Quilting & Football

From About.com

Yes those two things go together for me. Last weekend I started quilting during the second game. So it only makes sense that those two things go together for me.

Today was a big day for me in the Land of Quilting. There was a sale!!! There is a Quilting store near me, Capital Quilts, that was having a sale on Fat Quarters. Fat quarters is a quarter of a yard. Simple as that. So today, there was a FRENZY SALE on Fat Quarters. They were all 50% off. And if you bought more than 50 you could have ONE free pattern in addition. I bought 110. Apparently I had to purchase them separately to get an additional free pattern.  Whatever. It was overwhelming enough.  
So the event started at noon, and there was a line when I showed up. I am curious when the first people arrived... but we all fit inside. I brought Lesley with me. She had just as much fun looking at all the fabrics as I did. We were kids in a candy quilting shop. We were in and out in 30 minutes. And I REFUSE to tell you how much I spent. But I will show you the pictures! Enjoy!!!

Yup. That is 110 fabrics. They are all in there. And that giant box in the middle? Those are the fabrics that have already been assembled into their projects. Lesley & I made 5 quilts this afternoon - we assembled 5 sets of fabric. Don't get ahead of yourself here! And I have a lot of fabrics with big patterns so I can make an I-SPY quilt in the future.

Oh man, I can't wait to dig into this pile of fabrics! YAY!!!

And then there was football. And the Ravens played well. All the way up into the 4th quarter. All the way up to the last 15 seconds. And then it got ugly. He missed the field goal to tie the game. He missed it. And we were out of the running for the Super Bowl. But the TEAM played very well. They could have taken it & won. But this is okay. It means the SB will be less stressful. And we always have next year.

And so I turned to quilting. I took all these photos and wrote this post. Quilting makes me very happy. I have something wonderful to look forward to!

Fitness Week 2 - Days 4-7

W2D4 – Wednesday, January 18 – Jillian Michaels Level 2

I wanted to Body Rock today, but I forgot to watch the video last night and write down what I would be doing. So Jillian it is.

So here is what I was able to do: #1^st set – exercise – 2^nd set

stretching

1st circuit 

7 (7) – walking planks – 6 (7)

27/5lbs (27/5lbs ) – static squat & dumbbell rows (open) – 15/5lbs (15/5lbs )

high knees/mountain climbers

12 each (15) – crunch alternating leg lift (didn't count last time)

2nd circuit

 24/5lbs (22/5lbs ) – static lunge & dumbbell row (closed) – 24/5lbs (18/5lbs )

24/5lbs (10/5lbs ) – pendulum lunge & hammer curl – 13/5lbs (13/5lbs )

oblique twist / skaters

12 (14) – leg lifts

16 (13) – double crunch

3rd circuit

12/5lbs (16/5lbs) – military press & leg extension – 14/3lbs (15/3lbs)

20/3lbs (20/5lbs) – squat & V raise – 19/3lbs (19/3lbs)

plank jacks/ double jump rope

27 (10) plank twists

Yup, this woman makes me sweat buckets. There is no denying it. Not at all. Full body sweat. It is sexy. Just trust me. Here is to another good day of eating healthy.

I did it. I ate healthy all day. And when my afternoon/evening cravings started (nope not pregs, just hungry from about 5 to 8 almost every night) I had a cup of steamed broccoli. Then when I was still hungry, I had another cup of broccoli. Smart. Take that. And Matt threw away the Hershey kisses that were still lingering from Christmas. Another win for my belly. Speaking of which, I think it is getting happier, more defined. It still has a good layer of fluff on top, but it looks nice from the view from above.

W2D5 – Thursday, January 19 – ZUMBA, Body Rock Week 2, Day 1

So I was watching the video for today and Lisa (trainer) was talking about how it is important to do the second workout with Sean.  He leads the weight lifting workout. They look so much worse than Lisa’s workout. I don’t know if I really want to do Sean’s workout. I don’t think I committed to that. So I have been thinking of adding something else to my routine. Today I am adding ZUMBA. I have the DVDs, and I like dancing, and there is a 20-minute workout. So as long as wake up better than yesterday (which was grumpy) I will be dancing in the morning.  I am thinking ZUMBA first, then Body Rock.

What you are looking at is 3 rounds of burpees – x3. Sounds like murder.

