I WENT FLYING FACE FIRST INTO THE WALL

                              Hitting the hobby wall

So much has happened in such a short amount of time.  It really knocked me for a loop.  As I sit here now I am trying to remember the last thing I created. I think it was the quilt I made for my granddaughter who is now five months old.
My cancer, which I am glad to say remains in remission.  Followed by my husbands heart attack and by pass surgery and a move I never wanted to take, adds up to a very high wall.
I wish I had a step by step for you if you have also encountered the wall. I don't!!  All I know is keep climbing you will find yourself getting closer to the top.
Today, is a brand new day that is finding my hobby plate filling up. 
Right now, I actually have work in the embroidery machine.  I have a little dress for my granddaughter on the sewing table, so I am hoping that by this evening I will be able to look back at the day and say "well done".  

The letter

 

 I found a letter from you today. It made me happy, it made me sad. 

I miss you so very much.


Most of all it took away the distance if only for a little while.  I will forever treasure the notes, cards and letters we shared.

Especially now, it is fall that is when we talked the most.  Gardening was done and all the fall fun was about to happen. 
We had time for each other.

  






As some of you know we are down sizing. Now, downsizing and moving are completely different.  When you move, you pack up your belongings and 'move' them.  When down sizing you pack up your belongings and take them to goodwill!  Down sizing means going through everything one piece at a time, do you want it? need it? Is it for trash day or donate. It has been amazingly hard for me.
So today, still going through things I came across a letter from my sister, who has passed away from brain cancer. For awhile she was back, for awhile I was spending time with her, I could hear her voice through the letter. 
               

Wee care gowns

Time to work my way back in to the sewing room and what better way to start off then by making a wee care gown.

 As a member of the Smocking Arts Guild of America, making wee care gowns is our chosen community project.  

Many of these gowns are made for babies that to soon are angels.  while some gowns are used for preemies to make life a little more comfortable.

 Our group the Apple Valley Smockers, try to keep a supply on hand at our local hospital.  Sorry these gowns are needed but thankful we have the talent to bring some comfort to families at this sad time.

Just a quick drop in.  I have started a new blog and want to invite you all to join me in this new adventure.
This is a learning curve for me, which is a good thing.  Need to keep learning and trying.
So please join me at noniesparadis

Could you please let me know you are following?

I would love your thoughts.

I love learning to quilt

When I saw this on my friends facebook page I just had to borrow it.

Last Christmas I was able to give two quilts, this year will probably not be as successful, moving got in the way of the quilting.

  I am not sure where the saying came from,  so I do not know how to give credit.

Hope that brings a smile to your face and many hours of Happy Quilting.

A notion I love

             We love our notions

If you love to sew, you know how much we love our notions.  when we find something new to us and it works better then expected then you know how happy I am.

            This is my almost new quilt and press.
I needed something since beginning to quilt and was not to sure if this would do as expected.

   it is wonderful.  My cutting is so much better when using it.  It also has a real plus

It aids in my smocking.

 
   I can block my piece using the padded side of the board.

 You can see a little burp in the pleating and by using the board I am able to steam that out.   Spray with starch and steam let dry on the board before starting the smocking process.

I purchased mine mail order from Jo-Ann Fabrics.  I am sure other places also carry it.   You will wonder how you lived without it.

Organizing paper (ugh)

I like things to be organized, I am just not good at getting them that way.

Paper, is a necessary product in my mind. Every time I am on the computer I am hitting the print button and that leads up to a lot of paper.   Sewing tips, decorating tips, recipes all need to be printed off and saved. 

           Or clipped from magazines

          Which adds up to even more paper.

I had followed the File--Don't pile method
and since moving all the papers in the file cabinet, was taken out and  'Piled' in boxes.  So it all had to be dealt with again.

              This is how I feel!

 so here is the cabinet that needs to be dealt with.

             Here is the book that
             will make it happen.

It is a different way of organizing paper. But it works for me.  It is not a leaf through book but offers a guide to a systematic approach  on how to organize paper.

