Back To Binder Basics

"Most of all, someone has taken the trouble to make things nice. To fluff up the pillows, fill a vase with flowers, put down freshly laundered throw rugs,or set a pot of potpourri to simmer. These little grace notes of sight and scent do more to make a home feel gracious and expansive than all the expensive furniture in the world."

I read this quote on Copperswife last June, and it has stuck with me! (you can read it here) Sadly, it just stuck in my mind, and I didn't implement it. 2011 has been "The Year of the Sloth" around here, and my home has suffered the most. I have spent the year working very hard at not working! My 2011 goals are left 90% unmet. That is insane....it should be the other way around. Well, this year I am turning it around! My Home Management Binder is pulled back out, reworked a bit to fit my current schedules, and within a short couple of months, my home will back to ship shape!!!

I even made that quote my front page.

I started today, right where the book says to begin....I didn't get my entire house in order BEFORE I started...I just dove right in as if I had been following it all along. I used a daily sheet and crossed off my tasks as they were finished.

A little bit of deep cleaning was added. A couple of kitchen cupboards were cleaned out, but my scheduled focus cleaning will start after the New Year.

It is one of main goals for 2012...to get my house back in order!

Speaking of order, I LOVE that feeling when all the Christmas stuff comes down and things get put back into place. I always change a few things in the process....I am itching for some new placemats for the kitchen table. These look just a tad "Old Lady". I will look for just the perfect ones in the next couple of shopping trips.

The tree came down today and Sassy supervised from her spot on the couch.

Cammy found Zachary's Merry-Go-Round amusing!!! She climbed in and out of it, batting at the sides as it went around! She is fully recovered from her bout with the tummy bug.

She is growing by leaps and bounds and LOVES Kyle. She will curl up with him and purr herself to sleep. She does not do that with most people.The grand kids are here for the week. Such sweeties, and I enjoy every minute with them! It is close to bed time, so I am off to tuck them in. I will be back with more on my 2012 Goals, and I am sure some TJ and Emerson pictures!!

The Prize

When I was a little girl, our centerpiece on the kitchen table was often a pig, much like the one in the picture above. It was made from a bleach bottle and it was the "prize". My mother belonged to a weight loss group named "Tops"...I am not sure what that stands for, but it is still around today. Her, or her best friend, Jeanna, would usually end up with the pig. The pig was given to the member who GAINED the most weight that week. Poor Mom and Jeanna. They were not at all successful in their Tops venture, but they sure had a lot of fun! I think they always went out to eat after their meetings! Well, now Mom and I are in Weight Watchers, and, though we DO go out to lunch after our meeting, we eat healthy, point friendly foods! I got a prize last weigh in....my 10% key chain. (meaning I have lost 10% of my body weight...if I tell you how much, you could easily figure out my weight and then I would have to hurt you!) It was a goal I have had since I started on August 2nd, and I reached it...not as fast as I thought, but I did it! The powers that be at WW tell me I am doing just what they want...losing steady and slow. I am averaging 1.5 pounds a week. My next goal is only 2 pounds away....a charm to put on that key chain! It is all down hill from there!

I got a prized package in the mail yesterday....what a surprise that was! Copperswife made these beautiful knitted dish cloths for me and the gorgeous fall kitchen towel! It hangs on my oven door with everyone being informed NOT to use it...it is too pretty!Thank you, Cher!

I did a little deep cleaning in my make up/skin care bins. Gosh, how do we collect so much "stuff" we never use? I put all my skin care and make up that I use everyday and found a cup with my name on it, that I never use, and put my pencils, mascara and brushes in there...some hair spray even fit there. It all looks so much nicer and there is nothing there I don't use. The prize here was I found a $55.00 set of day and night serums that I forgot I had! They are not that old, but I had misplaced them somehow!

I saw this stitched on a pillow recently....

"Put some lipstick on!! Everything will be just fine!"

Somehow, I doubt that is true, but it sure can make you feel better! LOL
Now an update on those prized kitties! Sassy is TOTALLY warmed up to Cammy. They play together, sleep together, and eat together.

Well not so much eat together, cause Sassy is a hog!Cammy can not eat dry food yet, so she gets soft food several times a day. Sassy thinks she needs it too, so I give her a "little" bit outside of her full can of Fancy Feast in the mornings. Still I need to use 2 bowls. Cammy looks like she is getting a bit of chub herself from the back view LOL! She gets her kitty shots next week, on Sassy's birthday, the day after Thanksgiving.
Sassy has become a kitten again! She is so playful again and they love to play hide and seek in the box!Cammy wears out and needs a nap in the comfort of someones arms....there are always a pair ready to oblige her!So that is all the prize news here at my home! See you again soon...are you all excited that Thanksgiving is just next week?! I am!!!!

Labor Day Weekend

My weekend with the grand kids is over....they will be with their Daddy til Monday night, and then go to Mom. I get them next Saturday and Sunday for a special weekend! So excited! TJ lost a tooth...the above picture was after many smiling ones where I could not see the "hole". By this time he was not as smiley!

