Where in the world??

 No, I did not fall off the face of the earth ... 

Though, I am ...

I'm sure you all know the feeling.

In the month since my last post ...

I've moved ... again ...

 Nicer duplex, extra room, plus an additional bathroom ...

BONUS for us three girls!! 

Same neighborhood, so even nicer :)

I have managed to stay up with my rounds for

Michele's Modern Mini Mystery Round Robin ...

though I can't share {{heehee}}....

I finished my block for Jane's Red/White/Blue Blog Hop

which begins July 1st ...

And, yes, you have to wait until July 7th to see

my finished block  when it'll be my stop on the hop ...

get all the details at Jane's Fabrics and Quilts

because this is a super hop you will not want to miss!

I can show you the very fun mini-quilt I made

for Kris's swap over at Dandelion Quilts,

Believe it or not, I started and finished this

in time to mail it before the end of the month!!

Score!! 

Oh yeah, and I started and finished this commissioned quilt:

The indoor picture is not at all good quality, but as it was raining

bucket loads outside, so I had to take the best shot I could

inside just to get the scope of the size ... large queen.

Next in the works is a quilt using Natalie Lymer's Woodland fabric and Carrie Nelson's Another Bite of Schnibbles book ... can't wait to show you that project .... adorable!

 And ... let's see ... Abbie had her school music concert,

her classroom play and her last T-Ball game this last week or so ... 

Emily and I constructed her chimpanzee diorama this weekend:

The last day of school for both girls is on Wednesday at which time

I.

will.

be.

taking.

a.

day.

off!!

Seriously!!

HaHaHaHaHa

no, seriously, five days to be exact

Five days off of my 9-4 weekday scheduled job to see if I can get a bit of work done around the house and spend some precious time with my girls.

Maybe during my vacation time, I'll actually find time to visit my dear friends and neighbors in the blogihood and catch up with some very precious and dear friends ...

you all know who YOU are and I love and appreciate you dearly!!

Love and hugs ... I think I've earned turning in early tonight :)

Blessings to you and as always, very warm hearted wishes!

Hop, Skip and a Jump

Please let me skip formalities for a moment and

apologize to everyone for not staying in touch ...

I adore everyone that takes the time to stop in

and check in on me, and even more so, those

that leave comments to let me know you care ...

I promise from my heart to yours to better !

I'm catching up with the life that spun

a bit out of control ...

Thank you to every one of you for your

understanding!!

Now ... let's get hoppin' !!

My day to jump into the hop line is here!

My thanks are sent first to the fabulous ladies

that are participating in this awesome hop ....

what inspiration!

My thanks are also sent out to each and

every one of you who are taking the time

to visit each of these amazing works of art

and also for visiting mine :) :)

When Madame Samm first mentioned

this hop ... to me it was with an idea of putting

something of myself into this topper that would

tell others about myself ... what I think is

pretty darn cool ...

Well ... for those of you who visit often,

my girls are an obvious choice ... but

I had to get in the flowers, outdoors, sunshine

and a sense of child-like joy all in one

topper ...

I even snuck in my "bluebird of happiness"

if you look close enough ;)

I used silver thread for the jump ropes, just for a little bling :)

So how'd I do?

I would sincerely appreciate you taking the time

to let me know your thoughts and I promise I will

do much better now in keeping in touch and

responding to you kind-hearted souls willing to

drop me a line.

I truly appreciate every one of you ...

You make my heart smile!

Please also be sure to visit these other

stops on the hop today ...

Monday April 23rd

Christine

Just Carol

Patty D

** Wendy **

leanne

Elaine M

Judy C

Tuesday April 24th

Jennifer M

Roxanne

Syd

Selina

Connie

Patti

Jane

Wednesday April 25th

Mary

Marianna

Thearica

Kelly

Marnie

Pauline

Madame Samm

You can't help but be inspired by this group of

awesome quilters!

Did Ya Hear there's a Hop Happening???

Did ya hear?

My baby girl turns six this week and we celebrated

on Sunday with a couple of her friends ...

