Gratitude

Do you ever do the word of the year? I remember picking one last year, but then I forgot what it was. Clearly it worked really well for me. Maybe this year will be different? Whether I remember the word or not, I do need to remember the action.

Gratitude

... Be thankful for what I have in my life instead of focusing on what I don't have.
... Be thankful for the friends and family who support me.
... Write thank you notes, even when they are way, way, way overdue.
... Acknowledge past efforts of those who do things to make my life special and better.
... Let the kids know that every day they make my life better, even when there are lost goggles, spilled cheerios, and early morning interruptions.
... Give thanks to each of you for encouraging me.

Cataloguing the Scraps

So I designed a quilt. It uses 36 fat quarters but there are some leftovers and scraps. Such pretty scraps. I know people hate to see waste and overly generous yardage requirements in patterns. I do too. When I made the quilt I made a point to keep and organize all the scraps. Here they are.

They could combine to do some really fun and beautiful things. Instead of using the extra blocks on the back I kept them aside and they will be used in a baby quilt. There are all those circles cut from the back of larger circles appliqués. They could be another small quilt if appliquéd on a background. Then there are strips and snippets and trimmings. The fabrics are this Vanity Fair bundle from Dear Stella plus a lot of additions from my stash. All pretty. All useful.

Oh the possibilities!

When the pattern comes out in the Spring issue of Quilter's Connection we can talk more about the scraps - how they came to be and what I may have even done with them by then.

New Tool

It was time to start a new sketchbook. For a change - and because my girls have used up my special markers for sketching - I broke out the Prismacolors. I adore the perfection of them before they've been used and shortened and sharpened. Using special fabric? No problem! Using new pencil crayons? So hard to do.

Now, I wonder how long I can keep the kids away from these?

Paris: A Love Story (Weekend Reads)

Oh, all those decorating magazine that tell you to leave books, lotions, and treats in your guest room. My guest room is also the studio, so you're lucky if I vacuum to pick up any errant pins. But my SIL's Mama hosted me back in October for Quilt Market. She is such a generous person that of course she had all that stuff in her guest room for me. And for the second time ever I actually picked up the book on the night stand.

Paris: A Love Story is a memoir by journalist Kati Marton. With the backdrop of her marriages and love affairs with Peter Jennings and Richard Holbrooke she captivates with the story of Paris in her life. Paris was where her living and her grieving happened. Where she became a woman is Paris, where she meets her last love, where she retreats.

Now, I must admit that I didn't know the name Kati Marton when I picked up the book. I finally figured out who she was when I came to the picture section. I didn't feel the need to Google her because I just wanted to read the story. She is a wonderful writer, knowing well how to tell a story to capture her audience and hold them. So while the people in her story are real and almost all famous, I was interested in them as characters in her story. But if you know her world of American journalism and even the politics then it must be rather fascinating to have this behind the scenes look.

After three late nights spent reading I finished the book hours before I got on my plane home. And was able to leave the book behind for the next guest.