212/366: Texting in the Dark

What did we do.
Before smart phones?

211/366: Time to do the Ironing

All day long.
The iron has been beckoning.
To have it's photo taken.

This morning I looked up.
And a tiny sliver of light.
Was peaking through the curtains.
Illuminating only the iron.
In an otherwise dimly lit room.

Later, after I had opened the curtains.
I walked into the room.
At such an angle.
That when I looked at the iron.
The sun was making a perfect starburst.
Right on it's tip.

Tonight after I got home.
As I sat with my husband talking.
I was mesmerized by the reflection.
Of the ceiling fan.
In it's side.

It's not exciting, but something about it.
Struck me as pretty today.
I should note.
That it isn't always in my living room.
Just when I am sewing.
Which lately is a lot.
But not ALWAYS.
I do put it away... occasionally.

210/366: Just Another Sunday Morning

We had  a friend visiting for a few days.
It was his first time in California.
Before we dropped him off at the airport.
A detour to the pier was necessary.

Safe travels, Jeremy.
We'll see you soon.

209/366: Create

True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.
                                                                                      - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

208/366: Weekend Plans

This massive stack of fabric.
Pretty much sums up.
My weekend plans.

Happy Friday.
If you need me.
I'll be with my sewing machine.

207/366: I Married a Drummer Boy

When you marry a drummer.
Cymbals...
become home decor.
Fact.

206/366: Will

Will is a box.
Of my favorite chocolates.
Sitting unopened in our kitchen.
For over a month.

I deserve a trophy.

205/366: The Never Ending Story

Dishes and Laundry.
The story of tonight.
And tomorrow.
And next week.

No matter how much you try.
There is always more to do.

204/366: Mouse Trap!

You know the one thing.
That you wanted as a child.
Yet for some reason.
Never got.

It makes a GREAT surprise.
For an adult.

203/366: Perfectly Imperfect

I love when you surprise yourself.  When you break away from yourself and try something new.  Only to find, that maybe this is what you should have been doing all along.

This quilt is special.  For many reasons.  It was made for my friend Jessica who is raising money for her trip to work with children in Africa. I wanted to take a few pictures before I ship it off to her tomorrow. 

It is not the largest or most intricate quilt I have ever made. It is however, my favorite.  

I broke virtually every quilting rule there is and loved every minute of it.  The construction is simple squares in vivid colors.  I quilted in random lines.  Some are straight.  Some are curved.  There are single lines and double lines.  There is no pattern. No rhyme or reason.  When I look at it I think of the Pick Up Sticks I used to play with as a child.  I didn't draw them in place first.  I didn't measure and remeasure and measure a third time just to be safe.  I just went with what felt right.

It is bright and bold.  I didn't use designer fabrics.  I used colors and patterns that made me think of Jessica.  She has a bright exuberant personality.  She loves rainbows.

It is not the type of blanket you hang on the wall to display like art.  It is the one you throw in the car.  Take to the beach. The park.  The one you throw across your lap while drinking your coffee on a chilly morning.  

I don't know where this will end up.  Whether it will be loved or tossed in the back of a closet.  I'm ok with that.  I think it is kind of cool.   

It is small.  The size of a couch throw.  When I finished sewing together the blocks, it looked big.  So I trimmed the sides.  Then, on a whim, decided to use what I had trimmed off, for the binding.  No bias for me.  No perfectly cut strips of binding sewn in a neat diagonal.  

The entire process was freeing.  Liberating.  I didn't follow the rules.  I didn't do what I was supposed to. This is very un-Holly.   

In the end, the quilt I made is not going to win any awards at the county fair.  It is full of imperfections.  There is even, GASP, a pucker on one of the yellow squares.  It is perfectly imperfect and I couldn't be prouder.

202/366: The Tutu

I never thought of myself.
As the type of girl.
That would make a little baby.
A tutu.

Then I heard those magic words.
Your going to be an aunt...
and it's a girl.

It started simply enough.
Custom onesies.
A crib set.
Booties.

Next thing you know.
I'm shopping for tulle.

I've never minded the thought.
Of making giant poofy skirts.
For adults.
Even older girls.
But never in a million years.
Did I see myself making a baby tutu.

Everyone says it is so easy.
Perhaps.
Or maybe. Just maybe.
You have someone like me.
That won't settle for the wimpy skirt.
I was left with after completing the tutorial.

So I had to add more tulle.
And Ribbon.
And trim and cut and add some more.
And trim and cut some more.
Until I was covered in tiny pieces of tulle.

In the end.
She will have a beautiful.
Multi colored.
Full.
Tutu.

It might be a little big.
A lot big.
She will either look ridiculously adorable.
Or like a loofah.