This is how I spent the weekend prepping:

 Made a double layer chocolate cake with white frosting ...

added decorations bought from the bakery.

Since they spent the weekend with their dad,

neither had any idea I was up to this :)

The look on Abbie's face made staying up til midnight worth it all!

Then, before the friends arrived this morning, the girls and I

blew up all of these balloons just for added celebrational fun.

Had to take a picture of the kiddos playing outside during the party,

as this piece of equipment is what I spent the past two weekends

putting together ... with my own two hands :) :) ...

and therefore have absolutely nothing to share for sewing...

And ... yes ... at the end of the day ...

I'd do it all over again!

Did ya hear? Did ya hear???

 Yep .... there's a blog hop happening ...

You can't help but be inspired by this group of

awesome quilters!  Please check them out each day ...

I know I will ... I just can't wait to see what they've

each created for our hop ...

Table Topper Blog HOP Schedule

 

Monday April 16th

Jacque (Snoodles)

Lesley

Sharon

Dawnmarie

Piece Peace

Tuesday April 17th

Kris

Marcia

Jenny

Sheila

Josie

Wednesday April 18th

Vickie

Shanna

Deonn

Mrs Pickles

Sharon

Thursday April 19th

Leslie ( lesquilts)

Jennifer ( that girl)

Karen

Katherine

 

Friday April 20th

Marlene

Charlotte

Leslie

Darlene

Jane

Michelle

Cherry

Monday April 23rd

Christine

Just Carol

Patty D 

** Wendy **

leanne

Elaine M

Judy C

Tuesday April 24th

Jennifer M

Roxanne

Syd

Selina

Connie

Patti

Jane

Wednesday April 25th

Mary

Marianna

Thearica

Kelly

Marnie

Pauline

Madame Samm

Thank you so much for stopping in ... Please come back, I will be posting my

table topper on the 23rd ... I'm pretty darned happy with my

topper too ... It means a lot to me, what I've created, so want share :)

Happy Hopping and Happy Birthday to my girl Abigail!

warm hearted wishes  ~~

Odds and Ends ...

How is it you can find so very much stuff when you move that you don't remember even owning but you have to pack and find a place to store it when you get to your new place ... but the things you actually need and know you own, you lose???

I have a camera ... had ... and I remember seeing it when I moved into my current apartment.

Do you think I could find it now??? Ha!

Well, lucky for me, my daughters reminded me my iPod takes photos ... so I can share a couple with you and before you look, please excuse the quality, but remember, a post with bad pictures is often better than a post with no pictures ...

and if not, don't tell me ... I am going bald tearing my hair out trying to find the stuff I know I owned before I moved all of the stuff I forgot or didn't know I owned before I moved!!! 

LOL LOL LOL

So .... my darlings wanted to share they very recent gifts they received in the mail at our new location ...

and, of course, it had to be displayed just right ....

on the bunkbed set that mommy dearest (me) put together for them

(internet shopping and credit accounts are wonderful things!!)

Aren't these munchkins looking adorable??

They send their happiest thank yous to the very dear, dear sender of

their favorite new sleep pals ... Thank you, thank you!!

 I also unburied my dear companion who I've dearly missed in the

past few weeks and sewed up this little 6 1/2 inch gem:

for Michele's Modern Mini Round Robin

If there is a name for this block ... I haven't a clue because

as far as I know I made it up in by bitty brain tonight and

sewed it together.   Can you tell I couldn't settle on a color?

:) :) :)

Well, it's on it's way to France by the end of the week ...

How Exciting!!!

My block will be more worldly and better traveled than I will ever be ..

The night is getting late for me and I do have to rise early in the morning

to drive the girls to their school and then get to work ... so I best

be heading for the ol' bed and pillows.

I do have one question for all of you wonderful, thoughtful and

kind people ... besides chocolate and caffiene,

when you need to get yourself a boot in the backside

to get yourself back over to the happy side of the fence,

is there a trick or a treat you do for yourself to assist your

way along?  Hot soak in the tub is out for me ... let's face it,

two elementary daughters, one bathroom and a very tiny tub

are not condusive to a peaceful evening soak!

