It is a tad warmer this morning at -22C or -8F. They say it snowing lightly and will start to warm up today. By Monday it is suppose to be near freezing. We will all say about time and then complain about the ice and wet roads.
Lifestyle
One friend arrived to paint yesterday. He has all the doors in the bedroom part of the house done and will be ready to start in the front entry and living areas. The son was home sick with the cold/flu. He will be back on Monday.
Day 2 of using the light showed an improvement in my mood. I was more focused and didn't sleep at all in the evening. I will be using it all the time now that I have it in operation again.
With feeling better, I was able to focus, once again, on my eating habits. I have cut out snacks and have been loosing fluid but I will take the 6 pounds that have disappeared from my body. I am working on getting back to where I was before SAD and stress set in. I am finding that getting my SAD under control I am feeling less stressed about the renovations. Still hate the mess but I am not annealing over it. Focusing more on how to decorate so the house is can be cleaned easily and feel calm.
Sewing
Nothing got done yesterday thought I did buy the iron on vinyl for the last lobster bib. I also got some extra for the dolls to have rain coats and to make a gift for Daughter-in-Law for next Christmas. I can use up some quilting cotton that is in a neutral shade and do some embroidery on it.
Knitting
The second sock is going to be the death of me. The stitches are not forming properly and I think is it me or the yarn. I really am not sure but will keep on working on it hoping to improve my technique using an acrylic yarn.
Today
I work the early shift and have to take the Spousal Unit up to the hospital for his monthly IV immune booster. I am home early but am not sure what I will do other than knit.
Until the next time.........................
It is cold again this morning. The coolest was at 4 a.m. and the weather website said -23.8C which is the same as yesterday. Tonight is suppose to be cold again and then they say it is suppose to warm up.
Lifestyle
We got the shopping done and were home in good time. We didn't go out again so I have to gas up the car on the way to work this morning. Stupid of me to do that.
I did laundry and remained in the basement. I tried to stay out of the guys' way coming up when called. It made for less stress for me. The first call came when the counter top was put on.
We did play for a few minutes before I headed back down to the basement.
We looked at the backsplash which is going to be nice but kind of disappeared into the green wall.
While we were looking at something on the table, Elliott decided to give his opinion.
I then headed back to the basement, came up for a few minutes about the sink, and then emerged mid afternoon craving sunshine. I got to see this.
Though the dishwasher isn't hooked up, I was so excited that I did dishes in the new sink twice and wiped the cupboards as the Spousal Unit put on the new handles.
I took a look down our hallway with the trim all painted and I love what I see.
It feels so calm to me that I stared at it for quite a while. Only a half circle table with a couple of items on it will reside at the end of the hall.
Sewing
While in the basement waiting for laundry, I did a few things in the sewing area. I got all the lobster bibs but one covered with vinyl.
I was short 4" so that piece will make a raincoat and hat for the dolls. I will get another piece today for the last piece of fabric. The bibs that are done reside on the back part of the clothes rack.
Then I decided to work on the quilt block and got part of it done.
I will be working on it for the next few days off to get it done. Three trees need to be stitched, around the lake, the water and lighthouse done and then Ontario emboidered on. Then I will decide if I need to add something else. It has to be done by the end of January.
Knitting
I got 10 rows knit on the second sock. I will be working on it in the evenings. I want them done by month's end so I can send them with Grandson's birthday gift.
Today
I work the early shift so am getting up and getting ready. I will be doing a notions order which means cleaning up and stocking before I order. I will keep busy.
Until the next time...........................
It is cold this morning, the coldest so far this winter. -24C or -11F. It is a long underwear kind of day. And hot soup will be nice. The weather person said it was to be cold before it warmed up but they didn't forecast it to be this cold.
Lifestyle
Yesterday was a stressful day. Our friend arrived to paint and his son arrived later on. Too many people in the house working and talking so I retreated to the basement.
Our bedroom doors are painted and the guest room has been started. The white doors look amazing. They finish the rooms. We did talk about painting the small boxed area above the windows grey so the crown moulding will pop like in the rest of the room.
