Christmas Postponed

Oh I am so happy with how this turned out I have to share this with you first! Over the weekend, I was able to get a few alone hours in the sewing room (without Nora) so now I can share a photo of the finished round robin with you - the last two sides were assembled and attached and I mailed it off yesterday!!! It was so windy out and after about 25 clicks of the digital camera I finally got one without it flapping in the wind! Thank goodness for digital cameras and not having to waste film!

Well David is back at work today after being off for the holiday Monday & yesterday. It was so nice for him to be home with us - Nora really enjoyed his playing with her all day. They needed that time together and I hope they can get more time like that together to bond more before the twins arrive. Nora is such a Mommy's girl it is not even funny. Sweet but annoying at times b/c she won't let David do stuff for her and he so wants to be the "Super Dad" - but most times she won't let him.

Christmas for us wasn't anything special - just being together at home and taking it easy. We thought of our families in Kentucky and called them. Seems like this year we were the only ones who didn't come home.... but we were just there 10 days for Thanksgiving so that isn't so bad. We just can't afford to go twice back to back - I rather spread out the visits. Perhaps next year we will do Christmas in KY instead of Thanksgiving? I did make a Happy Birthday Jesus cake on Christmas day. Nora even got to help with the icing :c)

Poor little Nora hasn't opened a one of her Chirsmas gifts yet - see, we wrote Santa a note and asked him to pass us over Sunday night and if it wouldn't be too much trouble to return Thursday night instead. Tomorrow David's mom, Kathy, and Grandma, Corrine, will arrive from KY. We have to drive to Houston to go pick them up tomorrow afternoon so we will have Santa come tomorrow night. Nora is only 2.5 yeas old so she doesn't know enough yet to know the difference. However last night it occurred to me that probably every child in the country except Nora received their Santa already......

So today being Wednesday on the calendar - it feels like a Monday to be b/c David has been at home with us. Weeks like this get me all confused on what day it is.... but we are trying to get back into our routines. Today we will go to the Post Office, to the grocery and then return our books at the Library. I have a feeling Nora will have to recheck her "Sam I am" book - actually the title is "Green Eggs and Ham" and had I known she was gonna love this book so much I would have searched for it for a Christmas gift but I do not have time today to go to the store with all there is left to do to prepare for family arriving tomorrow... I am sure after we run our errands, Nora will be more than ready for a nap and I am not about to take a 2.5 year old into Wal-Mart who needs a nap! (Been there & done that!)

Speaking of preparing - I have to brag on my dear husband. Yesterday David ran the vacuum all over the house for me!!! Both down stairs and upstairs! Then he also moped the kitchen floor (one of the two cleaning tasks I hate to do!) Being pregnant the cleaning chemicals really do a number on me and so he helped me out by moping the floors and even promised to clean the downstairs toilet for me tonight (the #1 cleaning task I hate to do!) Isn't he a sweetheart!!?!! I love him so much for helping me out!!!

While he was busy doing that I ran to the Post Office alone - no Nora with me! woo hoo! :c) Then when I got home, I attempted to tidy up the computer desk - it stays such a mess!!! I also cleaned out sewing stuff from the guest bedrooms. I have swap stuff in the small guest room and had to get it off the bed and dresser in there to make room for family to feel at home. Then the larger guest room is my sewing room and it took the longest to clean up - but I think they will be able to be comfortable in there now. Both beds have been stripped down and sheets washed and are in the dryer now. I still have several loads of laundry left to do today and tonight before the in-laws arrive.

I have cleared off crafting stuff from the dining room table and it is ready to set - however I will wait to do that after the family arrives and we are ready for our meal - as I do not trust Nora with dishes left on the dining room table anymore. Use to she wouldn't bother it and the dining room stayed looking so pretty - it made me smile to see the table set all the time... but those days are over for a while anyway.

Christmas is just around the corner!!!

Well Christmas is just around the corner and we still are SO NOT READY!!! David's mom and grandmother are coming the week after and staying thru New-Year's with us here in TX.... so on top of all the last minuite details of Christmas preperations, we are getting ready for guests too! This weekend we need to help Santa get his stuff prepared - the last time I spoke to him, he had not located the 3 itmes on Nora's wishlist!!! (eek!)

Here are a few more photos of ornaments I promised last week. I just haven't had time to sit down and post until now...sorry.

In the photo to the left is a NOEL wreath that I made when I was about 9 or 10 in Girl Scouts. It was so fun painting the letters and creating my own design for each letter. Also in that photo is a crocheted angel made by Momma Newt.



Here you see a very special angel given to Nora last year from David's Aunt Connie. It is made by Lenox™ and is personalized with Nora Anne's name. It has been crafted in the classic Lenox tradition of hand-painted ivory fine china accented with 24 karat gold. We hung this one very high up on the tree of course :c)



In the background is one of about 7 "Baby's 1's Christmas" Ornaments that Nora received her first Christmas. Up-close is a crocheted angel holding a bell that was made by Momma Newt. I was very young when she crocheted these types of ornaments - she made stockings and snowmen too like this angel. I remember each year, she would let me have 1st pick of her homemade ornaments – this year I choose one stocking and one angel. :c)


Here we are - our first year as a snowmen family :c) The year before when I was pregnant, the same lady made an ornament with David and I and she made me have a very pregnant belly :c) it is so cute - but I forgot to take a photo of it. Next year we will have to have another made to include the twins!


Hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas together this weekend! :)

Love from Texas, Bonnie

A closer look at a few favotires

Yesterday I mentioned I would try and get a few closeups of our favorite ornaments and post a few each day. Here are three ornaments that I love:

Here is one of the oldest ornaments I have that I made. When I was about 2 years old a teenager named SueEllen, helped me make this while my parents took square dance lessons. It is a starafoam ball with a peal and stick santa sticker and hangs with a red bread tie. So if I were about 2 when I made it - that would make this ornamnet 30 years old!

Of all the ornaments my husband thinks it is the uglyest and if he pulls it out of the box before I do you can bet he is gonna hang it in the back facing the wall.

This one is my very - very - most special ornament. It is a photo holder of my grandmother, "Momma-Newt". She was the only grandmother I ever had in my life and she made many beautiful quilts and even Christmas ornaments for me. I always place her near the top and center of the tree because she is my angel :)

After she passed away in 1995, my dad gave me her sewign machine and little by little my quilting began. I only wish she could see what I have acomplished. :)

I will try and take a few photos of some more of the ornaments she made tomorrow. Below is a snowflake ornament she made.

This is just one of many snowflakes that I have made by Momma-Newt. My mom and I divided them out the year I took my ornaments. I so wish I could have gotten the others after mom died... but I didn't. Instead they were sold in a yard sale.

Also you see one of about 50 candycanes that David and I made together in our dating years. Only one year of my life have I had a real live Christmas tree - he was working at Kroger and his boss gave him a tree. He brought it to my home and we made these homemade ornaments and also strung popcorn for the first time to use as garland. However it took FOREVER to just get a strand long enought to go around the tree once, so being the typical teenagers we were, we gave up and went to the movie theatre instead. Later that night after our date, David brought me home and there was our tree decorated with our ornaments and lots and lots of popcorn garland!!! My mom had continued stringing popcorn while we were on our date. :c)

Getting back into the sewing mood - Round Robin

Today I got back into the sewing mood despite all the laundry I still need to get caught up on!! It all started out as a sewing room cleaning and before I knew it - it was already 11:30am and Nora and I were still in our PJ's :cP I had 4 plastic boxes I had bought at Wal-Mart that I gathered up supplies for different projects and organized each one into it's own box and labeled them. I have seen photos where other quilters do this and it seems to work for them so I am gonna give it a try. I need to purchase a few more though... but I don't want too many. Maybe a total of 10-12 and then that will motivate me to finish up one of the projects before beginning anything else.

