Daily Ramblings - Shaping up for the holidays

I wonder...

...how Chanukah has already passed.  One blink and it was gone
...if the 9 remaining work days until my break between Christmas and New Year will be the longest 9 days of my life
...if I will need to use my holiday money to buy new pants due to eating all the holiday tasties
...whether the new and very plastic tree ornaments will indeed stand up to the cat
...if I will ever figure out what to get husband for our anniversary (the downside to getting married right in the middle of the holidays)
...if I have something suitable in my closet to wear to my work Christmas party
...if I'll get my nephew's gift made in time to ship
...if my brother's gift will arrive in time to deliver
...if I'll finish my sample knitting this weekend
...if we're doing Christmas dinner at my house or my brother's
...how everybody else's December is shaping up!

'Tis the season and I'm feeling totally unprepared.  How about you?  ;)

Daily Craft - All about the right tools

I'm in the process of making my first patchwork "quilt type thing" using some fabulous retro Winnie The Pooh fabric.  I had a great idea to go get a rotary cutter and self-healing mat at the Joann sale last week and now I'm wondering why it took me so damn long to buy them!  The preparation of neatly pressing and cutting everything was always the most frustrating part of the sewing process for me, seeing as it would always take 3 times as long to cut things as it did for me to sew them together. (That's the impatient, looking for instant gratification, little kid whining "but I want to make it NOW", part of me coming through).

I know I can't use this for everything but I'm loving the time saving aspect so far and Deuce seems to find enjoyment in assisting me by holding the end of the cutting ruler for me.  The dangerous part of all this of course is that I'm having far too much fun making the patchwork top for the quilt.  As if I need another hobby to occupy myself with...