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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Little Things!

Make Me Happy!!

We’ve got 4 days left of 2011.  Just FOUR DAYS! I’ve always liked the number 11.  I remember having other kids around who would rush to make a wish when the clock turned 11:11.

It must be a “digital age” thing.  I don’t think that 11:11 was so significant when we had watches and clocks with actual dials on them…but in with the digital age, it never fails, I look at my clock, and there it is blinking at me…11:11!

I took this screen shot of my phone back in November when I just happened to look at it, and there it was again..11:11!  And yes, that is my wallpaper—an antique hexie inspiration quilt!

11:11 is so significant to the romantics in my family that my brother and his lovely new wife were married at 11:11 on 11/11/11 --- while I was at sea.  Little things like this make me happy.  They make life just a bit fun.  They keep our inner child going!

Don’t you think we need something like this that is QUILTER related..some little thing that only QUILTERS do?  I don’t know about YOU guys, but I like making a wish with every brand new bobbin ---wishing for good tension, good thoughts for who the project is being made for ---- and wishing that I catch when that bobbin runs out before I sew a mile and a half not knowing I was sewing threadless!

Other things that make me happy? Something as simple as a new pair of cookie sheets!

studio 011

Oh, Thank You Sam’s Club! For providing me with more stuff that will never see the kitchen as it was intended to! LOL! These sheets are to be marked “SEWING ROOM ONLY!”

You might remember me showing how I was madly kitting up triangles like this:

studio 010

THAT cookie sheet?  It was the perfect size for carrying from the cutting table to the sewing machine.  But I’ve had THIS cookie sheet since I got married..and boy…has it seen better days!  It is much better left in the kitchen than used for sewing.  As I was posting pictures I thought…GEE ----If presentation is EVERYTHING, these cookie sheets are revealing more of my kitchen than I want anyone else to see!

studio 012

Not only that…how unattractive is THIS picture?  Do you see the 4 patch pairs all lined up ready to sew, or do you see the stains and 30 years worth of wear and tear on my cookie sheets!? Boy, if these pans could talk, they have just about my whole life wrapped up in them -- my boy's whole life.  They've done their job well.  But they need to STAY in the KITCHEN!

studio 013

Yeah, I’m at it again!  Pushing those pairs through!  But the next time I cut --- those brand new cookie sheets will be what carries my pieces from the cutting table to the machine!

WOW!  Has everyone been busy! It’s only Wednesday and we have  80 people who have shown pics of their progress on Orca Bay on last Monday’s Mystery Monday Link-Up! Go ahead and go see what they’ve been up to….all those stars!  It looks so great!  Two more days, and part 7 will be released Friday!

This evening we are driving down to Charlotte to meet up with Jason for a post-Christmas get together!  Charlotte is about half way between us and it makes it do-able for us both to meet up there.

Yep! Little things make me happy ----I hope you find joy and smiles in small things too!


27 comments:

  1. Bonnie, I read that seeing repeated numbers together is a sign you have angels around you. Different numbers mean different things. Isn't that a lovely thought ?

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  2. Great use of bakeware for quilting 8-)

    if you need a pan with really high sides
    look for the large lazagna pan
    They are made 15" L x 11" W x 4 1/4" D

    How many triangles could you carry in that ?

    your patterns are so inspiring Thank YOU so Much!!!

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  3. Anonymous9:51 AM EST

    Really love the idea of cookie sheet carriers. I usually just slide them onto my long cutting ruler. I will re-consider this option! Let me see, 30 years of baking, maybe 1 batch of cookies a month (on average), equals some really happy people in your life!! BTW LOVE the new 'table' on your sewing machine! No duct tape!
    Faye
    abusyquilter@yahoo.com

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  4. great idea for the cookie sheets! And love your new shiny ones!
    Hope you have lots of little happy things today!

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  5. Anonymous10:12 AM EST

    Yes Bonnie, those cookie sheets do tell a delicious story! lol But so what. They have done what was intended of them and MORE! My grand daughter moved in to her new apartment last night. Her Dad drove her down to Charlotte and they carried everything up 3 flights of stairs to her new digs. That makes me very happy to know she is getting settled where she wants to be for now at least. I'm not sure if you got to see my email to you of the quilt my sister passed on to me. Hopefully I sent it to the right email address. Wishing you happy thoughts for your special day.
    Maryella

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  6. Yep, it's the little things that just make me go ga-ga!!! Love the idea of using the baking pans.
    I'll share a tip I learned on Pintrest that I just learned and tried yesterday - sure did! They showed pans just like that and used a paste of baking soda & peroxide - can put on with fingers or I used a green scrubbie. I used it on an OLD pot that had been left in the house when we bought it in 1970, so the crud, oil, etc has been added to since then. Hubby's daughter left it when she moved, and so I decided what the heck, it would be a good experiment...... voila!!!! I was stunned with excitement - of course it was late and no one to share the goodness til now!! Thanks!! LOL!!!

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  7. Where did you get that enormous cone of white thread?

    I use the deep meat trays that hold 4 - 5 lbs. of ground meat. I run them thru the dishwasher and then use them for holding project or stacks of units. I also have some large plastic trays from an OR nurse that held sterilized surgical instruments that are cookie sheet size and larger. These are great for holding blocks and larger units.

