Puppy Love

Oh Baxter....my sweet, precious, curious, innocent, trusting, tender, playful and unbelievably adorable puppy!  He is just what I needed.  I love everything about this little guy.  I want to spend every second of the day just soaking up all of that cuteness and kissing his soft, little face a million times.  He is the breath of fresh air that we needed after a rough couple of months.

I love the way he makes teeny, tiny, little squeaks when I pick him up.  I love the way he sweetly snuggles up next to me in the morning and lays his head beside mine on the pillow.  I love his "new puppy smell."  I love everything about him!!!  He's total puppy perfection!

Hugs,
Jenny

P.S.  I know he looks like he's on some sort of flying saucer in that last photo but he really is just floating on the pool!  I call that "his first swimming lesson."

Random Thoughts On Moving

So we're here.  We finally made it.  We are now living in California.  Still sounds weird every time I say it or think it.  I haven't really had time to adjust or let that fact sink in.  But I'm hoping the wild roller coasterish lifestyle of the last two months is quietly coming to an end and we can start to create a new normal.  A much calmer new normal.

So here are my random thoughts on California and moving and life in general right now in no particular order.  Remember....my mind is still a jumbled mess after everything that's happened so bear with me folks!

-Moving is hard.  Really, really, REALLY hard.  Especially when it's on short notice.  And across the country.  And when your beloved kitty unexpectedly dies in the middle of the whole situation.  I knew moving was going to be hard.  But I had no idea it was going to be THAT hard.  I'm glad "pre-move me" didn't fully understand what she was in for!

-Moving is also exhausting.  For the last two months we've been getting up early, staying up late and we've been busy, busy, busy all day long with no days off.  It's been a test of our endurance and I think we passed with flying colors!

-We drove 36 hours, 2400 miles in 3 days.  Yes.  We did the drive from Florida to California in THREE days.  With two dogs and two cats.  They did amazingly well.  But it was still quite an unforgettable experience and hopefully we'll still be talking about "that time we drove from Florida to California in three days" when we're in our eighties and sipping pina coladas on the beach!

-Trader Joe's is awesome.  Really, really awesome.

-This is the first week in forever that I've had a little bit of time to myself.  For weeks and weeks life was full of movers and repair guys and painters and workmen and boxes and trash bags and an endless stream of various people in the house.  And they all had lots of questions - What is this?  Where does this go?  Which light needs to be fixed?  The questions never stopped.  But this week has been heaven - just me, the pets, the quilt shop and Col. Sew Fab.  Life almost feels.....dare I say....NORMAL!

-Hopefully next week will be even more normal!  I'll get back on my regular schedule that Col. Sew Fab made for me.  I'll re-start marathon training after those plans had to be put on hold for the move.  I'll start ordering new fabrics for the shop.  And I'll start blogging about quilts and dollhouses and fabric and crafty stuff again!  And puppies.  Lots of blogging about puppies too!

-It's hot here.  But I'm used to the heat.  I lived in Florida for the last 13 years.  What is really difficult for me is how dry it is.  I'm not adapting quickly.  I can't seem to drink enough water.  I'm always thirsty.  I thought dry heat was supposed to be easier to deal with than humid heat!  And something about the dry heat is sneaky.....I don't realize how hot I am until I'm about to overheat and pass out....and it makes it impossible for me to decide if I'm thirsty, hungry or tired.  It's very confusing...... 

-But there is a good side to the dry heat!  In Florida, the humid summer heat makes it hot ALL. THE. TIME.  It's not just hot in the afternoon.  In Florida, it was unbearably hot late at night.  It was hot in the early morning.  It was hot in the shade.  But here.....here we wake up to these fabulously crisp, cooler mornings even on the days when it's going to be over 100 degrees!  So this little chickadee is going to have to become an early bird so I can fulfill my passion for running during the glorious morning weather.

-At 5:00 p.m. every day I realize that it's already cocktail hour back "home" in Florida.

-We have WAY too much stuff.  You just don't realize how much stuff you have until you have to move it all!  It's time to simplify, pare down, let go and get rid of all those things that I've realized just aren't as important as I thought they once were. I feel lighter and freer already!

-The movers packed a bag of trash.  Yes, seriously.  They packed a bag of trash. 

- How long can I use the excuse "we just moved" for any sort of air-headed behavior?

