Thursday, April 26, 2012

Breaking My Silence

April has been an interesting month! I don't think I've ever spent so much time sick.

I started the month with a rotten cold - so rotten I should have stayed home from work, but didn't because my direct supervisor was on vacation. That lasted a week. I had a lingering, terrible cough in the weeks since.

I was finally in the stages of kicking the cough and reclaiming my health last week. I even went to the gym and increased my resistance on all the weight devices, as well as my level on the reclining bike. I felt awesome, as long as my esophagus cooperated and let me go without coughing.

I even hopped on the dieting wagon, and starting tracking my calories. I'm attempting to stay between 1200 and 1500 calories per day. It's been surprisingly easy to do so. My normal eating habits aren't terrible to start with. I just needed to reduce some of the carb intake and manage my protein better. I'd already been cutting the junk food out, because it's really just stupidly expensive for junk food, and no one in my family needs it. The occasional treat is all right, but we can make healthier, tastier treats at home!

I made it through two sewing days (yay!) and got started on the Stich N' Bitch BOM project. It's so pretty! I'm so happy! I even picked up the pieces on the Skill Builder Series Sampler. It's not a lot - about four blocks into the BOM, and just components into the Sampler. Really, really, really pathetic considering how gangbusters I was last month.

Then, yesterday... Well, all right. Tuesday at about 4:00 PM - my body decided to rebel.  My tonsils got swollen. I started feeling like I was attempting to swallow glass shards. My muscles started aching.

I tried to live in denial for a little bit. It was difficult. Hubby claimed he'd started experiencing the same symptoms the day before. I ended up waking up several times Tuesday night, feeling progressively colder and worse. Sometime around 4:45 AM I realized that there was no way in bloody hell I was making it into work.

So, yesterday morning, I texted my supervisor, letting him know I wouldn't be in. And then hubby, kiddo and I all trundled off to Urgent Care, with grandma in tow to keep an eye on Zeb while hubby and I got checked out.

Turns out, all three of us have strep throat. Yeah... I blame the trip hubby and Zeb took to the Madison Zoo, as strep has shown up in the family they went to the zoo with. I'd blame work, but I'm in an office by myself most of the day, despite being on a college campus.

So, yeah, here I am. It's almost the end of the month, and I've got very little to show for it.

Oh, and no pics. My camera's broken for my birthday. I already told the hubby that I want a new camera. I just have to decide on a model.

On the weight loss front... I'm down to 215 pounds, down from 220. It's slow going, but it'll so be  worth it!!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Fresh Sewing Day, April 2012 Edition

April Fresh Sewing Mosaic

Um... I made a crazy number of blocks in March. Thirty-three of them! I also finished three hexie flowers, and basted enough hexagons for another five. The photos show five completed flowers only because I'd never bothered to photograph them before (at least that I remember).

In addition, I received the fabrics to participate in another quilt-along, Sandi's Ironwork* Quilt Along. She colored her sample in oranges and purples, and I suckered myself into spending the money and diving in. I also decided on colors and some fabrics for the Stitch N' Bitch BOM project - I'm going to finally do more than pet and stare at my Eclipse fabrics. I did some more work on my Double Wedding Ring piecing - lots more to do, but at least I did some sewing on it.

In the meantime, I've got the bits and pieces for a new project started. I have a lot of HSTs left over from piecing for The Farmer's Wife sampler, since I'm using strip methods. The plan is to use them, and scraps leftover from the neutrals used in the blocks to make a mini.

I got some new storage for my fabric! An office was being cleaned out at work, and I wandered in during the proceedings. The most awesome vintage and multi-colored cabinet was there! I claimed it on the spot.

Vintage Cabinet
Only after getting it home did I discover that the shelf slides out, making everything accessible. And, it locks!

Storage Solutions
I swear, that little feature is the best. Kiddo can't get into the thread any more!

I'll end up re-painting this  beast at some time the future - but not all one color, and only when I have some yard space so that I can sand and prime it first. Unfortunately, house hunting is going to have to
wait, even though I qualified for an awesome home loan - hubby's car decided to throw its exhaust and catalytic converter. I refuse to drop $500+ on parts into the thing, so we're going to look at vehicles tomorrow.

Lily's Quilts
 
Check out what everyone else has posted for Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Crawling Towards Completion

Thirty-seven more blocks to go. Three of them are do-overs, and one needs a m. I'm feeling an urge to actually quilt and finish something though, so I need to pick up some batting soon and finish out a top or two.
#105 Wild Goose Chase
#105 Wild Goose Chase
I totally did not intend for the pink geese to be so perfectly fussy cut - the fabric has a tiling look to it, and I wanted to capture more pink than green. Still, it actually looks really good. I'm kind of sad that the 'sky' for the green geese looks more randomly cut, but I'm so not going back.

#106 Wild Rose and Square
#106 Wild Rose and Square
I was not ready to do another red or pink block, and I've used too much gray for backgrounds lately. I let the squares in the corners determine my other fabric choices.

#013 Buckwheat
#013 Buckwheat

Paper-pieced,  and some old favorites from the fabric stash.