What a year!

2011 has been an amazing ride.  I made some amazing memories both here on the blog and with my family.  Each year that comes brings new joys, challenges, smiles, cries and plenty of laughs.

I made a collage of some of the memories made from projects completed to everyday life that made me smile.  Enjoy!

Have fun tonight, but not too much fun...  ;)

Happy New Year!!

As 2012 begins, I wish each and everyone of you the best of luck, love and happy sewing.  May this year be filled with smiles, hugs, full stashes, lots of finishes, color combinations that make you smile, and challenges that make you better in life as well as quilting/sewing/knitting, etc.

These are Emma's favorite colors.  My girls has a deep love for purple...the color I stash the least!  ;)

 We spent last night ringing in the new year with good friends, a warm fire and plenty of oysters, chilli, and cheesecake!

We went to Chris' aunt and uncle's house for a very traditional Southern New Year's Day meal for lunch.  Black-eyed peas, greens, and cornbread.  It's to bring you good luck and fortune in the new year.  We'll see...  I've been pretty blessed so far in life, so I'd say it's working for me.  ;)

I'm still cementing my goals and will be back to discuss them with you.  I can't wait to hear yours too.  Let's make this a year where we get to know each other better, support each other more fully, and get a LOT accomplished!

Hope your year is starting off with a bang!  Thanks for stopping by.  :)

One Christmas Gift Given

As I said yesterday, we left a day early on our Christmas trip last week.  We had planned for weeks to leave on Thursday of last week, but the weather channel said Thursday was going to bring us rain ALL day.  And driving 16 hours in rain isn't really pleasant.  But, in the end, it wasn't the rain that changed Chris' mind, it was the little blonde that lives at our house.  She told Daddy how bad she wanted to see GiGi and Granddad (my grandparents, her Great-Grandparents) and he melted.  So with about 4 hours notice on Wednesday, I had to finish packing, cleaning house, finish my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway prize and get out the door...  I only forgot to pack a few things and nothing major.  I was pretty proud of myself!  ;)

So, here's a really bad phone picture of my giveaway prize.  My camera had already been packed and I couldn't find it among the suitcases, presents in a black garbage bag, blankets, etc...

When I contacted Lee about winning and her color choices, she said that the colors of fall were her favorite.  And I do love them too!  So it was very fun to pair some Kona Khaki with brown, orange and yellow scraps to whip up a rice warmer bag and cooling bag.

I added a twist on the freezer bag by putting in a zipper.  That way she can remove the outer bag and wash it if needed.  I picked out a bright yellow zipper at Walmart.  Now, with my deadline approaching that zipper is not perfectly installed since I just went for it with no instruction or remembering how to make a zipper pouch, but hopefully Lee won't mind. The picture doesn't do it justice, but I was very happy with how they came out. I threw placed them gently into a box with some chocolates and a Bath and Body Works set I'd picked up and winged it off to her on our way out of town.  Lee, I hope you've received it by now...if not, let me know.  ;) 

This project was a lot of fun.  It's freeing and enjoyable to have someone give you colors and you just go from there.  That's one thing I want to do more of in 2012..grab fabrics and go...the projects don't have to be full-size quilts.  I don't have to have a purpose in getting there, I just want to enjoy the process more.  Hmm...I'm going to think about this over the next day or so when making my goals for 2012.  What are your goals?

Alive

Hey everyone!  I just wanted to pop in to say I am alive and well!  ;)  I had posts planned for over the Christmas break while I was visiting family (with absolutely no internet and no cell service, really), but we ended up leaving a day early on a whim and I didn't get them posted.  And since I've been home my internet and blogger have been in a go-round with the internet winning.  I finally had to go to the old blogger interface and refresh a bunch of times to get this far!

I have so many ideas and things I want to share with you and will hopefully be back tomorrow, but before I head to bed for the night, I wanted to share our Holiday picture for the year.  We had cards printed here locally (Walmart) because I was running too late to order them from etsy.  Oh well, at least I got a family picture and cards out, right?

Look at my precious girl's toothless smile!  I was so glad to catch it.  What a precious memory.  I took this with the timer on my camera...we took about 50 and used the 2nd one.  :)  Oh well!

