sorting, counting. stacking, some refolding... getting ready

224 (1 yard cuts) and 459 Fat Quarters... yep that's what you're lookin at... and what I'm playing with as I sort thru them and divide them out equally among the 8 Blackout winners!

Stay Tuned! Now it's time to round up some diaper boxes that I've been saving!

Love from Texas!

Mail call - strings in the mailbox!

Pink strings around white arrived in my mailbox yesterday from two HGTV Sunshine Quilters - zizzybob and KC1930. I'm hosting for the month of June and like in years past have decided to collect string blocks and mail in as a donation from our group to HeartStrings Quilt Project. Together as a group we are able to send in over a hundred or so each year.

zizzy also included money for Tickets for the Crayola Challenge Quilt Raffle - all proceeds to go to the Ronald McDonald House Charity - see my sidebar for more info. Thanks zizzybob!!!

Even though my hosting month isn't until June - They were both super smart to think ahead and include them in with their BINGO packages - what? You haven't heard yet???

Our 5th Annual HGTV Fat Quarter BINGO game is now underway! Check the board for our thread and get signed up to play if you haven't already!! This year is sure to be the biggest and best yet! more info and photos over at my newest blog www.fatquarterbingo.blogspot.com

Invites went out a couple weeks ago to all past players (staggering the invites to each group help so much with email volume) but now just this week, I've opened the invite to any and all new players! EVERYONE is INVITED to PLAY with US!

Yesterday was the first day of BINGO mail - to read all about click over to the fatquarterbingo blog link above.

Love from Texas!

....and they're OFF!

It's May... and every year I can't help but think of my homeplace and the Kentucky Derby during the first Saturday of May... but this post has nothing to do with horses or races... but I do feel like running outside and shouting... "and they're OFF!"

LOL b/c today I mailed off ALL 1685 of this year's Fat Quarter Bingo FQs to their new homes!

We had a fun time playing - although this year was unlike any of the precious years ... b/c I took the game on the road with me as I traveled to NH for the Circle of Friends retrat. Calling 2 numbers there "live" daily was fun and because it was during the 4th week of our game - everyone was "in a pucker" just waiting to see if anyone had called BLACKOUT BINGO each day?!! :) both members on the board and at the retreat were on edge.... oh fun. fun. ;)

Above is a Moda Winter Wonderland Charm pack (5" size) that I'm sending to LRMart for guessing closest to the final jackpot count without going over. I forget where or from whom I won this a while back... but b/c I don't own any other flannel fabrics, I think it would be best to pass along to someone else who may find a use for it. I did thumb thru the pack and there are some super cute prints in there... so LRMart - enjoy! ....between now and December you have lots of time to come up with a Christmas project ;)


Just after the four BINGO winners made their claim to fame - I did decide to not think about it over the following weekend - it was Mother's Day weekend afterall and the last thing I wnated to do was lock myself away from my family..... and several of the winners assured me that they were not in a hurry so I did what they said and took a break and didn't even think of the 1680 FQs in my guest bedroom all weekened... ;)

But last Monday I did get started sorting them by type and colors... and getting ready for boxing these babies up. On and off all week I worked as most I could during the day while the twins napped... in and out of the guest bedroom sorting, stacking, counting, recounting, dividing up, sorting and stacking some more...

As always it was fun - but even MORE FUN this year b/c for the first time in my 4 years of hosting the FQ Bingo - I actually was picking out fabrics for "friends" :) 3 of the 4 winners I had just met in NH at the retreat. How cool was that? ;) Shawkl, Jayardi and lovetowuilt I met in NH at the Circle of Friend retreat.

Our 4th winner, wmmeasureup - I'll have to hopefully meet up with you at the 2011 retreat in NC if you go :)Friday I was nearly done with boxing the FQs up - just needed to finish up with the last 100 or so and print out my letters to each of the winners....

and on Saturday afternoon I was so happy to take a look at this.... a cleaned up floor - empty USPS bins...and also a cleared off Guest Bed!!! whoo hoo! Now I won't have to panic when the phone rings from family in KY like I have been since these FQs started arriving in February... If anyone wants to call and say they're coming for a visit - I'll have a bed for them to sleep in :)
So this morning David had a great idea = he'd go into work a little later than usual and we'd go together downtown to the Mailbox and More store... I'd drop off Nora at school... he'd drive the Micky D's and pick up breakfast and we'd meet at the package shop...

