Stash Sunday Report on Monday

Judy L began a Stash Sunday Report thing a few weeks back - and while I have enjoyed reading everyone who adds to her Mr Linky... I have not had anything to report. Mainly b/c I have not had time to spend working in my sewing room lately. Nora and I did spend a little time in there last week but I didn't even get a good start on cleaning up before one of the twins woke up. :{

However yesterday, during our Sunday afternoon trip, Nora and I went to Wal-Mart and although most usually I don't wonder off to "the back of the store" (fabric area)... yesterday I found my shopping cart taking me there just to "take a quick look."

Yes, I slipped and bought a little... actually a little of several bolts (1/4 yard cuts) and all left on the bolt of two fabrics! However I think I won't be casted out of Judy's club... here is what she said:

Either we did good at not purchasing fabric or we slipped and bought a little. Remember that in my opinion, it's ok to buy things we need and are going to use. I will not have a problem buying some background type fabric when I get low or if I need fabric for a special project. My main goal is to not purchase fabric that will go onto the shelves -- fabric with no project in mind.

Here is what I found...a closer look at the two large pieces... the red and green paisley on cream fabric was in the Christmas section and I love it! Surprisingly it had a very nice feel to it too!! When I saw it I instantly knew it would be perfect as my backing for my Star Struck Quilt when I get it done! Christmas colors but not too Christmasy...

I don't remember exactly how much was on the bolt, but I bought all of it. I want to say a little over 4 or 5 yards... I bought 4 yards of the red to use as an inner boarder and possibly binding and if any is left over it will be used in the HeartStrings Quilt project as my red centers. ;) it has tiny gold polka dots on it that the photo doesn't show very well.

So those quarter yard cuts will be used along with some other reds, greens, whites, and creams from my stash to make more Star Struck Blocks to go with the ones I won in the July Block Lottery this year. My goal is to have this quilt done before this time next year - oh won't it be great, to have a Christmasy Quilt for 2008!? ;c)

Merry Christmas & Love from Texas,

~Bonnie

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I just wanted to share a couple quick photos of the kidos :) Last Wednesday all three of them dressed up so cute to go to the Story Time Christmas party, and before we left I got a few snapshots of Nora and the twins up in her bedroom in front of "HER" Christmas tree :) ....to read more on that click over to my other blog at http://www.minorhappenings.blogspot.com/

Yesterday after church, Olivia and Paul Thomas got to have their picture made in front of our big tree sitting in the red rocking chairs. The smallest rocker has been in the family for many many years...all of my life and my oldest brother (who is nearly 50) and last year my Daddy stripped all the old paint off of it, repainted it red, and paid an Amish man to weave a new seat and gave it to Nora for Christmas!

Then earlier this year, while at Good Will, I found a purple rocking chair, only slightly bigger in size, priced for only $3! So I purchased it thinking..."with more kids on the way, the 3 of them can fight over 2 chairs better than 1" LOL :C)

This spring, Daddy took it back to KY with him and then brought it back painted red and same woven seat when he came in June to visit the twins. Don't they look great in them!?

So wheres Nora you ask.... Honestly, I had to sneak and do this photo yesterday while Nora was off using the potty... David and I quickly got the twins set up and I snapped a dozen shots before Nora knew what had happened!

Here's why... when we tried a "Rehearsal" photo earlier this week... she would not stand or sit in the middle between the babies, but had to sit in a rocker which made Olivia very mad! I'd love to have all 3 of them but at least I have the photo of all 3 at the top of this post. ;)

More than anything I'd love a photo of ALL five of us... to go into a frame ornament that says 2007 "Our Family" from Hallmark. We have so many ornaments of David, Nora and I but I really want a new one with all of us! How in the world will we ever be able to capture a family photo before the Christmas tree comes down is beyond me... oh wait, I know maybe while David's mom is visiting she can take a few snapshots and hopefully we can get something to put int he ornament. She and our niece are coming the day after Christmas and staying thru New Year's. :c) (which will be here sooner than we think!)

Merry Christmas from Texas!!! ~Bonnie

HGTV Christmas Raffle Quilt - We have a winner!

Today was the drawing of the winner for the 2nd annual Christmas Quilt for Charity. I just finished signing on and reading all about it tonight. Oh how fun. Everything about the HGTV quilters message board is so fun - the swaps, the chit chat, sew-n-tell, FQ bingo, monthly BOM's, charity projects & even they way the did the big reveal.

