Oh, Hello Again...!

Oh my goodness, friends...  I have taken a big long break from blogging.  After having our baby girl, Berlin, last February, my whole world was turned upside down and I sacrificed a lot of things as I figured out my life again.  One of the things I sacrificed was this blog.  Well, it's a new year and we have new opportunities to start fresh (and keep blogging!).

As an update...
Berlin is 10 months old.  HOLY COW.  That was fast.

B is an absolute doll and we love her so, so much.  She is currently loving old cell phones, board books, and ripping up paper.  She also just figured out how to walk with her baby walker yesterday!   I'm sure there will be more to come about her here.

Other than having a baby, the second big thing I did last year was starting to design my own photopolymer (clear) stamps!  I opened an Etsy shop and I've really been enjoying the process.  I plan on posting more about my stamps and process this week.

But wait!  Stamps?  I thought this was a quilting blog... Okay, you're right.  I love, love quilting and I'm not going to stop! I have a bunch of quilts to start and finish on my goal list this year, but I do more than just quilt, so I am also going to be including my other crafty adventures here too, including my stamps and the Project Life spreads that I make.  (I believe I've touched on my PL spreads previously, but I intend to be more in depth about it this year)

I am really looking forward to this year and also looking forward to sharing all the aspects of the year here, with you!

I'll be back tomorrow with a quilt that I finished last month!

Currently Listening to: The A Team by Ed Sheeran

Recents >>

I totally fell off of the blogging truck.  After finishing the Fireworks quilt and a couple of other things, I took a bit of a sewing (and blogging, apparently) break, but I think I'm ready to hop back on the truck!  The last couple weeks of November were pretty low key.  I quilted a quilt for a friend and spent the rest of the time trying to keep motivated.  I made the transition into the third trimester on Monday and I've been having a hard time finding energy to do things.



The weather certainly hasn't been helping me feel like getting off the couch... Temperatures plummeted this week and there's not a day above freezing in the forecast.  It only snowed once, but we're not expecting it to go anywhere with temperatures in the teens.



Although I have admittedly been on the couch a lot, I did start a cross stitch project for a Christmas gift.  I've been working pretty steadily on it and I'm hoping to finish it up this week.



I bought the pattern from Seemingly Stitched, but to be honest, I don't fully recommend it.  There's 29 colors in the pattern and I think it's more complex than it needs to be.  Sure, it looks cool when it's stitched, but it is quite a headache to get there... If you attempt it, I wouldn't set a harsh deadline, like Christmas, for yourself!

In other exciting news, we went to Jake's parent's house for Thanksgiving and we got to pick out a blanket for baby girl that was made by Jake's late grandmother Johnson!  She made a bunch of baby girl blankets, but Jake only has one sister and only nephews, so there were a lot to choose from.  We came home with this gorgeous blanket and I'm thrilled to have it!



Jake also put together this bike for baby girl!  He purchased it in Germany while he was there for his mission 8 years ago and shipped it home.  It was sitting in its box all these years and he was thrilled to assemble it, even though she won't be able to ride it for quite some time!



Well, that's all that's been happening recently.  I hope to be more exciting in the coming weeks!  I finally have plans to sew on Monday!

More recents>>
loving > the tiny mandarine oranges!
counting down to > having both my siblings in town!
craving > homemade won tons
wishing > I had more energy!
planning > baby girl's quilt... finally!
current temperature > 21°

Currently Listening to: Sister Winter by Sufjan Stevens

Recents >>

I feel like I've had this post in the works all week and I haven't really been able to think of a cohesive thread of recents, so today will be a bit more random than perhaps most of these posts are...

First of all, it's going to be an Instagram kinda day!  I have that great thing going on in my brain where I'm like, oh yeah... I have a real camera...

1.  While I was at Sewing Summit, Jake framed and insulated our basement as a surprise!  We had chatted about putting the sewing room in the basement so that the we could still have a guest room upstairs, along with the nursery, but I had told him that I really want to be able to hang shelves.  In order to hang shelves, we just needed the framing!



2.  This caused an almost immediate upheaval in my sewing room.  There became an undeniable urgency to get everything moved downstairs so that I could a) start working again, b) clear out the newly designated guest room, and c) clear out the nursery.  So, the old sewing room became a disaster real fast.



3. I crave cookie dough.  Obviously, in my pregnant state, regular cookie dough is out.  Pinterest to the rescue!  I found this recipe for eggless edible cookie dough!  It's not meant to be cooked, it's just meant to be eaten.  It does not have the same taste as regular cookie dough, but it really is close enough and it is delicious!



4.  Although Baby Girl's room isn't all cleared out, I cleaned up her closet pretty much the day I found out I was pregnant.  So, naturally, we've been working on her little wardrobe!



5.  Once the basement sewing room was in working order, I didn't waste time.  I'm still not finished organizing it and putting things away, but I can sit down and get to work.  The first thing I did was set my mind to finishing the quilting on the Fireworks quilt with the aid of the Night Circus audiobook!  I had heard great things about this book on Instagram, and I'm so glad I checked it out! It's a good book.  I recommend it!



6.  It's getting cold here!  I frequently whip up double batches of my favorite cocoa.  I'll make a point to share that recipe in the future!



7.  I also finished the September Woodland Sampler!  The last few stitches went into this block just a day before October!  I was cutting it close!



8.  Last but not least, the latest belly photo!



I became 19 weeks last Monday and everything is looking great!  We are certainly excited for our newest little girl!

More recents >>
feeling > a bit overwhelmed with all my works in progress
craving > wild rice chicken soup
wanting > to start a quilt for baby girl (I need to get a bunch of other things finished first!!)
sewing > the 13th and 14th blocks for the Virtual Quilting Bee
current temperature > 51°

Currently Listening to: Glory and Gore by Lorde

The Absence: Explained

So... I thought it was about time to share the reason behind my sickness and absence...

I'm pregnant!!



And, it's been quite a journey.  I am now 16 weeks pregnant and I still have a little belly.  Depending on the day, I've only gained 3-4 pounds - and most of that has been in the last month!

Between weeks 6-11 I was so sick.  It's gotten better each week since then and now the most sickness I experience is a mild stomach ache at night sometimes.  I'm so grateful for the return of my health!

Yesterday we found out the gender of the little one...



...and it's a GIRL!!! We are absolutely thrilled!! She is the first granddaughter on all sides of our family, so we couldn't be happier!  Directly after the ultrasound my mom and I went shopping and she bought her all sorts of clothes... she's already so spoiled!

So, I have lots of baby things to make in my very near future!  I will try to be better at blogging!  But, if I'm absent, you'll know why!

I plan on being back tomorrow with what I've been up to!

Currently Listening to: Wake Up by The Last Royals