Like Shoes Or Peanuts...

We went to our local Apple retailer in Sarasota yesterday to purchase an iPad for Handsome. (He's been wanting one for quite a while and we decided to wait until after Christmas to go shopping for one as his Birthday gift.) 

While in the store, we were looking at all the different cases to protect his iPad, and my eyes settled on this little beauty - an iPhone cover.

Look at all the little houses and turrets. The images are all bas relief and it reminds me of a mountainside village. It came in two colors...this one and another in a dark blue-green. I preferred this color thinking it might be easier to find in the bottom of my purse!

I know that I recently showed you the Cath Kidston cover I bought while we were traveling last summer. I still really like it and will use it again. The thing is, I think iPhone cases are like shoes or peanuts or potato chips...no one can have just one.

Here's just one of the online links I found for this line of cases from Chateau. I mean, you might have to get one, too, right? (Wait til you see the one with black roses on it! It's over in the right sidebar.)

We had a grand day together - Handsome and I. We went shopping and then shared lunch in Sarasota. Today, he's playing in a circus band at Gibsonton, FL. I know he is looking forward to spending tomorrow relaxing and playing with his newest gadget. Thanks to everyone who left Birthday wishes for him. He really appreciated it.

Bunny Hill Scrappy Plate Club...

One of my favorite quilting blogs to visit is Anne Sutton's Bunny Hill Designs blog and website. She has the prettiest designs, and I own more than a couple of her patterns.

When stopping by a couple of days ago, I found that she's hosting a six-month long quiltalong (QAL) on her blog. She'll be posting tutorials on her Dresden Plate design scrappy quilt, and has already posted Part One.

Let's see...scrappy quilt, Dresden plate (I've always wanted to do that design), free tutorial, six months long. Yup. I'm on board! I figure that I'll work on the Farmer's Wife blocks one week, and then work on the Dresden Plate another week. Two quilts accomplished for sure in 2012! I'm going to add her button to my sidebar to link to her blog (and you can click here to learn more about her Scrappy Plate Club).

Don't forget to tell your friends about the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt QAL I'm hosting. I'm adding the names of participants as soon as I'm contacted. (Remember, I'll need your first name, url for your blog - if you have one - and your email address.) Click here for more information.

Also...Today is Handsome's birthday. I think I'll take the day off so that we can do some fun things together. Happy Birthday, Husband!

Dreaming of a Spacious Haven...

One of my blog girlfriends recently commented on my "always organized" studio space. I giggled when I read that because many times it's far from "calm" in there. We always want to put our best face forward on our blogs, so I rarely show you the "real" images in my creative cave.

I cleaned out the closet in the bathroom next to the studio two days ago. It's the "overflow" space that I use for storing what I can no longer fit into the studio. I really needed to see what was in there, having not emptied it in quite a while. That was my major project for Tuesday.

I kept pulling things out of the closet and sorting through them and by the time I was finished, my studio was utter chaos! Just look at this mess! I took two bags of yarn and two boxes of knitting magazines to Paneras on Tuesday night to give away. I shared my stash, and more than a few women went home really happy.

It took me all day yesterday, but by the time I needed to start dinner, I finally had it whipped back into some semblance of order. (That's the first photograph in this post.)

After living in the Flying Cloud last summer, I've felt that there was too much stuff in my studio. I'm going to make it my mission to continue to clear the clutter - little by little (we don't want to do anything drastic, after all) until my room is returned to a spacious haven that will better foster creativity. 

So, don't think that it's always tidy and clean here at Brynwood. I'm just like the rest of you. Sometimes "messy" just happens.

 In case you missed the post, I'm hosting a quiltalong. If you click here, you can learn more about it...and if you click on the "Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt QAL" on the menu bar at the top of my blog, you can see who else is participating. We'll be starting February 1st, so there's still time to join the fun!