On your "not to do" list

On your "not to do" list...

shorten your list

it was a goal I made at the beginning of the year

to post something "thoughtful" every Sunday

it seemed like it was "do-able"

just one small post a week

on a quiet day

just one.

one.

(did you see how cool that was?  how the words made a flying geese?)

and in the course of two months, I have found a way to miss two weeks

of posts!

some times our to do list

becomes a big big thing

something we wake up to

and fall asleep thinking about

a big big thing

BIG.

but tonight, yes, Sunday, yes, I'm writing to all of you

I am giving you permission

to shorten your list

to make a "not to do" list

to be a little kinder and more gentle with yourselves

to wake up excited for the day, and to fall asleep with a smile on your face

knowing you did everything you could

that day

to make it the very best day you could possibly have

(without measuring it by your to do list)

because we only get one - one day - every day

and then it is gone

so forgive me a post here and there throughout the year

and please....forgive yourself

if there are still dishes in the sink

because you read three books to your grandkids this afternoon

because you planted spring bulbs

because you cleared the snow from your neighbors walkway

because you (gasp) took a nap with a book on your chest

it's all a matter of perspective

(did you see what I did there with the dump truck photos?)

there are lots and lots of books published right now

on simplifying

let's start with our to do list

and move some of those critical items to our 

'not to do'

list

please leave us a comment below - what will you put on your

'not to do'

list

HappiestDays.

Natalie.

be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

A Simple Life....meets clover clip thingeys

(this is not a sponsored post)

A Simple Life....

here's the thing I want to admit to all of you out there

I sew and quilt and knit a simple life
I am not that 

gadget girl 

okay, it's not that I have anything against those people that love their gadgets
no, no....

 
but if you and I have ever chatted about quilting, you know my first statement is always,
"you can do it!!!"
and then I will tell you that all you really need is some fabric, some thread and a needle
I'll try to tell you that quilting is nothing more than a simple running stitch
and that applique is just a blind hem stitch in disguise

 

for this simple girl, pins are held in jars that remind me of great mornings on Kauai

and threads are few, small, and sorted in canning jars that came from a neighbor's garage sale

if a beginner asks me about a machine, I tell them not to worry too much

about saving thousands of dollars before they can begin to quilt

the family straight stitch machine is a great place to start

truly.  really.  honest.

(my sewing machine quiver doesn't include a machine post-1980!)

while out and about promoting
my very first book

A Modern Twist

I had the pleasure of spending the weekend at EE Schenck in Portland

In. The. Warehouse.

full of fabrics and patterns and books and.....

notions!!!!!

my travel companions convinced me that these would really come in handy

with all of the binding I sew down for Quilt Market and the likes

I don't even know how to use these....so I thought I would ask all of you
is it red on the stitch side?  red on the back side?
is the clip pushed all the way to the edge of the binding?
how far apart do you clip?
do you clip the mitered corners?
when do you remove the clips?
and more importantly

where do you put your hands while you are stitching?

if these gadget thingeys can save me some time - any time - I'd be happy to try them

but this simple life girl

needs your help!!

 

on another note....

this week and next week are filled with boxes and bubble wrap and sorting and lifting

I have been helping a friend pack up her family home

and while I will miss her and her hubby

I know she will always be my

"sister"

no matter her location

the gifts from her - from her home - are being re purposed into 

a simple life

and the wooden bowl that lived atop her refrigerator

 will greet me every morning 

when I tackle the day's early morning knitting project

please leave me a comment with some direction about these clip thingeys

and I hope you will take a look at

A Modern Twist

(I'm so proud.....)

add it to your library, or if you have a copy, please leave a review on Amazon

or Barnes and Noble

or Martingale!

HappySpring

from

A Simple Life....

be.do.create

natalie.

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com