Emerson was so thrilled with her new Veggie Tale Crocs. She took a nap in them!!!
They spent the night Friday, went with Daddy on Saturday and they all came for dinner today! The weather was beautiful. Sunday service was awesome and Sweetheart and I even had some alone time while Bud watched the kids for us. We ran to Kohls and Target and just hung together. The kids played outside all day.
Emerson wanted to ride Zach's scooter, so he adjusted it for her. Look at how excited she is....
It didn't take long before she was off and scooting!It was such a blessing to spend the time with them. TJ started 1st grade and is such a big boy!And, Emerson will be 3 in a couple of weeks. Goodness, do you all remember when she was born? It seems like yesterday.....The guys broke the rim on the basketball hoop today. Funny how it took all 3 of them to put up a new one! Kyle made sure the job was done right!Now a quick note regarding quilting. Tomorrow I should be (WILL be) done with the applique on the UGRR Sampler. I just need to add a final border and the top will be finished. I am buying the batting and backing on Tuesday and it should be in the hoop by the end of the week! I have enjoyed the applique so much I decided to pull out an old project. The Masterpiece Quilt. I was stuck and frustrated on the peas sized pieces, but my determination is renewed. I plan to get block one finished and block two under way in short time. The next few blocks will be much less tedious!
We start school on Tuesday. It will be good to get to a normal schedule! Hopefully, that will mean a better blogging schedule too! See you soon, and have a wonderful Labor Day!

Waking Up The Blog

When it comes to blogging, I have fallen asleep on the job!!! The grandkids have been here a lot this summer, and I have treasured every minute! Now I am on a 3 week withdraw! I learned just this morning that TJ lost his first tooth....I didn't even get to see it wiggle :( One more week and I will see them again!

In the meantime, we have stayed busy here. My mother and I took Kyle, Charlotte, and Zach to the Discovery Center one day. They all loved it! Here are some highlights.....
School officially starts for us in the next couple of weeks. We are planning a trip to Galena with the kids before our start date. Charlotte has been working hard to start her Freshman year....Zach starts 5th grade. Where has the time gone? Oh...Charlie starts piano lessons tomorrow. She is THRILLED!
I never did show you pics of my new sewing area. I am so happy I moved it back downstairs. It is a little different than last time, but I like it better this way!My Grandma's hutch is in the far corner, where it was before, and it is filled with pretties and old antique quilts. I added this cupboard to the room....it will hold bigger pieces of fabric.
On the quilting front....lets just say I have been in a rut. Not for long though. I am still appliqueing leaves and then I can get the UGRR in the hoop. I am also playing with my 9-patches. I bought this yardage of red and am toying with the idea of using it for alternate blocks....but I think I may do a fence rail in between them. Either way, it is next on the list!!!
(Blogger keeps leaving big spaces and if I close them up, they go right back....Blogging has been frustrating lately with all the Blogger glitches going on)

I broke in my new sewing area with this little runner. I even machine quilted it in the ditch *GASP* That won't be happening very often!!! LOL

Lots of Spiritual growth here. Attacks from all sides and God showing me exactly how to handle them at the exact right moment it needs to be handled. Pray for our neighborhood. We are in a battle to keep our children safe. We know and TRUST that God is in control and I am so thankful that the Lord trusts me enough to give me this task! I love it when he clearly shows me HIS way verses my own way.
More times than not, in difficult situations, we see through a cloud and are not quite sure which way to go....this time the road was well marked!!! Praise GOD!!!

I will try not to stay away so long. Now that our schedule is back on track, it should be easier to keep up this little blog! Thanks for stopping in!

Sunshine!!

We have had some nice weather lately, and the sunshine has streamed through the window beautifully. In the early mornings, the bunnies are all over the backyard, much to Sassy's enjoyment!
Speaking of bunnies, I have a few Easter pics to share. My children all ready for church on Easter morning..... My mom and sister joined us for church too! After a wonderful church service we all came back and had a cookout. The grandkids were with us this year, which made Easter extra special!!!
I will share more Easter pics next time.
Here is an update on the family....
Sweetheart is working LOTS of hours, but I am so grateful for the job!!!Charlotte is, well,.....Charlotte is Charlotte. She has good and bad days. School has been an issue here, but I think maybe, hopefully, prayerfully, she is starting a new trend.
She is enjoying her needlework, playing outside with friends, and hanging with her brothers.
Zach is doing well in school, and is looking forward to a summer break. We homeschool through most of the summer, so he may be an unhappy guy very soon! Oh well, we only work in the mornings. He LOVES that cat, and is spending lots of time outside playing with his best friend, Stephan.
Kyle is so glad the weather is nice. He is outside more than he is inside and loves playing basketball with the guys in the cul de sac!Me? I have been getting Bud and Rachel's old house ready for the new tenants. My sister in law, who lives in Colorado, owns the house, so I am helping her by showing and renting it. The new family signed the lease here this afternoon. I am so glad that is over!! Now on to some Spring cleaning around here and back to some quilting projects that have been far too neglected! My mom an sister are coming early in the morning to attend Mother's Day service at my church. How blessed can I be? 2 times in 3 weeks!!! Next Sunday, Zach is getting baptized, so that will be an event also!
That's all for now. I will come back early next week and share more! I'm sure this long post wore you out!!!