I hope each and everyone of you had a very Merry Christmas (or appropriate holiday here...).  We did.  Quiet and calm, like I like it.

I'll be back soon so we can all get caught up.  I've been putting in some serious time with my Google Reader to try and catch up on blog reading...seriously, some were dated back to November.  Man!

Guest Post for Jenny

This is the post I did for Jenny over at her Sew Crafty Christmas Event.  If you clicked over yesterday, this is just a repeat of that.  I just wanted to share it here for everyone who didn't and so I have it in my archives.  Happy Monday everyone!

When Jenny asked me to be a part of her Sew Crafty Christmas event I thought I'd show y'all a craft I do with my children every year at Christmas.  It's easy and there are about a million different tutorials for versions of this on the web.  But, I'm going to show you this most basic version and you can take it from there.  My kids are 5 and 7 and we've been doing this together for a few years.  Emma, my 7-year-old can pretty much do it on her own now, but Oren, my 5-year-old still needed guidance. So it is definitely a craft you and your kids can grow into and make a tradition.

We're going to make some fabric-covered Christmas trees!

 

You'll need styrofoam cones (of any size, we like to mix it up), fabric cut into small squares and rectangles (I just hack away...bigger shapes fill the tree faster, little ones give you more control), decoupage glue (we use Mod-Podge mixed with some water) and a paint brush.  I'd also recommend some newspaper so you don't glue the trees to your table, but that's up to you.  ;)
And here we go:

1.  Lay out all of your supplies and start gluing.  I usually put a little glue on the tree, stick the piece of fabric down and then dab a little glue right over the fabric.  Then you can just overlap pieces until the tree is covered!

This little tree is in progress.  See how you just glue down the pieces on top of each other?   That way you make sure to cover everywhere.

2.  Now for that pesky top...there are two ways to conquer this.  You can start here so that the folded-over edges will be covered, but it can be tricky for little fingers to keep the edges smooth, or you can end with the top piece.  I've done both.  For these trees, I glued down the top for them.  The key is to make snips along the fabric that overhangs the top flat area.  Then these snipped pieces can be folded over and arranged to lay flatter.

Here I started with the top and glued it down well before going down the sides.

3.  What I love about this craft is that it doesn't require perfection.  This is a craft you are making with your kids and (from a distance at least!) they'll look just as good if they're perfectly flat or a little bumpy.  Now, if you're a perfectionist, you can certainly make these yourself and they'll look great.  In our little "forest" there are some I've made with the kids and some I've made alone.  I choose to let the happy memories of time spent together haze out all of those bumpy-edged trees from years past.  :)

4.  But fabric is not your only medium to work with.  We've also made yarn-covered trees

and tissue-paper trees.

And really, the sky is the limit here.  I've seen these trees made with ruffled fabric, scrunched up balls of tissue paper, sequins, etc.  You could use newspaper or sheet music for a vintage look.  You could use pins with jeweled heads or beads to be ornaments on your trees.  I mean, what I'm showing you is just the first step...where you go from here can be all you!

Thanks again to Jenny for letting me come over and hang out today!  I wish each of you the very Merriest Christmas and a happy heart this holiday season.  Now get to gluing you up some Christmas trees and start your own Christmas forest filled with memories of time spent together!!

Knitting away the time

Is it just me, or does busy in your life often involve a lot of hurry up and wait.  You know what I mean, right?  Like hurry to get to an appointment only to wait 15 minutes for the doctor or dentist.  Or hurry to get a child to dance/practice only to have an hour to wait on them to finish.  Even in the Santa Shop at school in December, we'd be slam full with kids and then have 10 very quiet minutes before the next group showed up.

Well, I know I'm becoming an adult (haha), because I'm having a harder and harder time sitting down with nothing to do.  My Great-Grandma never sat still.  She always had some needlework or a crochet hook in hand, and I'm beginning to get there. Although I will admit that a good book or google reader is plenty to keep my hands full... :)

Anyway, tangent aside, I've spent some of this waiting time knitting.

