Aahh! Therapy!

I know that I'm posting this long after JudyL's Design Wall Monday - but yesterday like so many Mondays, there were just other things to accomplish and sewing wasn't one of them.  After picking up Nora from school and overseeing her homework, it was then time to quickly help get the kids changed for gymnastics so they'd have time to eat before their classes started.  I then spent the next 2 hours with them at the Gym, and because I promised them that if they did well during their class - as in pay attention to their teacher and follow instructions - that I'd go by McDonald's and buy them a dessert - it was 8:45pm by the time we made it home last night and just one look at my husband after walking in the door told him that "I had reached my limit of kid time."

They still needed their doses of antibiotics, and baths.... oh, did I forget to mention that last week Paul Thomas had ear ache pain come on strong one afternoon and so we found a Walgreen's Take Care Clinic and yes, he indeed had double ear infections and tested positive for STREP and so did Nora, Olivia and I. 

Anyway, back to last night....  David said, "I'll give the baths to the kids and oversee books and prayers, why don't you go do something for you..... go relax."  Well maybe not exactly those words... and maybe it wasn't his idea to even offer the baths ;) but in the end he obliged and all was good.  I got to spend some time "In Therapy" with my sewing machine and I made some blocks for charity. 

The double pinwheel blocks will be mailed to KC1930 for the HGTV Sunshine Quilters. She uses this "Louisiana" block often and makes up the cutest quilts for children. The other 2 at the top are for the April drawing for the www.BlockLotto.com and are called "Hot Cross 9-patch"

After I saw her post showing the blocks set on point I couldn't resist! Don't they look nice? And this setting only takes 13 blocks to make.  They are so easy to make!  Hope to make up a few more to increase my chances of winning ;) maximum is 9.  

http://www.blocklotto.com/2012/04/sophies-bakers-dozen/

So I'd say my therapy session was a success wouldn't you?  Tonight is swimming and *maybe* just *maybe* I can talk David into another night of overseeing baths???  Well I won't hold my breath.... lol but I do hope to do some more sewing and make more blocks for the BlockLotto.com

Love from Indiana!

Sunshine Quilter ajne sent in some String Blocks!

We were in KY all of last week - it's our tradition to be "home" for the 4th every year. :)

While we were away our mail was on hold and I couldn't wait to see what had come while I was away. The first package I opened was from "ajne" who is a HGTV Sunshine quilter. She sent me 3 more pink and white string blocks that I'm collecting on behalf of the group to send into Sue at HeartStrings.

and thanks to Paul Thomas I now have lots of "natural light" here at the kitchen table for photo taking... :( His lesson of "DON"T touch that or it will BREAK" probably set us back $100 when we decide to have them replaced... b/c several of the blind slats broke. :(

Love from Texas!

Lots of mail to report!

More swap blocks!!! You're looking at a pile of 50 scrappy 4 patch blocks as a matter of fact ;)

This weekend's mail brought a package from a first timer (with me) and boy oh boy -are these delicious!!! Very scrappy! ;) If I could hand select 1 or 2 to keep it would be so hard, b/c they are all sooooo cool. Guess I'm gonna have to get on the ball to make my own 20 sets for this swap so that I can have one of each ;) LOL or nearly....

Thanks yellowbee for participating in my swap! ;)

and guess what - remember how recently I was braggin on crocheted wash clothes - well.... waat to know something else I love that is crocheted? Tea Towels that are crocheted at the top! and again, I do not know how to crochet... but have been gifted a few of these over the years and no matter what the decoration or season on the towel, I use them all the time!

ESPECIALLY since I DISCOVERED they are PERFECT for using in the half bath downstairs!!! No more towels on the floor or running off with a wild child down the hall and into the den! :) Button one onto the towel bar above the toilet and WAAaaa - Laaa! ;) Perfect! The blue one came off today to go into the washer and up went the NEW tan/fall colored one with the "GOLD" fancy button... :)

Thank you yellowbee for sucha nice gift. You certainly did not have to - but I'm so glad that you did :)

Also, in the weekend's mailbox were these! I received HeartStrings blocks from sunshine quilter char77 :) Love these pinks & whites together!

