After a hard day at the office.... (I had to balance the T4's (they're due tomorrow) and make up a lovely meal for tomorrow's Sit & Sew)......it was Oscar night!
Where was I going to watch the Oscars - tough decision! I had three choices - 1) I could go look for the "rabbit ears" and set up the TV in the den, that way I could do some book work while watching/listening.... 2) I could watch in the living/dining room and work on my Snowballs and Flakes....or 3) I could go up to my room and watch while working on The Farmer's Wife, snuggled up on the couch in my PJ's.....
I have to tell you - this was an extremely tough decision for me! In the house I would have been in the living room which would have only given me the option of doing hand work so needless to say I LOVE the new house! I mean really, three options!
Here's what I did - I compromised! When I got home around 5:30 P.M. - I made dinner and while dinner was cooking I did some bookwork! Then I went down to the basement and started doing laundry and also unpacked another box. I then set myself up in the living room and while watching the Oscars finished my Snowballs and Flakes! YEAH! During commercials I ran down and did two more loads of laundry - BONUS!
Then for the last bit - I went upstairs, got into my PJ's and started working on a Farmer's Wife Block - so I really had it all tonight!
By the way - the house officially closed on Friday February 25th, 2011! I have never been happier! To be honest - even with all the stairs at the townhouse, I don't miss the house at all! A new chapter begins!
Hope you all enjoyed the Oscars - I actually thought it was a pretty good show and I thought that the hosts did a great job although I hear they aren't getting very good reviews.....oh well!
Better get to bed, busy day tomorrow!
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Progress....
I went back to "work" yesterday! I have to admit I didn't get a whole heck of a lot done but I made it to the store and my office and started clearing the debris.....today will be a little more productive I hope!
I also found that by the time Rich came to get me at around 6:00 P.M. I was wiped! We stopped at Lowe's to get a second gallon of paint for the den/office so he could finish the painting but to be honest I'm not a fan of "night time" painting - you always seem to miss a spot.....So, when he suggested we go to Zetz for dinner (on Airport Road across from the airport) I jumped! We took the night off!
After dinner we were both so tired that he went straight home and I went straight upstairs thinking I was going to bed too! Not to be - caught a small second wind and decided to work on Farmer's Wife - BLOCK 12 is done - that makes 13 done and I have two more already cut and 2 more that I've chosen fabric for - so there is progress!
I also found that by the time Rich came to get me at around 6:00 P.M. I was wiped! We stopped at Lowe's to get a second gallon of paint for the den/office so he could finish the painting but to be honest I'm not a fan of "night time" painting - you always seem to miss a spot.....So, when he suggested we go to Zetz for dinner (on Airport Road across from the airport) I jumped! We took the night off!
After dinner we were both so tired that he went straight home and I went straight upstairs thinking I was going to bed too! Not to be - caught a small second wind and decided to work on Farmer's Wife - BLOCK 12 is done - that makes 13 done and I have two more already cut and 2 more that I've chosen fabric for - so there is progress!
Block 12
In the background you can see the Snowballs and Flakes! Will probably make some progress on that this morning before I head for the store and a bunch of errands.....I find that even if it's only 15 minutes I spend at the sewing machine it changes my whole outlook on the day ahead.
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Monday, February 21, 2011
I got distracted!
There I was, feverishly working away on Snowballs and "Flakes" and totally focused on what I was doing. It's good to stay focused - I get things done if I stay focused! But, it was not to be......
Rich showed up and started painting the "box room" - otherwise to be known as the den/office.....here are the before photos......these were actually taken before the furniture was dumped in there on moving day......
He really had to work around the boxes and the furniture so we knew he was not getting the whole room done.....however, once he finished the area behind the bookcase and one other wall, it was time to start unpacking some of those boxes......I had to get started so that he'd be able to paint the rest of the room.....
I love the colour I chose - it's a really warm yellow and the bookcase looks great!
The other wall is coming along good too and now I can fill up the big cabinet.....
He had to stop there but there really isn't much more for me to do so he has room to finish the painting (hopefully later today!?!?!)....
Once this is done, I will actually feel like we can live on the first floor - of course the basement is a whole other kettle of fish - it has now become the box depot.....I'm already debating which room he should paint next.....either the kitchen or the guest bedroom!
There is a "bit" of work I need done in the kitchen and I also have to be prepared to paint the bookcase I have in there (part of the new decor) so I may hold off and head upstairs where pretty much everything is ready for painting......but it's coming along!
I even made time to make dinner last night! Jonathan said "the food is great!" Note the compliment to the food - not the cook! This is the first time I've made a "meal" in the new house - getting used to a new cooking space and appliances is always a 50/50 prospect but it worked out great! I had a half bag of small potatoes which I wanted to use up! I was going to do Garlic Roast Potatoes but could not find the Olive Oil and am wondering if I really have any at this point. In the end I cut them up, skins on, boiled them and added butter, salt and pepper and mashed them - they were fabulous! I also fried up some mushrooms and made broccoli which I mixed and then served it all with Ketzizot - these are ground beef cigars which I mix with Matzo Meal and an egg, adding salt, pepper, fresh parsley and lots of cumin. I fried them in oil (Mazola)....and they were also delicious.....we were both stuffed! I even threw some Pillsbury Dinner Rolls in the oven to complete the meal! It was great!