Speaking of finishing up - I have decided for the coming year nothing new will get started! I am only going to work on things I have already started. I have many blocks from swaps that I participated in this year from HGTV.com's quilting board plus several other quilts started not to mention a few aging UFO's. My goal for next year is to mark off those items listed in my left hand side bar!!! :)

After David came home for lunch, Nora and I headed back upstairs. (he didn't even make a comment that we were both in PJ's still - guess he didn't think it was safe since I have been so moody lately with this pregnancy LOL) I was so pleased with Nora being able to entertain herself all day in the same room. The second part of the day she spent squirling small toy items into the sewing room's closet and playing with them in there. She would talk to herself and sort items on the bottom shelf and then into a cardboard box....It was like she had her own little club house.

Although I really wanted to get back in there to reorganize the sheves, I let her have the closet since she was so content and used the time to get the guest bed cleared off. That is the only thing I don't like about my sewing room - it has a queen size bed in the center of the room :( which is a chatch all. Yes, it is great for laying out projects and adding boarders adn pinning but most of the time it is covered with too much stuff for that - so today I got it mostly cleared off so I could use it.

Around 3pm we took a book reading break and I was able to rock both Nora and I to sleep. I woke up and put her in her bed and although I really wanted to go to my own bed I thought it would be best to use this time for some sewing since it is nearly impossible these days when Nora is awake. After an hour or so later - ta-da! I was able to add two sides to my current Round Robin! :-)

I debated and debated on rather or not to share a photo of this RR. But since I have not given out my blog address to anyone I know from HGTV I think it is still pretty safe that the owner of this quilt will not discover it here and ruin her suprise. This quilt will go back to the person who made the center.

When I first received the quilt I had no idea what to add to it - (normal response to each of the Round Robins I have received this year. LOL) But the longer I looked at it, I came to the conclusion I was just gonna have to "cheat" and use the 4" finished squares like the center and then add a note to the owner that she could come back and add her origional applique work on top of it if she desired. Now, after the first two sides have been added on - they look perfect and honestly I can't imagine anything else that I could have added that would have looked any better! :c)

This RR top is huge compared to the others I have worked on... guess beacuse we are nearing the end. Our group is the lap size group but this one will be able to fit a bed for sure after the next person addes their round. I think it only has one more to go to before beign returned in January to the center person...???....

OK, yes this is the same room I described as cleaning up earlier this morning... I know it doesn't appear to be cleaned up but it is. The little desk infornt of the quilt isn't my cutting table. I just have a spare cutting mat on it to protect it for when Nora wants to do her writting while I am in there. I usually have it centered on the wall but had to use it to stand on for pinning this up to the wall for the photo. One day I would like to make this wall space between the doors a design wall. The bed is holding squares for the other two boarders laid out. I hope to get them sewn into 9 patches tonight after Nora's bath and bedtime. :c)

It feels good to be back in the sewing mood again! And to have a photo to share with all the other quilters who I love seeing their photos on their blogs! Maybe one day I will be quilty enough for one fo those web rings... one day...

ok good it worked - but the date is wrong...?

ok the previous post was a test post before I get carried away in some long detailed entry and loose it. I just posted it not 5 minutes ago but the date says December 4th??? and today is the 12??? odd. Oh well at least it let me post!!! and I am grateful!

Today was a busy day for Nora and I. We had our monthly MOPS meeting this morning at my church. I am the chairperson so there is a lot of preparing to do each time. I kept telling Nora she was going to MOPS today and named over all the kids in her class trying to get her excited about going but when we got there she did NOT want to go in her classroom. I could hear her wailing for about the first 30 minutes of the meeting but then she settled down. It is her only time to be away from me - 2 hours, once a month and it about breaks her little heart. But she and I both need that separation time.

Our meeting theme was "Perspective" today and it was a great topic for the Christmas season. We had two new moms join us for the first time this month and I think they had a good time and will be back with us in January. This MOPS is a brand new outreach ministry at our church that just started this October and so far we are a very small group but little by little we grow. Every time I am at the park I try and invite any mom I see that has a child ages birth - 5 years old and so do the other members. So far we are up to 11 members and the 2 guests today. The MOPS group I came from in Georgia had 60-80 moms in that group but it was also a much larger city. I would be tickled pink to have 25-30 moms and eventually we will get there.

For our craft today, we made "I-Spy" bags for our children. Last week a few of us got together at my home with our sewing machines and made up the bags using fleece and clear vinyl to make them and sew along 3 sides. Today after everyone filled their bags with their items then we had two sewing machines to whip the 4th side shut.

The filler for the example was a mixture of rice and clear beads. One of our moms on the planning committee was very concerned about using rice b/c what if the "I-Spy" bag ever become wet then it would be ruined. However buying all the "I-spy" items wasn't cheap to do and since rice was on sale 5lb bag for $0.99 we thought that would be the best thing to use. But this mom thought of the idea of using bean bag filler pellets so she brought those today to use too.

I made two bags and used rice as my filler in one bag and the pellets as the filler in the other. I didn't sew either of mine shut yet b/c I goofed up!!! I will fix them in the next day or so and
close them up here at home.

In the "rice" bag - I added too much rice and you can't move the items around to find the "I-Spy" items. I need to take about 1/4 of the rice out and then it will be like it should be.

In the bean bag filler bag - I wasn't happy with how the static caused them to all stick to the plastic window so I didn't close it up either and here at home I will remove everything and then fill up with either rice or go buy my own clear beads using a 40% off coupon at JoAnn's.

There are all sorts of neat items in these bags....but you have to be holding them and wiggling them around to see them. There are slots on the back sides for index cards and I will type up a list of what I put in them so that later on you can pick an item to search for.

Some of the items include:

$1.00 bill - domino - dice - feather - army man - sea shell - fireman -dolphin - hair clip - bowling pin - snake - frog - school bus - crayons - eraser - marble -match - penny - ABC letters - star - fall leaf - even box top points from the food boxes! :) and lots more. I think I had over 50 items in each of my bags.

We had lots of extras left over and plan to make up more bags with what we have an possible buy more and then sell the "I-Spy" bags as a fundraiser to have some money for our MOPS group. I think people would pay $10-15 for these. Don't you? They make great "quiet toys" for children to have to look at during church or in the car. Of course we will have to find a way to buy filler beads in bluk so that we can make a profit. or use rice... and when we make more I would like the square window to be on point... ideas - ideas! :c)

urgh!

I know it has been forever since I posted last - but it isn't b/c I have not been trying to!!! Here goes my 3rd attempt for this afternoon.

(xxxxxCROSSING FINGERSxxxxx)

ok, I did the upload switch thing although I don't completely understand it or why it was necessary. I am really not a computer techno person. I hope that is not my problem...

ok I am gonna include a photo of our Christmas tree as a test. That seems to be my problem - when I go to attach a pic I loose everything... :PThis year I debated on doing the decorating while Nora was asleep. When we were home for Thanksgiving she never once bothered the tree at my dad's home. I had feared if she saw us putting it up and she started to help then after it was done each day she would go about helping to redecorate. However, because it is an artificial tree and takes so long to put together there was no way we could have done it all after she was in bed unless David and I wanted to pull an all-nighter and we didn't so we did it with her help.

Any of the lights that wouldn't work I threw over onto the floor and she had a ball playing with them and even a few times stuffed them into the tree "helping" - it was cute. We did wait to put on the ornaments until after she was in bed. I think that worked out good. So far she hasn't taken any of them off.

