Tattered Threads & Willing Hands

A Fabulous Find

2012-01-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

my quilty friend denise sent me the link to these stinkin' cute stuffed paper hearts made by michele at the scrap shoppe

and i just had to share!

it's a perfect project to make with the kids!

go on over to here for the tutorial.

CRASHED!

2012-01-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

last monday was not the best day for gavin...
for most guys having their truck towed home is their {LEAST} favorite thing.

and by the look on his face, he's just like most guys.

the story goes like this...

he was on his way to pick up his cousin when his steering {something} broke and he lost the steering in his truck. he spun out and hit a guard rail. no one hurt, thank goodness and after a {2 hour} trip to the local pick a part and a few hours of sweat and grease he and his dad had it up and running.

i am SOOOO very grateful to have a son who is mechanically inclined. it saved us a TON.

and i have to say...i didn't mind the wait as he picked apart a salvaged truck, i got a lot of stitching done!

January's Midnight Madness

2012-01-29T20:25:00.000-08:00

this month we made this quilt called millenium prarie garden from the april 2000 edition of BHG Quilt Sampler. yep. 2000! i've had the green jacquard waiting that long!

yeah for quilt classes!

i love, love, love the gals who come to these classes! they all have the neatest needfuls!

so here's a quick re-cap...

{the gals}

{the goodies}

{the quilts}

thanks ladies for giving me a reason for staying up late and loving it!

A Fantastic Gift Idea!

2012-01-29T19:10:00.000-08:00

one for me...one for you!!!

i found this {helping hand} apron at domessticated and absolutely LOVE the idea.

thought you might too!

go here for the tutorial.1/

Fit for a Queen

2012-01-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

and what a great, great idea for that special princess!!!

i found this wonderful tutorial over at girl. inspired!

enjoy her blog, i do!

Monday's Best Class

2012-01-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

yesterday was the first of the {monday's} best classes.

i'm teaching old, out of print patterns from cheri's wednesday's best patterns

masyn and i made cookies for the class. i made winter snowflakes and she made her own valentine versions. her's are wayyyy cuter than mine!

we both made a disaster by spilling sprinkles all over the place! lucky dogs!

nolan did help, but all he wanted to do was eat the dough and use the rolling pin to do things other than rolling out cookies! {boys}

and with the cupcakes made and the cookies packaged, i left gavin to watch the children. and as you saw in the previous post, that went well!

i was so happy that the weather permitted my {winter wonderland} theme for the party...i mean class! after a few weeks of 70 - 80 degree weather, we got rain!

roxanne had hers already done and shrunk and it was super cute! she even shared the smaller pattern with those who wanted it. loved it!

it was a wonderful group of ladies! can't wait for next month!!!

and again...thanks cheri for letting me teach these oldies but {GOODIES}

we love them as much as we {LOVE} you!

maybe one day you'll join us...{wink, wink!}

My Poor Girls...

2012-01-16T21:40:00.000-08:00

shawn came home tonight to this...

gavin was babysitting.

huh?! who needs to pay who???

"All...Aboard!!!..."

2012-01-16T12:22:00.000-08:00

that's what she hollered out.

wrong mode of transportation, but who cares, she was bound for hawaii and the plane was ready for take off. passengers boarded, luggage was stowed away in a picnic basket located at the rear of the plane and they even took their "surfboard" with them...

people often ask me what my kids do while i quilt. here's a perfect example.

i'm a FIRM believer in not entertaining my children 24/7.

it forces them to be creative thinkers. this goes for video games and the like. my kids have always loved being outside, building things, creating, and generally making a mess, but they play independently and well.

of course, we provide the ground for creativity, i mean who else has buggy seats lying around hahaha. they are bubs and he has no idea what they are being used for!!! lol

the plane is ready to take off and there is one {very} unruly passenger!

she has no intention of removing herself from the cockpit!

as you can see the pilot has told her to move and she {hands on hip} is NOT budging!

so the moral of this post is let your kids be kids!

let them make messes, let them create & build and they will grow into independent, thoughtful people and you will have some time to do something you love!

My {real} Day - For Linda

2012-01-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

this post is to give you all a glimpse into my day. a {real} day

because behind the pictures and quilts i'm just like everyone else, struggling to make everything come together and just trying to get through another day smiling.

so let me begin...

my day started out in nolan's bed with a sinus headache and sick kids. shawn's out of town and last night masyn, nolan and evyn were all sick with colds. at 6:30 pm i had given all of them medicine, put vicks on their feet and started the vaporizer. i was hoping they would all be sound asleep by 8 so i could watch ncis. {2 out of 3...not bad}

around 2am i decided that i couldn't take the coughing, snoring and kicking so i left my bed for nolan's. i was still awake as the sun started to rise and at 6:45 evyn woke up. i sent her into bed with the others and masyn turned on cartoons. that bought me about an hour.

at 8:30 we headed out to get my diet coke. my sinuses were killing me and i needed to get rid of that sick/cold taste in my mouth.

we came back home and i put the snotty nose kids in a nice warm bath as i cleaned & vacuumed up my bathroom and bedroom. that's when i noticed that nolan had wet my bed. and as you can see in the picture below, as of 6:30 tonight the bed was still unmade. guess i should go get the sheets out of the dryer and make the bed...

and note that this load of laundry that i started putting together before i noticed my wet bed is still lying on the floor with shawn's flip flops that have been there since sunday.

i did get this quilt, that i've had {forever}, loaded and started. i'll be honest. i have been really nervous about quilting it. i've searched the web trying to decide how to quilt it. i hope its {owner} likes it when it's all done. if i remember, i'll show you how it turns out.

i quilted, did some applique, got lunch and continued to take down christmas.

it's piled on my dining room table.

oh. and my mother in law brought over a {fruit salad} bare root tree this morning and it's still sitting where she put it and the kitchen has been neglected.

but here's the good part...

after lunch i decided to take a late nap with the kids {all feeling much better, minus coughs}.

when i woke up, i finally got a shower and checked my voicemail.

it was now 4 and i thought i should get out of the house.

i set out for walmart and patti's. i needed to bring her a quilt that i had finished yesterday.

as we leave her house, evyn who had been coughing, threw up all over herself.

i take her home, clean her up and leave her with gavin and take the others to go get dinner.

gavin requested jack in the box while nolan put an order in for chicken, french fries, ketchup and sweet & sour...

i get mcdonalds and head over to jack in the box. as i pull up to the drive thru nolan decides that he needs to pee NOW! i dump out masyn's lemonade and as i order he pees. i'm laughing and masyn is not impressed.

after we eat, i thought i'd better clean the car seat. while i'm at it, why not clean out the car and clean nolan's seat too.

for those of you with a mini van and an extra seat, this is great.

shawn took out the bucket seat and layed down carpet. i LOVE it!

so now it's 8:30. the kids are laying down. the bed is made. the room is picked up. the load of laundry that was on the floor is now washed. the car seat covers are drying. the car is clean. the trash has been taken out. i did a bit more quilting on the quilt and stitched on my prairie garden quilt. {i never did make it to walmart, the flip flops are on the floor and the kitchen looks the same}

i've said goodnight to chelsie and shawn and now i'll say goodnight to you.

and linda, if you're reading this...

lots of love.

hope you enjoyed my day!

