February flew by real quick

You turn around twice, and blink your eyes, and another month has come and gone.

Remember my quilt-as-you-go quilt? (QAYG)   I can finally say it's finished.  And before March.  Yes, it was just yesterday that I put in my final binding stitch, but it's done.  I really like it, and glad I gave this method a try.  I actually consider it reversible, though the front in strips is my favorite.  I played a bit of an "I spy" game with Elise the other day, and among other things asked her to find a bird.  We couldn't find any, which really surprised me...and one may still show up as we look further.  Still, I'm considering appliqueing a bird somewhere on the front.  Probably at one of the junctions where the lattice doesn't exactly match!  Here it is, front and back.

I'm not sure of the size, maybe 60 x 72?  But it fits on top of a double bed fine, and would drape over a twin bed nicely.

I've started my annual home improvement project.  I try to do something each year, and this year the master bath is getting a bit of an upgrade with new faucets, mirrors over the vanity, and lights.  David got the faucets in last weekend, and we got the big mirror down and out.  Wouldn't you know, when we took the mirror down, there was a hole in the sheetrock.  Guess they figured it would be covered, so why worry about it.  I trimmed it to a workable size to patch, and will work this weekend on getting it textured to hopefully be a decent match, and then paint the area and put up the mirrors.  I have someone lined up to do the lights, but that may not happen immediately.  Just have to see how his schedule works out. 

Here's the before.   The mirror will go away and be replaced with two mirrors, one over each sink. Those lights will change into two fixtures, one over each mirror.  Each fixture will have 3 bulbs.  The faucets have been updated to replace the standard builder's faucet. 

Here you can see where the hole was behind the mirror, though you're seeing it after the messiness was cut away to a decent rectangle for patching.

And this is one of the two new faucets.  I love the high neck on it.  So much easier if there's anything somewhat bulky I want to fit under it.

In other news, Elise and I worked a puzzle this week.  Went down to 550 pieces instead of 1000.  Partly because I just liked the picture with all of the little characters and vehicles, but it also worked well to have the pieces just a bit bigger.  The packaging is now smaller than in years past, and some makers will include a nice size print of the picture for you to use instead of the box picture, but this one did not.  The bigger pieces helped.

Guess that's it for now.  Have a good weekend. 

February stuff

Time managed to slip away the last couple of weeks didn't it?

I'm still doing some art regularly, though not necessarily in my journal.  The last couple of weeks I've been playing with my Zentangle book.  It's fun, and nice to just let go and doodle.  The book I'm working from is "The Art of Zentangle".  Its been a great introduction, and has several practice opportunities.

This first picture is one of the practice pieces after I'd already started, a whimsical fantasy garden.  It was initially kind of a swirly L on the left that spanned across the bottom to the right. I've added in some butterflies, and the doodly swirls and doodads.

In the next picture you can see I've carried it further.  More flowers, and a chirpy little bird.  I've also had the book spiral bound, which makes it much easier to handle and keep my place.

Great artwork?  Hahaha, no.  But it is fun.

I stopped by Red Lobster yesterday for lunch, one of my favorite places that I treat myself to occasionally.  Usually when I dine alone, I have a book to read or puzzles to work while I wait.  This time I took in my book of Cryptograms.  The waitress happened to notice it, and asked what it was.  I explained they were word puzzles, and  different letters are substituted for the correct letters....you're breaking a code.  Seeing her interest, I pulled a page out of my puzzle magazine and encouraged her to try it herself.    Just a few minutes later she came back by (it was early in the day and pretty quiet) and showed me her start.  She sat down, and a few minutes later another of the servers came by and joined in.   With a few hints on patterns to look for, they solved a couple of the puzzles.  I think she's hooked!   I really enjoyed the unexpected company, and I'm sure I'll be back.

I'm making progress on the string quilt.  I've finished piecing the last border, and will start the quilting on that piece this afternoon.  I hope that by next weekend, it will be attached to the rest of the QAYG quilt, and I'll be ready to put the binding on. 

Elise went to her first Daddy/Daughter Dance.  The Parks and Recreation department puts it on every year around Valentine's Day.   She got a pretty dress, and some new Cinderella dance slippers, and enjoyed some special time with Daddy.

 She took great care in getting ready.

And finally was all set to go to the dance.  She had prepared the map to the dance earlier in the week.  I understand they had a great time dancing the evening away.

Have a good week everyone.  I need to go check on my crockpot of chili!