She's my niece.
She'll be able to get away with it.
Aunt Holly said so.

201/366: Movie Night

Tonight we watched.
On old favorite.

It's been years since I have seen it.
I don't recall every watching it as an adult.
It was just as funny.
A little more stressful.

And now...
I just want to go out and buy a fixer upper...

200/366: The Library

We went to the library tonight.
I love libraries.
They smell good.
There is a comfortable silence.
An unspoken camaraderie.
Amongst those roaming the stacks.

I miss card catalogs.
I miss the index cards in books.
I miss signing on the line.
I love renewing online.
I'm a brat.
Nostalgic for the way it was.
Embracing the way it is.

Happy to see.
That with the introduction.
Of many modern conveniences.
There are a few things.
That haven't changed.

199/366: Pretty Tools are Best

Finally starting to feel better.
Means finally being able.
To get back to my sewing machine.
And my pretty new sewing tools.

Pretty tools.
Make anything more fun.

198/366: Long Day

The best cure.
For a long day.

197/366: Smart Husband

My husband went to the camera store.
To rent a lens.
For a few days.

Instead.
He came home.
With this.
To keep.
Forever.

From now on.
If we need something.
From the camera store.
I'm sending my husband.

196/366: Tchotchkes

I don't like tchotchkes.
I hate the word.
I don't even know.
That I know how to correctly pronounce it.
Does anyone?
I have to look it up.
Anytime I want to spell it.
If I am reading and come across it.
I automatically replace it with the word knick knack.
I find that to be.
Slightly less offensive.

When I think of tchotchkes.
I think of little ceramic people.
Bowls.
Dust catchers.
Everywhere.
I think of cat ladies with houses.
Full of old books and needless tchotchkes.

The problem with this?
I am way off.
In all actuality, my house is filled.
With stuff.
Mostly old.
Antique.
Vintage.
Non ceramic.

Yet, it still catches dust.
This stuff of mine.
I collect things.
Regardless of the type of things.
I collect.
My things are not superior to those.
Of anyone else.
Even cat ladies.

I have knick knacks.
I have.
Vintage.
Antique.
Super cool.
Collectible.
Tchotchkes.
Ugh.

195/366: Another Day on the Couch

Flannel PJs.
Fun Socks.
Piles of covers.

This is how I do sick.

194/366: Cozy

Never underestimate.
The healing power.
Of a big.
Cozy.
Bathrobe.

It's fuzzy comfort.
With pockets and a belt.

Best.
Christmas present.
Ever.

193/366: Through the Peephole

I'm stuck inside another day.
This has to be the worst.
Cold.
Ever.


So here is my view.
To the outside world.

192/366: From Mine to Ours

I love my cute.
Striped.
Mugs.
They were one of my first.
Purchases.
When I moved into my first.
Place.

Now they are OURS.

I hope we still have them.
Until our old and wrinkled fingers.
Wrap around the handles.

191/366: Better Late Than Never

We started taking down Christmas tonight.
Yes, I know it is January 10th.
No judging.
We may or may not have more to take down.
Like a really pretty tree.


It will get done.
This week.
Probably.

190/366: From the Kitchen

Day two.
Cooped up in the house.
I'm going a little stir crazy.


Lately I've been in.
A bit of a slump.
I spent the month of December.
Focusing only on.
All things Christmas.


Now.
I'm have a bit of a post holiday.
Funk.
Which has me feeling less than creative.
When it comes to blogging.


It is feeling a bit forced.
A bit unnatural.
I miss the fun.
The light heartedness.


I probably sound a bit whiney.
I'm not sure how to explain it.
Other than to say.
This journey for me is about.
The experience.
The self satisfaction.
The learning curve.
At the end of the day.
I want to feel good.
Great even.
About what I have done.


The past week or so.
That feeling has been lacking.
I suspect.
Once I snap out of this post holiday blah.
Get over this sickness.
And REALLY focus.
It will all go away.
I'll be as good as new.
I will look back on this post and think.
What was my problem?


Tonight.
I had an idea.
I wanted something fun.
I was looking at the pile of laundry.
In need of folding.
That is not fun.


I thought about our refrigerator.
Random I know.  
I don't have a clue what this has to do.
With the laundry.


Only that at that moment.
I thought about it.
How it is covered.
Cluttered.
Over run.
With every magnet under the sun.


Magnet poetry.
Multi-colored ABC magnets.
The number for the local pizza place magnet.
A save the date from a friends wedding a year ago magnet.
You name it.
We have it.
On our refrigerator.


It amazes me.
That two people.
That are both organized.
Everything in it's place kind of folks.
Have a fridge that is so covered.
And cluttered.
I love it.  
I wouldn't change it for anything.


