Awesomeness

This is the view just outside my sewing studio...

How is anyone in Alaska supposed to get work done when the weather is so incredible? I have been wearing sundresses everyday...thank goodness I bought a few for my upcoming Bali trip! Normal May attire would be jeans, long sleeved T-shirt and a sweatshirt with a coat on hand just in case! I feel like we have moved to Northern California.

We went for a little " Super Cub Excursion," yesterday. For those who are not pilots or living among pilots...a Super Cub is a small airplane...it's like riding in a flying Volkswagon Bug.

Here's my private pilot, hubby Bryan.

We went to Talkeetna to have lunch with our son, Zack. Zack is working as a bush pilot instructor all this summer in Talkeetna.  Here's the downtown landing strip for Talkeetna.

Yep...not as many amenities as Charles de Gaulle airport in France but it works!

Talkeetna is a great little community. Most would consider it about the size of a rest stop.

This is one of the town's hotspots. Nagley's store and the West Rib Bar and Restaurant have been featured on several travel shows. Man vs. Food ate a ridiculous concoction of meat on a bun at this place called "Seward's Folley."

We ate at one of my favorite places in the world...Mountain High Pizza Pie.

A half order of the chicken pesto flatbread sandwich. They make their own breads...grow their own veggies for wonderful salads. Simple but great food!

There were a few new food places...the Mexican Moose had cinnamon roasted almonds and pecans. They smelled so good we had to get some of those. Hadn't seen a moose in a sombrero until yesterday.

At the far end of Talkeetna's main street you will find the banks where the Susitna and Talkeetna Rivers meet. It was a hazy day but in the distance is the Alaska Mountain Range with Mt. McKinley. 

Talkeetna is the place where Mt. McKinley mountain climbers meet up to fly to base camp. It is also where lots of people come to fish for salmon. I think May is the main mountain climbing season but it is just a little early for the King Salmon...the first species to draw fishermen to the area.

These are the kind of moose I would welcome in my yard...

A view of the Susitna River from the plane...lots of that lovely Alaska silt to see for mile after mile!

Can you spot the little fishing boat on the right bank?

Fairly typical remote cabin.

All too soon...back to civilization...Anchorage.

Back home today...one view from our driveway...

I never get tired of looking at the mountains that surround us.

Sunday Stitching

Finished the hand quilting. Still a bit of hand sewing left to stitch the pocket in place. I'll make it a goal to sew the stocking together this week!

Finished another santa ornament..."Wrapping Presents."

I'm going to start another series of santa ornaments from Mill Hill...this time a set of Jim Shore designs. 

Question???

I had a decorative button split on me from a quilt...has anyone had this experience? I am thinking of just gluing it back together...it's worth a try!

I'm working on borders for my Batiki Arglye quilt. Still loving it.

I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday

Wildlife

 I had an exciting day. My handyman showed up this morning and pointed out the moose taking a nap in my neighbor's yard. I figured as soon as the leaves showed up...so would the animals.

He finally got hungry and decided to get up for a snack.

Had to stop to scratch an itch.

He heard me cursing the mosquitoes that were swarming me while I was playing photographer.

Projects that have been ongoing for months were completed today. My concept of an entertainment center went from this...

Blue tape on the wall outlining the size and shape...to this beauty.

I also had another shelving unit built to fit in a stairway. (This photo was taken before the steps were stained and the slate was coated with a color enhancer.) 

It still needs front doors to cover the two bottom shelves but I can start filling it up! There is a piece of glass mounted in the triangular opening...safety first. Not having a handrail is unsafe/not up to code, but I'm keeping it that way unless I can design a removeable railing...it is much too cramped to move furniture up and down those stairs even without a handrail.

I also got my teeth cleaned and attended a Jazzercise class. I'm pooped! I pick up my husband very early tomorrow. He gets to visit for a couple of weeks.

Design Wall Monday

It's been awhile...I have a posting for DWM.

