Quilting Cat and Erin Condren...it's a good day

Hello.

How is your day going so far?

Dear Watson and I have been piecing our first Irish Chain using this book I've had for awhile: Time for a Chain: The Irish Chain Updated.  We're using purple and brown scraps.  It's sooooooooo pretty.  I need to sew the rows together and we're done. It's a smaller lap quilt I'm going to give to a friend who just lost her sister.  She needs some comfort.

Dear Watson wants you to see what a good helper he is.  He is an excellent block layer outer.

OH MY GOSH....

And this is happening.....  

Tomorrow maybe???

Please, please, please let tomorrow be the day I get my Erin Condren Planner.  She's having a sale on planners and labels, 40% off, so I decided to splurge and get me one.  I never spend money on myself and it actually felt good, to do something nice for ME, for a change.  Do you feel uncomfortable when you spend money on yourself.  I need to get over that!!  LOL  

Tim has been telling me for years to write stuff down.  I always tell him, "I did!  I wrote it down in my head".  LOL

She's also having a sale on notebooks and labels.  Go check out the site.  It's all so pretty, inspiring and motivating. 

If you are interested in Erin Condren products, please use  Sweet Woodruffs as a Referral.  We'll both get $10.00 towards product.  Go us!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  :)  

Choose Joy!  

See you tomorrow, Lord willing and the creek don't rise.  

Decorating My Mom's room

Over on my Facebook ("Like" and holla), my friends are trying to help me choose bedding for my mother.  She'll be moved here with us by March 17th.  I'm leaving for DFW on March 3rd to help her wrap up all the final chapters of her life in Dallas, Texas.  Good riddance, I say, but the grieving process is powerfully painful for her.  

I have my heart set on this one I found at Pottery Barn.  I know my mother would probably like it, but it could be too bold for her.  Then again, she's 66 and I think she needs to do some bold things and have some bold designs around her.  Besides, it's goooooorgeous!!!  Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. (say that 3 times fast).  I think it's unusual, but still gloriously sweet, charming and classy (dare I say "fun"??).  Wouldn't you wake up happy every day covered with this throughout the night?  (Or would you wake up feeling like a bird pooped all over you.  LOL).

To me this speaks "FRESH", "JOY", "HAPPINESS", "BLISS" and I want her to have all this in her new life.

Next: 

Greenland Home Butterflies Bonus Quilt Set, Full/Queen.   This is the one I have a feeling she would prefer.   And it's also the one which has received the most votes.  Her favorite color is coral and she loves nature.  She loves birds, gardening, plants, & butterflies.  Flora and Fauna. This is her taste exactly and I don't dislike it.  I think it's very, very pretty.  I could totally see her in this and I know she would be happy with it.  I just wonder if it's the change I hope for her.  But maybe she doesn't need any more change.  Maybe I should just go with what would make her happy.  Hmmmmmm.....

I am a very indecisive person.  I could go back and forth over this for months.  Right now, I'm sick of thinking about things.  I just want a decision made and let's roll with it.  Let's go.  Move on.  On to the next life altering decision.

My mom is a big bird watcher and nature lover as I mentioned.  I cleaned her window today (see below) and I hope to attach a bird feeder to it.  Or maybe one of these bird nest boxes.  I've always wanted to try this and see how it went.  Do you have experience with these?  Share, if you do.

Coveside Window Nest Box.  

Such a sweet, interesting idea.  We have nesting birds all over our house usually in May and June.  

Aspects Window Cafe Hopper. For this, I can't wait.  I have only been wanting these for years now.  I hope they really work. I think one in her window where she can wake up to the happy birds every day will be nice.  The birds are VERY active in the backyard early in the morning.  Also, her room is on the second floor, and I am certain the cat won't get up there and eat the birds.  :(

Speaking of birds, I don't own a Birds Of Florida Field Guide, so I'm going to get one for her and set it on her bed. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida seems like an all purpose must.  Why have I not bought one yet? And I'm going to get A Pocket Guide for her purse, because she'll love it. My mom is a big nerd. She'll eat this stuff up.  I know she will enjoy getting to know our birds here, although I still think Texas birds sing prettier.  But that's just me.

I've wanted to get some windchimes for a long time too.  My mom and Mozart have the same birthday, January 27th.  Did you know they even make things like this??? Mozart Windchimes  Are you serious?  I'm anxious to hear it.  This is happening:

Woodstock Chimes of Mozart - Medium

My idea is to give her a sanctuary, where she can walk into this bedroom and collapse with relief.  Then after she is well rested, she can begin her Florida / Bird Watching retirement.  :)  I hope she feels surprised and blessed.  It does seem like I am shopping for myself, LOL, but I know what she likes and we tend to like the some of the same things, in general.

