I like #55

Welcome to another week of I likes!

1.  First up this week, I like having a fixed shelf on top of my cabinet.  I don't know why builders insist on leaving 12 or so inches of open, dust-collecting space on top of upper kitchen cabinets.  I feel like having the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling would at least give more enclosed storage.  Anyway, a bunch of my pottery serving pieces have always lived on top of my cabinets, but the stupid recessed space meant I couldn't always see them very well and they often tipped off crooked when I tried to set them back up because of the strange framing.  So this weekend I pulled everything down, ran it through the dishwasher to remove the gunk (some things twice!!), and then installed boards all the way across the top.  I didn't have matching stain, but the darker stain I had was better than plain white.  It makes me so happy to see my nice clean pottery up there, not half buried or falling over!!

2. I like this new book.  Marsha McDowell from Michigan State University has written this cool book called Quilts and Health.  The university bought one of my quilts a couple years back and I'm super excited they published it in the book.  It's a lovely hardback coffee table style book and filled with lots of writing and essays on the topic in addition to quilts.  I'm looking forward to reading it!

3.  I like hanging out with my friends, even virtual ones!  This week was a wealth of friendly support, complete with dinners out, an Arabian nights themed valentines day party (more on the costume for that in Tuesday's post), and a really wonderful, laughter-filled breakfast with my friend Linda yesterday morning.  

4.  I like doing small projects as a break from the big ones.  In the midst of more long-term things it's nice to make something you can finish in an afternoon!  Last weekend I made a new gumdrop footstool, and this weekend I stitched up a quick bag to hold my crochet on the go.  I wrote more about them on Tuesday if you want the details!

5.  I love my mom!  She makes my sister and I a valentine's themed quilt block every year, usually in some style she's been recently doing.  This year is a fun pieced New York Beauty block, in honor of her recently completed giant and beautiful New York Beauty quilt.  So fun!  Someday I'm going to start sewing the valentine's blocks together.  I love the variety in them, last year I did a retrospective, so you can see some of the others if you want.

6. I like being outside!  It's still very cold and dead here, but the birds don't mind, I have whole flocks of them that come to the feeder every day.  Unfortunately, the slightest movement on my part, for example to get the good camera, sends them scattering.  And the second picture was the sunrise on my morning walk this week!  The dogs drag me along, but when Bentley stops to poop I can take a quick picture!

I hope you are all having a great week!  Thanks to LeeAnna for keeping us positive!