I finished off my second mitten.  Don't they look nice?  Flatter me and agree here...they were more a lesson than an actual accessory that will get much use.  I mean, honestly, I should have made gloves or at least convertible mittens.  How am I supposed to check my email and smile about new comments here with a mitten on my hand???  ;)

After previewing this post I realized I put the mittens backward to how they fit on your hands.  Oh well, just pretend they're palm-up.  ;)

But I had still had some yarn in this colorway, so I just decided to knit up a scarf.  But not just any scarf, a scarf with a lacy pattern.  I've never done anything other than knitting and purling, so I wanted to try something new.

I have a ravelry account, found here.  I'm new to it and I don't have any finished projects on there yet.  I found this scarf on there offered as a free download and I loved it!  It's easy to follow and I love the look.  I mean, One-row lace.  I can handle that.  So I cast on...

This is a close-up so you can see the lacy areas.  It is very pretty in person and I am incredibly surprised at the ease  this scarf is coming together!!

As usual for me, there was some ripping out and starting over with this scarf as I lose focus often and start my own design.  :)  But, I am loving it so far.  And, it's destined to end up on the neck of a very good friend of mine sometime soon.  And that makes me keep working on it each night and during those hurry up and wait moments.

Just wanted to share...  :)

Baby Quilt Delivered

**A quick side note...my post is live over at Jenny's Sew Crafty Christmas Event, so make sure and check it out when you're done here...or now, either way!  ;)  It's an easy-to-do craft you can make with your kids for decoupaged Christmas trees.**

Last weekend I had a baby shower in the town I grew up in for an old high school friend expecting her first little one. She now lives in North Carolina and I live 2 hours away from our hometown, so it was great to catch up with her and a few other old friends.  I finished up this quilt Friday night and we left Saturday morning to drive down for it.  But I consider that a success, because I had time to wash and dry it before we went as opposed to hand-stitching the binding in the car on the way there which I have done before...

So, here it is:

I mentioned before that I used the colors from the nursery set that my friend chose to make this baby quilt.  Even better, the only fabric purchased for it was the green since I needed a specific color and this green is pretty specific.  All of the browns and blues came from stash.  Yay!!  I just cut the coins at 2.5 by 5 inches and sewed together 4 groups of 20.  I chose the strips randomly and just made sure that like colors weren't too close together.

Then I printed the baby's name out on my computer in a font I liked and then traced it on to the center green piece.  Then I just chain-stitched with a brown perle cotton to give it that raised, hand-made look.

For the back, I went more modern (for me anyway) and basically just made another quilt-top.  I really love it and thought it would make a great quilt on it's own, but there you go.  And, I promise it's not so bunchy in real life, I did get a good basting job (with spray-baste, my new best friend) and it was flat before being washed and dried and snuggly.

I quilted the plain green strips with fairly-straight-line quilting and then did more concentric-square (or rectangle in this case) quilting on either side of Corbin's name.  This matched the concentric square quilting on the nursery set.  It's not perfect by any means, but I did it all in like an hour, so I wasn't really going for perfection.  ;)

Plus, I wrote a note to the Mom that this quilt is much like parenting.  It's not perfect and you'll question your abilities and your decision-making often.  BUT, it's made with love and hopefully, it'll all work out in the end.  That's how I really feel about my role as a parent.  I often question myself as a Mom.  I worry that I'm not sympathetic enough, not supportive enough.  I worry that I push too hard, or do too much for them depending on the situation.  I worry that I am not the Mom that they need, but I am reminded by Chris and my Mom that parenting doesn't come with a rulebook.  All I can do is love them and do what I think is best and pray a lot and hopefully all will be well in the end.

I love being able to share a handmade gift with friends.  That way, she'll have a reminder of our friendship with her wherever she is and she'll know that her sweet baby boy is loved by many of us just because we love his Mama.  Handmade gifts are the best, aren't they?

We've got a Winner and some ramblings

Hey everyone!  I'm still here plugging along, but not much time for crafting adventures, much less time to blog about it.  Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by for the giveaway, especially to those who took the time to become followers!  What a simple joy in life to see that number under followers go up.  It's so silly, but it makes me so happy.  I guess it's that age-old want that we all have for people to like us.  Whatever it is, thanks again, you made me smile.  :)

So...out of 123 comments, out winner was #7!  I don't know how to do the cool screen capture thing, so just go with me, okay??  #7 was Lee who said
     how nice! I love to listen to classic music to relax. thanks!



