Quilting...Just One Of My Many Hobbies

My First Quilt

This is my first quilt.  The colors just scream Katie and the pattern was easy enough that I was willing to tackle it.  I love looking at new fabrics at the local quilt shop and thumbing thru the patterns and seeing what I "think" I can make.

My mom and I went to a couple of different quilt shops today and they have renewed my interest in one of my many hobbies.  My mom and I started quilting in 1998 and I have been collecting fabric ever since!  She has finished far more projects than I have, but the ones I have completed hang proudly in my living room and bedroom and one is draped over the back of my recliner.  

When we got home today, I was so pumped I wanted to run upstairs and start sewing!  So?!?  Did I?!?  No!  Why you might ask?  Because my quilting/scrap booking room is such a disaster right now I can't even begin to be creative until I clean it up.  I need to somehow get it all organized and whatnot before I can finish my latest quilt for my bedroom.  

So I've been making list after list (usually my first step in getting organized) of how I want to organize my room or maybe even rearrange it.  I think I need (okay, I KNOW) I need to get some cute fabric baskets to put already started projects in, but this in itself will be a small investment.  When I was at Walmart the other day, they had some really cute baskets in their office supply section that I'm going to check out tomorrow morning before I go for my walk.  My hopes are that on the next round of days off, I will be able to tackle that room and maybe get it under control so when I go up there, I'm not overwhelmed. 

Above are a few of the dream sewing rooms I have come across.  Mine will never look anything like these, but it's okay to dream, right?  So, where was I?  Oh yes, the way fun baskets from Walmart.  After I pick up a few of those...more like 10 or so that should help a ton in getting things up off the floor and into a place where I can look at what needs to be done instead of just piling things up all over the place.  After that I will have to figure out a way to store all of my different cuts of fabrics.  Do I place them all together?  Separate the fat quarters from the regular cuts of fabric?  Stick them all in a dresser drawer and forget about them?  The decisions are endless...I'm already stressing out about this and I haven't even started yet!  I will have to keep you up to date as I progress and for some more inspiration, I think I might do some shopping online as well! 

My Newest Weakness

Well, here it is, my newest weakness...decaf, sugar-free chai tea by David Rio.  And it is wonderful!  I found this at a local gift shop and thought I would give it a whirl.  Boy, am I glad I did!  I have been missing my daily coffee/chai tea fix and thought I would try to find something at the very least sugar-free.  I didn't want to go back to caffeine, but thought, what is one cup a day going to do to me?  Wire me up, that's what!  LOL  I tried their other flavor, which was sugar free, but had caffeine, it was called Orca I believe.  This one is much better in my books, but that's just a personal preference. 

You can find the stats here along with pricing and recipes.  But as always, you can find it at Amazon.com which is where I will be ordering my next batch from.  I paid $11.99 for my canister and Amazon is by far a lot cheaper (was there any doubt) but shipping is a little steep in my own opinion, but that's just me.  I love the convenience of shopping in my pj's from my recliner, so I'll totally pay that shipping to get my fix if it means I don't have to get dressed.  Lazy?  Yes!  Do I care?  NO!!!!  So try some and let me know what you think.  I'm sure you're going to love it as much as I do!

The Search For The Perfect Recipe

Ah yes, searching for the perfect recipe.  What is it?  I have no idea!  I have been searching and searching, writing and writing since about 2 weeks post op trying to find recipes that remind of pre-surgery life but without all the calories, fat, carbs and sugar.  So, how is it going you might ask?  Great, considering I have no idea what I'm looking for. 

I have been going through Food Network Magazines, Taste of Home cookbooks and WLS recipe blogs.  All in all I have written down 2 notebooks (3 subjects each) of recipes that I think sound good, look good or just peaked my interest.  I'm beginning to wonder if this is some sort of a transfer addiction for me since I will sit here night after night and scan recipes and write them down.  One thing is for sure, my handwriting is actually getting better! 