-I love our new neighborhood.  I've gone running through it a few times this week.  It's quiet and serene and full of older, well maintained homes, lots of big trees, green lawns, flowers and there's some sort of huge orchard all along the edge of the neighborhood.  I caught a teeny glimpse of something orange and round nestled in the branches of one of the trees the other day.  Oh, I hope it's an orange grove!  Wouldn't that be gorgeous once it's in full bloom?!

 

-When I leave our neighborhood to go run errands I drive on a road with a view of the Sierra Nevadas off in the distance.  Ummm.....wow!  So amazing!

-Puppies are awesome.  Really, really awesome.  Puppies make the whole world seem like it's full of rainbows and chocolate rivers and cotton candy clouds.

-I haven't sewn anything in over two months.  I haven't worked on my dollhouses in over two months.  I haven't done anything crafty or fun or just for ME in two months.  I miss fabric.  I miss paint.  I miss needles and thread.  I'm hoping to change that sad state of affairs this weekend!

-My office/studio is a mess.  A disaster area.  I'm currently using the dining room table as my office.  I unpacked and organized the kitchen first.  Then the bathroom.  Then my shop.  Then the bedroom.  And now I'm losing steam.  I have to keep trying to find motivation in the fact that I'll be able to resume my crafty, creative life only after that room is under control.

-I need a Staycation.  I really, REALLY need a Staycation.  So don't be surprised when I start talking about my "much needed Staycation" in July.  And maybe it will be an extra long one.  And maybe I will call it "Pupternity Leave" instead.  Doesn't everyone deserve a week off to bond with their new puppy?!

If you've made it to end of this post I'm really, really impressed.  Unless you're my Mom.  I know she's going to read the whole thing.  Thanks Mom!  But if you're someone else (including Col. Sew Fab who says he prefers my shorter posts) I applaud your dedication to reading this whole rambling, chaotic, stream of random thoughts!  You rock!

Hugs from Cali,
Jenny

It's A Boy!!!

I have so many stories to tell you and so much has happened lately and my mind is a jumbled chaotic mess but all I can focus on right now is MY NEW PUPPY!  I finally have another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in my life! 

Emma and I went to pick him up three days ago and it was love at first sight when we met him!   I drove over FIVE hours away to pick him up in the San Bernardino Mountains (gorgeous area by the way).  It actually took SIX hours to get home because the GPS took me by Los Angeles DURING rush hour.  Eeek!  Kind of a scary experience for a small town girl with no sense of direction and a car sick puppy!  The GPS and I are currently not on speaking terms.

He absolutely adores Emma and does everything she does.  I'm so excited that Emma has a "mini-me" who worships the ground her paws walk on.

And she is such a good big sister to him.  She's so tolerant and patient and she happily "volunteered" to sleep in the crate with him for moral support during his first few nights here.

And are you ready to get some major goosebumps???!!!  Do you remember how Daisy sent me a sign that our new house in California was THE ONE?  After that happened I actually thought to myself "I wonder if Daisy is going to send me a puppy too....."  And guess what - She did!  This puppy was born on March 26.....and guess who else was born on March 26.....Yup....Daisy!  The new puppy and Daisy share a birthday.   Do you have goosebumps yet???

So now that you've all been properly introduced to the incredibly sweet, smart and stunning Sir Baxter Buckingham Puddingstone III I need to get back to staring at him as he sleeps on a down pillow beside me.

Hugs,
Jenny

P.S.  We're going to call him Baxter for short.  And there was no Sir Baxter Buckingham Puddingstone I or II.  My cousin came up with the idea to give him an outrageously long name with Sir at the front and III at the end.  And I reserve the right to change the name if I come up with something better in the next week!  He doesn't know his name yet so it won't be a problem for him.

P.P.S.S.  Don't worry about Emma!  She's not sad in that first photo.  We'd woken up at 5:00 a.m., driven 5 hours and entered a home that had 7 Cavaliers in it.  She was just exhausted and a wee bit overwhelmed!

Moving Fast

Things are starting to move pretty fast around here....

Our "real" house in Destin has been packed up and is now completely empty.....

Our icky, little, 70 year old Air Force Base house on the water that we've been living in for three years is going to be packed up this week.....

And if all goes according to plan we'll be saying goodbye to Florida on Saturday and starting the long cross country journey to California in a rented van with two dogs, two cats and hopefully enough movies, sewing projects, toys and books to keep us all sane!

