Great Inauguration Photos

Checking in to share a website with some great inauguration photos.
I took the day off Tuesday and spent most of the day painting my living room while listening to and watching the events of the inauguration unfold. It was truly an emotional experience to watch this historical moment. I am inspired and hopeful.

The living room redo comes after 10 years (yes, 10 years) of indecision. We live in a cabin like house where most of the walls are made of thick cedar planks. Jerry and I have had a long debate over paint vs no paint and we finally reached a compromise. Last year I finally painted in the kitchen, and this year I am doing the living room. That will still leave the family room with the big stone fireplace , and the study, to have the masculine, woodsy cabin look.

Still a work in progress, I have a long way to go. LOTS of ideas for decorating, including using a blend of old and new quilts. I promise before and after pictures at a later date.

Sunday by the Sea

Yesterday morning we went to Sunday Brunch at the Marine Room with Jerry's brother John and his wife Diane. Although they offer the convenience of valet parking, we chose to drive up the street, park, and have a scenic walk down to the restaurant. Jerry and John are walking just ahead of us there on the road, and on the right some folks are just getting ready for a dive.

There is a path with beach access right next to the Marine Room. When the tide is very high, as it was yesterday morning, the water comes right up to the windows and it feels like you are on a boat.

After breakfast we went down to the boardwalk and walked along the beach. Lots of people were surfing, going in for diving, and taking kayak lessons. This colorful pile of kayaks caught my eye.


By this time the tide had moved back out. It was a beautiful day, sunny and not foggy at all.

In the afternoon, our husbands went off to a football party and Diane and I had a pleasant afternoon in the sewing room. When Jerry and John came back in the evening, we sat by the fire and sipped our wine. A lovely end to a lovely day.

Organizing

Although I don't suffer from CHAOS (Cant Have Anybody Over Syndrome), things around here need an organizational overhaul every now and then. Cooking with my son made me realize I needed to organize the spice cupboard, so I did. To my chagrin there were LOTS of multiples (couldn't find it, thought I didn't have it, bought another.) At least I know what's in there now.

In the sewing room I had more fun. Reacquainting myself with my stash while lovingly folding and reorganizing my treasures.

I also arranged my art supplies in drawers and shelves tucked neatly under the cutting table.

I moved the cutting table to get better access from both sides. Note the neatly organized scraps that have been cut, and the HUGE bin of scraps that have not. I really need to make more scrap quilts this year. Seriously.

The finished sewing space aka studio, just ready and waiting for me to mess it up.

Before and After

At this time of year, as I always do, I consider trying once again to lose weight and get into better shape. I made some progress fitness wise this year, but when all is said and done I am still about the same (large) size. For inspiration this year I am looking to my friends who have actually accomplished their weight loss goals. Above is my lovely friend Pam (in the red jacket) at last year's Christmas party.

And here is the ever cheerful and funny Kathy, friend and seamstress extraordinaire.
See the picture below to see how both of these lovely ladies look after a year of hard work.
(Pam is the third from the left and Kathy is on the end.)

They are both now wearing the tiny sizes they always dreamed of. My friend Cindy has also lost a jaw dropping amount of weight, but she is so camera shy that I am having trouble finding any good pictures of her. During our "sharing" of quilts she always made sure to hide behind one.

My thin friends lost weight on this spartan eating plan:
Breakfast: nonfat yogurt and berries, 2 oz oatmeal or shredded wheat
Lunch: cooked vegetables and 4 oz protein
Dinner: 4 oz of protein and a big salad, 1 T oil based salad dressing

No fat, flour, sugar or salt. NONE. They did this for months on end, eating ONLY these three small meals and no snacks. After all that sacrifice, they DESERVE their success.
I did try, briefly, to follow the same plan. I was so hungry I could have eaten wallpaper off the wall. Not for me, I'm afraid. Last year I also followed the Weight Watchers plan on and off. I know it will work (SLOWLY) if you stick to it. My problem was that with only a small slip up I would instantly wipe out the progress of weeks. This year I am trying something new. I rejoined a Curves exercise club near my work and have been going regularly. There is a new plan for tracking your exercise progress and also one for eating. I am ready to try again.

Happy New Year!

Thinking about the coming year, I was busy making resolutions to do MORE quilting when it suddenly dawned on me that I actually accomplished quite a bit. Two family wedding quilts, two baby quilts, a quilt for my SIL's birthday. a quilt for my son, two wall hangings, a quilt for our group exchange, and one art challenge. Not to mention various WIPs and a couple of purses.
So, for the place I am in life (still working full time) not bad at all.

We are so lucky to have discovered the joy of creating with fabric! Happy quilting in 2009 !