The Last Day

Here we are, December 31st, the last day of 2009. I hope you all have a ton of fun planned for tonight. As for me and hubby, we have real excitement, I may have mentioned that there is 3 Stooges Marathon, and yes, I am married to the 5th Stooge! So, early dinner with my BFF Colleen and her daughter, then home for hubby to watch his buddies. As for me, I did plan on stitching, but I think I am going through my stash and clearing some of it out. I am trying to use the reason of, if I haven't used it with in the last 12 months, then out it goes. Maybe I will start in my closet first, I have a hard time parting with my fabric. (Don't we all?) In the meantime, take care, welcome 2010 in with a wish and prayer for lots of inspiration in all we do! Hugs!!!

2 Days Left!

It is hard to believe how fast 2009 came and went! So many projects to do, so little time, and wham, we are at the finish line. I have been lucky to have a little more time to really read a lot of blogs this past week. Most are talking about their Christmas, special presents and gifts they received, special meals, and special present they have made. They have also been talking about their hopes and dreams for 2010, organization, and plans. I am really enjoying this time of reading and learning. The blogs I follow are really good about tips and projects and techniques, which I like. I try to learn something new everyday, whether it be a new word, trivia, listen to a new type of music, ect. I think it is important to never been stagnic. My dear grandma was like that, so I guess I got it from her. Come to think of it, my mom is like that also. She is always reading and learning something every day. When she speaks, if she uses a new word or one that is not a common word, she will pronounce it and then spell it. And yes, my mom was an English major, and her daughter is a terrible speller, (as if you didn't know that!). Tomorrow, New Year's Eve, after a short day at work, hubby and I are going to meet my BFF, Colleen, her daughter Kylie and her mom for an late lunch and early dinner at a local favorite Mexican Restaurant, Cactus. Hubby loves teasing Kylie, and they both have a common interest, Sponge Bob Square Pants! I am looking forward to seeing my BFF and spending some time with them and hubby on the eve of the new year. I also can't wait to see the Blue Moon. Tonight, before I wrote this, I went outside to look at the moon, it was full and bright in all of its glory with the snow clouds passing by quickly. I wish I could share it with all of you. I wish you all a healthy, happy and safe New Year. Here's to 2010, and all of the future projects I hope to complete, or at least start!

My Tip for Wishlist Projects

I finally took a picture of what I did last week-end. It is a really simple project, but I still need to add the buttons to complete it. It was in the Country Treads, Applique magazine from last summer, and I have been wanting to stitch it up, but never took the time. I am going to add two sunflower buttons on top on the stems, 2 crows, in honor of my friend Jackie H., and either a pumpkin or ladybug or what ever I can find that I love. I will most likely go down to Modesto to Elegant Stitches to purchase my buttons, since they have an OUTSTANDING selection! A gal could go broke there buying buttons, believe me, I know!! I have also started another project from Country Threads that includes 4 garden like embroidery blocks made into a wall hanging. I am almost down with 1 block, and I will post a picture of it when it is completed. I found the key for me to getting these wish list projects done, is to take a day and trace, trace, trace! Which is what Colleen and I did I think in August or September. I made sure I have the correct color of floss, and then put it in my embroidery basket. We will see how this works. What works for you? How do you get those projects ready to be done? I would love to hear every one's ideas! As Gran would say, "Tootles"!

Clear the Clutter!!

I don't know about you, but it seems that my kitchen/family room gets completely thrashed during the holidays! Thank goodness we did not have any company, because honestly, I do not know what I would have done. I am sure we all have our quick, little tricks to turn to when the unannounced visitor shows up. My little trick is to grab the clothes basket and throw everything in it and then stash it in my closet! Sure, it will take me a week to clear it out, but sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! I use my card table to hold the racks of cookies and goodies that I have baked so they can cool with out needing to be moved for dinner, plus I am real lucky to have a very large leaf to put in my table to extend it out from 4-8 people. In fact, 2 years ago I put the leaf in, and I finally removed it last night! My eating area looks so neat and clean and open now!! Since I am not lucky enough to have a sewing room, the dining table is it, so I also used a second card table, (that's right 2!!) to hold my fabrics and projects that I am working on. Well, since the 25th has came and passed, I figured, if they are finished by now, I need to put them in the UFO box, and hopefully I will complete them this next year. In fact, I think when I go to quilt camp in May with Lindy and the crew from BP&HH, I will be taking my UFO's to get a jump on Christmas for 2010! I have quite a few table runners that I just can't seem to find the time to quilt and sew the binding on. I have a couple of tote bags that are cut out and ready to sew and put together. Kim is teaching a class this Spring at BP&HH on how to make a picnic tote and small picnic quilt. I will need to check my schedule to see if I can take it. That would be a perfect gift for my 2 sister in laws down in San Diego to take to the beach! Well, I need to get some stitching done. It seems to relax me prior to slumber. Thanks for stopping by. Oh one last thing, what are your plans for New Year's Eve/New Year's Day? Let me know, I love to get some new ideas. Somehow, the thought of watching the 3 Stooges Marathon with my hubby, for the 24th year is not sounding very exciting to me! Nyuk, nyuk nyuk!!

Boxing Day, My Style

I hope I do not offend any Canadians out there, but I had to share my celebration of Boxing Day. Those who know me, know that my MIL is Canadian. So, we are pretty much in tune with the Holidays from Canada. We even have a Canadian calender, compliments of my dear MIL! Well, my idea of celebrated this holiday today was to pretty much hang out in comfy sweats and stitch, stitch all day and take a couple of naps in between to rest my eyes. Yep, that is how I celebrated Boxing Day. Oh, I did go through some fabric to see what I have and to start organizing it a bit, but I ended up back on the Chesterfield, (Canadian slang for sofa) and back to my stitching. I am 80% done with my project, and hopefully will get it done tomorrow since I am making a trip to Sac International Airport to pick up my dear mom, who is returning from my brother's home. I am not sure if her plane will be on time or not,but I will check prior to leaving, and take my stitching with me just in case. Oh, I also have several cups of tea along with some maple cookies shaped like maple leaves to help me with my celebration! So, bu marriage, I am Canadian! Tootles!!

