Wait, What's the Date?!!!

I'm back!  My MIL left Wednesday night and I barely had the energy to function the rest of the week.  I did practically nothing at all, including quilting.  I did sew my Doc blocks together for this month's Schnibble and I have two of the four borders attached.  My goal for today is to finish them.

Why am I freaking out about the date?!!  It is the seventh?  One month from today is the final day of having the movers here.  By that evening our house will be empty of all our stuff less the two suitcases each that we will take on the plane.  I cringe at thinking all that needs to be done prior to that.  And here I was considering starting that star quilt I want to make for my bed.  I also was thinking that since the movers don't come until Jun 4th, maybe I could somehow get the June Schnibble done in those few days?!!!  Am I nuts?!  One of the big jobs I have to do is tackle my sewing room.  The last time I let the movers handle everything I went outside and saw my largest cutting mat in the yard under the blazing El Paso sun--already curling into a permanant ball.  I was not happy.

I do have something to share!  In Hawaii, May Day is Lei Day.  There are festivities and best of all, a lei contest!  The lei are dropped off in the morning, judged, then put on display and open to viewing at 1 pm.  My MIL and I went.  We had to stand in line for an hour before we even got to the lei!  The craftsmanship is awesome!

 Here are some of the winners in the Blue/Purple category.  You can see all the workmanship--they are far from a string of flowers!

 These are some of the yellow/orange winners.  Do you see the one in the middle?  It is croton leaves, woven into a think strand.  So cool.  Crotons are bushes that are everywhere here with colorful leaves.

 The winners of the hat lei catagory.

The lei on the left is one of my favorites.  This is the red/pink category.  The one I love is holly berries strung and then braided green ti leaves are twined aroung them.  Wouldn't this make awesome garland for holiday decorating?  Of course, it would be hugely labor-instensive.

This is the white catagory.  I would like you to notice the lei on the far right.  It is made of pikake--the Hawaiian word for jasmine.  Pikake lei are very popular.  I want you to notice it because the next photo is another "pikake" lei.

 When you get to the end of the floral lei, the next catagory is ribbon/yarn lei.  No flowers.  However, the artists use ribbon and yarn and beads, etc. to recreate the look of the flower lei.  This "pikake" lei is made of white ric rac!  I love how clever it it.  each "bud" is made from a pile of folded ric rac.  I think it is awesome.

These are the other ribbon/yarn winners.  See the full one on the left?  It is ribbon made into birds of paradise blossoms.  Again, the talent is amazing. 

 I hope you have a great day!  I'm off to sort, throw, panic, list make, and sew! 

Aloha,
JoAnne