Im going to follow alogn with these gals as they do some crazy quilt stitching this year.

my 1st crazy block...

This morning after checking my emails I traveled over to Debra's Design Studio and Oh My! what a lusciously delicious Crazy Quilt did she make.  Oh - gave me incentive to do more with my patchwork blocks that I have been making... Then I traveled over to the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2013 inspirational Home Page and more beautiful crazy quilting from so many talented ladies.  I am definitely going to follow along with them as they do a block a month since I am too late to sign up this year.  Oh' well maybe next. Wow! - eye candy for the soul so check them out.  Here are some of the blocks that I did last year, tho not a match to what these ladies have done.  Now I know what I want to do with them... Add more embroidery and embellishments and make mini quilts with them...or?????  The Possibilities are endless.

Scrapbooking, another challange for this year!

Scrapbooking Project 2013 January

Wow it is already the 12th of Jan and I am just getting to checking out this email from Connie Prince.  I have been so caught up with quilting that I am ignoring other fun stuff I love to do.   I think my 1st project I had planned was to scrapbook those family photos & cards that arrive at Christmas time.  and I like these little prompts so I think I will try to fit this into my life.  at least to gather the pictures etc.. and do some digital scrapbooking.... 

Mmmmm So. # 1 this year I want to accomplish Lovely finishes for 2013 with my quilting projects. and I have started to catalog them and have joined an online group to help with it. 
Jan - my Piano Runner  - I have been taking many pictures to place on my Blog and flickr so why not a page of photos that would let me see visably just what I have to do....! 

Photos of Pillows on my Bed

The Brown Pillow in the back are from a Set - I kept

 I kept the large Silky Brown Pillow Shams and gave away the comforter, The smaller brown pillow was from a thrift store and the Pink Pillow is a pink pillowcase with a great border embroidery that I pinned over a pillow form to showcase the edge.

These are some of the pillows on my Bed

I call this one Lace, Ribbon and Rose's  It is a pillowcase from Penny's with a fancy lace edge folded
over a sofa pillow and tied with Ribbon and a silk rose added.  

This Rose Pillow was bought at Goodwill Thrift Store 

I couldn't resist this cross stitched Pillow "Home Sweet Home"

bought several years ago for $25 at Target.  A splurge I know

but I love its lacy sweetness

 

This is the Yummy lace on my Lace, Ribbon & Rose's

Pillow above - I am so glad I bought 2 sets of this pillow case. 

Pillows on my Bed!

I'd like to share a thought with you today.  I love pillows and have many on my bed.  Pillows of all sizes and shapes.  I know my children wonder what's up with mamma - Well nothing really.  My love of pillows has always been strong and in my younger years I decorated my living room with pillows on the sofa, chairs and sometimes large ones on the floors.  I loved to change the look by pining on fabric, tying with bows or sewing new pillow covers.  So pillows have always played a part in my Décor.  They really didn't show up in my bedroom much but I did have 2 sizes on my bed the large king size and the standard pillow, these were used by hubby and me and I did enjoy changing the colors with my sheets but nothing spectacular.  So how did such a varied and large amount  end up on my Bed?

It all started back in 2005 after my hubby had a stroke and had to be in a nursing home.  I found that  I was uncomfortable with the empty space on his side of the bed. (I was unaware of these feelings till much later).  I found that Stuff seemed to gravitate towards my bed to fill that empty space, laundry, books, even the occasional box of things that needed to be put away in other areas of the house.  I seemed comfortable with this chaos but didn't understand it.  I'm sure the kids thought Mom was loosing it and becoming more of a messy housekeeper.  Especially since my bedroom was now down in the Dining area of my home and very viewable from both the kitchen and living room.  (This came about when my hubby couldn't go upstairs due to his medical  problems, sometime in 2002.) This continued several years even after I let go of the house and moved to a smaller home.  All this time my husband was in the nursing home.  It wasn't until I moved to my present home in 2011 that the pillows Became the focal point of my home.  Hubby had died in 2009 and I did not seem to need the comfort of "Stuff" on my bed.
When I had moved from my home in the Twin Cities to a small house in a lovely little town in Wisconsin I decided to dress up my bed and ordered a lovely set from Macy's in rich brown tones to go with my "Pink" Bedroom. I emphasize "pink" because in my older home my walls were either off white or wallpapered.  The set came with these gorgeous large pillows with shams,  the set was too dark for my room so I gave one of the kids my comforter ect. - keeping the large pillows for my bed. I started adding more pillows to the mix, all the while still dealing with the chaos of clothing ect on my bed. 
After my move in 2011 to a cottage with lots of sunshine and light I found myself not wanting extra stuff on my bed and was comfortable with just my array of Pillows.  I still do find stuff gravitating towards that empty space to take up residence but am more able to clear that away and just have my bed be graced with just the pillows.  With knowing why I let "Stuff" gather I find it easier to clear it away and just let those Pillows Shine! 
Wow, I certainly have said a lot so now I will make my bed, clear off the excess stuff (like the curtains that have made their way from my lined closet and have not been put away and some clothing?????  :)  I will clear the clutter and take a photo of my bed as it should look.  See you later.