Quilting, Quilting, Quilting...

2012-01-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

i love it. but...
there are just too many quilts and never enough time...

here's a quilt i just finished piecing. it's an old wednesday's best pattern from cheri.
i'm teaching it at fat quarters next monday.

i'm also working on finishing up this pattern from a APQ magazine dated april of 2000! i'm teaching it at the end of the month. i often hear "i think i can, i think i can" in my head. i am soooo behind!!!

and i forgot to show you a few of my christmas quilts that i {finally} finished this year {season!}

enjoy your day of rest!

Happy New Year

2012-01-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

we spent new years & shawn's birthday in the desert.
it's also our dear friend, karen's birthday weekend and we were happy to camp with them for the 3rd year.

this weekend we were also joined by some co-workers of shawn's and derrick.
we had a good time.
gavin's bike broke on friday night and the boy was grumpy all weekend.

it would've put me in a foul mood if it weren't for the fact that i got some super cute photos of the baby helping her dad try to fix the bike. oh my gosh...she's the best!

even with mr. mc grumpy, we all managed to ignore him and enjoy the wonderful weather and good company!

hope your new years weekend was just as good!

now...do i dare make any resolutions!?

Snowflake Garland

2012-01-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

if you are anything like me, you may not be ready to take down all the christmas stuff just yet.
i take advantage of the fact that january is the month of the snowman and this year i decided to
take the santa's down and go with a winter wonderland theme.

i found these snowflake ornaments {packs of 4} on sale for 30 cents at target.
i bought 20 packs...

i removed the tags and the strings...

and started threading them with this twine i found at michaels in the jewelry section

i tied knots to keep them seperated. i wanted about an inch in between each snowflake.

then i hung it on the hoosier...

enjoy your winter wonderland!

{note: shawn thinks it's hysterical that i am trying to turn the house into a {winter wonderland} while we experience a santa ana with 82 degree weather...blah!

Celebrating Christmas...

2012-01-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas traditions are a must and we definitely have our share...

on Christmas eve my sister's family and my dad and stepmom come over and we celebrate with a big prime rib dinner. a definite favorite of the men!

we always, get a {Christmas ornament} from dad and janice and the older kids do a gift card gift exchange. we make it alittle fun by doing a scavenger hunt in order to find the gift cards and then they do the dice thing/white elephant thing to see what card they end up with.

in the end, i think suz and i end up with the cards and the kids get our cash...

the evening ends with me reading {The Night Before Christmas} a 12 year old tradition

and the sprinkling of reindeer food on the lawn, again a tradition that's as old as gavin.

after everyone leaves i give the kids their Christmas Eve present...Christmas pj's!

ok. so here's this year's drama...

i ordered all (but gavin's) pj's online at old navy

i ordered a 4T for nolan and apparently his {muscles} were too big for the stupid arms.

he cried and cried that the pajamas were too tight, but when i told him to take them off, he cried more! so. i did what every mom would do and i cut off the sleeves!

ThEn...he cried and cried that the feet were too tight. so. yep, i cut off the feet.

well. it worked. he was happy and in the collage below you can see him flexing his big muscles.

oh yikes!

{and one more thing...notice his hair. in fact, take notice of both the boys hair...

i cut their hair. always have. but for some reason i absolutely, positively MeSSeD up BoTH the boys hair and all i can say is that i was tired and delirious and i shouldn't have been given scissors! Gavin was so mad at me that he didn't talk to me until the day after. UgH!}

back to traditions...

cookies for santa. always.

this year masyn decorated one of the many {gingerbread houses} that i made and gave it to him. chocolate milk accompanies the tasty treat.

Christmas morning begins at the crack of dawn!

stockings, presents, a huge mess, dad's breakfast, and laughter.

happy birthday Jesus!!!

then it's off to nana and pa's {next door!}

all the aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family come and the boys TrY to stay out of trouble! {we DON'T SHOOT PEOPLE with BB GUNS!!!}

{PleAsE note NolaN's HAIR! yep i got SO much grief from EVeryOnE that i took Nolan ALL THE WAY HOME and had shawn shave his head too!}

after nana and pa's, we walked back home and got ready for mom, george, derrick and my sister's family to come for dinner.

turkey, ham, cheesy potatoes, pretzel jello salad all are a must.

mom made suz and i cheri's newest pattern black lovely! very LoVeLY!

we played a game of tonk {a very long time family tradition!}

gavin beat george and i think we were all shocked!

and this year the kids all got coats of some kind. great idea mom!

i LOVE Christmas and all the memories and traditions that we pack into every moment. stashed away in our hearts and minds awaiting the next generation to pass them on to.

it makes my HeArT happy!!!

and i hope yours was just as wonderful!!!

lots of love to you all!

Cookie Parties!!!

2012-01-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

for the last several years {with the exception of last year} masyn has had a christmas cookie party. it's always the same party with new and old friends.

i keep it pretty simple and short {only 1 1/2 hours}
i read a story {christmas magic} then the girls decorate cookies that go along with the story.
this year the girls were {WiLD}
they decorated cookies, RAN around the EnTIrE house and played on the swings outside.
the end result is always happy girls and one TIRED mommy

and this year nolan decided that because masyn was having a party, he needed one too!

oh brother!

he invited 3 {girls} from preschool and siblings/cousins. cracked me up!

i did the same party but i read {the Night before Christmas} with cookies to go along with it.

with two parties back to back i learned a few things...

{one} i'd rather have {8} 3-5 year olds than {3-5} 8 year olds!

{two}it's a good thing that nolan's party was after masyn's

or else we wouldn't have had any sprinkles left!

{three}don't decide to make a really fun gift for each kid/family 2 days before the party!

and {last, but CerTainLy not LEasT...}do NoT host a party the week of Christmas!

so for the record!

i survived by a thread and i am GraTefUl to my husband for helping me with all the darn cookies and for making the cookie cutter and the icer 3000 ;)

Have Yourselves

2011-12-24T22:54:00.000-08:00

a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!!!

{just a few pictures taken from my friends home}

For Your Enjoyment

2011-12-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

just a little holly jolly reality to keep it real...

the night {and day} before masyn's cookie party

holy disaster!!!

and with not a second too spare...

it all got cleaned up.

just in time for the children to arrive and make it a mess again :)

{clean, party, clean, party, clean...}

gotta LOVE the holidays!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE, EVERYONE!!!

Just in Time...

2011-12-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

i have a couple cute ideas, just in time for your holiday entertaining!

i got this idea from my VERY talented friend carrie. {we all WiSH she blogged!}

{liquid snowflakes} were a BiG hit with the kids! Reaaalllly CoLD water!

and a creative way to hold your plastics...

yummy cupcake toppers...

YuMMy starbucks hot cocoa that i found at vons. i bought peppermint and salted nut caramel {my niece's favorite!} stuffed into an old teapot and held by something from the yard...

and i don't have a picture, but family fun has a DELICIOUS recipe for hot caramel apple cider!

it's to die for and i don't even like apple cider!

