Pictorial Monday: "Going Gray"

A friend of mine is being brave and going gray. She looks fabulous. There is a facebook page called Going Gray, Looking Great. I have never heard of this movement and / or book until recently.

I have never dyed my hair. The only thing I ever had done to my hair was get it permed. Once. I hated it. I also hated sitting in that chair for two hours when I could be doing better things with my life. So, I never did fuss with my hair again other than to blow dry and fuss with it a bit in my career days. I do get it cut and trimmed periodically; but, not much more than those things.

I asked Dan to take pictures of me focusing on the gray in my hair. So, we managed to get some pictures taken on March 12. Below are some of my favorite pictures from the "session". Ignore the ugly ol' lady and take a gander at my gray. Enjoy!

Link Roundup

Source: traceyjayquilts.blogspot.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

• Dainty Blossoms Couch Pincushion Sewing; Tutorial


• Copyright Terrorism {in the quilting world}
  There has been a recent flack between a designer of fabric and a publisher / book author that I have been watching closely. Much of what you see and hear is techno mumble jumble that goes way over an average person’s head. But, this post puts forth my thoughts and feelings about this matter in a straight forward manner. Note, it has eased some of the concerns I had about using fabrics in any shape or form I desire and selling them. But still, my biggest worry is that this could all change someday.


• Rainy Day Photo Posing Ideas Photography
  I have always loved the rain and will even go walking in the rain (if it is safe to do so). These are some really good ideas!


• Energy Drinks: Good or Bad?
  

  Not to be confused with sports drinks, these trendy beverages are a dangerous mix of sugar, chemicals and stimulants. We won’t keep you in suspense – they’re no good!

• In Praise of Jobs Frugality; Jobs, Opportunity
  

  Here’s the reality of the situation: there is no work out there that will allow you to do nothing but what you enjoy doing. At some point, you’re going to end up doing things that are un-fun. You’re going to have to do paperwork or negotiate a contract or interact with someone you don’t like. You’re going to have to accept unfair criticism or deal with technical problems or handle drudgery. Unless you are incredibly rich and have people that buffer you from these things, there is no job that is free from drudgery.

  I have an incredible amount of respect for people who go out there and do several hours worth of drudgery a day. If you loathe every aspect of your job, but you keep doing it because you have people to support, that’s an incredibly impressive thing to do.
  
  However, it’s a joyless thing to do. I’ve watched friends of mine wilt under the pressure of a drudgery-filled job and the responsibilities of marriage and parenthood. I’ve seen people resign themselves to the fact that many hours of their day are going to be filled with drudgery until their health fails them.
  
  That is simply not a recipe for a joyful life. The more of your day you can spend doing things you at least enjoy doing (even if it’s not the perfect thing, it’s still a good thing), the better off you’ll be.
  
  That’s where frugality comes in. That’s where time management comes in.

• Dealing With Criticism: A Biblical Approach Christian
  

  Criticism isn’t all that bad – life has it, God allows it, and we can use it to grow in understanding. The negative side of criticism is rooted in selfishness, envy, and jealousy – all of which are present in the world. Inevitably, you’ll be faced with criticism that is rooted in these things, and that’s what I would consider to be negative criticism.
  
  The next time you’re approached with a criticism, ask these things:
  ....

Wordy Wednesday

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you
~Nat King Cole

This picture was taken when I saw a smile on the wall from a broken hanger/hook.

Aurifl Designer Collection

Lilly's Quilts announced an Aurifil Make-A Designer-Collection competition. Just follow her instructions at the link. It is easy peasy! You can enter as many times you want; but, I'm only entering once because designing bundles or designer collections are very time consuming. The deadline seems to be April 17 as the winners will be chosen April 18. By the way, the contest is actually held in a Flickr Group. I am also blogging my choices here for posterity's sake in addition to passing on the word about this competition where you could win your own designer collection.

Here is my designer collection. I went with "neutrals" because that is what I use the most.

This is a cotton 50wt collection. The color codes are, from left to right, top to bottom:

2360, 4012, 2320, 2315
2026, 2000, 2021, 2024
2615, 2600, 2625, 2630

Pictorial Monday: Eek! A Mouse!

Herb Field Mouse
We have fields all around us and this little critter came a visiting. He better not hang around considering there is two feral male cats prowling about the neighborhood.

This picture was shot with Dan's EF 70-2000mm zoom lens. This is not a bad picture considering I shot it behind the safety of the glass sliding door and I rarely use his zoom lens due to the fact it is heavy!