Vintage Halloween BOM

So last night, I'm talking to my sister on the phone. We are going to be doing a pretend Block of the Month with some other friends. (No-blog Isabel and Carolyn, Peggy, Robin, Michelle) The "pretend" part is there will be no kit, no monthly fee and no once-a-month package in the mail to gently remind us to get your butt in gear because you've got a new block due!!! This is the embroidery pattern from Crabapple Hill called Vintage Halloween that we're going to do starting October 1st.

Isabel said she went through her floss and didn't have all the colors she needed so she had gone to her local "in town" craft store. They didn't have any black or a couple of other colors she needed. I had already eaten dinner and my hubby was playing golf so I told her I'd run to Michael's real quick. She lives in a cute little town with Ben Franklin as her local quilt shop and has to make a kind of long drive to get to "the big city". LOL I make it sound like she lives in po-dunk, huh? She's not but she still has to make a drive to get to the good stuff. I'm a city slicker, with many craft store choices in any direction. So off I went and found all the colors of floss I needed except one, #444. That little space was empty. Isabel told me that it's a yellow color so I picked up some alternate choices. I had her on the phone and she was looking at her color chart. :o) Technology. What did people do before computers and cell phones? I got the floss for her too and back home I went. (And let me tell you how hard it was NOT to buy any new Cricut cartridges at Michael's!! I had to walk right past them to get to the floss!!!)

When I got home, instead of working on my current (and very behind) BOM, I sat and cleaned up my floss box, wound my new pretty colors and re-wrapped some that were loose and messy. Look how pretty it looks now. (My sock drawer should look this good!!) lol

While I was sitting winding, winding, winding, I was watching some tv and then the news came on. The weather man said something about a Harvest Moon and that we won't have another one like this until 2029. Hello? I'll be 72 in 2029....if I'm lucky. Since I didn't know if I'd see another one, I got up, grabbed my camera and went outside to take a looksie. And this is all my little old Sony camera could do....

I could've gotten the same results by using a hole punch and a piece of black cardstock!! LOL So I looked online today and got this 'more-than-I-need-to-know' explanation about a Harvest Moon, the equinox, yada, yada, yada and some much nicer pictures than what I could take. Now this is more like it. Makes you want to snuggle up with a nice flannel quilt and get those cooler temperatures for Fall's arrival.....

(Photo removed)

Those cooler temps won't be happening here in Southern Cal. We've had such a mild summer but I guess we're gonna play catch up because that same weather report last night said it'll be in the 80's today and 90's this weekend. Argh!!! So I guess I'll be feeling cool temps but only because I'll be running my a/c! :o)

Yesterday...

Yesterday morning when I went outside to go to work, it seemed extra cold to me. Well, I should say cold for Orange County (CA), not like the east coast, since they are buried under snow right now. So I started the car and I noticed this cute little snowflake next to the temperature. Wow, my car came with clipart! I wonder if when we hit 105 in the summer I'll get a little sun icon to advise me of how hot it is? Lord knows, I can't figure these things out for myself. LOL
What's that you say? You looked at the clock and saw it said 7:57? Yes, I start work at 8:00 a.m. Yes, I was late. What's your point? lol No one usually gets to work until after me so I figure if I show up on time, it gets wasted because there's no one there to see it. Really!

So, the boss's birthday is rolling around. I shared how she spoiled me on my birthday with balloons, roses and a hundred dollar gift card. She could've done it cuz she loves me but she might've had an ulterior motive with her birthday right after mine. hehe I had to bite the bullet and do the most dreaded thing ever.....EVER!!! I had to GO TO THE MALL! Ack! The other day I asked her what she wanted. She's very difficult to buy for. She said a small pan from Williams Sonoma. Eeegad, I knew what that meant. I looked online but knew I'd have to go to the store in order to have it on time. Gasp!

Shopping wasn't that bad. I found the pot. It was on sale. It was still ridiculously priced for a pot but I figured I owed her. While I was in the mall, I went and got some face cream at Sephora and looked around Macy's because I had a $50 gift card from Christmas. I thought I better look while I was there cuz I might NEVER go back! I was feeling parched at this point. It happens every time I go shopping. My girls laugh at me. I don't know why it happens. Maybe I hyperventilate while I'm there and my mouth gets dry while I'm gasping for air. hehe
After shopping, I took some take-out home for dinner. Two of my girls were there so after catching up with them I got in my room and sewed a little bit.