Here is what I was able to do:

20 minutes ZUMBA 

3 sets/ 4/ 4 - Burpee + Tuck Jump x2 & 10 x Straight Punches

3 sets/ 3/ 3 - Burpee + Tuck Jump x2 & 10 x Hook Punches

4 sets/ 3/ 3 - Burpee + Tuck Jump x2 & 2 x Straight Punches + 2 x Hook Punches

5 sets/ 4/  - 2 x Mid Abs + 2 x Bag Touch Abs

Oh my. That was an intense 34 minutes. I did it. 20 minutes ZUMBA, and 12 minute Body Rock. Holy cow. The sweat was everywhere. I learned a lesson today – workout with ZUMBA or Jillian first, and then Body Rock. On other mornings when I have wanted to do a second workout, I couldn’t find the energy after Body Rock. But ZUMBA first, and Body Rock was fine afterwards. Interesting.

W2D6 – Friday, January 20 – ZUMBA, Body Rock Week 2, Day 2

YAY FOR FRIDAY!!! And I was able to sleep in and still workout! It is the end of final exam week, and I don’t have any make-up exams today, and my department head said, come in a little late today. Normally I am in by 6:45. Today I will be done working out at 6:45 and be in to work by 8. It is a nice change for a few times a year.

So I forgot to watch the video last night, but I have time today…

Here is what I was able to do:

20 minutes ZUMBA 

6/5 – Box Jump + 1/2 Burpee (Alternative sides)

25/21 – Switch Lunges

6/5 – 3 point jumps + R & L Knee to Elbow

9/9 – Tricep Dips + Knee Tuck

12/0 – Side Leap (touch one foot, skip leg to side, touch one foot, kinda like squat jumps)

5/0 – Walking Pike Push-ups

Halfway through and I couldn’t breathe at all. I paused. For about 45 seconds or 90 maybe. And then I quit. Which made me feel bad. But I couldn’t do it. It was hard. I was so out of breath. And I am so sweaty – sweatier than I have ever been with one of these workouts. There are sweat marks on the table where my arms are resting. It is foul. And the sweat dripping down my crack, H.O.T.

Anyway, today is going to be a long day. Work this morning. I am not staying the whole day, again no students, and very little work I can do. Also, I have to be back at 4 for basketball tonight. So I won’t be home until 9pm. And since I won’t be home, I won’t be able to snack on food I don’t want! HURRAH! One of the only positives of these long days. But I am coming home in the middle of the day so I am not at school the whole time. Staying until 2:45 drove me nuts yesterday.

Oh man today was a bad day. Just everything that could go wrong did. I wasn’t making bad decisions; just things weren’t going exactly right. And there were no solutions to be had. Oh well. I let it go. And ate healthy in spite of it.

W2D7 – Saturday, January 21 – Rest.

That’s right. Today is my day off. I worked out every day this week. That is ANOTHER week of FOLLOW THROUGH! WIN! And I am very happy about this. All I have to do is eat healthy today. Check & check.

Fitness Week 2 - Days 1-3

WEEK TWO

W2D1 – Sunday, January 15 – Jillian Michaels Level 2

So I did it. I walked away from the computer and worked out. Follow through. HIGH FIVE to me! And then I was thinking that it would be interesting to see what I was able to do the last time with the same workout. So I put last week's number in parenthesis after what I could do today.

So here is what I was able to do: #1^st set – exercise – 2^nd set

stretching

1st circuit 

7 (5) – walking planks – 7 (5)

27/5lbs (15/3lbs) – static squat & dumbbell rows (open) – 15/5lbs (17/3lbs)

high knees/mountain climbers

15 each – crunch alternating leg lift (didn't count last time)

2nd circuit

 22/5lbs (16/3lbs) – lunge & dumbbell row (closed) – 18/5lbs (15/3lbs)

10/5lbs (16/3lbs) – pendulum lunge & hammer curl – 13/5lbs (13/5lbs)

oblique twist / skaters

14 (8) – leg lifts

12 (10) – double crunch

3rd circuit

16/5lbs (15/5lbs) – military press & leg extension – 15/3lbs (14/3lbs)

20/3lbs (18/5lbs) – squat & V raise – 15/3lbs (19/3lbs)

plank jacks/ double jump rope

?? (I lost count) (10) plank twists

Oh it hurt so bad. After 2 days no working out. It hurt. I couldn't breathe. It makes so much sense.  I ate like crap, and so much of it. So of course it hurt today. And the breathing was bad news bears. And Matt did the last few exercises with me. He does a lot of these at Soldier Fit (his favorite workout).

Here is to Week 2. And Day 2 of being 29 and making promises I can keep.

