding my "to do"s this week so I can have a visual reminder of what is on my agenda.

So just consider this blog and especially this post for my personal health, okay?

Quilting Projects

Christmas Quilt!  

If you recall HERE, I saw a tutorial about a week before Christmas.  I took the dare. I mean, seriously, someone TRIPLE dog dared me!!  Of course, reality set in that it would be quite rude to hide away in my Studio when my in-laws arrived for the holiday, so I started working on it right after the New Year!  I have successfully cut 95% (I have the appliques still to do) and pieced almost all of it. I just have one more step..sewing my pieced "snow and sky" to the squares below!

Three baby quilts 

One baby is already here, one is on it's way in March, and the third? It was supposed to be for Ana White's "Make Two".  I haven't really started on all three other than fabric choices. So sad, right?

Thank you quilt

When Baby Button arrived, I had to take maternity leave from my most favorite job as the school nurse.  One of the mom's at our school that is also an RN, was willing to substitute.  Right before his birth, I decided that I was not going to return after my maternity leave for the sanity of our family.  She agreed to finish out the full 4 months left.  Sweet, right?  I found this kit on clearance (even cheaper than the price tag mark) when my Joann's was moving to their new location.  I hope she likes it even though he is turning one next month!

Needlepoint Projects

I bought Button's Christmas Stocking Crosstitch Kit last month, but I need to finish at least one of the two following projects first. I don't like to have more than two going at a time!

Elsa Williams Vintage Cherries

  

I love small needlepoint projects for "on the go" or what I more commonly call my "Bus Driver" projects.  You know, the times you are sitting and waiting for your vehicle to be loaded up at carpool or waiting for the tennis lesson, baseball practice, or saxophone lesson to finish?  This one is great, but I started it sometime last year and have made no progress other than the portion you see.  MUST GET IT DONE!

Butterfly Throw

I bought this kit YEARS ago and it collected dust in my needlepoint basket.  When I was pregnant with Button, I was organizing my needlepoint/crosstitching stash and noticed that it was flowers and butterflies.  Of course, since Jamie Lynn is our "Butterfly", I just had to start it right there and then!  It was perfect for hanging out in my Master Room chair watching Tinkerbell with Bunny (shh...don't tell anyone that he likes Tinkerbell....we watch it because we like to think Jamie would love it ;)!)  I have it set up in the room, I cheekily call the "Library".  Really it is a formal living room and study combined.  I like to call it the Library and even put the family computer in there so that it is more welcoming to the boys than a "pretty room"!

ORGANIZATION

I cannot function if my house is not organized.  My left brain forces me...even though my right brain fights like the dickens!  My left brain reminds me that our house is happy and whole if everything has a place.  I have quite a few areas on my to do list, but I am only going to focus on these three this week...I don't want to push myself (tee hee!)

DVD Movies

It is time to get all of our new movies organized and the stack of movies my sons cannot manage to put back in their binders.  In order to make it happen, I stuck it all in my Studio.  My right brain will prod me to get it done faster I can get to work on all the other FUN things above.  Good strategy, no?

Scrapbooking

I am off on another retreat in about a week and a half.  I have part of my scrapbooking items organized.

 I want to start sorting my power layouts and getting all of my photos printed by the end of this week.  Usually I am picking them up at Walgreen's on my way to the retreat (oops).

Magazines/Catalogs

Look at this collection.  All from the end of November through December!  I like to cut out ideas and inspiration for my idea binder.  

I think Button is willing to help me.  However, if it just gets too overwhelming...it is getting TOSSED!

Now I just hope I get some of it done.  I don't want to be embarrassed next week!   Usually, however, when I go to WIP Wednesday.

I always get inspired to get going!!!