The 4 patches have left Texas!!

Today was Nora's 1st day of 1st grade and after David and the twins and I left he dropped me off at the PO while they went to pick up doughnuts... I was the first one at the Post Office when they opened!!!

I had to wait about 5 minutes before anyone came to unlock and open up the doors... but I didn't mind - I was gonna be FIRST baby! ;) And while waiting I noticed something I had never seen before... See that 5 over the mail carrier guy's head... "Service in 5 minutes or less" What a JOKE! 9 times out of 10 when I come here I have to wait my turn for 15-20 minutes or MORE sometimes.

Can you believe that out of 33 packages only 4 had stamps on them! Everyone else's package was like brand new to the clerk and all she had to do was stick it on, sticker it and go! It REALLY helped me out for those of you who mailed me a check or cash for return postage it only took me 10 *TEN* minutes to get in and OUT! Whooo HOoo!

Record setting time! and thankfully I remembered to bring along everyone's postage Mooo-la with me. It was enough by $4!

and I'll have everyone know I figured out a way to return your blocks to you nice and neat and wrapped a lot of them in wax paper before packaging and was able to get a lot of them into FLAT Rate cardboard envelopes for only $4.90! so in the future even if you mail 20 sets - they WILL fit and you can save money. rather than using the bag Priority packages that have to be weighed and depends on zone to zone..

well Nora's 1st day is only a half day so I have to be in the carpool line at 11:30 which is only an hour away. I will wait until after lunch time and the twins are down for nap before I email out the delivery confirmation numbers to everyone who had them and either then or tonight I'll send the email out about the fall swap and also start us a new thread to post on.

whooooo hooooo!!!

Edited to add -
Here is a look at my 18 sets that I received in the swap along with the gifties that some sent ----all spread out on my queen sized bed. Don't they look YUMMO!? Another swap of these and I could make a whole bed sized quilt with JUST these!

I made myself 18 sets to be swapped (just couldn't quite get to 20 this time, but that was OK) and was gifted a total of another 58 blocks (in pic below)

and as you can see LOTS of variety!

as I was laying them all out on my guest bed, I thought more than once, about how awesome they'd be just all sewn together like this - just one more swap (due this fall) and I'd have enough for a queen size quilt! But then I wouldn't have any scrappy 4 patch stash to use for the Quiltville Patterns I want to make, now would I??

lots of greens, lots of blues, lots of reds, lots of oranges... everything!

weee! I la,la,love all my scrap-OH-lishiouis blocks!!! Thanks everyone for a great swap! I can't wait to do it again!

Love from Texas!

Gonna be mailing on Monday!

Sorry so of you have been having problems finding a way to email me. From my blogger profile page - click on my photo over on the right and from there there is a blue link that says Email.

Several have kept up with me from our current thread over on the HGTV broad and have let me know that they are already making blocks for the fall swap. Good to hear that you want to swap again – I am making note of it on my spreadsheet of the people who want to.

I’m planning to send out an official “invite” email to everyone after I get the current swap in the mail back to everyone. Also in that email will be the guideline/rules in an attachment. I've also been rethinking that 10/31 due date... depends on the size of the group I suppose. With over 30 swappers this time (plus life happening: David rolling over on my arm, him out of town, doctors appointments, potty boot camp, ant bites, did I mention David being out of town and my exhaustion from being single mom all week) it's been quite challenging on me to get everything all sorted and layed out to prepare for swapping.

My usual turn-around time for swapping is 7-10 days... and here I am on day 13! AAAk! So ***IF** there are a lot of swappers for the fall - I'm considering PUSHING up the Due Date to October 15th so that I can have them all swapped out and back to you before November rolls around.

November is a short month anyway since the kids are out of school for Thanksgiving and I know that I will be busy that 2nd week preparing for our family vacation trip home to Kentucky - so swapping or bagging envelopes is NOT something I need to be doing during that time.... however if we only have say 12-20 swappers we should be OK... just gonna have to wait and see after final sign ups...

…and speaking of mailing I plan to mail the current swap to all of you on MONDAY 8/16!!! Yeaaa! :) I got about a dozen envelopes packaged up last night before calling it quits for bedtime and will most likely finish up in just a short while when the twins go down for nap time today (they’re eating their Mac-N-Cheese lunch right now as I type) but I don’t’ know if I can make it to the PO today before they close – depending on how long they sleep.. and honestly with as much time as it takes and somewhat confusion of mailing all the packages and which to get delivery confirmation and the fact that there are over 30 to mail out… taking kids with me is something I REALLY want to AVOID!