Congratulations to Lee!  I've already emailed you about it.  I was surprised how many people mentioned yoga as their de-stresser.  I used to do yoga like 3 days a week, but then summer came and I had to actually be Mom all day long and I didn't have time.  Then this fall, I just never got back into the habit because running is so much quicker and actually, easier.  But I think I will certainly be adding it back in, because you all can't be wrong and I really do miss it.

Anyway, we're busy around here getting ready for the holidays.  I've got a tutorial for Christmas trees you can make with the kiddos written for Jenny over at Seamingly Smitten for her Sew Crafty Christmas event and as soon as it goes live I'll let y'all know.

I've spent 4 of 6 days in the last 2 weeks at Santa Shop at our school helping kids buy Christmas presents for their family, and honestly, for themselves.  We decided to go out and shop for inexpensive items ourselves this year and then sell them in the shop so the kids would get nicer gifts at a lower price than the crap (honestly, there's no other word for it) that we used to get from the Santa Shop company we went through before.  I always help with this because I think it is so important to teach children to love to give.  And what is better than bringing your money in a sandwich baggie from your Mama and figuring out how you can make that $10 or $20 become gifts for everyone you love and something for you too?  I love to see their smiles when they get their bag of goodies all ready to take home and wrap knowing that they are going to make everyone they love happy on Christmas morning.  Now...whether Daddy is really going to be happy with that mini flashlight or Mama with that bottle of shower gel...I don't know, but that smile is worth it!

I've also flipped pancakes for Oren's Christmas breakfast, served Pizza during Emma's Polar Express lunch, watched two Christmas concerts, went on a field trip to the local state park, spent a day in the "big city" shopping for Christmas presents, took family pictures of us with my self-timer for our Christmas cards, visited Sea World for their Polar Express party, and had 3 physical therapy appointments for my back, which is much better already.  Whew...I was so glad for school to get out just so I can breathe!  Now we've got a few days to enjoy each other and some Christmas spirit before we pack up to head to the Great White North (otherwise known as Western Illinois...we're just hoping for some white stuff) for Christmas next week.

I'll be back tomorrow or the next day to show off the finished baby quilt from last week and some other stuff we've got going on around here.  I'm telling you, this being able to breathe without worrying about what we have to do next is a good feeling.  I can feel my creativity returning as I type.  Now to work on a scarf, quilt, secret project, and that dreaded UFO pile that is snarkily smiling at me, waiting to be emptied...  :)

p.s.  I just whipped up some of the easiest dessert ever.  You MUST head over to Vanessa's and try her 3-minute, 3-ingredient mint fudge because you won't be sorry.  Mine is cooling on the counter...hurry, fudge and cool already so I can cut into you!!  ;)

Giveaway Day!!

Yay!  Giveaway Day is here again!  And I'm so excited to be a part of it again.  If you don't know, the web site Sew Mama Sew, which was one of the very first sewing/quilting blogs I found on the internet (and a big reason I began blogging) hosts a semi-annual giveaway day where bloggers worldwide can link up and give something away.  You can choose whatever you want to give away and set up all the rules around it.  It's awesome!  I've won a few things in the past, but I think it's even more fun to pick something to give away and see who'd like to get it.

 So...as in the past, I thought long and hard about what to give away and finally inspiration struck close to home.  Recently, my back has been hurting a lot to the point I felt like I was walking around like a little old lady (I'm 32, nowhere near old, right...right????).  I am a runner, albeit a self-made one and a slow one to boot, but I wondered if all of my running had hurt my back.  I saw the doctor and he recommended physical therapy for it.  I laughed to myself that an otherwise healthy "athlete" would need to go to physical therapy, but at the same time, I was excited to go and learn any tips, tricks and advice to both heal my back and improve my running.  And one of the tips they gave me...get a good heating pad.

And to get to the point, I decided to whip myself up a Rice Warmer Bag and one for one of you!  I've made a few of these as gifts and they're always well received.  I actually use a tutorial from SMS, so it's really full-circle that I use this great tutorial from their site as my giveaway prize.