He thought of the perfect plan - He'd be there to lift and carry the boxes inside for me and then go back outside and wait in the van with the twins while I did all the paperwork for the packages and mailed them off. ;) Isnt' that sweet of David to think of all that by himself! :) Even I'm impressed with him!

Sounds like the perfect plan right? right. OK.... so he helps me load up the van and we leave.

the back was packed pretty full - I actually had a 1/3 of the backseat folded down so taht the 4 large brown boxes of the Jackpot Fat Quarters (nearly 400 per box) could fit in there... and then I had boxes to send to other people too... the car seat box is on it's way to Quiltville... and the Diaper Champ and case of Huggies are on their way to Dixieldy who I met at the OCF Retreat. These boxes are full of fleece for a project she's working on for a craft booth. I'm more than happy to donate it all to her - I bought it over 3 years ago and have lost all hope of ever using it for the reasons I bought it all... so hopefully she can make some "I-spy" bags to sell with all of it.

....and the Priority Mail ebay box is 1 of the 2 outside box winners... and that Kroger tote bag is full of more packages and envelopes!
Sunshine blocks, more FQs to other friends... a baby gift to a friend in Mississippi, another outside Box winner... and some other charity blocks...

OK, so I thought today was going great.... only when I arrive at the Mailbox store before David, I notice this HUGE sign about 4 foot x 6 foot with huge red letters saying their store hours are 9am - 5pm... it's around 7:45am... :( urgh. I call him and b/c he's already ordered our food I wait there for him to swing by and make the drop off of my food and he kisses the babies and then leaves to go off to work... :(

So now what? I go home... but thankfully on the way home he calls and tells me that he has an off site meeting today with the Sherif's Dept. from 9am - 10am downtown so to be back at the mailbox store around 9:30 in case they let out early. Apparently this is their first meeting for this year's hurricane evacuation and planning....

OK good - works for me! I'll be there.. and they were released early so he didn't have to be in a hurry to get back to work. Everyting went pretty smoth considering the amount of packages I had to ship... I think the store manager felt rushed b/c of other customers coming in after me... and I agreed to let her work them in as she suggested... I had to fill out her forms for all the packages anyway..... from, to, contents, value... I did insure each of the big boxes for $1000 each as I have in the past. I hope to never have to worry with a lost package... but just in case....

and I so wish I had, had my camera with me when I came back out to the van...

b/c Paul Thomas and Olivia were ALL*OVER*THE*VAN having a big time! Daddy unbuckeled them and let them go wild... while he either got distracted reading emails on his cell phone or took a nap?? I'm not sure...

but when I say he let them go wild, I mean go wild! My mail and papers that I keep between the driver's seat up front looked like it had exploded and thrown all about - even back where the stoller was I found things that should have been up front. #$>&%! What was he thinking? If it had been me, we would have STAYED buckled... and just sang some kid tunes on the radio... or played peek-a-boo.... but noooooo.... ;) Daddy is so much more fun that that. LOL

*sigh* oh well - I won't complain - he did make it work out to go help me with the heavy boxes... he is a great husband and a very fun Daddy... guess I can loosen up for just today ;) LOL

I just wonder if just as David unlatched the seat belts for the twins... he yelled out "and...They're OFF!" :P

Love from Texas!

I love getting MAIL :)

Especially this time of year when every package has FABRIC in it!!! Although not for me.. (for the FQ Bingo) however, I do occasionally get a bonus FQ for me.

But this year... my FQ Bingo friends over on the HGTV board are doing something new this year... a lot of them are sending BBBBBBs!