I had thought our tree would look top heavy because we were putting all breakables waist high and higher but in the end it all worked out pretty good and the ornaments don't look to loaded down at the top of the tree. Nora loves all the Disney character ornaments the best. And I have a few ornaments with photos in them and they have caught her eye.

Also this year, we didn’t put the tree in the computer room/living room at the front of the house facing the road. It was there last year and I so missed seeing and enjoying the tree last year because it was in a different room from where we spent most of our time as a family so we put it up in the den this year. So what if people from the road can’t see it this year – it’s not like they could even see the cherished childhood craft ornaments from passing by anyway and this year we can! :c)

David and I really do love our Christmas tree and all the ornaments. It is too bad they don't show up good in this photo. Perhaps I can try to take some close ups of some favorites and share in the coming days....? I'll try. ;c)

I should know better than to procrastinate!!!

I know better than to put something off that can be done now – but for some reason I still am the world’s procrastinator!!! My Round Robin I am participating mail due date has already come and gone and I still haven’t finished my part! Luckily I am not the only one a little behind – our group is pretty relaxed as long as we keep the coordinator updated on our progress and give her an estimated mail date all is ok.

The person who is to mail to me is holding off until after I return from my Thanksgiving trip to KY so that is good…. Well anyway back to my procrastination – I had it out earlier this week and should have done more on Monday and Tuesday but didn’t… well a friend of mine came over on Wednesday with her 2.5 year old boy who loves to get into everything – there is no door he can’t open. My 2.5 Nora still can not open doors and I didn’t realize what a blessing that was until Jed was over and going into all bedrooms and closets and the refrigerator and even outside… Anyway when he and his mommy were here on Wednesday we were all downstairs or so I thought – the baby gate was up in front of the stairs to keep my friends 11 month old off the stairs… anyway my husband walks in from work then goes to the den with the children while my friend and I are chatting in the kitchen… and my husband says, “Um, do you know Jed is walking around with two of your quilting pins???”

WHAT? We go running in there and sure enough he has one in each hand and apparently he had climbed over the baby gate went upstairs to the sewing room, then returned downstairs with two pins – climbing the gate again all the while we thought he and Nora were watching Dora! Oh my goodness, so glad he was ok! His mommy packed him and his baby brother up and went home soon after that.

Well yesterday while I had laundry in the washer I went up to the sewing room to spend a few hours finishing up my Round Robin. I sat down and sewed row 1 and row 2 of a 9 patch together – not a big seam… and before I got to the end the bobbin ran out! :P I hate when I first sit down to sew and I run out of thread like that!!! But this time it was a BLESSING!!! I have a Bernina machine that doesn’t sit in a cabinet – anyway, I open the bobbin door to change out the bobbin and there are more than a dozen of my pins inside!!!!!!!! How on earth one of them didn’t get caught up in just the short amount of sewing I did is a miracle! I was able to pull 10-12 out but apparently there must be a part of my machine inside that is magnetized because there were 3 or 4 stuck inside that I could not remove! I would pull on them and the glass head part of the pin was stuck and then when I let go it would make a twang sound and snap back in place. I have a feeling that some 2.5 year old discovered this twang and thought it was neat and continued doing it on Wednesday. However I have no proof that it was him. My daughter likes to play with the bobbin door too opening and closing it a dozen times when I am pressing seams – she thinks it is her turn to sew when I get up from the chair. But she is only in that room when I am in there b/c she can not open doors yet, and I would think I would have noticed her doing that.

So now there is no way I can finish my Round Robin before leaving tomorrow!!! I meant to get David to take a look at it with his needle nose pliers last night but he didn’t come home until late and I forgot. I will ask him to take a look at it tonight and see… I have sent the Round Robin coordinator an email. I feel like I am in 8th grade and don't have my book report done on time and the teacher is not gonna have any mercy on me. If David can not fix my machine tonight then it won't get done until after we return on the 27th... much later than the mail by due date!


I am so excited about going home to Kentucky for Thanksgiving. My dad and step mom are picking us up at the air prot in Nashville tomorrow afternoon. It will be a 3 hour car ride home to KY and I hope I don't let the cat out of the bag about the twins during the small talk on the way home. I really hope to be able to get my Dad and step mom to read Nora soem of her story books on video "so she will be able to watch PawPa and MawMa anytime on video" and then after the 1st or 2nd book have them read the "I'm a BIG Sister book" to Nora!! :) Probably we'll do the same thing with David's family too. :)

I hope all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving with your families. This year will be much better for us for sure! Last year we didn't go home and knew no one here to eat with so we just went to Ryan's Steakhouse and ate our turkey. David was so depressed not to have all of his momma's fixins! Never again, we will always go home for Thanksgiving to be with our families!! :c) Have a great weekend and a Happy Turkey Day!!!

Love from Texas!
~Bonnie

I tried to make a long story short - GOOD NEWS!

I don't even know where to begin b/c none of you really know me or my history... so I will try to keep this not so long but still give you enough details. ;c)

I know it has been a while since I posted last, but things here have been in a whirl wind lately. We found out a week ago that I am pregnant!!! A week ago Saturday I took a First Response test and the two lines turned hot pink immediately!!! It didn't come as a total surprise, b/c we were trying with help of fertility drugs, but at my October treatment month my body over stimulated and here I thought we were skipping treatment for November b/c of traveling for Thanksgiving……. Well here goes the story…

Getting pregnant is not an easy thing for us. I have PCOS which is the number one cause of infertility in women. My body doesn’t ovulate eggs on it’s own. When I was younger, (before marriage) I usually only had a period about 2-4 times a year and once went 18 months without a period. After marriage we waited 2 years and then tried on our own for 4.5 years with no luck before going to a reproduction specialist where we got help and did treatments for 10 months before getting pregnant.

We were running out of time, and options (they usually only let you use th edrugs for 6-7 months) and I was close to running out of hope and faith that I would ever become a mother before we got pregnant with Nora. David and I told our doctor from the very beginning that we only wanted help in getting by body to release eggs…. That artificial insemination or IVF In-vitro fertilization was not an option for us. (We are Catholic.)

Ok, enough about the history – this year we decided we were ready for baby number 2 and this time last year were making plans by weaning Nora from breastfeeding in November b/c that was a requirement to have her weaned for 6 months before going on the meds I would need to conceive. We were very lucky to find a Reproduction specialist that is covered in our medical plan and who also has a satellite office she comes to every Wednesday about a 30 minutes drive from our town so that saved us lots of travel! Her main office is in Houston.

When we first started seeing her all she wanted to do at first was put me on a weigh loss plan – to loose 5% - 10% of my body weight. Come back in a month. Urgh! I did loose the weight but that took me 2 months to do it. I was so getting antsy to begin a real treatment! Finally at the end of September – early October we had our first treatment with fertility drugs! Yeah!!! Alright about time! I was thinking, let’s get started already b/c if it is anything like last time, I know it won’t work the first month and will possibly take 4 or 5 attempts.

Well, my body reacted much differently to the medicines this time! I over stimulated!!! And were told to abstain for 2 weeks and I went on birth control immediately in order to hopefully keep my body from ovulating in the next 3 days because I had a dangerous amount of eggs large enough and ready to ovulate (over 6 on each ovary!!) YIKES- 12 or more!!! So we followed the directions to the T and didn’t even make eye contact for two weeks, so we were both shocked to see two pink lines on the test Saturday morning. The doctor is so puzzled at how it all came about and to make a long story short, according to the measurements they took this week I was already pregnant before I went on the birth control by a few days and that is why when they did their pregnancy test at the office the day I did the ultrasound it was negative b/c it was just a day or two before.