So I am inspired.  I grab the camera.
One the way to the refrigerator.
I am struck by the bright colors.
Of the fruit bowl.
How our carelessly tossed fruit.
Looks strategically placed.
For Painting 101.


So for tonight.
You get two photos.
A fruit bowl and a refrigerator.
From my kitchen.
To your screen.

189/366: Sick Days

Growing up.
Sick days meant.
Home from school.
At Grandma's house.
Watching the Price is Right.
Reading the funny anecdotes.
In my Grandparent's Reader's Digest.
Chicken Soup.
Naps.


Today I was feeling a little.
Under the weather.
There was no Bob Barker.
However, it wasn't too different.


Naps on the couch.
Tv.
A big stack of magazines.
Pinterest.
Lots of water.
Chicken Soup.


It's comforting to know.
That some things.
Don't change.
Too Much...

188/366: Aunt Holly

2012 is going to rock.
I'm not giving away.
All my secrets.
Yet.


However there are great.
Awesome.
Super fun.
Amazing adventures.
Heading our way.


I will stop here and say.
For all of you.
That might be thinking it.
No.  I am not pregnant.


But.
My sister in law is!
My baby brother Matthew and his wife Shannon.
Are expecting.
A teeny.
Tiny.
Baby girl.
In just a few weeks!


I'm so excited.
To meet my niece.


I am also absolutely.
Without a doubt.
100% certain.
That she will love her auntie.


I made her shirts.
To prove it.

187/366: Back in the Swing of Things

The first Friday of 2012.
Brought the return.
Of toaster oven pizza 
and movie Friday night.


I couldn't be happier.

186/366: Why Didn't I Think of That?

For like a year.
Or so.
The remote to the stereo.
That controls our surround sound.
Or something like that.
Hasn't worked.


It's not that it hasn't worked at all.
It just has not worked.
Correctly.


Finally after a year.
Or so.
Of having to get up and adjust the volume.
And the settings.
At the start of every movie.
And a second time if I whined.
My husband.
Brilliant man that he is.
Emailed the manufacturer.


Within a week.
He had an answer.
Today he reset the remote.
And finally.
It works.
Correctly.


It's the little things.
He said.
After telling me twice today.
It was fixed...


Smart husband.

185/366: Kindness

This weekend.
A really cool friend.
Gifted us with piles.
Of vintage photography magazines.


Awesome.
Amazing.
Thoughtful.


We are so fortunate.
To have so many.
Kind.
Wonderful.
People.
In our lives.

184/366: The Little Things

The little things.

Like bringing home.

Beautiful flowers.

For your wife.

Just because.

Those little things.

Are actually the big things.

That make life bright.

Well done, husband.

Well done.

183/366: All By Myself

I suffer from a wonderful.

Terrible.

Sometimes maddening.

Incredibly satisfying need.

To make things myself.

I don't look at something in a store.

And think...

I want that. I'm going to buy that.

I think...

I like that.  Can I make it?

I also have.

A bit of a talent.

For biting off more.

Than I can chew.

I will agree to something.

Take on a new project.

Add to my never ending to do list.

Simply.

Because I can.

I'm not complaining.

The satisfaction of making.

Creating.

Doing.

By myself.

Is wonderful.

Case in point.

Hand made presents.

This year there were many.

More than I had time for.

Yet somehow.

I managed to pull it all together.

One of my favorites...

This bag I made for my mother in law.

I could have bought her a bag.

A beautiful bag.

For all of her newly acquired knitting supplies.

But I didn't.

I made it.

And that...

Was the best part.

182/366: Resolutions

One year ago today.

I bought a bolt of burlap.

Don’t ask me how I remember this.

I have a freakish memory.

It just is.

12 tote bags

6 monogrammed table runners

5 buntings

Countless handmade flowers.

Headbands.

Table coverings.

And two weddings later…

I still have a few yards left.

My point with all of this?

I’m not one for resolutions.

I didn’t make them last year.

Yet in 2011.

I accomplished more.

Than I ever have before.

No resolutions required.

I designed.

Planned.

Sewed.

Baked my way to a wedding.

I started a blog.

I made new friends.

I finished quilts.

I read books.

I photographed a wedding.

I photographed friends.

I laughed.

I cried.

I traveled.

It was the year of the burlap...

And so much more.

Maybe it was focus.

Determination.

Necessity.

Maybe I’ve found a bit more.

Of who I am.

Who I’m supposed to be.

Whatever the case.

It was enough to convince me.

That there is no need for resolutions.

I know what I want from 2012.

It can’t be found.

In secret lists jotted in a notebook.

No pages ripped from magazines to inspire.

I don’t know if there will be burlap.

Here is to 2012.

To no resolutions.

To more of me.

My way.