Bingo Bonnie Bosom Buddies Bra Bucks! :0)

Isn't that awesome!!!?? I sure think so! They are so thoughtful to think of this special hostess appreciation gift (totally optional of course) but with $2 from one player, and $1 from another and an occasional $5 it really begins to add up. I'm saving and saving until all players are received before I go shopping... however I couldn't help but notice at Target that they had LOTS of bras priced under $15!!! Whoo hoo! No more $48 or more specialty bras for me ever again! LOL

I'm looking forward to not only getting new bras, but some blouses to wear to church and also even a BELT! Before my surgery, I didn't dare tuck in a shirt! ;) Not that I would have tucked in my shirt b/c since becoming a mom almost 5 years ago, I've spent 30 months (combined from Nora and Twins) nursing - and I had to be able to access the goods.. but any who, those days are LONG gone and now I can tuck in my shirt any time I want!!! oh and back to the bras... I'm excited about buying bras with MATCHING panties!!! Won't David be surprised and excited!!!**giggle*giggle*giggle**

But, back to the reason of this post... I don't post photos everyday of all the FQs arriving for FQ Bingo -I have a yahoo group (link in my sidebar) to do that on... but I did want to share this photo here on my blog tonight b/c it's from my friend Crazy'boutquilts. (the one I'm swapping My Blue Heaven blocks with)

So let's take a closer look at the items she included in her package....

I've never paper pieced before, but next month when I go on the Circle of Friends Retreat in Manchester, NH I'm signed up for a class for paper piecing. Crazy had mentioned in a email that she was going to a quilt show and hoped to buy some more of these she had used and love in the past at the show, and I replied back asking her to let me know how much they were b/c I'd like her to buy me some and mail.... I have no clue where I'd buy them here... and we all know I only get to visit my not so local LQS only once a quarter - and that's when I'm lucky! LOL

So thanks Sandie for picking those up for me at the quilt show you went to!
At the top - the fabric - you'll see her 10 FQs she sent in for 10 Bingo Cards for my upcoming game I'm hosting....and lookie what else! In the middle of the bottom row - it's hard to see - but she included a 1930's FQ for me! :) She and I both love 1930's... and we both requested 30's strings in her recent CYOC sting swap that she hosted... so TY for thinking of me :)

I love all the hand written notes that come with the Bingo packages. They really make my day to read them, and see every one's hand writing.... and this year KNOCK ON WOOD, no one has yet to forget to include their dollars to cover shipping to the winners. ;) Last year I had about 9-10 have to send separately b/c they had forgot...

Crazy included an extra $5 for the BBBB - Thank you Sandie!!! :c)

You'll notice I purposely covered up some of the words on her note. ;) That's b/c she is sponsoring another player and I didn't want to reveal who. That is another fun feature I'm doing again this year - they can sponsor their secret sister - or any special friend on the board to play.. send in FQs for them -and I take care of the rest - emailing that special person bingo cards... and not telling who from :) It's fun!

And lastly, but not least - I bet you noticed it first thing - the My Blue Heaven Block!!! My first from Sandie! :) Isn't it so nice!

I love that paisley blue print and the dark green with the fall leaves, and the... :) all of them! This is gonna be a scrap-OH-lishious quilt. Who knows how long we'll swap... and thankfully it isn't a race.

And those of you readers who have super good spotter eyes... you may have noticed the magazine to the far right in the top photo... yep, I broke down and bought a new magazine today at the grocery store.
There's been a lot of talk over on the HGTV board about this issue - click here for the thread on the discussion. :) and so I broke down and bought it. :) I just love the cover quilt.. and there's more than one hand bag pattern in this issue that I'd love to give a try to one of these days.

but not until after retreat of course! I have a growing list of things to do before I leave in April... and I'll save that list for another post another day ;)

So until then...

Love from Texas!

Go ahead and Push my New Button :)

I don't know much about blogger. There are a lot of things I'd love to learn but for now what little I know is enough for me. I'm trying to do better by posting more often and hope my readers have noticed ;)

Anyway while looking around my fellow HGTV Quilters' blogs... I noticed on everythingquilts' blog page - she has this BUTTON in her sidebar!!! and thankfully I do know enough that I was able to copy it and save it to my side bar :) I've always wanted all of us HGTV'rs who also have blogs to have some way of being connected.. but I do not know how to start a blog ring - nor do I want to be in charge of starting one... so for now I just list other HGTV'rs in my sidebar hoping that will help me to remember to visit their blogs and maybe send them some traffic their way.

I do have many other blogs I frequent more often and are my favorites but I don't list them on my blog. I figure they each get more than enough traffic already... and if I started listing favorits the list would be a mile long. haha ;)

so I thought I'd share this post with all of you that if you hear me talk about the HGTV boards - now you will have a quick take me there button :) over to the right in my side bar.

