… a little reflection

A little over a week ago, Dad & I took our annual trip up to the top of Mt. Lemmon. . .

We go up to the tippy-top  -  past Ski Valley. . .

. . . up next to where the observatories are.

(NASA, weather, U of A, & others use them)

. . . there is a pretty little meadow up there that is very special to us,

. . . & we like to visit each autumn.

When we first came up - there was an itty-bitty aspen tree 

in the midst of the pines.

It was maybe 5 feet tall.

. . . this time when we visited - it is somewhere between 15 - 20 feet.

I'm always amazed at how it grows. . .

. . . & of how time passes.

It's been five years since we first trekked up there.

. . . can't believe it's been 5 years.

Amazing.

I've had these photos for over a week,

fiddling with them in Instagram & Vintique (apps on my phone),

& I've been thinking I'd post them & share them every day.

. . . but then the day get's started & I get busy.

. . . then I think that they might not be that interesting to others.

. . . when they are so very precious to me.

. . . so I let the busy-ness take over a bit & thought,

"maybe. . . tomorrow."

It's interesting - as I've noted that many bloggers have either quit blogging, 

or are taking 'breaks'. . .

 . . . & I have to admit that I've thought about that too.

I've wondered if what I had to blog about even mattered.

I think it's because when I started blogging,

I did it because I was convinced by someone else that

because I was starting my business. . . that I needed to.

So I did.

I honestly had no idea what I was supposed to do,

& for such a long time I related my blog to my business.

It was a  social media 'tool'.

ick.

That's so not me.

The blogs I have come to love are not about the businesses 

that the bloggers might own. . .

. . . but rather are about the people & their lives.

(. . .to be honest - I quit reading blogs that only promote things.

. . . & yes, I realize the irony of that - as I am guilty of that too!)

I can't tell you how many times I think about things to share with you

- or all the photos I have taken around the house 

- or of things I'm working on. . .

. . . & they are still sitting in my camera or on my computer.

I have constantly second guessed myself as to if it's "interesting enough" to share,

(. . . figuring back to the social media aspect  & my design business).

But, I've made a decision.

The 'little acorns' of this blog is me.

. . . & while, yes, I do happen to have a design business,

. . . it's not all there is about me.

So, I'm giving myself permission to make this blog more reflective 

of the other parts of my life. . .

. . .whether they are related to designing or not.

. . . & I hope you'll stick around.

(& thanks for reading this far!) ♡

♥ Bren

p.s. I am currently glued to the Weather Channel & my prayers are with you all who might be in the path of 'Sandy'. Please stay safe!

. . . website goings-on

Yep. . . I've been doing a lot (a lot!) of cutting, 

& bundling, 

& photographing, 

& listing. . .

 & if you are interested. . . there are bunches of new things on the website!

There are bunch of new things on the 'tag sale' pages (yardage too!),

. . . a new 'notions & tools' page,

. . . & I've also gone into the stash of my fabric lines & made up some bundles 

(most of them are the last of what I have!) 

(You can find these on the 'fabrics' pages.

So. . . now I'm back to binding a quilt for Quilt Market. . . 

that I gotta into the mail tomorrow.

 (I'm not going - but my quilt will be!)

It's been a very busy week. . . but. . . busy is good! 

(keeps me out of trouble!)

♥ Bren

… the work I love

I must admit. . . that I really do love what I get to do.

This photo is from the beginning of the week. . . when I had cut out a quilt top from my upcoming line of fabric (Durham Anew),

. . . but I had wanted to proof a pattern just one more time (a deadline thing. . .) 

This pattern had already the 'living-daylights' proofed out of it. . . but I always have that last minute 'just one more time' feeling, so I filled up my coffee mug & went over it 'one more time'.

So, the fabrics were pushed aside (but not too far aside!), 

& the pattern (the next 'farmhouse collection' quilt) got it's final proofing.

(I do have to admit - that proofing is not my favorite part of what I do, probably because I feel such angst when doing it. . . so afraid that something might slip by! But it doesn't diminish loving what I get to do!)

Today, I'm finishing quilting the quilt from the pieces above, 

but before I show it to you, 

I thought you might like to see this. . .

. . . this is the photo I snapped of my main studio table about a month ago when I received the final strike offs for this Durham Anew fabric line.

(. . . kinda embarrassed, as I just found it on my camera. . . it's been that kind of month!)

When these (strike offs) arrive, everything else get's put on the back burner - as the mill is waiting for the word that all (colors, prints) are okay, so that they can begin printing the sample yardage.

So, I stopped everything else I was working on. . .

 looked (& drooled a little) over them, 

& thankfully everything was great!

. . . so today, I get to play with my sample fabrics, & promise peeks soon.

I'm also working on getting lots of goodies uploaded to the website. . . 

. . . keep checking back!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

♥ Bren

… catching up

After subbing for an entire week last month, 

I've been feeling like I've been trying to catch up ever since.

I've been thinking about you. . .

. . . & 'thinking' about all sorts of things to post. . .

. . . but (obviously), the 'posting' part never quite happened.

I even took some photos!. . . meaning to post them.

One (still on my camera. . . what can I say, I'm claiming 'lame blogger'), 

is a cute photo of Bailey. . . just outside on the back patio.

I took the photo because he had just been thoroughly brushed 

just about an hour beforehand. . .

. . . but he had just been 'helping' Dad in the backyard.

He (Bailey) was covered head to tail in little leaves, blossoms, grass

. . . & who knows what.

What I did discover - later that evening (& all that night. . . & for the next few nights) is that little Mr. Bailey must have  found some little dead critter & made it a little snack & probably had rolled around in the ground all around where he 'found' it.

(. . . why do they do that?)

Anyway, he got some major tummy-bumbles & although he never threw any of it up - it did wreak some havoc on his. . . um. . . other end. . . (& on any plans for a good nights sleep for the next few nights.)

Bless his heart. I almost wished for him that he could throw-up some of whatever-it-was, just so he (& me too) could get some good rest. Thankfully, I'm a pretty light sleeper - because the only hint I had - was that he would walk & walk around - more & more quickly around on the wood floors (. . . think little clinkity-clink noises from his little nails). Then it was me jumping out of bed & getting to the back door as fast I could get there. . . & little Bailey shooting out the back door to get to the grass as fast as possible. 

Poor little guy!

The vet told me to be sure that he got plenty of water. . . as it can dehydrate them pretty fast. So it was lots of water & very plain kibble for several days.

Finally, after 3 nights - we got to sleep all the way through the evening.

Ah. . . . bliss.

But, it did do a number on my getting back into my 'regular' daily schedule.

I am in the midst of going through all of the closets & cupboards in the house - especially the ones in my studio & office. (There's a big hint there. . . get ready for a 'tag sale' announcement soon!)

I did get some wooden crates & boxes, & I got them painted one afternoon. They will be for when I re-do the closet in the guest room.

. . . things are definitely a-changing around here.

It's going to take a bit of work. . .

. . . but I'm really excited to keep checking things off my list.

. . . until then, I'm keeping a much closer eye on my 'fluffy-bump' when he goes outside. . .

(. . . & honestly, I don't think he will be wanting to nibble on anything he finds out in the yard for quite a while. . .)

♥ Bren