I will share it with you all here too since many of you are not members. A while back I showed the finished top and gave out information on how to purchase tickets... so this way you all can read about the winner ;)

Also this will provide pretty quilt photos to my blog that hasn't had anything quilty posted in a while ;) - hey, wait a minute.... I DID make and contribute ONE of those outer boarder blocks! so that makes it OK to use it as my blog post. ;P

Anyway - I think you will enjoy the announcement - karol0405 did a fantastic job!!! :) You get to read it all at once, where for us it was a little bit each post... talk about anticipation!!! ;) ~Bonnie

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Okay ladies...here we go, this story is told Quiltaholic style (I was told I had too!!), so lets get started!!!

Twas the night before the raffle and quiltaholic was all a tizzy,

if I’m gonna raffle this quilt, I better get busy.

The tickets were all printed and folded with care,

with Q’s assurance that all was fair!

(there's a story to this...do you all want to hear it now, or wait till later???) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The quilters met that morning, for breakfast and a break,

before the long drive to Mary Jo’s, the quilt they did take.

(Let me tell you about Mary Jo's! I got 6 yards of batik, 3 yards of 108" backing, 5 1/2 yards regular fabric, 2 big spools of thread and 21 FQ's all for under $140...pretty good huh??)
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oh, were was I...oh yes...

The quilters met that morning, for breakfast and a break,

before the long drive to Mary Jo’s, the quilt they did take.

Quiltaholic and dear hubby butch, karol, marie, and mildred headed south,

while goththebug and hubby don and 3 friends traveled north.

Quiltaholic called Gastonia’s finest and asked for a man,

three of them please, if you can?

The men came at 11, and Q explained the long story of the quilt, and how it all became.(okay...doesn't totally rhyme...but I was stuck!)

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(now if you know Q...this part took a long time!!)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It started with friends,

making a block or two...

Then Ms. Webb who quilted it

…woohoo woohoo!

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We sold tickets, to anyone who wanted to do a good deed,

in hopes to raise money for children in need.

$1480 to be exact,

that will help 7 children in fact.

The firemen came, and examined the treasure,

"This is pretty", they said,

"Drawing the name is our pleasure!"

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So, the fireman with the awesome smile,

stirred the names, and he stirred for a while..

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He stirred and stirred till he got just the right one,

ladies with fingers crossed saying, I hope it’s me when he’s done!

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(aren't you all excited...we are almost done!!! Maybe I should wait till later for the big reveal.....)

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anyway...were was I...oh yes...

He stirred and stirred till he got just the right one,

ladies with fingers crossed saying, I hope it’s me when he’s done!

(Q said I had to show it hand in the bag 3 times!!)

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He pulled out a marble and held in his hand (ask Q...that's what she named the fold up papers! )Anticipation, anticipation...we all could not stand!

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The name he pulled out, and Q exclaimed with a cheer,

"I know her I know her, she’s a friend so dear!!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He held up the name, with phone number I did cut,

The name he held up was that of Kim Strut!

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(here's a close up!)

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"She won! She won!! We all exclaimed!

"Congratulations to Kim for she’s the winner we named!

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and now a few words/post from our winner - "Yahoooo! I have never won anything ! it is sooo beautiful and for such a good cause! And i am just tickled! I got a phone call this afternoon..and it was therica, and i thought she just called to let me know she was heading to her mom's..and then she said,"listen to this! And a whole bunch of women..(maybe fireman too yelled "CONGRATULATIONS! I was so totally shocked! and i was just taking some monkey bread out of the oven..and taste testing it , when she told me...then she said.."be careful what you say, it's being recorded! oh my, can't wait to hear what i said with a mouth full of sticky ,gooey,monkey bread! Thank you sooo much! can't wait to get her in my hands and look at all the beautiful stitches, and all the wonderfully put together blocks! Thank you..thank you ..Thank you!


Quiltaholic just called, (she is an hour away from the hospital, in alabama) and told me she was only joking about recording me! thank goodness! Thank you every one..for donating the blocks for such a worthy cause! Thank you...from the bottom of my heart!

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Now, wasn't that fun to read??? I am so happy to be part of such a great group of quilters! I am looking forward to meeting several of the board members in Houston next Spring for the "Circle of Friends Retreat."

I am sure after Quiltaholic gets back from 'bamma she will post and share the progress of the Christmas shopping for the kids and everything purchased with the proceeds of the raffle. $1480! WOW!!! Thanks to everyone who made this happen!!!

PS- Quiltaholic just stared her own blog... be sure to check her out and drop her a line telling her you read all about it here ;) ~bonnie

I'm still here - sorry I haven't checked in..

I feel like a college kid again... you remember those days when you finally paused long enough to remember "eek, I haven't called home in a loooooong time!" Well, it isn't that I haven't thought about blogging, I have... I just ahvent' taken the time to sit down and write. So, here goes :)

We had a wonderful time in Kentucky the week of Thanksgiving! The drive up went much better than we hoped. The babies did great - somehting about riding in the car they easily go to sleep! and for Nora, she did great too! She didn't even have a DVD player to watch and didn't even ask about it until after it got dark the 2nd day in the van. We were very lucky to see some fall colors still on the trees thru places in TN. It made me remember Judy L's Leaf Season pattern she gave us last year for the Quilt for an Hour Project.. and I am determined to get it pieced in 2008!

