Why Justin Timberlake makes life better

A confession...
I have become mildly, or wildly if we're being honest, obsessed with Justin Timberlake.
It all started when my kids showed me a segment from SNL.
It is now a classic, Dick in the Box.
I admit, when I first saw it, I was horrified.
And, I'm fairly certain Tootsie & Herman were trying to horrify me.
If they thought for one minute that showing my that video would have led to this, it never would've happened.
Initially, I thought....How could my babies be watching such trash?
Didn't I raise them better than that?
But really, how was this skit much different from SNLs 'wild & crazy guys', or 'Hans and Franz?
I found these skits, like many others, HILARIOUS.
Except for language, it was the same.
Poking fun at men and their sad attempts at macho.

For some reason, which I cannot entirely pinpoint, JT can present today's humor in a way I find less offensive.
It may be because he was a Mouseketeer.
Or that he couldn't be any cuter if he tried.
Or his NSYNC gig.....middle school Kelly & friends overplaying his music are memories I cherish.
And he lives in my iPod in so many songs.
He takes his mom with him to award shows......***sigh***
He is WILDLY talented.
I mean, he can do anything.
Have you seen him dance?
Have you seen him with Jimmy Fallon?
Have you seen him period?
Oh yeah...he's good looking.
Especially dressed in that skinny suit/tie look he's got going on lately.
Gulp.
The man has it all.
Sing...Dance....Comedy....Actor (well, pretty good)...HOST
I think if I ran into him at Dunkin Donut and he would smile at me.
Not in a sleazy way, in a genuine way.
You get a nice guy vibe from him ALL THE TIME.
Even when he's kinda inappropriate.
I think that's mostly it.
I think this guy is genuinely nice...
And what is sexier than a great looking guy who is genuinely nice?
Nothing.

Yup...
I may be old, but I'm not dead!
If this makes me sound like a dirty old lady....
well, maybe I am...

BUT I JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!!!
****swoon****

Friday finish

Not sure what I will do with this little picnic quilt.
But I'm pleased with it for the most part.
If I make another, I'll be sure it is off center by at least 2 more rows.
Maybe more.
But it's done and I do like it.
Hmmmmm....what should I load onto Lola-baby next?

A little bit of everything

I'm back from my NJ trip.
We got shoes and undies for Kelly.
And, of course, her first fitting.
Her dress is WAY TOO BIG, but they assured me it will fit perfectly when the alterations are done.
They better be right.
My Kelly is going to be a beautiful bride.
I fill up with tears just thinking about it.
I also did some MOB shopping.
But, I returned the dress I got down there.
Kelly didn't like the bow in the back of the dress.
I stopped at Eva's boutique on my way home from Francis House yesterday.
I found a gorgeous Alexander Komorov and bought it.
It's just what I was looking for ... Quiet, classy and unique.
And lightweight...it will be a scorcher...the Bahamas in June!
I'm not a satin gown kinda girl and I try to keep clothing bling to a minimum.
I like my bling in the form of jewelry.
So, I'm feeling more ready.
Which I'm hoping helps with the worrying.

I stopped to see Jimmy on my way home from NJ.
He hurt his back.
Now he is having spasms.
Poo. Poo. Poo.
They are giving him treatment and stim.
He says its not too bad.
I know he is lying.
If it wasn't bad, he never would've mentioned it to me.
I want him to be healthy.
Sometimes, I wish he would give up playing.
It seems he is taking such a beating.
And he's my baby.
I do not like my baby to be in pain.
His grades are good, though.
Trying to focus on the positive.

This is John's last week working in Rochester.
Relief!
I hated that long drive for him.
Last week, a truck tire came up and crashed his car.
Thankfully, he was not hurt.
But, still.....
I'm so grateful he was able to find a new job here in Syracuse that pays him well.
God is good.
He's off next week so I'm going to be able to spend some time with him.
I've been missing my buddy.
Since getting engaged, he hasn't been around much.
I'm hoping this new job will change that.

Heading down to do some quilting now.
I've missed Lola!
Happy Thursday.

We stopped at the cemetery to visit mom and dad.
We brought Kelly's wedding shoes to show mom.
She loved her wedding shoes, keeping them under her bed for 60+ years of marriage.
Here's a crazy shot mimi and i decided to take....

