Just Because...

Oh my goodness! I've been so busy quilting. And I'm trying to survive the Christmas hustle and bustle too. But I just wanted to take a minute to share some quilts and thoughts with you.

Just because....I love feathers. I've been doing them a lot lately. On just about every quilt these days. Where are the feathers? How about a closer look? It was hard to photograph feathers red on red. Hope you can see them.
Here's some more feathers...
And more...
Here's a lovely quilt that came all the way from Connecticut. Lovely feathers throughout.
I really do love feathers!

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And a couple of weeks ago my husband took me to an L.A. Lakers game. I loved watching #16. Why?

Just because...he's a Spaniard!

Yes, that's right. Have you ever heard Pao Gasol give an interview in Spanish? It will make you melt. Oh, that Spanish accent! I love it! Just hearing it takes me back to Spain. There's nothing like it. It's like music to my ears. Oh, how I miss Spain! (and, he's a pretty good ballplayer too.)Ok, I didn't just go to watch Pao Gasol. I also went to take pictures of the stars. Here's Dyan Cannon below...a loyal Laker courtside fan. Can you believe she's 71? From where I was sitting she looked like a teenager!

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While I've been quilting these days, I've had Christmas DVD's playing on my TV. They have to be movies I've seen many times. That way I can quilt and not focus on the movie. I just listen to the movie. Here's one of my favorites: The Family Stone.

Why do I love this movie?

Just because...of Diane Keaton. One of my favorite actresses.Go rent this DVD and enjoy Diane Keaton!

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And I'm nervous and probably won't sleep tonight. Why?

Just because...I have a hard time saying no.

No to what?

I should have said "NO" to playing the organ at church tomorrow. It's just a little part--a descant--so it's not a solo. But I've never played the organ really. I took piano lessons from the age of 9 to 18. When I was 16 my piano teacher wanted to teach me the organ too. She worked with me for two lessons and then I rebeled. I told her I didn't want to learn. I refused. I only wanted to play the piano. Here I am kicking myself. Why didn't I take organ lessons? Ok, I'm not accompanying the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! But still...I will not sleep a wink tonight! I hope you're enjoying your holiday season. "Feliz Navidad"---Do I sound like a Spaniard?

...The Most Puka Shells

"He who dies with the most puka shells wins!" --that's what I thought in 1978. My goodness, how much I've changed! I was once cool, hip and trendy...at least I thought so! And I had lots and lots of puka shells. Oh, they were so important to my cool, hip and trendy image!

I had a chance to reflect on just how much I have changed when I visited my college alma mater recently. One of the activities as I visited Utah with our church youth group, was to spend a day at BYU in Provo, Utah. I had a little bit of time to walk around the campus. It certainly does not look the same as it did when I went there! You see, I got a little lost.

As I walked down memory lane, I decided to go visit the old Harold B. Lee Library--a place where I hung out for many years. I would sit and socialize, nap, and study a bit every day on the 4th floor. That's where all us cool, hip and trendy kids would meet, wearing our puka shells, of course! So, for old time's sake, I decided to go back and visit the old 4th floor at the library. This is what it looked like when I went there: I went in through the south entrance. Oh, it looked different, but no big deal, I thought. They must have changed how you enter the library. I thought, I'll just open one of these doors and take a look around...oh, no! This was not the entrance to the library! A group of about 20 students and a professor looked up at me. The professor said, "May I help you?" My face was red, I said, "Excuse me, is this the entrance to the library?" The professor said, "You need to go around to the north side and enter that way!" I was so embarrassed. I'm sure as I closed the door, they all had a good laugh.

(This is what the library looks like today! No wonder I was lost!)

Cool, hip and trendy Vivian, once adorned with her many puka shells, came back to BYU looking like this:

A middle-aged tourist! Yes, that was me! And I interrupted a class, for heaven's sake!!! What a dork! Don't tell anyone...let's just BYU remember Vivian as cool, hip and trendy...ok?

Let's talk about something else!

Of course the reason I looked like a tourist, as I've told you before, was because I was the official youth group photographer. I always had a camera around my neck! Here are some musical programs we enjoyed. One was a lovely singer named Jenny Phillips. Please check out her website: Jenny Phillips. She was awesome and beautiful. Here she is pictured on the left with Daughter #1 and her Sweetheart, who came down from Tremonton to Salt Lake City to visit us and enjoy the musical fireside. Another was Alex Boye. He is a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and also sells CD's of his own music. He was a favorite speaker and singer of many of our youth. And lastly, Kenneth Cope came to do a musical fireside for us. He was awesome. I loved his music and he had such a great spirit about him. Check out his website: Kenneth Cope.All these artists' music is available through iTunes too. Check them out and enjoy!