The plan for today is to finish unpacking the boxes in the den that I can put away and then get back to Snowballs and "Flakes".......possibly finishing up with a Farmer's Wife block while I relax upstairs.....better get started!
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Rich showed up and started painting the "box room" - otherwise to be known as the den/office.....here are the before photos......these were actually taken before the furniture was dumped in there on moving day......
I love the colour I chose - it's a really warm yellow and the bookcase looks great!
There is a "bit" of work I need done in the kitchen and I also have to be prepared to paint the bookcase I have in there (part of the new decor) so I may hold off and head upstairs where pretty much everything is ready for painting......but it's coming along!
I even made time to make dinner last night! Jonathan said "the food is great!" Note the compliment to the food - not the cook! This is the first time I've made a "meal" in the new house - getting used to a new cooking space and appliances is always a 50/50 prospect but it worked out great! I had a half bag of small potatoes which I wanted to use up! I was going to do Garlic Roast Potatoes but could not find the Olive Oil and am wondering if I really have any at this point. In the end I cut them up, skins on, boiled them and added butter, salt and pepper and mashed them - they were fabulous! I also fried up some mushrooms and made broccoli which I mixed and then served it all with Ketzizot - these are ground beef cigars which I mix with Matzo Meal and an egg, adding salt, pepper, fresh parsley and lots of cumin. I fried them in oil (Mazola)....and they were also delicious.....we were both stuffed! I even threw some Pillsbury Dinner Rolls in the oven to complete the meal! It was great!
The plan for today is to finish unpacking the boxes in the den that I can put away and then get back to Snowballs and "Flakes".......possibly finishing up with a Farmer's Wife block while I relax upstairs.....better get started!
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Seriously?!?!?!
Why can't I just do things the easy way? The "new" project is made up of Snowball Blocks which means I have to cut the corners off once they are sewn....of course, there are now two perfectly good and useable triangles left over! The "waste not, want not" part of my brain kicks in and starts designing the second project which will now be called "From Snowballs Come Flakes!"
......and my first instinct is to save the triangles for this - however, my "NEW" organized personna decides - why not just sew them up now.....8 - 12-1/2" snowball corners netted me 32 corners which gave me 16 blocks measuring......4-1/4" ! Depending on what happens I may cut them down to 4" so they will be 3-1/2" finished!
I confessed my insanity to Barb! Have I told you that Barb is a genious - a quilter guru?!?!
She suggested that for the balance of the blocks I do something amazingly simple!
Sew all my corners on - then measure 1/2" from my sewing line and sew again......so I measured and marked my new sewing line......
I sewed all four corners again on the new sewing line.......
I cut the corners 1/4" from the first sewing line, and......
Voila! I have 64 HST's (half square triangles) measuring 2".......and my original 16 snowball blocks...... 
How easy was that - took a little longer but you have to take into account that I am now working on two projects at once......
Now the 4-1/2" snowball blocks, just one change here - I am measuring 1/4" from the original sewing line - when I cut I will cut 1/8" from the sewing line giving me a 1/8" seam on each corner and each HST. However, the original corner square is 1-7/8" so the HST will be between 1- 1-1/2" and I want them as large as I can get them - I will have 44 snowball blocks and 176 HST's when I'm done......certainly enough of a secondary yield of blocks to make something interesting!
......and my first instinct is to save the triangles for this - however, my "NEW" organized personna decides - why not just sew them up now.....8 - 12-1/2" snowball corners netted me 32 corners which gave me 16 blocks measuring......4-1/4" ! Depending on what happens I may cut them down to 4" so they will be 3-1/2" finished!
She suggested that for the balance of the blocks I do something amazingly simple!
Sew all my corners on - then measure 1/2" from my sewing line and sew again......so I measured and marked my new sewing line......
Now the 4-1/2" snowball blocks, just one change here - I am measuring 1/4" from the original sewing line - when I cut I will cut 1/8" from the sewing line giving me a 1/8" seam on each corner and each HST. However, the original corner square is 1-7/8" so the HST will be between 1- 1-1/2" and I want them as large as I can get them - I will have 44 snowball blocks and 176 HST's when I'm done......certainly enough of a secondary yield of blocks to make something interesting!
You can see the measurement here......
Okay - I'd better keep going or I won't get either of these projects done.....that's what happens when you take on more than you can handle! I'll keep you posted.....
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Saturday, February 19, 2011
My other sanctuary.......