I don't know who created it - but thank you! :)

EDITED TO ADD - I just read my comments and everythingquilts was the one who created the HGTV button and she's also created me a special on to link to my HGTV FQ Bingo Game.. take a look :) I've added it to my sidebar too. :) :) :)

oh I feel so special! THANKS everythingquilts!!!

Love from Texas!

Did he see me? Did he see me not?

I've been here in the kitchen most of the morning in my PJs (still) :P it's spring break here! LOL

Anyway, the UPS man brought a box and I didn't even hear or notice him as he left the box just outside the kitchen/gurage door...

Maybe he DID see me and didn't knock on the door b/c he didn't want to embarrase me. LOL

Thankfully I saw it sitting by the door on my way out to take a #2 diaper out to the garbage can outside.

Lookie what was inside FQs from royalboomer. Thanks for the 2 extras, you know I love 30s!!! Can't wait to see what comes in the mailbox later this afternoon.....

Love from Texas!

My March Madness

I la,la,LOVE organizing the annual Fat Quarter Bingo over on the HGTV board each year. Every year we have so much fun talking up the game and watching the ever g-r-o-w-i-n-g Jack Pot get bigger and bigger each day as more and more players sign up to play and email me with their pledge of how many cards they want to play with.



Well this year is our 4th game and Game Day starts on April 1st - NO Foolin! ;) So this month I'm gonna be having so much fun opening all the packages that will be arriving! ...and speaking of arriving...


We received our first package of BINGO FQs for the jackpot over the weekend!!! KC1930's FQs arrived yesterday!!! and I'll add more than one photo so you can see/read her cute note!!!! Little bear sat so patiently as I opened up the box... He was my helper





and here's what was in the box... Little bear loved the variety that KC1930 sent in for the JACKPOT.



and you have to see a close up of her note....



It reads: Bonnie: Here's $7 for postage and $5 towards your "Bingo Bonnie Bosom Buddie Bucks" -Kathleen



Isn't that soooo cute - Bosom Buddies Thank you girlfriend!!





and she was so generous to share some of her beloved 1930s with me :) I am looking forward to using these for my project that I'm working on between just KC1930 and me soon :) Thanks Kathleen!!!

Love from Texas!

I AM Speachless

I can't ever remember a time that I was so surprised that I was speechless... (OK, one time comes to mind from high school... but that is another story for another time.)

Tonight I was completely speechless! I was wanting to squeal and inside my head I could hear it - but here at my computer I sat with my mouth gaped wide open and my hand up over my heart. I got up and as I carried my mail into the den to show David what I had just opened up and read, I actually began to tear up thinking about all the thoughtfulness behind this very special gift!!! :P


LOOK AT WHAT I OPENED UP!!!


This year's winners of the HGTV Fat Quarter Bingo all went in together and collected money for me to apply towards my 2009 Circle of Friends Retreat expenses!

Here is what the Certificate reads, just in case you can't see it from the photo:

"Certificate of Appreciation

presented to

Bingo~Bonnie

from the 2008 HGTV Bingo Winners

In recognition of the outstanding job of bingo hostessing you have done, the 2008 winners present you with this certificate worth $140.00 on your 2009 Circle of Friends Retreat expenses.

We love you Bonnie! Thank You!!

*please redeem with Nickilee"

My friends at the HGTV Quilter's message board sure are creative and sneaky aren't they - and THE BESTEST online friends ever! :)

TY, TY, THANK YOU! to all of you who contributed to my 2008 FQ Bingo hostess gift! You have made my day/week/month/and even year! :c) This was super generous of you and I appreciate it so much! I look forward to meeting you all in NH next spring too!!!

I also enjoyed the personal notes from quiltnanny and LisaP8 and YES, crazy'boutquilts, you DID, certainly, in fact, surprise me! LOL :c) Thanks again!

Love from Texas!

Whew -Has it been 20 days already???

Yep, 20 days ago today we had eight people yelling for joy as they were coverall winners in the HGTV 3rd annual Fat Quarter Bingo that I host each year.