So a week ago today, on Monday I went to the doctor’s office immediately. They don’t open until 8am but got my message and called me back at 7am and said get over here ASAP, so we did. B/c the doctor only comes on Wednesdays, we just got to speak to the nurse to try and figure out a conception date. I wanted so badly to see an ultrasound to see what we were expecting... or rather HOW MANY - but she would not do it and told us we would have to wait a few weeks. Luckily the following day she called and the doctor who comes in from Houston every Wednesday had a cancellation and was able to work us in on Wednesday so we could get a look at an ultrasound to see just exactly what was in there…. And we are having TWINS!!!


It is so exciting, but at the same time, I have to keep in mind that I am a high risk and need to take it very easy on my body so I can have a safe and healthy pregnancy. I was given strict orders not to lift over 5 lbs, which Nora (2.5 year old) weighs 28 lbs and does NOT understand and is having major meltdowns already about. I was also told to stay off my feet and I am only allowed to walk in my house – no grocery shopping, no trips to the mall or Wal-Mart. I am to only stand for 15 minutes at a time… plus I am so sleepy all the time!!

I haven’t even been on the computer much at all the past week. I still need to sit down and come up with an announcement email to share the “Major” news with friends back in GA…. maybe I will cut and paste some of this post – but will most likely wait until after we return form our Thanksgiving trip to KY.

We have only told our close friends here in TX, but not our family yet! It is so hard, but we are waiting until we go to KY for thanksgiving and tell them in person so we can see their reaction. We fly there this coming Saturday the 18th and will be with them thru the 27th. They are gonna be shocked! With Nora we told them over the phone b/c we lived in GA at the time... so we want to see their reaction this time. I am hoping to be able to tell each family during the Thanksgiving dinners we go to (both David's family and mine) when everyone is all together…. But it is so hard for me to keep a secret so I won’t be too surprised if I shout it out the first minute I see my dad at the airport!!! :c)

OH something cute to share – Before I knew about the stay off your feet rule, we went to Joann’s last Saturday the same day I took my First Response test… at the cutting table they have children’s books at the end of one of the isles which is smart b/c we always have to wait. Nora loves looking at them. Anyway she brought over a book to me and said read it ma-ma, read it. I look down and the title is “I’m a BIG Sister!” I was so shocked and happy and excited, I busted out loud and told everyone in ear shot distance what she had done and that we just found out that morning I was pregnant. DH looked at me like he could have killed me, it embarrassed him so – but I couldn’t resist!!! He said, I thought we weren’t telling anyone… I said, these people don’t know us, who are they gonna tell? And everyone busted out laughing. It was fun. :c) We may use the book in our telling our big news, not sure yet on the plan.

What I have been sewing on

A few days ago, Halloween I think it was... what ever day it was I posted the quilty list I had a note at the end of it about a project I was helping a friend complete... Well I didn't have a photo at the time of the blocks but now I do! :c)

I'm not sure what this pattern is called - it isn't so hard but was the most difficult of the three patterns so I was asked to work on it. It would have been nice if I could have been handed the project before the lightest fabric was all cut out - then I could have did it the easy way of making QST's and not have had to sew all those actual triangle pieces!!! :P I have 6 blocks complete and the rest are ready to put together I have the 3 rows of the 9 patch together and just have to assemble rows 1, 2 & 3 and they will be done.

Yesterday as I was clearing the dining room table to get ready for craft night, Nora was in there with me "helping" and before I knew it I had my back turned and she was under the table sitting ont he machine's foot petal! I shouted "No, Nora!" and she quickly got off but it broke the needle in the machine. I am so glad that no one was hurt! However the needle broke into all sorts of pieces and I have taken it apart - removed stitch plate and dusted and cleaned it all out. I think it will be ok but right now I do not have any other needles in the house so I will have to go to buy some more soon!!!

Hope all of you have a Happy Weekend!! I am so glad today is Friday!!! ~Bonnie

1st Thrusday = Craft Night @ my Home

For the past 6 months or so we have been having "Craft Night" at my home. It started out 1st and 3rd Thursdays and just recently became just 1st Thursday of each month. We meet at my home b/c I am the only one that has a formal dining room that provides room for 6-8 people to all sit together and do our thing. Most usually I do not have out a project to work on although there is plenty I could do - but I just like to be the helper. All summer long I was the seam presser for my friend Heidi as she worked on piecing her blocks for her 1st bed size quilt.

Last night was the first night that the sewing machine was not on the table. We did something totally different – we all rubberstamped! :c) Usually it's up to each person to bring their own thing but last night we all worked together on the same project. Five of us help head up a MOPS group at my church. MOPS stands for Mother's of Preschoolers. Well, last night we worked on a craft that all the moms will be doing at our next monthly meeting but we made them for the workers who watch after our kiddos while we meet. Here are photos of two of them we made last night for the workers:





– the photos are not good… couldn’t figure out if it was better to use a flash or not??? The popcorn celing reflection is showing in the glass - really behind the letters it is just solid black paper. The frames were from Wal-Mart for $3 not bad for a nice appreciation gift to the workers. :c) and I know the mothers in the MOPS meeting will love making their own last names later this month. :c)

Happy Halloween

I found this at http://www.extremepumpkins.com isn't it funny??? There are a few friends that come to mind when I see this image... LOL!

We went to a pumkin patch Sunday after church and carved a pumpkin that evening. Nora was so facinated by it all and she kept saying, "I wuuuvvvv orange pumkins Mommy! "I wuuuvvvv orange pumkins Mommy!" it was so cute!! :c) I tried to get her to feel the pulp and help me with cleaning it out but she would have no part of it! She didn't want to get messy. Tonight, when her pumpkin is lighted I will take a photo to share with you. Happy Halloween Everyone!!! Be safe! ~Bonnie

Quilting Meme

Today I was checking out some of my favorite blogs and found this on Nancy's Blog.

I haven't done as many of these - yet - but many are on my "to do one day" list ;c) I will have more items to bold one day! How many have you done?

