Dining room table before

 I was talking to Susan last night on Facebook chat, and she was telling me about some of the decorating that she has been doing in her house. One of the ideas she has was to take a crystal vase, and fill it with glass bulbs and use it as a center piece. I jokingly said that, although I really liked the idea, it wouldn't work because I couldn't even see the top of my dining room table, which was a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. She is such a good and encouraging and motivating friend. Somehow, I found myself agreeing to a challenge, to take before and after shots, and actually clean up the mess, and do something nice with the spaces. So, here is the result of that challenge. Now, the challenge will be keeping it this way. LOL

Coffee table before

Coffee table after

Dining room table after

 Every year, Scott does a Christmas village on our mantelpiece, and every year it looks different. This year he decided he wanted to contrast the ideas of the busy city, with the peace of the countryside. So, he arranged all the buildings on one side, full of hustle and bustle, and people. On the other side, he arranged a peaceful country setting, centered on the nativity scene, so it could focus the real reason that we celebrate in the first place.  He has blue lights scattered through it, so, at night when the lights are on, it looks cool and restful, and oh so very Christmas. I must confess, that I look forward to him doing this every year.

It's been a month since I managed a design wall post. Life is quickly getting back to normal, after all the rushing with the wedding, and the wonderfulness of Susan's visit. She left on Wednesday to go to visit with her family in Cape Breton. (Someplace I would very much like to see, someday) The day after she left, I was back to work, after 3 1/2 weeks off. Why is it that time is so weird? It goes so slowly while waiting for something we've been looking forward to, and then totally speeds by when it gets here. Ah well. Susan was good for me while she was here. She is a very organized person, whereas me, not so much. I pulled out all my UFO's to show her, and got inspired to finish up a couple of them, while she relaxed and had a good time reading. I'll post some pictures of them later this week. On my design wall is one of my UFO's, the spring block swap that was hosted by Shannon, at The Pieceful Kwilter There is actually a block in there from Queensland, Australia. How cool is that! The first pic is of the blocks themselves, and the second is with the alternate blocks that I'm going to use to finish the quilt, and get it up to the size I want. There will be 20 of the alternate blocks and, in EQ5, at least, they form a really neat secondary pattern, and all the blocks merge into one overall design. I hope it works as well in real life.  I'm planning on working at this fairly steadily for the next week or 2 until I get it done, along with some customer quilts waiting to be long armed. But, enough for now, time to get ready for work, when I'd much rather continue to sew. (sigh)

Becca and I went out today to buy the rest of the supplies to make her veil. So far, the fabric, an ivory organza, cost $5.95. The lace and the beaded trim to go around the edge, cost $8.95. So, total cost for her bridal veil so far is, wait for it.............. $14.90. I still have to get the comb that it attaches to. So, she'll get a veil, probably for under $25.00. The bridal store wanted $250.00. Something wrong with that picture. I have the lace pinned on already, but then had to leave to go to work. I'm hoping to get the lace sewn on tomorrow, at which time I'll post a pic. Her bridal shower is on May 1st, at which time I'll be able to post pictures of her wedding quilt, which I'll be giving her then. My son, Noel, and his wife, Laurie, are coming down for the day of the shower, and it will be so nice to see them have the whole family together again. The last time we saw them was for Noel's Grandma's funeral, so it will be nice to be together for a happy occasion. I also got the decorations for the chairs on the ends of the aisle, for the ceremony,  figured out, and I'll post a pic of those tomorrow too. The wedding  is getting so close, and getting really exciting. Seven weeks to the wedding. Six weeks until my dear friend and sister in the Lord, Susan arrives. She says she has to be here to keep me sane, although it is questionable whether I am sane now. (giggle). She has also promised to stop me from climbing the walls, and generally falling apart. And, if I do fall apart, she'll help pick up the pieces. I haven't seen her in almost 8 years. We talk all the time on facebook chat, but, it's not the same, although it's a whole lot better than the years of expensive long distance phone calls and waiting for "snail mail". We are "kindred spirits" and I miss her terribly. She'll be here a week before the wedding, and stay for 2 weeks after. YIPPEE!!! We can talk, and have tea, and sit in the yard, and sew and quilt, to our hearts' content. I wonder what it will be like to talk without the facebook chat timelag, and waiting to read what the other has written? I wonder if we'll run out of things to talk about? Probably not, since it hasn't happened yet, after 24 years, 18 of which, she has lived either in New Bruswick, or Alberta, after moving away from London. True friendship like this is a gift from God, to be cherished and for which to be thankful.

It's cold and snowy outside today. A perfect day to stay inside and do, wait for it............. more quilting and sewing. Yippee!!!! I have coffee, not flavoured though, I ran out, and that isn't enough incentive to go out in the cold and snow. Or, there are all kinds of teas that I got for Christmas, to keep me warm while I sew. There are places to visit, and people to talk to on the internet. Shannon, at The Pieceful Kwilter blog is hosting a spring block swap, that I've decided to participate in. I know, I know, I really don't need another project. But, it called my name, and I had to answer. It's to be the February block pattern from her BOM, all done in spring fabrics and colours, so it will be spring in my sewing room, if not outside. So, I think I will take a brief break from all that paper piecing, and play with some other fabric. I think I'm going to use the fabrics pictures here to do the blocks. The cream is to be the background, and the green is going in the same place as it is in my block here. The purple will be the star points, and the pink and yellow will be the rectangle under the star points. I'm going to fussy cut the seed packet fabric for the centre square of the block.  All of the large cactus units are done, and are waiting to be de-papered. (yuck). I have my February block finished, and did one of the same pattern for a charity quilt, which has to go to the post office so that it can go back to it's organizer, when the weather clears. Life doesn't get much better. The one thing that could make this day absolutely perfect, would be to have Susan, my BFF, who lives in Edmonton, here to sew and chat with me. But, that's not going to happen. But, with this wonderful tool of the internet, I can chat with her, and keep in touch, and rejoice in our friendship. The music is on, currently playing Christian contemporary Michael W. Smith, and I can sing along to my heart's content. Yep, life is good. Thank you Lord.