{just a note...i did not make the "caramel" for the cider, i took a note from carrie and used caramel syrup instead. top it with whip cream and YuM!}

i found these candy cane garlands at tj maxx for $8. super cute!

My Holiday Home...

2011-12-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

getting back to {decking the HaLLs}

here's some shots of the dining room

i've done some more decorating in the kitchen and have some cute ideas for your holiday entertaining that i'll share. are we ever really done decorating?

hope you all are enjoying the merriest of a merry Christmas.

YikES...Santa comes tomorrow!!!

Gingerbread House Cookie Kit

2011-12-23T21:52:00.000-08:00

this is the CuTEsT thing EVER!
a friend of mine calls me last week and say's "you gotta go to eighteen 25 and see the cutest thing. you should do it for masyn's cookie party!" ok. so she knew i was probably the only crazy one who would attempt it days before the party and she was right.
but seriously! how cute are these!!!

they are sugar cookie houses iced in brown and decorated like gingerbread houses! so stinkin cute AnD you can download the cute card here at bee in our bonnet.

so...shawn and i set to work to make enough for the masyn & nolan's party guests.

{these are pics of our version, you can go over to the other sites to see the original}

and yes, i did say shawn and i. we had a baking date. he was making his famous chocolate dessert for a work party and when he was done, he decided he'd {help} me.

the first thing he did was make me a cookie cutter so that i didn't have to cut out houses with my homemade template. LoVE him!

then, after attempting to flood the cookies with a bottle and a toothpick, he disappeared yet again and came back with his {the icer 3000}

see what i mean...masyn comes by it honestly!

he's not happy with the {LoOK} but come on...

it worked great! lots and lots of perfectly iced {gingerbread} houses!

Just a Couple Quick {Funnies}

2011-12-23T21:30:00.000-08:00

i left you all hanging with the holiday home tour...
sorry...i'm going to catch everybody up on what's been going on around here
{LOTS & LotS} of Christmas parties, cookies, cleaning, cookies, and, did i mention, cleaning!

& speaking of cleaning...

i asked nolan to clean up the kitchen table. several minutes went by and an enthusiastic little guy hollers "mom, i'm done. it's all cleaned up!"

i glanced over to see a very clean table and i was shocked.

until i noticed that every last item that was on the kitchen table had now been put on the railing behind the table! i laughed. i couldn't help it.

but nolan, being nolan, say's (as i'm taking the picture) "but i cleaned the table".

yep. you sure did buddy!

ok. now onto the other funny thing.

as i was making the beds i noticed a very lovely roll of toilet paper strung from the lights on the kids schoolhouse. i thought how funny, shawn must have strung the toilet paper for masyn who has been suffering from a runny nose. i was sure it was shawn because it was really hung well. as well as a toilet paper roll can be, i guess. it was securely fastened and not going anywhere.

when he came home, i was starting to harass him about it and it's very classy look, when he told me he hadn't done it. masyn did. she heard me and piped in..."i did it mom, sorry...but my nose was really runny."

she's just like her dad!

very clever!

(and speaking of clever wait to you see shawn's icing flooder 3000)

My Holiday Home...

2011-12-13T19:50:00.000-08:00

here's the family room

i only took these two photos, not sure why.

the quilt on the right is an unfinished version of cheri's crimson and clover.

the crow weathervane was made by my dear friend margi {hi margi, love ya!}

the kitchen is the hardest for me to decorate.

i love all the kitchens with candy themes, i think i'm going to have to do that next year.

my good friend patti made me that stinkin cute jar with the wool wrap. {LOvE} it & her! needless to say the cookies were gone in no time and i need to make more!

the rest are pictures from here and there in the kitchen and on my desk area where i keep my featherweight.

tomorrow i'll show you the rest

thanks for stickin' around!

My Holiday Home...

2011-12-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

can i show you my laundry room, it's not quite done but at least there's no more wallpaper! {wHoO HoO!}

the color is hard to capture. there's a "discussion" about the color to be honest. shawn & his mom say it's green...me & my mom say it's blue...

but to be honest. it's not blue or green, it's seabreeze!

it's the perfect not blue, not green color!

now i just need to do the cupboards and i'll be good.

and the bathroom...again i totally {StOLe} every idea in here from temecula quilt co.

thanks sheryl, you inspire me!

we hung the quilts from antiqued wood yard sticks

and shawn made me this board with the hooks. {love} him

next, the kitchen and family room.

My Holiday Home...

2011-12-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

i think i will give you a room by room tour and we will start with the living room.

it's my favorite room. red & white, of course.

i LOVE to decorate with red because it goes with just about every holiday and it just makes my heart happy...

i've always wanted a tree in the front window

i don't know why but i love to see the white lights of a tree in the front window of a home

that and candles in window sills...

the tool box was made by shawn's opa that past away last year.

on my recent birthday, i saw it in my mother in laws garage and fell in love with it

she gave it to me as a happy birthday from opa. {LOVE}

i stole the idea below from temecula quilt co. i bought the aluminum stand from there last year. i'm not sure if she still sells them and the domes are super hard to find now.

the advent box is from victoria trading co. i LOVE it!

this desk was my sister in laws from her childhood

and the picture below is for {leticia}

doesn't the quilt look so good hanging above the fireplace ;)

next i will show you my newly painted laundry room and guest bath...

{NO MORE WALLPAPER!!!}

Welcome...

2011-12-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

come on in.

the house is FINALLY decorated

shawn and gavin got the lights hung

i am loving my front porch.

it's perfect for quilts, candles and everything else i can find!

here's a little peak into the entry

and while your waiting to see the rest

why not make some snowmen in a jar

all you need is a 1/2 pint mason jar, some "snow" flakes

3 small black buttons and a carrot nose {made from the ends of toothpicks and painted orange}

i sewed the buttons onto a small tag and glued the nose on to it

i cut black hats from wool felt and added some twigs from an outside tree for his arms.

place it all in the jar, tie it up with ribbon and more greenery and add a tag.

{i bought my tags at staples and soaked them in instant coffee then dried them in a warm oven}

perfect.

when your done with your snowmen, i'll take you on a small tour.

merry christmas!

A Fabulous Find!!!

2011-12-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

see that tree in the picture down there.
i LOVE it!!!

i have {three} of them here and there around the house and they are great!

if you, too, would like one of these head on over to michaels and bring your coupon.

they are $19.95 and when i bought them they were 50% off. {TEN} bucks!

now...for you local ladies.

i bought all that the vista store had, but, mom called this morning and said that encinitas has at least ten. so HURRY over!!!

on a different note. i have been overwhelmed with parties and holiday good stuff. it took me almost {two} weeks to get my house cleaned and decorated and it is finally looking like my holiday home should.

i will give you a tour here shortly and if you're in the area come on over it won't look like this for long ;)

hope you are all enjoying the christmas season and all the joy it brings.

Christmas Trees!!!

2011-11-30T20:36:00.000-08:00

my sister found these and i thought you'd enjoy it!

you can find the tutorial here!

Remington...

2011-11-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

at the age of {twelve}

i'm not sure just how long our devoted friend will be with us, so i thought i'd tell you all just how much we love him and when he does make it to the pearly gates we will be soooo very sad.

we've spent the past few months trying to figure out what kind of dog we want to get. we'd like to get a dog before he leaves us so that he can help {train} the new friend but we are having a very difficult time. remi has been the best dog we have ever dreamed of having.

we are hoping he is a miracle and lives forever!