The son did some plug-ins and heat duct work in the kitchen layout. The kitchen may be usable today even if there are no cupboard doors on the new units. Who cares how it looks. I just want to use the sink and dishwasher.
The Spousal Unit shovelled snow yesterday morning. It was cold with the wind. He came in twice to warm up.
We talked to Daughter-in-Law and Grandson after lunch. Son flew out to Portugal for work and it snowed shortly after he left. She has been snow blowing and keeping the wood fires burning (literally). They have more snow than we do.
I worked on organizing the guest room items. It went really well with little being discarded. I also got the bedding for Grandson's bed put away. I am glad that is done and out of the way.
Sewing
My big job was to find my therapy light in the sewing jungle. When I started to organize the quilting cottons, I found it under a pile of fabric destined for grocery bags.
I charged it and used it this morning. YES!!
I gathered up all the quilting cottons and folded them up. They were sorted into piles and then put into the sewing room closet.
I have a lot of Christmas fabric but I do have plans for it all which will include pillow cases for the beds for Christmas.
After that job was done and I was satisfied, I started on a quilt block. A group of co-workers and I are doing a quilt for Canada's 150th birthday. My block is to represent Ontario.
I am using embroidery thread to outline and do some fill work on the block. The green and cream to the right will be used to embroider Ontario onto the block. Next is to fuse everything down onto the background.
Knitting
I cast on the second sock three times and then knit 5 rows of ribbing. It is started so I can work on it daily.
Today
We have to go shopping for a few things for the house and groceries. I have laundry to do and want to work on the quilt block. I go back to work tomorrow.
Until the next time..........................
We have had our fair share of snow the past few days. There was about 4" fall in the first go round and a small amount yesterday that seem to go somewhere else with the wind. It piled up on vehicles. Today we are suppose to see the sunshine. Yes!! And colder weather. No!!
Lifestyle
I have been working for the past 4 days and have been busy. I did two orders and faxed off 4 from the notions department. I am now doing the iPad order. The store is clean and tidy as it has been slow with all the ugly weather we had for the past two days. Everyone has been staying at home and I don't blame them.
The house renovations are slow due to illness. But, the two small counter tops are installed. The long one is here waiting for its turn to be installed.
Taking out the black counter top and installing a light one brightened up the kitchen. I was amazed at the transformation. Once the job was done, Adam left as he wasn't feeling well. He won't be here today but his dad will be to paint or prep for paint. There are three closets and the front entry to do before the living room and kitchen can be tackled.
Sewing
I looked at my sewing stuff, shuttered and walked away. I won't be tackling it today unless I get the guest room stuff sorted quicker than I think. If I do, it will be the cottons that I will focus my mind on.
My goal for the next bit is to:
- Cut out the second pair of doll jeans
- Work on my quilt block for the store
- Trace a coat pattern to cut out my February sewing project/challenge to be hung in the store in mid March
- Sort through the cottons and put together like projects for sewing
- Work on the lobster fabric items. I may focus on cutting out all the pieces and sew them up rather than do one item at a time
The best laid plans can go down the tube in a hurry in our house.
Knitting
I have spent my evening reading and napping. I do want to set up the second sock today so I can knit on it in the evening. I have been horrible about falling asleep in the evenings but the gloomy grey days have done it to me.
Today
I am home and need to work in the basement. I have to find my therapy lamp and charge it up and then move on to sorting through the guest room items and get rid of what we don't need. It is time to let go of more stuff.
Until the next time...........................
It was warmer yesterday with a high of -11C or 12F. It felt good to have it warmer than it has been for the past while.
Lifestyle
When we got home from shopping yesterday, the young fellow Adam, our renovator, was busy doing plumbing for the kitchen sink. The lovely sink is sitting on two 2 x 6" boards and waiting for the counter top to arrive next week.
The plumbing is complete and ready to go. The other thing that happened was pulling up the linoleum flooring. It was just as we had expected.....hardwood under part of it. It tells us how small our kitchen use to be when it the house was built in 1965.
The new tile flooring will go along the straight part of the flooring and over to the wall. We will loose the hardwood flooring in front of the dishwasher and small fridge. We are okay with that.