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Today's (Mon) brought a small box... with more swap blocks! ;) Weee this is so fun! Here are a few little sneak peeks for all of ya too ;)

Inside the top of the bag was this little note saying that those 7 blocks were for MEEEeee! :) I ♥ leftover blocks!!! TY♥TY♥TY Weasie for the extras - always a hostess' favorite gift. Below is a look at the 10 sets that she sent in. Mmmmmm! Weasie is also a 1st time swapper with me ;)

and just like over the weekend, there was also a package of string blocks with the swap blocks.... ;) take a look at what I found when I opened up the envelope from Faye....

What a kind note!! Thank you so much Faye... you taking the time to write me a little note means so much to me! So many times when I mail to other hostesses, I'm too rushed to write even anything - yet I do know how lovely it is to receive such a note and read it here on my end. Shame on me for not doing better... I'll try harder next time I mail to anyone. ;)

Your blocks are perfect for this project. Thank you!

Today during nap time - both Nora and I spent some time being creative....

She spent time creating a photo with makrers on her Glow Dome Doodle thing that MiMi bought her for Christmas last year. The only place downstairs that she can go see it in the dark is the half bath off the hall... ;) and yes... she's still in her PJ's - it's her 3rd week of summer but the FIRST Monday to stay at home all day! 1st week of summer she had swim lessons and last week Creativity camp each day 8am - Noon.... so yeah this week we're staying at home and working on teaching the twins to GO Potty "ON & IN" the Potty..... today was day 1 and I can't even begin to tell you how challenged I felt. More like DEFEATED! but that is a whole 'nother post....

Nora wasn't the only one being creative.....when I was upstairs getting the twins down for nap time, I stopped by the scrap bin in the guest room and dug out these..... I've put off making a name badge long enough for my new to me QUILT GUILD ;) This Thursday will be my 3rd meeting which is the due date to have made my own "stitched name badge" With these scraps I had 3 different ideas in mind.....

and once I got started, I ended up coming up with this... still need to finish stitching my name before going any farther... but I chose a 1930's scrap to frame the name... "secondary colors purple, green and oranish/red" and then framed it with a dark chocolate brown background fabric with pink and green owls... I do keep late hours up all night... Whooo me? LOL I do want that whole owl on the left to stay... but thinking I'm gonna trim some off the other 3 sides... trim or fold to the back...?

oh and guess what I got about a week ago? a netbook - mini laptop! It's so light I can easily hold and carry with only using ONE HAND! :) perfect for on the go... I don't plan to "work" on it - just read email and blog hop. ;) It was nearly free... using the $300 Best Buy Gift card that we got as part of the negotiation when we bought the new TV Cabinet at the Furniture store Mother's Day weekend last month. ;) We've had it a week but today was the first time I turned it on! David took it with him to Galveston last week and we were able to Skype video call each other each night. :)

Well I guess this post is long enough for now. I hope to report back soon with a finished name badge... if I don't have it to wear this week - I will not be eligible to win a door prize. I'm really looking forward to going Thursday ;) I got an email that they will be taking photos of new members for their directory! Weee!!! Someone remind me to wear makeup again OK? :P LOL

Love from Texas!

Mail Call - More pretty pink strings have arrived!

Sunshine blocks from Angela C are here! Aren't they so feminine?

Thanks so much for participating!!
These blocks are gonna look so awesome together with the others I've already received!

Love from Texas!

String blocks from terrimae

b-bonnie, just wondering if the package I sent was ever received???

terrimae - good news!! I DO have your blocks that you sent! I found them last night in the box of strings and thankfully I had left them in the bag with your name/addy card so I knew they were from you. sorry I missed posting a photo when they came. Just took one now and uploading form the camera.

sorry about the delay in reporting -but they are here!!!