Reflections

Whew! I am tired! We had a wonderful Christmas. I thought we would be having a quiet one, but we ended up going over to our son's girlfriend's house, to meet her family, and well, we were there for 3 hours!! We had a great time, they were so warm and generous and very hospitable! And did I mention that the food was OUTSTANDING!!! Michelle's mom and family are Filipino, and I love lumpia, so enough said! We did karaoke and watch some basketball and laughed and visited with each other. We then came home, so hubby could have his prime rib that is a mandatory item on Christmas at our house! It looks like we are going to have some new traditions for future Christmas. Well, the kitchen is cleaned up, and the house has been picked up, so I think I will catch some shut eye, since I have no plans for this week-end except to pick my mom up from the airport on Sunday afternoon, so it loos like I have time to stitch!! Yipee!! Good night, sleep tight and sweet dreams everyone!!

My Christmas Wish

As we head towards the big day, I just wanted to take the time to wish all of you and your family and love ones, a Peaceful and Blessed Christmas! With many more to come! As a side note, we had a bit of surprise tonight. Hubby and I were watching tv, when the doorbell rang. We both looked at each other wondering the same thing, who the heck could that be? I opened the door, and down on the sidewalk, were about 12 people, adults and children, and they started singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, and then We Wish You A Merry Christmas! We were so surprised! We did not know any of them, but what a wonderful delight! I started crying, I was so moved that strangers would sing to us! Apparently, they were going up and down the street singing if anyone answer their door! Hubby and I started talking after they left, about how wonderful that it was, and how we wish everyone could experience it! It really moved us both! When I say my prayers tonight, I will make sure to thank God for sending those strangers to our house to night, to help spread some Christmas cheer! Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Soapbox Time

I need to get on my soapbox today, so please be patient with me. I am so truly blessed by good friends, near and far. I have a wonderful BFF, Colleen, (AKA-Lucy) who accepts me as I am, good and bad, never complains about me repeating myself or when I get moody, always sees the good in me and others, and is always there. I cannot imagine her not being there for me! I am also thankful for Gran and Kim, both who I consider very good friends, a blast to be around, both very generous, and both always there if I needed anything. I guess you could say, they all three are my Guardian Angels! They are also wonderful people to get in trouble with!! I am also thankful for my family, husband and son, my job, and that we have all our basic needs taken care of, which in this day, is very important! My BFF, Colleen was not feeling very well today, in fact, I took her Christmas present over to her, and she really did not look good at all! (Sorry Colleen;-)) You could tell she just didn't feel up to par, but she loved her present as much as I loved making it for her! I hope everyone has friends like me, they are priceless! I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas, and a Healthy and Happy New Year!!

Tying up Loose Ends

Today, I had to complete tasks that I had started and needed to get done before Monday arrived. I had to finish baking and decorating cookies, clean up the whole kitchen, the flour was really flying around! I also had a couple of Christmas presents that I am making that needed to be completed, (No Colleen, I am not giving you any hints!!). Tomorrow is a very busy but fun day. I am meeting my coworkers for our Christmas lunch in Madera. We always have it usually in Sacramento, and my friend, Kristin who lives in Madera always has to drive up, so we told her last year that this year we will all come down her way. This way, I can still make some client visits before and after we meet, since I am only able to travel down that way a couple of times a month. I still have some more baking to do, since what I completed has been packaged up for gifts and we have also been sampling, ok, mainly me, I love cookies!! I am very tired, so I am heading off to slumber, have a great Monday everyone!!

Busy Saturday

Today, the morning after, I was TIRED!!! But I had a full schedule, so it was full steam ahead!! I had to take my mom to the airport, she was flying to my brother's to spend Christmas with him and his family. She alternates between Thanksgiving and Christmas. She loves to fly, and its good for her to go out and about. Then, I met hubby at the supermarket to do some grocery shopping so I won't have to do it this next week, check 2 off the list! I had to drop off a small gift to my hair doctor/stylist, Michelle, picked up lunch at Panda Express for son, and myself! Orange Chicken and rice, yummy!!! Son's adorable girlfriend has never bake Christmas cookies before, so we were going to together this afternoon, we had a blast! Then, we were off to dinner, to celebrate her passing her EMT test!!! Her brother and his girlfriend joined us for dinner also. The kids went to the mall to finish some of their shopping, while hubby and I went to Walgreens for stocking stuffers, then home to quickly wrap a few things to put under our tree. I finally was able to get our tree decorated today. I did manage to get some stitching done. Now, I am too exhausted to sleep! So I think I will try some more stitching to see if I can get some sleep. I will try to get the pictures posted tomorrow of the gifts I received last night. Until then, sleep tight!!

Friday Night Frolics, Knot-y Ladies Style!

Tonight was PMS night for the Knot-y Ladies! No, not the pms that you might think of, but as in Pizza, Munchies and Stitching/Sewing, at Ladybug's Quilt Store in Manteca. I wasn't sure if the owner, Jen was ready for us, but then again, were we ready for Jen? The answer to both of those questions, is yes, Jen was ready for us, and we were ready for her. What a blast we had! Kim, Gran, BFF-Colleen, and myself made it down to Manteca, Jen had a couple of her gal pals there, and her mom also joined us, and boy did we have a GREAT time! We had munchies that everyone brought to share, and Jen ordered pizza and had beverages for us to enjoy. Then, we got down to business, shopping business, before we got down to stitching business. Then it was eating business, followed by more shopping exercises, then back to stitching. We laughed, cried, hooted and hallowed. Finally, around 11 pm, our eyes were tired, our sides were sore from laughing and our bellies full with goodies! We hugged everyone goodnight, and vowed to do this again, real soon! If you are ever down by Manteca, or want a fun little day trip, then Ladybug's is just the ticket. Jen is a sweetheart, and she has an adorable store, and will treat you right! Until next time ladies!!

