As I look back on 2023 I thought to myself what did I do? I am more of a forward thinking girl, so I don’t dwell too much on the water under the bridge. This was a year of rest. 2021 and 2022 were so jam packed with projects that I think we needed this past year to be quiet. A time to reset. We were just getting ready to start some deck renovations when I had my accident. Since that was definitely an unplanned and expensive event we put the deck project on hold. Will we get to it this spring? We shall see.

This was a year of small projects and that’s ok. I spent a lot of time with my sewing machine. In the spring I embroidered these napkins for my Easter table, which I absolutely loved. I’ve still not had the opportunity to use those napkins as Easter was cancelled due to a sick grand boy. So, they will be ready for this year. You can read about that here Painting with Needle and Thread.

Then we got the joyous news that we were expecting our first great grand baby. But wait I’m too young to be a great grandmother. Well you know I just had to make a quilt. Of course I had never made one before. This one was easy and a good first time one. It was a kit. You can read about that here Chasing Elephants.

After that it was on to my actual quilting class, and a quilt for my grandson. I managed to get that one done and presented it to him on his 10th birthday in November. You can read about that here.

Then just before the holidays I pulled out a kit quilt I have had for 3 years. This was such a fun and quick quilt to do. I fell in love with its colors and actually had it draped over the sofa for the whole holiday season. You can catch that story here. And of course it worked perfectly to snuggle up the bundle of joy.

In February of last year the husband hung my meat hooks in my office. Although a bit messy I love the way they bring some interest to a wall space that just housed my office TV. The baskets hold napkins, napkin rings and candles.

To be fair to myself, I decked the house out for Christmas, and planted flowers, I can’t wait to dig in the dirt. I had several client appointments and worked on some fun projects, and of course there is our Assistance League online store. So I managed to keep myself pretty busy.

What I didn’t do was pick up a paint brush. Oh I guess that isn’t true. I helped my client learn how to chalk paint and we gilded a mirror together. I didn’t pick up a drill, a hammer or saw a board. I find that so hard to believe. But there you have it.

On the other hand, how nice is it to have a home that you love, filled with your favorite things, and no need to feel the pressure of a project looming in the future. Well, who am I kidding! That is half the fun! I caught myself sitting in front of a closet the other day, trying to figure out where the broom, dustpan, and vacuum cleaner are going to go when I turn this closet into a pantry. Hmm it’s really bad to say but, I haven’t figured that one out yet. Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping

Shelley