A Sunday {Nap}

2011-11-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

this is a very {RARE} moment.

our little rosie isn't the sleepy, snuggly, cuddly type.

she'd rather sit and watch tv with you until she's sleepy and then she wants to lay in her bed with her blankie.

daddy was a happy daddy!

Tired & Happy

2011-11-26T18:58:00.000-08:00

{twenty-two} months

oh...how we adore our little fiesty rose!

Part Two {Show & Tell}

2011-11-26T06:50:00.000-08:00

such talented gals!
such a FUN group!!!

thanks ladies for sharing your talents with us!!!

MIdnight Madness!!! {Part One}

2011-11-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

i {LOVE} midnight madness!

november's class was this quilt from a 2000 magazine bhg apq

i made my sister's yummy pumpkin bread

and gave each one the stinkin cute tea towel pattern from fig tree quilts

i'm on a yucky diet so i brought a julian apple pie and a pumpkin. this way i wasn't tempted to eat any ;)

stay tuned for {part two - show & tell}

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families!

i am so very thankful for all the wonderful {and sometimes not so wonderful} blessings that i have been given and for He whom has given them!

I wish you all a wonderful day full of yummy food, wonderful company and treasured memories!

here's a few shots of our Thankful home...

Lots and lots of love,

Beautiful Baby

2011-11-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

this beautiful baby hummingbird ran into our slider
and needed a place to rest...

my hand provided that place for a short time.

just long enough for me to take these shots.

beautiful.

how {CUTE}

2011-11-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

marking this idea for next year!

masyn has a friend in her class that has a mommy who i {NEED} to meet!

she sent all the kids home with these sweet treats.

how stinkin' cute are they!!!

Beautiful Needlecase

2011-11-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

how stinkin cute is this!!!
i think it would make a fantastic present for a very special young lady {aka masyn}

the tutorial can be found at nana company!

and let me tell ya. it's a great blog!!!

Clay Flowers

2011-11-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

aren't these great!

i checked out the tutorial and they look super easy.

go check it out at craftberry bush! LOVE it!

Fall in love with buttons

2011-11-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

such a cute idea!

jen over at tater tots and jello featured this. love it!

Halloween with Chels!

2011-11-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

i stole these pics off chelsie's facebook profile so i could share
her halloween with you!
enjoy...

chelsie, wilson & razzle

chelsie & wilson

jenny & razzle

the girls & their pooches

so cute!

trick or treat!

happy halloween

Trick or Treat!!!

2011-11-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

halloween was ok.

change is always hard and i tried to make this halloween the same as the last 15.

we had our traditional chili and cornbread prior to the trick or treating. shawn's parents joined us and auntie kernie stopped by and brought the most delicious candy apples.

we drove to jeni's house to join them and their gang.

there were fairies, pirates, dinosaurs and one cute little ragamuffin that was thrilled just to be pulled around and eat candy!

auntie, kenzie, brandon & debbie all joined us.

we went trick or treating in our old neighborhood and as usual, gavin was the wagon puller

we had our usual picture taken in front of our old house.

visiting there put masyn into tears.

but it was good to see ashley and her scary halloween house!

we ended up back at jeni's beautiful home and drove home.

happy halloween from our gang to yours!

Carving Pumpkins

2011-11-06T18:16:00.000-08:00

better late than never!

come saturday night we finally broke out the carving tools and carved pumpkins.

note worthy notes...

nolan hates pumpkin goo and refused to touch it. that drove gavin crazy!

masyn touched it but only because i forced her too.

she carved her pumpkin all by herself and made a mistake that put her into tears but daddy saved the day with toothpicks.

evyn and remington enjoyed hanging out and watching the kids

bub and dad like carving pumpkins

and i carved nolans. he picked a happy pumpkin.

gotta love max & ruby!

Turning {sixteen}

2011-11-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

gavin's {sixteenth} birthday was a four day event!

the celebration (as always) begins in the desert. this year was especially special because we were also remembering my grandfather who passed a year ago. Because of this my mom's family was also in the desert camping for the weekend and i can't remember a time that we were all out there at the same time.

on saturday they all braved the dust and the {HEAT} and visited our camp.

mom, auntie's family, gary & tina, grandma, andy, chris, sam, kyle & kennison.

nolan showed off his mad riding skills as gavin and grandma watched and cheered.

i LOVE the hand signs nolan made as he rode with out crashing into the bushes!

saturday afternoon we celebrated grandpa and later in the evening the gang came back for fireworks, brownies with delicious german chocolate cake frosting and laughs.

and can i just say that baking in the trailer in 102 degree heat was not so fun and fully showed my love and dedication for the birthday boy ;)

the fabulous marin family joined our {riddle-isa} clan and we were so glad they did.

gavin took a liking to there daughter rylan. it was so cute and rare. bub loves the kids up until age 3 and then that's it. but rylan stole his heart.

the desert trip was hot and short and monday {the birthday day} came quick.

several of us, including shawn's parents, sister's family, auntie kern, and auntie suz's family celebrated at our favorite restaurant la paloma. i don't think gavin enjoyed himself as much as he should have. he was sooooo stressed out about the drivers test the next morning. he made himself sick.

and tuesday morning came faster that fast and before you knew it i was the mother of a sixteen year old boy.

i couldn't have been happier for him

i'm so glad he passed the test, it would have been a HORRIBLE time for all of us.

congratulations gavin and LOOK OUT people...gavin is on the roads!

Happy {congratulations}

2011-10-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

today was a {BIG} day for two of my most FAVORITE people in the whole wide world!

first it is mom's birthday!

i LOVE you mom and i am so very blessed to be your daughter. you make our hearts {SUPER} happy and as masyn said today, you are one of the fanciest grandma's we have ever known! we love you so very, very much. thanks for being the best mom, grandma and friend! love you!

and...

today was also a {gigantic} day for a certain sixteen year old! he got his {DRIVERS LICENSE}!!! so fair warning, if you live nearby, look out he's out there! ;) he has been heard singing the song "freedddommm" today on several occasions and has repeated multiple times how {awesome} it is to finally have his license, because, as he shared with me earlier, he's been waiting for this day since he was {five}!!!

i love you both so very much. you are both awesome!

, mom

"Meee!"

2011-10-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

"who wants a bath?!"

"ME!" she says raising her hand as high as it will go!

and to think, it wasn't too long ago she despised the water filled white thing!

Oh Nuts!

2011-10-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

this post is for you {denise}

oh skeptic one!!!

a week or so ago, my dad sent my a link to lehman's website.

LOVED it!

while searching, i found a product called soap nuts. {"hmmm"} i said.

i've been wanting to make my own laundry soap.