PS- I will take a picture tomorrow to show ya what I got from Kim and Gran and Colleen for Christmas!!

You Have to See it With Your Own Eyes!

I think the title says it all, Happy Holidays!!!!

The Morning After

Last night, our Knot-y Ladies met, and we had our Christmas social. The food was wonderful, especially, Kim's spiced almonds! We had some yummy zucchini squares, and of course, lots of sweets, cookies, and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! Gran was so cute, and she decorated everything so pretty, I forgot to take my camera, but if you go to Kim's Big Quilting Adventure, she posted the pictures she took. We also did an ornament exchange, which was a lot of fun, except for my BFF, Colleen. She forgot to put her ornament in the box before she wrapped it up, and when Carolyn opened it, it was an empty box! My poor Colleen, she was so-o-o embarrassed, but she did have a few more of her ornaments she was finishing up with her, so she whipped one out of stash, and quickly finished it and gave it to Carolyn. I got a really sweet ornament made by Julie. It was a free pattern from Bird Brain Designs, the Charley Brown Christmas Tree. I love it! She also included a couple of Ghirardelli peanut butter and chocolate squares on the outside, which is the real reason I picked her present! We had so much fun! We really do have a fun group! Oh, and the news it out, Kim is teaching another class at BP & HH Feb. 6th, called Bah Bah Black Sheep, its all about wool, I cannot wait! Well, I need to go do some baking, have a great Tuesday!

Sunday's Agenda

My agenda for today is stitching, breakfast, stitching, shower, stitching, cup of tea-Typhoo,(my fav), stitching, lunch, stitching, watch the Cowboys beat the Chargers, stitching, snack, stitching, dinner, stitching, cup of Sleepy Time tea, admire my stitching projects, sleep!!!!!!!!!!
What's on your agenda for today????

PS-Knot-y Ladies class tomorrow night, yipee!!!!

Rain, rain go away!

Well, the rain is back, and it coming down pretty hard. I really don't mind rain, if I can stay inside and admire it from within. Unfortunately, my job requires the opposite, out and about, making visits to my clients, rain, or shine, hell or high water! Well, I got my visits done pretty quickly, so, I came home, fixed a nice cup of tea, and stitched away while the rain pitter, patter outside! Orca was in the middle of the backyard, just laying in the rain, watching over his domain! I tempted him in the house with a peanut butter doggie treat, and at my feet he stayed for a couple of hours. I completed a stitching project, that is a Christmas present, and the person who it is for, does read my blog once in awhile, so I did take a picture, and after she opens it, I will post the picture. It really came out cute. Monday night at BP&HH, is Knot-y Ladies class, and we are having a little Holiday social and ornament exchanged. I made mine, but I need to do a couple of minor things to complete it, and I will also post a picture of it next week after class. I can't wait. I so enjoy that class, Gran is, well...GRAND!!! Tomorrow, I do have to work, but after that, we are decorating our Christmas tree! Sunday, I am planning, to do some tracing of patterns for future stitching projects, including a reverse redwork. Well, off to sleep I go! Have a great week-end!!

It's Snowing!!!!!!!!

I woke up at 3:40 am this morning to a very wet nose sniffing at my face. In other words, Orca needed to go outside to take care of business and hubby was pretending to be sound asleep! So, I got out of my nice, warm comfy bed, took Orca out to the garage to let him out in the backyard, and to my amazement, it was snowing!!! This has only happened a couple of times to us, since our elevation is 14 feet about sea level! It was so beautiful watching the flakes float through the sky! It was melting as soon as it hit the ground, but that was fine for me! I ran back in the house, woke up Hubby and son, called my mom, who was also awake watching out her window, and then remembered the dog! I ran back to the garage, opened the door, he ran in, and on his beautiful , was a ton of snow flakes! He looked liked he just got done playing in the snow! Well, hubby and son were not amused at me nor Orca, so off to bed they went, while Orca and I watched through the big picture window in the living room. Orca went back to sleep, but I was way to excited. I tried to take a picture, but it would come out way to blurry! So, I decided to throw in the towel and go back to sleep also, dreaming of snow angels and snow ball fights. Sweet Dreams!!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!!!!!!

And the winner is...........................Gran!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wrote numbers on a piece of paper, had hubby pick one out of a bowl. Well, needless to say, I will not be mailing your prize to you, I will bring it to class next Monday's Knot-y Ladies. Thanks to everyone. I hope to have another giveaway for Valentine's Day! Have a wonderful Sunday, and remember, only 19 days left for Christmas, and for those in Canada, 20 days until Boxing Day!!

Friday, Day of Rest

I know that in the old days, when I was a mere child, that Sunday was always a day of rest, the stores, places of business were all closed. Those days are gone, sadly, but I chose to pretend that today, Friday was actually Sunday, a long time ago, and treated it as so, A Day of Rest. I did not life a finger, except to make a few cups of tea for myself, check my email, and pull an old quilt from the closet to put over me to take a nap, a very lo-o-o-ng nap, exactly a 4 hour nap. I woke up, in no apparent hurry to do anything, and just did nothing but daydream into space. About what? Oh, about all the stuff I should have been doing, but didn't do. I heard the clock chime 4 pm, and poof, up and at them George McAdams was I! Picked up the living room and family room, place fresh towels in the front bathroom, lit a candle, and ran to the freezer to see what I could fix for dinner. Spaghetti was on the menu, I had homemade sauce in the freezer, which was simple to thaw, threw in some meatballs, popped some garlic bread in the oven, tore open a bag of salad, and voila! I should have thrown some flour in my face for good measure, because when hubby walked in the door, he said that I must have been cleaning all day, and he thought I was going to be sewing all day, so that is why he did not call. Boy, do I have him fooled!! Hey, don't forget, tomorrow evening I will be drawing a name for my little giveaway, so don't forget to let me know if you are interested. I will post the winner on Sunday, sometime. The winner will need to email me their snail mail address so I can ship the goodies first thing Monday am. Have a great week-end! Remember, only 20 days left until Christmas!!!!

