Tuesday, May 15, 2012

I'm alive.

This is an old picture.  I like it because this was a spontaneous quilt I made with no plan in mind.  I let it evolve, right up to the end when I decided to put little groups of prairie points around the border.


I probably need to make another spontaneous quilt soon.  My sewing space (I feel pretentious calling it a studio, lol) is pretty much done and I promise some photos in the next week or so.  Last week my brother the contractor and his dudes improved the lighting (a lot!), and put the doors/rolling design wall on the closet.  There are two sliding doors and so far I have covered one of them in batting. 

My space is nice and makes me happy.  I am too tired and mentally worn out from work to do much but I have started a new quilt.  So far I am just cutting and pinning, getting ready to sew.  I am making a quilt for my long time friend at work who lost her husband suddenly a few weeks ago.  She gave me some of his shirts and I am going to make her a quilt from them.  I have been cutting into them for a few days and I have to say, it makes me sad.  He was a good guy and they had a good marriage (like my hubby and I) and I'm so sad thinking about her loss just at the time that we are looking forward towards retirement. 
 I am still working more than 50 hours a week as we adjust to the new  'EVERYTHING'  at work.  This will last until mid June, then I get to go to the beach, yay!  Meanwhile I am tired, working 6 days a week and every Saturday is a night shift.  I do get to have off this Friday and I hope the weather is nice.  Maybe I'll sit in the sun and read a book.
Enjoy the Spring everybody.  I hope to have something to show soon. 


Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Still tweaking the space.

This past weekend was the last free weekend I will have for about 6 weeks.  I will be working the next gazillion Saturdays from 7pm to 7am, bleh.  As a senior nurse at work, I will be working with other staff as they work their first Saturday nights in our new operating rooms.  As backup, I may be able to catch a few zzzz's if there is nothing going on, but it still chops up my weekends.  So I spent last weekend getting my house in order and playing in my 'Room'.   I have wanted to make a garland (or bunting if that's what you call it) for a long time.  
 Last week I finally got my blinds (the Next Day ones that took 3 weeks, lol), and I was inspired to jazz up the valances a little.  I had fun pulling out some aqua and red fabrics.  Look close and you might spy some 'Sherbet Pips'  as well as some DS fabrics.  I love the DS lines from Denise Schmidt that are in the JoAnn's stores.  I checked out the latest line over the weekend and............WHAAAAAAAT?!...................it was priced at $12.99 per yard!  Dang it!  Guess I'll start using my coupons very very wisely. 

Looks like the white blinds with red tape really rounds out the circus look in the 'ol sewing space, huh?  When I showed them off to my husband, he was a little perplexed and asked if that was what I wanted.  Duh, yes.

After I took these pictures I rotated the table a bit.  I'm still working on the best and most efficient arrangement.  See all the clutter on the table.  No matter what I do, it's always there.  I'm wondering if I should just put a gigando basket in the middle and toss everything in it.  Apparently I like to have stuff within reach. 

So we finished the move to the new hospital over the weekend and yesterday was the first day in the new operating rooms with scheduled surgeries.  It's going well.   The hospital hired  a moving company that brought in hundreds of these 'rent-a-crates'.  We've been surrounded by these crates for weeks and it's nice to be unloading them now. 

Here's my little office space.   I'm not really settled in yet  and it may take a while now because there's so much going on that I don't spend much time in there. 
 Wanna know what the best part of the new building is?

Windows!!!!!   And a break room!   And best of all......... windows IN the break room! 
For years we have worked in a space without windows and it was not unusual to get to the end of a shift without knowing what the weather was.  I will tell you that I am pretty good at predicting rain by how sleepy I feel. 

We can't wait for snowy days.

Meanwhile, the view from our lounge is a lovely courtyard.  At the top of the picture is the back of the Phipp's building which was the old psychiatric building.  There is a gorgeous garden and fish pond in that cozy little space.

Most of the windows on the building have these 'frets' on them.  Sposed to keep the birds from flying into the windows as well as being decorative.  Some people don't like them but I do.  They cast cool shadows around the room.  

Wanna know the down side of having such a great break room?  Everybody far and wide comes to hang out in it.  We are really struggling with our feelings of possessiveness and resentment when staff from other areas come and park themselves in there.  Our Keurig coffee pods and goodies are fast disappearing.  Hopefully things will settle.  I have waited almost 20 years for this new hospital (seriously, it's been in the works for that long) and I'm loving every inch of it! 

I promise to get some more pictures around the hospital soon.  Lots of fun and colorful artwork.
Meanwhile,  I worked 28 hours in the last 2 days so maybe I can afford some DS fabric after all.  Wheeeee!