This is the bag from the tutorial

These little bags are awesome and really helpful for those nagging aches and pains or for cold feet on a winter's night.  I made my bag in shades of blues and brown and used an mix of German Chamomile and Sweet Orange Essential Oils to give my bag an uplifting and soothing smell, but the winner of this giveaway will get to choose their colors and essential oil from my stash to make it completely perfect and personalized.

And what about those booboos or the aches that come right after a run or a long day on your feet?  I'm throwing in a square rice bag that you can throw in the freezer and use cool instead.  It's the same concept, but that way you'll have one for heating and one for cooling off.  I usually scent this one with peppermint for additional cooling, but again, the winner and I can discuss the details...  And I'll throw in a couple of other relaxing goodies which may or may not include chocolate and bath goodies...  Because honestly, who doesn't want to be pampered?

"BooBoo Bag" or Cold Therapy Bag from tutorial

And this is mine!!

What do you have to do to be entered to win this great wellness package that will be delivered to your door?  Just leave me a comment answering this question:  What is your favorite way to de-stress?  I mean, after all, this giveaway is all about relaxation, so share your best secret for doing so with us.   I like easy giveaways 'round here, so no hoop-jumping, just comment and then you're free to enter all of those other great giveaways too!

The giveaway will be open until Friday, December 16 at 8 p.m. EST and after that I'll randomly choose a winner and contact you via email.  Please make sure you aren't a no-reply blogger so I'll have an email to contact you with.  If you're not sure or you want to play it safe, make sure to include your email address in your comment.  If I can't contact the winner, I will announce it here and wait for a few days to hear back before choosing a new winner.

Giveaway Details:  Winner will receive one Rice Warmer Bag (finished size approximately 6 x 13 inches) in your choice of colors and essential oil scent from my stash, one Rice Cold Therapy Bag (finished size approximately 6 x 8 inches) in your choice of colors and scent as well, and a few other goodies of my choice to help you fully relax.  Just leave a comment here with your favorite way to de-stress and make sure I have a way to contact you!

Have fun with the giveaways this week!!  Click here to check out all of the different categories!  Mine is under Gifts for the Home.

Baby Love

I have a good friend from high school that is expecting her first little one soon and I'm attending her baby shower this weekend.  So....I started a quilt for her three days ago.  Yep...that's right, I'm a procrastinator.  But I'm okay with it, because I'm apparently used to it by now.

Since I got started so late, I went for a simple coin quilt design, similar to the one I did for another friend's baby last year.  The bedding is from Babies R Us and looks like this:
So I picked up the blues, browns and the light green and came up with this:

After stacking the coins, I hand-embroidered the baby's name down the middle of the quilt.  I think it gives it that personal feel of an heirloom blanket, but is fun enough that she can use it every day and not worry about it getting messed up.

I'm piecing a back now from the leftover scraps and some Kona Khaki I have and then I'm going to do some simple straight-line quilting through the green areas.  I'm debating what to do in the middle section.  I'm thinking of straight-line quilting to a few inches from the name and then turning and going across the green and then back up the other side.  That way the middle section would mimic the concentric squares on the nursery quilt...what do you think??

Okay, back to the grind.  I'll be back soon, I promise!  :)

do. Good Stitches--Share our love

How can it already be December?  I don't know, but I do know that December is my month to host the Empower Group of do. Good Stitches and assign the block and colors for our group.  I thought about all of the cool blocks out there that I've bookmarked and pinned to try, but then I thought about what this group means to me.  The whole point of this group is to share our love--our love of quilting and our love of people with others.  So...what better way to show our love than with hearts.  Plus...the blocks are due to me by the end of the month, so after adding in time to get them all and quilt it, I'll be sending this quilt off just in time for Valentine's Day.

But, I wanted this quilt to really be from the 10 of us in the Empower Group.  So, here's what I told them:

I asked that each of us make two 12.5-inch blocks where a heart (or hearts) is the main focus.  You can paper-piece, applique, use patchwork, etc.  I want these hearts to be from the individual making them, so each person should make them in her favorite style.  The block can have one big heart or multiple hearts.  

As far as color goes, I thought we could focus on reds, whites and pinks.  BUT...as these hearts are personal, I asked that each of us add in one color.  Our favorite color, the color that speaks to each girl's  heart (unless it's red or pink and then a second favorite color would be great!!).  That way, the block design and special pop of color really represents each of us that make up the Empower Group.

