Laowai

Am I a regular at the Chicago Botanic Garden? I think so. I've been going every other week and each time it feels so nice. Even on days like last week when I froze my fingers. It was only about 12 degrees Farenheit.

I noticed the conifers this time. 

This is how we start every week these days. The girls spit in a little vile and then I take the viles and drop them off at school. It's a covid test that our school district offers. Sigh. Glad we have the test, can't wait til my girls no longer have to do it.

Over weekend I got some fabric for the back of my quilt and I made the quilt sandwich. Making the sandwich (basting the quilt layers together) is my least favorite part of quilting. Glad to have all that crawling around on the floor done. I decided I need some green quilting thread and then I can get busy sitting under the warm quilt and stitching, stitching, stitching. 

We went ice skating with a few friends over the weekend. The ice was in bad shape – hence all the looking down. And it was super cold so we didn't stay out long. If the sun comes out I'll be up for more skating.

There is a good side to this extended cold snap that we are having. I can make ice decorations (like the ones I made nine years ago). I made a heart decoration to hang on the window and I made some ice lanterns out of balloons – we'll see how those work out tonight.

Happy Monday everyone.

I'm still trying to reduce my stash of fabric by putting it to good use. Also, I'm procrastinating making some curtains – afraid to cut into my pretty fabric. Yikes.

So I made two corduroy pillow covers.

Corduroy is cozy in subzero February.

The house feels especially cozy when the snow is falling outside. This is my upstairs hallway. I'm hoping it will be my next painting project – it still has blue trim and cream colored walls. But that won't happen until summer. For now it's a comfy place to sit while Claire practices piano.

I sewed all my quilt blocks together but then I think my iron broke. So the seams are waiting to be pressed.

Here's Claire and her friend sledding before we got about nine extra inches of snow.

Bea basking.

Bea and I went to her happy place – an aquarium store.

My mudroom overflowing with coats and snowpants and gloves and scarves.

Someone made cupcakes and this is how my mixer looked afterword. Oh my.

A couple pictures taken from inside:

Apparently we value tallness around here.

And now it's early Monday morning. The sun is peaking through the clouds and the snow is sticking to the mansard.

I had a morning walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden again. Sometimes I tell myself I should just walk and not bother with photos. But then as I'm walking I see things and I get excited and I can't help but take a photo. I feel like taking a photo is another way of seeing. So here they are – another batch of photos that represent a really nice walk on a very cold and very sunny day.

We got about five inches of snow yesterday. That was a bright spot but otherwise everybody around here has the January blahs. I am having a hard time motivating myself to do anything other than hiding in my sewing room and working on my quilt. 

I finished all my blocks this morning.

Hmmm, should I do some laundry or should I start sewing the blocks together?

Or I could sit on the couch and search the internet for some backing fabric…

We got a fluffy dose of snow in the night and then the sun came out while I was shoveling. How nice.

I've been enjoying all the snow people that I see around my neighborhood. Here are just a couple – I need to take more photos – they make me smile.

And here's a photo of my bedroom. My green chair lives there now and I've upgraded the corner with a diminutive foot stool. Is it a sign of my age that a comfy chair is not enough? I now require a spot to put my feet up. Oh well, this is a great spot to sit and look out at the snowy branches while reading a gardening book. I think I'll paint the footstool a different color and I'll make a cushion for it.