Several of the bloggers I read daily have mentioned that they are list makers and several of you post list on your blogs. I have a list in the sidebar, but that isn't what I am talking about.... you know posting list each week as goals? Well this week, I forget who's blog I commented this about on... but I read that they were a list maker and had made a list of UFO/projects they wanted to gt done next year... and I commented saying I had started a list too during our drive up to KY on a couple napkins in the van.

Yes a couple napkins! :) I will have to hunt them up and type them up on my blog but I had a list fo UFO's and HESY - (haven't even started yets) which my husband thougth was crazy... men! LOL :)

Also while I am at it - I will make a list of few goals/resolutions for 2008. (both quilty adn not quilty)

Here is one I will go ahead and post today and I am also gonna begin it today and not wait until 2008. ;)

Blog more often!!! Since I love reading what everyone else is doing, I need to spend more time reporting in myself on my blog. I am going to limit my computer time and one way to do that is that I will not allow myself to visit and comment on others blogs until I have posted one on mine. Each day I will first come here and make an entry.

Well, I betterwrap up for now. Gotta go pick up Nora from Preschool soon.

Love from Texas! ~Bonnie

(PS, I'd love to have a handwritten signature like some of you.... any hints on how to do that? and while I am asking for help... most everyone's blog at the bottom has a link that says "older posts" how do i get that to show up for me??? so new readers can read my previous posts?)

Thanksgiving

We are leaving Saturday morning to go to Kentucky for Thanksgiving and won't be back for a week... so I wanted to leave any visitor that stop by a special Thanksgiving message. It’s not often I forward emails but recently I received a GREAT one and forwarded on to all the moms that I know and love. Each of of the Moms I sent it to have inspired me in one way or another.

And although I have not met any of my blogger friends, I think you will also enjoy this following message if you are a mom or perhaps it will remind you of your own mother. This comes at the perfect time too of Thanksgiving and it was a great motivation for me to “keep on keepin’ on!”

I really needed to hear/read this!Happy Early Thanksgiving & Love to all of you from Kentucky,~Bonnie

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I know it’s long, but all of you moms need to read this!

I'm invisible. It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible!

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more:
Can you fix this?
Can you tie this?
Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being.
I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?'
I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?'
I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going ... she's going ... she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devoured - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

(1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
(2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
(3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
(4) The passion of their building was fuelled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.'

And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

God Bless You as you build your Cathedrals! (Author Unknown)

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PS - I did a little searching and even found some photos to add from our local Cathedral! :)

I'm back and getting ready to go again!

We're back from Savannah - actually I have been back a full week... and have tried a few times to post and lost everything :P I wanted to share the photo that David took of me and the babies in our friends' nice swings they have on their back porch overlooking the neighborhood lake. Nora of course loved her swing too! ;)

I am am very busy this week trying to get ready to pack up and go again!! We leave for our trip home to Kentucky for Thanksgiving on Saturday. We will be driving this trip and that means 2 days in the van and get a "hotel" room half way. Then repeat the road tirp agin on the way back home.. I have a story about the Holiday Inn Express we stayed in while in Charleston the first weekend of November - but don't feel like going into it right now... let's just say I was on the phone with the manager today and will now be contacting higher ups...

I just got caught up with the laundry monsters today. Monday's are my stay-at-home days... and boy it sure is a relief to have everything clean again. The last load is in the dryer now. However, before I can pack us up agian, I have to change out the babies clothes - the closet still has all the 0-3 month hanging up and that has to be folded up and stored and put out all the 3-6 month sizes... then pack for colder weather. Yesterday and today it was near 80 and I was very comfortable barefoot outside... however Daddy said they are getting frost in the mornigns there already!

Then to add to my hussel and bussel, I found out this weekend that both sides of the family wants to exchange Christmas gifts while we are there!!! Ok that is great for Nora but not for me!.... eek, I had some ideas on gifts but I am not ready! Where am I gonna find the time to go shop? Take all 3 kids out of town to the mall, I think NOT.... go at night, well that will never happen. David works late and by the time I get them in bed, I am whiped out! I am thinking gift cards... I hear that Kroger and CVS both have a variety of gift cards from all sorts of places that you can purchase there at their store.... that will save me time and gas. I can buy them all at one place!

let's see ----- Daddy loves the steaks at Red Lobster ---- David's sister just bought her first home this year... a LOWES card should work nice for her.... my nephew just got a job with Southwest as a flight attendant...so an American Express card should work for anything he wants/needs.... see, I am already making my list. Now, off to the store tomorrow while Nora is in preschool. ;)

Most likely i will not post agian until we return after Thanksgiving. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Love from Texas,

~Bonnie

Our FIRST Family Vacation!