Here are some examples of heart blocks that I found while scouring the internet:

Paper-Pieced hearts:

source

Source: quiltingworks.com via Kelli on Pinterest

 Patchwork:

Source: modabakeshop.com via Juliana on Pinterest

Source: ebay.com via Suzenne on Pinterest

Applique:

Source: etsy.com via Marnie on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Gina on Pinterest

Untraditional:

Source: modabakeshop.com via Suzi on Pinterest

But there are PLENTY of more examples out there if none of these speak to you.  I realized I wasn't alone in my love of hearts.  Just search heart quilt on either flickr or pinterest and you'll have more inspiration than you know what to do with.  I can't wait to see what my wonderful and creative group comes up with.  I am very interested to see where they go with this idea and I HOPE that they like it.

Christmas projects begun

Hey everyone!  I hope y'all had a great holiday (in the US) weekend and are all now in the Christmas spirit.  We haven't decorated the house yet because we're waiting on a slowpoke 7-yr-old to finish her Thankful Giving first.  Every year after Thanksgiving, I ask my children to pick up each thing they own and decide if they want to keep it, give it away, or throw it away.  We talk about how blessed we are and how others aren't and that there are children around the country and world whose biggest d ream would be to have a clean and warm home with fresh food and quality clothing much less toys.  I think it helps them to really remember why we are thankful and that Christmas should be about giving and sharing instead of all of the "gimme gimme gimme" thrusted at them during commercials on TV right now.  Then we pile up all of the toys, books and clothing and donate them to places and people who can use them or pass them on to others.

But as soon as she's done, our house will be merry and bright and we'll be getting our Christmas Trees (yes, trees) later this week.  I love the Christmas Season and am looking forward to all that goes into it.  I'll share pics as we get things done.

So...I started a Christmas gift this weekend.  I promised my sister a handmade present this year and that is all I will say about it on here until after I've given it to her.  BUT...I will show you the fabrics she chose for me to work with.  The focus fabric is Chelsea by Windham and I'm adding in a solid color.

source

But I just remembered last night that I have a baby shower to go to next weekend for a dear friend from high school, so I'm going to have to choose a quilt pattern and fabrics and get busy on that one this week too.  Good thing I thrive under pressure, huh?  I can feel the bustle of the holiday season getting geared up and I'm ready to take it on!  :)

What do you have planned to make and get done this holiday season?

P.S.  I saw this weekend that Sew Mama Sew has set their Winter Giveaway Day as December 12 this year.  There are different categories and link-up rules this year, and I can't wait!   If you've never done it before, it's a week filled with blogs all over the country and the world gathering in one place to share with each other.  There'll be long lists of blogs that are giving things away for you to visit.  I'll be participating as a giver this year, but I'll be visiting as many of the blogs as I can to try to win some great goodies too.  Make sure you find time next week to head over and check out all the fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

  To all of my American friends today, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  And to all of my friends, I wish you a joy-filled life where you recognize the blessings that surround you daily and find the time to be thankful for them.

I am truly blessed by the friends I have made through this blog and the quilting community online.  I am thankful for you today and everyday!

May everyone's day be filled with family, friends, food and fun.  I'm off to finish cooking!  :)

~kel

Sharing our Thanksgiving Table

My sweet friend Debbie who blogs over at A Quilter's Table has a new link-up party every Tuesday called Tuesday at the Table.  Somehow in my busy schedule, I missed that she'd started this up.  I mean, eating and sewing are my two favorite hobbies, so Debbie is my kind of girl.  :)

This week she is hosting a giveaway with her link-up party.  Everyone who links is entered to win a great fabric bundle and a $20 gift card to Pink Chalk Fabrics!!  And all you have to do is
     "Write a post about a favorite dish you're making for Thanksgiving, your holiday table, a table runner or placemats or napkins you've made, an autumn wall quilt hanging in your dining space, a new ingredient you try, or just a story from around your table. It really can be anything that relates to the table. Then just link up! If you want to join in, but don't have a blog, just share in the comments section and email Debbie a picture and she'll link you up."


