Mothers Cupboard: Flowers of Love - FREE BOM From Me To You + a Give Away

Mothers Cupboard: Flowers of Love - FREE BOM From Me To You + a Give Away

If I've ever been tempted to do hand work before . . . this one is definitely worth a second and third look. Check out these gorgeous designs from lovely Austrailia.

My Darling Kindergartener

Oh, we were doing so well .... Emily was so excited last night at bed time.  It took several extra reading books to help get her to sleep.  She, of course, didn't want to get out of bed when the alarm clock "coo-cooed" this morning, until we reminded her it was her first day of school.  Emily was so excited to put on her new dress that our friend Lynn sewed for her to wear today. New shoes, tights, and backback, ready to go.   "Come on, come on, I don't want to be late, let's go ...." So, we get in the car and drive Emily to the school where she will begin her kindergarten year.  Oh .... :) !!!

Mom (myself) walks with Emily to the doors, visiting with other parents and a few children, a couple of which we know.  Emily mentions she's starting to feel a little nervous.  Time comes to walk into her classroom.  We hang up her backpack on the spot marked for her.  Walk around and find her spot at a table.  Lucky, lucky, her friend from Awanas is sitting at the same table. ... nope, still doesn't want to leave mom's side. ... uh oh ... I'm starting to notice something here.  Emily won't leave my side, no matter my prodding.  Okay, lets wander over to the play area ... another "Emily" is playing there.  Can we play too?  .... then it happens, Emily starts crying ... hard ... she doesn't want mom to leave.

But Emily, mommy has to go.  At this point, I'm one of the last parents in the room. (Another child is crying harder with his mother attached.)  I get Emily settled at her table, motion to the teacher and we get her started on a paper/crayon project like all the other children at the table.  With a signal to the very understanding teacher, I walk away with a last kiss on my baby's head.  Good to go.

I bolt past the "Coffee and Kleenix" stand that is set up outside the entrance with all the other parents visiting.  Doing good ... no tears, just a quiver or two.  Get in the car with my 4 year old and husband (who's driving) and we arrive home.  Still doing okay.  Well, a tear has escaped ... followed by another sneaky one.  Husband leaves and I sit down with my 4 year old daughter who, at this point, is sitting in my lap, patting me on my cheek and telling her sobbing mommy that everything is okay.  I agree and tell her the tears will stop soon.  She, Abbie, starts pre-school next week.  Maybe she'll be so thrilled with pre-school she won't miss mom.  .... that's a good thing, right?

Happy day everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

Yippity Yippity Yay!!!!

Winner of The Quilt Show Summer Giveaway

If you felt a slight (okay, large) shaking of the earth tonight, it was probably me doing excited happy-dancing when I discovered I was one of the Quilt Show Summer Giveaway winners!! Yay!!!

I actually got to meet both Alex and Ricky this summer in Sisters, Oregon at the 35th Annual Sisters Quilt show and they autographed a magazine for me. How cool is this?!?!

Can you tell I'm excited ?!?!?!?!!

YAY!

Today . . . Life is Good :)

Today . . . the girls are getting along . . .  well, for the moment anyway :-)  Notice the shorter hair on Emily?  She and I went to town last week for a "just us" day ... hair cut, kindergarten shots, ear piercing and McDonalds on the way home.  I enjoyed it and next year it'll be Abbie's turn.

My house is once again put in order and in the semi-clean state I am used to ...

you know as there will always be dishes to be cleaned, laundry to be washed,

folded and put away, bathrooms to be scrubbed, etc. etc.

Today . . . I finished (finally) my new ironing board cover ...

that's Authentic canvas by Sweetwater for Moda

Today . . . I received my two patterns ordered from the Fat Quarter Shop. 

The first is Patchwork Ironing Board Covers #921 from Cotton Way by Bonnie Olaveson. 

Who wouldn't enjoy ironing a bit more with a board looking this sweet?!?!! 

The second is State Street Tote by Bari J. Keeping it Real Sewing Patterns. 