Yep, that’s right, after 10 years of marriage (3 years as parents) we are finally going on our first EVER family vacation! Of course we have traveled with our 3 year old many times… both car and plane but does it really count as vacation if the end destination every time is to our parent’s homes?

This week, we’ll be visiting our best “Couple” friends who live in Savannah, GA. It’s been 2.5 years since we seen them. We first met J&T just after we married and moved to GA the first time in 1998. W-O-W we have almost known them for TEN years and through several moves of both them and us – well, more us moving than them… we have remained in touch and friends!!! (Thank you internet and free cell phone long distance!!!) :P

We choose the week of Halloween to visit with them because ever since their boys were born, David and I have always been right there in the-smack-dab-middle-of-every-major-holiday at their home!!! For many years before we had kids, we had “nephews”!! We’ve even been known to listen for the phone to ring early Christmas morning to get the “come quick alert” and we jump up and go in our PJ’s to see the kids as they explored and discovered what Santa had left for them! Those were some of the good ‘ole days for sure! Of course, that was when each of us lived in connecting neighborhoods and we could get there in less than 2 minutes!

After we had Knucklehead, we even spent our first family Halloween with them at their new home just after they had moved to Savannah. So this year being the twins’ “first” Halloween, I cant’ think of anywhere else I rather be! We’re looking forward to meeting our 3rd nephew who turned 1 in May this year and they can’t wait to meet Milk Man and Stretchy Sister!

So, I’ll be back in a week – until then… HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Love from Savannah, Georgia! :)
~bonnie

Above photo of Knucklehead today at her Preschool Class’ Costume Party. She got the Coolest Costume Award! :P ..... and then these two cutie-pies were just too "Toot!"

Christmas, just aroudn the corner - what's on your bed?

Yep, Christmas will be here before you know it and it is just a matter of weeks before we begin pulling out those Christmas decorations and begin getting into the spirit. Wouldn't you love to spread this beautiful quilt across your bed this year while decorating for Christmas???

Well, maybe you CAN SLEEP UNDER IT ON YOUR BED if you are lucky enough!

Several of the quilters of the HGTV Quilters Board worked together to make this quilt. The dozen blocks in the center were donated by gotthebug and that began the project. I made one of the 9" outer boarder blocks earlier this year and Quiltaholic put all the blocks together!

This is our 2nd year to raffle a Christmas quilt made by HGTV quilters - to raise funds so that we can buy Christmas gifts for less fortunate children. Last year was a huge success and we provided a really nice Christmas for several families and we are hoping to again help as many children as we can with the funds that we collect. The more tickets we sell, the more children that we can help!

Would you be willing to participate and buy tickets to help put smiles on some special children's faces this year when they get up on Christmas morning and find tons of surprises under their tree??

Another surprise for this year is Nichole Webb, a national award winning quilter and teacher for longarm quilting has offered to quilt this for us!!

Tickets are 2.00 each or 3 tickets for $5.00

If you want to purchase tickets, send me an e-mail and I will then reply back with Quiltaholic's information so that you can buy them directly form her.

Sorry she doesn't blog or I would link you to her.....so in other words, it is up to me and my blog to get the word out to all the quilt bloggers in blogworld. So, please consider this your invitations to feel free to mention it on your blog too and link the photo here ;)

According to Quiltaholic's post yesterday we haven't' raise nearly enough funds yet - tickets have only been purchased form HGTV board members and her LAC Forum and MQR Forum. If you would like to follow the discussion click here:

Here is what Quiltaholic wrote this morning:
Nichole called and left a message today that she should be mailing the quilt to my by Saturday...I can't wait to see it...She said it is beautiful!

If you haven't contacted me for tickets, please do so and help put Christmas under the tree for several deserving children this year... I will post photos of the finished quilt as soon as I receive it back..

... But we do have a slight problem..Ticket sales are very slim...We have raised $175.00 on the quilt so far...

Marie and I are going to set up with the quilt one day at Walmart and try to sell some tickets but we need all of your support for this charity drive...I was a little skeptical about doing 2 quilts in a year but the majority vote won that we would..I will have to delay giving the quilt away on the scheduled date if ticket sales don't increase...I hope you all will help..

Happy Weekend everyone! ~Bonnie

"Minor Happenings"

I have just made 3 posts over on my other blog about our family life - things happening the past week... in case anyone wnats to go take a peak. I don't think double posting is necessary so I will just share the link again. Some of the posts are a little lenghty - I tend to talk to much even when I am typing to myself... but make sure you watch the video though!!!