A few days before that 4 people tied for the outside boarder earning them 10FQs each - leaving 286 fqs EACH for the other 8 main jackpot winners!!!!

anyway... today I shipped them off!!! yeah! they are outta here! what a relief! I can now have my dining room back and maybe even set up my sewing machine in there so it will be downstairs where we are most of the time.. so the baby gate climb over to the changing table in there will continue after all *sigh*

here's a photo of 3 winners jackpots... I only wish I had taken a photo of the 3 diaper boxes I loaded first...now, back into the house for the last 2 plus the small box of FQs to the boarder winners...

and here is everything stuffed in the back of the van... OK, got Olivia baby check (her car seat handle is peaking up on the right side) no handle on the left - oh yeah, PT is still in the house strapped in his booster chair... that was the only way to keep him out of the way... gotta go in and get him... ;)

and then at the Mailbox & More store this was the lady who was so very helpful to me!!! She didn't know I was taking her photo... see those boxes... they were cheaper to use than the long oblong diaper boxes... postage rates are so crazy now a days with the last changes in rates... and now sizes of boxes make the price higher too! urgh!

Last year it cost me $238 to ship 1600 FQs to 9 people all in USA. ==$0.14/fq

This year it cost me $425 to ship 2332 FQs to 12 people with one in Canada == $0.18/fq

(NTS: will have to adjust the cost to play for next years game)

It took us working together just under 2 hours to repack all the fabrics and package up and fill out those pesky little 3 ply shipping forms to each winner (NTS: next year, stop in and pick up blank ones and fill out at home before going in) all the while Olivia was the bestest baby in the whole wide world and her brother - quite the opposite. You would have thought I had strapped him into a straight jacket and he was trying with all his might to get out the whole time. And Nora was at preschool.

Packages left Texas and are headed all over the country and even one box out of country! They are headed for:

Tofield, AB CANADA
Canton, GA
Deltona, FL
Tamarac, FL

West Branch, MI

Lewiston, MN
Epsom, NH

Farmington, NM

Batavia, NY

Ithaca, NY

Nashville, TN
Tacoma, WA

and if any of them get "returned to sender" don't look for me to resend them - I will take that as my sign that they belong with me... you know love it set it free... if it comes back it was meant to be... *giggle, giggle* :)

Love from Texas! ~bonnie

Just what exactly is Shabby Chick anyway?

OK, back to something quilty... the Fat Quarter Bingo!

Here is a little update - thank goodness the winners are not beating down my door demanding their jackpots! The game ended just before Mother's Day weekend.... on Wednesday 5/7 we had 8 players yell BINGO for a coverall card! Two winners in each of the four groups! :)

So over the weekend following the game I took a "rest" and enjoyed Mother's Day... then hello Daddy and Clara... so again the FQ's took back burner. I am keeping the winners updated and so far they all agree family is more important and know that I have a life. ;)

However this weekend, I pulled up from the emails correspondence their wish lists of color choices... - this was from the OUTSIDE BOARDER winners - there were 4 players who each won that category.....(one from each group)

Their prize for Outside Boarder on their card is 10 Fat Quarters..kind of like a runner up prize... last year was our first year to do this and it was a success! Everyone liked the idea of having another chance to win something...

However like last year, there are always a few players who assume we are playing "any 5 in a row" WHICH We have NEVER done - and will NEVER do... and email me with a premature bingo and I have to burst their bubbles. Unfortunately this year there were more than 2 dozen bubbles I had to burst!!$#((^$`#%??!

Which tells me that my rules need to be proof read and edited to make that clearer or that these players didn't at all read them to begin with. (I think the latter)

anyway enough of that - back to the Bingo...as i was sorting them I got to do some stash shoppin' as I call it. :)

I sat aside black/white fabrics.
I sat aside 1930 fabrics.
I sat aside red fabrics.
I sat aside large florals.
I sat aside batiks.
I sat aside bright fabrics.
I sat aside shabby chick fabrics.

......or rather what I thought might be considered shabby chick as I have really no clue as to what that means?? It's like saying to a painter I want a taupe bedroom and him rolling his eyes as he tells you in reply, "Woman, there are 100 different taupe's" (actually I had that happen to me once when we built our home in SC)

So, do these look Shabby Chick to you? Guess I'll find out when I send Irish an email with the pic for her to pick out 10 for herself.... worst case she'll tell me no these are not shabby and give me a description on what she is looking for.

