October Desktop Calendar

Where has this year gone? I remember a couple of months ago I was thinking of pulling the Virginia Creeper vines off the side of the house, but it was too cold and dreary. January is always cold and dreary here in Houston, so I remember saying to myself on the way to the couch, "A nice venti white chocolate mocha would be perfect with an afternoon spent watching Remains of the Day. January's not the time to do outside work anyway. I'll wait another month or two til it warms up." So I did.

Then all of a sudden it's September 30th and those stupid vines are 10 months bigger, thicker and stronger and have grown super-suckers that redirect the tendrils to crawl in between the siding and end up inside my bathroom. Inside. Through a crack between the wall and the window. Not the part that opens. The part where caulk is supposed to go to keep stuff like this from happening. 

For no reason in particular,  today's the day they absolutely, positively must come down. In 92* heat, 98% humidity and air so thick it makes me wheeze. Just me and the mosquitos. I worked on the vines, the mosquitos worked on me. I hate nature. That's why I live in the woods.  :big eye roll:

Even though I'm pretty much a pessimist, I think I know for sure that cooler weather will be coming soon. Well, maybe not soon, but at some point. Preferably in the next couple of weeks, and definitely before Christmas. But Halloween's on the calendar first, so here's a little pumpkin quilt for your desktop. Don't expect to see any frost on the pumpkin for quite a while though...

Click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.

To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black. All your co-workers will be jealous of your awesome wallpaper!

September Desktop Calendar

This is why I shouldn't have a Gin & Tonic break while I'm working on my calendar. Went to see what the boys were up to and stayed in The Cave to watch a scary movie followed by a documentary on the Ukranian Klitschko brothers - heavyweight boxing champs. Then I went to bed.
And yes, I follow boxing. Ever since my Grampa and I would watch the matches together curled up in his ratty red-fringed easy chair, while he smoked his cigar, smelling of Old Spice. When I was 5 or so. I've always loved boxing. I mean, have you seen Oscar de La Hoya?! He's not a heavyweight, but what's not to like??

...pause to take in his pretty boy looks...

Ok, enough. Back to business. Which was...oh yeah. Calendar.

I started fiddling with some dresden fan blocks and found one that reminds me of pencil tips with sharpener shavings. Look at it! Do you see it? That's ok - I do. So that'd be perfect for all the back-to-school pencil sharpening that's happening about now. Not at my house, of course, but by these kids up at Texas Tech. I hope.

Focus, Diane...the calendar! Ok, fine. Here it is.

Click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.

To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black. All your co-workers will be jealous of your awesome wallpaper!

August Desktop Calendar

Lots of exciting things have happened in the past month: the SewHos had our annual retreat,  my older daughter added another baby to the family, and my youngest became a Texas Tech Red Raider!  I'll address each of those in upcoming posts, but for now, as usual, the one with the deadline wins! So after you've gotten a little bit of August under your belt, come on back for the scoop on the aforementioned topics!

Click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.

To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black. All your co-workers will be jealous of your awesome wallpaper!

July Desktop Calendar

July. 

In Texas.

Is HOT! 

Like the sun-hot. Like hell-hot. Like "Don't walk outside barefoot unless you want to smell sizzling flesh-hot." At my house today it was 103* and last night the low was 83* THE LOW!! Everything's getting crispy no matter how much I water. And there's only so much you can take off before the neighbors start calling the police. I hate hot. Hot is evil. Hot should be banned. I hear they did that in Alaska. Maybe it's time to sell the house and move to a more temperate climate. Anyone know a real estate agent in Anchorage?

Have  a Happy Independence Day - God Bless America!

Click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.

To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black. All your co-workers will be awesomely jealous of your wallpaper!

June Desktop Calendar

The year's half over and I apparently am trying to rush things. Instead of quilting during Friday night FreeSew at Quilters Crossing, I brought my laptop and worked on my calendar. I was actually going to have it ready before 11:59pm and I was so proud of myself!

My friend Sandy came over to take a look and said hesitantly, "Oh - It's patriotic. Wouldn't that be better for July?"

It is July!

Oh. Wait. It's not.

Dammit!!!

File it under July and start all over. Ugh.

So I thought, "How about a little summer picnic?" With watermelons and ants. 

Worked on it for about an hour, and Sandy came over again, and said, "Um...roaches?"

What?! No! ANTS!

She said, "No, roaches."

Then of course, everyone had to come see. And they all saw roaches.  

Come on! Really?!

Now really - does that look like a roach to you??

Back to the EQ drawing board. I gave my so-called "roaches" a butt-ectomy into a more rounded physique and was given the go-ahead to use my new and improved ants. So here's the June calendar...with ANTS! Although, since we are in south Texas, by rights they should be Fire Ants and colored red. But these are the happy black ants I used to play with in the cracks of the sidewalk when I was a little girl in Chicago. Those Yankee ants were nice.

If you see ants and not roaches, and you still want this month's calendar, click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.

To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black. All your co-workers will be awesomely jealous of your wallpaper!

May Desktop Calendar

Well, my older daughter, her husband, 2 kiddos and the new little one due in July are now residents of South Carolina. Sob. Helped to drive them and all (most) of their stuff, unpacked 42 boxes, and drove home, all in 4 days...I'm still tired!

Totally lost track of time and didn't realize today would be the first of May til about 9:30 last night. Ugh. The calendar! Still not in a cheery mood, but I tried not to take it out on my innocent calendar-lovers...flowers for Mother's Day, but kinda subdued and melancholy - much like I've been feeling these past couple of weeks. Time to get it together!

Click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.

To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black. If that's not too depressing for you...

April Desktop Calendar

Yes, I know it's spring, but I'm just not in a spring-y mood. Sorry - no cute little bunnies cavorting in pretty spring flowers...maybe next month. Oldest daughter and family move to South Carolina in 10 days so I'm in kind of a blue (purple?) funk...

This quilt was submitted to the Electric Quilt's monthly EQ Club Challenge - see all the entries for the curved piecing challenge and be glad (as I am) that these are designs only and don't actually have to be pieced! It was designed in EQ7 and uses just 2 blocks: a full Double Wedding Ring, and a block made up of just 1 side of the pieced curve. Super-easy to design, kind of a pain to color correctly, and a definite piecing "no, thank you!"

Click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.

To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black.

I'll be back in a few with a cool photo-packed report on the Rabbit's Lair in Rogers, Arkansas  - in the meantime, enjoy your desktop calendar!

March Desktop Calendar

I've got a hugely busy month ahead as Megan and her family get ready for their move to South Carolina. ::sniff:: Alex is taking a fabulous promotion with MINI and even though this is going to be a hard move for all involved, it'll be a good one for their family. ::sob:: And, speaking of moving...we kinda like their house better than ours, so we're considering buying it from them, and downsizing a tad. Go figure...

So, short and sweet - here's your desktop calendar!

Click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.

To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black.

I'll be back in a few - in the meantime, enjoy your desktop calendar, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

February Desktop Calendar

February in Houston...we had an 80* day and a week later, we had a hard freeze. We throw on t-shirts and flip-flops one day, and scramble for sweaters and heavy sox the next. Last night I went to bed with the window open, and woke up at 2am to see my own breath! In the house!! I like to sleep in a meat locker, but jeez...this is ridiculous!

Ok - so I finished a quilt top I started in a class last year with Cynthia Regone and I liked it so much I thought I'd adapt the pattern for use as one of my desktop calendars. Here's the top - no snickering about the photo quality, please:

It's a kaleidoscope pattern made up of 2 different combinations of lights, mediums, and darks. And Cynthia made it so easy to put together, I just may make another one!

So here's your February calendar:

Click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.

To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black.

I'll be back in a few - in the meantime, enjoy your desktop calendar, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy New Year!

Is it me? Or do the years seem to go by faster than they used to? What I wouldn't give for a little slow-mo replay right about now.

No particular theme for the monthly desktop calendars this year (so far), but if you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it!
At any rate, here's your new calendar to bring in 2013. Click to expand the image to full size, right-click and choose Set as Wallpaper or Background.
To really make the calendar "pop" right-click on your background and choose black.
I'll be back in a few - in the meantime, enjoy your desktop calendar, and accept my best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year!