Have You Ever?
1. Taken a quilting class
2. Paper pieced
3. Hand quilted
4. Hand pieced
5. Created your own pattern
6. Published a pattern in a magazine or book
7. Gone on a quilting retreat
8. Gone to a quilting convention 1st time last fall in Houston for a day :c)
9. Met someone who wrote a quilting book
10 combined your quilting with some other craft
11. Done any three dimensional quilting - like fabric origami
12. Made something using Thimbleberries fabric
13. Made something using batiks I have something started does that count?
14. Dyed your own fabric
15. Made a landscape hanging
16 Made a New York Beauty quilt
17 Made a baby quilt
18 Made a wall hanging
19 Made a journal quilt
20 Submitted your journal quilt for viewing
21 Made a fabric postcard
22 Made a artistic trading card (ATC)
23 Exchanged artistic trading cards
24. Mailed your own postcard
25. Made a lap quilt
26 Made a twin size quilt
27 Made a full size quilt
28 Made a queen size quilt
29 Made a king size quilt
30 Donated a quilt to charity one of the best feelings!
31 Sent a quilt out to a quilter
32 Thrown away a UFO
33 Given away a UFO
34 Cut up a UFO and made something else with it
35 Ripped fabric instead of cutting it all of my boarders are ripped.
36 Made a quilt exactly like the pattern, with no changes whatsoever
37 Done any Sashiko
38 Quilted your own quilt
39 Did free motion quilting
40 Put any embroidery or beads on your quilt
41 Given away your quilt to a stranger
42 Swapped fabric - I'm addicted to swapping fabrics!
43 swapped blocks - love swapping blocks too!
44 participated in a round robin - currently participating in one from HGTV.com quilting forum
45 participated in an ostridge round robin
46 kept a journal about your quilting
47 written a letter to someone who made an antique quilt
49 kept a blog about your quilting - that is my intention anyway
50 participated in a gift exchange
51 sent a quilting random act of kindness
52 joined a newsgroup about quilting - there are 8 groups I read
53 made a quilt using a pattern from quilterscache - love that site!
54 joined an online block of the month - joined and then dropped out
55 made a block of the month quilt - doing this with my LQS this year it is gonna be beautiful!
56 subscribed to a fabric of the month club
57 bought fabric at an online store
58 bought fabric from eBay
59 own more than one sewing machine
60 have a room dedicated solely to sewing
61 hide a fabric purchase - have been known to do this before
62 finished making a holiday gift before July
63 spent more than $200 in one quilt shopping trip
64 made a quilt using a book from the library
65 worked with someone else to make a quilt - this is "sew" fun to do!!! :c)
66. joined a quilt guild
67 become president of a quilt guild
68 taught a quilting class
69 helped someone else get the quilting bug - hehehehehe!
70 taught a child to sew
71 made a Dear Jane block
72 Made a miniature quilt
73 watch QNN - quilters news network - I even have a notebook I keep by the computer for taking notes... I call it my online classes! LOL
73 subscribe to a quilting magazine from your own country
74 subscribe to a quilting magazine from another country
75 buy fabric from another country
76 swapped completed quilts with someone else
77 asked for quilting help online - the HGTV quilting forum is wonderful for this!
78 gone to a quilt shop to ask for quilting help - when I am stumped on a Round Robin ;c)
79 bought fabric at a local quilt shop
80 traveled more than 100 miles to go to a quilt shop
81 used nontraditional fabric for a quilt - something other than cotton or flannel
82 made a quilt using instructions given to you on a blog - yes! I followed along on JudyL's instructions for Leaf Season
83 make comments on someone's quilting blog -not as often as I would like, trying to comment more :c)
84 meet a quilter in person after only having talked online
85 had a quilting retreat in your home
86 own quilting software
87 made a quilt you designed on your quilting software
88 done any quilt research - history, interviewing quilters, etc.
89 had any quilt related subject published anywhere
90 donated a quilt to a museum
91 bought a quilt from a thrift store
92 made a quilt using fabric from a thrift store - not done yet, but in the works, I have been purchasing men's shirts for the last few weeks on Monday's when they are only $0.50 each at the Goodwill ;-)
93 made a quilt using photos
94 made a pastel quilt
95 made a quilt using brights - Bento Box for charity
96 made a quilt using ethnic fabric from another country - African, Asian, etc.
97 made a quilt using leftover blocks from other quilts
98 had your quilt in a magazine, newspaper, newsletter, TV, etc.
99. submitted your quilt to a quilt show
100. won any ribbons with your quilts
101 had more finished quilts than UFOs
102 made a quilt using reproduction fabrics my BOM from the LQS is using 1930's :c)
103 took a break from quilting that was longer than a year
104 made money with your quilting
105 had a job in the fabric / quilting industry


I so wish I could bold #101 - and hope to be able to one day. I am still fairly new to quilting and must admit I start more than I finish. Why is that??? Today I have been reading a lot on the Stashbuster list in the topic "What will happen to your stash and UFO's when you die??" and it has made for some interesting conversation. I hope that is not something I have to worry about for many years to come as I am jut in my early 30's - but I guess I need to be more neat in keeping my projects together with the printed instructions in some sort of Rubbermaid boxes for "just in case". Also it may help me be more productive and save time in keeping them straight and organized.... perhaps I will buy 10 boxes and only allow myself to start a new quilt project if I empty one of the current boxes...

I haven't posted in a while - eek! and I know how I feel when I revisit my favorite blogs and see nothing new... it makes me wish I could call them up and say post something - I miss reading about your life!!! LOL I haven’t' really had much to post about.

I have not made any noticable progress on Leaf Season, since I last posted about it -I did make some orange leaves to go along with the ones I had already - still need some brown and pruple ones... who knows when that will get done. :(

However, I have been busy sewing on other stuff. I was recruited by a friend to help out her mother (who is not a garment sewer but NOT a quilter) to help out with a project for their ladies at church. I don't know all the details, but something to do with the ladies at church receiving quilt blocks as rewards of their service and things they accomplish during the year. The original coordinator of the project moved out of state and left it all up in the air. My friend's mom was asked to selvedge the project b/c the ladies really were looking forward to receiving the blocks.... so last week they shared with me a little about it - asking for help on how to more than anything... and after riding over to Ms. Kole's home to take a look I offered to help.

Each of the ladies at church will get a total of 12 blocks - 4 blocks of 3 patterns. It will be up to each of them to set together at the end of the year themselves. I took the fabric for the hardest of the three blocks home with me and have been working on them. Over the weekend I cut out all the pieces and have gotten to the point that all the units are sewn - they are at the 9 patch phase - just have to set those together. I don't have any photos to share, I need to get the camera charged and take some. They are turning out pretty, but I can't help think are these poor blocks ever going to make it into finished quilts if they are being made for people who do not sew or quilt??? At least I am doing a good dead for a friend's mom. My friend has done so much for me in the past year, it is the least I can do to help them out in this situation.

I Have Done...

OK - this is gonna be my "Fun Friday" Post - what I have done.. I found it off of Shelina's Blog while I was surfing around. Perhaps you have seen this already? Nora didn't take a nap today so gotta keep it short and sweet - maybe more later on tonight when she is in bed... Happy Weekend! ~Bonnie

I Have Done
Consider yourself tagged if you want to give it a go. All you do is copy and paste, then bold all the things you have done.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
9. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

I wonder if the person who made up this survey had actually done all these things. Some of these things seem like they would be interesting to do. Others, I would have no interest in doing. Probably would be interesting to come up with 150 things I have done. Someday....

Fun Time Friday

Well today, for "Fun Friday", Nora and I went to the park after the post office this morning. I wanted to do something fun for her since she didn't get to go to playgroup yesterday. My eyes are still bothering me from having the PINK eye (very sore still) - so I didn't risk going to playgroup.

Earlier this week I talked with Dad on the phone (he's in Kentucky) and he told me about the cool weather they have been having - highs in the low 50's and lows in the 30's!!! It was hard to believe that it is so cold there and all week our highs here have been in the mid 80's. Well, today the high was only 72 and this morning when we were at the park it was only up to 66 and a little windy. It felt great! Finally fall weather! :c)

We were the only ones at the park but Nora had fun all the same. We went to a smaller park b/c the larger one in town called "Lion's Den" is not as easy to get into right now. The local Lion's Club has their carnival all set up in town (by the BIG park) and tonight is opening night. Tomorrow from 4-6pm is kiddy hours and I think David and I are planning on taking Nora. She didn't get to go to it last year - it rained the whole weekend.

If we go or not will depend on how David wants to spend his weekend. I think he will want to but I will let him decide. He leaves Monday for a business trip to Indianapolis, IN and will be gone thru Thursday. Then the day he gets home is leaving again for a Men's ACTS retreat with church. He won't be home until Sunday the 22nd.

As always before he leaves, I will tell him to take a good look at my hair......because I might very well have pulled it all out before he gets home! :c) LOL That is our little joke b/c a week without a "Daddy Break" for Nora can be pretty stressful on Mommy!

Hope everyone has a Happy Weekend! :c) ~Bonnie

10/11/1905 - Happy Birthday Momma Newt

Growing up I only had one living grandparent. My Daddy's mother - Nettie Mae Page was her maiden name before she married my grandfather Walter Louis Newton (who passed away when my Daddy was only 23)

All day I have been thinking of her and thought I would share some memories of her here on my blog. On this day, 101 years ago my grandmother was born.

