Woodland Delight by Paula Prass is the newest visitor to my shop. These prints are adorable and I love the coloration. The woodcut pieces are especially cute!
Much more is on the way this next week. If you would like to sign up for my newsletter, please add your name and email address to the link on the left sidebar. As soon as everything arrives I will send out a special coupon code to my fantastic customers.
Have a great weekend!
see you next week!
Trashy stories on my blog? You bet!
Yesterday morning I went out to the garage to get Aubry's birthday gifts so I could wrap them. One of her gifts was a giant teddy-bear and I had put it in a garbage bag and set it between two bikes so it wouldn't get tossed in the trash. Hiding a big bear is hard and it seemed to be a good option. There was room in the bag for her other gift too.
Well, of course I told my hubs about this. Putting the bag in an out-of-the-way spot by the bikes would do the trick, right?
Well, I got out to the garage and the bag was gone. Gone. And guess what? It was trash day.
You can see where this is going, can't you?
I called my hubs to see where he had moved the bag. At this point I didn't suspect anything. He didn't answer his phone so I decided to wait until he called back. No hurry, right?
The sound of the trash truck triggered my brain apparently, because I realized that my dear hubs may have tossed the bag of gifts.
I ran outside. The trash man was one house away.
I opened the trash can and the bag was right on top.
I ran back to the house with the bag.
Makes me wonder what the trash guy thought.
Is it normal for women to reorganize their garbage after it has been put out to the curb?
Do people often toss things and then change their mind at the last minute?
Is dumpster-diving in your own trash can OK?
It all worked out fine. The bag was nicely sealed and the bear was still nice and fluffy and fresh-smelling.
My hubs even thanked me for saving him once again.
Gosh, I like to hear that!
What does the picture have to do with this post? Nothing. But I just wanted to show you that I am close to being done with my wreath. I had to take it apart twice, but I think the final product will be nice. It will probably be next week before I show it off since I need to drive about an hour to find some ribbon to hang it. Walmart is my only crafty store option here in town. Ah, the struggles of small town life......
Have a great Tuesday!
....about not growing up!
My girl went and turned 8 on me. This is scary when she is the youngest one. Knowing how fast this all goes, she will probably be packing a bag to move out in about a month....or at least it will seem that way.
It is amazing that my own childhood seemed so long and dragged out, but the the childhoods of my own kids seem to pass in the blink of an eye---at least to me.
The days of having a little shadow with me all of the time are numbered. Her desire to be just like me? Well, that is going to pass too. Of course, it passes on to much bigger and better things, but there is a part of me that wishes this would last much longer. Maybe forever.
I suppose that the brevity of this time is what makes it so precious.
Don't forget to be amazed by your kids today. Tomorrow they will be a little older and a little wiser and little more ready to live independently. As it should be, of course, but still a tough thing to face.
Wish I could stop the clock......!
Sandi Henderson (aka Portabello Pixie) is hosting a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway on her blog! Fun stuff! On one of the days there will be a giveaway from my shop, and I am hoping---HOPING---that Sandi's fabric will be stocked at that time. I know the fabric is on it's way, but I am having a hard time with patience.
Mr. UPS man, where are you?
Actually, 120 new bolts are on the way. I CAN'T wait! Buying fabric by the truckload is fun, I tell ya!
Today I am going to find the supplies to make this adorable wreath. I am heading to the dollar store in hopes of finding them cheap. Wire hangers may be on my list too since I am pretty sure I got rid of those years ago. Too bad!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
I go through breakfast phases on a regular basis, eating the same thing repeatedly until I grow tired of it. These days I am doing a yummy smoothie that is healthy and great-tasting!
This smoothie has protein from nuts and also pro-biotics in the yogurt. The pro-biotics help you body to grow lots of good bacteria that attacks bad bacteria in your body. Sounds kind of gross, but it is a good thing when sickness is going around.
Here is my super-simple recipe:
In a blender combine: one container of fat-free plain yogurt, a tablespoon of natural peanut-butter and one ripe banana (I like to add them frozen). You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of milk to make this blendable. Whir in the blender until combined and drink up. It's great!
What about you? What was on your breakfast plate--or glass--this morning?
I found a book called Sew What! Bags at the library and was immediately inspired to make some Christmas presents. What drew me in was the "pattern free" projects listed in the book. Really, I prefer to just cut and sew rather than mess with pattern pieces. Maybe that is why quilting is so appealing to me.