Check it out here: http://minorhappenings.blogspot.com/

Ok, please no comments on - do you realize what time it is??

Yes, I know it is very late - I have a terrible runny nose and junk in my head and b/c I am breastfeeding I can not take the usual over the counter medicine to clear it up... unless I want it to dry up my milk supply too.... or at least make me have a very low supply.... ask me how I know - thinking back to when I was nursing the first time..... so I will just have to suffer unitl who knows when...??

A New Blog

I have just started up a new blog. It is mainly set up to use for our family and long distant friends. For the last few years I have been using a personalized web page thru the aboutmybaby.com site. Link in my side bar will take you there if you still want to peak in from time to time ;)... I will still use it for posting photos but I think I am going to like the new blog best for posting the day to day stuff. Plus bloggspot is FREE and much faster to upload! ;)

Check it out here: http://minorhappenings.blogspot.com/

I won, I won, I WON!!! :P

I won, I won, I WON!!! :P Remember the blocks I mentioned (a couple posts ago) I was making for the HGTV monthly block lotto??? Well, ta-DA - I won! :)

Every month on the HGTV Quilter's message board, OwenJulesMommy hosts a block lotto. For July the block used was Bonnie Hunter's Star Struck block made using her same green, cream or white, and red combination.

The hostess took this photo of all of them laid out together. Don't they look great?! I don't know if clicking on it to make larger will show or not but some players used Christmas fabrics which I think is awesome!!! ...and although these 29 blocks would look great with just making up one more to fill up that bottom right corner...then boarders... but I don't know yet if I will stop at 1 or make up some more to complete the top and make it a generous lap size. On Bonnie's page she has just completed a plaid star struck and used 80 blocks. I may have a look thru my own Christmas fabrics and see what I can add to the bunch ;)

I just know it was meant for me to be the winner of these blocks and here are 5 reasons:

1. I have yet to be a monthly block lotto winner this year
2. I had been waiting for a scrappy pattern to come about
3. I love Bonnie's Star Stuck pattern
4. It was my Birthday month (July) so who else would make a better winner ;)
5. I did contributed the most blocks = 15 chances to have my name drawn ;)

Happy Birthday to Me! - I'm now 33!

edited -AGAIN - I am so embarrassed that I still haven't completed this post and hit publish YET!!! ...OK, so two weeks later here goes again -So sorry!!! ~Bonnie

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Just like everything I do lately - I began this post on my Birthday (7/26-Thursday).....typing here and there when I got a minute or two... but I am not getting around to finishing it until today!!! :P Sunday

It's a good thing you can't hear me singing... "Happy Birthday to me, I'm nooooooow 33!" LOL I will never have trouble remembering how old I am b/c all I have to do is add 30 to how ever old Nora is. ;) The year I had her my "big" gift that year was an electric breast pump! oooough wow! Yeah, right! It was something I wanted and cost over $200 so it had to count as my rotten birthday gift that year. LOL ;P

This year, my "big" Birthday gift is I am getting my string quilt quilted by Bonnie Hunter!!! I first contacted her back in May about getting it done and at that time she was booked thru Jan 2008... and I was still looking around and pricing out longarm quilters.

I really love the Baptist Fans Quilting she has used on several of her quilts and found some other LA's who had the template and prices were good - but one thing that Bonnie offered that other's didn't was attaching the binding on for me! It's been ages since I have attached binding and I am not sure I would remember what to do for the corners - so even if I had to wait longer for her it would be worth it!

So this week I emailed her again about it and confirmed that I wanted hire her to do the quilting on it - and out of wishful thinking on my part I asked if she by chance had any cancellations? or would she now be totally booked thru December 2008??? LOL

Well, to my surprise she replied back and said that in fact she had a cancellation and had an opening for late August! WHOO HOOO! :) This made my day!!! My quilt will be done a lot sooner than I had hoped!

I don't know if I have shared with you the story of this string quilt - did some back tracking of my blog and doesn't seem that I have shared the story about it so here goes :)

For my string quilt, I had used cut up scraps that I've had since before I even quilted! You see what you don't realize is that 90% of of the fabric used to make up my string quilt came from a very special place. My grandmother "Momma Newt" had her quilting scraps in Wal-Mart bags under her bed when she passed away in 1995. At the time, I was only 21 and my mom and aunts were cleaning out and said to jut throw these bags out to the trash!

To every one's surprise I said, "NO, I want them!!! Maybe one day I can use that fabric!" At that time, I had never quilted much less sat behind a sewing machine. They didn't go thru all the bags and what they saw was only the polyester fabrics - but there was some "good 100% cotton in those bags as well!