(don't ask why & stop giggling denise!)

anyway...i decided to give the soap nuts a go. they came yesterday and today i went about my laundry and guess what!

i had {clean} laundry.

see. white whites!

so...if you want a more economical, chemical free alternative to the basic laundry detergent, give the nuts a try. (and yes, they work in front loader machines, that's what i have)

and p.s. i can't wait to see how {cute} they look in the jar! hehehe

Labels

2011-10-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

my new favorite thing...

i'm soooo bad about adding labels to the backs of my quilts.

i always forget.

this time wasn't any different. made back, quilted quilt, forgot label!

but wait! the binding! i can add it into my binding.

yea!

quilt with label=fantastic!

A {Scant} 1/4"

2011-10-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

i have always preached the scant seam allowance in my classes.
i find that it makes a big difference, especially when piecing more difficult blocks.
amy, from diary of a quilter, has a fantastic tutorial on her blog. below are a couple pictures taken from her post, go here for the entire tutorial.

happy quilting!

Midnight Madness!!!

2011-10-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

is all about the quilting

and the sharing!

and the food!

how stinkin cute is this spider pin cushion. adella's {cousin} made it! and look at the pumpkin margie made me! thanks margie! i LOVE it!!!

and of course, the cupcakes! gotta have cupcakes. i got the idea for the witches hat toppers here

oh and it is always about the {JOKES}

this time, the joke is in the stain!

{you had to be there, because it's not something i can repeat!}

let's just say that we all had a GREAT time!

Some Halloween Decorations

2011-10-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

i finally got the mess cleaned up.
i've had a hard time decorating this house, trying to find the right place for everything
took me {ten} years in the old house...

boy am i in trouble!

this last picture was inspired by carrie. she doesn't have a blog but boy i wish she did!

Renee Plains came to Fat Quarters!

2011-10-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

and i got to take a class from her!
how exciting!

{michelle & renee}

{one of the best pictures i've had taken of myself}

i {LOVE} this book! so many projects that i NEED to make!

and this was the project she taught. of course mine is still in the applique stage!

it was a great class and lea was even there!( i can't my link thingy to work so if you want to see lea's quilty stuff, go here...http://simplepleasuresrg2.blogspot.com/) i was super jealous because she won a super cute necklace made by renee :( {yeah for lea :)}
good times!

Trick or {TREAT}

2011-10-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

and what a {treat} it always is to go to carrie's house!
she knows how to decorate and is by far one of the most talented people i know.
i'm blessed to call her my friend!

she let me take pictures to share her ideas with you.
hope you enjoy them as much as i do.

and if you think the outside looks good in the day, you should see it at night!

Chelsie's Summer

2011-10-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

many of you have asked about my darling daughterso i thought i'd give you my version of her summer.

she and her roomie, jen went to the bahamas and had a great time {minus the stomache flu}

they danced and played and were sad when they had to go home...

she and her cousin, keoni, went to the rascal flatts/sara evans concert for her birthday.

we LOVE sara evans!

she also went to a def leppard concert. i cracked up because she text me during and said "i wish i was born in the 80's!" she was 1989! i guess that's not 80's enough...darn

she has gone to many games and she's excited that hockey is starting again. she's a BIG fan!

and lets not forget getting all dolled up to go dancing!

and the best part was coming home and hanging out by the pool.

oh. wait. that was wilson's favorite part!

happy summer memories!

Witch Hat Liners!`

2011-10-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

My House is a Mess

2011-10-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

and i'm not afraid to show you!

please tell me that i'm not the only one with a {HUGE} mess while halloween decorating.

and on another note...

the kids have gone {crazy}

and for the sake of argument...

i'd much rather paint a very large wall than try to decorate with {three} little children

although, they are stinkin cute. especially when you break out the camera and my little fiesty one says {cheese} over and over and over! super cute!

ok. words can't even touch this one! he dressed himself! {WOW}

Chels. this one's for you! {and black mail!}

She's Her Daddy's Daughter

2011-10-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

masyn just cracks me up!
she decided to {camp} with nolan this morning.

she {built} a fire. they {roasted} marshmellows with forks

and in complete {shawn} fashion she made a tent
{with my {WHITE CHENILLE} blanket. but we won't go there...}

she needed something to {tie down} one edge of the tent,so she made a pole by piling up
5 gallon buckets and somehow attaching the rake and tieing the blanket {i mean tent} to the end of the rake.

she's such her daddy's girl!

LOVE this!!!

2011-10-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

i LOVE these boys!
how many teenage boys would let a 3 year old hang out with them.

i hope a lot because this {three} year old was in heaven {JUMPING} with the big boys!

i couldn't get a picture from the house, but the boys built a small dirt {jump}
for nolan and were teaching him to jump his bike.

it made my heart swell to hear them all cheer as he {rolled} over it with all the energy his little legs could muster!

there's something to be said about having large families where teens and babies bond and each learn from one another.
so grateful!

Show & Tell

2011-10-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

darn. i forgot to share our midnight madness show & tell!

michelle shared her dear jane quilt.
{shhhh...don't tell anyone, but it's actually a cheater panel!}
i'm pretty sure she has some kits left, if you give her a call.

the VERY talented adela shared some of her wool applique projects with us.
below is part of the autumn quilt by kathy campbell

and i LOVE love LOVE this sewing case
and i'm hoping she'll teach it!

choni also shared her beautiful wool quilt.
and she had many wonderful blocks that she's making into a quilt but i'll show you just a few of my faves

darla shared a couple cute little pumpkin quilts and unfortunately they were all fuzzy. {darn}
but here are a few cute pumpkins she made.

and a little easter goodie
so cute!

these tow shared a kiss.

and these two shared a lot of laughs.

Halloween Treat Boxes

2011-09-27T22:19:00.001-07:00

i LOVE these!!!

go here for complete instructions!

No Tricks...Just Treats

2011-09-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

love this idea {and free download!}

Dryer Vent Pumpkin

2011-09-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

what a great idea!!! so many creative people!

head on over to diamond in the stuff for the how-to's!

{see ya at home depot!}

It's Midnight Madness

2011-09-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

i'm having such a grea time teaching the midnight madness class!

this months class was on jan patek's pumpkin blossom quilt from the twixt garden gate book.

i made yummy trail mix for each table.

i use {one package of the following}

mini oreos, roasted peanuts, candy corn, m&m's, and goldfish

the log cabins are quilt labels

the jar below caused a lot of laughter {at me} you had to be there!

neta brought this stinkin cute pin cushion! she always has the cutest stuff!!! soo jealous!

and i loved her take on the "fall" quilt. she did hers in pinky oranges! LOVED it!

and patti. she always thinks outside the box and turns everything into gold!

mardy is speedy and i'm dieing to share her house with you! MARDY...hint, hint!

here's patti portraying "wilson". no not chelsie's dog. tim's neighbor! hehe...love the blue almost as much as i love her!

denise was new to our group and sew much fun!!! even if she did tease me A LOT!

we had a great time and i love spending time with these ladies!!!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

2011-09-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

all prepped and ready for my class...

i should've used a small mason jar, oh well...

i found the muffin recipe here...

Renee Plains!!!

2011-09-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

is coming to the quilt shop next week!!!

it's not everyday that you get to take a class from a "famous" quilt designer!
she's teaching the project above and the wallhanging below.
hmmm, which one to take...

i chose the wallhanging above.
and have you seen her new book.
it is stinkin cute!!!

if you want to come learn from a PROfessional,
call the shop before there isn't room.