As unreal as it seems, we should be at our new house in California in about ten days.  TEN DAYS!   And did I tell you that the new house has a laundry room???  Not a laundry closet.  Not a washer and dryer in the kitchen.  A real, honest to goodness laundry room.   I've never had one of those before.  When people ask me to tell them about the new house that's usually the first thing I mention!  And I say it with pride like it's the fanciest, most luxurious thing ever!  And don't even get me started on the master bathroom tonight.  It's so flippin' fabulous that it get's it's very own blog post.

Hugs,
Jenny (aka - The Girl Who's Moving To A House With A Real Laundry Room)

A Sign From Daisy

When I found out that Daisy died I didn't have the luxury of curling up into a ball and hiding from the world for a few weeks.  We were still in California and after days of searching we still hadn't found a house.  So I put my pajamas on, convinced myself that I had to find a house for the sake of our other fur babies and we headed out the door to meet the realtor.

I really felt like there was no way I would like any house we saw that day.  I was pretty sure I was going to hate everything I saw because I was so upset.  But the moment we walked into the first house that day we knew it was THE ONE.  It just felt like home.  We kept walking through the house expecting to find some horrible flaw but it actually kept getting better and better.  I actually had the thought fly through my head "did Daisy send this house to us?"  It was perfect.  We even kept joking that we weren't cool enough to live in this house!

A few days later I was looking at pictures of the house to try to cheer myself up and distract myself.  And I stopped on this picture and gasped........

Do you see what I see?  Look closely.....do you see it now???

There's a bouquet of daisies on the coffee table of our dream house.  I'm normally not one who believes in signs.....but signs don't get anymore obvious than this, do they?

As of Friday, the dream house is now ours.  And in a few short weeks we'll be living in the house where Daisy left a little sign for me to find.  Pretty amazing, isn't it?

Hugs,
Jenny

And I want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who left such sweet comments on my last post.  I'm sorry I haven't been able to personally respond to all of you yet but your comments have really lifted me up and warmed my heart.  It's so incredible to know that so many people would take the time to leave such kind words for someone they've never met.  Big hugs to all of you!

Daisy: March 26, 1997 - May 6, 2013

I'm crushed.  I'm broken.  My heart has been shattered into a million little pieces.

While we were house hunting in California last week my precious little Daisy died unexpectedly in her sleep while boarding.  She was 16 years old.  She had a few health problems that were being managed with medication.  But she was playing and purring and eating and snuggling and acting like a completely normal, happy, healthy cat before we left.  There was not even the slightest hint that something so tragic was about to happen.  It was a shocking blow to hear the news that she was gone.

I boarded her and Cassi (19 years old) at the vet because of their age and they're both on medication.  I also boarded Bailey because he and Daisy are inseparable best friends and I didn't want them to have to be apart.  That didn't work out so well....

And all I can do now is torture myself with questions.  Was Daisy terrified the last few days of her life because she was boarding and not at home?  Did the anxiety of boarding cause this to happen?  Did she think her Mommy abandoned her?  Was there something else we could have done for her?  Some other test?  Some other medication?  Something that would have prevented this?

It gives me small comfort to know that she peacefully died in her sleep and that she was sharing a "condo" with her best friend but I will never get over the fact that I never got to say goodbye.  I never got to see her one last time.  I didn't get to hold her and tell her I love her and be the last thing she saw before she left us.

And in a bizarre twist of fate, that was the same day we found our dream house in California.  So what should have been one of the happiest days ever ended up being a tie for "worst day of my life" with the day that Max died.   I know life has ups and downs.  And sometimes they're really big ups and downs.  But wow.....have you ever had them both on the same day? 

Yesterday we had her funeral.  Col. Sew Fab took me to a private pet cremation service three hours away.  It was almost as traumatic as the day I got the terrible news.  It's just so final.  Daisy doesn't exist anymore...

I am exhausted.  I can't sleep.  I can't think clearly.  And we are moving across the country in four weeks.  It's just too much to deal with all at once.  

You've probably already figured out that my pets are not just pets to me.  They ARE my family.  They ARE my babies.  I like them more than most people I know.  Sorry.  I know that's not an appropriate thing to say but it's true.  My life revolves around my fur babies and they are spoiled and loved and treated like the earth revolves around them.

I am so glad I've always been someone who drops what they're doing if one of their pets wants attention.  I've always known that I never wanted to look back and say "why did I ignore a fur baby who was begging for attention because I was busy folding laundry or paying bills or doing some other mundane task?"  The trivial tasks will always be there.  But your loved ones won't.