So many questions

Evil.
What is it exactly?
Is it something that is there in your heart from the day you are born?
Is it in all of us, just waiting to be uncovered?
Is it learned?
I don't know.

In my universe, a 19 year old boy is barely an adult.
He can vote and fight for his country.
Yet, he is not mature enough to be trusted to buy alcohol responsibly.
Can he buy weapons? I don't even know that answer.

I do know little Martin Richards will never be 19 years old.
I'm unable to comprehend that family's grief.
Talk about innocence.
Waiting in anticipation for Dad to cross the finish line.
Boom.

My Jimmy is 19.
And my John is 26.
Tamerlan was 26.
Dzhokhar is 19.

2 sets of brothers...the same but so different.

This has really hit me hard.
I can't wrap my mind around it.
I hope we can get some answers.
Cause we really need them.

Wedding dress fitting

I had a busy day today.
No quilting...poo!
I worked out with Robert, Sams Club, car wash, Wegmans, stopped to check out the new yoga studio, dropped off $ to susan, bank, Macy's, and 3 loads of laundry.
I also took Frannie for a walk/run.
The sun was out! Yay!

I'm heading to NJ this weekend for Kelly's first wedding gown fitting.
I need to be in serious mother of the bride mode.
She's a gorgeous girl, and that dress has to fit her perfectly.
I can be pretty assertive.
Especially when it comes to my babies. .

In 57 days, we will be in Abaco watching she & Jeff take their vows.
I hope I can get through it becoming a blubbering idiot!
That, my friends, is a pipe dream.
My only daughter, my beautiful baby girl, my Tootsie, is getting married.
Chances are, I'll need to be medicated.

My sister is meeting me in NJ so I won't be alone in the hotel.
Murray is staying home to golf, I mean take care of Frannie.
I'm a big wimp about hotels...having Meem with me will help me relax.
We always have lotsa laughs and I haven't seen her as much as I usually do this winter.

For my convenience, I'm linking to Toots wedding site link....
I'm sick of searching my emails looking for it.

http://gallofazio.ourwedding.com/

Rip it, Rip it

I've already spent 2 hours ripping out an entire row of FMQ.
And I'm only half done.
Misery.
Self imposed misery to be precise.

I loaded the batik HST quilt yesterday afternoon, fully intending to quilt it with swirls.
Cause it needs swirls.
I know that.
Any idiot could see that.
I knew that yesterday afternoon, too.
But once it was loaded, I lost my mind and started with a freehand flowery allover.
And I did an ENTIRE ROW.

I hated it.
I went to bed to sleep on it, hoping in the morning I wouldn't hate it.
Guess what?
I still hated it.
This quilt is too modern looking for that.
I knew that when I loaded it.
Why I deviated from my plan is a mystery.

Now, what was an easy, stressless job has turned into frogging nightmare.
Yup...I'm a big dope!

The flimsy...

Freehand baptist fans

It's finished.
I liked stitching this out.
It was therapeutic.
I'll definitely use this design again.
Since its not my colors or taste, this one will be a car quilt.
Why not donate it, you ask?
I usually don't donate quilts I'm not wild about.
I figure if I don't like it, chances are no one else will either.
Great practice for me.
Next up a HST quilt in batiks.

Sounds of Mixed Emotions

Phil and I spent the weekend watching soccer.
It was so good to see my baby tearing up the pitch, again.
Did you just hear that?
The sound of my face cracking the biggest smile?

After being injured in the fall, he has come back stronger than ever.
I admit, this injury worried me.
It was definitely the worst injury he has ever had.
(Thank you, God, for assembling him so perfectly & keeping him safe all these years)
& it was the first time he's been hurt that I wasn't in on the treatment plan.
His foot was so swollen for so long, I thought he would never get out of that boot.
It about killed me not knowing what they were doing for him.
Somehow, he managed to heal without me.
How can that be?

Today, he's learning a new position, and keeping a great attitude.
It appears he's well liked by his teammates.
And I know he likes them.
He's working his brain, too.
He has a rigorous academic schedule and his grades are good.
He's got realistic but challenging expectations and, hopefully, a good work ethic.
I know he's having fun, too.
He never misses the chance to remind me of that.
As if I couldn't tell by the twinkle in his eye....

