hobbies old and new

for the old hobby...crafting! i've been at it tonight working on a quilt from a collection of fabrics found in my stash. they were originally purchased over 2 years ago for  a lofty goal to make a bed quilt for my great-grandmother's green bed ellie sleeps in. it was lots of work, and i wasn't totally into quilting, and i didn't absolutely love the pattern. needless to say, i've had the supplies taking up space for 2+ years. so last month, i decided to repurpose the cute little retro prints into a baby quilt.

when i attended january's austin modern quilt guild meeting, i met a fun, spunky girl and her mother - the mother was the creator (i believe) of villa rose quilt designs. so in my post-meeting internet surfing, i came across this pattern:

 and without knowing too much more set out to create my own 'hot tamale' quilt with free (somewhat, i guess) fabric! tonight, i finished piecing the top, and i think i like the way it's come together thus far. my blocks are bigger and not as varied as the original pattern, but i still like the sweet baby-ness to it! in coming days, i'll work to sandwich it together and get it quilted.

and one more shot of the craft space...we ventured out to book people this morning with coach and nonna, and i picked up a new book that i'm super-excited to start working through...it's got some great quilts in it!

and now on to my new hobby...i'm debating even writing these next few words, but i feel accountability is needed, so if others know to what i'm aspiring, i might follow through. i'm working towards running a 5k. i know, it sounds so little in comparison to those of my friends/family who have worked to train for and complete a marathon, or even multiple marathons, but for me this is HUGE. i'm not really a runner. i've never had an interest. i picked volleyball in high school because it was a small, finite court. but i think this will be a great way for me to train this spring to get into an official exercise routine. i think there's a 5k in austin every weekend for every festival that takes place in fredericksburg :) so it shouldn't be hard to find one that excites me when the time comes. for now, i've found a website that will take me from being a couch potato to a 5k runner in just 9 short weeks - i'm skeptical, but i'll do my best to stick to the plan!

i've just got to spend my daylight hours wisely and work outside before dark, and save the crafting for after the kids go to bed. excited about these little adventures of mine :)