Eleven Months Hence

I cannot believe it has been eleven months since I last posted. I have thought about closing my blog down many times. I especially thought about it after I got an email from WordPress in late November saying my domain would renew automatically in 30 days…and then I promptly forgot about it. And so here I am. Disclaimer: this post will be kinda long. 

It’s been a busy year of settling in here in Milwaukee. I do love living here though. I’ve learned that short summers and long winters are totally my jam. God has blessed me w/another amazing church family and so many wonderful new friends. I am so grateful.

I’m also becoming a gardener! I am not growing food, just flowers and shrubs and trees! My indoor green thumb is tenuous but I feel like I’m going to be much more successful outdoors. The gardening came about when I decided to fill in the emptiness under the spruce in the side yard after a couple of heavy snows meant I had to get a lot of branches cut off. A colleague found this adorable playhouse on a curb in her neighborhood. It is so perfect for the spot and I got busy decorating it w/annuals and “designing” and planting perennials around it.

I planted these babies soon after in other parts of the yard. The one on the left is a Weeping Norway Spruce and the other is a Weeping White Spruce.

And then I met Dorothy whose gardens are AMAZING and oh so inspiring!

She gave me a couple of tips which I immediately started on; move the Spring and Summer perennials from the front of the house and replace them with evergreens and conifers that provide year-round beauty and curb appeal… and do it now (Fall) because it’s the best time to plant trees and shrubs. I was so excited to do this because I adore conifers! Here’s my progress, the top 2 pics are before. It doesn’t look like much yet, but I know it will I’m so looking forward to filling in the gardens w/ne perennials in the Spring!

Just a few more updates before I let you go.

Some of you may know I have Alopecia, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes sudden hair loss. I developed Alopecia Areata (hair loss in patches on the scalp) in 2017. This year it turned into Alopecia Totalis (hair loss across the entire scalp) and then, to my surprise this Summer, it converted into Alopecia Universalis (hair loss across the entire body).

I know this sounds traumatic and I’m sure it is for a lot of people, but thankfully it has not been terribly devastating for me (I had worn my hair super short for most of my adult life).

I will say this though, after having lost all the hair on my head, then my eyebrows and eyelashes, the one thing that did rock my world was the discovery that I no longer had nose hairs! How funny is that?!

I’ve been wearing a wig pretty regularly for the last 6 mos or so but sometimes I just “rock the baldy”. And thanks to Alex at SkalpX MKE my baldy is now FULL of beautiful hair follicles. And guess what? They are tattoos! I also wake up w/these fantastic brows and this perfect eyeliner (also tattoos), thanks to Rosie Wells at Illume Med Spa in MKE. It’s amazing how tattooed eyeliner gives the illusion of a lashline!

Considering the myriad of things that I could be dealing with and the fact that I know people who are suffering from cancer and cancer treatment or chronic pain and other debilitating illnesses, hair loss doesn’t even register as an affliction in my book. And if being completely hairless for the rest of my life is my lot, well then I will rejoice and be glad in it!

And speaking of the rest of my life, I just celebrated my 52nd birthday on December 16.

This song sums up my life so well.

I know that I am going to Heaven because I have accepted and I know Jesus as Lord and Savior. But let me tell you something, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.“ ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭13‬ ‭NASB

I know y’all know what I’m talking about when I say life is hard and the struggle is real. The thought of living eternally in heaven is more than amazing! But I need peace and hope and joy today! In this darkness, in this fire, in this storm, in this struggle, in this circumstance, in this situation, in this life! The only One Who can give me all of these things is God.

I tried to do things my way for so long but I have learned that my life is better and that I like it better when I am following Him. Can I get a witness?

Thank You, God, for another birthday! Thank You for your love, your grace, your mercy, and every single provision. Thank You that Your Goodness will never stop running after me. Lord help me to be a good ambassador for Christ and a humble & gracious steward. Amen.

I am still quilting and I promise y’all will be hearing from me more often.

God bless you!

A New Chapter

There have been some changes in my life since last I posted. No, I didn’t get married. though I am hopeful that will happen someday. No, these changes include selling a house, buying another, and moving to a different state!

The idea for this move began in late May when I learned an opportunity within our company was coming available.

Me being me, not afraid of change and always ready for a new adventure, said of course I’d consider it.

Fast forward five months and I’m now a resident of the great state of Wisconsin!

I also have a new grandson! My middle son, who lives in Albuquerque, had his first baby in October and I get to meet him at Thanksgiving! Isn’t he precious!

Stay tuned for another BIG announcement!

