Wishing you all the happiest and healthiest of New Years! 

Just as the quote says "It's never too late to be what you might have been." 2015 will be another year of "firsts" for me, as 2014 was. It was my first year of running, which included 7 5Ks, 2 5 milers and a half marathon (13.1 miles). It was also the first year in my life that I maintained any significant weight loss...ever! I became a licensed Zumba® instructor in 2014 and now teach Zumba Gold®

1 day a week! I've also learned alot about myself along the way, including the fact that I love to inspire others to improve their health :)

I will always be a quilter and crafter and will continue to sew and create as well as dance and run! 2014 was an exciting year for me, and I hope to have an even MORE exciting 2015!!

Some Folks...

They just NEVER update their blogs, ya know? Man, what is UP with those kinds of folks??? 

Oh...wait...that would be me ;)

Well enough of THOSE KINDS of folks...here's an update for you! I've been busy over the last few months and thought you all might want to see what's I've been working on! 

 

This is a mini album quilt that is quilted and bound. It's from the book "Prairie Children and their Quilts".

 

Here's a fun Yellow Brick Road for my Niece Carrie who had a healthy bouncing baby boy, Aidan, on November  22!

 Since Bonnie Hunter's newest mystery, Grand Illusion, was approaching fast I figured I had better get last year's mystery, Celtic Solstice, to at least a top! Hooray! Now to get it quilted. Did you notice Roll Roll Cotton Boll peeking out from under the other top? What can I say...I love me some Bonnie quilts!!

 Here's a fun modern Churn Dash top that needs quilting as well.

These next 3 somewhat-minis are from the Kim Diehl "Simple Whatnots Club" and I just loved sewing them up! 

 And this last Valentine-themed quilt top is the Star Plus from Machenundtun and it worked up very quickly and made a small dent in my pink/red/brown stash!

So as you can see, I haven't been a total sewing-slouch ;) I do have a significant backlog of quilting to do! I'm currently working on the latest Bonnie Hunter Mystery, Grand Illusion and will post some pics of that shortly, so check back soon!

Some tote bag love!

 I am seriously OBSESSED with Charm Party Tote bag from Quilts Illustrated! Penny Sturges has so many wonderful bag patterns and I am just a bag pattern FREAK! Here's my latest Charm Party Totes....

 These 2 are made with the Mama Said Sew line of fabs from Moda. Such a fun sewing-related line of fabrics!

And this one is made with Posh, which is an older Moda line. I have 2 more identical ones in the works and have to finish those up...but the urge to buy a few more charm packs and associated yardage is strong! I still have more fusible fleece to use up! LOL

Hope you are all enjoying the summer! I certainly am. After this terribly cold and snowy winter, shorts and a tank top with the sun on your skin feels DIVINE!! So get out and enjoy the sunshine!

Retreat update!

 I'm back from our annual Backporch Friends retreat and have some fun pics to share! 

Here is my charity quilt...it's a little 9 patch designed by Terry of Terry's Treasures. I will definitely be doing another one of these!

I completed a few of the projects that I brought with me, although I have ALWAYS brought more than I could ever finish in the 4 days we are there!

An oldie but goodie, the project from the November Thimbleberries 2004 club! 

I am finally adding the buttonholing to a project that's been on my design wall for WAY too long, Gordy's Gang, a wool Halloween wall hanging. THIS WILL be done before this Halloween!

We also had a Jelly Roll Race! It was TOO fun and I love how my top came out! If you're interested in trying one yourself, here's the video from Missouri Star Quilt company! 

 

Love these girls! They are so much fun to sew and spend retreat time with! It's a shame that we only do it once a year, but I will take whatever sewing sista time I can get!!

After returning from the retreat, I am all jazzed up to sew! Hopefully I can keep some of this momentum going all year long and crank out a few other projects...so stay tuned for more finishes to come!

A Craft It Forward for Presidents Day!

Earlier this month I participated in a little Craft It Forward post on Terry's blog, and this past week I received my little prize, a lovely candle mat made by Terry! Thanks so much Terry, it's just awesome!

Would you like to participate in Craft it Forward too? Here are the rules, and a credit to Terry for allowing me to borrow them right from her blog!

1. I will make a crafty gift for the first five people to comment on this poist and say that they would like to be a part of Craft it Forward! This little gift is a surprise and will arrive to you anytime within the next 9 months.

2. To sign up for Craft it Forward, you need to commit to the project yourself. Once you receive the item from me, just post this or something similar on your blog so others can get involved. You them make them something and Craft it Forward continues on and on!

3. Leave a comment on this post telling me that you want to participate in Craft it Forward. Also please be sure that I have a way to contact you so  I can get your postal address (do not leave your postal address in the comments!) so I can get your crafty gift in the mail.

A Wiggly Whimsey Flimsy!

As the Brits would say, it's a Flimsy! My Wiggly Whimsey from last year's Terry's Treasure's sew along is finally done! Now to get a backing and some binding and finish 'er up! I've started working on the latest Terry's sew along and will post pics soon of that as well!

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday! It's been a colder day here today and we're expecting some frigid temps later this week...good quilting weather :)

The Power of a Word

 “I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.”
― Emily Dickinson

Sometimes just a single word is enough to change a person's outlook...or a person's life. Love is such a word, so is Hate and Cancer...and many others. Some folks have words that have personal and profound meaning to them, others have words that seem to allude them throughout life.

Balance has been one of those elusive words for me. I know alot of bloggers have chosen Balance as their word for 2014, and I have as well.  It is something that I have shrived for in the past, or turned the blind eye to when I haven't felt like working quite so hard on myself. I have managed to find balance in some areas of life, usually at the expense of others...so the illusion of balance was really just that...an illusion. I don't expect perfection from myself but this year I truly will work harder towards reaching a balance of work, play, food and exercise.

For someone who was brought up with an "all or nothing" mentality, balance can seem like an unattainable goal. But with hard work, patience and determination anything is possible. Balance can lead to a wonderful sense of peace and well-being that is truly worth all the hard work, and yes I'm finally willing to work THAT hard! LOL

Here's to balance for us all in 2014!