January - Just Three

2013!
A new year; a new month; a new "Just Three." :)

I started "Just Three" because I wanted to fight back in my own head against the notion that I needed to get it all done, and also to give a way to link up with others who might be in the category of (choose the one that applies) -- "I am so scattered and need some direction" ... "Life/work/kids/all of the above keep me busy enough but I want to still quilt when I can" ... "I need an idea for a blog post" ... "I want to show off that I did way more than three" ... "it's just fun to share goals" ... whatever.  I started this when miss Scarlet was only 6 months old, almost sleeping through the night consistently, but I needed a little bit of structure.

I feel like a lot of my reports include more of what I didn't finish, than what I did but like many of the rest of the bloggers out there, I made a mosaic of the quilts I finished, and there were actually quite a few of them!

Who knew!?!  (click through to flickr to see more specifics/links)


Now without further ado -- here is last month's report:

1) Really finish Treasure Boxes, and donate! ♥

not done.  Moving on to next month's list.  The top is done.

2) A couple custom orders.

I have this one for baby Harrison up first.  They wanted a re-make of a quilt I made for my cousin's baby, with a Red Sox theme.  I was so happy with how the letters turned out (because I draw them by hand based on the Red Sox font).

I got the Red Sox quilt (#2) done!  (which reminds me -- I need to email Harrison's mama and see if he has made his grand entrance yet)

I still have a couple more custom orders I'll be working on this month -- hoping I have a good chunk of time to sew!

3) And my most important goal this month -- to help give my babies a Merry Christmas...and the big guy too.  ♥ ♥ ♥

This one was definitely a success.  Christmas with kids = SO MUCH FUN!

(And I finished my Christmas quilt in time too). :)

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January's goals:

1) Something old -

I know I need to finish that Treasure Boxes, but my goal is to finish up an old WIP in January.

2) Something new - 

I've got a new design I'm playing with, that I'm having fun doing... using these fabrics.  When I was pulling them, I didn't realize they were such a rainbow.  The palette was inspired by Pantone's color of the year and some of their Spring 2013 colors.

3) Chelsa's Scrappy Sprouts. 

 I'm so excited about this one.  Thanks to so many of you, I have all the blocks, and I was organizing them the other night, and need to find a lay-out.  But trust me -- they're so cute!

Your turn!  

Rules:

RULES -- Pick three goals for the month, and link up here! (You can do more than three if you prefer... I'm flexible like that... and goodness knows I have more than 3 things I'd like to accomplish this month!) :)

Go comment on other people's posts too!

(P.S. I'm linking to Lee's WIP Wednesday!)

Happy.

I say "Babies come first" often around here.  Or at least I say it to myself in my head... and to God in my heart.  It might come out with a sigh or a grin or a growl, depending on the moment.

But this picture I took this evening helps to remind me why.

I was trying to think of a New Years' Resolution tonight. 

I can think of about twenty off the top of my head.  I could even neatly categorize them from things that might give me back more of a waist, to things that might make me more fiscally solvent, to things that would build a business, to growing my spiritual life, to to making my home more visitor friendly.

But those little bunchkins... they were playing this spitting/squealing game, without any instruction or intervention from me tonight during their bath.

And I laughed at them and at myself.

"Babies come first Tracey."

And then I yelled for Jay to (please) grab the camera and bring it to me.  

I have about 20 shots of them looking at one another with various expressions of spontaneous glee.

I am smart enough to realize that the only resolution I really *need* to make is to remember that these babies come first.  And to let myself enjoy them.  And to appreciate that even though my waist to hip ratio is not ideal, my body grew those two little critters, and I should be kind to it (in both word and deed).  

"Babies come first."

Before my blog re-design.  

Or figuring out Illustrator.  

Or making another block for my new idea.

Or having the laundry all caught-up.  

(And if you're wondering -- no, tonight's dishes are not all done.)

So I suppose my resolution is the same as it was last year.

And the year before.

And the good Lord willing, he can figure out a way to continue to work on the growing of my heart and mind and spirit and servant heart and wifey love and cleaning habits and exercise and budgeting skills in the midst of that.

At least that is my prayer.

Happy New Year y'all.  I have many happy things planned for 2013.  Hopefully most of them will show up in this space soon, but it really depends on those two little squishy smilers up there.  ♥ ♥

Merry Christmas! (a finished quilt!)

Priorities around here...

Presents = about half-way wrapped.
BUT the quilt is done.  

This quilt started over 2 years ago, with the help of some wonderful ladies in a little Christmas Bee we did... (Thank you Kelly, Cherie, Amy, Rene, Natalia, and Karrie!)  

The wheels are the "Cartwheels" pattern from Tula Pink, and the trees are whatever the creative ladies came up with!

I have more presents to wrap, family to visit, cousins to play with, and a house to tidy, but I wanted to share this before Christmas was gone!

Blessings to you this Holiday season, and as the New Year comes!

