I Like Thursday #141

 Welcome to my 141st I Like Thursday post.  Thank you to LeeAnna of Not Afraid of Color for encouraging a group of quilters to find and share awesome things they have came across, or experienced during the week.  

1st of all Happy New Year!  Here is hoping 2021 is a much better year!

How was your Christmas?  Mine was low key, but I had a nice little pile of gifts.

We had Christmas snow!  Which truly makes it more magical.

Speaking of magical.  I actually cleaned off my dinner table and we ate Christmas dinner together.  

I even put a runner on the table.  I know my table cloth was wrinkly, but it sufficed.  

I worked Christmas Eve and you wouldn't believe how many orders I had for donuts.  

This is one of the boxes of Christmas donut orders I made. 

Since I worked Christmas Eve I decided instead of making pumpkin pie, I would buy a cake.

Isn't this the cutest reindeer cake?  It was marble and the kiddos loved it.

I loved the Santa Hat kisses I found.

I have stayed home mostly for the past 10 months, but I had to break down and go to a quilt shop on my day off.  I needed to pick up my Santa booty, and I had coupons that I had which would expire on 12/30/2020.  I also needed some fabric for a border to finish up a UFO. I bought almost 6 yards of fabric and 10 fat quarters with my coupon and discount, for $22.  

The quilt is the Bonnie Hunter Alletaire 2016 Mystery Quilt.  I had to choose which black I would use for the border.  I chose the black onyx maven on the left. 

While out I spotted these outdoor eating igloos at a local restaurant. 

Sorry not a spectacular picture, it was snapped at a stoplight.  

I have had some awesome reads the last couple of weeks.

 

By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates.  Lucy has escaped her Boston Brahmin upbringing and job as a Harvard Research Librarian to the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library at the Outer Banks as an assistant librarian.  An exhibit of Jane Austen first edition books, a murder and thefts of the Jane Austen books, and the threat of Lucy losing her recently acquired job and home at the lighthouse inspires Lucy to investigate.  

Rooted in Deceit by Wendy Tyson, this is the 4th in the Greenhouse Mysteries.  Washington Acres is sweltering in the August heat, and Megan is getting ready for the grand opening of the brick oven pizza restaurant, when her ne'er do well father shows up with his snooty Italian wife.  When Megan's childhood friend is discovered dead near the newly opened Yoga Spa and Retreat Center, Megan is determined to find out where their friendship went wrong.  Was she really the person that Megan thought she was or was the up and coming artist as terrible as everyone says she is.  

 The Black Cat Murders bu Karen Baugh Menuhin is the 2nd installment of the Heathcliff Lennox series.  Lennox is invited to a wedding at the Earl of Bloxford's estate.  Enticed by a mystery of a death of an opera singer who fell through a trapdoor in the stage and was crushed by the female soprano.  Stolen Art, Art forgeries, and a questionable nightclub dubbed the Black Cat make for an interesting mystery.

Death at Whitewater Church by Andrea Carter an Inishowen Mystery. Benedicta "Ben" O'Keefe a local solicitor discovers a dead body at a de-consecrated church near Whitewater.  A local man missing for the past 6 years, an empty grave and an old crime all wind together.  

Let Us Prey by Jamie Lee Scott a Gotcha Detective Agency Mystery.

Mimi Capurro has been hired by a bestselling author as a bodyguard.  The author, Lauren Silke is the author of a series of Vampire books and Mimi is drawn into a real world role playing game, after the death of Lauren's manager.  The manager is killed in the same exact manner as a character in Lauren's most recently released book.  Throw in Mimi's former love interest from college, former professional football player Nick Christianson and sparks fly.  

Rabbit Moon by Jan Payne.  Marin Sinclair grew up an outsider as one of the few Anglos on the Navajo Reservation where her father is a teacher.  Marin has not been back in many years until a note begging her to return for a reunion by her childhood friend.  Returning opens up many memories, and danger.

Now head over to LeeAnna's to check out the other I Like Thursday posts. 

I Like Thursday #140

 Welc!ome to my 140th installment of I Like Thursday.

Merry Christmas.

While Christmas may be very different this year for many.  Remember the reason for the season!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

 

Remember to always be grateful, and thankful.  This too shall pass.

 

Merry Christmas and may you have a blessed New Year.

 

Colette 

Now mosey, skedaddle, skulk, or my favorite:  sashay over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color and check out the other I Like Thursday posts. 

I Like Thursday #139

 Welcome to my 139th I Like Thursday post.  Thank you LeeAnna for encouraging us to find things to like/love and share and bring a little positivity to the universe.

I finished decorating for Christmas! 

Every year I buy 4-5 new ornaments for my tree.  