No wine or alcohol as I have to be a responsible adult ... dang it all! :)

What say you ... got any tips for when a frown needs turned upside down?

I send out to each of you a huge, huge internet hug

with my profound gratitude for everyone that has

shown me such love and support and who helps me

by being who you are to me.

Thank you!!

Warm hearted wishes,

Monday Thoughts

This morning, after driving my daughters to school, I realized that the unfriendly little stomach bug that came for a visit yesterday, had not packed it's bags to move on and so I therefore decided to stay home to assist the little "bugger" on its way out the door by resting and drinking lots of fluids...

Bonus for me is, I get to spend a little time cruising blogland.  WooHoo!! 

oh, I mean ... cough, cough, uuuuggghhh ... woe-is-me {{wink}}

Before the bug came to visit me this weekend, I got a very good start on my table topper for the April Blog Hop to be hosted by Madame Samm from Sew I quilt .... notice this button?

Should be some mighty creative blogs available for visiting.   Will you hop along with us?

I also found today, which I take as a must have been meant for me, a deadline extenstion for signing up for Michele's round robin .. found here:

Michele's at the awesome blog Quilts from My Crayon Box ... and if she'll have this newbee round robin quilter, I am so there!  I can't think of a better way to join my first round robin that with a mini quilt... can you? :)

You see, I've really missed feeling a part of my quilting circle.  I think these present me opportunities to take little steps back into my cirlce without feeling totally overwhelmed by "oh my gosh I gotta do this and that ..."  You all know that feeling :)  Besides, now that I've got my new fishbowl basically in order, the water is beginning to calm, having things keep me occupied with newly found free time will help keep my waters calm, or so I'm told ...

While I've long known that the friends I've made through the blogland mean so very much to me, for the quilt chat, for the shared experiences, for the feeling of friendly connections when I felt I had so very few, life recently showed me just how dear my circle of blogland friends are.

You wonderful, wonderful friends that come and visit me here, take time to leave comments, those that have shown me so very much support and love ... I don't believe I'd be where I am today without each one of you.  Thank you ... two very simple words, but from me to you, they are two words filled with every ounce of gratitude and love I can possibly fill them with.  Thank you, from my heart to yours.

So, I guess I best be getting another refill on my cuppa tea and then get ready to go pick up my girls,  but before I go, long distance hugs from me to you and I look forward to visiting with you soon!!

Thank you!

A Day ....

Hello and good wishes to each and every one

that graces my rambling words with time ....

I wanted to share a couple of

quick items and a wish or two,

First,  I used an Izzy & Ivy Designs pattern

called Many Giggles to create:

 

This dress for Abbie

(front and back)

 and this dress for Emily

(front and back)

Believe it or not, each dress

was made in one evening!

I KNOW! 

How easy is that ?!!???!!!

Very cool. 

Second dress was made

from jersey and hangs real nice.

These goodies I received from Robin in Ontario for

the Bag Swap we both participated in recently.

Two very sweet bags and something I hadn't

seen before but this is brilliant ... a Soup Koozie.

You ever have a bowl of oatmeal or soup and the

bowl is too hot to hold but you want to eat????

How brilliant is this koozie??? 

Gonna have to make me one of these :)

Oh, at the end of January, a new friend of mine had a birthday and of course, I just had to make something.

I found this pattern in the book "Charm School"

and it was quick and simple.

I believe my new friend liked it. 

And, of course, I can't remember

which charm pack I used, but I thought

it was pretty so went with it.

For me, personally, life is what it is ...

challenging to say the least.

However, I found this picture on line

and thought it very worthy of sharing.

Truly words to live by.

Very soon, I will be packing up those that

matter the absolute most to me in my life,

and we will soon be swimming in calmer waters.

Until we next visit, I wish every one of you

the sweetest and most sincerest valentines day

with those who you hold dearest to your heart.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart

for being a part of my world!