There were alot of things that determined where I would choose to move after selling the house - one, and probably the biggest factor was the furniture. I really didn't want to start over - selling the furnishings I loved, getting no where near what they are worth and then buying new stuff to fit into another place.... The second factor was location - I wanted to be within 1/2 hour of the store! The third and least important was - do I love it!
When I saw this townhouse the first time - I loved it! It was 15 minutes from the store and the only thing I had to give up was my fabulous Harvest Table in the dining room which now resides very happily at my friend Libby's in Windsor.....
Little did I know how lucky I was! I knew a "studio" was going to be a challenge! While I was waiting patiently (didn't really take that long) for the house to sell - I was already planning furniture placement and room usage! I knew that - at least in the beginning - the dining room was going to double as my "studio" and I had no problem with that....I also have the little den/office off the kitchen (currently the "box" room) which I thought I could set up to be a place to go to do my hand piecing, applique, etc.... thereby giving Jonathan a little private space but little did I know that I would have another quilting "heaven"!
My bedroom has turned out to be a real sanctuary! Simon loves it too, that's him on the end of the bed.....it's amazing how much furniture fits in this room! This is the 'sleeping" side.....
This photo is taken from the side of the bed and there's a 3 seater couch and a coffee table in front of it that you can barely see - there's still about 3 feet behind the couch to access double closets.......
Of course there are curtains to be made and painting to be done, and quilts to be hung on walls, etc. but all in good time. I know now I couldn't have picked a more comfortable home....
On that note - I am off to quilt! Working in the dining room today.....
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
When I saw this townhouse the first time - I loved it! It was 15 minutes from the store and the only thing I had to give up was my fabulous Harvest Table in the dining room which now resides very happily at my friend Libby's in Windsor.....
Little did I know how lucky I was! I knew a "studio" was going to be a challenge! While I was waiting patiently (didn't really take that long) for the house to sell - I was already planning furniture placement and room usage! I knew that - at least in the beginning - the dining room was going to double as my "studio" and I had no problem with that....I also have the little den/office off the kitchen (currently the "box" room) which I thought I could set up to be a place to go to do my hand piecing, applique, etc.... thereby giving Jonathan a little private space but little did I know that I would have another quilting "heaven"!
My bedroom has turned out to be a real sanctuary! Simon loves it too, that's him on the end of the bed.....it's amazing how much furniture fits in this room! This is the 'sleeping" side.....
....and what, pray tell, is on the coffee table???? Could it be The Farmer's Wife??!! In the past few days I've cut and marked another 3 blocks to hand piece. The TV can be seen from the sofa or the bed and I can sit and stitch to my heart's content....some night's I may just "retire" early to this wonderful sanctuary! I really had no idea it would work out so well! I'm thrilled.....to say the least!
On that note - I am off to quilt! Working in the dining room today.....
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
So here's the scoop......
The "procedure" went well and on a scale of 1-10, 10 being excellent, North York General Hospital rates a 25! I was really impressed - the nurses were fabulous, the anesthesiologist was a Prince and everything went relatively well. Of course, I have no idea what was done! Duh, I was knocked out at 2:15 P.M. and woke up at 3:15 P.M. and all was well with the world.....my world anyway! Thanks Liz, for all the reading material - it was a long wait in the pre-op waiting room and it gave me something to occupy my mind....good choices too! There are more quilts to be made!
My friend Mucie was with me all the way and I was home by 5:30 P.M. - results next week - I hope good! I was lucky enough to get a nice shot of Demoral before I left the hospital so I was feeling no pain....for two days in fact! I felt great on Wednesday....
Thursday I woke up with some pain and Friday a little more.... wouldn't mind another shot of that Demoral but I am definitely on the mend. Wednesday I thought I'd go back to work on Thursday - now I'm thinking I'll stick with the original plan and take the week to recuperate.....
I've managed to get some boxes unpacked and sort out some stuff but the guys - Rich, Jonathan and Jonathan's friend Ian were kind enough to rent a U-Haul yesterday and bring the rest of the stuff from the house over - I'm afraid to go down to the basement! It's really got to be scary down there! Maybe tomorrow if I feel up to it!
The truth is, you can't keep a quilter down - so today I managed to clear a spot! I vowed not to start a "new" project BUT!!!!, (always a but) I had to! Actually it was the closest project at hand and it's a relatively easy one - should do up pretty quickly!
Here's my new studio/dining room - had to improvise for lighting because Rich hasn't had a chance to hang the chandelier yet, hopefully soon, but I was determined to make this work.....
My friend Mucie was with me all the way and I was home by 5:30 P.M. - results next week - I hope good! I was lucky enough to get a nice shot of Demoral before I left the hospital so I was feeling no pain....for two days in fact! I felt great on Wednesday....
Thursday I woke up with some pain and Friday a little more.... wouldn't mind another shot of that Demoral but I am definitely on the mend. Wednesday I thought I'd go back to work on Thursday - now I'm thinking I'll stick with the original plan and take the week to recuperate.....