              A good start

Check amazon if you are interested in this book.  some people are born organized, some of us need help. File don't pile
  

FINDING MY NICHE

I enjoy blogging.  I just didn't have a niche, a focal point to blog from.   Some of the bloggers I follow seem so focused, why could I not be focused?
Then it 'hit' me.  I have so many interest and love to do so much that I was all over the place with postings.
So, I made a list of what I really like to do, what really makes my life better.
I will even number those:

1. My biggest passion is sewing. Something about creating and encouraging others to create that really makes me happy.
2. Cooking, not the chef type stuff but the fun stuff. Including baking, even if mixes are involved.
3. Decorating, I really stumble here. I pretty much set myself when once I said I could make a comfortable home from a cardboard box. Now, I am having to live up to that statement, Okay so it's not real cardboard but close.
4. I am going to add gardening, where I live now, that will involve containers.
5.  Just being me--family, the beautiful valley I live in and oh yes, boating.

so how do you find your niche?  For me it came clear to combine all my loves. Sewing and decorating sure do go together. Cooking food for the picnic to take while we boat and explore the valley will work.

So there I go, I am all set.  Hope you enjoy following along with my venture.
  

I would love to meet the Queen of England

I have always been taken with royalty. I have no clue where that came from.  Maybe it all was refreshed when Downton Abby was such a hit show.  
I want to meet the Queen.

We would meet for tea in the palace.

   Do you ever wonder if they get lost in there?

                     Oh MY!

                Wow!  Just beautiful

 Another beautiful set of china. I would love to just be able to have a copy.

 Another tea set.  Now, I know why I collect tea sets.  It is as close to royalty as I will ever get.

I do not have anything as precious as this.  Wonder what the chances are of finding something similar at the thrift store.

So much for today's fantasy.  I would still love to meet the Queen, and have a real conversation.  Maybe I do have a bucket list after all.

Some changes are coming

Good ol summer time, when the liven is easy! 

I am still working on changing the blog. I want to share more family fun.  More heart stopping moment's like moving and down sizing.  More fun in the kitchen, now that I have a kitchen.  
The sewing and tutorials will still be done and still be posted.  They will be shared on
http://everythingsewing.net/   

The new name will be NONIE'S Nook.  I hope you continue to follow me or if you don't follow me now,  I hope you do in the future. I want to follow you back so let me know where you are on this wonderful thing called "the net".

NO NEED TO EXPLAIN

I had written out this huge explanation, as to why the owl is sitting next to the bird bath.

 Why the bird bath is on the table.  Why the table is full of projects.

Why even though it is 100, degrees  the birds chose not to bathe here.
No need to explain, we all know this was stupid!! 
I will fix the problem, have a good day.

THE NEXT PROJECT

Coming up is the next project.  This one is an outdoor project.  Actually,  I am hoping for this one to go on my porch/deck.  
I say porch/deck because I don't know if it is considered a porch or a deck.  We will solve that some other day.  

I have had this swing for at least 30 years. It was made from clear cedar from our mill.  It was beautiful, but, the years have taken their toll.

Such a mess.  Today we started to scrub her with bleach, and although it is clear cedar, I am going to paint her.!!!  I know, I do not like painting wood, it is the best way to bring her back to life.

I hope this is the last of her ugliness.  I have a clear vision of where I want this project to end up.

My Find!!

I always read where people find this great stuff at their local thrift shops.  I never in a million years thought it would happen to me!!  Me, of all people.  I scourer those places and find nothing.

Can't say that anymore,  just look what I found.  After down sizing we needed a new dining table.  The price for not so nice stuff is staggering.  While, just browsing our local thrift store (not looking for a table)  I spotted what looked like it just might be something worth taking a further look at.  I could see what looked like wood, peaking out from under a pile of clothes and other stuff. 
Just look what we found, and the price with 4 chairs was way less then $100.00.

Many questions, ran through my mind. Is this really wood?  Would it refinish?

We took a chance, thinking it just might be wood.  Took it to the shop and started to work.