We're already thinking about it, so why not write about it, link it up and possible win great fabrics!!

Source: google.com via Kristin on Pinterest

So, here's my entry:


  Chris and I were married in the summer of 2002 and everyone agreed that we would host Thanksgiving Dinner that fall.  That way both families could come and we wouldn't miss seeing anyone.  It was a daunting task for a newlywed couple, so we agreed when both of our families asked if they could bring things to help us.  Potluck style made it a little more comfortable for everyone.


  And that initial sharing of our favorite foods and our love for each other has become tradition.  As our family has grown to include in-laws, aunts and uncles, and anyone we know who needs somewhere to come and eat on Thanksgiving, we've added more dishes.  We have a casual Thanksgiving meal, filled with everyone's favorite traditional foods from their table.  And that's what makes it so special.  I always say I don't care if there are 3 different sweet potato casseroles on the table because I'd rather everyone be happy than dictate who gets to bring what.


  Here's a list of some of the special dishes and the special people that surround our table each year:


**My Mother-in-law makes the turkey and dressing.  It is an act of love for her to do this for us and we appreciate it so much.  Plus, it helps that both are always delicious!!  
**My Mom makes the noodles.  She makes them from scratch the night before and cuts them into strips.  Then, she just cooks them up in chicken stock just like my Great-Grandmother did.  She also brings a veggie tray and either a pecan pie or a pumpkin cake.
**Chris makes the mashed potatoes because he might possibly make THE BEST mashed potatoes on this planet.  Just saying...
**My sister makes the pumpkin pie because she always has.  As a young 4-Her, she did a demonstration on Impossibly Easy Pumpkin Pie and it is now required of her to make it every year.  She doesn't even like it, but she makes it for the rest of us!
**My brother makes a Chocolate Chip Pie (basically a Kentucky Derby Pie) that is absolutely delicious!!
**Chris' Aunt and Uncle bring a big mess of Greens and often coleslaw.  Fred's coleslaw is some of the best I've ever eaten, so he brings it for me.  :)
**My brother-in-law brings his famous sweet potato casserole.  His has a crusty brown-sugar and pecan topping that is delicious.
**My brother-in-law's Mom just joined us last year as she recently moved nearby and she is bringing a green bean casserole this year.  You just have to have green bean casserole in order to call it Thanksgiving.  ;)
**And I make homemade rolls, sweet potato casserole with a marshmallow topping, and Spinach and Artichoke Dip for everyone to snack on before and after the big meal.


So, yeah, we have a lot of food and a lot of laughs on the big day.  Everyone is in and out of my kitchen, baking, measuring, mixing, snacking and talking.  Even my Dad steps in once or twice to fill up his drink during a commercial of the parade or a football game.  ;)


What makes Thanksgiving special to me is everyone sharing.  We all share our love, our favorite foods, our time, and how much we all really have to be Thankful for.  I can't think of a better reason to gather around a table than that.


Head over to Debbie's to get great recipes, inspiring stories, and to leave your own link to share with others.    And may your day tomorrow be filled with love, family, food and fun!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

do. Good Stitches-November Blocks

I've mentioned before that I recently joined the Empower Group of do. Good Stitches.  I am so far behind the rest of my group this month.  I think everyone else is done and I just started yesterday!  I've had my fabrics picked out for weeks, but had to find the time to sit down and cut them out.  I had a little time yesterday evening, so I cut out enough for 4 blocks.  These blocks go together so easily I had 2 done this morning before it was time to get the kids up from school!
Here's the inspiration block:

source

And here are mine:

It was Shannon's turn to be the quilter this month and she picked out this wonderful block for us.  I think it's great and would make a great gift quilt because it sews up so quickly and its so visually pleasing.  It's modern and fun while still being symmetrical and traditional for those whose OCD kicks in when things aren't balanced.  ;)

The sun really did a number on the colors here...pretend the dark gray is gray and not black and the blue is a true aqua, not a very light version of it.  :)

Two months down and two great blocks under my belt!  Next month I'm in charge.  I've got a plan, but you'll have to wait a week or so to find out what it is.

Hope everyone is having a great Monday and preparing for a weekend full of Turkey time, family, and lots of good eats!!

Bee Blocks done...check!

