That's the kind of greeting you get when I turn on the television to find Sportscenter and I catch Wilson greeting Tim on a rerun of Home Improvement instead. It seemed appropriate since... well, it's been a little while longer than expected since I was last here.
Almost four weeks. My brother hasn't called yet but since he's been busy, I'm sure he'll mention it on Thursday. In my defense, I've been busy too.
A few days after I was here last, I flew to Dallas to find an apartment and meet with one of my new bosses, ModaLissa. Can you believe it - she's already put me to work! I had such a good day meeting some of the ladies that I'll be working with that I left some paperwork behind and had to go back. Ooops. I was a little distracted...
Just a bit.
That was Friday. My flight arrived late Thursday morning and after picking up my rental, I drove off to find an apartment. Even though I had already picked out a couple of favorites through online searches, I still allowed a couple of days for the apartment-hunting... just in case. I had two properties picked out as my favorites and I decided to drive by Choice No. 2 first, just to get a reference. It was very nice but I didn't want to make any decisions until I had seen Choice No. 1 - they are less than a 1/2 mile apart. I saw two apartments at Choice No. 1. The "open loft-style" apartment was first and it was very nice... except that when you come in the front door, you're kind of "in" the master bedroom. I did love the hardwood floors though... it was a definite possibility.
And then I walked into this...
The floor plan isn't perfect but the light is. Besides, is any apartment floor plan "perfect"? I love this one and yes, I'll have a small bedroom I can use for a sewing room.
It won't be as big as my room now but then my workroom is probably bigger than it needs to be. I promised a couple of friends that I would take a couple of pictures of my room before I started packing it up... I've already done some, but that's on my schedule for this weekend and next week. It might sound odd but as much as I have loved my workroom, I'm looking forward to down-sizing and clearing some things out.
I think I mentioned once a few years ago that I sew in what used to be the living room / dining room. It's a large-ish single room that's akin to a wedge of pie with the pointy-end chopped off. There is a large picture window on one long side, it overlooks the front walkway. This is the view from the window of the end of the room - the chopped-off end.
I have a lot of books. And baskets.
Ikea and Pottery Barn.
This is the view from that corner looking toward the wider end of the wide. There is a doorway into the kitchen on the right and an archway into the entry hall to the left - it's hidden by the lamp in the foreground. There is an adjacent archway, the two are separated by a "corner" column.
More Pottery Barn and The Container Store. The only storage I have for all my sewing-related stuff, including fabric, supplies and books, and my "extra" quilts is in this room. And even then, it's still a little bit cluttered. Maybe a lot... it depends on how recently I've straightened up.
Now I get to pack it all up.
After being in Dallas for a couple of days, I was in Nebraska for a week with the wonderful Debbie Roberts at The Quilted Moose. Because of the timing of it all, I was able to attend the workshops taught by an amazing Australian quilter and designer, Michelle Yeo. Her work is spectacularly great - she does hand-piecing and machine-paper-piecing, and her quilts are complicated. Gloriously so.
As you can imagine, they're so much better in person.
With nothing planned for Wednesday, Debbie and I went to Lincoln to see the International Quilt Study Center & Museum. Gorgeous quilts, amazing center, lots of history... yeah, whatever! I only wanted to see one thing...
How cool is this?!? It's part of an exhibit titled "Modern Marvels - Quilts Made From Kits, 1915 - 1950". This kit for Nice Day is an example of a "modern kit". Not to worry, I won't let it go to my head... after all, there is a Veg-o-matic at the Smithsonian.
The next couple of days were spent in workshops at Minglewood Lodge - the gorgeous retreat space Debbie owns and uses for workshops. It's also where I stayed for the week - I love it! (This was my room.)
We did a trunk show and Annelise Reid - a wonderful designer and the genius brain behind Eye Candy Quilts - took this terrific picture of my Little Bites laid out on some of the work tables...
I love this picture - and Annelise's work.
I also want to share this amazing, fabulous, GENIUS idea - it's from Gina, one of the lovely ladies in my class. She covered a piece of that blue insulation board with batting and she uses it to keep her strips for strip-pieced quilts organized. How clever is this?
Her assortment of fabrics is also brilliant - it's a mix of Reproduction, Minick & Simpson and French General. Most of the French General fabrics are from the gorgeous new Rue Indienne collection... one I confess to over-looking just a tiny little bit (Hey... I've been distracted! lol) until I saw it - and some of the combinations made by ladies in my classes. I'm not overlooking it anymore.
While I was in Nebraska, that "polar vortex" thing blew through and it snowed. Yes. Snowed. Snowed! On Tuesday and then again on Saturday - all day Saturday! I tried clicking my heels three times but it didn't work... that's what I get for not packing red shoes. Raspberry pink is apparently not close enough.
I loved Gretna and Nebraska but as entertaining as this was... I can't pretend that I wouldn't have been sorry to have missed this.
So that's it. Caught up.
For now.
I did promise to tell you about how my big "job change" came about... next time.
In the meantime, I hope you have a safe, happy, wonderful Thanksgiving.
Despite all the changes in my life in the past two years, I have so much to be thankful for. I am excited about the changes ahead - and okay, a little bit nervous. I am thankful for dear, sweet, wonderful friends who have listened to me and supported my "crazy ideas" this past year. And I am thankful for the many wonderful people I've met through classes and blogging. No matter what lies ahead in the coming months, I'm taking you with me... whether you want to go or not.
Gobble Gobble!
(FYI - That blue balance ball... that's ModaLissa's "office chair". It's good for working your "core muscles" and it's great for helping avoid back-pain. Given that she's brilliant and amazing, I think I might get one too.)