Procrastination

Sorry this is so late in posting. It is a pattern called Double Dip Quilts, with some fat quarters of 40s fabric, some muted shaded fabrics, and 2 FQ's of really pretty Christmas fabric I found in my travels, with some cute Christmas buttons. I am sure I will be adding a couple of more things, so I hope whoever wins it will enjoy it! Have a great Wednesday!

OMG!! Let's do a GIVEAWAY!!!!!

I just saw that this past week-end was my 100th blog! OMG, I cannot believe it! I am getting a giveaway together to celebrate. I will post a picture of the goodies tonight or tomorrow. So, since I am fairly new to the blog world, I will keep the rules simple. Just make a comment that you want to be entered. If you want to blog about it on your personal blog that is fine, but since this is my first giveaway, (hopefully not the last! ;-) ), I would like to keep it simple. Off to put the goodies together, check back tonight for a picture!! I will draw a name on Saturday, 12/5. Have a great 1st of December, and remember, only 24 days left until Christmas!!!

Well Worn Traveler

Boy, am I tired! Colleen and I headed out early, stopped at Starbucks for fuel, then up the hill. We first stopped at Cabin Fever, Patty Henderson and her hubby were putting up Christmas lights and the store was looking quite festive! She is getting more wool in, but it is a little pricey! Need to hit the thrift store! Then we walked around downtown Auburn. It was a beautiful day, cool and crisp and the wind was just starting to blow up there. We went to Auburn Needleworks, met the owner, Lori. She is a really sweet gal. She remembered us from our phone call! She has a great selection of thread, DMC, Anchor, silk, glitter and glitzy, ribbons, hand dyed, ect. After we dropped a few bucks there, we ventured into a scent shop and got some scent chips, that you burn with a tea candle and they are softly scented. We had a lot of fun in there. And on down the street to the Christmas store. I have seen this store for so many years and never stopped, so we did and we were sad to hear that they are going out of business! The owner said she will be officially closed after the first of the new year! A lot of great deals if you collect Dept 56, and tons of really cute ornaments, everything is buy one get one free! We were getting a little hungry, so we decided to head down the hill to Loomis to The Tin Thimble's new home at Highland Nursery. I happened to check their website before we left and found out there was a craft/art faire going on there this week-end, lucky us!! Highlands is an old packing house for produce that has been refurbished into an art gallery and nursery. The had beautiful crafts, lots of jewelry and one of a kind art. I love the new location of the shop, it is really airy and unique! Then we went to Beverly's, where everything was 30% off in the store, and I bought an embroidery book and some dress making paper, to transfer a pattern on some cranberry fabric for reversed red work. And finally we got to lunch at Denny's for burgers! Yummy!! We did stop off at Joann's, and I got a cutting turntable mat, which I have been wanting for a long time, and some new storage boxes for my wool work and embroidery floss. I am really tired! I think I may be coming down with a stomach bug now, which is not good!! Tomorrow is month end! I better go get some more rest, take care, have a good rest of your week-end!

On The Road Again!!

Yes, Kim and Gran are Thelma and Louise, then I guess me and Colleen are Lucy and Ethel!! We are on the road again, heading first to Starbucks, ( come on now, do you really think one can go anywhere with out stopping for fuel first??!!), and then up to Auburn to Auburn Needleworks, a stitching store that we have been dying to get to, and then of course to Cabin Fever Quilt store, and I would think by then, we would need to refuel, and head back down to The Tin Thimble, since they have moved into larger quarters, we need to check it out! And we also plan to stop at the Beverly's in Rocklin. Oh how I missed this store, this is probably the best Beverly's I have ever been in, and I so-o-o-o-o miss going in to browse and visit!! I am sure there will be a few unplanned stops along the way, but that is half of the fun, isn't it?? Yes, it is early, but I need to get ready for the big day, stretching and warming up so I don't pull a muscle getting in and out of the car, and reaching and bending down looking at everything!! It is quite windy here in Northern California today, suppose to be like that all day, and with us heading up the hill, I am sure it would be perfect adventure weather! Happy shopping to all!!!

Turkey Day

Well, the cornbread dressing is made and in the fridge, right next to the peeled and cubed potatoes, and gravy. Pecan and pumpkin pies are cooling on racks, and Tom Turkey is hoping for a pardon before 10 am!! The Ham and Cheese Potato dish for breakfast is put together in the fridge also, all I have to do is make the muffins, and the coffee is on a timer, so I am ready. Ready to enjoy my family, to enjoy the Cowboys beating the Raiders, (Come on now, do you really need to think!) and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here's wishing all a wonderful Holiday with many more to come! I hope you are enjoying it with family and friends. The holiday rush is about to start!

Lazy Week-end

This week-end, I did no sewing or stitching. My sore throat returned with a vengeance!! I sis a lot of sleeping, and got a little prep work done for Thanksgiving. I got all of the onions, celery and carrots diced up and ready to go for the cornbread stuffing. Tomorrow, I make the big pan of cornbread for the dressing, pies get made on Wednesday, sugar free pumpkin and a pecan pie. The bird is in the fridge trying to thaw out, and then Thursday, I can relax and watch some football and hopefully get some stitching done. My BFF Colleen just returned from Monterey, and had a wonderful but short time. I glad she got to go and take her mom. Her mom really enjoyed herself! I was teasing her daughter, Kylie, that she needed to kiss a sea otter! I don't know if she did or not, but Colleen did get a picture of a bunch of the otters out in the bay. I love the coast, especially in November. Tomorrow, is report day, hopefully it will go by fast! Have a good rest of your week-end, and here's wishing everyone a wonderful holiday week!!