So give your fur babies some extra attention today.  Even if you are overwhelmed with tons of other stuff to do you will NEVER regret taking some extra time out of your day to take your dog out to play or snuggle with your purring cat.

Hugs,
Jenny

Full Speed Ahead

Now that I've had a week to digest the news that we're moving across the country to California, the shock has worn off and we're now going Full. Speed. Ahead.

The funny thing is that a few hours before we got the big news I had just been thinking to myself that I really, REALLY needed a Staycation and I was trying to figure out the perfect time to take a few days off.  Ha, ha!  What's that saying.....Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans!

So for now my Staycation plans have obviously been put on hold.  And we're heading out to California this weekend to look for a place to live.  But in a few months....once we've moved....and unpacked.....and settled in.....don't be surprised if you find me hiding my face in a pile of stuff with Emma for a few days.  I think she has the right idea for how to deal with life!

Hugs,
Jenny

P.S. Thank you so much for all of the sweet and supportive and helpful comments on my last post!  I haven't had a chance to reply to everyone yet but I read every word you wrote and love your comments!!!

Moving To California

We're moving to California.

Those are words that I never thought would come out of my mouth. 

Col. Sew Fab applied for his dream job which just happened to be in Fresno, California and he got the job.  He's going to be the guy in charge of an F-15 squadron AND he'll get to start flying again!

Sooooo.....that means we'll be packing up 2 houses (our house on the military base and our "real" house in Destin).....one quilt shop.....and heading off for a 4 day cross country road trip sometime at the end of June or beginning of July with 5 pets.  We're leaving the beach and heading to the desert.  Sounds like quite an adventure, doesn't it?!

Now that I've had a few days to adjust to this news and the shock is starting to wear off and the room is no longer spinning I'm starting to have all sorts of random thoughts and questions popping up in my head......

-There aren't Waffle Houses in California, are there?  

-We'll be living in the Pacific Time Zone.

-There won't be hurricanes in Fresno.

-What the heck is Trader Joes?  I hear about this magical, wonderful place from people on Twitter and Facebook but I have no idea what it is.  But everyone seems to love it.

-Will people look at me funny if I say "y'all" in California?

-There's a marathon in Fresno in November.  I think I'll sign up.

-I just bought a large jar of mayonnaise last week.  Will we be able to finish it before we move?

-Oooohhhhh......we'll be near wine country!

-Uh oh......we have about 6 months worth of work to do in 2 months. 

And the rest of the time my mind is like one of those fuzzy screens you see on your t.v. when the cable goes out.

But wait!  I forgot to tell you the BEST part!  I'm going to get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy!  So who cares that we have to pick up our lives on short notice and move to the other side of the country because I'm going to get a puppy!!!  That was the deal - if he gets the job, I get a mini-Emma to love and hug and kiss and squeeze and hopefully Emma will teach it everything she knows about how to be EMMA!

Soooooo......if you know anything about central California please tell me!  We'll be heading off to Fresno this weekend to look for a place to live and it will be my first time there.  It's kind of crazy that I'm about to move to a city that I've NEVER even been to!  So tell me all about it if you know something!

Hugs,
Jenny

P.S.  As you can imagine the shop will be closed for a couple of weeks this summer as we move.  And it will also be closed at the end of this week and for most of next week as we travel to Cali to look for a place to live.

Work In Progress Wednesday - Bottlecap Borders

Progress has been made!

The borders are now on the Going Coastal Granny Square Quilt.

And as soon as I get this quilt sandwiched and pinned and ready for hand ties I think I'm going to start work on my Swoon quilt.  Because once one quilt has moved out of the "piecing" stage and into the "quilting" stage you're allowed to start piecing another quilt, right?  It makes perfect sense to me! 

Happy Sewing,
Jenny

Work In Progress Wednesday - Baby Steps

Little by little progress is being made....

More than half of the ties on the pink and black Little Lady quilt are done....

The borders for the Going Coastal Granny Square Quilt have been cut and pieced together.....

My foot has healed to the point where I'm able to run again....

The laundry pile continues to grow at an astronomical rate but you can't win 'em all, right?!

Baby steps.  They may be small steps forward but at least I'm heading in the right direction!

Happy Sewing,
Jenny

P.S.  Check the upper right section of the blog for our new feature, the "Sale Of The Week."  We'll announce a new sale every Monday.  This week Lush Running Stitch Fat Quarter Bundles are 25% off.