♥

WIP Wednesday - O Christmas Tree

Finally getting this bee quilt taken care of!

Daddy took the little man to town today in an attempt to Christmas shop for Mommy (which is reason #432 I'm glad we had Scarlet, because let's just say shopping is not his forté, and I can't wait to send her along to "help.") ;)  

While Scarlet slept, Mommy quilted.

And when I spread the quilt out to check my progress (which I'm working on the binding now!), Scarlet practiced her favorite yoga move.

No lie.  You tell her, "Scarlet, do your downward dog," and she gets to work. :)

Her brother was not going to be outdone by his little sister. ♥

Oh how I love these two.

Wanna see their faces?

I've been listening to a lot of Christmas music to try to lift my spirits, because like so many of you, my heart is still heavy.  

But a merry Christmas week.  And Happy Holidays.  And now a line from my favorite Christmas carol...

"Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother... and in His name, all oppression shall cease..."

Linking to Lee's.

Orange Chicken: a yummy recipe (and gluten free too!)

I'm not a food blogger and have no aspirations to be.
Quilts will always be my first bloggy love.

BUT -- I'm a mom and a wife, and I'm always looking for healthy and yummy meals that make the big man, the little (picky) man, and the little lady happy.  I like this one too.

This is modified from a recipe I ate growing up that used two envelopes of Lipton Onion Soup mix instead of these other things I'm listing.  I'm trying to eliminate MSG from my family's life (it's a neuro-specific toxin!*)

I bought the ingredients to make it again this week. :)

I apologize that I don't measure.  I kind of don't know how.  I shake 'til it feels right.  No, I do not take that approach with quilts.  This is harder to mess up than a quilt.

Important -- 

• Don't reconstitute the juice concentrate!
• If you can't find pine/orange combo, you can use half a can of orange juice, and half a can of pineapple juice.  The bonus for this is that you have concentrate ready to make this again (which you will want to; I promise).
• If you put your onion in the freezer for approximately 15 minutes before cutting, it won't make you cry so much while chopping. (thanks Miki!)
• Bonus: Chicken thighs are inexpensive!  (I've never tried this with breasts; the thighs don't dry out, so that's why we use them.)
• My dad and hubby grow the "CalRose" kind of rice.  You can find it in the Asian food sections of the grocery store.  Uncle Ben's (and the like) never come in to this house.
• You can drain off some of the fat on top if you'd like.
• The sauce is really yummy too.

Here are the super easy directions!

It will look like the picture in the top when it's ready.  And you're welcome.  It's delicious.  I promise. ♥

P.S. A funny story about MSG.  I lived in Taiwan for a year of my life, and learned a lot of basic Mandarin Chinese, including how to request no MSG on the food for my friends and I.  I often got very strong questioning looks (and out-right questions), and this questioning face made more sense to me when I learned the translation of the word.  I was told, the loose translation of MSG in Chinese was "Flavor Pow!" of "Flavor Zip!"  (Picture old Marvel comics bubbles).  No wonder they wondered why I didn't want any.

a little top

Sometimes, no matter what the list looks like, you have to sew for fun.

And for the naked 24" pillow form that was unearthed during your weekend's intense closet cleaning work that has been claimed by the hubby and the big boy and the little girl.  (I shudder to think of what it will look like if it doesn't get a cover on it soon!)

I was also fairly desperate to make something that was done with little blocks (these are 8" each).  And used my stash.  And was cute.  And gratifying.



Can't wait to finish this!

P.S. Still plenty of time to link up with this month's "Just Three" if you feel so inclined...

December - Just Three!

Here we are... the last month of the year...

My report -- last month's goals:

1) Finish Pickledish! 

Not done -- but still looking good. :)

2) Finish Treasure Boxes 

I have the top done!  I'll be getting the link up for prizes up and ready very soon... so watch for it!  If you'd like to donate your Quilt to "Quilt Hope In" (benefits go to Heartline ministries in Haiti, who run a sewing education center as well as birthing center) -- just email me at traceyjay at gmail dot com, and I will get it listed.  

3) Learn to knit!  Amanda is coming over tomorrow!  yea!

I have learned the basic knit and purl... but haven't practiced enough to finish anything.  But I get the general idea!

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This month's goals:

1) Really finish Treasure Boxes, and donate! ♥

2) A couple custom orders.

I have this one for baby Harrison up first.  They wanted a re-make of a quilt I made for my cousin's baby, with a Red Sox theme.  I was so happy with how the letters turned out (because I draw them by hand based on the Red Sox font).

I'll also be working on this girly one... so cute, no?

3) And my most important goal this month -- to help give my babies a Merry Christmas...and the big guy too.  ♥ ♥ ♥

RULES -- Pick three goals for the month, and link up here! (You can do more than three if you prefer... I'm flexible like that... and goodness knows I have more than 3 things I'd like to accomplish this month!) :)

Linking to Fabric Tuesday! and WIP Wednesday!