Stopping to Smell the Lilacs

Photo by London Tepsick

Today was absolutely perfect. This past week was really rough on me, and by the time Friday rolled around I was over-stressed and half-crazy. So on Saturday I forced myself to lie around and do nothing. Even when I had the overwhelming urge to get up and clean or sew I didn't do it. I snuggled on the couch with my kids, watched movies, and even took a nap. This morning I woke up completely revived, and when I stepped outside everything was perfect--the sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the smell of lilac was in the air. I know this is cheesy, but I'm not even kidding.

Photo by London Tepsick

I had been meaning to take some pictures of my finished Exploding Lone Star quilt and today was the perfect day for it. I grabbed my camera and started out he door and my daughter asked if she could go with me. We drove around for awhile, then parked the car and just started walking. Everything was so pretty, the flowers were in bloom, and I felt like we were in the pages of  "The Secret Garden".

Photo by London Tepsick

We walked around for a long time, both snapping photos and taking in the scenery. I was pleased by how much she liked taking the photos and was seriously impressed by how well she did--her pictures are all the ones above!!! 

When we got home, we were both tired and covered in the dust we had stirred up on our walk, but we were completely content and happy.

There are some moments in life that are so stressful you wonder how you are ever going to make it through it, and then there are other moments that are so beautiful that you wonder how you could've ever been anything but happy. I hope you all have recently experienced the beautiful moments, and that you get to experience them often. 

Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday at my Quilt Infatuation

and Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts

Union Jack Quilt

Living in England has been a dream come true for me--it was the number one thing on my bucket list. For as long as I can remember I've been obsessed with it. When I was a teenager I would sit around reading Jane Austen,  listening to the Beatles (in the 90's), and daydreaming about what it would be like when I finally got to visit the UK. I would even get depressed on Christmas when I didn't get tickets to travel to to my #1 destination.



When I graduated from high school I knew there was no way I could stay in a tiny Texas town for the rest of my life, and started searching for a way to get out. I went to college for a year, and made plans to do a study abroad art class in London--but I couldn't save up enough. I only made minimum wage (we've all been there, right?) and after paying for rent there was almost nothing left. So I decided to do something more drastic. I marched over to the recruiter's office, and within 5 weeks I was in the Air Force--wearing combat boots, and getting yelled at--but it didn't even bother me because I knew that within a couple of months I would be seeing the castles and countryside of England--I naively thought the Air Force was going to send me where I actually wanted to go. Hahaha. I laugh at that now. I waited 14 years and finally, the Air Force sent me here.



You know how you build your expectations up about something, but you are fully aware that the "something" probably won't meet your expectations? Well, England wasn't like that--it was one of those places that was exactly like I imagined. Stone cottages, beautiful gardens, rich history and amazing architecture around every corner. This quilt (once it's finished) will be my tribute to England quilt, and my tribute to making dreams come true.



And speaking of dreams coming true, have you seen the movie "Tangled"--it's one of my favorites. I watched it at the theater with my daughter right after I was notified I was going to England, and I cried during the entire film, because my "floating lantern" dream was finally coming true. So I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the film...

Rapunzel:  I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?

Flynn Rider: It will be. 

Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then? 

Flynn Rider: Well, that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream.

I guess now I need to find a new dream...I'm pretty sure whatever it is, it's going to involve lots and lots of fabric.