While there was noise under the sink, Elliott slept in our bed. As soon as it was quieter, he arrived downstairs to soak up the warmth from the fireplace.
Sewing
I finished the doll jeans and I do like them a lot. They were too big so I had to take in the side seams to get them to fit properly. It is a good thing I put them around the doll when I discovered the waistband was too small. I need to find a button for the waistband so it looks like they have a proper waistband that could close.
I will be doing another lobster bib next as this will help me use up the lobster fabric. I am altering between the Doll SWAP and lobster sewing to keep it fun.
Knitting
Sixty rows are knit and I need to cast on the second sock.
Today
I work the early shift and will have to deal with whatever when I get home. Maybe nothing as Adam, our carpenter only can load garbage today as he gets his children for the day.
Until the next time............................
Though it is clear outside, it is warming up. It is -14C or 7F this morning but it was colder than that a couple of days ago.
Lifestyle
We have internet and TV again. I had wires plugged in wrong as I was following cord colours. As we have had trouble with our internet and TV going off while set up prior to renovating, the guy changed our boxes. Instead of three boxes, we now have one. So much easier to handle.
Renovations began yesterday. It was a stressful time for me even though I knew we were going to do it.
We went from this sink placement to this set up.
The stress was from worrying if it would all fit along that wall. It did fit with 1.5" to spare. The next stress was about a cabinet above the small fridge. We talked about it for quite a while and it is doable. We have to order in 4 doors and a drawer front to match the other cabinets.
Next on the list was to talk about the crown moulding on the top of the cabinets.
It is coming off and a flat board is going up (valance like under the cabinets to hide the lights). It will match the trim around the windows in the house. That was a stressful discussion as we all had to get our point of view across.
In the end Elliott approved as he liked looking down the holes. Crazy cat.
In the midst of all this discussion, the Spousal Unit announced we will probably put the house up for sale in the spring (what I had said early in December).
Sewing
Sewing is coming along. I have three bibs done but no pictures other than the one with the vinyl on the fabric and the single fold bias tape sewn on.
I do run the fireplace when sewing in the basement to keep warm.
The doll jeans are cut out and the back pockets put on then removed and redone. Picture of first pocket put on before taking them off.
The dolls love the bling on the pockets. Since then, the front pockets have been added and the center front seam sewn and the faux zipper line sewn down. Hard to see when it is in navy blue thread.
Knitting
The cowls for the dolls are done.
The socks are progressing and 50 rounds are done. Ten more rounds and I start the leg of the second sock.
Today
We have been shopping and now it is time to do some housework and sewing. I am back to work tomorrow.
Until the next time..........................
We are having cold weather again after a good snow fall. The only positive thing has been watching the crescent moon and Venus. I haven't seen Mars but they say it is visible. The downside is I'm cold all the time.
Lifestyle
We are actually surviving with internet on one iPad. We share it during the day to get caught up on our sites. We do miss TV in the evenings though but I am reading books and the Spousal Unit is doing word puzzles.
The Spousal Unit had his last visit with the eye surgeon this afternoon. The surgery was a success and he can see the optometrist at the end of the month for glasses. He is thrilled to have this done.
I am back on my diet and am feeling better with my carb count under control. My energy is coming back which is nice. I was tired from trying to get Christmas gifts done and eating too much high carb foods.
Sewing
I have the third lobster bib finished and only 5 left to go. I am pleased with how they look.
I cut out a pair of doll jeans and got the front pockets done. They are done like human jeans. The back pockets have been attached and the rhinestones put on them. They are really cute and I can hardly wait to show them to you.
Knitting
I spent time this morning sorting through my yarn. I now have them sorted by weight. Sock weight in one tub, worsted in another and DK in a third. Books, patterns and miscellaneous items are in three tubs. All the tubs are upstairs and in thestand. I was happy to have that job done and it is part of the stash. A few small balls of yarn went into the garbage and a few skeins went into the thrift shop box.
The socks are progressing well and I have 40 rounds knit. Twenty more rounds and I start sock #2.
I am off work for two more days. We hope to have our internet back tomorrow and I hope to have a post with pictures in it.
Until the next time.............
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