Since then both my quilty family members, my mom and aunt Elender have passed away.... if they could just see me now, they would be so proud! ;) In those bags were a lot that I did end up trashing but also there were fabrics worth keeping - as a matter of fact, enough for this string quilt and those boarder fabrics were from the larger pieces - thankfully there were two that somewhat went together in there so I picked them first and planned my middle string to be the same all throughout. I only wish now I had cut them all even and centered them evenly so that the "x" seams would match and would be pretty.

In the photo above is my girlfriend Tracie who came to vist shortly after we first moved to TX - (Tracie use to be my neighbor when I lived in GA & we worked together) - anyway that year, she used her bonus check from work to fly to TX and spend a whole week with me in Jan of 2006 and she brought her son Anthony with her too!

We wanted to plan something easy to sew while she was here and I had found the BEST EVER Quilting Internet site = http://www.quiltville.com/ and this looked like the perfect project for us to work on together!! Sure enough it was - so I prepared all of my scraps into strings and we were able to work together on this "Brainless sewing" as I call it and chit chat and stay up all hours on the night (after our kids were in bed) sewing and not having to worry with matching or paying attention to seam allowances or patterns. :P

A few days later we had my string top (the one I showed you above) and this one done and ready for boarders! Sorry the photo doesn't show the colors like they really were...more "blue" in the photo that they were in real live.

The corner stones between the sashing were left over scraps from a quilt that she and I put together for the St. Jude's Quilt Project from the year before..... and after the top was put together I ended up having the perfect boarder fabric to tie together all those bright and colorful fun fabrics. I had bought it at Hobby Lobby and there was just enough! In her quilt, the only fabric we had to buy, was the solid black sashing. Using the same ABC boarder fabric made it tooooo busy.

Funny how the same two people can work on two totally different quilts at the same time and they each turn out to be so unique and pretty!!? I love each of them and it was really hard to let her take this black/bright string quilt home with her but I did. :) I wanted Tracie to have a quilt from her trip to TX and before I had moved she had given me several of her scraps which I still have today so all in all we are even .... only her fabric I gave her is pieced into a beautiful quilt and the fabric she has given me is strung out all over the floor of my quilting room b/c Nora likes to "organize" my scraps! LOL.

and sure enough we each pieced a top that week and had so much fun as did our toddlers playing in the strings on the floor. Nora was only about 18 months old at the time and I think Tracie's son Anthony was just under a year old. He wasn't walking at time, but crawling and pulling up.

I have already purchased backing for this quilt but need to make sure it has been washed first. I've gotta get it ready to ship to South Carolina! The backing is a red fabric so I may was twice just to be on the safe side. Also I need to figure out how to cut the binding strips and get that prepared for her. I have no idea if I need to cut on the grain or bias...? I haven't done that in years either! This is one of those times, I wish I could pick up the phone and call my momma...

Oh, how I am so excited to finally be getting this quilt QUILTED and done!!! Until now it's been hiding in the closet... but now after it comes home I will enjoy seeing it everyday!!! I didn't aim for it to - but it is the PerrrrrrrrrrrrFECT square to go on my square kitchen table as a table cloth! I mean Perfect!!! You'll see - come September after I get it back from Quiltville! ;)

This was my first time making string blocks and certainly not my last! I am currently involved with the Heartstring Quilt Project and have been the block hostess for my HGTV Sunshine Quilters collecting string blocks for the Heartstrings Project. :) For the month of June we mailed in 45 blocks!! I am anxious to see how many more we collect during August.

Time passing by tooo fast!

Well we finally got around to having Nora's Birthday Party. She actually turned 3 on June 23rd but I wasn't recovered enough to have it then so we were waiting until July and had her party at Chuck-E-Cheese the Saturday after we returned from KY. I just can't believe she is 3 already! Boy time passes by too fast!

I had invited her friends from our weekly playgroup. Four boys and Four girls.... however, only 2 of the boys showed up! Which was a little disappointing for me b/c I paid for party bags for 8 kids but just fine with her - she didn't even notice!
They had a great time playing on all the rides and games and Nora especially thought the TV screen was cool! They stood in front of a blue screen and camera and were on TV with the music videos! While the big kids played the twins were happy in their car seats. I had the double stroller so I was able to push along and keep up and watch Nora having fun with Daddy. Below, Paul Thomas snoozes and Olivia waves her arms!

Last Saturday night, I got the idea to use sponge rollers on Nora's hair hoping it would turn out cute and curly for church on Sunday. Well, I think b/c I only used 5 on each side they were not sectioned off enough b/c the next morning her hair was still damp.... and the curls were a flop. :(
We will try them again though, surprisingly she liked me fixing them in her hair and didn't complain once about sleeping in them. Next time too I may add a little moose too...? Any suggestions from mom's with girls?

