Friday night procrastination ........

So here I sit on a VERY cold Friday night .......staring at my work laptop ...... with plenty of work to keep me busy ...... as per usual, after about 10 minutes, my concentration / attention span is gone (I swear I have the attention span of a squirrel ..... ugh ! ).  Instead of getting that pile of work done/ or even started, I doodled /scribbled that picture up there...... 

.....then I colored some of it in .....

  Then I doodled out this maybe someday quilt ......

 ........ then I clawed my way through my crap stash for the perfect fabrics for this (one of these years when I finally get around to it) quilt/table runner/thing ........ I'm really excited about this little design .....(at least the way I'm picturing it in my head anyway) ......and want to start it RIGHT now !!! Instant gratification is my game!  However, my guilt has taken over since I have many, many, many projects already started ...... and then , of course, there's that pile of laptop work that started this whole scenario tonight ......

Now my brain hurts ...... maybe I'll just go to bed and think about all of this tomorrow !

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Sweetwater "Noteworthy" = I am unworthy ! .... (but I'll TAKE IT !!! )

So, in my world of being unable to keep up with the rest of the human race (and it's getting worse all the time !) , I had the happy accident of completely forgetting that I left a comment on this Sweetwater blog post
  back in September to try and win a box of their "Noteworthy" fabric scraps. So, 2 months went by as I got distracted by life/work and didn't remember that they would be announcing a winner on Sept 30th. On Nov 28th I happened to be NOT doing what I was supposed to be doing on my work laptop, and goofing off doing some long overdue blog reading when I happened to see my name mentioned on Sweetwater's Sept 30th blog post that I was THE WINNER of the "Noteworthy" scraps !!!!! WHAT ?!?!?!? NO WAY !!! So, I immediately emailed those sweet gals at Sweetwater and apologized for my 2 month long overdue response to their give away and said I understood if they no longer had the scraps. They responded right away and said no problem AND .......

 sent me this box ....

  STUFFED to the brim with....

 their WONDERFUL "Noteworthy" scraps !!!!   (SWOON !!!)

      YUMMY !!!  So fresh and airy !!!

Don't they look pretty just sitting in a basket !!! I think I'll look through my "Sunday Morning Quilts" book for quilt ideas for these scrumptious fabric scraps!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

The "Quick Emergency In a Pinch Quilt Hanger Uppers"

Ok .... so I know Christmas if over and it's now time to take down the Christmas decorations (and get ready for Valentine's Day already ........ but, before I do, I wanted to show you all my "

 "Quick Emergency In a Pinch Quilt Hanger Uppers"  that I devised "in a pinch" at the last minute (because as usual, I was disorganized, stressed, and didn't have alot of time for Christmas decorating).  Anyway, I wanted to hang up my "Holly Jolly" quilt/wall hanging that just came home from it's lovely little vacation at McCall's Quilt magazine, but , because, as usual, I got it finished just under the wire , and mailed to McCall's without having time to add a hanging sleeve (and/or I was going to use it as a table runner ..... but after thinking that through more thoroughly, hanging it up high away from the sloppy eaters was a safer plan.) 

So,  this is what I came up with ...... a quick trip to Walmart's laundry/ ironing board/clothes hanger dept  and I found a package of

 these handy dandy "Universal Grip Clips" !!!  They pinch open like clothes pins and have opening/ loops at the top where you can thread some pretty ribbon through .  Then just tie a pretty bow around a curtain rod or whatever and Ta Daaaaaaaa !  your quilt is hanging up for all to see (but not close enough to slobber on !)

 

Be back soon (with more handy dandy tips )

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

 

 

 

2013 ~~ here we go !!!!

Got the pork and sauerkraut in the crock pot  and .....

 my new cheerful Susan Branch calendar......

  hung up on the kitchen wall .....   just a couple of my New Year's Day rituals (along with watching The Tournament of Roses Parade).

 

So, guess I'm as ready as I'm gonna be for 2013 !!!  (now just have to get used to writing 2013 instead of 2012 ! )

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Happy New Year's Eve !!!

Getting all dolled up and going out to ring in the New Year tonight?  Or (like me) putting on your sweat pants and watching a fun old movie on TV  ?   However and where ever you greet the New Year,  have fun and ENJOY !!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

The Skating Season

Hope everybody had a nice Christmas and  has some down time now to relax and do something fun like ice skating !  I love ice skating, but really stink at it ...... I have that wobbly left ankle like Lucy does in this picture.  Anyway, unfortunately still no time here for any extra curricular activities like ice skating OR sewing/ quilting (RATS!!!!) .......blaming it on the day job (again - ugh !!!!)  .     MAYBE ......just MAYBE the new year will bring a better job situation ?

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Merry Merry Christmas Eve !!!!!

Well, unless the elves show up with something bigger and already decorated, this little Charlie Brown tree is our Christmas tree this year .... everybody here was just too busy with either work or school (college finals) to spare two minutes to go get a regulation size Christmas tree ..... but this little one turned out to be pretty cute and we're good with that !

Now we just have to get organized and decide who is gonna wrap presents, who is gonna bake some cookies,  who is gonna hitch up the sleigh, and who gets to drive !  But, there's one thing we can all agree on .... and that is to wish  you all a

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)