I spent a few days last week contemplating my NuBees block.  You know, I said I was going with a string block and asked for opinions.  But then the other girls started showing off their creations and there was a lot of angles and points.  Don't get me wrong, they're all lovely and I can't wait to get my hands on mine, but I wondered if I wanted to do something similar to the others.  Then, I dreamed about a block with a lot of negative space and a center with the mosaic pattern from Elizabeth.  So, after some trial and error (and a break to account for tired eyes and a tired mind one night) I came up with the block I wanted.  And here are all 5 of the blocks in each girl's specified color palette.  I'm going to make one more for me, so I'll have one to match my blocks coming in too.

This block was to be in oranges and blues like the University of Illinois

This one was reds, grays & whites with a black background.

This block was a rainbow theme asking for bright colors.

This one was red fabrics for a Christmas-themed quilt.

Another rainbow-themed block

And here they are all together.  I still want to make one for me in red, blue and yellow.

  Overall, I really liked how these came out.  I think they're a good mix of the colors asked for with a big enough background to blend with all of the other blocks they'll receive.  As soon as all of my blocks are in, I'll show them off here.  This bee works monthly, and we'll be taking December off, so in January I'll sign back up and be grouped in a new hive.  I may or may not ask for the same color scheme.  I kinda just randomly chose red, blue and yellow on a whim, so I may ask for something else and just make a very scrappy quilt of whatever comes in after a few rounds.  

Here

I am here and there lately.  I am around, but I am busy.  I'm celebrating new beginnings with close friends getting married.   I'm listening to new readers gain confidence as they sound out words and share books with me.  I'm sewing quilt blocks and folding laundry, pressing seams and ironing pants.  I am listening to giggling 7-year-olds laugh about playground antics and silly 5-year-olds discuss all of their favorite dinosaurs.  I am knitting while a room full of ballerinas learn to be graceful.  I'm running errands and comforting friends making tough choices.  I'm planning Christmas projects for around the tree and under it.  I am preparing for an all-day field trip to Silver Springs and missing my kindergartner's Thanksgiving lunch in the cafeteria.  I am making macaroni and cheese and meat for not one but two Thanksgiving lunches in my kiddo's classrooms. I am smiling, worrying, always moving.  I am loving my family and my life and trying to catch my breath knowing these moments will be the ones I look back on with tears of joy and remembrance of how good we have it.

Life is best lived fully and I am here doing that as best as I can.

I will be back with updates, projects and always more rambling as soon as I can find the time.  But know that I am here.

WIP on Thursday...

Hey everyone!  Sorry I missed WIP Wednesday yesterday.  Tuesday was my birthday and I spent the morning shopping and the afternoon being Momma.  And then yesterday I woke up with a head cold that wouldn't quit. I'm talking sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, etc.  I told Emma my head felt like it was stuffed with clouds.  I kept working on my swap blocks, but I only got 19 out of the 20 done before I wore out and had to go to bed...it was 8:45!!  Yep, I guess after that birthday I'm officially old.  haha!


So, I finished up #20 today and they're on their way to Kari now to be sorted, swapped and sent on to someone else.  I can't wait to see what I get back and HOPEFULLY get it quilted to enjoy this Christmas!  Here's how mine ended up.  I really thought about keeping some of them, but in the end, I just decided to see what comes back to me.  I've got more fabric, I can make more if I want to.

 This really is such an easy block to throw together and because it's wonky, you don't have to be precise once you're done cutting.  (And honestly, some of my cutting wasn't quite precise...I was going to square it up after the triangles were added anyway!)  I will definitely use this block again.  It's fun, festive and super-easy!!

And for the rest of the afternoon, I'm catching up on my Summer Sampler blocks, my Nubees Swap blocks and got in a run in with my new Nikes I bought for my birthday....  Then tonight, we're having some oysters roasted over our first fire of the fall!  Can't wait!!  Welcome to fall in Florida...it's supposed to be around 40 degrees tonight, the lower 30s tomorrow night, and then next week the highs will again be in the 80s.  And that is why we never put our flip flops away!!  ;)

I love how bright these are!  Who wouldn't be encouraged to run with color like that on your feet?

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  I'll be back soon with some more progress...