"Momma Newt" is what everyone called her. The oldest of the 18 grandchildren gave her that name and for decades that is what she went by. Even church friends and people from our small town in Kentucky all called her "Momma Newt". :C)

When I came along, the youngest of the 18 grandchildren, Momma Newt was always so worried that she would die before I was old enough to remember her. She was 69 at the time I was born. I guess that is why she took to spoiling me pretty good ;) and even gave my mother this Sunbonnet Sue twin size quilt when I was born.



She had made it growing up long before the days of electricity. So she had to use candlelight at nighttime. The blocks are made using flower sacks and she told my mom that she made it when she was a girl. I am guessing she was 9-12 at the time? She wanted me to be the one to have it since I was the youngest grandchild - the one before me was already 16 when I was born.. So my mom took the precious gift and we kept the secret all of my life so that no one else in the family would know I had such a special treasure. It was one of 2 quilts that my mom rotated on my twin size bed when I was growing up. I use to love to get Momma Newt to come look at my room when she visited and she would smile and say how happy it made her to see it on my bed and that she made it and had it on her bed too when she was a little girl like me! :c) (the SBS's are in each direction so that when the quilt is on the bed they are not upside down on one side of the bed)

Lucky for both of us she lived to be nearly 90 years old and I grew up having her in my life with hundreds of wonderful memories! I only regret that she could have seen me get married, but she died 2 years before. I was engaged already though, so she did know David before she passed away. :)

I wish I had a photo of her to share with you but don't at this time. My favorite photo was taken at Christmas time when I was 18 years old - and I was sitting in her lap! I gasp now thinking that I sat on a 87 year old woman's lap but at the time it was what she wanted for the photo.

You see, she had this tradition - b/c there were 18 of us grandkids... she had a thing with the number 18. With 23 great grand kids coming up and more on the way - she decided that 18 would be our cut off year for Christmas gifts so that she could keep up with the younger ones. So for our last year to get a gift = or rather our special 18th Christmas we got a hand pieced quilt top made by Momma Newt.

She called this pattern Birds in flight, although it doesn't look like any Birds in flight pattern I've seen while googeling it and looking for more information.... I have yet to find out it's official name. Do you know what it's called?? The blocks are put together with 4 trapezoids and a center square sorta like a "Spool" block would be made.

Anyway, what ever it's called... Cheers to you Momma Newt - Happy Birthday! - I love you and am so grateful I had you as my grandmother! I cherish all the wonderful memories you gave us!!!

progress report of Leaf Season

I had hoped to finally be catching up with all of you by now... when it came time for the alternating blocks for "Leaf Season" but b/c of my PINK EYE over the weekend, I lost precious quilting time!! I can't believe how many of you are done with their tops! Boy you ladies are fast!! The tops I have seen are all so B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!

Here is what I have so far. Just 3 colors of leavs so far. :( I really wanted to be done with all of these leaves so I could join everyone for the speed piecing of the other type blocks! ....(((I think we should have started with those first)))....

Last night I was feeling better from my pink eye so I cut up some orange fabrics and these will be my next few leaves. Only 32 leaves total... that means I have only 14 left to go...

Oh and look what I found at 40% off to use as my backing fabric and possibly a boarder. I know I said I was gonna wait and shop for it after the top was done, but dh was with me and he liked it so much he talked me into going ahead and buying it now while the bolt still had enough. :) I just love him!

It's been over 20 years!

It's been over 20 years since the last time I had PINK EYE - I was in grade school and only remembering having it once. Well I got my second taste of it this past weekend. :( The weird thing is, I don't know exactly where it came from. It could be from 1 of 2 things:

1) Nora had eye junk in her eyes early in the week but no pinkness or swelling or watering so I wasn't too concerned at the time - just figured she had some allergies going on... the junk in her eye went away after a day.

2) As I posted earlier I host a noodle swap each month and the ones I swapped out last Friday were PINK!- it had to have been those pink noodles I was looking at b/c I do not know of anyone who could have gave me PINK EYE!!! Next time I do anything pink, I will have to wear eye protection! :c)

It started in the left eye but the right eye got the pink eye too although I was SO careful not to cross contaminate. it happened anyway - Sunday night. I am much better now. Yesterday they had pretty much stopped tearing although still sore and hurts to blink. Feels like slivers of glass in my eyes when I blink... but not nearly as itchy and I can go an hour or so without having to touch them which is good = meaning I can get back on the computer and get back to swapping the string squares. Neither eye is swollen or pink today thankfully, although still sore.

Just to be on the safe side I didn't not go to Story Time today with Nora. Instead my friend Heidi came and picked her up and took with her two boys. So yeah! I am HOME ALONE!!! WOO hoooo! What have I done with my time you ask...

First things first, as soon as they pulled out the drive, I came in and ran upstairs and I took a looooooong shower and even shaved "BOTH" of my legs at the same time!!!! :c) Since becoming a mom, on days when Nora is awake when I shower it's the "every-other-day shaving routine" for me. :c)

I got dressed then started a load of laundry then took some photos of my leaves and came to sit down here and make a post :) aaaaah... it feels so good to be back checking in with all of you.

Quilt Pink

OK, so this is a week late but I thought I would share that I sort of participated in the Quilt Pink project this year. I didn't make a whole top, but I helped make a block. After seeing Mary's Pink Quilt at her blog
it gives me inspriation for next year! Her churn dashes are ADORABLE - twisting & turning all over the quilt top! Take a look if you haven't seen it already. (I still do not know how to make a person's blog name appear as just their name as a hyper link to click on....???...)

Here's my Snails Tail Block. My first time ever to use paper templates! I love the bright pinks from Moda that they selected.

I did make a block but didn't get to participate last Saturday in sewing the blocks together. I hope I get to see the final quilt after the top is quilted before sending in to Quilt Pink. We each paid $5 for a block kit (pattern and fabric) and made the block and when we turned it in we got our $5 back.

What a smart marketing plan for the store... b/c it ended up when I took my block to turn it in before the deadline - instead of walking out with my $5, I came out with a bag of fabrics and they kept my $5 along with about $40 more of my own! LOL

Time for the Noodle Dance!

Nora is napping, so that means it is time for the Noodle Dance! I have been hosting the noodle swap from the HGTV forum since March of this year. Each month we have a different theme and the participation has been great!

These are the noodles we have swapped already:
Mar - Paisley Fabrics
Apr - Florals
May - Let's dance the Polka! Fabric with Polka Dots!
Jun - I'm proud to be an American! (Red, White & Blue)
Jul - The Heat is On ~ BRIGHTS! (this one was really fun!)
Aug - Autumn in the Air - fall colors
Sep - Pink

upcoming months:
Oct - Batiks - the largest participation last year
Nov - Christmas Fabrics - small scale prints only!
Dec - Gimmie Some Bling-Bling! - Fabrics with sparkle, metalic, or shimmery in them.

The colors/themes are determined by a poll that i put up so that everyone can vote - I use their requests as the choices adn the ones with the most votes win ;) Seems to be working great this year. Who knows what is in store for 2007 but this is a very fun swap and I have several regulars, with a few that come and go - playing on ly on the months they want. It works out great for everyone.

In months past I have tried to remember to get a photo of all the variety before I begin swapping them out but most times I forget and only end up with a picture of the noodles I get to keep.

However this time, I did good - before swapping, I was smart and picked up "one of everything" off the top of each stack on the bed and took to the sewing room so that I could take a photo of them.