I'm SO excited!!!

Toil & Trouble

2011-09-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

i got this idea from roosters creek in temecula
and thought it was super cute.

the original one was simply written on a childs chalkboard.

another simple idea

Simple Things

2011-09-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

a friend stopped by and loved the cheese graters, so i thought i'd share this simple idea.

Little Ben's Class {Part Two}

2011-09-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

today was the second part of our little ben's class.
for the life of me i couldn't think of a {favor} to give the class and of course,
like everything else, i came up with at the last minute.

i decided to make up little log cabin block labels for each class member

i never take the time to make a label, do you?

the labels turned out, but the {treat} was another story...
the plan was to make a bundt cake. the bundt cake didn't make it and i had to do something i don't like to do.
buy a store bought cake.

it looks good in the picture but by the time i got it to the shop, it started to fall. {UGH!}
it was still super yummy and with some handmade touches, it wasn't so bad.

the class went well and i love the ladies that i got to hang out with.
life is good and quilting is fabulous!

The Day the Power Went Out!

2011-09-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

as many of you know, last week much of california lost it's power.

many were not happy about this.
it caused HUGE traffic problems
(this is the street turned parking lot in front of our house)

the paramedics and police were quite busy

but amongst all the chaos, we enjoyed the evening

we gathered all the candles and lanterns, tuned our battery operated radio into our local country station

gavin made top ramen on the bbq with my cast iron skillet,
while masyn put out candles, wore her apron and sang folk songs with nolan.

the kids took a bath by candle light and we had a wonderful evening.
so much so, that when they woke up the next morning and realized the electricity was on, they were sad.

Cartwheels!

2011-09-16T23:56:00.000-07:00

so.
masyn has been trying to do a cartwheel. it hasn't been successful to say the least...

shawn, having one of his famous "shawn moments" decided to rig up some sort of pulley to help masyn.

it wasn't too comfortable and masyn wasn't very confident in his idea.

well...
the picture says it all!

they ditched the pulley idea and went back to good ol' fashion practice.
with a couple of failed attempts and a sore noggin

they decided a helmet would be best!
{side note...i am CRACKING up at this point!}

let's just say, the helmet didn't help either!!!

at least this time she's laughing!

we need a professional!

Happy Birthday Chels!!!

2011-09-09T22:17:00.000-07:00

i CAN NOT believe you are {twenty-two} years OLD!!!
where did all the years go?
I mean LOOK AT YOU!
your BEaUtiFUL

FUNNY, a tad SASSY, SARCAStic

LovED, ADmiRED

CRAZY, free SPIRITED, cREatiVE

AND A GREAT MOMMY TO YOUR WILLY WILS!

i am soooo very proud of you!
you have grown so much in the last couple years. you've had to push yourself and stay strong when many at your age who say forget it and come home. but not you, you have perservered and made yourself a stronger women for it.
i am (and so is dad) so proud of you for your mad mechanic skills!

you are beautiful and strong and full of wit and love. i love you so very, very much.

you are hysterical. i'm not sure where you and nolan got your humor but the two of you are funny.
you can make me laugh when i just want to scream.

i love that we are so close. i love that you still need me but i'm sad that i can't be there for you in person.

you're far away physically but in every other way you are so close. it makes my heart happy to watch you with your siblings. they love you soooo very much. sometimes too much ;)

and what a responsible mommy you are to that dog of yours. good job, puter!

most of all, i am grateful for the effort you put forth in growing your relationship with Christ. He is your strength and through Him you will be able to do anything. always keep yourself in a place that the Holy Spirit will be.

you are a wonderful balance of so many, many things. you always have been and what a wonderful gift that has been.

stay strong, stay true to yourself, and stay close to Heavenly Father and your family.
we LOVE you SO VERY MUCH and want all the BEST for you!

Happy, Happy Birthday Puter!
May this year be blessed with all things wonderful!

I LOVE YOU!
Love Mom!

His First Day of Preschool!!!

2011-09-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

nolan started preschool today!

yesterday i took him to buy a "first day of school" outfit.

he picked out his outfit, including new shoes (he loves shoes)

he got his backpack all ready

i gave him a new haircut {and by the looks of it, i need to do a little fixing!}

and he was so excited to go!!!

he thinks miss paula is really pretty (she is)

he found his basket

and made new friends! he can't wait to go back!

mommy's note: there were no tears. he was nervous about me leaving so i told him i'd wait outside in the car. it worked. no tears. a little fib is sometimes ok...

Mini Cherry Pies

2011-09-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

i'm not a big fan of cooked fruit, but i know a lot of people who are and i would love to make these for them!

kristin over at homespun with love has a great post on these sweet treats!

A Fantastic Idea!

2011-09-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

oh my gosh, i am so stealing this idea!!!

for more great ideas, head on over to torie jayne and tell her hi!

He's a Genius!

2011-09-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

shawn hurt his mcl and hasn't been able to work out so he decided to swim.

he tied a noodle around his waist and bouyed himself to the umbrella pole

he CRACKS me up!

Bringing back memories!

2011-09-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

masyn's friend ellie had an 80's rock star party

and masyn was SO excited to dress up in her 80's clothes.

when it came to doing her hair and makeup she was concerned.

she said, "how do you know what to do?"

"simple", i said. "i lived it!"

the blue eye shadow, the banana clips, aqua net hairspray, too much blush, i could go on an on...

gotta love the 80's!!!

Happy Labor Day!!!

2011-09-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

I hope you are all enjoying your day off!!!

don't ya just love the quilt above!
my friend cheryl made it and i LOVE it!
i actually LOVE LOVE LOVE everything cheryl does,
including the quilt below.
i'll be teaching this one at the quilt shop at the end of the month.

i've quilted them all and wrapped them up all ready to find their rightful place in her beautiful farmhouse!

enjoy your day and don't forget why we celebrate this day.

i pray that the leaders of this great country and those who believe in hard work and preserverance, can get us back to the days that our forefathers once put their hearts and souls into creating.

May God Bless the United States of America!

Happy Labor Day!!!

Midnight Madness

2011-09-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

i forgot to tell you about our midnight madness class last week.
it was a lot of fun. with 16 lovely ladies, the room was packed and full of excitement.
i LOVED meeting so many new people and getting loopy on diet coke and 80's music.

i taught the quilt "those are not weeds" by linda brannock and rita briner.
the quilt shop has the pattern if you want to make your own.

i was so busy i forgot to take pictures of the fun.
all i got was this picture of the cookies.

and this picture of half the class. the part that made it past ten o'clock :)

in september's class, we will be making this quilt by jan patek.

{photo taken from jan patek's book twixt garden gates}

Reuniting...

2011-08-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

monday night was fantastic!!!

chuck reunited me with daniel & josie and his wife dorothy

at the age of 14, i got a job working at josies mexican restaurant.
i LOVED daniel and josie. it was a wonderful experience and i learned a lot working for them.
i remember the day josie told me that they were closing the restaurant and moving. i cried and cried.