Will post photos of the other fabrics later another day... I am tired now and ready to go upstairs to bed. Posting several posts all in one sitting, both here and on Minor Happenings my family blog has worn me out tonigh. :c) Gonna go close out after my next post over there... or at least save it. Photos are taking too long to upload tonight.

'nite and Love from Texas! ~bonnie

thinking out loud...

OK, so if you don't mind, I am gonna just type/think out loud here. ;c)


why do I even bother blogging??? I don't' get much quilting done these days... remember my Friendship Star blocks laid out on the guest bed from February ??? still there!


how come I can't make a commitment to blogging more often? I mean, I take the time to read my favorites every day as the kids play... why not commit to posting a little someitsommin before looking around blog land. ((this is my goal that I can't seem to get into action))

October 2006

when I first stared this blog - it was way back when... WHEN Nora ACTUALLY took a nap everyday! that seems like ages ago! oh how I wish for that time again.... I use to get a "break" each day to look forward to. BUT NOT ANYMORE!

Nora quit napping on me last year, and now the twins are here..


Olivia and Paul Thomas do nap, but hardly ever at the same time! urgh! :(


By the way, I should brag on Olivia here - she is the perfect napper/sleeper!!! Her naps are like clockwork, and long! and she has been sleeping all night since her 8th week!..........on the other hand, her brother is the exact opposite! Terrible napper! 20 minutes after you put him down, he is awake!! - and night time *!#%&&*#$% I have long forgotten what uninterrupted sleep is - it's been over a year since I slept for over 4 hours at a time! well, on Valentines' he did sleep all night for the 1st time.. aaaahhh how sweet ;) But he can't really help it, he has breathing troubles and we are looking forward to his first Birthday so that he can have his adenoids removed.

OK, so back to thinking......should I rename my blog? I don't really get to post during nap times anymore..? and if so, what shall I call it?


something to do with bingo? since my nickname is bingo bonnie and that is in the address line?

do I want to begin sharing more of my hostess activities from the HGTV quilter's board? That may be good. then swappers could tune in here for updates and photos.. they love photos!

speaking of HGTV board - we are on DAY 32 of the Fat Quarter Bingo!!! four groups of players are sitting on pins and needles!!! ((Pun intended hardy-har-HAR!)).........I crack my self up! :) We should have a blackout/cover all winner any day now... I'm calling 2 numbers each day.

and as of Tonight - Aaaa..ALLELUIA!!! My mini 9 patch Round 1 is completely swappitty, swap, SWAPPED!
Tonight around 11:45pm I FINISHED! all that is left is taping them all shut... but first I have to make a trip to the store as I always add a little something "extra" to all of my swappers packages. I like to be a fun hostess :)

and speaking of that swap - IT kicked my hostess BUT all over and then some!! I have never tackled anything so challenging! I have swapped noodles before (before twins) and that was always fun.. but this was different. Mainly b/c it was so large and also b/c this time I had more life interruptions and could just spend 3 days and be done.... plus there was the bingo going on too and all the packages arriving at the same time! I think round two will be better. :)

as far as my hostess experience goes -I am so glad i had some experience under my belt. With the noodles I use to host - my largest month of noodles I had 28 swappers send in 166 sets for a total of 996 noodles. That was when we did the Black/White theme.

.....I can't believe I don't have a black/white noodle photo to show you... sorry. I use to take photos of all of them laid out... but can't find where I saved that - that was last year...

well for ROUND 1 of our mini 9 patches (finish at 3") we had 50 participants sign up... but only 36 followed thru to swap (thank goodness!!!) b/c those 36 swappers sent in:

192 sets of 10/set blue mini 9 patches = 1920 blocks!!!

***AND ***

169 sets of 10/set BROWN mini 9 patches = 1690 blocks!!!


I'll do the math for you - that is 3610 blocks to swap out!!!!

I just for got to keep up with the hours, but if I had to guesstimate - I'd say I spent close to 18 hours collectively. On and off and on and off again... over the past month.

and I'll spare everyone the details of all the problems that occurred this month during my swapping... oh the stress! like i need more grey hairs...


but in the end it all worked out! :c) and I'm betting I get some return swappers again for Round 2 in June. We're doing it quarterly... currently, sign ups are closed at 35 swappers - but, I am taking names for wait list only......(((what was I thinking when I originally let the sign ups go to 50 people!!?^%$%&??)))

oh did I say June, yes June is the next deadline!!!! I better make announcement to my group that I plan to be on vacation to Kentucky for the 4th of July... so I will not be able to begin the swapping until after we return from our trip! note to self - tell them tomorrow!


