Good morning!

We arrived home from London on Saturday night, extremely happy and tired. We had a lovely trip - saw many sights, visited museums, met some lovely blog friends, ate wonderful meals, shopped a bit, walked and then walked some more.  We're still adjusting to the time difference (waking up at 4:30 a.m. is not so much fun), but as always, it is so nice to be home.  A few fruits in the garden made it extra sweet.

I have a huge desire to sew something - anything, really.  I imagine I'll be back here soon with something to show or tell.

Enjoy your day.

I expect things to be quiet around the blog for a few weeks.  Life is busy and full and crazy at times and I'm living it.  I'm driving my kids around town and watching swim practices and missing their golf for the second time in two weeks.  We've been hanging out with good friends, drinking beer and chasing fire flies.  I brought the sewing machine downstairs because it is too flipping hot on the third floor even with the AC.  And while I am happy stitching away, it's the secret kind of sewing which is fun and not fun at the same time.  What I'd really like to do is start a new quilt and see it through to the end.  I did get everything put back in the kitchen, but the house is still messy and there are huge piles of laundry mocking me at every turn.  I have found that plying my kids with the promise of a playdate gets them to clean their rooms so there's that.  I have a very large basket of peaches that needs dealing with. The garden is sprouting weeds and vegetables that need to be harvested. We did eat what was left of the peas on Saturday night, straight out of the colander before they even made their way in the house.  Kate even liked them and so maybe raw peas taste better to her than cooked ones? Who knows?  And we might be getting a dog.  Scratch that.  We are getting a dog.  Her name is Hazel.  We met her tonight and she is wonderful.  Then there are those martini glasses.  Keep or give away?  I'm on the fence, but I did put them away so I guess it's keep for now.

So yeah, quiet on the blog means never a dull moment around here.  I'm good with that.  See you soon.

I looked at the calendar today and it says Thursday.  I could swear it was Wednesday.  The telltale sign of a good long weekend, if you ask me.

The girls are out of school.  We've been busy.  Tennis lessons, swim team, an amusement park, kitchen organizing, house cleaning, more swim team, grocery shopping, and if all goes as planned, some berry picking tomorrow.

Did you notice there was no mention of sewing? Or cooking? Or gardening? And boy does the garden need some attention.

I am trying to get my summer rhythm going.  It's far from a nice melody, but we are slowly plucking out a tune.  I might be away for a little while during this transition.  In the meantime, please go read this post by Rachel. I love it. She is a constant source of inspiration for me.

Also, please enjoy these peonies.  I know I am.

The other day I was walking through the empty kitchen and smiled when I saw all my trappings hung on the pegs that are normally home to a jumble of aprons and market bags.  I shot this photo and then took everything upstairs to their resting space.  A few more weeks and this sparse space will once again the center of all action most hours of the day.  I'm excited and a wee bit anxious.  I'm not sure what the anxious is about, but it is there.  The excitement, though, is paramount.  I am ready to bake bread and make granola and have ice cubes for margaritas.  And boil water for pasta and bake cookies and make our own pizzas.  I could go on - just thinking about it is getting me antsy.

In the meantime, there is a garden to plant (tomatoes! basil! cucumbers! peppers!) and a few items that need sewing (kids clothes! patchwork!).  I'm going to put my head down and focus on these little things so that before I know it, I'll be cooking with gas.  Seriously.  Cooking with gas wearing an apron that I can hang on those pegs.

I cannot wait.

Monday and Tuesday were not good days for me. Yesterday was slightly better.  The sun is shining.  I'm considering it a sign that all will be right today, too.

I have a lot racing through my mind.  We are getting ready for a construction project and it's commandeering most of my thoughts.  There is a lot of work to be done and I need to start doing it.  I'd much rather sit down and make a quilt or sew some summer clothes, but it's not going to happen right now.  Looking at this pile of fabric and dreaming up the possibilities is going to have to suffice.  (It's Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow and I kind of have a crush on it.)

I'll be back when I have something decent to say or show.  Until then, take care.

I love any reason to pull my colored pencils out of the art cabinet and use them.  Charting the fair isle pattern for my sweater was the perfect excuse.  As I sat and knitted the first few rounds of the yoke, I thought just how much I love fair isle knitting.  And then I remembered that I said the same thing the last time I did it and wondered why I don't do it more often.

I have received numerous emails and comments asking me about whether or not I will sell guitar straps like the one I made for Jane.  I really want to and I am looking into figuring out just how to make that happen.  I'll let you know as soon as I make a decision either way.

I enabled threaded comments a week (or two?) ago.  I really like it this way because it allows me to respond to people quicker and more efficiently and it allows you to comment on other peoples' comments, too.  A virtual conversation, of sorts.

I haven't forgotten about the snack pdf.  I just haven't had the time to get it together.  But I will soon.  We have added smoothies to the mix and they have been well received.

Staying up late to watch the Olympics is making me super tired and a bit crabby.  I am going to do my best to go to bed early tonight.  Or take a nap.  Or both.

I wish I had a personal organizer who could come over and help me sort out the studio.  The mess is epic and there is a lot of fabric and other stuff that needs to go, but I feel paralyzed every time I look at it.

The sun is out and I am happy for that.

I'm not going to let this month get the best of me.  No sir, not one bit.  I've got flowers and hot cocoa with whipped cream and a quilt top.

And it's only just begun.

I know it's Tuesday, but my kids had a five day weekend.  I've been so confused as to what day it is.  Thursday felt like Saturday and yesterday felt like Sunday.  And while sleeping in for 5 days in a row was quite lovely, this morning came a little too soon.  My internal clock and calendar are all messed up.

Yesterday I spent 15 minutes quilting 3 potholders that have been sitting on my sewing table since September.  Why I didn't do this sooner, I have no idea.  It was instantly gratifying - as soon as I finished, I took them to the kitchen and used them while making dinner.  The actual dinner was horrible, but that is an entirely different story all together.

And then last night while watching TV, I finished up the second sleeve of my tea leaves sweater.  That little ball of yarn is all that remains - it was a really close call.  It fits, but I have to block it and find the right buttons before I can wear it.

What still remains unfinished is the big playroom reorganization that I started on Thursday.  It's been a slow job, but I think the end is in sight.  And after that, I am trashing out the sewing room.  I'm working up the courage to be ruthless with myself.  It's time to de-stash.  And it's going to be hard.