My inspiration fabric is on the right. I'm pretty happy with the look so far. I want to change the borders I have in the original Batiki Argyle design...I've been pondering it for awhile now...I'm hoping now that it is on the design wall something will just pop into my head!

Here are the original borders.

I would prefer three rows of blocks...but then it biggie sizes the quilt...I'm trying to fight the inner part of my mind that biggie sizes everything! Still thinking...tumbling triangles and diamonds in my head.

Needless to say....I'm linking up with Judy over at Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. See you there.

Sunday's DIY

...back inside. Today's main house project was applying an enhancer on the slate tile. I have tried two other enhancers before moving in two years ago but I was not happy with the results. I decided to look the other day at a home improvement center and found a new enhancer to try. So far I am encouraged. The back half of this space has the enhancer on the tiles. We'll see how it looks tomorrow morning after it has completely dried. 

The trees have a little more green on them since yesterday. It seems like the leaves pop out in the blink of an eye.

Getting close to finishing the hand quilting on the this stocking.

I did actually get on my machine last night and finished half of the blocks for my Batiki Argyle quilt.

I have been paying special attention toward spinning open the intersections...tedious but I think I will be very happy I did that when I quilt it.

It is fun for me to hear from those of you who have cooler temps than Alaska...believe me...this is not normal for us! I am worried this might be the best weather of the "summer." Sometimes that happens!

I am linking up with Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday. I am so encouraged I am almost done with the quilting on the stocking that has been sitting in a box for several years...waiting.

A Workroom with a View

Finally...house projects that can be moved outside. I have a headboard that needs staining. I like the lighting in this work space!

I bought some hanging baskets...a must for Alaska summer landscapes.

I got all my planters filled. But it is still officially too early to set plants out. Traditionally, I spend two weeks hardening them off but it was in the 70s today and is in the high 40s at night...very unseasonably warm for May. Memorial Day weekend is considered the "safe date," for setting out plants. So I do have the plastic sheeting out to cover them at night. Might as well stay in the habit. It's a little windy tonight so they can use some shelter.

The leaves are just starting to pop open on the trees. In a few days there will be a lot more green in our view.

I am going to attempt to sew on a machine this evening...it has been a while!

Inconceivable

I am inside working on painting baseboard heat units...

...when it looks like this outside my windows.

This is "capris weather." Temps are getting into the 60s...inconceivable for May 1st!

Those house projects keep getting in the way. My mudroom cupboards were installed the last day I was home in November. I finally got around to cleaning all the sawdust from installation and putting everything away. Then I had to clean the light fixtures that were full of bugs. I learned, via the internet, how to very easily get the plastic cloud covers off my lights. From the center of the light, grab the fixture on each side and press in the center with your thumbs and the whole plastic piece flattens out like magic and comes right off. 

Notice there is a quilt that has also been hung on the right wall of the mudroom. It's more than just decorative...

It is inconceivable that our builder in 2012 couldn't find a better way or place to put our fuse boxes and internet/phone/cable lines...but he didn't. 

Here's another angle of the beautiful quilt that hides a secret...kind of like a safe hidden behind a painting.

Meanwhile...

The weather forecast says we have five days of these clear blue skies and temps in the 60s. At least the next project can be moved outside for me to work on, sanding and sealing this simple headboard with some danish oil.

I did hang another quilt while I had my drill out for the mudroom. (Yes, I have my own tools that I store in the laundry room...they are just right for a lady's smaller hands...and not grimy from being used and stored in a garage.) My sewing room now has a little quilt decoration.

I did do a little bit of hand quilting last night. My fingers got tired so I didn't get very far.

I was just waiting for May 1st to make my first plant purchase of the season...six gorgeous bleeding hearts...love the chartreuse leaf color of this new-to me variety.

Two each will go in these huge planters...just as soon as I get the slate tile added to the fronts. (Inconceivable...another house project!)

I have no idea what other plants I'm adding to these planters...they are huge and I am going to try some shrubbery and see if they survive the winter in them.