The Little Bump Who Could

Have you ever felt like the train in the story, "The Little Train Who Could"? That is exactly how I felt today, I think I can, I think I can, make it to Friday!! No plans for this week-end, yeah, except, to visit one craft show for the Senior Citizen's Club here in Galt. My mom is manning the Bake Sale Table, which is not good! She will be their best customer!! Her shift is only for 2 hours, which she will enjoy so much, then she asked me to come up and walk the sale with her, and she might even splurge and buy me lunch! I was never one to give up a free meal! Then back home to do some much needed stitching and sewing. Sunday, is football and stitching, although, hubby wants to hit the supermarket to get any last minute items for Thanksgiving, so I will need to check the schedule to see what time my Cowboys are playing and then I, I mean, we'll decide! Work is work, I enjoy my clients, but feel their pain, no one is buying cars right now. I have to be encouraging to them, so I also need to do some baking to take them some cookies to cheer them up! I have some really nice clients, and I am really lucky, because I could have had the opposite, and that is no fun!! Need to go finish dinner, baked chicken, sour cream mash potatoes, steamed broccoli and pumpkin surprise for dessert. Here's wishing everyone that Friday gets here FAST!!

Comings and Goings On

This week had not started out as one might have hoped. My job, although very grateful to have one, does get my hair in a dander sometimes. This past Monday was no different. We are getting bombarded with reports, reports and more reports, on top of our normal reports that are due every Monday, which is very frustrating, which causes the stress. Well, this past Monday, I fought back, nothing and no one was keeping me away from my Knot-y Ladies class. I missed last month because of work, but no more, not now, not ever!!! My BFF Colleen and I met up in Elk Grove and off we were to BP&HH. I was telling her about all of the new patterns that Lindy had, so we got there early so she could check things out. Class was a blast, as usual, and Gran was in fine style, she taught us a couple of new stitches, the Chain Stitch and the Feather Stitch. I really enjoyed practicing both of them, that when I got home, I continued my practicing for an hour or so. I even amaze myself sometimes! It's nice to be learning new stitches instead of using the same stitch over and over again in all I do. I am really enjoying my embroidery, and I am very thankful for Gran, and her knowledge and patience she shows to me! I need to get some sleep, I am off and running early tomorrow for an early meeting with a client in Modesto, and if we do get the rain that is predicted tonight, the roads will not be fun tomorrow, so I need to leave earlier than I normally do. Thanks for stopping by, sweet dreams to all!!

Confession Time

Ok, so I didn't sew on Wednesday like I had planned and wanted to, instead what did I do instead, slept! I am tired of fighting my body for sleep, so I just gave in. I am sure this will not last, I have gotten used to only 4-5 hours of sleep a night for almost 1 1/2-2 years now. I did wake up long enough to have 2 cups of yummy Typhoo tea, my fav, and a scone I had bought the day before as a treat for Wednesday and a little motivation. Oh well, I am feeling much, much better, and I am sewing tonight. Tomorrow I will be playing at BP& HH, so if you are in the neighborhood, stop on by and say hi! Sunday, well, my boys, (Hubby and son) are treating me to an exciting day at the Car Show, (Hold down the cheering gals!!) but if I am patient and not too grumpy, dinner at Olive Garden, so I am pretty sure I can behave long enough for dinner!! The weather is getting so much cooler, I had to stop at Starbucks today twice for a warmup!! I also made a stop at one of my favorite quilt stores, Ladybug's Quilts in Manteca. Jen wasn't in, but she had a new Bird Brain design, Christmas Tea Towels, that I just had to have! So, of course I had to call my BFF-Colleen, to tell her, and I got her voice mail, so I just left a message. Well, she called back, and guess where she and her mom was, Ladybug Quilts!! And she also saw the new pattern and made a comment to the gal in the shop who said, that another lady was just in and was excited about this new pattern also, and yep, it was me!!! I swear, she and I do this all of the time, it is so freaky! I think between Colleen and myself, we have almost every Bird Brain pattern there is, or pretty close to it. Have a great Friday and an even more wonderful week-end!!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Yep, I am rollin', rollin' rollin'! I have cut out and ready to sew 4, thats FOUR more sets of placemats and double sided napkins for Christmas gifts. I plan to sew them up tomorrow, Veteran's Day, since I am off, and the weather is expected to be cool, with a chance of showers. The only thing I did not cut was the batting, so I am keeping my fingers cross that I have enough. Each set has 4 except for 1 set that has 6. Then I will be done for hubby's side of the family and I can start on my side and a couple of goodies I am making for some special friends. I promise to take a picture of the finished project to post to show everyone that they are so simple and easy to make, even a cavewoman can do it! ;-) Have a wonderful Veteran's Day, and to all of the Vets and currently enlisted people out there, thank you, because of you, I can sleep at night knowing that you have my back! And for that I thank you!!

Hey, I Finished a Project!!!

Yep, the title says it all, I actually finished a project. I completed 1 Christmas present for my brother in law's family. I just know his 2 sons will love the print on the fabric. The pattern is from Kim Power's, it's one of the patterns she gave us in her class. And guess what folks, I actually found my camera and took a picture, so step back, hold onto your seats, here you go!! Keep checking back for future projects completed with pictures posted, I am on a roll!!!

