Sunday snow update

Bismarck received 6.1 inches of snow in January (so far). 

Since December 1, over 39 inches of snow has fallen in Bismarck. For December, that is the most snow to fall in Bismarck for that month.

That's all nice and dandy, but yowzer all that snow shoveling will give you a backache.

... another few inches of snow forecasted tonight.

Message to snow: Stay up there, we don't need any more!

My paper white bulbs and I are amazed at all the snow we have. We got another five inches of snow last night and another few inches this morning. Maria and Matthew, my bonus sister and brother have a snow day off school today - yahoo! They live 2 1/2 hours north of here and got over a foot of snow yesterday. 

At out house, we have snow piles over four feet high lining our driveway. It's crazy.

All the more reason to stay inside and quilt! ... I finished this quit top. No back yet and it still need to be quilted. It's probably the most girly quilt I've ever made.

and my second quilt of 2009 ...

I started an improv-pieced quilt. Basically this just means that I don't use a pattern - I just randomly sew pieces together to create a quilt. There is a Flickr group dedicated to this project. Check it out - just click the link. There are about 115 of us that are participating. The quilt I decided to make will represent my journey through RCIA – yes, I'm becoming Catholic! The quilt will be a wall hanging of six squares (crosses). 

Depending on how it turns out, I might submit it in the Artists Celebrating Christ Art Show. So far I think the quilt is looking pretty good - especially considering it's made of all batik scraps. Thanks to my Aunt Kristen for donating a bag of scraps recently – they came in very handy with this project. The squares have an amazing stained glass look which I am really enjoying. I will border each of the squares with white fabric (for a total size of about 10 inches square), then sew the six squares together, and then I will quilt it. 

New recipe!

Check out my new recipe over here.

I'd write more but I have a almost-finished puzzle to attend to.

It's winter in North Dakota

Right about this time of the year, the rest of the nation gets geared up for the longer days, warmer sun, greener grass, and blooming flowers that spring brings. Well, here in North Dakota we're still deep in the belly of winter ... for another three to four months.

My boss sent this little poem to me last week. It made me giggle. 

I really do love North Dakota. I also love the fact my nose is frozen shut.

---

It's winter in North Dakota

And the gentle breezes blow

Seventy miles an hour

At twenty-five below

Oh, how I love North Dakota

When the snow's up to your butt

You take a breath of winter

And your nose gets frozen shut

Yes, the weather here is wonderful

So I guess I'll hang around

I could never leave North Dakota

'Cause I'm frozen to the ground

---

If you are in the mood for more North Dakota fun ... check out this song. Just click play to hear "If You're Gonna' Play in Fargo (You Better Have a Shovel in the Van)." 

Haha hoo he ha.

... So funny I think I just defrosted my frozen nose.

Hope you all are enjoying your weather wherever you are.

*Sorry about the recycled photo. It's too darn cold to go outside to take a new one.

2008 was great

Boy, o boy was I was busy in 2008. 

The above mosiac are all photos of sewing projects I completed within the last year.

The list includes:

1 quilted tree shirt
2 oven mits
2 stuffed bunnies
3 aprons
4 quilts
and over 10 embroidered dish towels

In other reminiscing fun, I found the following list I posted to my blog one year ago, in January 2008. Today I updated the list (in italics).

Some new, fun, neat stuff from 2007:

- Getting engaged to and marrying the man of my dreams, Corey. Corey is amazing. I'm so very blessed to call him mine :)

- My new and wonderful bonus family ... the Hagers and Schumachers, I already feel like I've known then forever. Ditto again this year. They are wonderful.
- Parker. My first and only cousin. I can't imagine how we survived so long without him. Still adorable and such a sweetie.
- Lazy football Sundays ... (hurray for quilting!) oh yeah, and watching football is okay too. Haha not much has changed here.
- Pancheros. This restaurant has single-handedly brought some of the world's best tortillas to Bismarck. yum. Still major yum.
- www.jcrew.com ... the clearance section is just fantastic - I'm especially partial to the pea coats and flip flops and pants and swim suits. oh my. I have everything I need so I haven't shopped much this year. Our bank account thanks me.
- Caitlyn. She's been a great roomie this year and she's very handy with her physical therapy tricks like taping ankles or taking my blood pressure. I miss her and her crazy PT tricks. Please come back soon! (she's in California for Christmas) Caitlyn moved out into her own spiffy apartment. She's kickin' butt in class and has less than one year of class left! yay Caitlyn!
- Pinochle. It gets me in touch with my competitive side I'm finally getting the hang if it. We even taught my parents to play. Definitely my new favorite card game.
- Cookin' and bakin'. This was more of a recent December 2007 item, but I have a new passion for bakin' and cookin'. Special thanks to my trusty 'ol crock pot and new Kitchen Aid mixer. Wow I've come a long way ... who would have thought I'd actually HOST thanksgiving at my house in 2008?
- Apple iPhoto Books. I like them. A lot. Thanks for the reminder - I need to make a Boston iPhoto book
- Bistro sushi night. Thursdays. mmm good. I don't think I've been there since I wrote this.
- Going for walks. Who knew our neighborhood was so neat? This is not a winter activity. Wishin' it was spring.
- The Quilt Haus. Super cool new quilt store in Bismarck. Still my favorite.
- Christmas music. This year I rediscovered my love for Christmas music in a big way. Super ditto for this year - check out my top albums.
- Gaining a respect for people who have successfully changed their name (and all their accounts, credit cards, paperwork). Wow, it is a lot of work. Yep, glad that's over.
and last but not least ...
- Coming home to a clean house after the honeymoon. that was awesome! Thanks again to the Zundel's and Vander Vorst's, you are awesome! That seems like ages ago.

Some of the things I'm looking forward to in 2008
- Parker will turn one in March He'll be TWO! yahoo!
- Caitlyn will graduate with her undergraduate degree in April She'll graduate with her Doctorate in May, 2010!
- We'll be flying to Boston in October for Megan and (my new brother) Jesse's wedding. This will be a blast! We're so excited! Ahhh, that was a great trip. Not to self ... need to make iPhoto book ASAP.
- Our one year anniversary in November. We're well into two years of married bliss already!
- I have a feeling I'll be quilting more in 2008 I have a feeling I'll be quilting even more in 2009. I'm also planning on teaching a few eager folks how to quilt!
- Basically, I'm just really looking forward to being newlyweds. Are we still newlyweds? Regardless, I'm looking forward to another year. I have a feeling 2009 will be awesome.

Show and tell

In browsing through some recent photos on my computer I realized I have lots for show and tell.

Oven mits given as Christmas gifts. Patten from here. They match the aprons I made earlier this year.

These aprons are awesome and super cute! Apron pattern from here.

This is a golden oldie quilt I completed in 2003 'ish' I call it Asian Springtime. It's actually four quilts of the same pattern (40x40"), arranged two by two, to made a large (80x80") quilt.

I just finished this one mid-December to give to my Grandma Katy for Christmas. See the work in progress here.

First 2009 quilt

Here is my first project for 2009 - a raged squares quilt from this pattern. I am using fabrics from my collection - some from the great sale and others from scraps. 

I've got a few projects in the works ... including this one that I kind of forgot about until now. I have a feeling January will be a very productive quilting month.

Happy 2009!

I'm honestly not a huge fan of the 'New Year' holiday but I do like the feeling of starting something new ... hence the new quilt.