Scattered....

Where did September go? Oh yeah, I remember now. It started with Shop Hop and toe surgery. I feel like there's been a million things going on all at once.

Let's start with the remodel of Audrey's bedroom.

Merle supervising.....

We have moved all of her stuff out of the room except for the bed and began cutting in paint...you gotta love those 12 foot ceilings.

The "theme" is Old-Style Hollywood. Audrey's favorite movie star is Audrey Hepburn. Colors will be black, white, gray and red. Audrey picked the paint color (much to my disagreement), and now that the walls are all painted - she doesn't like the color (and I agree). Back to square one. We're also dealing with bad windows and the town's Historic Preservation officer that won't let us replace them with more energy-efficient ones. Now we have to get creative with a solution while Audrey is basically living in the living room with all her stuff. Did I mention that chaos makes me crazy?

I did finish this quilt earlier in the month. It's a pre-cut kit from Benartex and it sewed together like a dream.

I also made this little cell phone purse for Audrey's orchestra director's birthday. Isn't it cute?

As far as sewing goes this month, I feel like I have quilter's ADD. I started this project as a sample for a BOM I hope to begin soon. The blocks are all made, they just need to be put together along with a pieced border.

But wait, what about that BOM that's been running since January - I was keeping up with the sample, but heck-fire! It's September all ready! Shouldn't I be done by now? This is the last applique block and there's a few more pieced blocks to go. I hope to be finished before my customers!

It's the end of September, right? That means October starts in 2 days. The next Strip Club meeting is in early November. Quilt Market is in late October. In order to avoid the very familiar "oh crap" moment, I selected a pattern and will be using a Decadent Victorian jelly roll by April Cornell for Moda. The pattern is a two block (alternating) pattern and here's the first blocks.

Between school actvities, church (and its various meetings), private music lessons, the ongoing paint saga, as well as a minor medical procedure this afternoon, I'm trying to squeeze in as much sewing as possible. Some days I feel like George Jetson on that treadmill thingy yelling "Jane! Stop this crazy thing!"....

I know this is my life right now. And don't get me wrong - I am supremely grateful for the fullness and the blessings that I have. I just would like the world to stop spinning for just a minute or two so that I can catch my breath.

Oh yeah. Remember the morning glory plants that are threatening to eat my house? Here they are in all their glory (ha ha ha....). I wish the contrast was better so that you could see the vibrancy of the blooms. My flowerbeds may look like crap this year, but these sure are pretty.

Toe Update

Many of you kind folks have asked about my toe - so I'll update you on that.

Last Thursday, I realized that it was probably on its way to a raging infection. The consensus at the shop was that I should probably get a doctor to look at it. Called the podiatrist and got an appointment that morning.

Well, you can guess where this is heading. The toenail had to go. NOW. "But doctor, Shop Hop started this morning! I have 40 hours to go before Monday!". "That's too bad. Now you'll just feel a stick and a sting...."

Needless to say, I spent the majority of Shop Hop on Darvocet. It was interesting, to say the least. And yes, Merle is still a favored pet in our house. He can't help it if he's a big lazy lump. He was born that way.

Things are much better now (down to just a single band-aid), but it will take a year for my toenail to grow back. A YEAR, people! Thank goodness shoes-and-socks weather is just around the corner.

I have quilty things to share with you, but my camera cord decided to take a little vacation and forgot to tell me where it went. Hopefully, it will reappear very soon!

Injured!

Merle (the cat) tried to kill me tonight.

I was stepping out the back door to get something out of my car and Merle was sitting at the top of the concrete steps. I didn't see him until too late and I lost my balance and slammed my left foot toenail-down on the concrete. I apparently completely skinned the bottom of my big toe. I say apparently because I was sitting in the dark blinded by the pain - Russ helped me in the house and I threw my foot up on the counter and he cleaned and bandaged me up.

The throbbing is down to a dull roar and I have been banished to my recliner to elevate it. It's already swelling, but I don't think it's broken. NOT the way I wanted to begin my holiday weekend. We're supposed to be painting Audrey's room.

I think I'm most upset about scraping up the paint from my relatively fresh pedicure. I treat myself about twice a year. Such a bummer.

Oh great. I just noticed I am bleeding under the toenail of the second toe. Time to get another bandaid.

*** Update, Sunday morning: Took the bandages off and really looked. I did not skin up my toe. All the bleeding came from UNDER my toenail. It's still sore, but I guess it's a good thing that it only hurts from the top, and not the bottom. Thank goodness it's still sandal season - I think I would die if I had to put on a closed-toe shoe!