His first year of University is almost over.

It looks like my baby is growing up.
Did you just hear that?
The sound of my heart breaking?

We've been through a lot together, this kid and me.
Lots of laughs and a few tears.
It's hard to let go.
But I get strength from knowing that even if I could...
I WOULD NOT CHANGE ONE THING.

I was privileged to raise 3 lively, fun and loving children.
Now I get to enjoy 3 awesome, good hearted adults.
All 3 of whom, ARE PERFECT JUST AS THEY ARE.
I am truly, truly blessed.

On the frame

I've wanted to try freehand baptist fans since my friend shannon put them on her swap quilt.
I have longboards that make perfect BFs.
But, I like the organic look of freehand designs.
When I'm doing a quilt for a friend, I use the boards.
This D9 was just perfect for trying my hand at the free motion kind.
Each row gets better.
And I must remember to work close to the rollers.
My arcs are smoother when I'm closer to my work.
I will use this quilt for soccer games and outdoor events, so it doesn't need to be perfect.
But these freehand BFs are making a quilt I wasn't wild about into something I like!
And, after this I bet I'll be confident enough to use it on friends quilts that would benefit from a 'less perfect' look.
Cha-Ching!

:-(

Today was a Francis House day for me.
I worked with Janice & Tony.
Both are such great people.
Janice is kind and down to earth.
Tony is absolutely adorable.
I love him.
He reminds me of my dad.
I'll always be grateful to Cindy for telling me about FH.
I get such rewards from volunteering there.

At the end of my shift, Jean came in.
I love Jean, and I haven't seen her in a while.
She's a super lady.
She mostly answers the phones, but she's always willing to pitch in.
She looked blue, so asked her if everything was ok.
She said, 'I'm okay. You know, I lost my daughter last week.'
I had no idea.
Apparently, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
She was 45.
She died 3 weeks after the diagnosis.
I hugged Jean, telling her I would pray for her.
She said she was glad her daughters suffering was over.
So, she comes to volunteer at the hospice with this horrible pain so fresh in her heart.
Some people are so giving.
Obviously, Jean is one of them.

I have no words.
How can something so awful happen to someone so wonderful?
How could you ever recover from losing a child?

All I can do is pray for God to hold my friend, Jean, tight in His arms.
And never forget how lucky I am to have 3 healthy kids here with me to love.

It's done

Wow, this was a challenge.
There was so much fullness in this quilt.
MIL wanted a meander, so that's what she got.
I did the best I could, and there are a few puckers.
But no tucks.
And it's square now.
I will bind it, launder it (its kinda musty) and give it to her.
Done is better than perfect.

A do over for MIL

Today I started a new project.
Actually, it's an old project that needs a facelift.
Many moons ago my MIL made this quilt.
She tied it.
She used crappy batt.
She used a sheet for the back.
All the fabrics are not 100% cotton.
I don't think it's ever been laundered.
Yikes!

She asked if there was anything I could do.
I said I'd try.
God help me, why am I so stupid?

After 3+ hours, it's finally taken apart.
I trashed the batt and backer.
I will now attempt to quilt it on my PURRFECTLY humming Lola.

Pray for me.

R2RR #10

Keeping up.
Now to decide...
Lap or borders and bed sized?

IT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW

Dave Jones will be here tomorrow.
This makes me happy on so many levels.

It's vodka night at the golf club tonight and I now have something to celebrate.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
His visit will not coincide with Kelly's wedding dress fitting.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
No more broken thread.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
There is nothing like a operating perfectly service APQS machine.
I will be driving a purring lola soon
Altho its unlikely, I will have a chance to get that top quilted by Kristina's deadline.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
My turn around for Barbs flimsies just went down. My bestie is having aging parent issues and I want to get her quilts back to her to cheer her up.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
My flimsy hanger will get some relief.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
I wont be stressed out trying to figure out the problem.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
My overhead lights will BOTH be working.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
That bump in my table will soon be gone.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
There is a chance that I will get the door prize quilt done for the shower.
I'll be driving a purring lola soon
The opportunity to watch Dave work will give me confidence and knowledge. I'm a visual learner.
I will be driving a purring lola soon

I'm so relieved that Dave can fit me.
I'm off to get him pie.
Heidi told me he loves pie.