W2D2 – Monday, January 16 – Body Rock Day 4

Happy MLK day! We have today off from work, so I slept in until just before 8. It was my day to take out the dogs. Then the dogs went back to sleep and I spent the next 2 hours reading on the internet and updating some of my recipes. I back dated them. I hate when they all show up in one box. Yes I am crazy like that. I have not touched any cake yet today either!

So today's workout - I am going back to Body Rock. It has been too many days without Lisa. I was enjoying JM Level 2 very much, but I like the new exercises in Lisa's workouts.

So here is what I was able to do:

This workout has 4 exercises & 3 rounds.

1. Burpees – 9/ 8/ 8
2. Pushups – 17/ 13/ 17
3. Mountain Climbers – (sets) 35/ 25/ (high knees) 66
4. Tuck abs (V-abs & hug knees) – 17/ (situps) 14/ (crunches) 29

Oh I haven't started and I know this is going to hurt like hell!

No lie, I got to the end of the third round and I was dead nervous about completing the fourth round. Good thing it doesn't exist. I realized that burpees pull down my pants. Yes I wrote that; while I was doing burpees, I constantly had to pull up my pants. Awkward, yes, especially for me. Also notice that I modified the exercises. I recognized that my arms couldn't maintain, so I modified to exercises I knew I could do and still be working out the same muscles without having to hold my body up at the same time.

Now I am going to add 1 minute of oblique twists and then stretch.

I sweat more with Jillian than with any of Lisa's workouts. And its not because I don't try as hard. I think it may be the difference between 12 minutes and 25. Just something I have noticed more than once.

W2D3 – Tuesday, January 17 – Body Rock Day 5

Today is the 400 rep challenge. Ouch. I am supposed to keep track of my own time. Yikes. And I don’t want to be awake right now.

Here is what I was able to do:

2 exercises 4 rounds – as fast as possible.

75 high knees – 50sec  

25 leg lifts (abs with legs at 90° then straight to above floor)

I didn’t time the abs. I thought I would be unfair to my abs. Whole thing took about 6 minutes. I was attacked my dog kisses at the beginning too. Man I did not want to work out this morning.

And when I weighed myself this morning, it was not pretty. I am throwing away the cake right now. And taking the cupcakes to work. No more of that stuff for me. Now I am on my diet and not breaking it at all. PLAN. I have eaten so much of the cake that Colleen brought for my birthday, and I ate most of it myself. In fact, Colleen might have been the only other person to eat any of it with me. Oh that makes me feel bad.  It was delicious. I love cake.

So no more birthday excuses for bad eating. Everything is back on track and working out.

But the afternoon snacking is rough. I had a half bag of popcorn. I had some Hershey kisses. And a whole bunch of clementines.  But I bought a new water bottle to replace the one I dropped. If you have ever been to my house, you know I have a lot of water bottles. But this one has a straw! And I drink so much faster out of it, ergo I drink more water, ergo I will eat less. It has worked in the past. I can’t wait for it to work tomorrow.

& I tracked my food.

LOVE LOVE LOVE to QUILT

That's right, I said it. I LOVE QUILTING. After the football games today I decided that all I really wanted to do was play with the sewing machine. It has been the elephant in the corner waiting to come out. It has been hiding under my desk holding its breath.

So I set up shop in the dining room. I set up the sewing machine at the end of the table (near an outlet). And yes, that is the instruction manual next to the sewing machine.



All my tools are in that toiletries bag. I put all my scraps into the vase as I go.

I spent at least 20 minutes trying to figure out how to wind the bobbin and then load the bobbin. I don't even want to talk about threading the needle. I can't believe it took me as long as it did; especially because my Pfaff has a threader!

And then I quilted for the next 5 or 6 hours. That can't be true... let's see. Bobbin wound and loaded. Then I stopped to play Settlers with Matt, Steve, & Lesley (who had come over to watch football). Then I quilted, and I didn't stop until just now. So yes, about 5 hours I would guess. I forgot to eat a real dinner too. I had a bag of popcorn while we were playing Settlers.

These are my fabrics. It is clearly a purple quilt. With a blue, almost, paisley thrown in for fun. My Mom picked out these fabrics. Hmmmm. We might have a problem... Do you see the second fabric in the left hand pile? I haven't incorporated it at all... That explains why the purple and green dots looks off. There wasn't any other green to balance it. How interesting. So here is what I have so far. Let me know what you think. Most importantly, should I go back a little bit and add the other fabric?