A quilt for Charlotte

Erica and Charlie were in Ohio this week for Spring Break, so I was able to see them while I was at my parent's house this weekend. I was also able to give her the quilt that I have been working on. I had a lot of last minute things to do in order to get it done, so I stayed up late two nights, but I was not going to have her go back to Florida without it!

I had picked this fabric out from Hobby Lobby back before she was born. It of course hung out on my closet for months. Once I got my machine fixed and finished Cooper's quilt, I got to work on this one. I took a short break to get Tyson's done before the baby shower, but this one was a lot more work. Smaller squares = more time spent sewing the rows. Lesson learned. I thought sewing the binding on with the machine would mean less work, but it actually took me longer than if I'd just hand stitched it!

I like the front, but I LOVE the back! I think these prints really needed to be in larger blocks since they're somewhat large patterns. I hand stitched her name in gold floss. Never using metallic floss again. It's so hard to use! I was going to put her birth date and the quote "Follow your arrow" to go with the arrow print fabric, but there was no way I was doing that much more stitching!

The front

The back

Her "formal" name

Charlie loved her quilt. Her mama also loved it too! She said it was "very Charlie." I hope she still sleeps with it when she's 26 (like someone else I know). 

Me and Charlotte with her quilt! She's just the cutest little thing!

And my helper for the project:

This completes my last quilt that I had a 'due date'. I have two quilts that I started for myself 4 years ago, so I think I'm going to complete those and then start on gift quilts again. I've never completed a quilt for myself, so that's a goal for this spring/summer.

Here are some of the fabrics I used in Charlie's quilt. Not all of them are on the Hobby Lobby website.
Gold & White Polka Dot (used on the front and the binding)
Gold & White Chevron (used on the front and back)
Blue/Pink, White & Gold Chevron (used on the front and back)
Gold & White Arrow (used on the front and back)

Weekly Workout - March 7-13, 2016

This was my worst week yet. I had work event on Tuesday, so I didn't get to go to class. So when I went on Thursday it had been a full week since I'd done any kind of physical activity. And I could tell. Going home this weekend helped because I worked out hard with Tyler two nights. Hopefully this puts me back on track. And where I write "I rested", that should really say "I was too lazy to do anything."

Monday: I rested

Tuesday: I rested (I had to miss class because of a work conflict)

Wednesday: I rested

Thursday: kickboxing in group fitness (55min)

Friday: I rested

Saturday: Walked 7 miles

Sunday: 1 mile on the treadmill, 10 reps squats (60lbs), 10 reps benched (50lbs)


I must start running more. And more often. Only 47 days to go until this:

Cancer Sucks

Last night, Molly and I walked to get ice cream at Jeni's for the first time this summer - and actually probably the first time since she moved in with me almost a year ago! It's about a .5 mile walk to the scoop shop from my house - close enough to walk, far enough to 'walk off' the calories you eat while you're there. 

On the way home, we were talking about the upcoming vet appointment I have for my grandparents barn cat, Stubby. Stubby is quite a hot mess. She has no tail, we think she might have been hit by a car at one time (about 8 years ago) so she walks with this limp on her back hip and now she has this horrible face problem that the vet thinks is part wounds and lingering infection from a cat fight and also part Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cancer of the nose and eyes in cats). :( Basically, Stubby's in bad shape.  

While walking Molly said "Cancer sucks so much. It sucks so bad that even our pets can get it." And it's true. Cancer sucks. I obviously don't want any human to have to deal with cancer ever and value a person's life over the life of a pet, but I also can't help but have a little tug on the heart strings when these little animals can't speak up and say "hey, my face isn't feeling so well, can you take me to the vet?"

But the point is, cancer sucks. Last year I rode in Pelotonia and thankfully had family and friends donate to my ride so I was able to raise $2,300 for cancer research at The James at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University. I haven't registered to participate in Pelotonia 2016 yet. I'm undecided if I'm going to ride, or maybe just volunteer this year. My 2015 riding partner is getting married the following weekend and is probably out for this year (I wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to ride) and maybe I'll look for other ways to help out with the fight against cancer.

One way I can help is by alerting all my readers (How many do I really have, maybe 5? Hi Mom! Hi Molly! Hi Jill! Anyone else that reads, comment and let me know!) on some of the ways they can prevent cancer. The graphic below was shared with me by the Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center and shares how you can prevent cancer in your life. I know I could be doing better in each of these areas, especially when it comes to eating more vegetables and exercising more often (I fell off the wagon, remember). And I live in a really old apartment, so it should probably be checked for toxins. Landlord Amy, help!

While cancer can't be prevented, there are things you can do to lessen your risks, so do those! Making some quick changes to your everyday habits can greatly lower your risk for cancer. Just eating right and getting moderate exercise every day helps a huge amount! Also, getting your house or apartment checked for toxins like asbestos or radon is so important! 

And if you are interested in getting involved in Pelotonia 2016, let me know.

And please keep little Stubby in your prayers. We'll find out on Friday if her medicine has been helping or if it's in the best interest of her health to go to kitty heaven. :(

Baby Quilt for Tyson

This Sunday was Jill's baby shower. I gifted her a baby quilt that was a gray gingham print on the front with a gray and white strip on the back and red binding. I thought it would match the Mickey Mouse nursery, and it just so happens to be Ohio State colors too! What are the odds?

Me, Jill, and our cute helper

Jill opening the quilt

I love this pattern.

Close up.....LOVE!

The back.

And his little personalized name.

I think this is my favorite quilt I've done to date. I just love the way the front turned out - the colors, the pattern, they way it looks after I washed it! - and I love the gray and white stripes on the back. I think I will someday make a huge quilt for a bed that has this gingham plaid on it. But I'm going to stick to baby quilts for a while! :)

Weekly Workout - March 1-7, 2016

I was lazy again this past week and only worked out during my scheduled group fitness class. I have 54 days left until the Cap City Half Marathon, so I obviously need to get back on the running track (pun intended). I'm hoping that with the warmer temps and the fact that it will be staying light longer in the evenings now, I'll be more likely to go to the gym over sitting on my couch under a blanket - although I don't feel like I've gotten to do that much this winter and think it might be kind of nice to do that a few nights this week! While I have the chance, ya know! :)

Perfect sweatshirt for last week.

Monday: I rested

Tuesday: C4, kickboxing in group fitness (55min)

Wednesday: I rested

Thursday: kickboxing s in group fitness (55min)

Friday: I rested

Saturday: 3 hours of roller skating at Sk80's.

Sunday: I rested

Roller Sk80s 2016

This past Saturday was the annual Roller Sk80's here in Columbus. It's a 21+ roller skating party with an 80's theme. This year it also had a Ninja Turtles theme, so that's what Amber and I dressed up like. We were supposed to have four turtles, but the other girls changed their minds. 

Molly dressed up like Baby Houseman from Dirty Dancing a la the scene where she carries a watermelon to the party. Tyler even came this year and he dressed up like Bernie from Weekend at Bernie's. You can see in some of the pictures below where he played his role to a T and demonstrates that in a few photos below.

"I carried a watermelon."

Bernie just skating on by.

Not letting go of the watermelon.

"Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines...."

And from the photo booth: 

And for past Sk80's:
2015 (apparently I never blogged about it)
2014 and here