MAILCALL - form HGTV Sunshine quilters

I'm the hostess for June and I'm collecting pink/white strings around a center white strip and am gonna donate to Mary & Sue over at the HeartStrings Quilt Project.

These were made by bradleysmom

and these were made and mailed by elainetoo who also had a few others that measured up smaller but she sent so that maybe they can be used in a pillow - or on the backing side...? I'm sure they will get used up - Thank you Elanietoo! ;)

and here is a look into my dining room - Geesh! The bingo fabrics have been gone over a week now and I still haven't gotten my rear in gear! Someone strike me with a wet noodle!

Love from Texas!

Strings in the mailbox

KC1930 sent me another package today in the mail - this time of two blocks that she made on behalf of Quiltbea ;) Thanks ladies! Love that team work!

Joan's Pink Strings are BEAUTiful!

Charmingsister, your package of Heartstring blocks for Sunshine Quilters arrived one day last week and I have to confess ....... they sat on the front passenger’s seat of my mini van for 2 or 3 days before I brought it into the house. Oops.

I just took their photo and I have to tell you - when I choose pinks around white – THIS is exactly what I had in mind. ;) soft pinks… thank you so much for making extras to send in on behalf of sunshine member PvilleLou!

I love that about the HGTV Sunshine group - if there is a month that you don't really care for or no time to complete - just give a shout out on the message board and chances are in the same day someone will speak up and volunteer to make extras on behalf of you in trade off for her making another month's blocks for you. ;) Pretty cool ea? The Sunshine group is a very relaxed group that works together to make blocks to mail to a different hostess each month - who then uses the blocks to make and complete a quilt and donate to a charity of their choice.

In my case of choosing string blocks for my hostess month - the past 3 years (since having the twins) I've chosen to collect blocks and mail them into Sue at Heartstrings on behalf of our group. in the past couple years, I've sent in over 100 blocks at a time to them.

We’re going to be donating lots of lovely pink around white blocks to http://heartstringsquiltproject.com/ later this summer!

Thank you!

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!

A Quilt for Rachael & She loves it!

It's not that often I gift anyone a quilt...at least anymore....

Most times in the past, I've been heart broken to put in so much time and thought into my gift to then not even receive as much as a Thank-you! Shocking I know but it's true. I can name off over a dozen that I've made and given away and not a single thank-you.

However in August, I was finishing up two quilts that I had made from blocks made and donated from my online "Sunshine Quilters" group = where we together make quilts to donate to any charity of our choice... and as I was finishing them up two very special girls that I know came to mind. And rather than just give to a charity group I thought I'd give these two deserving girls I know a gift...

One of them being my cousin's daughter - Rachael who is a college student at the same college David and I went to - Western Kentucky University. It is very hard to believe that the little adorable flower girl at our wedding is now studying to be a nurse! Where has the time gone?

So you can bet I was so pleased that she contacted me after she got it with the following notes and photos :) I'm so glad I choose to give this to her... Rachael has done so good with her life thus far. She lost her momma Jane, to cancer when she and her brother were both so very young. Often times I've thought of them in my own loss of my mother. I was 24.. but they were both under 10 years old!

Anyway, I thought I'd share here for all of you to see what a beautiful girl Rachael is :) She has one of the brightest smiles! :) :) :) I'm so proud of her!

Bonnie Bonnie Bonnie, OMGGGGG!!!
you are way to much! thank you so much for my quilt. you have NO CLUE how much that means to me and how special it is to me now. You are far too kind. Its beautifullll!

I don't think face book is a correct way to express my gratitude for it, so could you give me your number and i could call you?? whens a good time to call?

I have some pics of me with my beautiful quilt.. my roommates helped and it kinda turned into a photo shoot! ha so you can take a pick from them and get the ones you want.. ha i hope you like them. I LOVEEEEE IT.. if you cant tell by my huge smile in the pics..ha I love you!! hope these work! they're kinda funny.ha

Thanks Rachael for the messages and photos - you have touched my heart with your beautiful smile. Your momma in heaven is SO PROUD of you!!! :)