Happy -Part Deux

Heather Ross in the middle...

Another block in my Happiness Project quilt. I have decided to go for a total of 9 to make a nice wall hanging. I will hang it in my office over the heads of the criminals I counsel - I mean, happiness will just be inches away. I like the theory. And I really like these charming little bridesmaids.

I have been feeling happier generally as I have tried to find more silver lining in search of happy - I have dropped the angry music and walked on a nature trail often so far this month.

But I have also been feeling scared, my husband is having brain surgery next week - and I spent the entire winter moping around about it as we waited to compare scans and stuff. In the "scheme of brain surgery" it is allegedly not too invasive - so I am just going to strap myself in and prepare for any unpredictable turns and twists. This is maybe a lot to share, but I kind of need to - I can tell you guys and get "cyber support" without freaking out my family too much. I'm scared witless but I need to be strong and positive now, for him and for my girls. I have almost gotten myself entirely convinced that I will just be fetching movies and snacks for him while we "enjoy" the week after surgery hanging out together. It just seems more manageable to focus on my role as a short order cook come cruise director - instead of a scared-y cat. Even scared-y cat sounds doable - rather than mental case.

What else has been helping me be happy? Some nice books ::



A new blog - 1000 awesome things. It's so fun - really, check it out. Reading the blog had me scrabbling over to Amazon to buy The Book of Awesome. I figure, who couldn't use more awesome?

And last bit of happy - because I can't gush over Amber enough, Life in Color is just the most charming blog. I think I try to follow every little piece of wisdom she shares. She is also an amazing mommy with a great sense of color and fashion. Her blog isn't called "Life in Color" for nothing. In the last couple of days she showed a little organized box of scrapbook goodies - I swear I have been planning to spend some of my time with my husband playing catch up on my scrapbooking (can I "catch up" 5 years?). Anyways, her little box of wonderful has gotten my creative juices flowing, don't you love when that happens?

(p.s. :: All prayers welcome;)

Come On, Get Happy!

a book by Gretchen Rubin.


the start of a happy quilt by me.

I started reading this book, and then started sewing this quilt - and I can see there is a connection. The book is about finding happy. Just that, happy. We can all be a little happier - me being no exception. The book is a guide to bringing more simple joy into your life - and there is a blog for more motivation too. My April resolutions started with ::

1. listening to less angry music
2. more walking

Sounds pretty simple right?

I started quilting along with a quilt along, and realized that my blocks have little in the way of method, but lots in the way of fun - the colors and prints make me feel good - because I have been feeling good. Darling Heather Ross prints in the middle of shiny, happy strips. I am hopeful that working on this quilt will float me merrily into warm weather - til then I will focus on other ways to keep "happy "going - like walking and giving up heavy metal. How about you?

Happy Spring!

Wow - spring has really sprung in Wisconsin - as I type away, we are having our first real spring rain and lightning. This kind of excites me because I got some new mukluks from Target. (don't you love that word...mukluk)

I have had a couple of days off recently, to hang out with my freshly minted 10 year old. We spent a special day in Chicago - checking out Watertower Place, and spending birthday money at the American Girl Store. My sister joined us. It was a great time - we had cupcakes at Sarah's Pastries - omg.


The flavor of the month - pistachio.

I hosted Easter for my immediate family yesterday - I tried a new glaze for the ham - yum-o. Then Nani (my girls' nickname for my mom) went on the trampoline with my girls. She had back surgery a few years ago, so I cringed a bit - however, imagine my surprise when we ended up in the ER with my 4-year-old - and somehow it was "Nani's fault". This will someday make a great story - how Nani caused an injury on the trampoline. My little one had a case of nursemaid's elbow. It's where a bone gets out of joint and needs to be popped back in - ouch. I several episodes of this as a kid - and omg, these are some of my most vivid memories of pain. She was all fixed up - we both cried - then today she and I hung out so she could recover. Her elbow is okay, but a little sore yet. She told my mom she loved her tonight, so all is forgiven. And we had a good day of movies, books and nintendo.


here she is - pre-ER - kind of "asking for it" here...

Lastly, tonight I made my first efforts for the Quilt-as-You-Go along over at Sew Take a Hike. This method affords some excessive quilting that can be limited on whole big piece - such wonderful texture. I went through a whole bobbin of thread on this first block - yikes. I may end up with a table runner - but this project is giving me a chance to dip into the coveted Heather Ross collection - see my little van in the middle? Doesn't it just hurt your teeth it's so sweet?