Lovely stripes...

The blanket is finished!

I woke up early this morning just so I could finished the edging.

I wasn't sure about all the different colors of stripes at first.

But it did turn out pretty darn wonderful.

And of course I couldn't let little Connor forget who made him the really warm and snuggly fabulous blanket.  

xxxx

Irresistible...

So what do you do when the cutest little freckle face you know comes up to you and asks you to sit next to her while she reads her most favorite books ever?  

All eight of them.

 Well, you oblige without any hesitation for a chance to sit and cuddle while listening to her sweet little voice reading words that she no longer needs help with.

Sniff.

I welcomed the chance to get away from the sewing machine and grabbed everything I needed to work on the little piece of wonderfulness for little Connor.  The perfect quiet project to keep the hands busy while listening to great literary works, according to a 6 yr. old.

I don't think there is anything better than a quiet evening, free of any electronic gadgets, and having the most wonderful time with a little one who is really loving reading lately.

Plugging along...

Another few days break from the bloggy world.

A mixed bag of happenings around these parts.

One just doesn't know how things will turn out from one hour to the next much less one day to the next.

I just try to go with the flow as much as I can so that I don't end up a stressed out mess.

Even though there are lists that are made so that some kind of order can be at least attempted around here, it doesn't always work out that way.

Case in point:

Saturday the girls and I get a move on bright and early so that we could get to Joann's as soon as they open so that we would not be standing at the cutting tables forever.  And so we wouldn't get caught in the nasty weather that was 'forecasted' for mid day.  What joy to see we were to first ones at the tables.  The girls did a little jig as we walked through the store towards the tables after picking the fabric that was needed.  Then searching for the much needed batting followed, only to find out that the exact one we were looking for can only be found on-line.

*fabulous*

While heading towards the front of the store my little eyes caught sight of a wonderful sounding gadget.  A bobbin winder.  It was on sale and I said "hey, why not".  It could be a time saver.

Yeah.

After making it home and being quite proud of ourselves on beating the Saturday rush at the fabric store and the yucky weather to come, I sat down to try out the wonderful little gadget that I thought was a great score.  Well, not so great.  I fought with that piece of junk for the longest time and it never worked. Tried it with batteries, then with the optional power cord.  Nothing.  I was beginning to think that I was missing something from the instructions.  Read them over and over for about 4 times.  Got really aggravated.  Nearly chucked the piece of junk across the room.  Could I be that dense that I was missing something from "plug the power cord into the back of the winder.  plug the other end of the power cord into the wall and push the green power button".  No, I can't be.  Then I did what you should always do when even thinking of buying a contraption such as this.  Go on-line and read all the reviews you can about a particular object.  Let's just say I would have never went near the thing if I would have done the research before.  Even with this set back and the lack of batting still, Saturday ended up being productive for all three of us girls.  I finished my quilt backing, Em started and completed a bag for a friends birthday present and Brenna of course was just happy as a clam with all her animals, coloring books and markers.

Of course we didn't get any yucky weather like what was expected on Saturday.  And none of the 'forecasted' 6" of snow showed up Sunday morning.  Just a light dusting.  So with that in mind I patiently waited for the quilt shop to open after lunch so that I could acquire the much needed batting.  Should have gone there to begin with.  Before leaving the house, a quick peek at the new quilt book was  taken just in case a few little special fabrics were seen while at the shop.

Well, a few precise pieces were acquired at the shop, that went along with a jelly roll I already had.  Soon these will all come together as a wonderful quilt that I'm sure I will adore.

More later on this.

Then a quick trip to Joann's to return the piece of junk that was nearly broke to pieces the day before.  Then I was informed by Glenn that a quick trip to the mall was needed (hate the mall) so that he could buy something at the Apple store for the computer.  I was sidetracked into the "Build a Bear" shop just to see if there was a little something, something for little Connor to cuddle with after he makes his appearance in June.  Glenn, I and the girls just couldn't walk out without a little wolfie for Connor to hug on.  Perfect for a little Idahoan.  Something wild for a little one that will definitely have a bit of the wilderness in him.  At least if I have anything to say about it.  :)  The girl at the stuffing machine even let us put a heart in the wolf from each of us.  So he is a pretty special little wolf with four hearts full of love and wishes for little Connor.

 Monday had all kinds of plans lined up on the list to do.

Glenn and all three kids were going to the used book store for the afternoon.

And I was going to enjoy getting a few things cleaned up around here without anyone stopping me every 5 minutes.  I was stoked! (I know some are thinking that I am sick in the head.) Early spring cleaning was looking pretty darn awesome in my book.

A good scrubbing of the floors, a bit of dusting, etc.

Let's just say it did not work out that way I had planned.

While in the kitchen, happily scrubbing away on my hands and knees with the radio jamming, the base board on one of the corners sticking out decided to attack me and put a HUGE piece of LUMBER in my pinky finger.

pinky is sore and the side of my nail will take a bit to grow back.  You don't know how much you use a part of your body until something traumatic happens and it hurts like something awful.  I have smacked the poor pinky on just about everything in the house since then.  I even shut the closet door on it when putting clothes up the other day.  It wasn't even hard but man did I notice it.  There is a friend of ours that once said he would rather have bamboo shoved up under his nails than to listen to his two kids fight and bicker like cats and dogs.

Oh no you don't sir.  Just trust me.