The Chartreuse ornament.  Don't you love the word chartreuse something about it just makes me smile.  Once upon a time listening to an interview with Arleen Sorkin, and she was asked her about her favorite word.  It was cellar door.  Do you ever think about a word and it just makes you happy?  Smile?

A Rose is supposed to represent hope and new beginnings.  

I don't know if I shared this ornament but I love this sewing machine.

I found this awesome table top ornament which lights up.

I also found another tree to add to my forest.

I hung up my tiny tree quilt which I made with Temecula Quilt Company's sew along last year. 

But then I realized that my wreath would not fit so it had to come down and the wreath went up.

I have been playing with cakes and tried my hand at a drip cake.  It was a practice run for the grandson's birthday cake.

I won't share the grandson's cake.  He is a big Walking Dead fan and so his cake looked like it had blood drips and spatter.  It turned out awesome.

I have been enjoying decorating some kids donuts.

Aren't they cute?

I had some awesome books for the week to read.

 The Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost--Holly White returns to Mistletoe, Maine after her fiance' cancels their wedding 2 weeks before the event.  Holly's parents own a Christmas tree farm called Reindeer Games and they have an event that brings in the public every day the 12 days before Christmas.  When Margaret Fenwich, the head of the Mistletoe Historical Society is found bludgeoned to death in a sleigh with a Christmas tree stake, all clues point toward Holly's father as the murderer.  

'Twas the Knife Before Christmas book 2 of the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery--- A year later.  Holly is in the middle of readying an inn for the Tree Farm, her romance with the hunky Sheriff has cooled down and her best friend is suspected of murdering a blind date, after a very public argument.  

Dry Bones by Craig Johnson...Jen a Tyrannosaurus Rex is located on a local property.  When the property owner is found dead is it related to Jen the T Rex or something else.  

Finally my last book was Bound for Murder by Victoria Gilbert.  This is the 4th in the Blue Ridge Library Series.  Amy Webber finds that Sunshine's grandparent's commune in the 1960's wasn't all peace and love.

Now head over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color to check out the other I Like Thursday posts. 

I Like Thursday #138

 I don't know about you, but I feel like I am hurtling toward Christmas faster than I could ever imagine.  Not often do I get that anxious, but looking at the schedule and seeing 12/20 just freaked me out.  I just celebrated my 1 year anniversary at work.

I have been baking cookies almost every day for the kids.  Unfortunately the kids scoop them up as soon as they are done.  So far I have made peanut butter blossoms, Peanut Butter Temptations, Crown Jewel, and Cherry Delights. 

I saw this lodge frying pan, and decided to add to my cookware.  

The design is Rosie the Riveter and is made to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of women's right to vote.  

 

I saw this cute shirt at work and had to snap a picture of it.

A friend and I have a joke going about squirrels and I saw this mug and thought of her.

I thought this gingham moose was cute on a gift bag.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I saw this meme and had to share it.  Made all my daughters giggle.  

I struggled, but finally decided I should decorate.  I will share my Christmas Trees.

My books for the week were Fossil River by Jock Miller.  I think they would call this dystopian.  The US has been outbid by China for all the oil from OPEC.  The US is experiencing power outages and it is only a matter of days until the US completely shuts down.  On an excursion, there appears to be a huge oil reserve in a remote area in Alaska.  Unfortunately this remote valley surrounded by mountains and nearly impossible to get to has another surprise.  

My 2nd book is Yellow Lies by Susan Slater.  This is the 2nd book in the Ben Pecos mystery series.  Ben is assigned as a psychologist at Indian Health Services in a Pueblo.  Ben is forced to live in a boarding house and the first night there the body of a dead trader is found.  Salvador Zuni a master fetish carver, and discovered a way to fabricate amber that looks real.  Is the death related to Sal's illegal manufacturing?  

Now head over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color to check out the other I Like Thursday posts.

Cultivate Kindness

 I saw this panel early this year.  Looking at the sayings I just knew that I had to make it. 

 

The panel and accompanying fabric are called Cultivate Kindness by Deb Strain and the pattern was called flower delivery by Coach House Designs.

The quilt measures 56 X 70 so it is only lap quilt size.  I am probably going to use it as a wall hanging. 

Find joy in the ordinary.

Welcome each new day.

Gather happy moments.

Focus on the good.

Grow a life you love.

Live simply.

Cultivate kindness.  I will admit I added a few more flowers to the back of the truck.  I actually kind of enjoyed the machine applique once I got the hang of it. 

I actually have fabric for a backing for this one.  

I finished 2 more pineapple blocks for the pineapple quilt.  

The two blocks which were finished were the 2nd an 3rd from the left.  Of course then I had to play with the value layout again.

A few blocks were turned and I am pretty happy so far with how the value is flowing.

I have found that if I stay off the computer, and keep focused on my day off I accomplish quite a bit.  The downside is I miss reading blogs, and seeing what everyone else is creating.