A Thread for Life

Since I Last Posted

Long Post Alert!

Dare I call myself a blogger if I let two months pass between posts? And I was doing so good for awhile.

Anyway, hi! How have you been? Me, I have been busy w/work and life.

I’ve also been doing some sewing and quite a bit of quilting. I did really well the first part of the year, working on one project at a time for the most part. BUT, I haven’t really followed that rule as of late. And honestly I can’t tell if I’m more or less productive so I’ll let you be the judge of that.

Here are my makes since I last posted.

I was inspired by my favorite apron to make these, so I copied it a little and winged it a lot. The loops at teh waist are for hand towels.

A scrappy trips table topper. This is an awesome pic if I say so myself.

This little ghostie wall hanging was a kit I had for at least 4 years. It was so simple I felt silly for not making it sooner.

I made these 2 pumpkin wall hangings/table toppers. I realize they resemble apples but they are orange and one is made w/pumpkin fabric, so there! 😉 I combined a couple of patterns to make these. I got the measurement of the pumpkin and the stem from Patchwork Pumpkin Block by Farm Girl Vintage and the rest from Pumpkin Wall Hanging on Quilters Cache.

I finally finished the Build A Quilt quilt. I say finally because as I was quilting it, Esperanza locked up on me. Thankfully, w/my son’s help, we were able to get her off and back on the frame w/o taking the quilt completely off. Missouri Sewing Machine Company had her all fixed up in less than a week’s time.

My latest finish is this wee quilt, 30″ x 36″, made from cutoffs of my niece’s quilt. It reminds me of Origami Cranes.

I swore I wouldn’t make another mask…until I saw Svetlana’s video tutorial for 3d masks. This is the simplest mask I’ve made and the only style I’ll make from now on.

And these are my works in progress.

A patchwork runner for my dresser, designed by me. I stitched in the ditch and now I’m adding hand quilting. It’s the hand quilting that is keeping this in the WIP status. I’m making quicker progress than I thought I would though.

The next wip is from this book. I have several quilts in this book marked to make.

This one is called Fall Frolic and is primarily made w/Thimbleberries fabrics. It is also currently on the quilt frame.

And on deck, waiting to be quilted is Winter Quilt.

It is a free-form block project from this book. I adore this book and I have even more quilts marked to make in it!

Besides quilting, I did a couple of home improvements, but my absolute fave is the fireplace makeover. What do you think?

Another thing I’ve been doing a lot of lately is cooking! I started a low carb/keto lifestyle in mid August. I have since lost approximately 15 lbs. I’ve done more baking in the last few months than I have in my entire life. Most of the recipes I’ve made are from Wholesome Yum which I found on Pinterest. I had a completely keto Thanksgiving which consisted of roasted Cornish Hens, spinach balls, cauliflower mac & cheese, keto fathead dinner rolls, and sugarfree pumpkin cheesecake. But a couple of my fave go-to recipes are fathead pizza crust and chaffles.

And now I’m ready for Christmas!

And here’s a close up of my Starburst Tree Skirt.

If you made it all the way down here, good on you! Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, (hopefully it won’t be 2 mos from now), God bless you, Happy Stitchin’, and Happy Holidays!

A Thread for Life

Think on These Things Amos R. Wells

No Way to Christ

Once, during a revival, a minister was hailed by a young man who asked, “Can you tell me the way to Christ?” The minister’s reply was astonishing; “No, I cannot tell you the way to Christ.” “But I thought you were a minister,” the young man stammered; “I beg your pardon.” “I am a minister,” was the answer. “Well then,” the young man urged, “I don’t see why you cannot tell the way to Christ.” “Because,” the minister said earnestly, “there is no way to Christ. Christ Himself is the Way. Christ is here. All you have to do is to believe Him, and you have Him.”

There is a great truth in this story. Too often we go blundering around in our search for Christ, trying numerous paths, all of which prove to be blind alleys. We try the path of philosophy. We try the path of human counsellors. We try the path of good deeds. We try the path of our own will power. And none of these lead to Christ. Now why not cease from all these vain trials and try Christ Himself? Why not go to Him, and not to any substitute for Him? Why not simply say, “I am here, my Savior, and You are here. I yield myself to You. Lord, what will You have me to do?” No one ever came to Jesus in that spirit and failed to find Him.

Pray- Our blessed Redeemer, we know that You are seeking us more earnestly than any of us can be seeking You. Come to us, Lord Jesus, and make us Your own, today, tomorrow, the next day, and forever. Amen.

Linking up at:

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

Finished or Not Friday

Beauties Paegant