No quilting pictures to share today. I'm working on a huge one and it's taking a while. No two-a-days for now!

Practice, Practice, Practice!

That's what my mom used to tell me as I would sit and play the piano. I never really got that proficient at it, but I do alright. I played the piano for years in the Primary (children's meeting) at my church. Now I teach the children singing. I really enjoy it. It's like "The Vivian Show" every Sunday! :)

Anyway, these days my BabyBoy is practicing the piano. He has lots of time on his hands these days, since he graduated early from high school and hasn't found a job yet. He's very talented and has been working at teaching himself the piano. (Side story and confession: I am not a good mother. I never taught any of my 3 children the piano. Bad, Bad, Vivian! I didn't have the patience.)

This is the piano in our home. It's an old "Chickering" built in 1893.

I bought it in 1993 when it was 100 years old. My dad lovingly restored it for me. I love my piano and have told my family that when I die and if there's not enough money to bury me in a casket, I would be happy to be buried in my piano. I know that's kinda sick, but it's the truth.

Let's see what my BabyBoy is working on lately. "Cold Play"...excellent choice!

And who is sitting in a comfy chair in the room waiting for BabyBoy to play? His #1 Fan: The Purse Dog. (Actually my BabyBoy is out rock climbing with friends. He's enjoying his 'free-time-after-graduation a little too much, I think.)

And practice for me too! Yes, I've been doing charity quilts since I started my "First and Ten" plan. I do ten quilts for my business and then one charity. Here's one where I practiced Suzanne Early's Meandering Magic.

And check out this backing fabric! Bright and fun. I wonder where this quilt will end up.

Now I must say a word about the thread I used on this charity quilt. At first I was using a lovely, bright variegated Superior Thread, "King Tut." I was having a lot of breakage. It was driving me crazy. I never had problems with that thread before. It could've just been the day. So I decided to try a new thread that Gina Halladay of Cranberry Quiltworks told me about. It is "Lava" by Superior Threads. I loved it! It quilted like a dream. Thanks for the recommendation, Gina! (They sell it at Cranberry Quiltworks, too!)

A New Toy for Me!

I bought a new camera while we were in Las Vegas. I can't believe how old my Olympus was. It was one of the first digitals that came out about 10 years ago. So I guess that kinda makes it an antique by now! I bought a little Cannon Digital Elph. I love it! So small. Not much bigger than my cell phone! It was so nice to take it around Las Vegas while I played tourist.

I'm still learning how to use it and so far I love the pictures. I get a lot of these kinds of quilts lately. They're made of lots of Fat Quarters. Lovely collections of fabrics. I enjoy quilting them. Just put on some Classic Rock (The Who, The Rolling Stones, etc.) and I'm off! (Someday I'll write about the greatest night ever! Backstage at The Who concert!)

Get back to work!

I have so many quilts to do. I wonder if I'll ever see the light at the end of the tunnel. But still I wish that I paced myself better. I get up early (5:15am) everyday, put on some good work tunes. (example: Ted Nugent, Eric Clapton, The Who) And then I work hard! So hard, that by noon I'm completely exhausted and collapse on the sofa for a nap. On my feet all morning, quilting, quilting, quilting. I do love to quilt, but I'm almost burnt out. Keyword: almost! So tired. Do I need vitamins? Who knows? After a cat-nap, I'm back to work, until late into the evening. My legs hurt, that's when I stop for a break. Oh, in between quilting I have a family of a husband and a 22-year old, a 19-year old, and 16-year old.

Right now I'm listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to calm down. "Helplessly Hoping" Oops! I think it was just Crosby, Stills & Nash. Sorry.

A quilting friend heard what music I play as I work and she said, "That's nice that you listen to the oldies." I was offended! Oldies! I'm not from that generation, am I? I corrected her and said, "I like to call them Classics." She apologized. We both laughed.

Listening to Ted Nugent I ask myself, What is Cat Scratch Fever? Is there really such a thing? Sounds awful. And Stranglehold! What does that mean? Sounds rough, but I like it. Aww the Classics. Back to work. Time for some "Baba OReilly" by The Who! Maybe even a little Led Zepplin.