{me & dawn at work...age 15.}

25 years have gone by and one day chuck was in my front yard talking to my father in law. i think he was surprised to see me and even more so that we remembered each other after all this time. we exchanged email addresses and he connected me with josie.
i was beyond happy to see them.

there will always be those people in our lives that make such a large footprint on our heart and i am grateful for the opportunity to be in touch with them once again.

i love you daniel and josie!

...now, if i could only be reunited with that 15 year old figure...haha!

polka dots, candy canes and quilting

2011-08-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

saturday was the first of the three little ben's quilt class.
my theme was polka dots and candy canes

i got lucky that michaels had some of their christmas merchandise out.
the glittery picks and polka dot ribbon made for a good cupcake topper.

just a tip. i always put my cupcakes on a cooling rack over the sink to decorate them.
this way ALL the sprinkles go into the sink instead of all over my counter.

i made candy canes out of red and white chenille stems twisted together and soaked in a coffee bath.
i laid them out on the lawn to dry. if it wasn't so sunny and hot i would have put them in a warm oven to dry.

i {heart} candy canes...

clustered in groups of 3, and tied up with ribbon and pine

it was simply christmasy.
i'll definetly be making more of these.

Baked Beans

2011-08-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

are a great gift for any man.

my favorite recipe is one that came from my mom.
(i've tweaked it a bit, and i've never really measured, so these are approx. measurements)

1 lrg. can of bush's baked beans
1 can each of pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans and white beans (drained)
1 package bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1/2 of a sweet onion (cooked with the bacon)
1/2 cup of your favorite bbq sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
cap full of vinegar
1 Tbls of dry mustard

i simmer it in a slow cooker for a few hours and it's delicious.
always a favorite.

{Eighteen} Months

2011-08-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

our rosie posie is eighteen months!

and it's my favorite age...

i could have dressed her up, made her hair all pretty with bows, and got some great photos but i'm not going to {at least not today}... today i want to capture her just like she is. everyday.
mostly smiling, unless she's not getting what she wants and then she's yelling at me or biting nolan.
she's fiesty. really fiesty.

she's curious and smarter than the other kids at this age. she understands and insists.

she's independent

she's stinkin cute, even though she HATES anything in her hair.

she LOVES to pick all the flower buds off my plants and give them to me.
is a horrible eater.
is our only climber
loves her blankie
she loves to lay on our bed and watch tv
she loves the bath
and diet coke {it's a problem}
loves animals & dolls
takes off her diaper when she pees {that's a bigger problem}
and you can set your clock by her
she refuses to give kisses unless your lucky
she "shh's" everyone
her favorite thing to say is "help" and it's so cute
she's super loud and i'm pretty sure all the neighbors are tired of hearing her yell "mommm"

dad is her favorite. i LOVE it when he comes home. the minute she hears him you can hear her little feet running from wherever she is and when she gets close, she starts to giggle. melts our hearts everytime.

she's bubs favorite {for now} he loves her spunk.

and speaking of, i have a little story.

when i was pregnant with her, shawn had gone to the temple one night and when he came home he said, "we're going to have a girl and we should name her rosie". i objected and said if we had a girl, we would name her evyn rose.

now. shawn is always right, {even though it kills me to admit it} and i should have listened to him.

she is our rose. we all call her rose. gavin calls her rosie posie, but for the most part she's rose or rosie.

i always tell people that she is definetly our rose.
she is beautiful and sweet
with a thorny side...

and we LOVE her to pieces!

{Third} Grade

2011-08-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

masyn started third grade today.
mrs silvester is her teacher.

she was sad to go back {so was i}
summer just went too fast.

dropping her off was harder than usual. we both got teary eyed as we said goodbye.
but at pickup she was all smiles.

looking forward to a great year and lots of time to get some w.i.l.l.i.n.g. {waiting in long lines} projects done!!!

Chimneys are for Santa!

2011-08-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

are you wondering why my living room is covered in sheets?

we are caring for 2 cats while their family finds a new home.
one of the cats got scared and ran into the fireplace and climbed up into the chimney yesterday!
oh my gosh, gavin and kelsey were laughing, the little kids were crying, there was talk of fireworks and pebbles, i may have freaked out a little bit...

we thought it was stuck in the flue. it was in there for almost 4 hours and i was getting very worried that i'd have to call a chimney sweep.
in my state of {panic} i mean worry, i failed to think of what was going to happen once the darn cat got out of the chimney. thankfully my smart friend told me to cover everything that was dear in my living room.

with some coaxing {a bowl of tuna} the darn cat finally came out.

and just as we thought, little black paw prints, everywhere!

Opa {a year's gone by}

2011-08-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

a year ago, sunday, opa went to his heavenly home.

when we moved here, there were many flowers and plants that we removed, moved, and cut back.
i moved many of what i thought were agapanthas.

i later found out that they were naked ladies. naked ladies that opa had given to inka.
i thought i had killed them and i felt really bad.

imagine our surprise when last week out of nowhere pinkish stalks shot up out of the ground.

and how appropriate for them to bloom on sunday!

hi opa. we love you too!

LOVE this!

2011-08-16T21:23:00.001-07:00

don't you love this rug from garnet hill!!!

this is on my want list.

A Photo Holder

2011-08-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

that i know a few of you are going to make!

i know i am...

tiffany from lemon tree creations made this to go along with her pinwheel party.

so cute!

Quilt Answers...{edited...thx katie!}

2011-08-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

thanks for your comments and emails.

these quilts above aren't really a "pattern".
the americana one is a combination of two different quilts (america for me & lady liberty) in jan patek's lady liberty book. i'm pretty sure you can find it on amazon. the weathervane quilt was made from a panel that is no longer available and is no where to be found. the pattern was made up by sheryl johnson of temecula quilt co. i fell in love with it while touring her home. she might still have the applique pattern available. you can email her.

this quilt is a pattern by Linda Brannock and Rita Briner called "those are not weeds" i found it here.

Did you know...

2011-08-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

that flour has an expiration date???

well actually it's a "better if used by" date.
either way this is what happens when you use it after the date.
{my poor zuccini bread}
i didn't believe that it was the flour, i thought i must had forgotten something, so i tried again.
and yep, this is how it turns out.

BUT, if you overcook it and grab a spoon, it's not half bad!

Those Aren't Weeds!!!

2011-08-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

i LOVE this quilt from linda brannock and rita briner. love, love love it!

{picture taken from pattern}

i'm teaching this class at the quilt shop
for august's midnight madness class.
whoo hoo. super exited!

Making Little Changes

2011-08-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

this month marks 8 months in the new house and not a lot has gotten done.
with all the activities going on there hasn't been much time for much of anything.

recently i've acquired a few cute things that have made my spaces a lot nicer.

my friend margi made this crow for me. she sells them.
i LOVE it!!!

i got this shelf from another friend who is parting with some fabulous things

which include this pie safe/hutch that i LOVE LOVE LOVE!
it made the dining room masyn's favorite room!

so now i am working on picking out wall colors. ugh!
i can't decide what color to paint the laundry room...

remember my mess...
well i've removed the wallpaper and now i need to paint but i can't decide what color to paint it.
as you can see from the picture above this one, the laundry room wall is visible from all parts of the front of the house, therefore, it somewhat needs to "blend" with the rest of the house. the problem is, i really wanted to go with a "fresh laundry" look and thought a fun apple green wall would be fun but that's not going to blend. then i thought a buttercream yellow would be good but i think that's going to be boring, so i'm having a {ugh} moment...
any suggestions??? i could use some ideas for the entry as well. but that's going to be a while. it's completely covered in wallpaper! i want something warm. such dilemas.

so if you've made it this far, send me your suggestions, i would really appreciate them!

