Sunday morning

started off on a good note. I woke up fairly early again; laying around and "resting", as it is called, certainly doesn't do much for my inability to sleep. I was instantly thankful that the Winter storm that was expected turned out to be so much milder than initially anticipated. We received a bit of ice but most of it seemed to be in the form of sleet and rain. Our rear deck had a 1/4" layer of slush, not quite liquid - not quite frozen. Although I probably shouldn't have used it gauge anything as Don had pre-treated our porch, walkways, and the rear deck with rock salt the night before. In my morning haze, I really hadn't considered that then. Overall, I was certain about a few things. One, that there were a slick areas to be found somewhere, and two, I just was venturing out to find them, LOL!

With a cup of freshly brewed coffee in hand, I made my way to the computer to do some more research on crazy quilting. Via a google search performed on Saturday, I had discovered some blogs I wanted to check out. One of the things that fascinates me with blogs and reading them is the fact that I can find just about anything on a variety of different subjects, read about others trials and errors, and share in their successes. I also came to realize that blogs are more indepth than most instructional books that you can purchase off a bookstore shelf; you just have to do a lot more digging to find all the content that would make up a really nice book. Equiped with my favorite pen and paper, I sat reading, jotting down anything that seemed to be of importance to me and where I found it as I desire to learn more about it. As I browsed, reading, I found some clarification about some things I'd read in the book I'd recently purchased and I loved that! So helpful. I also remember thinking about how I used to simply jump in and try things related to various arts and craft, not really worrying about the outcome and I wondered what makes this so different for me. I believe it is the component of a lot of different little things, not being all that familiar with different types of fabrics, having done very little embroidering although I have always coveted the appearance of it. I also discovered that there really are a lot of similarities between designing with fabric and paper such as some of the tools used, concepts, and embellishments used in their creations. Maybe that is what fascinated and drew me in to begin with... that and my love of all things hand made. For a moment, I wondered if I am crazy to desire to learn something; asking myself if I really needed another hobby, LOL! But I also knew that wasn't about to stop me, just as it hasn't many, many times in the past.

I began to wonder just how far do I desire to take this new and exciting possibility? I started thinking about my recent studio remodel, the sorting, purging, and giving away of a lot of supplies I had purchased due to the ability of being able to spend at a much faster rate than my heart and my hands could create. Lord knows that I don't need another stash of any kind and I should be more thankful with what I already have. I believe this was an important realization for me. As I read and researched, I made certain to note what others were doing when purchasing fabrics, needles, threads, flosses, fibers, and trims. I searched for those hints and tips that we often learn along the way, usually well after the fact, once the majority of us have buried ourselves in a multitude of supplies. I am certain that I could learn something from all of this, only if it is not to do it again, LOL! I realized that I already own a lot of things that I could utilize in a new to me way without having to purchase too much and that if I am patient with this process, I can save myself some money by looking for items on clearance and in thrift stores, the upcoming yard sales, etc. With any luck whatsoever, I will remind myself of this... often!