I've managed to get some boxes unpacked and sort out some stuff but the guys - Rich, Jonathan and Jonathan's friend Ian were kind enough to rent a U-Haul yesterday and bring the rest of the stuff from the house over - I'm afraid to go down to the basement! It's really got to be scary down there! Maybe tomorrow if I feel up to it!
The truth is, you can't keep a quilter down - so today I managed to clear a spot! I vowed not to start a "new" project BUT!!!!, (always a but) I had to! Actually it was the closest project at hand and it's a relatively easy one - should do up pretty quickly!
Here's my new studio/dining room - had to improvise for lighting because Rich hasn't had a chance to hang the chandelier yet, hopefully soon, but I was determined to make this work.....
In addition, I decided to go at this project a little differently than my usual way! I am using a new methodology - first, cut out all the elements of the quilt, mark what I need to mark and then set up my sewing machine (Sonia of course) and start sewing the blocks together. This may sound a little crazy, I mean don't you always do it that way - but no, I have a habit of just cutting as I go.....for this quilt it makes sense to cut everything first and then start the next stage - piecing! For my space - it makes sense to get in the habit of doing things this way!
My plan for tomorrow is of course to piece, piece, piece! Then maybe I'll venture down to the basement to see what's really going on! Maybe I'll show you some pics of my other "sanctuary"! It's awesome and worked out really, really great the last few nights when I wanted to get away from everything but still wanted some quilting near me!
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Let's talk about the "F" word!
FINISHED! The quilter's "F" word!
I was lucky enough to get some quilting done today....Barb and I had planned to spend a few hours today working on our miniatures. The object was to at least get the centre of the quilt done, the friendship stars, so that all that would need to be done would be the borders.....
Well at 6:00 P.M. I locked the doors and by 9:30 P.M. we were both finished! FINISHED!!!!! The tops are finished so technically the quilt is finished! Well, okay we still need to layer and quilt them but for all intents and purposes the hard part is done......
This is Elaine's original - the centre blocks of the friendship stars are 3/4" - so smaller than the one we made in class.....
I am so pleased with mine - I really went for the "house" colours and thought it was coming out really dull but in the end I love it.....now to quilt it and label it for sure! I think this is one of my fastest quilts to completion! I like miniatures......
This is Barb's! Her's is all brights and I love it too! It really came out beautifully! She chose not to do the corner stones but it still looks really awesome! She just has to quilt it!
Here are the three of them together - now I feel like I made a huge quilt! I think I'll have to try something a little smaller and I have just the book to do it too! I'll keep you posted! So Elaine's is 25% smaller than mine and Barb's. I'm actually glad that she started us off with something a little bigger......it made it easier to learn all the tips and also made it alot easier to finish......
I was lucky enough to get some quilting done today....Barb and I had planned to spend a few hours today working on our miniatures. The object was to at least get the centre of the quilt done, the friendship stars, so that all that would need to be done would be the borders.....
Well at 6:00 P.M. I locked the doors and by 9:30 P.M. we were both finished! FINISHED!!!!! The tops are finished so technically the quilt is finished! Well, okay we still need to layer and quilt them but for all intents and purposes the hard part is done......
This is Elaine's original - the centre blocks of the friendship stars are 3/4" - so smaller than the one we made in class.....
This is Barb's! Her's is all brights and I love it too! It really came out beautifully! She chose not to do the corner stones but it still looks really awesome! She just has to quilt it!
The side effects of this is that I am totally relaxed tonight and ready to just head for bed!
A perfect evening, thanks Barb - it was a great night! Glad we decided to stay!
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Friday, February 11, 2011
It amazes me!
After a very busy day yesterday I went back to the store to relieve Nancy at 6:00 p.m. and had to meet with the contractor from the unit he is renovating right next door. I won't get into details but our discussion became heated and it was extremely stressful for me... Barb arrived in the middle of this discussion so we (the contractor and I) came to a quick understanding and he left....
The plan was for Barb and I to work on our miniatures.....I of course needed to calm down and this was just the ticket! We quickly got down to business and progress was made....
Here's mine - it's starting to shrink!
Barb's is shrinking at the same rate........
We are both being very methodical, sew, check, trim - that's the key with this one! Both of us have the same problem with those pesky Friendship Stars! Somehow, no matter how careful we are, we manage to get one side that just isn't right! It can be frustrating but taking it slow helps....What amazes me is that by the time we called it quits, around 10:00 p.m. I was completely relaxed!
I have proven my own theory - doing anything related to quilting is relaxing! Even if you only give it 15 minutes to 30 minutes a day - you've progressed with something and you feel that you have accomplished something.....I honestly believe this to be true!
I had my Pre-Op yesterday afternoon at North York General Hospital. I have to say that it was a breeze even though it took 2-1/2 hours. The Pre-Op nurse explained everything including the side effects of the medication I need to take before the surgery. The tests - blood, cardiogram, blood pressure, etc. went without a hitch and all the staff are very respectful and kind. The last stop is the anestesiologist and she was also very helpful. So everything's a go for Tuesday.
We (Rich and I) treated ourselves to a fabulous lunch at around 3:30 p.m. at Pancers on Bathurst (just north of Wilson). Their corned beef and potato salad is the best! Then we went to let the "buyers" into the house to do measurements. The timing wasn't great and there was a bit of an issue with the other real estate agent but at the end of the day it all worked out.....
Since I had such a relaxed feeling after working on the miniature quilt I decided to take The Farmers Wife home with me and managed to mark and cut a few more pieces before I went to bed.....however, I did forget to take my box of fabrics so will have to grab them from the store today so I can keep working on it!
I'm almost ready to bring Sonia home (my Janome 6260) and get back to working on Molly's Meadow - I'm so excited! To actually be in a position to set up a sewing machine so quickly is really a great feeling!
There are still boxes to unpack but I need to get the den/office painted before I can continue organizing the first floor so, until that's done (the paint is here - just waiting for the painter to get the urge!) I'll have to find something else to do - quilting works for me!
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
The plan was for Barb and I to work on our miniatures.....I of course needed to calm down and this was just the ticket! We quickly got down to business and progress was made....
Here's mine - it's starting to shrink!
I have proven my own theory - doing anything related to quilting is relaxing! Even if you only give it 15 minutes to 30 minutes a day - you've progressed with something and you feel that you have accomplished something.....I honestly believe this to be true!
I had my Pre-Op yesterday afternoon at North York General Hospital. I have to say that it was a breeze even though it took 2-1/2 hours. The Pre-Op nurse explained everything including the side effects of the medication I need to take before the surgery. The tests - blood, cardiogram, blood pressure, etc. went without a hitch and all the staff are very respectful and kind. The last stop is the anestesiologist and she was also very helpful. So everything's a go for Tuesday.
We (Rich and I) treated ourselves to a fabulous lunch at around 3:30 p.m. at Pancers on Bathurst (just north of Wilson). Their corned beef and potato salad is the best! Then we went to let the "buyers" into the house to do measurements. The timing wasn't great and there was a bit of an issue with the other real estate agent but at the end of the day it all worked out.....
Since I had such a relaxed feeling after working on the miniature quilt I decided to take The Farmers Wife home with me and managed to mark and cut a few more pieces before I went to bed.....however, I did forget to take my box of fabrics so will have to grab them from the store today so I can keep working on it!
I'm almost ready to bring Sonia home (my Janome 6260) and get back to working on Molly's Meadow - I'm so excited! To actually be in a position to set up a sewing machine so quickly is really a great feeling!
There are still boxes to unpack but I need to get the den/office painted before I can continue organizing the first floor so, until that's done (the paint is here - just waiting for the painter to get the urge!) I'll have to find something else to do - quilting works for me!
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Thursday, February 10, 2011
A great day and another UFO!
It has been awhile since I've done something for ME! Everything that has been going on in my life for the past six months has been triggered by existing circumstances, so although each of these instances seem to have been about me, they were decisions made due to circumstances beyond my control.
Yesterday was for ME! I scheduled a Miniatures Class with Elaine at the store because I wanted to learn how to do miniatures. Luckily there were three more people who also wanted to learn this fun technique! Barb, Nancy and Helen! It was actually my birthday present to myself!
The day started out on a high note - Jonathan came into my room to wish me a Happy Brithday and then made me coffee! I'm sure he would have made breakfast but we had not yet gotten around to getting groceries. Coffee was great!
My taxi - Rich (I am now without a car for the next little while) arrived promptly and off to the store I went. Since all of my sewing stuff is mostly at the store there was nothing to take with me....
The class got underway and as usual Elaine was full of great tips and ideas! I love taking classes from Elaine, I actually come away knowing what I'm doing! It's so rare I get to actually take any of the classes we offer that it was a major treat for me....and Kathy provided lunch! It was delicious! A cold stuffed Pork Roast with Cranberry Chutney(homemade by Kathy), an asian salad and for dessert a lovely South African cake (can't remember the name) with blueberries and whipped cream!
So here are some pics from a fabulous class......First there's Nancy and Elaine. Nancy got the most done - there's always one of those in the class but she was completely focussed...
There's Barb trying to show one of Elaine's miniatures and the little quilt top on the table is what we are all aiming for in our chosen fabrics.......
Okay, so Barb figured out how to turn this little gem around - it has little tulips and the border is half square triangles.....amazing little mini.....
This is Barb's and it's going to be gorgeous....really bright and fun!
This one is Helen's and again it will be really bright and fun......
This one is mine - a little dull but I wanted to choose colours that I am using in the house because I already have a spot for this little gem.....however, I now have another UFO to add to my growing list! Luckily I am working tonight so maybe I'll get some more done....
