Sunday Organizing: mind, schedule, food and finances

I found this podcast while visiting others on line and thought it was
 the perfect Sunday Organizing tip: 

The podcast episode includes these four areas of organization:  

1. Organize your mind. 
2. Organize your schedule. 
3. Organize your food.
4. Organize your finances. 

I often tell people I just feel better when I'm organized. (And as you saw last weekend, my creative muster isn't always spotless: Creative Reality ) But, I totally agree with Susan that by being organized at home, school, and in my hobby area, that I have less anxiety and increased internal calmness. I am peaceful and productive. Click on the picture below to check out more! Happy Sunday!

With smiles, Val:)

P.S. Today is the last day of my parents visit. I'm going to miss them. Glad I have my daughter's picnic quilt to start to distract me from their departure. 

Mother/Daughter Quilting!

 I can remember numerous times my own mother patiently spent time filling  me and my daughters requests to learn to knit...all with great failure I have to say. And I guarantee you this was not due to my mom's expertise, but rather our own abilities. My endless challenge being  I ALWAYS pull too tight! 

Yet, here I am, about to begin filing my own daughter's request to learn to sew and make a quilt. Visions of late night sews are bouncing in my head like it's Christmas eve!! How fun it will be to have a sewing buddy during her last few weeks before returning to college. We are making a pinwheel quilt from these fat quarters to match this adorable picnic basket she found:

Let the cutting begin!! 

With smiles!

Val:)

Welcome if you are visiting from:

 

Sunday Organizing: Sometimes...THIS is my reality

I'm NOT so organized!! Yep! I'm a day late with my Sunday Organizing Post. Projects are still not unpacked from a weekend workshop...two weeks ago. My travel bag from this weekend holds my Hexagon Quilt still waiting to be binded.  (Yes, I decided to keep it and remake myself one. I plan to save this one to give to my first grand-daughter someday.)

 ...and there's even a quilt waiting to be quilted for at least a week now.

But! I don't mind....because life has been busy with family, friends and gift giving all the projects I've been working on!  My daughter and son-in-law LOVED their Dinosaur Baby Quilt with matching receiving blankets and burp rags. Their sister-in-law was grateful for her Dr. Seuss Receiving Blanket. This truly is the most rewarding part for me: watching people open their gifts with awe and appreciation. I love that I left all of them a little piece of me to keep warm under.

This week continues to fill our life with family visits as my parents are here from Arizona for a week! So on top of teaching school and their visit, not much sewing will get done. But, my youngest daughter is home for a few more weeks before she heads back to college. She wants to help me make a picnic quilt before she leaves to match this really cool picnic basket she found while we were away one weekend!

We are planning to make a quick pinwheel quilt from the above fat quarters. We'll keep ya posted on the progress. Wishing everyone a Happy Labor Day!

With smiles,

Val:)

Hexi Flower Centers

Sometimes when starting a Hexi Flower, I find picking out the center is sometimes the hardest part! (Anyone else feel like that??) My youngest daughter and I are using the same fabric to make a  Hexagon quilt. (See my WIP here: My Hexagon Quilt) But we each chose a different center. Each center totally fitting our personalities perfectly. Each of us  love our WIP...never-the-less, I still think it took us two days to decide what fabric to use for our centers! Today, I thought I'd share the contrast of my bright and her subtle centers and just how much of a difference the center can make! (No wonder it takes so long to decide!)

If your visiting from One Flower Wednesday and have any good tips on how you pick your centers...please share! (I can always use help!)

With smiles,

Val:)

Classroom Portrait Quilt

This quilt hangs by my desk and every year this is my very favorite start of the year project: 

the creation of our Family Picture Wall! 

This self-portrait quilt is part of my sharing "three things about me". As we continue to spend the next week sharing things about ourselves with one another and getting procedures and routines established, this project becomes the anchor that reminds us throughout the year that we truly are a cooperative classroom and that as one little guy said yesterday: "School is like a home." 

 I think we're off to a great start in Mrs. Reynolds' Second Grade!

With smiles,

Val:)