A Truly Fabulous Find

and i think you will all agree!!!

i found this amazing and talented woman kellie

while traveling through blogland.

she's from australia and has a few quilt patterns that she is selling on her website.

really it is beautiful and i'm going to order the garden party pattern.

the pillow above is a tutorial, yes, a tutorial!!!

go here for the pattern and how to. beautiful!!!

if you visit her, be sure to leave a comment and let her know i sent you.

have a happy day!

Machine Applique

just got easier, thanks to anne over at bunnyhill designs.

she has a great tutorial and several tips

to make your applique look like a pro's!

i can't wait to try her technique!

My daughter

has the best handwriting and thanks to design mom

i found the coolest website that converts your handwriting into a true type font!!!

love it!!!

Happy Birthday

AUNT IRENE!

today would have marked her 100th birthday.

sadly, she past away last year and left behind devoted family and friends that loved her dearly.
to celebrate her we all gathered at judy & bj's

for an evening of food, family and fun.

each year the same group gather's together and no one ever takes pictures.

so this year i brought my camera.

indulge me for a moment while i document the evening for future posterity's sake.


(john & dad)


(four year old joe & dad when he was a teen...what a handsome guy)

(l to r: "MR. i don't know", richard, garrett, joe, john)

(lindsey, cathy and jackie)

(raquel & shane)

(dariel & riley)

we had a good time. judy found this children's book that used to belong to my grandmother and gave it to my dad. isn't it cute.

it even has this written on the inside page. i love things like this.

and no family event would be complete without the

craziness of auntie and the kids. i love her.

they crack me up...i think they had too many of these.

happy birthday aunt irene. i hope you enjoyed your party...

I've Created a Monster...

yes, i admit it...it's all my fault. (kinda)
today the little princess and i went to wal-mart to get valentine goodies for 3 different parties. i actually went in to get the martha stewart heart embellishments for a project that i'm doing and a box of valentine cards for the little princesses kindergarten party. i ended up with all this stuff and a dress with a matching bow that is being worn in as i write. as promised, i am not making homemade valentine cards for the kindergarten class, so off we went in search of valentines (which, obtw, is not with all the other valentine stuff, it's way back in the garden area...go figure)

anyway, the little princess first thought she was going to buy cards for each friend and i explained to her that, that is not how it works. we buy a pack and everyone gets the same kind.

with that i got this..."mom, the boys don't like girl stuff." i again, explained that girls buy girl cards and boys buy boy cards and no one minds. well apparently she does...

her exact words..."it has to be perfect"

(oh my, what have i done!!!)

this is what we ended up with...boy cards for the boys and girl cards for the girls.

Remember those Yo-Yo's

well here's an idea.

my sister sent me this link and i just couldn't resist sharing it with you.
the things people come up with...it always amazes me.

A Birthday Celebration

is on the horizon and i have been searching for inspiration.

i can't believe i am already planning the happiest baby's first birthday! (sigh...)

i was having a creative meltdown, when low and behold...

i found this blog with this post and i have my inspiration.

how stinkin' cute are these!!! she even has some for sell on etsy if you aren't interested in making your own.

i will definetly show you how it all turns out. (in march that is)...

Mini Bags

like this one made by kim at bitty bits & pieces would make a great valentine gift.

don't you think?

click here for the tutorial

(you'll have to scroll down past the christmas cuteness).

oh, and while your visiting kim, you might want to check out her tutorial for this.

how fun! mom, this looks right up your alley!

have a happy day!

Are You a Yo-Yo

fan?
(where did you think i was going with that?)
heather bailey has yet another great tutorial to teach you how to make them. they really are super cute and very easy. i used to think i needed to make 100's for a quilt project, but i've enjoyed making just a few here and there to accent something or make small projects like she did in the picture above.
go ahead, give it a try!

It's all about love

valentines day, that is...

how cute are these valentine pendants?

l

heather bailey has a pattern to make them here. If you haven't been to her blog it is a MUST!!! she is chalk full of wonderful ideas and tutorials and patterns and beautiful photos (oh my...)that would spark anyone's creativity.

Recently,

at the quilt shop, a gal was working on a hexagon quilt and i loved it.

i found this picture and the tutorial on camille's blog.

isn't it beautiful!!!
by the way, you need to check out her quilt patterns
(camille's, that is) they are really cute!