Here is Olivia in her Sunday Best last week too :) Those shoes she has on are actually SOCKS!!! and they are so big on her they fall off so I had to keep a close eye on those so we didn't loose one! This little outfit was one of my favorites that Nora once wore. My Aunt Barbara in North Carolina sent it to us when we had Nora along with some other great yard sale finds! :)

"Hey, what about taking my picture!?!?" says Paul Thomas.. sorry brother, Daddy had already changed you out of your Sunday best while Momma was getting a photo of sister. Sadly his out fit will go to the washer then to the box to be put away for the next baby boy. It was very cute on him, but already too small! David was running behind and of course he got Paul Thomas dressed last and at 10:10 was buttoning him up and discovered that the top two buttons on the back would not meet much less button.... so being that we should have left the house at 10:00am we just left and kept a blanket around him the whole time at church so no one noticed the UNbuttoned buttons! LOL :P

After we got home, I snapped this one of Nora in front of "her Jesus". Yes I let her wear her candy necklace to church... and the princess crown too! After all she is God's little princess! :)

I have been getting a few moments here and there to do some sewing. Nothing major just a few blocks. I am lucky if I get 15 minutes each night while Nora takes her bath - but every little bit helps keep me from going crazy!

Above are my blocks I am mailing to OwneJulesMommy for this month's HGTV block lotto. She selected the Star Struck pattern from http://www.quiltville.com/ I got a head start on these blocks in June that is the only way I have as many done as I do. It only takes 1 to win, but i am really hoping that by sending in 15 that I have a greater chance to win these!!! as I am in love with them! My Birthday is July 26 - so wouldn't think make a great birthday gift, if my name was drawn for the block lotto???? :D

Here are a few more photos before I close - We had a lot of rain last week here in SE Texas. Nora and I went out to check the mailbox together and she was delighted to use her own umbrella!

of course the twins didn't get to go out in the rain to play like us "big girls" but instead snoozed inside the house. (Olivia left, Paul Thomas right = 7 weeks old)

Thanks for all the comments that have been left for me :) Those are the best emails of the day :) ~Bonnie

HGTV's CharityChallenge Quilts - on eBay!!

The painting on the side that you see was created by J. Christopher. It was this year's inspiration for the Charity Challenge that Quiltaholic coordinated this year on the HGTV quilter's board.

I didn't participate this year but many of my board buddies did. I think it is awesome that they got together and did this to raise funds for charity! I know they all spent lots of long hours on their quilts. So I am sharing the message here with the links so that my blogging quilt friends can go take a look and make a bid on the one of a kind quilt creations, if you desire ;) Enjoy! ~Bonnie



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The following was posted by the organizer Quiltaholic on the HGTV board 7/19/07:

The auctions have been listed on Ebay for the 11 quilts that we made during the Silent Bid Charity Challenge. It has been a while in the works trying to get this set up but finally we have an auction! I hope to see lots of bids on these quilts!... THE AUCTION WILL RUN ONLY 10 DAYS FOR EACH QUILT, STARTING TODAY. SO PLEASE DON'T TARRY ABOUT BIDDING. 10 DAYS WILL BE GONE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

Below are the links for each individual quilt. I will not post photos here because I would have to do that in different replies and everytime we would have 1,000 views, I would be uploading 33 photos again. For time sake, please click on each link and it will take you to that named quilt.

Thanks a lot for all who will help with this auction...

Quiltaholics quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135670191&rd=1&rd=1

Rondiquilt's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135670191&rd=1&rd=1

creative1's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135673836&rd=1&rd=1

Downsouth's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135674619&rd=1&rd=1

Applik's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135675437&rd=1&rd=1

Quilting Wifey's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135676131&rd=1&rd=1

ToryAm's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135677223&rd=1&rd=1

Auntie Reba's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135677892&rd=1&rd=1

Nickilee's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135678590&rd=1&rd=1

Needlecrazy's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135679103&rd=1&rd=1

Elizabeth's quilt:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280135680193&rd=1&rd=1

Anyone else intrested in this???

Anyone else interested in doing a podcast??? I just was reading my most favorite quilting blog - Judy L's and she has just recently started doing a few podcasts. It was so fun to hear her voice, not at all what I expected - BETTER! :)

I left her a comment asking for her to give us a few instructions on how to go about doing this too?? I already have a microphone now what??? Do I need to download a program?

Wouldn't it be neat to have a day of the week where all the bloggers post a podcast and we can hear each other? :c) I think that last post about our trip to KY would have been easier to talk about than type and with the twins these days it would be so much easier for me to talk rather than type....

I have a webcam too - but no one wants to see me these days!!! The twins are keeping me busier than busy!!! I am having a hard time remembering to eat much less finding time to shower during the day. :P ~Bonnie

Getting back into the Grove

Hey everyone, I am still alive and kicking. I am slowly getting back into the grove of things. I see from the date of the previous post that I didn't make any posts the entire month of JUNE!!! Not b/c I didn't want too, but I didn't know quite how to manage my time yet. Thank you to all of you who have stopped by to take a peak and see if I am here or not.