Busy Quilting...

2011-08-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

do you remember this post?
well, i found this company that sells refurbished motherboards that saved me $100's of dollars!
so after this, that and the other thing going wrong,
shawn was able to bring my gammill back to life! yeah!!!

and since the weekend, i've been quilting, quilting, quilting...
(and removing wallpaper...but that's another story!)

and how stinkin' cute is patti's paper doll quilt!
love it!

It's Shawn's Fault...

2011-08-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

because he left the darn tool on the hoosier
and every time i came up the stairs it was calling my name.

i finally gave in.
it started with a simple thought...
"i wonder how easy it will come off..."

you know what happens when you start to peel.
it's like when your skin starts peeling after a sunburn.
you just can't stop...

the next thing i know the laundry room was a mess
and the wallpaper (first layer) was off

darn that shawn for leaving his tools lie around ;)
now, what color am i going to paint it???

Pie & Tie

2011-08-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

sunday we attended a pie & tie farewell for one of my favorite guys who left for his mission yesterday. i had never heard of a pie & tie event, but i loved the idea!

each guest brought a tie. new or used it didn't matter and presented it with a bit of advice or a thought. fabulous. bring tissue!

and of course, there was pie. lots of yummy pie!

(a loving handshake...no more huggin' the missionary!)

(elder riddle & two future missionaries!)

(elder riddle & my favorite little guy!)

a friend gave each of the "older" boys matching ties with a story about "the ties that bind them as friends, bothers in Christ, and as future missionaries" great idea!

and of course, a quilt from his mom!

congratulations david. you are going to be a GREAT missionary!

His Underwear!!!

2011-08-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

i know you're missing nolan...

yes. his underwear are on backwards, and there is a reason for it.
he LOVES "car racers" aka Cars, so i bought him Cars underwear. Yeah!!!
the problem is, the cars are on the BACK, or as he would say, on his "hiney" and
he can't see the cars if they are on his hiney!
therefore, he INSISTS on wearing them backwards so that he can see lightning mcqueen!

we love nolan!

Little Bens

2011-07-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

i love this quilt from blackbird designs

i started it oh about a hundred years ago and i'm finishing it up so i can teach it in august.
it will be a 3 part class starting august 20th at fat quarters quilt shop.

hope your having a great week!

Pioneer Days

2011-07-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

saturday, we celebrated the pioneers
at our annual pioneer day event.

masyn clogged and i helped with the {quilting} booth

recently a good friend to so many in our church and in the community passed away.
we featured one of her quilts in memory of her. it's the patriotic one in the picture on the left.
janice made all the blocks and her quilt teacher and friend, susan, put the quilt together for her prior to her passing.

she is loved and will be dearly missed.
so, in memory of the ever faithful pioneers and a wonderful lady,
it was a wonderful day and a memorable event!

A Backyard Wedding

2011-07-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

took place at our house yesterday.
a good friend of mine {that i LOVE} asked if she could host a wedding for a young military couple.
she did it for her friend and, well, i did it for tam, but also,
it was our way of saying thank you to a man who is serving our country.

{see the beehive drink holders...ralphs for $16.99!}

they wanted a pink & white country wedding...
we can do that!!!
and it turned out great!

good job tami!!!
love ya!

Masyn's {county fair} Birthday!

2011-07-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

well, a week later and i'm FINALLY getting the birthday pictures up!
it's been a crazy, crazy month but it's been fun.

as i mentioned, we were inspired by one charming party's county fair party.
super cute, super fun.

for food, we served pulled pork & bbq beef sandwiches, corn on the cob {gavin shucked 40 ears!}, corn bread, beans and nana's famous potato salad {it is always a big hit!}. everyone loved the food and it was a great way to serve 72 people!

family and friends enjoyed each other's cmpany

and the kids enjoyed a pie eating contest, a cake walk and lots and lots of swimming!

and of course, my favorite part, the decorating...

it was a great, great day!
masyn had very specific ideas for her birthday and i think we managed to make all her {dreams} come true! i said a couple times, i think she thinks she's getting married!!! it was a big deal for her and everyone had a good time.

a couple of things that made me laugh...
brooklyn came in and said, "how long did it take to plan this party?!"
masyn asked, "can daddy walk me down the stairs so everyone can clap?" {wedding?!}

a couple of things that made me smile!...
when asked what the best part of her birthday was, masyn simply stated, "being baptized."
when asked what her favorite gift was, she said, "sissy's scrapbook" {chelsie made her a scrapbook of the two of them}

i love you punkin!!!
happy birthday!

A Beautiful Baptism

2011-07-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

since we were sealed in the temple 6 years ago, masyn has been waiting to be baptized.
she couldn't wait to be eight.
she has a perfect understanding of the commitment of baptism and of it's importance.
there were many times when she was being {naughty} that she didn't think she was ready to be eight and she tried very hard to be like Jesus. she always has. masyn has a sweet spirit and a very loving heart and more than anyone i know, she truly has a christlike desire towards life. she is a great example to all of us.

the primary song, "i'm trying to be like Jesus" is her song and we sang it at her baptism.

sis. kennington gave the talk on baptism
(she is one of masyn's favorite primary teachers and brooklyn's grandma and an all around neat lady)

the kids love to watch the "dunking" part

to beautiful daughters of Heavenly Father

and one VERY happy girl!

after the baptism,
sissy gave the talk on the Holy Ghost and daddy confirmed her and gave her the most important gift of all.
The Gift of the Holy Ghost.

the young women made each of them a blanket to "comfort them".
blakeley houk made brooklyn's and rachel behymer made masyn's.
super cute!

and as these girls walk together in Christ,

i pray that they will keep themselves close to the Lord, remember who they are
and always stay on the straight and narrow path, enduring to the end.

{i love you punkin,
you are a blessing to everyone around you and
i know that you will make this world a better place...love, mommy}

My Terrible, Horrible,

2011-07-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

no good, very bad day!!!

which actually started last night when i realized that a simple fuse was NOT going to fix the quilting machine. it needs a new motherboard. {insert crying & one cranky momma}. i always know it's bad, when shawn can't fix it! fast forward to today when i found out how much it costs to replace said motherboard. and just as i had recooperated my sweet baby girl drops my phone into a cooler of water. (we won't even go there!) oh, and did i mention that i just replaced the darn phone a couple months ago???

ok. fine. no quilting machine, no phone, lets go grocery shopping and go to the pack meeting...

oh. wait. stop. FLAT TIRE!!!

{UGH}

ok...hubby patches tire and we are headed off

TO THE BEACH for the scout pack meeting...

ok. i'm done!

GOOD NIGHT all. i'm looking forward to a better day!

{Sun}flowers

2011-07-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

for my niece!
they are her favorite

love you kenz!

{Fat Quarters} Quilt Shop

2011-07-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

have you been?