I sewed one seam in this project (stitch in the ditch) and honestly, I think shopping took everything out of me cuz I was exhausted. I just don't have shopping stamina! I went and parked myself on the couch and worked on my BOM that I am behind on while watching American Idol.
I'm getting close to being done with this block. It was a BIG one!

I've got the gloves, some flowers and the doily to finish. I've got December and January traced and then February got delivered last week. Eeegads, don't these people know I have a life! LOL

My mom is needing a new recliner so I volunteered to help my sister shop for it. Yes, it is more shopping but it doesn't involve the mall so I think I'll live. If you don't hear from me for a few days, call 9-1-1, the Park Rangers, the Canadian Mounties........or maybe Mall Cop! :o)

Long drives and back to sewing...

I'm back from San Diego. My sis and I went on Thursday and got back Saturday. Thankfully, the skies were blue and we didn't hit any rain on the drive home. My mom should find out tomorrow if and when she'll have gallbladder surgery. She's doing pretty well and though we were sorry to miss Road to CA, there will be other quilt shows and it was good to take care of our mom.

The blue skies didn't last but it's okay. We need rain in Southern California! My sister drove home on Sunday morning and hit a little bit of rain right before getting home. I took this picture out my front door yesterday, MLK Day. I had the day off, which was nice to play catch up after being gone. It was pouring and the wind was blowing pretty hard. I don't know why that darn old tree in my front yard won't blow down, doggone it! I call it a Dr. Seuss tree. I wouldn't mind it but it doesn't have many leaves. Looks sort of sorry. lol We're due to have more rain tomorrow and a really big storm on Thursday. Should I call Noah? :o)

I sandwiched two quilts yesterday. Well, one quilt and a table runner. I'm working on that UFO list! But I've got a "code in by doze". :o) A stuffy nose and chest congestion so when I felt like I needed to sit down for a bit, I worked on my BOM. This block is from November. I am behind due to the holidays so I'll try to chip away at it a little during tv time in the evenings.

I started stitching on the table runner tonight and got it anchored but didn't take a picture of it. This is the other quilt I got sandwiched.

I think I'll just stitch in the ditch on this one to keep the kaliedoscope effect. It'll have to wait until I'm done with the table runner though. Better go get back to that!

We're smokin' in So. Cal

I know there are fires but that's not the kind of smokin' I'm talking about. :o) This is a picture of the dashboard of my car from yesterday. According to Yahoo, it was 104 degrees outside but it was 109 in my car!!! Yikes. It cooled off to 94 today. Yay, a cooling trend! lol

Tonight for dinner, hubby and I decided to try this place in Orange called Tulsa Rib Co. It's in a strip mall so it doesn't look like anything fancy but it was decent. My friend Carolyn (an avid OU fan) would be happy to know they had a Sooner Burger on the menu. :o)
Look at my hubby Richard. He just looked at me and asked me if I HAVE to take pictures of EVERYTHING!!! I told him yes. How else will my family know what I've been doing. Right, Isabel? hehe

And the only reason I mentioned the Tulsa Rib Co. is because we took a wrong turn and stumbled onto this newer quilt shop!!! Richard asked me if I wanted to stop and I said, "No, I'm hungry." He was hoping I would want to go there first because he wasn't really too hungry. But he's such a sweetie. He took me back after dinner. Luckily, they were open until 8:00 most weeknights. Yay!!!

There are two owners, Lisa, who we met and Pebbles. Isn't that cute. I wonder if she has red hair? :o) Anyway, it's got 2500 bolts of fabric and it's something like 3500 sq. ft. Nice shop, nice owner, good hours. SOLD! They have a website and blog so check them out. http://www.orangequiltbee.com/ If you're a local gal, the address is 628 E. Katella Ave. in Orange. 714-639-3245.

I did make a purchase. Shocking, I know. LOL

I'm off to Carlsbad for a girlie getaway with my boss and co-worker. I'll be sure to take a few pictures and tell you all about it when I get home and settled.