FUN Is My Word for 2016

Have you noticed that people have slowed down on making New Year's Resolutions, but instead everyone now chooses a "WORD" that will be their theme for a particular year?

The reason I didn't write this blog post on January 1st is simply because I had not come up with my "WORD" yet. :)  I knew I wanted to see lots of changes in 2016....much less stress....more doing what makes me happy rather than what I feel obligated to do (then isn't appreciated by the ones I did it for to begin with)....more smiles and less frustration, etc., etc.

While texting last night with my quilting buddy Ethel (in real life known as Marianne), we both decided that for the year 2016, our "WORD" will be "FUN"!!!! 

I intend to have "FUN" playing with my fabric stash this year and seeing just how much I can make using it!  I refuse to feel obligated to buy new fabrics to make others happy - they can like what I make using MY fabrics that I bought at bargain prices - or not, it's their choice. :) :) :)  (And by the way....I'm not referring to any friends or family members when I made the previous statement!)  I look forward to the challenge of buying what is needed to finish a project (IF anything is needed that is) and even if I splurge once in a blue moon, it will be because I find something irresistible that I want to add to my stash, not because I'm expected to use certain fabrics!  I'm thankful and blessed to have the stash I have....and I'm going to have FUN playing in it this coming year!

***Plus, my new attitude is a great one to have at this point in life since my youngest daughter will be starting college this fall!! :) :)

Although I'm not making 2016 Resolutions, I couldn't resist sharing this hilarious item with you that I saw on the internet this week.....it's SO me!!!!!!

 

Over the long New Year's weekend, two of my daughters decided they would start painting my dining area.  My dear hubby was away visiting his parents in PA for a couple of days so it was perfect timing.  We've ONLY lived in this house 8 years, and the house has ONLY needed to be repainted since the day we moved in. :)  The only way I can describe the décor of the previous owners is "tacky 1980's" and their favorite technique must have been "sponge-painting".  The previous owners also enjoyed painting every single piece of wood trim work some dark, hard to cover, hideous color.  In the living room, dining, kitchen, hallway and den....their color of choice was Robin's Egg blue.  This is also the color of my kitchen cabinets that no one wants to tackle....yet, anyways.  Even with primer, it took 4 to 5 coats of white paint to cover the ugly blue woodwork.  THANKS girls!!!!

I'm only 4 ft. 11 inches tall so I don't really concentrate on the ceiling or other high things, but once the trim work started brightening the room up, we realized that the ceiling needed fresh paint as well!  (I'm also very thankful that all of my daughters are much taller than me!)

Now to add some up-to-date color to the walls!  OOOOOOoooooooo, I'm really liking this!!!!  Dear hubby is great with the cutting in work and my girls were pretty tired at this point....so this is still how my kitchen looks until hubby does his thing.  He is usually pretty good about finishing up a project like this (when someone else initiates and does most of the hard work for him in advance). :)

While the girls worked in the dining area, and because I didn't want to open my mouth and upset anyone with any critiques, etc., due to my perfectionist tendencies, I retreated and hid in my sewing room.  It's taken me a few years, but I've finally learned to keep my mouth shut when others are doing something for you that you can't do for yourself.  I've learned to take what I get and be thankful! :) :) :)

I needed to work on something that only required half a brain (since one half of my brain was thinking about what was going on in the dining room).  I pulled out my container of dark colored
2 1/2" strips and also the lighter 2 1/2" strips and decided to work on putting together a Scrappy Trips Around The World using Bonnie Hunter's free pattern. 

When I make just two more blocks I'll have 1/4 of what I will need to make a 96" x 96" quilt!  Not bad for "half-brain" sewing day projects!!!!  (Plus it is a very fun pattern to make!)

As my Leader/Ender project, using the cast away pieces from above, I'm making the Scrappy Dresden Plates.  I'm not sure what I intend to do with them but I think they are just adorable and they are very addictive!  I can't seem to stop wanting to make them.

Another happy thing happened....I used up another spool of thread!!!!  My friend Ethel (Marianne) said, "Isn't it funny that when we run out of most things we're bummed but for some reason running out of thread seems exciting?"  She is SO RIGHT!  The only thing I could come up with is that when we use up thread, it is our proof that we have been working hard and getting quite a bit accomplished!!!!

So now you know what I've been up to lately.  Have you chosen a word for 2016?  Do you want to jump in the boat with me and Ethel and strive to have more FUN in 2016?  You certainly are welcome to do so!!!!  The more the merrier!

Until next time.....have some FUN in your sewing spaces!