Would you believe

that i've never made a ragtime quilt?

i have helped so many people pick out their fabric and i've even talked them through it, but i've never actually made one. i found this photo and it made me want to, it's great for the men in your life. here's a tutorial if your interested in making one. just a little bit of advice, though, wash it in a pillowcase. better yet, take it to a laundromat to wash and dry it.

January is over

and that brings an end to the month long snowman posts. (thank goodness) i must admit, towards the end, it got a bit difficult. i really wanted to take the kids to the snow and build our own chilly guy, but we never found the time. i loved the snowman party and i look forward to next years (i have lots of great ideas!) the snowman family night was the family favorite and i can't wait to make some of the projects that i found. i hope you were in some way inspired and i would love to see and hear some of your snowman ideas.

Blogging

recently, as more people in my life have stumbled onto my blog, i have been asked how i find time to blog. sometimes that question is posed as a compliment, other times...not so much. today i decided to tackle the question and hopefully ease your minds (you know who you are).


almost a year ago, when i started this blog, my baby boy was a newborn and i decided that i could blog while i nursed. i got really good at typing with one hand. (which, by the way, is why i always type in lowercase). i wanted to start blogging for two reasons. the first was to document our lives. i used to scrapbook, then along came quilting...and well, i can't afford two expensive hobbies. also, with many failed attempts at journaling, this has become the resource in which i can share some of my thoughts and feelings and where, hopefully, future generations can get to know me. (i plan on making books from many of my entries for each of my children...another one of my many ideas.)


the second reason, was to inspire myself and others. i have so many ideas in my head just rambling about keeping me up all night (my sister has the same problem, right suz). for me it's a creative outlet that i can share with others and hopefully through our creativity we can touch someone's life. i believe that we are given talents and it's important to share them with others. i am always amazed and touched by the unbelievable talent out there and how freely it is shared.

so now that you know why i blog, let me share with you when i find the time.

i still blog while i nurse. sometimes it takes me all day to finish one post. (like this one). most of the time, though, i blog after everyone is in bed.

picture this in your mind.
bob the builder and i sitting up in bed...the news on...both of us with our laptops on our laps...he's working on church stuff or finding out how to rebuild something or simply searching the internet for the answers to the many questions that go through his head and I'm sitting next to him finding wonderful things to share with all of you or simply writing my thoughts or the events of the day. can you picture it? i wish i had a picture. (there is a picture of our bed on the tour, if that helps you visualize.)

so, for those of you who think that blogging keeps me from getting my house clean, the laundry done and the quilts finished, your wrong....facebook keeps me from those things. (just kiddin', that's a whole different post...)

Hope your day was a happy one!

I'm so glad you've stopped by.

How Fun!

years ago, i bought this angel ornament at a craft show and i've treasured it.

i've always wanted more but didn't think i'd find any.

well look what i found...

the pattern and it comes with the instructions to make the snowman and the santa!

yeah, i can't wait to get it!

Well, I'm a Bit Sad

i just found out that one of my favorite collections are all being retired. bummer. if you haven't seen the august moon figures you should check them out before you can't get them anymore. here's a link to a retailer that still has a pretty good selection.

i know this is a snowman post, but i have to say...i love the halloween figures!

What 'Cha Doin' Wednesday

i thought i'd start somethin' new now that the month long posts of snowmen are coming to an end (thank goodness). i often wonder what you guys are doing during the day. i know that we are busy women and somehow find time to do the things we love. i for one, appreciate each and everyone of the bloggers that inspire me and put a smile on my face. so in an effort to let you know what i'm doin' i'd thought i'd start what 'cha doin' wednesday.

so here's my day

(minus kids, school, laundry, etc.)

i finally got this quilt quilted and ready to deliver to norma jean. she made this for her new grandbaby, brighton rose. i loved the quilt for 3 reasons.

1. i LOVE aunt grace fabric.

2. it was fun to quilt and

3. i loved the pattern.

i worked a little on putting together these blocks for my ongoing class.

i finished turning under the applique pieces for bunny hills bom. somehow i got roped into teaching this as a bom at the quilt shop.

i'm still trying to empty this box of valentine's decorations.

when's valentines day???

i'm still working on my experiment. it's going well.

and, in an effort to keep it real,

i am working on picking up this mess in my sewing room.

the after math of christmas, the little princess and her creations and a destructive baby boy.

hope your day was wonderful!

Easy Dresden Plate

i love the dresden plates of yesteryear, but i have no interest in hand piecing all those darn plates. here is a link to an easy way to make them.

i hope this inspires you to make that quilt you've admired for so long.

(p.s. if you hand piece, i bow down to you!)