I am a quilt designer/teacher/author, a wife/mother/grandmother, and certified yoga instructor who is searching for balance, strength, and happiness in all things.
That is either Patience or Fortitude in front of the NYC Public library, decked out with greenery.
Patience or Fortitude
These are some of the many shop windows I saw. It could be I only noticed the ones with lots of aqua OR aqua was the color this year. it could also be that I kept taking pictures of the windows at Anthropologie.
Decorations were not limited to windows…
Wall at the Columbus Circle Market
And, of course, there are the angels, the tree, and the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center that are festive and a little crowded, both in the daytime and at night…
Rockefeller Angels, Saks in the backgroundRockefeller Tree, daytimeRockefeller Ice Rink
Times Square is always bright and festive and I can’t help but love it :-).
Jeff and me at Rockefeller CenterMe and Ted, hanging outTed, the cat
I went to NYC to visit our son, Jeff, and Ted! Ted-the-cat pre-dates the pandemic, but I didn’t get to meet him then. It takes Ted awhile to get used to people so when he got that close to me I felt special!
I went to The Met and The MoMa and had a great time. I love portraits and statues because the expressions on the faces show that people then and people now must be feeling the same kinds of feelings. These from The Met:
by Thomas AnshutzPortrait from the Met, American wingPortrait from the Met, American wingSt Peter, Medieval wing at the MetThe Met, by the cafe
And then there are those times when art makes you giggle. Like these two Medieval busts… they are the mean girls from high school:
Medieval wing at the Met
Or here, I can hear them saying to each other: Here, look over here! No. I say look over here! It’s over HERE!!!
There are more female artists on display at both museums and one has to wonder why it has taken so long!!! There was a large exhibit of pieces (furniture, paintings, prints, and more) by Sophie Taeuber-Arp that was amazing. Here is just one painting from the exhibit…
by Sophie Taeuber-Arp
She died at the age of 53 in 1942 from accidental carbon-monoxide poisoning in her sleep.
Also at the MoMa you will find a wonderful exhibit of Alexander Calder‘s work. The shadows are integral to the beauty of the forms and the museum has them spaced and lit very well.
That’s probably enough for today. I’ll post more in the next few days :-).
Let’s not forget that men need moisturizing too! LoLo body bars are perfect for dry hands and more. I have two new scents in the store, Mr. Darcy and Edmund along with Plain Jane (unscented) are very nice for men as are the other scents. They all do the same fantastic job we are used to from LoLo—keeping our skin looking and feeling great.
My guys, young and old, all love good pencils as much as I do, and Blackwing pencils by Palomino are my #1 pick every time.
Grandson Jack loves to sketch. Son Chris writes notes in the margins of books while reading, and he keeps logs of various projects and recipes in notebooks.
Blackwing also makes notebooks, extra-special pencil sharpeners, point guards, and they all make wonderful gifts.
I highly recommend their One-Step Sharpener in the video above. It’s a good idea to order extra blades to have on hand. For the pencils, I gravitate toward the firm and extra firm graphites, especially. The medium and soft are different, giving a darker line with less pressure.
When it comes to notebooks, the sets of Clutch Notebooks or the Slate Notebooks are a joy to write in. The paper feels good under both pen and pencil. I like blank notebooks, but the ones with lines are just as nice.
Lastly, a Lap Apps is a lovely gift good for anyone to use with tablets, books, or hand sewing. Click here to see a video that shows oh-so-many ways to use it.
My oldest grandchild is a sophomore in college this year. Like so many, last year she went to school remotely from her bedroom. She’s still nearby, but living away from home for the first time—very exciting!
Me, Elanor, Lorna
If there is a young adult newly living on their own in your life, here are a few gift ideas that they might really appreciate :-).
If your college student is anything like ours, organization is VERY important! Take a look at Yazziis. I especially like the smaller pouches. It’s easy to see what’s inside and they are easy to tuck into backpacks and bags.
And then there is the Lap App! This wonderful tool can be used with books, a laptop, and more. Watch the video below to see it in action. Elanor loves her Lap App with the Dark Feathers fabric cover, and uses it with her laptop.
The Form & Color toy is great fun wrapped around an activity that makes anyone, young or old, use your brain. Kids love it and surprisingly enough, I do too. What makes this special is that the half-square triangle shapes are tangible, you can feel their shape, and easily move them around.
Speaking of games… Bear found the Pirate Magnetic Figures set, on his own, opened it up and started playing with them! Notice the pirates are not wearing their boots… Bear mostly won’t wear shoes.
The figures and clothes are sturdy and backed with a magnet sheet. They stick to the printed interior of the tin or to other metal surfaces that work with magnets.
Kids will surprise you if you leave them to play on their own. Before long, Bear has added the Raggedy Anne and Andy dolls that my mom (his great-grandmother) made back in the day with her button box.
And this is why these toys are so wonderful! They spark creative play!
Laura Noveck finished her Bullseye quilt and the backstory is fun! First the photo…
I thought you might get a kick out of seeing my Bullseye Quilt. It was mostly completed with my stash fabrics. I only purchased 2 fat quarters for setting squares. You taught this class at the Daytona Beach AQS show in 2019 where I was so impressed by you and your project. You gave me the tools and confidence to take this on. This became my Covid quilt.
In entering it in our local guild show (150 members), I received a First Place in my size category as well as a “Viewers Choice Award.” I was told that it was also considered for “Best of Show.” I wanted to have you see it and thank you for the inspiration. I am very proud of it. I have attached a better photo if you want to see more detail.
—Laura Noveck
I did get a kick out of Laura’s quilt because it is so good! And I love that she made it mostly with fabric from her stash. Well done, Laura, and thank you for sharing you lovely quilt with us!
Piece O Cake Blog 