This is how she turned out.  She is everything I needed, as I needed a table 5ft.
I wanted wood!  I wanted something that would look good.  I think I have it all!!

A little everyday

One of my favorite cakes, is a pineapple upside down cake. No special recipe for this one, I used a yellow cake mix, canned pineapple, brown sugar, butter and call it super yummy.
Do you have a favorite cake?  
Do you make it from scratch? or are you like me and use mixes?
How do you serve your pineapple upside down cake? I load mine down with whipped cream. Now, that I usually make but then there is the can stuff.  

Almost Summer!

                                     I love summer

Well, I am getting grounded in my new surroundings.  Not sure why it has been so difficult so I will blame it on age.  I do finally feel like writing again, which is a good thing.
I have been back to visiting my favorite blogs. Now, just need to leave comments, I always think of things I want to share with the blog owners, and, always think I will be back to share those thoughts, then never make it back.  I plan to change that!
So for now I will just leave you with a very bad picture, that I call a "A Flamingo and a selfie"   Just can't miss posting a bad picture.

Another little project done

A project here and there and soon it will be done.   The world of done is still a long way off but each time we can mark something off the list it's a good day.
     Our son Rod, did most of the work on the kitchen.  Poor guy got sick about the start of the project, so somethings still are on the to do list.

               BEFORE--ugh.  
                 Just not my taste

                 Much better
Looks much better in person, it quiets the kitchen.   I guess I just do not like 'cute'.

Time to enjoy spring

With all the hassle of moving, time seems to be slipping away.  So I thought it was time to slow down and enjoy what our valley offers.

One thing we are well known for is our apples, but the rest of the fruit isn't bad.

I love the cherry blossoms.

             So white and delicate

This little tree is so full of yummy fruit.

        Now, fingers crossed for a good
                  Harvest.

Coming together

I chose glass tiles for the back splash and I must say I am loving it. 

I need to get caught up on blogging and share downsizing.    

Exhausted

                                            Where we started from

I had illusions of grandeur, Of posting a daily update on this move.

Thought I would show you what we started with:  

The house was left in a smelly mess.

For now, I will leave you with the before pictures of the kitchen and dining room.

We have a crew there, every day and are a week into all of this.

I thought taking on a project would be good for hubby.  

Mixed Emotions

         My violets are doing so well.
          Usually, I don't seem to have 
         much luck with house plants.
          Or any plant!!

I have such mixed emotions about this move.
It is one of those times when you take out
pencil and paper and write down all the good things and a list about the not so good things and compare.
So, I decided to just concentrate on the good.  Those little "what have we done" moments sneak up on me and I need to brush them away.  They usually hit when I am trying to calm down and get some sleep.

I really believe that you bloom where you are planted and right now this is where I have been planted.
So, I hope you follow along with my journey. There might be tears, and of coarse when it all comes together, there will be acceptance. 

The move: Chapter one

                                             We are moving

There will be cleaning, painting and all sorts of doing stuff!

Today, will be paper work. We should have the keys by Wednesday, but who knows.
There will be before and after pictures.

               Hang on--
             here we go!!

Something black and red

Or is it something black or something red!
  I don't remember right now.  I did add some black by making a little table topper. I added  a black frame to Zoe's picture plus a red candle holder.  I hope I covered the bases.

          So, here is my black and red

           This candle holder, also has
              Black!  Plus it is bigger.

I think I might like this one better, not sure!

  Using a plain black frame I think it works.
 Still thinking I should perk up the frame
               a bit.


That is my attempt at decorating this week!
I am thinking that fabric might make nice trim on the bath towels. Bringing some black into the bathroom.    

How do you set the table?

                  Simple setting
I can't remember where I got this picture
but I think the tittle was simple table-setting.  It is very basic yet very pretty
and welcoming.   
I have gotten away from 'setting' the table.
Looking at this picture I an sad that I have not been taking a few seconds to set the table even if there is just two of us.
Do you set the table?

So, I will be using my 'fun' dishes for a meal once in awhile.

                Will have to come up with something for these dishes.