Our PO is closed now on Saturdays… and I could take them all tomorrow out of town (which wouldn’t be a big deal much) ***IF*** David were going to be home to stay with the kids… but he leaves tonight for a trip to Austin, TX for Saturday. He and I both are not happy about it… this STINKIN ASSI Meeting he has to attend totally ruins the weekend for us and our family time. He just got back from his KY/TN trip on Wednesday this week.

But looking to the bright side of not mailing until Monday – which is also Nora’s first day of 1^st grade… David is planning on going with all of us for the first day assembly and prayers and to see her new classroom and such… he’ll go into work late… so before he does – and after we get Nora all set… we’ll plan to leave the school and then have him drop me off at the PO to do my swap mailing while he and the twins either wait in the van or go run get doughnuts or Micky D’s or something… yeah I like that 2^nd option better don’t you? ;)

So just hang tight – they’ll be to you soon and you will be playing with your “new to you” scrappy 4-patches by this time next week! ;) and about this time next week, I’ll be getting ready to MEET THE Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville!!! She’s the guest for our guild next Thursday and I’m taking her workshop on Saturday! Weee! ;)

Thanks to those of you who have left get well wishes for Paul Thomas (either on Facebook or our family blog) – yes there was an red ant hill up in the tree about a foot off the ground :( It's low to the ground and all the kids love to climb in when we go to the spray park.

Thankfully all the Thoughts & Prayers must be working b/c he he's been a real trooper thru it all - and so far no scratching... yet. Some of the blisters have popped already but still over 50 or more that look like they could burst by just looking at them.

Well I better run – the kids are done with their eating. All 3 plates CLEAN! So it’s time for our “happy dance” song we do :P

Happy Weekend & Love from Texas!

PT's foot update

Just an update on Paul Thomas' ant bites... some of the blisters have started to pop. Sure hope he doesn't start itching and scratching, as that is the painful part of getting bit by fire ants.

Today after I took a few photos - Olivia and him decided to give each other "check-ups" ;) and I didn't mind as long as they left his feet and legs alone! ;)

Love from Texas!

If you're wondering where I am...

If you've stopped by lookin for me, sorry that I've not been posting anything new. I've been playing with these every free chance I can steal away this past week.

David has been gone to Nashville for business and then spent a few free days home in KY while he was only 3 hours away... while I've been stuck as "single mom" here... so needless to say I'm taking good notes on where I was -and who's I was organizing before leaving the guest bedroom each time so starting back up on it next day wouldn't be so difficult.

It's been REAL fun to SEE & FEEL all the blocks! Still can not believe the variety!!! so many fabrics!!! :)

Well, stay tuned... I'm not finished yet. oh - and I have more photos to share too ;)

Love from Texas!

Whooo Hooo!

Yeaaa! I have photos again! ;)

and while looking for a "Happy Face" photo of me to show you how happy I am to have photo posting abilities again - via email... I thought I'd remind you that the quilt behind me is just one of over 30+ being raffled and drawn for on 9/11/10.

I'm sure that my followers remember all about my making this quilt shown above. I made it as a part of the 3rd annual Crayola Challenge hosted by Quiltaholic over on the HGTV quilting board. It was machine quilted by Margaret Gunn of Quilts of Love and blogged about by her HERE with close-up photos.

Recently while I was homein KY for 4th of July, I got to see the actual newspaper where my hometown newspaper, CKNJ, wrote an ARTICLE about me and the HGTV Quilt Challenge. :) COOL BEANS!

Just wanted everyone to know that there are only about 6 weeks left to buy chances = either from me or Quiltaholic who is organizing this raffle fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House.

The total sales soooo far are at $2305 ... still hoping to get over our $3,000 goal! :)

Thanks again to those of you who have already sent me checks for chances! I've mailed them into Quiltaholic and hope to have another envelope to send to her sometime this month (August) She's having a little contest to see who can sell the most... but that's not what is important.

I would love to see more sales so that she can give Ronald McDonald House
a bigger check in the end! :)

Love from Texas!