News on the ATC front:

Mona and I and Mona's daughter Shawna went back to Monument today, to the Wild Heather quilt shop for the ATC trading group.

This was the last time that this group will meet there- Wild Heather is relocating the store to Denver at the end of this month.
While that is exciting for Mona and me, most of the other ladies live in Colorado Springs which is south of Monument, and many of them might not want to drive all the way to Denver.

BUT Mona, Shawna, and I have agreed to drum up "customers" for a new ATC trading group to meet at the new Denver location and kind of run it- though there really isn't a lot for us to do, just send out emails and such, and be there I guess. Liz Kettle, designer extraordinaire and current group leader for the group, has kindly offered to send us all her email info and once things settle down for her, perhaps join us when she can.

Instead of meeting on the second Saturday of each month, we agreed to the fourth Saturday instead. That way anyone from the current group can join us, and we can also join them once in a while if we choose.

This may sound really silly, but I really feel like I belong here now. I am managing to make my life here outside of the house, and that is important to me. You women get it- we need creative outlets, and we need the company of like-minded women.

Here is a photo showing a sampling of the cards I brought to trade today, only missing the "Sassy" one (the set in pale pink with the vintage photos and lace), and photos of the cards I received. It is SUCH a fun hobby!

And not only that, I am inspired and filled with ideas for things I want to make. Just have to get my "homework" for that masochistic paper-piecing class I signed up for...lol If I didn't have to go back, I am pretty sure I wouldn't finish it. I will post a photo of it when it is complete.

Look what I did!

FINALLY our doors are stained, polyurethaned, and re-hung! It took a whole week for me to finish them, but it was worth it. I think they look so nice!

Here are before and after photos so you can see the difference. The before photo is facing our front door, and the living room is to the left. The after photo is taken from the front door which showed the new doors better. I didn't take a photo of the doors hung by the contractor guy- they were hung unfinished and the finished effect is so much better.

I have never stained or finished anything before and there is a bit of a learning curve, but I am happy with how they turned out. I had to paint the new doorframe too. I can paint but am not overly fond of it... lol However, Rich was happy to let me give it all a go and he seems happy with it too.