christmas is coming

On Tuesday this rainbow of fabrics will be transformed into a Christmas tree skirt. I have been saying I wanted to make a quilted tree skirt for a very, very long time. It is just one of the classes I will be taking at the Quilt Festival.  We will be paper piecing the tree skirt, another of the things on my list of things to do/learn. The skirt top should be finished at the end of class. That means I then have to bring it home, sandwich it, quilt it and bind it. Anyone who knows me knows it takes me FOREVER to complete the quilting portion. I am hoping to have it finished in time to go under the tree this year. Wish me luck!

lilly and chloe

The last few days I have been able to spend some time with my girls. Yesterday we went to the park in the late afternoon so that I could try to take a few portraits. What an event that was. I got them both dressed in adorable sweater dresses, drove over to the park and unloaded the van. I carried Chloe and my camera bag and their McDonald's buckets that we just could not leave in the car, both girls' blankies and the chair. I found a beautiful spot, lots of fall colors and some greenery, wild daisies still in bloom and the sun coming from just the right direction. I set the chair in place and Lilly jumped right in. Unfortunately her path took her through a gift that a dog had recently left behind. The outfit was not salvageable. Back to the van with all the stuff. Plan B... jeans and cute baby doll tops. All I can says is thank heavens for baby wipes. I cleaned Lilly up, wrapped up all the dirty clothes, changed Chloe and wiped down the chair. Then I picked everything back up and headed off to find another spot. On the bright side Lilly thought the entire mess was quite funny and her mood was improved. We had to walk a bit farther (at least Lilly and I did, Chloe hitched a ride on my back) and we didn't have flowers and greenery in the shot but here is a sample of the results.

christmas cards

 

For years now I have made own my Christmas cards with my best friend. She and I usually make them in November with the goal of having them ready to mail by the first of December. This year we got an early start. With our upcoming move there are many things that I simply don't know. Will the house sell quickly or will we still be here at Christmas? Because of this uncertainty I decided to get an early start on the cards and to keep them simple this year. I am happy to say that I am finished. The cards are made and ready to be signed, addressed and mailed.

pumpkin picking

 

Oliver and Grandpa finally got to pick the pumpkin. 

 

splish, splash

This afternoon after playing hard all day I took Oliver over to the sink to wash his hands. He was having so much fun that he/we ended up just playing in the sink. As I watched him play I remembered my Mom doing the same thing with both of my kids. I am glad Oliver got to splish and splash in the same kitchen that his Dad and Aunt Kate did.

the pumpkin fairy

Last June on my 365 blog I posted about the pumpkins we had buried in the flower garden. They were flourishing. Well all those beautiful vines yielded just two pumpkins. Unfortunately one of those rotted. The other was visited by the pumpkin fairy. She crept into the garden one evening and scratched Oliver's name in the pumpkin. The pumpkin is ready, we are just waiting for Grandpa to come home and help us pick it.

look who's walking

The last photo I posted of Oliver was August 17 on my 365 blog. I had a first birthday photo shoot planned but the weather has not been cooperative. Maybe this afternoon I will be able work on it, now that he is almost 13 months old. Until then here a few quick shots of our little walking man I took this morning in the front yard. It was damp and chilly but the dew and the sun were perfect. I think I really need an assistant to help me with my next shoot. It is very difficult to pose him get back to the right position and get him in focus before he runs off. I am just not quick enough.

moving

Here we our in our new blog home. I am still not sure I love the title photo but it is as always a work in progress. I considered starting a new 365 blog but with so much going on I decided to just blog when I can. No rules.

Speaking of lots going on, the house has been on the market for just over a month. We have had a nibble and more showings that I thought we would have in this market.

Our Realtor is wonderful and extremely efficient. Once we signed the papers the sign was up the fliers were made and the house was listed on the internet within 24 hours. Keeping the house show ready all the time is NOT fun. The pre showing shuffle must be a funny thing to watch. You get the phone call that someone is coming and you start stashing clutter, vacuuming pet hair and shining tiles and stainless steel. There are toys to pick up and there are always dished to do. I even hide the dirty laundry. It will all be worth it if the house sells.

I went to Houston in August to beginning looking for a place to live. I looked at 10 different apartments some with and some without Patrick. I came back with a pile of information packets and my head was spinning.




It is stressful trying to find a place to live when your house hasn't sold. I knew immediately the first day of my apartment hunting trip when I had found the right one. It was not the practical choice so we decided we needed to look a bit more. So I spent a great deal of time reading the packets and brochures I had brought home. I searched and search on the internet. I spent hours looking at maps of Houston and then the phone rang. It was the apartment community I wanted to rent in calling to say they had an availability. It was even a 3rd floor with a fireplace and vaulted ceilings. I called Patrick and we talked about it. I called the rental agent back and passed on the apartment. Patrick was unsure and I am going back in late October, we would look some more. I was bummed. The next day Patrick and I were going over his schedule and the budget. His schedule is packed and we are already tired of living apart. We talked about the apartment again and I told him that my gut feeling was that that was the right place. It just felt right when I was there. We called them back right then and there and thankfully it was still available. We have a place to call home in Houston starting October 29th. The convertible was shipped to Houston that week and it arrived last night. The move is becoming very VERY real. I am still a little sad when I think of the things we will miss but I am getting excited about our new adventure.