The class officially ended at 3:30 p.m. but Barb and I stayed on to get more done. Then suddenly I realized I hadn't gotten my license renewed and today was the last day. Thank heavens Barb was there - she drove me to the Service Ontario office (there's one in the little plaza near Castlefield on Dufferin) and I got that done.....
My taxi arrived promptly at 6:00 p.m. and we were off to Costco! I have a serious love/hate relationship with that place. I buy for the store, the house and Rich and I split alot of stuff between his house and mine so it can get quite costly but overall the prices aren't bad and the products are good! Making a list is usually the better way to go but last night was more or less getting the necessities and that took awhile. So we had my birthday dinner at Costco! I had their corned beef sandwich which is always good....
Then off to Walmart - not my favourite place but we were actually going to get something for a friend of Rich's - so I finally got my cuphooks and a few other little things I need for the new house....
Finally, after dropping everything off at the house for Jonathan to sort through (he wasn't happy) we were off to Aroma on Bloor (at Bathurst) for a fabulous latte and croissant! All in all it turned out to be a fabulous day (except the grocery shopping!)! I literally fell into bed exhausted....
Okay, off to get ready for today! Doctor's office, Pre-op at 1:00 and the buyers want to see the house at 4:00 p.m.. Need to be at the store by 6:00 p.m. - gonna be a busy day!
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Yesterday was for ME! I scheduled a Miniatures Class with Elaine at the store because I wanted to learn how to do miniatures. Luckily there were three more people who also wanted to learn this fun technique! Barb, Nancy and Helen! It was actually my birthday present to myself!
The day started out on a high note - Jonathan came into my room to wish me a Happy Brithday and then made me coffee! I'm sure he would have made breakfast but we had not yet gotten around to getting groceries. Coffee was great!
My taxi - Rich (I am now without a car for the next little while) arrived promptly and off to the store I went. Since all of my sewing stuff is mostly at the store there was nothing to take with me....
The class got underway and as usual Elaine was full of great tips and ideas! I love taking classes from Elaine, I actually come away knowing what I'm doing! It's so rare I get to actually take any of the classes we offer that it was a major treat for me....and Kathy provided lunch! It was delicious! A cold stuffed Pork Roast with Cranberry Chutney(homemade by Kathy), an asian salad and for dessert a lovely South African cake (can't remember the name) with blueberries and whipped cream!
So here are some pics from a fabulous class......First there's Nancy and Elaine. Nancy got the most done - there's always one of those in the class but she was completely focussed...
My taxi arrived promptly at 6:00 p.m. and we were off to Costco! I have a serious love/hate relationship with that place. I buy for the store, the house and Rich and I split alot of stuff between his house and mine so it can get quite costly but overall the prices aren't bad and the products are good! Making a list is usually the better way to go but last night was more or less getting the necessities and that took awhile. So we had my birthday dinner at Costco! I had their corned beef sandwich which is always good....
Then off to Walmart - not my favourite place but we were actually going to get something for a friend of Rich's - so I finally got my cuphooks and a few other little things I need for the new house....
Finally, after dropping everything off at the house for Jonathan to sort through (he wasn't happy) we were off to Aroma on Bloor (at Bathurst) for a fabulous latte and croissant! All in all it turned out to be a fabulous day (except the grocery shopping!)! I literally fell into bed exhausted....
Okay, off to get ready for today! Doctor's office, Pre-op at 1:00 and the buyers want to see the house at 4:00 p.m.. Need to be at the store by 6:00 p.m. - gonna be a busy day!
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
A little bit scary........
Unpacking can be just a bit daunting! Placing furniture and organizing everything can be ovewhelming! There are alot of boxes in the basement......and some furniture that I thought was going one place is ending up in other places but it's really amazing how much has been accomplished in 4 days.....
Yesterday I was at the store all day and taught last night - then I came home and tackled 8 boxes of fabric, books and quilt kits. I had asked Jonathan and Rich to move a bookcase and a dresser up to my bedroom so when I went up to bed last night I ended up rearranging furniture and filling drawers.....seems never ending but I can really see the light at the end of this tunnel.
The living room is completely painted and now we can paint the "box" room (den/office) whcih will really allow for major organization.....I'm actually getting excited about tackling that room.....I don't want to unpack the room until it's painted or we'll be moving books and stuff 10 times.....
So now to the scary stuff! When I staged the house, way back in late November, I packed up my studio. I realized how much I had but I ignored the immensity of the stash and kits and just kept packing. Well, suddenly, while unpacking last night I came across a skinny journal with a rooster on it and I thought - wow, I could list all my projects! Big mistake!
So as I was unpacking, I started listing! This is scary - so far, I have over 30 kits which have not even been started! Then there's all the UFO's (these are started projects) - low count so far because I have most of it at the store (hiding at the store).....Then there's the projects which are quilt related but not actual quilts! Then there are the "unstarted" quilt related projects......see what I mean! SCARY!