I also posted these photo along with closeups to the participants on the HGTV board - I hope it doesn't come back to bite me in the but if they begin posting their requests! I told them that this was not a noodle "menu" to order from, just a sneak peak while they wait.

I plan to get them all swapped tonight....if I am lucky I will take them to the Post Office tomorrow - if not they will mail out on Monday.

Once these are all bagged up, I can clear the bed and begin with my HUGE SWAP - the string squares! There are over 2000 of them!!!

Fun Friday

Firday's are my fun time in the sewing room. Usually I work on making string blocks for a one day quilt and ever since this past spring when everyone on the HGTV board decided to do a swap (which I am hosting) I have been busy nearly every Friday sewing on the blocks for that swap. The due date was 10/01 and as of yesterday ALL packages are RECEIVED! :c) Now I can begin the swapping process - more pictures to be posted soon of the groups.

Here's just some of my progress over the past few weeks. It is so fun to finally square them up, like giving a kid their first haricut - they look so all grown up! :c)

In the background you will see my noodles for September the theme was Pink so that when everyone receives them back in October it will go along with Breast Cancer Awarness month. I always wait to see how many total sets of noodles there will be and then cut enough of mine so that I get one of each from the swap. This time, we had a total of 68 sets swapped with only 3 or 4 repeats. The noodles will be ready to mail on Monday to everyone who participated.

ok, and now to begin a new "Fun Friday" tradition of my own here on my blog. I saw this weblink a while back and did a survey to find out just how much I am worth....and the result is.....

I am worth $1,990,410 on HumanForSale.com
..not that I would ever sell any part of my body... but fun to take the survey. How much are you worth do you think?

Happy Weekend Everyone!

An Hour A Day Project

The whole reason I started my blog was so I could participate and post along with everyone in Judy L's "an Hour A Day Project." And, I have been doing the sewing each day, just not posting anything yet b/c I didn't think I had made much progress to report. Most days even, I have spent more than an hour!!....although from my photos, it won't look like it.

Every day I check Judy L's blog to find out what our directions are and then read all the comments to see who's reporting progress... not too many responses yet I noticed. I am following: Ausie Quilter, Bonnie, who is way ahead, DubiQuilts, Getting Started, & Quilt Pixie. (Are there any others I have yet to find that are doing Leaf Season??? - If so please comment so I can take a peek :c) )

Today when I checked in, I noticed taht Judy asked How many of us are doing the project - so I guess I better stand up and be counted and give my progress report :c)

Monday I spent the day cutting. It appears to me that everyone else already got a head start before Monday. Several had already made some blocks and at least everyone had their most of or all of their cutting done! So I started off feeling behind. However, trying to stay positive, I reminded myself - this is not a race. :c)

Tuesday I started sewing some, I am more of a - make the whole block as you go type. I got stuck at the stem stage but later on found directions at www.quilterscatche.com for the stem part. I feel that I am such a slow poke at this but I will get my top done, just you wait! When we get to those blocks that are all the same, my needle will be smokin baby!

Because my plan is to use a mixture of red fabricss in my leafs, and a mixture of yellows fabrics.. and each color, I wan't able to just make "X" number of HST's because all my red leafs won't be using the same. Does that make sense? Here are the red blocks I completed. They are each unique and different from each other which I love.


Not knowing on how many of each color leaf blocks to make I stopped at 7 and moved on to my yellow fabrics. Yesterday and Last night I spent my time cutting and did get all the yellow HST's done and 4 blocks are laid out.

I can tell from Judy's pic she used several colors - light green, dark green, light purple, dark purple, golden yellow, orangy red, dark red... I just wonder how many of each color group she used so that I could have a better idea of how many of each leaf color to make. I will post a comment on her board and ask her so that she can advise me and also to let her know that I am one of the participants ;c)

Our Special Pet

In honor of St. Francis, I will share a few photos of my special pet. Jackson is our 7 year old Miniature Schnauzer, aka "first child." Soon after we were married we admired an aunt's schnauzer and had wanted to get one of our own. However, we waited until we were out of an apartment before getting a dog. We were living in Augusta, GA at the time, and drove over to a small town in South Carolina to go look at a litter of all girl puppies that were about 8 weeks old. Getting a dog would be David's Birthday gift. Little did we know when we drove up, that the smallest of the "big dogs" we saw running around in the grass would "Pick us" to go home with that day. He was just over 3 months old and the runt of his litter with a minor medical problem. No one had wanted him.
While we looked at the tiny babies, he kept nudging at our arms begging for attention. He looked so handsome too already being given his first haircut.... it was too hard to resist. :c) It wasn't long until we were considering him instead of the girl puppy we had gone to buy. The breeder let us have him at half price b/c he would need surgery (undescended testical and hernia removed.) On the way home we decided to call him "Jackson" b/c that is where we got him from - Jackson, SC! Jackson has been a wonderful dog to have and has brought us much joy and companionship. We love him and he is an important part of our family. Growing up I had many dogs thru the years, however b/c we lived on a farm along a busy highway we were never able to keep a dog very long at a time. Jackson is the most special pet I have ever had and I hope he is around for a very long time.
He has been great with our daughter and is the BEST "Big Brother Dog" in the whole world. Nora loves Jackson very much and often I hear her talking about him after she wakes up from her naps. I just wonder if she is dreaming of him. :c) Also just recently she has began playing with him like we do with her with the blanket on the sofa. She puts it over him and says, "Where's Jack-In?" and then pulls it back and says "Peek-a-boo, Jack-in!" It is SO CUTE!
Below is one of my favorite pics of Jackson. He was in the backseat of the car one afternoon with the sun coming in the sunroof just on him. He looks rather ragged b/c he had been sticking his head out the window earlier... but doesn't he look so serious.

Here's a prayer that you can bless your own pet with today:

Blessed are you, Lord God,
maker of all living creatures.
On the fifth and sixth days of creation,
you called forth fish in the sea,
birds in the air and animals on the land.
You inspired St. Francis to call all animals
his brothers and sisters.
We ask you to bless this animal.
By the power of your love,
enable it to live according to your plan.
May we always praise you
for all your beauty in creation.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.

Today is a Feast Day

St. Francis of Assisi, lover of all creation, champion of justice, patron saint of animals and the environment, founded the Franciscan Order. His feast day is today October 4th.


Peace Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life

adding photos

ok, well I guess they are not going to appear. That is odd. I hit the photo icon and selected the photos just like I have done before... and waited for them to load - which they did successufly... but never did they show up in my post or preview. Does it matter if I am in Html mode or compose mode? Does one work better than the other? What is the differece?

I even triend going back and editing the post to add them in but it didn't work. So maybe if I start a new post I will have better luck??? We'll see...

Here is the "Opposites Attract" mystery I did last fall. Nora was 17 months old in this photo and really into her blocks at the time. She had them in her hands every waking hour! In the bed, at the table, in the car & in the bathtub. Funny :c)



ok, I can tell this time it is going to work b/c after it loaded and I hit done there was this code appear in my message. :) yeah!

Now here is a photo of my background fabric I bought yesterday with some of the leaf fabric choices for Judy L's Leaf Seasons project. The background is a tone on tone with yellow and even hints of pink and orange in it. I hope it shows up where you can see it good.



I even spent some time tonight cleaning up the sewing area in the dining room to get ready for this new project. This afternoon I finished up my last 3 sets of string squares for the swap (no photo). The due date is today so after I receive the last of the packages that are on the way this coming week, I will get busy swapping them out. I'm also waiting on 2 sets of my monthly noodles before I can begin swapping. I will post photos of that later ;)

Finally something quilty to post

Last fall I participated in my first ever "mystery quilt". A mystery quilt is where you don't know what the finished quilt is going to look like and you get segments of directions and as you complete them, then you get the next set. My first one was done in about 6 hours from an online forum hosted by Planet Patchwork Merry Mayhem One-Day Mystery Quilt, November 27, 2005.