Beautiful Sunday

Wow, has the week-end just flown by. Yesterday, I was lucky to be able to attend Kim's Kristmas Klass at BP & HH. What a blast we had! I did complete one of her projects she gave us today. I need to find my camera to take a picture to show you. I am very proud of myself. Kim has such great ideas, she is so creative, and hey, she feeds us good!! Thankfully, Lindy cornered her and got her to commit to teaching a couple of more classes, in Feb. and May I believe. You can check out Kim's blog for more info. She isn't sure what projects she will be teaching, but whatever it is, you can be sure you will have a blast and be fed very well. I need to go, I have a very busy Monday waiting for me at work, especially since I have been off most of last week. Here's wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Just a Couple of Thoughts

I was able to catch up some blogs and found some that had a wonderful story to tell. I thought about what I had read and thought how lucky I am. I have a wonderful hubby and son. A roof over our head, food in the fridge and hubby and I are both employed. Yes we have bills, and yes we have some down time when we think things and times cannot get any worse, but we are so lucky for what we have. I am making it a goal of my mine to try to think more positive first before being negative. Think of how lucky I am and be grateful for not being in a worse position. I am not preaching to all of you bloggers, but I feel if I say it out loud to my friends, then I have to follow through, and I want to follow through with this. Hugs to all!

Ugh!!!

Well, the flu bug it our household, and I am the second victim! My poor son got it the day after the big storm hit No Cal. I received it last Monday night, with a vengeance! I went to the doctor on Tuesday, who loaded me on up antibiotics, and other meds to kick it. Well, it kicked me. It seemed like I was getting worse, not better. So, I called my doctor again, who assured me that I would be feeling better by the week-end and to get plenty of rest. Well, I haven't been out of my pj since Tuesday! I don't feel that much better, but I am hoping that a nice hot, soapy shower and clean pjs not to mention clean sheets will do the trick. I have Kim's Kristmas Klass tomorrow at BP & HH, and I do not want to miss that at all. I may not stay the hold time, but I will crawl there if I have too!! I hope everyone out there is taking care of themselves, as I do not wish this on anyone! Take care!!

Time Change

Well Saturday was the time change for us in California, and I think the rest of the US also. I get the "Fall Back, Spring Forward" thing, but I wish someone would tell my tummy!! I no sooner get up, it thinks its lunch time, but I haven't had breakfast or at least my morning cup of coffee yet. Then, when I have lunch, wham, its time for dinner. I am not sure I will get use to this. Yesterday, I kept wanting to take naps, I was so-o-o-o tired, today, no naps, trying to stay off the caffeine so I can sleep. At least I got some stitching done. I put away all of the Halloween decorations yesterday, and put out the Thanksgiving decor. I just don't get it, why do the stores pass over Thanksgiving so fast? You can leave the decorations up longer, so the consumer might be inclined to spend a little more to get more use out of them, I'm just saying, at least that is how I think. Since Mondays I get to work out of my home, due to the reports that are due on Monday, I was able to enjoy a very nice cup of tea late this afternoon on the patio, enjoying the beautiful fall weather, watching Orca being silly on the grass. He would roll on his back and act like he is riding a bike in the air!! He is such a goof ball. His winter coat is starting to come in, so he is extra fluffy and furry. And I got a chance just to relax and enjoy the outdoors for a few minutes, until hubby called to see what is for dinner!! I told him leftovers, I wasn't hungry! I felt a little guilty, so I threw some large potatoes in the oven to bake, I made a hug pot of hamburger soup yesterday, navy bean and ham soup Saturday, so there was plenty of soup leftover, and he can always heat up some chili to put on top of his tator! Hmmm, that sounds good, off to heat up some chili!! Take care!

Hello My Friends Hello

Yes it has been a while. My friend Jackie reminded me this morning at BP&HH, I told her I have had computer problems, plus work has just been plain crazy. Speaking of plain crazy, that is how I would describe my day at BP. We had 4 classes on the schedule today, and people are in buying the supplies for Christmas presents, and we have a ton of new fabrics and patterns. I haven't been there for almost 6 weeks! It felt like 6 months! Lindy gave me a book to borrow to make a shop sample of embroidery, it is reverse redwork. I can't wait to start on it. I am tracing the pattern out tonight. I hope to start on it tomorrow while I watch the Cowboys play. Hubby and I are heading out to the pumpkin patch in Sloughhouse, to get our supply of pumpkins. Hubby's favorite holiday is Halloween, and he does several of them. This year I have talked him into doing a couple like houses. I saw this on Martha Stewart's show, and they are so cute. We just got back from a 10 day trip to Southern California/San Diego to visit my in laws and spends a couple of relaxing days at San Diego. We did enjoy ourselves, we had beautiful weather, compared to the storm at home. Our son was home with the dog, and we were very lucky we did not have any major damage. We lost 2 trees and a fence, and Orca's condo, (AKA shed) received roof damage when the tree limb fell on top of it, causing a leak. Quick thinking son grabbed and ripped opened a trash liner and taped it up with duc tape, and voila, roof leak fixed! Now son has a really bad chest cold, spent 3 days in bed with a fever, and trying to recoup for work, since he has no sick pay. He seems to be doing better. I better go, I need to soak in a hot tub with lots of bubbles to recoup from today and catch up on some tv. Have a wonderful week-end!

