Luck

I've been ridiculously lucky lately.  It's not like my life has been on the line or anything, but for smaller matters, things have been happening and I'm not used to it.  I normally attract bad luck; if someone will get stuck in a rain storm, fall in the middle of a crosswalk, or lose her keys, it's me.

I think, in the sewing blog world, we have a crazy amount of giveaways.  Normally, I don't seek out bloggers who give things away, because I don't really care and honestly, what are my chances?  But it's nice when companies have a contest and the contest doesn't require you to comment and tweet about it and like them on Facebook and call three people and give them a pint of blood.  If all I have to do is leave a comment, then I'm good as gold.  I also make a rule that I only enter contests for items I truly want, because I think people tend to have a finite amount of luck, and I don't want to waste it on an old Cabbage Patch Doll with homemade accessories when I could get something I really want instead.

In July, I left a comment on a Pink Chalk Fabrics post about Denyse Schmidt.  I love Denyse Schmidt.  Her improv quilts aren't for everyone, but the woman is trained, talented, and seems like the nicest lady ever.  I also like that she kind of shies away from the spotlight--while she does tours and such, she's certainly not dressed head-to-toe in her fabrics and throwing them in everyone's faces.  Anyway, from the Facebook post, they were choosing one person to win six yards of Chicopee, her new line.  So of course I entered, leaving a little comment, whatever.  A couple days later, I saw that I had won.  I mean, I was seriously over the moon, and the worst part is, I was at work when I found out and no one here cares!  So I just texted my mom and Nick (he has to care, it's part of our relationship) about it and kept my excitement hidden.  I was thrilled to receive it, too: six one-yard cuts of the Morning colorway, which I've already started using (as you can see here).  I was so excited.  I'd never won anything in my entire life!

Last week, I saw Generation Q was holding a giveaway for Quilters Take Manhattan tickets.  Side note: does anyone else picture the Red Hat Society when you hear "Quilters Take Manhattan"?  Anyway, the tickets were for a lecture at FIT featuring, yep, Denyse Schmidt.  We're about four hours from New York, so I entered, but figured more people would enter because it seemed like a big deal, at least to quilters.  It's a four-hour lecture and there are goody bags, door prizes, what have you.  I checked over the weekend to see what my competition was, and by Monday morning (after the deadline), there were nine others besides me.  Not bad chances, but still, I had work to do, so I stopped thinking about it.  A little after lunch yesterday, my mom excitedly texted me asking if I was the "Emily" who had won.  What?  I'm working!  I don't know!

Sure enough, I was.  Holy moly.  I was going to meet (quote-unquote) Denyse Schmidt.  I would get to see the quilts she's made.  I invited my mom to join me, but as of today, she's  unsure, so I might go alone and Nick will join me on the trip just to go record shopping and get some food.  To make it even better (as if that wasn't good enough), I found $8 while I was outside talking with my mom.  It was just there.  There was no one around, but that money just seemed to fall from the sky.  I mean, $8 is $8, so it's not like I'm a millionaire, but it's very strange.

I've been trying to be more positive lately: I joined an MQG to make friends, I'm trying to enjoy the time we have here because it won't last forever, but I know some days are harder than others.  Regardless, thinking about the positive instead of focusing on the negative seems to be working for me.  Of course, I don't want to tempt things, and I hate the thought of entering any other giveaways (of which there are bazillions) because I've won a lot lately.  I don't know, this is just a conflicting thing for me.  I've also been reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  Though it isn't my favorite book, and I'm not attributing a ton of changes to it, it's hard to be negative while reading a book on how to be happier.  Have you read it?

I don't want to tempt fate by getting too lucky and taking it for granted.  I'm unbelievably excited about New York next month, and now I don't have to buy an extra day's pass for QuiltCon in February!  (I'm only going to lectures on Friday, not Saturday, but wanted to see Denyse's keynote.)  Part of me wonders if this is because I'm putting myself out there, applying for things and offering my services to blogs, and the other part wonders if it's just the power of positive thinking.  Who knows, but I do like it.

Are you lucky?  On the flip side, do you want to go to New York with me next month?