Moving on...

This is the space I'm working with.  I hope you can see my vision for what I'm trying to accomplish:

This will be her view.  This is a north facing window.  I love this room because it doesn't allow the hot Florida sun during the summer, and since we don't have cold winters, this room never gets too chilly.  Perfect.  She'll have this back yard all pretty with butterfly attracting plants by next year.  My sad little patch of garden out there should already be planted.  I can't wait to get going when we return.  

Oh my goodness, did I forget to show you?  I found these at Webster Flea Market here in Florida for basically nothing!!!  SCORE.  Holy cow, I love them!!  I love "bluebird" anything.  My mom will adore them.  

***Thrifting Tip:  When you find a SET of lamps you like, or love....buy them.  Finding a set of lamps is rare.  Grab them.  You can always repaint them.  

My sad little backyard.  I bet those of you who are still covered with snow up north think this yard is beautiful.  Look!  Green grass!!!  

On the other side of those trees are pastures and citrus groves for 15 miles all the way to Dade City, FL. You should be at our house when the orange trees are blooming.  It's like heaven when the breeze is blowing the purfume across our yard.   

Lots of nature out here.

Well.  Here is the blank slate bedroom.  We are going to paint it cream with a teeny tiny bit of rose in it.  Basically a bisque I guess with more pink than yellow.  Clear as mud?  LOL  I'll show you when it's up.  That dresser was found on the street.  We are going to fix it up.  It's in great condition.  We won't keep the iron bed.  I'll probably stick in the garden, or maybe I'll sell it.  Ugh.  Just one more thing to figure out.  

This bedroom is probably 13 x 13, maybe bigger.  She'll have this and she'll also have a sitting room, which is our library.  I'm giving her the book room for her TV and computer area.  She'll have her own bathroom too.  It's all coming together.  It's actually very overwhelming and hasn't been pleasant.  Breaking up her home, saying good bye to her other children and grandchildren has been more than she can bear.  

I think it's been painful for everyone.  *sigh*  

Well.  Onward.  

I hope good things for my mom and my family.  

How have you dealt with aging parents?  Do you have words of wisdom for me?  I would enjoy your feedback and I am interested in dialogue on this subject.  

Let me hear from you!  

You can find me here as well:

My Facebook Minions

Where I Tweet Nerd stuff, but mostly useless stuff.

Instagram ~ Where I share way too many dog photos no one cares about

OH.

And one more thing.  

The Amazon links in this post are affiliate links.  

Just so you know. :)

Thank you very, very, very much for your support.  

I'm always grateful.

Blessings and Favor.

Choose Joy.  

Olivia is super stoked to have a new person in the house to dote on her and scratch her belly.  

Charlie cares too.  

#notreally

Sharing with 

The Dedicated House ~ Anything Blue Friday

A Delightsome Life ~ Home and Garden Thursday

Jann Olson ~ Share Your Cup Thursday

Fabulous Friday Fabric Fun

Where did everyone go?  Oh.  Wait.  It's me who is MIA.

Did I tell you my mother in moving in with us?  We are busy getting 3 rooms upstairs ready for her. Whew!  I'm exhausted.  She'll have a bedroom, a sitting room and a bathroom all to herself up there.  I will share pictures of the finished rooms soon.  I'm going to Texas on March 3rd to get her.

Here is some fabric I found at the thrift store.  Actually these are 2 pillowcases, I found for .99 cents each.   There are about 2 yards of fabric here.  Wow!  I win!  Can't wait to cut it up and put it in a scrappy "I Spy" for a little girl.

Did I mention I'm exhausted?  I need a vacation.  My husband is working 14 to 16 hours a day and he has promised when this project is complete, we get to go some where and be quiet for awhile.  :)

Ahhhh.....peace....such a glorious idea.

But taking lots of quilting breaks to keep my head clear and relaxed.  :) One of my favorite things this year so far has been my Judy Hopkins calendar: 365 Quilt-Block Patterns Perpetual Calendar: The Best of Judy Hopkins.

I've had quilt calendars before, but this one has been fun and challenging both.  I've needed a refresher course in accuracy and these blocks are forcing me to be very careful.  I also tend to be lazy with patterns I choose.  These blocks are forcing me out of my square and rectangle comfort zone and I'm having to do lots of tiny triangles.  It's been nice practice and a much needed distraction for me.

This is my least favorite one so far.  LOL  Kansas Troubles was A LOT of trouble!!!  But that's good.  I know where I went wrong and will try something different next time.  I'll show you more soon.  :)

Do you have a block a day calendar?  Are you doing any kind of block a day or quilt alongs?  What are you working on right now?

Be blessed and be a blessing.  xoxox