Busy Week-end

Sorry for not posting sooner, but I had one busy week-end! Saturday, I had a class at BP&HH, Penny Rug class. There is a picture posted on Gran's website, http://web.me.com/knot_yembroiderylady, it is a block of the month, but we are doing it quarterly. We got the cutest stand to hand the Welcome Flag/base, and then we make smaller ones that attached to the Welcome flag for all of the different holidays. Gretchen and Lindy are both teaching it, and they are wonderful. I really enjoy working with the wool. Sunday, well, was the Annual Street Faire in downtown Lodi, so Colleen and I headed over, or should I say walked over. She lives just a couple of blocks from downtown, so I parked at her place and we walked, and walked, and walked and walked. I did not mind, since it was beautiful Fall weather, cool, breezy and sunny!! They do this twice a year, the first Sunday in May and October. I have only gone in October, and they have 2 streets, 5-6 blocks long, one with new crafts, ect., and the other street is old, used, vintage antiques/junk. Needless to say, we only made it to the latter, but that was fine with us both. We have such similar tastes, we both love vintage lines, quilts and embroidery. I do collect the old Welch's grape jelly jars that have the Flintstones on them, so I always look for those, and I found 3 more to add to my collection, along with an old wicker picnic basket to carry my embroidery to class, and vintage embroidery pillow cases, with a fall theme, leaves and acorns, and a vintage doll quilt with embroidery and quilted patchwork. So I say I had a superb day!! I will try to get pictures to post. Have a wonderful Monday everyone!

Why Me Lord???

This is what I said to myself when I was told that I need a new timing belt replaced on my car. Why, I don't know, but I really should consider myself very lucky considering all of the driving I do, and how good my car has been. For 148K miles, 2005 Honda Accord, I am very lucky. My car is maintained flawlessly by hubby and son, and for that, I am extremely grateful. I will have to take a couple of days off from work due to this issue, (Oh Darn!!). I have started my 2nd block from Hocuspocusville, the Quilt Store, and for being the largest and most detailed block, it is going surprisingly fast. I need to buy batteries for my camera to take pictures to show everyone. I am sure that it is because of my talented, knowledgeable and patient teacher, Gran!!! As for the weather, who could ask for such beautiful and cool fall weather for Northern California. We even got a dusting of snow in the higher elevations!! I hope it is a sign of things to come in the future! Well, I need to go and contact my boss about tomorrow and Friday. Take care everyone. Happy Stitching!!

Fall is in the air, I hope!!

Wow, today was beautiful and cool, nice cool delta breeze. I hope it stick around!! Today, my work laptop was still on the fritz, so I went and made some client visits, and came home and it works for now. We shall see tomorrow, it may be a whole different story then. Today, my Cowboys are playing, so that means, no cooking for me!! I picked up a pizza at Papa Murphy's for dinner, and I sat on the sofa and stitch, stitch, stitch while I watch my Cowboys win!! Tomorrow, out in the field. The weather is suppose to stay cooler, so it will be nice weather. I need to get some batteries for my camera so I can take pictures of the patterns I bought last week in San Mateo. Well, off to put my feet up and stitch some more while I watch Ken Burn's film on our National Parks. Last night it was really interesting and I learned a lot that I didn't know, so that is always a good thing! Have a cool evening!!

Bummer Saturday

Well, bad news, Elegant Stitches was closed, they are on their way to Quilt Market I think. At least, we had the sense to check their website before venturing down to Modesto. What did we do instead? Well, Colleen's daughter had a friend spend the night, so she was going to clean house and stitch. As for myself, I helped hubby trim the tree branches, getting ready for winter, and to make room for decorating for Halloween. It is my husband's favorite holiday. After cutting limbs and branches down, my limbs and branches were sore!! So I took a soak in the tub, and relaxed the rest of the day on the sofa and did what, but stitch, stitch and stitch!! It felt so good and I did get a lot done. I also fixed an autumns dinner, roast chicken, rice and green beans, which I later found out my friend Kim made also, except she made mashed potatoes instead of rice. My arms were too sore! Today, Sunday, hubby made breakfast, which is what he does every Sunday, and he does a good job I must say and I clean up. We are enjoying the football season that has started, which is good for me, because it motivates me to get my housekeeping chores done so I can watch also! I also get a lot of stitching done. I am going through my Australian Magazines to see what stitching projects I have marked and I am tracing them out so they are ready to go! Hubby will barb-b-que as usual, which I like. Clean up is a snap. Here's wishing everyone a relaxing Sunday, and remember, to take time to smell the roses! We deserve it!!

What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been!!

Hello again, and I want to say I have missed each and everyone of you! Our computer caught a really nasty virus and had to be sent to the hospital to be taken care, and just got released today!! I have a friend in our IT department at my corporate office that is a really good surgeon, so I picked our laptop up, and of course, I had to stop by BP&HH. I got to in visit with Gran and Lindy and Judy. I haven't seen Lindy in quite awhile, so it was good to catch up with her. I also bought the same panel that Kim showed on her blog. I am going to put it together real quick and hang it in our front window. I also bought some more dishtowels to embroider with Autumn motifs to take to my mother in law in a couple of weeks on our vacation. I had not reported back on the trip to San Mateo for Quilts/Crafts and Embroidery. Colleen and I had a blast! We are so in sync with each other, it is really scary!! We walked up and down, no pictures, or cameras were allowed, and spent a really long time at Bird Brain Designs booth. Those gals are so nice and sweet. They sent Colleen 2 free tickets for us to go there, so we have to repay the favor and drop some cash at their booth. We got a bunch of their cute patterns, muslin and goodies. I will take a picture and post it for you to see. We were trying not to buy the same patterns, but it was so-o-o-o-o hard to stay with in my budget. Hubby gave me some cash, and told me that's it, when its gone, it is gone. But that is a good thing, that way I still have money saved for vacation and all of the quilt store down in San Diego area I can explore and help the economy grow!!! We also stopped at Always Quilting store, after we found it, it was not the easiest place to find, but we did. We were laughing so hard, arguing who was Lucy and who was Ethel!! I think that saying is "The blind leading the blind" came to mind!!! Oh well, tomorrow, we are going to Modesto to Elegant Stitch for speciality threads for our embroidery projects. Have a great Friday!!

