the week ahead... now that it's spring...

Welcome to this week's Happy Homemaker post. It's looking like Spring around here, the Kalanchoe plant I got last year at IKEA is blooming again. Oh not all over but enough to look alive!

I'll take it! And put it in a bunny pail because I like cute.

First thing in the morning
I woke at 7, note to self, go to bed earlier. I am not sleeping well, but can't sleep after the sun intrudes into the bedroom so I need to just adjust my night owl tendencies.

 Milo slept in with me this morning, having had a harrowing experience yesterday with the bathtub and the shaver. DH got up earlier and had coffee made for me, and I needed it looking out into more gray skies and visually solid fog.

The weather in Aurora CO this morning
Here in the dry climate it's 98% humidity til the fog burns off. The temps are more Spring like this week, 50's and 60's during the day, (feels like 120 in the sun) and 30's at night. I hear birds. What a welcomed sign! No flowers pushing through the still standing piles of snow, but the aspens are forming buds.

To Do
Laundry, always laundry, but I don't mind laundry. Having a machine on the second floor is a real bonus in this house, and you put dirty clothes in, and (supposedly) get clean clothes out to sort and fold and put away (thank you Marie Kondo!)
We put out the porch furniture yesterday, vacuumed and mopped the wood floors, so it's the usual daily stuff to do.

I need to throw out the dead flowers... Only one of my Iris bloomed in the vase, the rest died all still buttoned up on the stem, never really living. What a life lesson!!!

 The studio organization continues this week, and it's satisfying to sort the tangle of supplies into new locations, but nerve wracking too as I might not remember where I put things. I'm getting into labeling the new bins. You can't make stuff if you can't find stuff.

everyone needs a Guard Flamingo

I must finish grooming Milo's "naturally curly hair" as it got cold and dark while we were shaving his feet face and er, privates yesterday. Today the brushing and "Edward Scissor Hands" work is to be done, to make him into the fashion icon he usually is.
It takes work to look pretty. Since I've all but given up on myself, I pour this effort into Milo.

Making

I'm ready to make a spring banner with last year's painted birds. They were painted onto scraps of white and looked so stark to piece into a larger quilt, so I got out the paint my friend gave me...

Covered the birds with a piece of freezer paper ironed over them and tried something new. The paint didn't come out in a mist, but with globs at first, then eventually a find mist (which I no doubt breathed in) I like the white around the birds in interesting shapes, and can now trim them to fit into the new banner. After they cure for three days (!) according to instructions. I might just iron them and be done.

The design wall looks pretty with the pastel hand painted silks, the new hand dye at the bottom, and my painted bits from experiments. I painted these birds originally to practice colors for last year's Spring piece, on which I painted birds directly onto the quilt top. Can't throw anything away!

Watching
I have been watching TED talks again, (online)  and this one on how we make decisions was fascinating from start to finish... can't embed it here, but this is the link...
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_researches_happiness#t-1991611
The speaker wrote a book called Stumbling on Happiness as well

I am enjoying project Runway, Master chef Junior, American Idol, Time Team, and sadly just finished the latest season of Delicious. Survivor is really good this year with twists and turns.

Writing
I wrote a Sunday Story yesterday. I liked the imagery that poured out of my quickly typing fingers, please read if you have a moment https://lapaylor.blogspot.com/2019/03/sunday-stories.html

Reading
finishing up my latest nighttime mystery Murder by the books. Looking through my beading books for inspiration as I am ready to sort my beads and start something shiny and sparkly.
Ordered some new magazines through an offer DH gets. I get a year's subscription for $4!

Lessons learned
I think the Iris taught me to bloom. My bloom might not be the biggest, or brightest bloom in the field but staying safely inside the bud is no answer to that. Risk blooming, and showing who you are. There will be people who get it, who appreciate you for your particular qualities and enjoy sitting next to you at the table. There will be people who don't get you, who might refuse to see your light... sad for all. (My family) But still... bloom. Risk. Be yourself, let your flag fly! Show your colors!

cooking

I wanted banana pudding this week,, but not the work of it so I developed this recipe I call Banana sundae pudding

gather

gather these things,
My bowl makes enough for us to have dessert for two nights, plus the poodle portion

layer cookies, slice bananas over them, spoon pudding over that and smooth out.

Put on some plain frozen cherries and sprinkle coconut over. Cover and let sit for a day or overnight.
Not like the cooked, and then baked banana pudding of my youth, but this takes a minute to make!


I hope to do lots of things this week, that bring joy. My coffee group didn't start last week as promised, a sign on the door said it's been postponed for two weeks, but those of us who went met in the parking lot and had a laugh together.
When I found out it was cancelled I said, "what! I rushed down here!"
A woman responded, "I know! I put on regular clothes for this!"
I said, "I even put on make up!"
We all related to that, and I have high hopes to make some neighborhood friends soon.
Have a fine week y'all.
Linking to
https://familycorner.blogspot.com/
https://comedy-plus.com/ Awe Mondays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays