Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Living La Vida Loca

I was starting to wonder whether I would ever post again, but here I am like the proverbial bad penny, wracked with guilt at having neglected my blog for so long. Starting a new job is hard work -far harder than I had imagined. After three months of feeling like a fish out of water, I'm only just now learning how to swim properly. And just when I think I have things sorted, I find something else I don't know or that I'm not sure about, and I feel like the new kid all over again. 

I spent the first few weeks of my new job travelling to the ends of the earth for training. For someone who has never travelled further than 15 minutes to work, an hour each way in bumper to bumper peak hour traffic was a truly horrendous experience.  It was wonderful when I started at my permanent office, cut my daily travel time by about half and started to get in to some sort of routine. 

Gone though, are the luxury days of fluffing round at home in the mornings, casually chucking myself into a shower and getting ready in 20 minutes and then leaving at 8.40am for my 10 minute drive to work. The corporate world demands I swap jeans for business pants ( or even scarier - a dress!), shoes that don't slip on, and  a lack of pony tail as my go to hairstyle. I even wear makeup everyday. And as gorgeous and grown up as I look-all of this takes extra time, so sipping my morning latte while I check blogs prior to going to work is also a thing of the past.

Needless to say, sewing was something that just wasn't on the priority list during my "settling in" period. Couple exhaustion and brain drain with the fact that I have been opening the door to my sewing space for months and just chucking things in the room will nilly , and that it was getting nigh on impossible to move around in there without the imminent danger of a mountain of stuff falling on me and burying me alive, and you have a set of circumstances guaranteed to kill any creative thoughts that might dare to pop into your head.

So this past weekend, I sucked it up, tied a rope around my waist (so Mr. P could pull me out mountaineer style if one of the piles collapsed) and ventured in to the danger zone. And when I triumphantly emerged , I could see carpet again. I did the happy dance around every square inch of that space ( and chucked in a moon walk for good measure) 


This led to the idea that it was high time to stop laying out quilt bits on the floor and screeching angrily at the assortment of furry things that share Maison Pyjamas every time they stampled on them , and so my portable design walls finally became a reality. 


There has not yet been a quilt finish for 2015 , but it appears I have found the motivation to start something new. Although, speaking of finishes, I have managed to quilt the Marrakesh quilt , and put the binding on ...but I still cant make up my mind whether I'm going to do some quilting in these centre rectangles, and if so what I'm going to do -so it technically remains unfinished. 


Super E has started school since I last put in an appearance here, and is loving it. I can't believe he's old enough to be at school because it just seems like a few months ago that he was learning to crawl around my kitchen. We headed off to the Lego exhibition a couple of weekends ago, which was like heaven to a small boy with a Lego obsession. 


And during the dying days of Summer we made sure ice cream featured heavily in our adventures. 


 I am currently on a mission to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world. Last time I got this obsessed with finding a perfect recipe it resulted in me trying 20 lemon cheesecake recipes until I found the perfect one. Attempt No 1 on the chocolate chip cookies  wasn't bad but wasn't exactly what I was after so attempt No 2 will be made some time this week. Do you know how many recipes out there tout that they are the "Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever"? 


 I consoled myself by making cupcakes....




27 comments:

Sue SA said...

Welcome back, I have missed you! The best CCC can be made by adding more butter and more brown sugar....and more choc chips to your first recipe!

Jackie said...

Welcome back Shay. It was wonderful to check out my blog roll and see a post from you.

Heck I bet there are at least 200,000 Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes, have fun!!!

God bless.

Sheila said...

Welcome back. I missed you.

Jennifer said...

Welcome back, we have missed you! Settling in a new job can be quite an experience, but good on you for doing it......just think of the (not necessarily financial) rewards. Little E can't be at school, surely......didn't he only learn to walk the other day?

Michelle Ridgway said...

Welcome back!!! It was such a treat to read your post and catch up on all your news. I am glad things have settled a little for you job wise now. I am sure you are doing an awesome job xx

Susan said...

Good to see you back. Sounds like your new job is providing you with more than enough challenges. It's a good sign that you found time to get back into the sewing room. I'll send you an address for the cookies......I'm more than happy to be a taste tester!

ThreeOldKeys said...

have YOU been opening my sewing room door to chuck things in there?

i knew it couldn't be just me.

it's good to know you're still around, still posting occasionally, and still funny!

Terri said...

Welcome back, Bad Penny. We have been missing you.
Gosh, that grandkid sure is getting bigger... and losing teeth. Such a sweet smile.
I like your design wall and the in progress triangles. I especially missed the adventuress who tackles sewing rooms and strives for the best baked goods. Yes, yes, we have missed you.
Hugs

audrey said...

Glad to be hearing from you once again! Sounds like you're getting settled into the new normal.:)

Dee said...

Thanks for coming back

AnnieO said...

Love the labels on your post...
Welcome back, I knew someday you would need to let the rest of the world your living status. Congrats on suffering through being the newbie of the office and the complete exhaustion that comes with commuting!
Super E is adorable as always.

Glad Mr. P did not have to pull you out of your sewing room and you persevered to the floor :) AND that there was acutal sewing!

The best chocolate chip cookies have WALNUTS in them, in my book. But my kids hate walnuts so I never made them that way. Tollhouse Cookies are the bomb.

Hope we see you around more often now!

Kirsty @ Bonjour Quilts said...

Glad to hear it's just work that's kept you tied up and not a sewing room avalanche. Hope you get to enjoy bit of sewing bliss now you've put it all right again in there. Good luck with the job and the search for the best CCC - could be a life-long search, that one. What a great way to spend the rest of your life!

Chookyblue...... said...

good to hear the job is getting some routine........

Noela said...

Well glad to see you back Shay. I have been busy this year and haven't had much time for visiting blogs so it was nice to see yours post pop up tonight. This year has been flying by but hope it will slow down for a while now. Nice to get back in your sewing room I bet. Mine is a bit of a mess too but with the cooler weather coming, I'm looking forward to doing some tidying soon. Catch you later. Hugs.....

Debby said...

I'm glad you're back! I've missed your posts.

Barb H said...

We've been missing you and your witty-isms! So glad you found a few minutes to let us know that you are alive and well--not struggling with crocs in the Outback somewhere. For a job like yours, I'd say give yourself at least a year before you feel at home with it and expect to keep discovering new things--in a happy way!--for the next several years. Hopefully, you'll be able to find some time for a bit of quilting as well. I have always liked your Marrakesh quilt--please post a pic even if it's not "technically" finished.

Paulette said...

I am going to send you my tried and true favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe to try. Don't hate me because it contains vegetable shortening. After all, I'm sure that's the stuff that makes Oreo middles so wonderful.

Love your update!

the running hare said...

Yay, you're back! Been missing you.
Glad you've managed some sewing, new jobs are always hard until you find your feet. Your sewing room looks amazing and so tidy!

Rachaeldaisy said...

Yay Shay!! It's great to read a post by you full of all the classics, tidying your sewing room, Little P and cupcakes. It's great to hear the job is settling, they do take time. Your new project on your new design wall is looking fab! Good luck with the best ever CC cookie search.

Tanya said...

Welcome baaaaack, new jobs are a lot like quilting. Apparently getting out of our comfort zone is meant to be good for us. I'm still not convinced lol. But glad to see your still in the land of the living. We have missed your wikid sense of humour. 😀

Tamie said...

Glad you are settling in at work. It has been a very long time since I started work at a new place and am very happy to continue in the rut that I'm in.

Razzle Dazzle Quilter said...

Glad to see you back and to hear all is well.
Try these Chocolate chip cookies.
http://www.memoriesoncloverlane.com/2012/06/our-new-favorite-chocolate-chip-cookie.html
They are very yummy.

Kate said...

Sounds like the new job has been an adventure. Glad to see you back on the blog, was hoping it was just new job time warp that was keeping you out of the loop.

Wow, Little P in school already! They grow up so fast. Drama Teen takes her driver's test on Monday. She has only 4 weeks and then she'll only have 2 years of high school. Where's a time warn when you really want one?

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

tied a rope around your waist...too funny!!!! and I'm so impressed about your ability to moon walk.....you haven't lost your ability to make me pee my pants.

Unknown said...

So glad you're back - I've really missed your amazing posts x

Lorraine said...

Ah the bad penny has turned up at last....just catching up on some blog reading during a rest day - this tourist stuff is hard work! Looking forward to catching up soon - and lovely to read your blog post - welcome back!

Larri said...

Shay!
Missed you so much. Happy to see you blogging, friend. Great job on the design board and sewing room clean-out. That's on my to-do list. Right now, I'm knee deep (literally!) in grouting tile. I'm almost done with my big project & hope to blog about it soon. Happy Saturday night!

PS...Love your CAPTCHA verification. Photos instead of words. Perfect! ツ