After digging through my stash I decided to go with some apples and brown wool, along with some green dots for contrast. The brown wool is so beautiful and I wish I would have bought more when I was at the store since it was 40% off.
Here is what I came up with after about 40 minutes of sewing:
Cute, cute, except for one thing: It's huge, I tell ya! I am calling this one the giganta-bag:
It would be great for those times of the month a girl feels kind of bloated and wishes to cover up more than usual. You could cover you entire behind with this baby.
Or, if you choose to, you could cart a toddler around in the bag. Really, I think you could.
I am back to the drawing board with this one. I want to make a few more, only smaller. This one may even end up on the chopping block to salvage that wool. It is just too pretty to end up on a shelf somewhere with the rest of my sewing boo-boos.
People mention all the time that they would love to sew, but are afraid to start. My advice is always to jump in and do it and plan on a few throw-aways at first. Obviously, the throw-away period lasts longer than it should for some of us. In truth, all of us.
I hope this inspires someone to get in there and take a chance. You always learn from your mistakes.
Be back soon with some smaller and more usable bags to show off!
This weekend was my oldest daughter's bridal shower. Let me tell you, it is weird to be sitting there at the party, being the mom of the bride. I know this is such a cliche, but were did the time go? All of this comes so fast.
When it came time to talk about how we just "knew" that Danika and Luke were right for each other, it was wonderful to reflect on what God has done in bringing these two together. My hubs and I have prayed for our kids and their partners since they were small, and it is satisfying to watch this all come to life. Our family is growing and things are changing, and it is all so sweet.
My girl is not one for traditional shower fare, so we used our imaginations and did something fun. She told me very clearly that she refused to play any shower game that involved toilet paper bridal gowns or guessing how many kids the couple would be having. We went with a scavenger hunt. Here is our list of items that teams had to photograph:
1. Take a picture of someone on your team hugging a dinosaur
2. Take a picture of someone on your team doing a cartwheel on a brigde
3. Take a picture of someone on your team with a snowman
4. Take a picture of someone on your team doing the hokey-pokey in front of a red, white and blue building
5. Take a picture of someone on your team eating ice cream while skipping down the street
6. Take a picture of someone on your team interviewing someone on the street
7. Take a picture of someone on your team with their feet in the water
Obviously, the picture at the top is of our cartwheelers. Danika and her friend were full of enthusiasm, but short on technique. Thank goodness I didn't have to do that one!
Here I am as a skipping ice-cream eater:
The hokey-pokey girls. We got honked at by passing cars:
Our man on the street interview was with a mildly willing man who seemed embarased by the whole thing:
Ooooo, cold feet:
This is Danika's future mom-in-law with our snowman:
My sweet dino-hugger:
Well, it looks like a Quilt-Along is in order for the new year! I will post more information closer to the start date (I am aiming for January 18th) along with a list of materials needed.
Some items to think about now (Christmas gifts, maybe?) are a cutting mat, rotary cutter and ruler (I use the omnimat, omnigrid ruler and fiskers cutter, but other brands work well too). Joann Fabrics often has these in a set for 50% off around the holidays. You could also try Hobby Lobby using their 40% off coupon. Both stores offer online shopping.
I have added some adorable new patterns from Izzy and Ivy Designs to my shop. Very cute for little girl's clothes and a new bag pattern too.
If you haven't seem the movie UP, rent it this weekend and watch with your family. It is great!
Have a great weekend!
Is anyone interested in doing a quilt-along with me? A class where I show you how to make a lap-size quilt like the one at the bottom of this post is what I have in mind. I thought that the first of the year might be a good time to have a sewing class here on my blog since lots of people will be making resolutions to learn to sew. It would take place over a few weeks and give everyone lots of time to finish their project. Let me know in the comments. :)
Kimmie posted an update on the latest Sewing Seeds project. Forty-three lovely skirts are making their way to new homes. Thank you all for being such a blessing!
Have you ever tasted a Honeycrisp apple? They are a little more expensive, but they are apple perfection. Crisp, sweet, and just the right amount of tart. I eat one almost everyday.
What does Wi-Fi mean? Yeah, I am behind in the technology department.
We are going to the zoo today and I resolve not to take any pictures of animals. None. I always take too many and end up wondering why I did. Now, pictures of kids will be taken in abundance. Of course.
I hope you all have a great day!
The quilt:
Thank you!
Copyright 2007-2009
1 John 3:18
