Ouch!

Apparently, I need to go on a fabric diet.  Yikes!  When I went into the dungeon yesterday, this is what I found:

All of my older fabrics were neatly stacked in an old 60’s style china closet.  It has glass-front doors and I love it because it protects the fabrics from dust.  It has faithfully served my fabric collection all these years, but apparently, the new folding method that I instituted a few years ago allows for more fabric per shelf, and the poor shelf finally caved in.  Sooo sad.  ;-(

Not much else going on around here.  I’ve been pre-shrinking my City Weekend fat quarter pack from market and neatly folding it.  Fortunately, I hadn’t planned on putting it in the china closet.

And I’ve discovered the Dollar Tree.  Those stores have always been so crowded that they gave me a headache.  A new (cleaner) one recently opened up here so I ventured in.  That pretty cherry blossom soap was only a dollar.  I’ll definitely be going back — even if it’s just for the soap!

Have a good week.  Things will definitely be picking up here by the weekend, so I might actually have something to talk about.

XOXO,
Anna

It’s Officially Summer

Here in ThimbleannaLand we live in the corn belt. Most of the corn grown around here is field corn, but there are local farmstands that grow the good people corn. (And btw, if you live in a country that considers corn only for pigs and other animals, you have my sincere condolences!)

I know that strawberries and blueberries and raspberries mean summer to a lot of people, and while I do love them, summer is all about the corn for me.  I patiently wait until the day that I open my mailbox to reveal the card from my local farmer to tell me that the corn is finally ready.  This week was the week!

Yum oh Yummy Yum!  Look at those luscious yellow kernels.  And slathered with butter, salt and pepper?  Heaven.  How could I possibly be expected to resist?  By the end of summer, TheManoftheHouse and the kids have always been sick of corn on the cob.  But not me.  Never!  (Btw, in case you’re currently lucky enough to have fresh corn, the fabulous Ms. B has FINALLY posted and it’s for a delicious corn salsa recipe.)

So, while we’re munching on our corn, can we talk traffic?  I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.  Mostly because TheManoftheHouse and I drive to work together.  Every morning we pass through an intersection that has a right turn lane with a yield sign.  TheManoftheHouse maintains that the yield sign means that you can turn right on red without stopping.  (There is a dedicated lane for just such a thing.)  Every morning, there is a car in front of us that stops to wait for oncoming traffic.  And Every Morning TheManoftheHouse yells at said person and honks his horn.  AND Every. Morning. I’m the only one who can hear him.  One of these days I’m going to jump out of the car and run up to the stopped car in front of us and ask them to please get moving ’cause I’m sick of the complaining!

But, I digress.  I read in the paper that our local authorities are planning on re-vamping a local freeway interchange by using the Diverging Diamond pattern.  Have any of you ever heard of such a thing?  It’s a cool new traffic concept where traffic actually ends up on the wrong side of the road for a brief time.  The first interchange of this type in the US was built in 2009 and there are quite a few more being planned.  (All of you blog peeps in Utah are scheduled to get two of them in American Fork, if they’re not already finished.)

The US version was developed by a college student. While I think it looks pretty darn amazing, I can’t help but wonder what kind of drugs he was on to come up with a goofy plan for shifting traffic all around like this! Anyway, you can see a visualization of how the traffic moves in this short video.

And one last thing on the topic of roads — check out this cool map I found via Anglotopia: (click to enlarge)

I love it!  That map was possibly another drug induced event!

Have a good weekend!
XOXO,
Anna

July Already?

Gosh, it seems impossible, doesn’t it? The year is half gone already. I always feel like I’m about three months behind but the weather here definitely isn’t April weather — it’s hot and MUGGY. The kind where you walk out the door and break into a sweat. Ick.

I hope everyone in the states had a wonderful 4th yesterday. I was hoping to post at least by yesterday, but we were just too busy having fun. Both the boys and SweetiePie were here for the long weekend. There was lots of cooking, baking, visiting and playing around. We went to friends’ yesterday for our annual cookout and I brought my usual (upon request) — cupcakes and spaghetti salad.