One more thing...
Did I mention?
I'LL BE DRIVING A PURRING LOLA SOON!

And, for your viewing pleasure...
a picture of my Bride to be, Kelly and Coco, Hannah's pup, paddle boarding in San Diego.
She got a sunburn.

Quilt Shop vs Big Box Fabric

BadAss Quilter posed this question over on Faceplace.
I like BAQ...she brings up good points and isn't stuck in her thinking.
I thought about putting in my 2 cents right there on Faceplace.
But, I rarely comment on her page.
She has too many followers.
It's crowded over there.
Maybe I suffer from agoraphobia?
Nah...I do crowded quilt shows, art shows & malls all the time and without incident.
I am mildly shy.
Until I get to know you.
Then you wish I was still kinda shy.
But I don't think it's my semi shyness, either.
I guess I don't like to comment unless I know you personally.
Of course, I make exceptions for giveaways.
And when someone is really asking for it.
And even then, only the biggest assholes or best giveaways.
Which I never win, by the way.
There is no justice in this world.
But that is a subject for another day.
I've done it again.
Veered off course.
I suppose this is why the New York Times never hired me for their OpEd department.
Well, in fairness, I am open minded.
I would never fit in there anyway.

Ok, so onto the question at hand.
Quilt shop/Big box for fabric.

Most of the time, I prefer quilt shops.
They are generally not crowded.
They carry only hi quality quilters cottons, so there is no need to scrutinize the merchandise.
My favorite shop has a BATIK ROOM!
(this room is very dangerous & should only be entered at the beginning of your credit card cycle)
The personnel is usually knowledgeable in all things quilty.
The notions are so fun to rifle thru.
The patterns are inspiring.
And the walls..well, they are covered in quilty goodness!!
Yes, quilt shops are a no calorie feast for me.

But, I have bought fabric at Hobby Lobby and Joann's.
Most of the time, I buy large amounts for backs.
I've bought half yards of novelty prints for ISpy quilts at these shops, too.
I've bought Ott Lights.
Pins.
Rulers.
I buy my rotary blades at Joann's exclusively.
When I shop big box, it's ALWAYS with a coupon.
Cause I like a bargain.
And if I can get one, I will.

Call me wishy washy, but I have a good time at both types of shops.
For different reasons, but both are fun.
And a sale at the Quilt Shop is divine.
Perhaps the best quilty shopping experience of all.

Unless its ordered online from the comfort of my studio.
Like these Black & Whites I recently acquired from Jackie at Canton Quilt Works.
I ordered them in my PJs at the beginning of this dreadful flu.
They arrived yesterday.
I smiled when I pulled into the driveway and saw the USPS box sitting by the side door.
I knew just what it was.
I'd had a hard morning and it cheered me to think about what was inside.

To summarize...
Fabric is always good.
No matter how you procure it!

Piecing my brains out

As I await my visit from Dave Jones, I've been a piecing maniac.
I have several flimsies in the works.
Here's one that's almost complete, just needs the last border.
Full size for Jimmy's room.
Maybe he will even take it to BU in the fall.
I got the pattern from American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.
It's Haberdashery by Paula Barnes & Maryellen Robison.
Thiers was done in red, cream and blue.
Here's my take...greens, brown and cream batiks!

The good, the bad and the ugly with a side of happy & heartwarming

I think the fever is gone (GOOD), but this is the longest headache I have ever had (BAD).
And, just because I am the luckiest girl in the world, I'm getting a HUGE fever blister on my lower lip (UGLY).

My Tootsie was in California for the wedding of her HS friend (HAPPY).
She's staying with her friend Hannah, another childhood buddy.
I would like Hanny to marry my godson, Scott.
While I realize this is unlikely, as long as they are both single, I shall continue to wish.
There is no harm in wishing.
Wishing is good.
And you never know.
I am clearly wackadoodle.

This pic came on my celly last evening and cheered me (HEARTWARMING).
How gorgeous are they?
I remember when they were in 2nd grade.
I think it was last week.