I have one week to get the first floor organized, the second floor just needs painting! Everything up there is pretty much organized already. Then the machines come home! I go for surgery one week from today and will probably be convalescing for a few days - I'd say about a week so the plan is to hunker down and get some quilting done! Of course, we'll see how I feel - I'm trying not to be unrealistic (can I start and finish 30 projects in a week?!?! Ha, ha!) but I would love to get some stuff done for a change!
For now I am off for a very busy day - Bank Appraisal at the house for 11:00 a.m., then maybe do some packing up there (there's still more stuff). Need to get my driver's license renewed, do some banking, get some groceries, return the car and get back to the store for 6:30 p.m. for Sampler Club - Dear Jane, Dear Hannah, Farmer's Wife and Nearly Insane! It will be nice to sit and piece quietly for a few hours.....
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Yesterday I was at the store all day and taught last night - then I came home and tackled 8 boxes of fabric, books and quilt kits. I had asked Jonathan and Rich to move a bookcase and a dresser up to my bedroom so when I went up to bed last night I ended up rearranging furniture and filling drawers.....seems never ending but I can really see the light at the end of this tunnel.
The living room is completely painted and now we can paint the "box" room (den/office) whcih will really allow for major organization.....I'm actually getting excited about tackling that room.....I don't want to unpack the room until it's painted or we'll be moving books and stuff 10 times.....
So now to the scary stuff! When I staged the house, way back in late November, I packed up my studio. I realized how much I had but I ignored the immensity of the stash and kits and just kept packing. Well, suddenly, while unpacking last night I came across a skinny journal with a rooster on it and I thought - wow, I could list all my projects! Big mistake!
So as I was unpacking, I started listing! This is scary - so far, I have over 30 kits which have not even been started! Then there's all the UFO's (these are started projects) - low count so far because I have most of it at the store (hiding at the store).....Then there's the projects which are quilt related but not actual quilts! Then there are the "unstarted" quilt related projects......see what I mean! SCARY!
I have one week to get the first floor organized, the second floor just needs painting! Everything up there is pretty much organized already. Then the machines come home! I go for surgery one week from today and will probably be convalescing for a few days - I'd say about a week so the plan is to hunker down and get some quilting done! Of course, we'll see how I feel - I'm trying not to be unrealistic (can I start and finish 30 projects in a week?!?! Ha, ha!) but I would love to get some stuff done for a change!
For now I am off for a very busy day - Bank Appraisal at the house for 11:00 a.m., then maybe do some packing up there (there's still more stuff). Need to get my driver's license renewed, do some banking, get some groceries, return the car and get back to the store for 6:30 p.m. for Sampler Club - Dear Jane, Dear Hannah, Farmer's Wife and Nearly Insane! It will be nice to sit and piece quietly for a few hours.....
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
Sunday, February 6, 2011
It's been awhile........
Wow! I just checked and I didn't realize it's over a week! Well it's also been a busy week. Last weekend and up until Friday morning I spent most waking hours while not in the store, packing.
We were supposed to move on Wednesday. Needless to say, that was not going to happen in my wildest dreams.......#1 - like everyone else who moves, I wasn't ready and #2 - the "big" storm! Okay, maybe it wasn't what was predicted but it still would have put a damper on the move to say the least!
Of course, in preparation for the move certain things have to be done! Like moving the phone and internet, etc..... My plan was to move to a new provider, finally leaving Bell behind. I had chosen Primus at a combined cost of $69.95 - sounded pretty good but there was a catch! The internet usage was limited to 25G.....since Jonathan has been using up to 50G per month there would have to be some kind of upgrade. Jonathan streams TV and movies ever since I dropped my satellite dish and went to "rabbit ears" (plain old fashioned antenna). I had no idea until I called Bell to tell them I was cancelling.
So after 1 hour and 20 minutes and 4 different people, the end result was that I agreed to a new contract with Bell! I pretty much got the deal of the century - for $75.28 I got 60G of Wireless Internet usage, free North American long distance, a home phone with call display, call answer, call waiting and three way calling.....(never use it but it's part of the package!)! Previously I had been spending $130.00 - $150.00 with basic internet and basic phone - go figure! The base should have been about $70.00 but with long distance calls and Jonathan's extra downloading/streaming I was getting additional charges which really added up.
The downside was I told them I was moving Wednesday so by 10:00 a.m. I had no phone. We also had to be at the new house at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday to wait for the Bell guy to come and hook up the internet. He was coming between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.! So Jonathan and I headed over to the new place.....I took some pics so you can see the before!
The kitchen.......there are already boxes because we staged the house so some stuff went earlier......
This is the office/den currently dubbed the "box room"! Here's where most of the "stash" and quilting projects reside waiting for me to fondle and start or finish.......this room is just off the kitchen and is "supposed" to be the dining room but I had other plans.....