I wonder if everyone will mail earlier? I wonder how many "super swappers" I'll have again...? (people who send in 100 blocks of each color)

WHEW! I'm just glad Round 1 is over and you can bet that I'll be skipping off to the post office either tomorrow **if my Best Friend can keep the kidos for me** or on Saturday for sure as I can leave all the kids at home with David while I go BY MYSELF! and I will have to treat myself to Dairy Queen to celebrate!


oh how I love ice cream -but that is a whole 'nother post! ;)


well, I guess that is about all for now - and I will leave you with a video at the bottom. I took it today just before time to leave to go pick up Nora from Preschool. The babies were at the dining room gate while I was in there working on the swap.


I know it is fun for you all to hear me as much as the babies - my accent? - grew up in Kentucky ;) Oh and Paul Thomas took his "FIRST STEPS" last night - not seen in this video but I wanted to share ;)


Thanks for letting me think out loud ;)


Love from Texas! ~bonnie

It's so crazy here - but I LOVE it! :)

Where have I been? What have I been doing??? Well let's just say - that I didn't post anything in March, b/c for me there was little to no time for blogging during my MARCH MADNESS Season here at my house. And I'm not talking basketball. ;)

I know that not so many bloggers really know me very well.. in fact i am willing to bet that i have more HGTV quilting members come take a look more often than the occasional blogger since I don't belong to any "blog rings."

Nevertheless,.... many of my online friends know me as "bingo~bonnie" and that's b/c I host a HUGE Fat Quarter Bingo each year on the HGTV board.

It takes me a few months to prepare for the super-dooper-blackout game. This year I began receiving packages in February and by game day (April 1st) I received just under 2400 FQs!~ Yes, you read that correct!! two-thousand, four hundred!!! actually the count is 2385 but I am gonna even it out to 2400 b/c it is easier that way ;)

This is our 3rd annual game. And for the first time, players were split into four groups each playing for a quarter of the jackpot! :) The first year everyone played together for 770 FQs.

Last year, everyone was split into two groups for 1600 FQs... and this year 2400!

Pictures... I know you are wondering where are the photos miss "bingo~bonnie"???? We wanna see your loot!

Well, for now, you will have to trust me - they are in the photo at the top of this post... all in those USPS crates and diaper boxes stuffed under my dining room table. I had to put them away for a while. After all, we won't have a winner/s for a few weeks - I only call 2 numbers per day. ;c)

For now, I have BIGGER and better things to work on - BIGGER??? what could be BIGGER than 2400 FQs????@!#@!

well, how about 3610 miniature 9 patch blocks???? Yep, call me crazy all right - I love a challenge... I am hosting a quarterly swap for mini 9 patches.. (finish at 3") I have so wanted to collect these and what better way to get a larger variety than a swap??? And I figure that I can get back into my swap hosting if I do it only 4 times a year - rather than the monthly noodles that I use to do before the twins were born. :)

However, the excitement really caught on for these mini cutie pies! We at one time had 50 swappers signed up but for various reasons several had to drop out b/c real life stuff is always more important than a swap :) and now I am so glad... b/c it is all a little overwhelming to me now. and i will be limiting future rounds to 35 or so swappers...

For round 1 we had 35 swappers contribute:

192 sets of 10 blue minis and

169 sets of 10 brown minis... = 3610 total minis!

and I do have photos to share of those... here is some of my progress:

Here are all of the packages..... from the swappers. and here we are at half way of preparing the packages - you would be surprised at how long it takes just to open everything up... all those baggies...

and now the swap has started! I even placed small packages in the windowsill behind the table.

and these are just the BLUEs! When I get these all swapped and bagged up I will only be half done and ready to get out the brownies... :)

OH what fun! so toddle-loo to all y'all... I have swapping to do! :) If anyone needs me I will be in the dining room for the next few days and nights! ;)

Love from Texas! ~bonnie