Adorable bag pattern I plan to use as a birthday gift real soon ;-)

I received this Celebrate Spring by Sandy Gervais for Moda bundle

via eBay yesterday.  Awesome deal!! {big grin}

and ....

here's the pattern from Fig Tree Quilts  I plan to use these jelly rolls

(Fig Tree's Whimsy and Momo's Freebird) to make dresses for my

soon-to-be kindergartener.  Emily starts school a week from Monday and

is counting the days ... she can't wait!!!

Finally ...

Did you know Fat Quarter Shop had a sale this week?  Follow their blog... the Jolly Jabber ...

and I believe you may find a discount or two available posted, maybe

even good through this next week? :-)  Worth the read!

So ... now that you've been caught up on my misdeeds fun, maybe I'll have something accomplished with some of this fun by the next time there's a posting.  Though I won't make any promises! :)

Thanks for stopping by and until next time,

Quiltastic day to you!

Goodies and A Day at the Lake

Lookie at the goodies I won from Amy Hamberlin's blog's 100th Posting giveaway!!!  What a sweet treat this is and right now getting my little girl ready for starting school, perfect timing!  How cool is this!!  If you haven't visited Kati Cupcake Patterns, you should now ... adorable, adorable patterns :-) and no, I'm not just saying that because I won ... I shop there anyway! :o)

Really sweet Snippets  by American Jane for Moda honey bun purchased from Fabric Square Shop.  Cool shop if you get a chance to visit.  I purchased this honey bun for use with a dress pattern for Emily, before I won all the really cool patterns I won above.  Guess I'll have to go fabric shopping again ..... oh darn!

Last Friday we found ourselves enjoying a day away from the dust, dirty and work that is our abode these days at Seely Lake, Montana.  We joined other IAFF families for fun in the sun and food on the sand (hopefully not in the sand!) ... Here are some pictures of the girls:

Emily and Abbie heading "out to sea" rafting.

The girls taking a moment to play in the sand together.

Emily is enjoying her vantage from the front.

Abbie ... aka Sand Monster.

Now, it's back to the reality that is my home ...

Bathroom (with dresser moved into it)

Bedroom with furniture moved into middle...

Bedroom/bathroom wall

Sewing room/office bunched into middle of room :-(

Have I ever mentioned I'm an organizational / neat freak and this stuff kinda bothers me ???!!!!????!!!    bbbbbaaaaahhhaaahaaahaaaaa   wwwwwwhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaa

Until next time (if I'm still sane, that is ...)

In Stitches: W.I.P. Wednesday … August 4

In Stitches: W.I.P. Wednesday … August 4

Hey ... follow this link and go check out my current work in progress over on the In Stitches blog along with some pretty awesome quilters! I'm going to go cruise their blogs right now :o). Thanks so much In Stitches!!

Another day in .... well, you fill in the blank :)

My daughter turned 6 two days ago.  Wow!  I want to tell myself I've appreciated every moment I've had so far and that I haven't wasted any of the time, but only God knows and I'm sure there will be moments I wish I could retract or play again and again as time moves forward.  Emily starts kindergarten at the end of August.  For a while I questioned what my purpose would be once both my girls were in school (Abbie starts next year), but then I realized that just because I won't see them every waking moment of their days doesn't mean they still won't need me.  It just means someone else will get to share in the joy that is my beautiful babies.  It's time for me to not be selfish and let them teach me new things through their learning of life.  I only hope I'm a good student and still a better mother.  God help me!

For Emily's birthday, she asked me what I was going to make her.  To be honest, I didn't think she wanted anything made for her so I hadn't planned anything.   However, I had her come in and pick out a charm pack from my stash and told her I'd make a surprise.  I didn't tell her it would be a surprise to me also :) .... I added more material from my stash and in three days this is what I came up with:

And this was her response when she saw the finished product:

How is life not worth all the extra hours spent toiling and fretting when your baby reacts so sweetly?

With our house in the disaster zone again ... here's a picture of my sewing room/office in it's current state:

Long story short, about 2.5 years over-due repair job to the sheetrock taping job, in each room of the house ... see me bald and stressed again..... yes the whole house looks just like this  !?!?!?  I've been taking the girls the local playground more often ...

Hopefully, as they grow older, they will only remember having fun and not that mommy was stressin' (big-butt grin here).  I hope each of you have a super day and that God blesses you with very happy thoughts!!!

Quiltastic day all!