Here's the Living Room which I am using as a combined Living/Dining Room (actually it will also double as the "studio").....
All the stuff in here was moved to the "box room" before the movers showed up with the furniture....
The powder room and the staircase - one up, one down.....it's a pretty big townhouse and at this point I was hoping against hope that all the furniture would fit.....
The above photo also includes the back of Richard, we left Jonathan to wait for the Bell guy while we went to Lowe's to pick up paint for the living/dining room. The plan was to have the wall where the big wall unit from my studio in the house was going painted because once it's in place it really can't be moved...... We got back around 3:00 p.m. - no Bell guy! He didn't show up until 5:10 p.m. - I was ready to leave! Of course he showed up without the new wireless modem too! After all that, this will require another call to Emily to get it sorted out (anyone who deals with Bell knows Emily - she's the computerized voice you want to KILL!).....Bell is very lucky that I hate Rogers more!
Okay - so, yesterday was moving day! I was blown away! As promised, the movers showed up at approximately 8:15 a.m. and whipped through the house! I mean whipped! By 4:00 p.m. they were gone! I have never had such a smooth move! ...and this all happened at the price quoted! For anyone who is moving or who knows someone who is moving - this is who you call!
I just need to find the drawers and the shelves for the wall unit and Rich has to put up the dining room light fixture and then it will be pretty much complete. Unfortunately the anitque blue cupboard I had at the house doesn't fit so it will be going to the store and be put to use for display purposes.....
The large harvest table I had in the house now resides in Windsor in a gorgeous Log Cabin home with Libby and Lorenzo! I will go visit it soon!
I do feel I accomplished something and now I can safely start bringing my quilting home to work on in between boxes....painting.....and loads more that has to be done! I do feel that I accomplished something and that's the important thing here!
Will try and keep you all updated but I may need a few days to get acclimated! I also have to go back to the house and keep packing what we didn't have time to get ready! Ugh! It's still not over......
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
We were supposed to move on Wednesday. Needless to say, that was not going to happen in my wildest dreams.......#1 - like everyone else who moves, I wasn't ready and #2 - the "big" storm! Okay, maybe it wasn't what was predicted but it still would have put a damper on the move to say the least!
Of course, in preparation for the move certain things have to be done! Like moving the phone and internet, etc..... My plan was to move to a new provider, finally leaving Bell behind. I had chosen Primus at a combined cost of $69.95 - sounded pretty good but there was a catch! The internet usage was limited to 25G.....since Jonathan has been using up to 50G per month there would have to be some kind of upgrade. Jonathan streams TV and movies ever since I dropped my satellite dish and went to "rabbit ears" (plain old fashioned antenna). I had no idea until I called Bell to tell them I was cancelling.
So after 1 hour and 20 minutes and 4 different people, the end result was that I agreed to a new contract with Bell! I pretty much got the deal of the century - for $75.28 I got 60G of Wireless Internet usage, free North American long distance, a home phone with call display, call answer, call waiting and three way calling.....(never use it but it's part of the package!)! Previously I had been spending $130.00 - $150.00 with basic internet and basic phone - go figure! The base should have been about $70.00 but with long distance calls and Jonathan's extra downloading/streaming I was getting additional charges which really added up.
The downside was I told them I was moving Wednesday so by 10:00 a.m. I had no phone. We also had to be at the new house at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday to wait for the Bell guy to come and hook up the internet. He was coming between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.! So Jonathan and I headed over to the new place.....I took some pics so you can see the before!
The kitchen.......there are already boxes because we staged the house so some stuff went earlier......
The powder room and the staircase - one up, one down.....it's a pretty big townhouse and at this point I was hoping against hope that all the furniture would fit.....
Okay - so, yesterday was moving day! I was blown away! As promised, the movers showed up at approximately 8:15 a.m. and whipped through the house! I mean whipped! By 4:00 p.m. they were gone! I have never had such a smooth move! ...and this all happened at the price quoted! For anyone who is moving or who knows someone who is moving - this is who you call!
Planned Directions
James Strathdee
905-275-3442
Tell James - Jo-Ann sent you! He really is amazing and his crew of guys are absolutely fabulous! Any kind of move - he does it all! Last night - I fell into bed - exhausted!
Today - I started unpacking! I think I got about 15 boxes unpacked....which was a real good start but not even close. Rich came by and painted another wall! I was able to pretty much complete the dining room area.....
The large harvest table I had in the house now resides in Windsor in a gorgeous Log Cabin home with Libby and Lorenzo! I will go visit it soon!
I do feel I accomplished something and now I can safely start bringing my quilting home to work on in between boxes....painting.....and loads more that has to be done! I do feel that I accomplished something and that's the important thing here!
Will try and keep you all updated but I may need a few days to get acclimated! I also have to go back to the house and keep packing what we didn't have time to get ready! Ugh! It's still not over......
Have a great day everyone!
Jo-Ann
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