Although the experience was fun, I was not happy with the final quilt that I made. It is so ugly! Who knows if it will ever be quilted? Thankfully, I used stash that I inherited from my mom so no money was wasted...and I do really like the navy fabric and the gold and just laying them out they looked great together but the top had too much of the cream and I if I had seen a photo of the quilt before hand, I would not have chosen these fabrics for this pattern. That's the risk you take with mysteries. For me I rather see it first.

Opposites Attract was my first, last and only mystery quilt to do from www.planetpatchwork.com However, there is a yahoo group I joined that does mystery quilts and they are great!!! The group is called "A Pocket Full of Mysteries". Dorothy Young is an experienced Mystery Quilt designer. She uses this forum to host Mystery Quilts several times each year. Her directions are FANTASTIC! She even gives you specific tips for selecting your fabrics…. suggesting which to make your large scale or small scale prints and where to have your focus, light or dark. Before her weekend mystery begins members of the group can post photos of their fabric samples. Dorothy is very helpful for anyone wanting advice on their choices.

Because all of her mystery quilt weekends have fallen around the holidays - Christmas, New Year's, Labor Day - because of traveling, I have not had the pleasure of participating but if I ever do another Mystery - it will be one of Dorothy’s!! :c)

Lucky for me, Judy L's "an hour a day project" is sort of like a mystery quilt, only she shows the quilt from the get-go!!! :c) and that is perfect for me b/c I love to know the surprise ahead of time! I loved her first project!!! What a beautiful Churn Dash Quilt! I followed along each day reading - (not sewing) and loved clicking on everyone else's blogs to see their progress too. I saved the pattern information and want to make it one day.

So when she mentioned she would host another "an hour a day project" and then showed a pic of Leaf Season I started pulling autumn colors form my stash so that this time around - I can play along too!!! Yeah! I am no longer gonna be a wannabe, I am going to do it too!

Saturday I drove to Hancock’s in Pt. Arthur to look for fabric to use for the background and sashings since I don't have very many large pieces of yardage in my stash. After a good while of searching, I found the perfect background. Surprisingly I had walked past it at least a dozen times before giving it a consideration. Hummm I thought.. not really my style but... what if...? and immediately upon unfolding about a yard to drape over the other bolts of the leaf colors - I knew it was the perfect BKGD to use! :c) I also bought some brown fabric to use like in Judy's and both of these fabrics were 30% off = BONUS!! I love it when that happens b/c usually I am not looking at price just the fabric and after you fall in love with it price doesn't seem to matter anymore.

Here is a photo of the background with a few of my autumn leaf selections.

On my way up to the checkout from the cutting table I noticed all of their fall fabrics were 40% off.... I hope they are still on sale when it comes time for a backing fabric as I saw 1 or 2 good choices. If not, I am sure I can find a coupon on line to use when the time comes. ;c)

aaaahhh Saturday!

Today we dropped off my van at firestone for it’s oil change and then headed over to IHOP for brunch. Nora loves pancakes! The van still needed some more time before being ready to pick up so, afterwards we went to Target to check out the Halloween costumes. Last year we used my nieces hand-me-down costume and Nora was a very cute bumblebee.


This year, I have been trying to think of something for her to be but nothing I’ve thought of has seemed to wow me....little did I know that Nora would have her own ideas! – I just needed to get her to the store.

When we got there, David wanted to just sit in the car and wait while I went in but I convinced him to go in with us. After we found the Halloween section it didn’t take long for him to be glad that he did come in. The first isle of costumes we came to were for toddlers, perfect. They had lots to choose from but the very minuite Nora spotted the Care Bears she started chanting – “Care Bear Count Down! Care Bear Count Down!” that’s the way her DVD starts out…she recognized them right off the bat. Looking at all the tags they were all sized 3T-4T which I thought, well bummer – she needs a 2T.

When she saw in the way back the purple one, she really started chattering! “I want pea-bull Care Bear” I looked at David and he looked at me and we both knew that she had just decided once and for all that for Halloween she was going to be a “Pea-Bull Care Bear”.

Of course I thought we needed to try it on first so we did. David warned me that we may have to wear it home... thankfully we didn't :c) but she LOVED it! Can you tell from her big smile!!!! I didn't even have to tell her to say cheese. I am gonna have to think of something to help hold the hood back so she can see. Maybe use some hair clips to clip it to her hair?

The photo of the Bright Strings Quilt

I have no idea why it didn't post the photo... I will try again. Also when I am typing into the box to create a new post the tool bar isn't across the top instead, it is all going downward one button at a time...?

Again, I wish I could give credit where credit is due. I did not make the quilt shown. Just saw it on webshots.com

Aaaaahhhh - quiet

When I came up with the idea to call my blog "Nap Time News" it was because usually during the afternoons I have between 2-3 hours of free time to do what I want while Nora is napping. I usually update my spreadsheets that I made to keep my swap informaiton organized, check my email and make replies, read posts on the HGTV.com quilters message board and check in on a few of my favorite quilting blogs. After my computer work is done, I head to the sewing machine and enjoy the rest of my time.

Well this past week has been very difficult to enjoy my time. Nora has been resisting taking her naps and fighting tooth and nail to keep from doing our daily routine that leads to nap time. (medicine & Bandaids on boo-boos, brush teeth, story time, then prayes and put in bed.) I know that this is just another phase she is going thu.... She is testing her limits as a typical two year old will... but it has been driving me nutty!

Today was like normal! Yeah! She fell right into step with our normal routine. Yes she did cry out when it came time to put her into her crib but she stopped before I got to the last step coming downstairs. For a little while I heard her talking to herself as she often does.

Well Nora has been quiet for the last 20 minuites so it is safe to say that she is either haivng sweet dreams or well on her way.

Today's task at the sewing machine - to complete my scrappy squares for the swap. I have 3 sets done and another 4 or 5 in progress.

I am hosting a Scrappy String Squares Swap (try saying that fast 3 times!) on the HGTV quilting Board, that is due to me no later than October 1st. I have several packages from swappers already but have not prepared them for sorting. When I get them laid out I will take a photo!

Durring our discussion we voted in a poll and came up with 4 groups of String Blocks that people could choose to participate in.

Happy Scrappies Group – The entire block is scrappy-go-lucky! :)
Scrappy Around Red Group – Center string must be RED!!
Scrappy BRIGHTS Group – Like the pic posted of the quilt hanging over the deck with all bright colors shown.
Scrappy Blues / Yellows Group - only blues and yellow stings in random sizes and order.

I have been very pleased with this swap and will host it again next year. We started the discussion in the spring to determine the groups and then everyone had all summer to make them before the 10/01 due date. Next year I will let everyone vote again on what extra groups we do in addition to the Happy Scrappy - gotta have that one of course ;)

and now for the photo - which was my inspriation for doing the swap! I wish I could give credit to wehre credit is due, but I don't know who made the quilt. I just saw it on webshots last year.

one step forward and two steps back

That is what it seems like to me. URGH! I hate not being able to figure this all out. I must be determined is all I can say. And here I thought I wouldn't be one of those negative, blow off steam type blogs. LOL

Ok now I got the pic to work in my profile. I think using the smaller one helped. Now how the heck do I get it back to the top instead of my side bar being all the way at the bottom of the page!?@#@?@?@?!

I just wish I knew someone who could offer me some help.