Where do you create

Where do you do your creative work? Where do you draw your creative juices from?? Do you cut, pin and sew at the dining room table?

For years I always did the bulk of my sewing at the dining room table. It worked for me because we also had a kitchen table. Which actually came in handy if my family wanted to eat. One day my dear husband asked if I would like to set up my sewing area in the den? Now our little den was pretty small, and it was the hub of activity for computer use. We also had an older TV in there for videos and DVD watching. But just having a place to set up my sewing machine and "not have to take it down" every few days was such a wonderful gift to me.

The majority of my sewing was done right here. I have this wonderful old wardrobe that my hubby refinished and painted for me. He added shelves so that I could store my stash.

Then we moved............. So my sewing machine was relegated to the Laundry room. 

It was a tight squeeze and my cutting table was in another room.

Then my son got married and a room became available.  And I quickly moved in.

So this is what my sewing room looks like now. I've moved and re-arranged the furniture several times, trying to find the best working arrangement. 

So tell me, where do you create?

The Secret to Happiness

 

The Secret to Happiness by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the second in the Cape Cod Creamery series. 

Callie Dixon is an executive chef in a high end restaurant in Boston. But when she makes an disastrous mistake, she is fired. With her reputation at stake, she works at the Ice Cream school where she meets up with her aunt Marnie. She fiddles her way into an invitation to move in with her aunt and her favorite cousin Dawn. But they don't live in a home. They live above their Ice Cream store. Her depression plunges her into disabling misery. She ends up being dragged to a class on happiness by her cousin.

When Dawn leaves Callie at the Secret to Happiness class, the instructor, Bruno Bianco, makes her search deep into herself to be real and find the cause of her unhappiness. 

Although it is the second in the series it can be read as stand alone. It is heartfelt, troubling, and a redeeming reconciling story. There are so many facets to the story. I love six year old Leo the Cowboy who barges in, and sits on Callie's bed for her to read to him. He proclaims he is the official ice cream taste tester.  There are a few unexpected surprises along the way. The story is well written, the characters well developed. I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series. 

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Journal cover

This is a repost.

I used to journal all the time. But in recent years, it has fallen off, mostly due to time constraints and health issues. I was given a book to use for journaling, so I thought I would make a cover.

I cheated a little bit by using pre-quilted fabric I had in my stash.

I also found a suitable coordinating fabric to use for the inside.

It was easy to turn down flaps, and sew the ends.

 Good fit!

 And wha-la! The finished journal cover :-)

Using the pre-quilted fabric made this a snap, but I think next time I will quilt my own.

Happy Quilting!

                                         Sew and Tell

                                      Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

                                      Finished or not Friday

                                      Peacock Party

Easter promise

 

The Rancher's Sanctuary

Wow, I could not wait to review The Rancher's Sanctuary by Linda Goodnight. A part of the K-9 Companion series. This heartwarming story about overcoming tragedy is so well written. It was page turning as I was caught up in the lives of Nathan and Monroe.

Nathan Garrison, when he was six years old, remembers the scene of his parents death. Told that his father killed his mother then killed himself, he cannot believe it and returns to the home he has inherited to discover the truth.

Monroe Matheson, an angry scarred young woman, cannot trust another man. Burned by a fire trying to save her fiancé, he rejects her, leaving her emotionally and physically scarred. As Monroe agrees to work with Nathan to restore the Persimmon Ranch, she finds he has not held his brokenness in anger but is kind and forgiving. Something she needs more than hiding.

This story moved me. The characters were so well written  I was rooting for Nathan and Monroe every step of the way. The more time they spend together, the more they admire the strength of each others character. It was a wholesome story, even with the tragedy they both had faced. A beautiful love story, about faith, forgiveness and trust. It makes me want to be a better person. Kinder. More forgiving.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Nursing home quilt and pain

 The latest nursing home quilt was made up with every bit of scraps. 

It made a decent size lap quilt. Using the largest piece for the backing.

However, last week I had an injury where I fractured my sternum and have been in a lot of pain. Just resting for now, and taking all kinds of calcium, magnesium, collagen and K2. I'm hoping the pain will subside soon. It is a sad state of affairs to be down on yet another birthday :-(

                                       Sew and Tell

                                      Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

                                      Finished or not Friday

                                      Peacock Party

Spread the Palms

 

"the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of him and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!"

Matthew 21:8-9