I am embarrassed I didn’t come sooner and say THANK YOU! So many of you took the time to send happy thoughts my way and let me know you were thinking of me and my family. Thank you all so very much!! You really made me feel special and although I already knew I had several friends on line… still it WOWed me and my husband to see so many nice comments in my email box. Thanks! :)

Here is one of my favorite photos of Nora with "mommy's babies" - she also has two new babies of her own that MiMi gave to her (David's mom.) Nora is doing better than I had expected and is fascinated that the babies "don't got any teeth!" :c)

Between feedings, pumping, changing diapers, laundry, keeping up with a 3 year old and remembering to eat and drink lots of water - I have found a few moments here and there to take a peak at some of your blogs. I really miss my daily/nightly blog reading time that I use to have before twins! Soon, I will being posting replies to everyone else's blogs and posting more often here.

The babies are doing great. Can you believe they turned a month old on the 4th of July – which we spent in Kentucky with our families!

Yep, you read that right! We took our first road trip to KY!!! We thought of it on Saturday on a whelm and didn’t know for sure if David could get off work until Sunday night – so we left home on Monday afternoon headed North and NO ONE knew that we were going to roll into Campbellsville!!! What an exciting adventure…

Good thing we have a Dodge Grand Caravan - b/c we were loaded!!! Here is a photo of our set up inside. I had the seat behind the driver stowed away and that was my area to sit on the floor and use the breast pump. I spent most of the trip on that pillow!

Nora did really good this time, we bought a DVD player and that made the trip for her bearable but she still got cabin fever. The 2nd day of traveling when we were just outside of Nashville I called my dad b/c I remembered he and Clara had plans to leave to go to her sons, but couldn’t remember exactly which night… so if he wasn’t going to be home I needed to “feel” him out and tell him so he could get the baby bed out of the attic..

When I called, they were not going to be leaving until the day after we arrived… but I still couldn’t’ keep the secret! Clara had asked if I had mailed them photos yet (they were just down to TX two weeks prior and no I still hadn’t made photos to mail) so I had to tell her no… but that I had something better than photos and she asked what’s that? And I yelled, we are almost to KY and you can see them in person! It blew both her and my dad away! They couldn’t believe it!

Our little hometown has the largest July 4th Celebrations in the whole state of KY! I just love this holiday! There are hot-air balloon races, tractor pulls, truck & car show, beauty pagents, cook offs, craft booths, Big-wheel race for the kids, a quilt show and fireworks that are set to patriotic music that comes thru the Big Dawg Radio Station. Each year it gets bigger and bigger and this year they added a 5K run and 1K walk sponsored by the Taylor Regional Hospital, the college held a hot-air Balloon Glow (which we didn't get to go to but drove by...Nora would have loved it!) and they even had a Civil War Encampment set up with a re-enactment of a robbery and gunfight.

After the parade, we usually walk around downtown and visit the booths. It's like a huge homecoming getting to see so many people we went to school with and family and friends. This year we didn't leave the spot we watched the parade from b/c even if we wanted to walk down the street we couldn't b/c we had tons of people (we knew) coming up to visit with us and the babies!

Nora went with her godmother ("GiGi") down town and was gone for a little over an hour and we continued to get visitor after visitor. Talk about the word getting out fast - everyone found out from someone else where we were located and came running to get a look at the babies. It was so exciting!

Isn't this an adorable photo of Nora walking along the street with her cousins - From Left to right - me pushing the twins, Malorie 8, Lance 6, and Nora 3. and that old man ? who knows?Here are the kids while we waited on our "Lee's Famous Recipe" the best chicken I have ever put in my mouth!!! too bad we don't have one of these in Texas.

There is no where else I rather be on the 4th than at home!!! The year Nora was born ('04) we missed it b/c she was only a week old and we lived in GA. Then the year following ('05) we missed it b/c we had just moved to TX. However last year we went home and while there held Nora’s 2nd Birthday party at home. This year no one expected us to travel b/c of the twins.. and you can bet I am already making plans to be in KY next 4th! Hopefully next year we can be there the whole week of and possible enter the kids in the "Little Stars & Stripes" contest perhaps??

We had fun on the 4th and got to see lots of people who were so excited to see the twins. Our next trip to KY will be when we go back in November around Thanksgiving. I know by then the twins will have grown so much!

Well that is about it for now... I hope to make more updates with photos here more often. Thanks to everyone for stopping by our family website and posting a message in the guestbook! The day after the babies were born we got more hits on that day than all of last year!!!

Love from TX,
Bonnie