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  8. I am always amazed at how Quilters find dual uses for kitchen/storage things they have on hand in their home.
    I am loving the stars!

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  9. Little things make me happy too. I feel that means we are easily pleased and not too critical of others. I get tickled when sewing units come out even without trying.
    Those cookie sheets are beautiful. I love the shape...more square than rectangle.
    I use trays to move parts to the sewing machine. We quilters are so inventive!
    XOXOOXO Subee

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  10. you would enjoy the book of Awesome! it is about noticing the little things and how awesome they can be. Things like reading your favorite blog/inspiration! :>

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  11. You could still use the old cookie sheets for sewing only, spray paint them black, even that chalkboard paint or the new write erase paint then you could note "start here" if needed.
    Since you are going to Charlotte, will you be stopping at Maryjo's?? I am so jealous you are so close.

    Signed, Florida

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  12. It always makes me feel better when a quilter of your renown admits to sewing a mile of piecing with an empty bobbin. LOL! So glad I'm not the only one who does that.

    I might have to try that cookie sheet approach!

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  13. Those cookie sheets show many batches of 'love' cookies. Never be embarrassed about your bakeware showing lots of use. Your boys grew up with homemade cookies and that is more important than pretty bakeware.

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  14. Oh Bonnie, you're so funny! I would use those pretty new cookie sheets IN my kitchen, and get some pretty spray paint for the old ones! :)
    Vickie in Cleveland

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  15. I love the little things--but I love the big things, too! Like the fact that the workers are even now installing the cultured marble surround for the jetted tub in the master bathroom! We've lived in this house for 27 years and are just now finishing the master bath. I'm ready for this big thing!

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  16. I totally agree with you--it IS the little things that count. I got a petite pix of my new granddaughter and I all framed to hang on my tree--sooo neat; and two tins of wonderful green tea to fill my thermos (which keeps it hot while I push through all those twosies!!) for my sewing room. Have a healthy happy new year..Julierose

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  18. I just saw a "little thing" in your post that made me happy. I love the idea of using non-slip drawer liner under your machine. My little baby lock jumps all over the place when I serge the edges of new fabric. Thanks for the idea!

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  19. So true Bonnie so true - our lives are made up of little things - precious things - and by paying attention to all the little things we have a fuller and happier life. BTW those new cookies sheets are just beautiful!

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  20. My husband and I literally chose our wedding date because 1. the maid of honor having a baby the month we really wanted to get married 2.the band wasn't availble for 2nd choice so on we went to the 3rd choice 11/11/00. Happy to say we celebrated our 11th anniversary on 11/11/11.

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  21. Anonymous4:22 PM EST

    I was just thinking about how ugly and used my sheet pan looked....and then you posted about your much used cookie sheets! I use the tops of storage containers to place my pieces on...what kind of thread are you using on your machine? And what is the huge spool of white thread?
    Alice in Central Florida
    amiddlem@gmail.com

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  22. Bonnie, you are so funny!!! I love the way you share the simple things in life with us! You had me running into the kitchen to see just how bad my cookie sheets look. Yep, just about as bad as yours :*D Enjoy your visit with Jason and hope you have very happy & prosperous New Year!!!

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  23. We always called the pans with sides like yours "jelly roll" pans. My cookie sheets don't have sides! The jelly roll pans make perfect trays, don't they? Recently I found an even bigger one in a thrift shop. Maybe it was a restaurant tray, but I'll never know! It comes in handy for all sorts of things. I love cool numbers! I know someone who was 44 on 8/8/88 and a couple who married on 6/5/65.

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  24. In the last picture, is that big white round thing sewing thread? How BIG is that?????

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  25. How funny -- I thought I was weird that I seem to notice the clock is 11:11 so frequently! Wish I knew if there was some significance. Or maybe I've trained my subconscious to look at the clock at that time nearly every day. Boo, I hate logical answers.

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  26. Bonnie, I have a big,easy,and inexpensive tip for you to get those pans looking like new. This will work on metal cookie sheets and pans, as well as glass pyrex-type pans, and those white corning-ware type pans. The product is Barkeeper's Friend. It comes in a can with a shaker top like Comet. (I do not like the liquid version of it, just the powder version.) Wet the dish, sprinkle Barkeeper's Friend on it, wait just a few minutes, then rub with a cloth or brush. The old stuff should come off very easily. You won't believe it!It also works on smooth top stoves too. A paste of BF also gets iron stains out of clothes. Great product. I get it at grocery stores/discount stores but not everyone carries it. It's about $2 a can. Hope I don't sound like a commercial! Now, back to sewing.....I'm just getting started on Orca Bay...Sally in SC

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  27. Going thru the above comments Nanette wrote the same thing I was going to say... if the pans bother you paint them! They don't bother me... and mine are far worse than yours... with 4 kids, 5 if you count DH (he tells everyone that he has 4 kids and I have 5... him being the biggest one I have!)and almost 36 years of marriage... yeah, to be honest... I'd just spray the old ones some bright cheery color and use the new ones in the kitchen (besides; they will be a bit easier to clean... being new and all!) As long as your happy... everyone will be happy (at least at your house!).

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