So, what are my plans for all of these recipes?  I have no idea!  I've been thinking of going through them and adding all the stats to them and then typing them up, printing them out and putting them in a binder.  Kind of like a WLS cookbook I guess you could say.  I have written down where or who the recipe came from so I can track it back later in case I have questions or want to post them here to give credit where credit is due.  Any other ideas?  Any blogs or sites you guys think I should check out?  Let me know, I would love to look at them.

My New Phone

Samsung Mesmerize

Well folks, there it is...my shiny, new Android phone...the Samsung Mesmerize!  I spent at least an hour at the US Cellular store trying to decide between this phone and the HTC Desire.  This phone won out hands down.  One of the reasons?  The colors on the screen are so crisp and vibrant.  The screen also has a "thicker" glass screen and would be harder to damage.  I need something like that, I'm a little hard on my phones. I also liked the ease of use on this phone.  Pretty much right out of the box and BAM!  You set up a G-Mail account and you're good to go. 

I spent the night at work charging the battery and looking for different apps.  So far I've downloaded Facebook, Twitter, Pandora and of course Angry Birds.  I haven't played Angry Birds yet, but have played it on my iPod Touch while I was down and out from surgery and I got addicted!  I played it non stop in the hospital too...as did my nurses! 

So now comes the time when I ask for help...what apps should I start to download?  I know I want some sort of a calorie tracking app, but beyond that, I'm not really sure.  So, don't be shy...give me shout out on some apps!

I Want This Phone!!!

HTC Desire

I have had my eye on this little beauty for awhile now.  The HTC Desire thru US Cellular, an Android phone and for them one of the best!  Right now I have the BlackBerry Tour and it's about 2 years old and starting to poop out on me.  Which is sad because I love the Tour, but I want an Android phone SO bad.

Everyone I know that has some sort of an Android phone loves it and something tells me I'd be the same.  The problem you ask?  I'm not up for an upgrade, so to buy this bad boy outright would be over $500!  Used is around $250-300, so I think that's the route I'm going to go.  Now to just find one...the US Cellular rep told me it's hard to find one of these used because everyone likes it so well.  Can't someone hate it so much they just want to give it to me?  So, now I'm off to Craigslist and Ebay to see if I can't find me a great deal on a new to me used phone.  Wish me luck!  

New Year's Resolutions...Do I Or Don't I?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  How did you ring in 2011?  I rang mine in, sitting in the ER.  I have had this super nasty sinus infection and had gotten new antibiotics Thursday afternoon.  While I was sitting at work yesterday and I noticed this horrible, bumpy rash starting on my arms.  By the time I got off work at 10pm, it had spread to my legs and chest.  After getting home from work, I realized it was only getting worse, so I headed to the ER.  I ended up walking out about 12:20am with a handful of new meds and prescriptions and headed home.  Happy New Year to me LOL 

I had been going back and forth over the last week debating about making any resolutions and of course the first one that came to mind was to lose weight.  That has been a resolution of mine for years and years, but this year, it's not a resolution it's a must, so I moved on.  Work has been pretty stressful lately and with being sick I've just been plain crabby and I hate it!  I have got to get snapped out of this funk and fast!

So, that being said, one of my resolutions is to be more positive.  Not only with others but with myself.  I have come a long way in a small amount of time and I need to be proud and happy of that.  I have a hard time taking compliments because, as many of you know, fat people don't get told they are looking really good.  That they are getting...wait for it...wait for it...SKINNY!  Now, I'm a far cry from skinny, but I am getting smaller and I need to learn to embrace those compliments and go with them. My co-workers have now started calling me skinny and it's starting to grow on me!

Another resolution of mine?  To keep my mouth shut...so I'm going to have my tongue cut out.  Just kidding!  Along with keeping my mouth shut comes more patience and perhaps with those 2 things combined, I can do it!  I guess that would fall under restraint, but it's going to be a tough one.  I have always been very outspoken, but I need to learn to pick my battles. 

I have other little resolutions, but these are my main ones that need to be worked on first.  I may need some help staying on track, but I know I can do this, right?  Today is the day to start fresh and new, but if I start to fail along the way, I'm not going to give up like I have in the past with my weight loss.  I'm going to stay strong, stay positive and stay healthy!