So not as much sewing has been going on like I would have liked.  I'm hoping later when things settle down for the day I can find my way into the craft room and slowly but surely get some more work done on Mom's quilt back.

Until then I have been doing some pre-planning for some other soft and cuddly for Connor.  I'm really trying my best at using yarn I already have for this project.  There may still be some tweaking before the final plans are concrete.  Hopefully I can get through the quilts fast so I can get moving on this little piece of wonderfulness.

Hopefully the rest of the week will be calm and quiet.

I'm not sure if I could handle any more excitement.

xxxx

Crackin' up!

I've tried not to get sucked into the whole boob tube thing this week.

About the only time I sit in front of it is late at night just to catch the weather.

I probably don't even need to have it on for that because I could just go to the computer do a little peek for the information and be done with it all.

But then I would have missed out on what I think is quite possibly my most favorite commercial of all time. I was laughing so hard that I woke the girls up.

Absolutely hilarious! I've seen just two of the commercials but had no idea that there were lots more. You've got to check them out. It's definitely started my weekend out right with smiles and laughing so hard my stomach hurts.

Here's hoping you have a great weekend!

xxxx

All smiles...

Lots of smiles going on around here today.

All from simple but wonderful little things.

I'll share it all with you.  :)

The planning and tweaking of the 2 quilt tops have been made.

 They have been sewn together and now patiently wait for the planning and tweaking of the backing now.

 I'm trying to be good and use what I have left of the collection instead of ordering more online.  I must save my money for more fabric from a new collection that will be coming out soon, I hope.  :)  It surely put a smile on my face when I saw it.

Another smile presented itself when I peeked out my craft room window and saw little spring sprouts starting to show them selves.

(excuse the blurry view.  I snapped a pic through the window.  little lazy I am.)

 And a quick trip to the mailbox produced a another smile when I saw the book I ordered had arrived.  Absolutely cute I tell you.  You must go and take a look at Alessandra's work.  You won't be disappointed with all the cuteness she creates.  The book is wonderful!

You know there will be lots of little hats made for all the wee ones in the family.  Gotta keep the wee ones looking good.

************

As I was typing away minding my own business, trying to share all the smiley stuff with you, the clouds rolled in fast making everything miserably dark.  Didn't think anything of it until there were a few claps of thunder and flashes of lightning.  So off I went, with the camera, to see a freak snow storm roar through making everything white in less than a minute.  It only lasted for about 20 minutes but man was it wild.  The girls thought we were getting a blizzard.  All is quiet now. 

************

Good thing because I want to get back to cutting some more fabric and put the whole "Pooh bear" thought process in motion on how to create the backing for the quilts.  It's alot of work doing the "Pooh bear" thing you know.  

I hope there was something for you to smile about today.  

Maybe?

Hopefully.

Do tell.

xxxx

Simpleness...

To say things have been challenging around here that last week or so is a complete understatement.  Most of the challenge has been coming from our son, who for whatever reason seems to keep choosing to live life the hard way and not ever listen to any advice that Glenn and I give him on anything.  It always leads to me being completely stressed out because I just can't figure out why someone would keep making the same 'mistakes' over and over.  Especially when that someone has a little one the way.  The only thing I can figure is that one day he is hoping that he will prove us wrong.  Not sure if that will ever happen because of past history.  You know history repeats itself, over and over.  I'm just hoping and praying that one day it will all change, for the better.

So instead of getting on this little blog to gripe, complain and vent, I completely submerged myself into simpleness of life around this humble little abode.  School work, baking, cooking, crafting and anything else that had anything to do with being simple.

During such time my wonderful patchy blanket was created.  Inspiration can be found here.  I made mine bigger so that there would be plenty of snuggly, curling up room with it.  I'm thinking of making more in the future, even some little people sized ones.  Hopefully before June and July.  I must make sure that our little "grand bundle" is kept cuddly along with our dear friends Gary and Chris's "grand bundle" that is due in July.

After all the yarny hook work was completed, down came the Christmas quilt.  It's been patiently waiting for me to come back to it.  I'm nearly finished with the blocks and then it will be on to the border for the top.  I'm not following any certain design.  Just letting it come together as I go and keeping it simple.  I'm all over that you know.

 A trip to the quilt shop, for a late birthday purchase for a certain little one, had us coming home with a wonderful assorted jelly roll of fabrics.  It is now being used to create a striped skirt after a certain someone saw her inspiration piece.  Another little person could not be left out and picked a very special jelly roll for herself also.  Everyone must look smashing for spring when it finally comes around.

 There are other collections of fabric that patiently wait for me to finish the present quilt so that they can be made, along with Mom's Christmas quilt.  Can't wait for that to come about.  I just have to decide if I'm going to use a pattern or just wing it.  Not sure yet.  The fabrics haven't spoken to me yet.

Otherwise we have embraced the simpleness of each day with open arms.  No tv, no computer when possible, not anything electronic that would turn our minds to mush and cause us not to get anything accomplished for the day.

Just creativity galore

 and lots of reading of course.  

One can't complain about the Miniature Library of Beatrix Potter and Poppleton Pig.

(I have been told by a certain little person that I really need to paint a moose in the library being there is a certain little bunny that was painted in there at the time the library was being created.  I might have to get right on that soon.  We can not leave Moosey out you know.)

Enjoy the simpleness of things around you.

It is really worth it.