Sea, Sand, and Snow, for Second Anniversary

For our second wedding anniversary we headed down to one of our favorite beaches. A year earlier, the weather was warm, and mild and we spent our time in Washington DC. This year we ran into quite a bit of snow Down The Shore. 

Flat, calm, ocean before the storm. 

We stopped by Ocean Grove on our way down, partly for business, but mostly to see the beach on a freezing, still, day. We found a bit of glass and jet but had to head on when our toes went numb. 

Sun sets over the boardwalk. 

Sunrise at one of our favorite hotels. 

We woke up the next morning in Cape May to easier temperatures, and set out to the beach again. 

Met a shy friend. 

Deserted places.

Ice capped jetties. 

This tall fellow. 

Cold and colorful. 

Ship wrecks at sunset.

We beach combed, thrift shopped, walked, and ate as many fish sandwiches as we could find.
We are always surprised and amazed at how different the beach can be. Last time we were in Cape May, the beach was rich with finds. This trip, we barely found any treasures. Whether we find things or not, the beach is a rejuvenating place for us, and we rejoiced in relaxation. 

Blue Pig breakfast. 

The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, we headed out into a dreary rainy NJ drive. Soon, the rain turned to snow, and the snow turned to blizzard conditions. Partly to avoid the road, but mostly out of excitement and curiosity we headed back to OG.  

Brave souls. 

No glass here.  

Asbury Park in deep white. 

We didn't find any glass or even very many shells, but the blizzard beach was worth the trip!

Another look at the boardwalk. 

Over all, our 2nd anniversary was relaxing, calm and a little cold, but wonderful. We got to enjoy some of our most favorite pastimes. A happy way to spend a happy date. 

Busy Being Busy.

March is flying by and Mad Cat Quilts is suffering slight neglect. Life will do that to blogs. 

This is what life has looked like, lately. 

The end of February was still snowy. 

My new commute is pretty wonderful. 

Prospect Park West. 

Crisp, clear, chilly mornings....

The Arch from afar. 

Great light in the evenings...

Hustle and bustle on Grand Army Plaza. 

Purple Arch. 

Stunning sunsets...

Iconic Brooklyn images. 

And hidden details. 

Snakes in the park. 

Perks of taking the elevator. 

My quilting has suffered a bit, too.  I see myself getting back on track soon. In the mean time, I'll try to enjoy being busy. 

Sunday

Stash #3

My mail delivery is really becoming a problem. I lost a package of vintage fabric this month. The post office says it must have been stolen... but somehow I'm not convinced. 

Not the best lighting, as I took this picture at night, but I received some vintage fabric this month!! I adore the bright blue and orange on the end. I have also recently come to grips that I'm addicted to fine calico of all colors. So the blue on the right is wonderful to me. 

The Bismuth is so shiny and iridescent! Hard to capture in a photo. 

Two treasures we picked up in DC, a perfect pyrite cube and a bright piece of bismuth. Again, not the best lighting, maybe I will try for more pics another time. We are thinking that we need to re think our over all gem display, especially for small pieces like these. One day it will happen. 

6th Ave in Park Slope was lovelier than ever. 

Brooklyn has seen so much snow in recent weeks. Some of the prettiest I have seen in the city. 

It has gone from beautiful and crisp and clear, to wet and icy and horrible and back again for several weeks. 

I'll leave you with another ill lit pic; My truck, completely buried.

There's another 2 foot wide, 2 foot high wall of snow between it and the road. 

Cutting Floor Room

I had great plans to post more during the past week. 

Even though my holidays were calm and easy, there never seems to be enough time. I'm trying hard to get one more quilt finished before the new year (but, it looks like it will be just after the new year, at this point). I have also been helping my husband with some projects he's working on. 

We craft all over the house, but are mostly centered in the living room. This is how our sewing machine table looks most of the time. But often with more cats on it. 

My husband has a few weeks off and has decided that he wants to create something every day. What a great idea! One of the larger projects he's embarking on is creating his first quilt. He picked out his fabric, and the square he plans on using, but he hates the cutting! Now, I don't use a mat and rotary cutter for my own quilts or projects but I'm happy to cut his pieces for him. His scraps become my pre-cuts!

One thing I long for is a big, wooden table and a room to put it. Right now, I cut everything on the floor. 

I keep almost every scrap bc I use them a lot in my quilts. But I haven't figured out what to do with these tiny edges. Any thoughts?

It's very fun to help and collaborate any way that I can. I try not to interfere with the creative process too much, while still being helpful and encouraging. 

We have very different taste in color combos. It's always interesting to see what he matches together!

I hope everyone had a calm and creative holiday season.