Sadly now, my babies have gone back to their homes. I tried to busy myself today by dragging out an old UFO. I have so many projects that I want to start, but I’ve promised myself that I must work on a UFO or two before (or at least while) I work on any new projects. Those UFOs just drive me crazy!

So, hopefully, I’ll make a little UFO headway this week. Are you working on anything fun?

XOXO,
Anna

Medieval Buttons

Plop. Plop. Fizz. Fizz.
Oh what a relief it is!

I had some quilting time this weekend and it felt sooooo good! I had a hard time getting organized, so I wasted half the day Saturday getting my supplies together. I popped in to our local quilt shop and received a very pleasant surprise — they’re sprucing up a bit and they have some new fabrics in. They even had fabrics that would work for the little quilt I’m working on - yipee!

I also had to make a quick stop into our local JoAnn’s and look at the little lovelies that I spied:

Some fun new buttons by Nicky Epstein! Of course, you know, those sheepies had to come home with me (thank you JoAnn and your 40% off coupon!)

And Come On! LOOK at THESE buttons:

That armor-headed guy (what do you call them?) kills me. I LOVE that button — I NEED a good reason to go back and get him.  (Feel free to make suggestions!)

Once home and walking up the driveway, I glanced up to see this:

A sure sign that a quilter lives here. That’s a peek into my laundry room (through a very dirty window, which you’ll kindly ignore) to a stack of pre-washed fabrics, fresh out of the dryer.

So. That’s my weekend update. Errands and quilting (it’s a gift, so I can’t show you yet — but soon). Anything exciting happen on your weekend?
XOXO,
Anna

P.S. I’ve tried to comment on a bunch of blogger blogs tonight, but blogger is screaming out of service. So Sorry!!!

Checking In

Ooops!  I didn’t mean to be away from here for so long.  There’s just not much exciting going on this week, so I haven’t had much to tell.  I spent most of last weekend painting kitchen cupboards at MeMum and BigDaddy’s in the kickoff session of the big kitchen re-do of 2010.  They have pretty new countertops and the cupboards are still in pretty good shape, so they decided to paint them.  One section of cupboards are now painted — three more to go.  Now we just need more free weekends!

The highlight of my week has been receiving this fabulous package from Chookyblue!  I participated in her trip around the world several months ago and she sent me all of these gorgeous notecards as a thank you.  I was astounded when I opened the envelope — I expected one or two notecards — that Chooky sure knows how to pack an envelope.  All the notecards feature Donna’s beautiful photography and I just love them!  Look at that cool old metal wheel (sorry, it’s upside down) — and all the gorgeous flowers.  Thank you so much Donna — now I can write notes in style!

Oh hey — wanna see what I bought at sample spree?  Here’s a peek — Anna Griffin’s new line  (CrazyMom is doing her new quilt-a-long from this fabric and I’m totally blaming her for this little indiscretion), Oliver & S’s new line, Happy by Me and My Sister, and Lily and Will by Bunny Hill in pink.

I kind of went just a little bit crazy at sample spree.  I think I’ve only ever bought 2 “kits” in all my years of quilting (which are still sitting in the dungeon), so I’m not sure what I was thinking.  And full disclosure — this isn’t everything (I’m just too embarrassed to show you).  I may or may not have purchase the green and blue colorways of Lily and Will.  And quite possibly the new Flower Sugar line from Lecien.  And there might have been something else in my bag, but I’m suffering from amnesia.  Just in case you-know-who is reading.

For my money though, it was a great deal.  How could I pass up beautiful satin ribbon with my name on it?  Those Windham people — they’re so thoughtful!

I hope you have a good weekend planned.  There WILL be quilting here in ThimbleannaLand - otherwise I might burst!

XOXO,
Anna