Focus Girl, Focus

Have you been paying attention lately? There hasn't been much quilty goodness shared here of late. It isn't for a lack of quilting, just a lack of anything to actually share. Despite my commitment to no obligation, I feel a tad bit guilty. 

The reason for little to share is that I've been buried under commission quilts. Namely, 13 doll quilts and 1 baby quilt. I haven't nearly made the progress I've wanted. Here are 8 of the doll quilts in various states. 2 finished, 2 with binding ready to hand stitch (yes, I still handstitch on commission quilts), 2 waiting for binding, and 2 waiting for quilting. I have the remaining 5 designed and waiting to be sewn.

As for the baby quilt, the special order fabric has arrived, the sketch is made, and the plan is set for a spree starting in a week. It must arrive before the baby!

And after all this, I can get back to the outstanding projects I just want to finish. Like this one, this one, and even this one.

Sunny Sundays


Today was a luxuriously glorious day. The kind of day you are afraid will never return. It was sunny, hot, but not too hot, and the kids slept in. That meant there was nothing to do but make pancakes for breakfast and head out for the day. Well, after I ate a whole bunch of the first crop of BC strawberries too.

So we loaded up the Chariot, got on the bike, packed some cherries, and went on a little adventure with the girls. It was perfectly suburban, finding a hidden playground in a chi chi neighbourhood, enjoying sandwiches at Heritage Park, and taking a ride along the Glenmore Reservoir.

That left a picnic as really the only dinner option. A picnic at the Splash park no less. Of course, that meant the girls ate very little in the midst of playing. That just means pancakes for breakfast again tomorrow morning.

On the menu tonight was some souvklaki I made during naptime. Garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, along with with some fresh oregano, mint, and rosemary took their own nap with with chicken and pork. We grilled it just before we left for the park. Wrapped in foil it was still warm when we arrived.

We also ate some Gull Valley tomatoes and cucumbers, pita bread, tzatsiki, and a side salad of watermelon and feta. I haven't had that salad since last summer, boy have I missed it.

Cut your watermelon in chunks. Toss with about a third as much feta. Top with some chopped fresh mint, freshly ground pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. To be honest, I think the original recipe comes from a Nigella Lawson book, but she may have included olives as well. We aren't olive fans in this house.

So we unloaded at the park, set the girls to running around, and chowed down. I even had an interesting conversation with a man at the next table over, but I could have done without stories about war in Lebanon in the 70s. That's the risk you take for taking Sunday dinner away from the dining room table. A small price to pay to cap off this beautiful day.

Sigh


While you are enjoying the mediocre quality of the photo above, let me start my rant about iPhone photography. Just because you have an iPhone and you can get all the apps, like Camera Bag, to apply filters to your photos does not make you a creative photographer. Nor does it necessarily make you a good photographer.

I feel totally justified in my rant today because I broke my camera on Friday. An hour before The Monster's birthday party I dropped it. Sigh. So today I confirmed that the camera isn't worth fixing, the replacement one I wanted is currently sold out, and the SLR I really want is currently out of the budget. As I am completely incapable of living without a camera we picked up a little point and shoot.

Can I admit that I feel like kind of a loser with my little camera? Yes, I am that snobby. It feels like the camera a teenage girl usually has. Oh wait, that's not true. She has an iPhone and thinks she is some kind of photographer.

Now, I don't claim to be a great, or even good photographer. But I do love to try and learn with every time I turn on the camera. So, if you notice a change in the photos here, you know why.

In the meantime, the photo above was taken with my Blackberry. I had to snap the picture because I was in love with the colour combo of my outfit (royal blue and turquoise) and the necklace I picked up at Market Collective that day. Thank-you to White Owl Porcelain for this gorgeous sea urchin necklace. So delicate and pretty. It might make up for the broken camera.