Back to Work

Today, was a busy day, like most for me, I had a checkup with my dentist, (he has really soft hands!), and lots of dealer visits to make. I wasn't feeling up to par, so I came home early but continued to work. Tomorrow, I will be going to the San Mateo Quilt and Craft show with Colleen, so I need to be up to snuff, as my grandma used to say, or maybe that is what she dipped!! My mom came over and I made her lunch and we just chatted and caught up with each other. I do talk to her everyday, sometimes twice, just to check on her and make sure she is eating and taking her meds, (she is a diabetic, but loves her carbs and sweets!). She had a check up yesterday with her doctor and she was pretty evasive with me about the outcome, so I had to drag it out of her today. It's good for her to get up, get ready everyday like she has to go to the store or do errends, otherwise, she just lies on her sofa and that's it. Her spirits seem to better when she does get up and going, so I really try to encourage her. I can't wait until tomorrow, we are going t have a blast! We are also going to do our own little shop hop, so both of us have been goggling quilt and embroidery/needlecraft stores to explore! I already have hubby's dinner in the fridge, leftovers from tonight, homemade spagehetti sauce and pasta. I was feeling energetic, what can I say? I have fresh batteries in my camera so I am ready to take lots of pictures to share, so please check back. Ta tah!!

I am Back!!!

I know it has been a long time since I have blogged, but for those you know me, know that when my job is busy, everything must come to a halt, and I only concentrate on my job. Now that the Cash for Clunkers program is over, it has slowed down considerably. So much, that I was able to attend to my civic duties...otherwise known as JURY DUTY. Oh, I felt like I was one of the chosen!! I actually ran into Julia there, and she was picked in the very first jury pool. I had to sit around the jury room, watch movies and stitched! I know, poor me, but I sure didn't mind. No men to deal with, (I am not being sexist, but I deal with men in the financed dept at car dealerships, enough said!), no phone to answer, drinking ice teas from Starbucks, in a cool room was somewhat delightful for me. It only lasted until 3 pm at which time I was put in a jury pool, that had to return on Tuesday, and as luck would have it, I was dismissed at noon. I am free from jury duty for another 18 months. I will miss the extra time I had to stitch. C'est la vie! This week-end, my friend Colleen and I will be attending a craft show in San Mateo, and BirdBrain Designs will be there, so we are both pretty excited. Also, Tracy Souza of Plumcute Designs will be there. It will be good to see her again. She is having a trunk show at PB&HH right now. She has some really cute things. I picked up a couple of really cute patterns at Ladybugs Quilt in Manteca. Jennifer, the store owner has really been working hard, and her hard work is paying off. Her store is changing all of the time. She always has a new quilt or handwork on display every time I go in there. If you ever get down to Manteca, it is a must see. Well, I better go and get some stitching down, so I have something for show and tell at Monday's Knoty Ladies class, or you know I will be in big trouble with Gran!! J/K!! Oh, go to Gran's website, http://web.me.com/knot_yembroiderylady, she has a new project completed and it is so cute!! She is also teaching a new class at BP so check it out! Also, Kim is having a class in November at BP, Kim's Kristmas Klass, which should be a blast, so check it out also. Thanks for your patience and hope you stop by again soon!

A Little Hiatis

Due to the nature of my job, and the increase in business, I will be taking a break from blogging, mainly because I am exhausted. I don't mind the hard work and long hours, its just I am getting older and crankier! Keep checking back, I will be having a drawing in the next couple of weeks, I promise!

I Love the Week-End!!!

Well today is a great day, I am working at BP&HH today. I got there and right from the start I knew it was going to be a busy day! I love it when it is busy. I get to meet and help the nicest people, get to play with fabric, and oh yes, I get to DUST! I just need to remember to do my yoga exercises before I start to dust! Lindy got in some beautiful fall fabric, and 1 bolt of Turkey fabric. Well, Lindy, Julie and I all just had to get 2 yards of it to make napkins for Thanksgiving! It is too cute! I also bought some other Autumn fabric to make napkins out of. We are trying to be more green friendly here in the Bump Household! When I got home, hubby made Chicken Parm and pasta, garlic bread and salad. Yummy! It was good, so I did not mind to do the clean up. He didn't make a big mess so I was really thankful. Tomorrow, we go to San Francisco, to Pac Bell Park. We have a meeting with SF Giants baseball organization and them getting more involved with youth baseball, and they picked Northern California Cal Ripken, and hubby is the State Commissioner. I can't wait. We both love baseball and the we haven't attended a game there this year, so we are pretty excited. I am going to get some stitching done, so good night and have a great Sunday!

Another Busy Day!

Another busy day, so I am going to bed. I hope to have something exciting to write about this week-end. I am working at BP&HH tomorrow, so that will be fun! Let it be known, I am grateful that business is good! Please do not take my whinning the wrong way, I am just tired and grouchy! :-)

Thursday is gone!

I am really tired today, a really long day, almost another 12 hours, so no blog post. Sweet dreams to all!

Much Better Day

Well, today wasn't too bad. I think that the full moon is almost over. I got work taken care of, and when I got home , I had 1 hour and 15 minutes to spare before I had to pick up my BFF up for Jo's tonight at BP&HH. I told her I would bring dinner, so I fixed a Chinese Chicken Salad, and what else goes with that, but freshly made cookies, Snickerdoodles, my fav! Oh, they tasted so good. It has been awhile since I made some. I made a double batch so I could make more later when I have time. They are also my son's favorite! I surprised Kim at Jo's tonight with the cookies. She always teases me about bringing cookies to Jo's, well, Lindy also brought some Linzer cookies and Julie brought little round tubes of Mini M&M's, but they are for storing our bobbins, not just to eat!(A girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do!) That Julie is so thoughtful! One lady shared some beautiful embroidery she is doing in Gran's Tuesday morning class. It was breathtaking! I was really tired, so I dropped off my BFF and drove home, where I stitched for 30 minutes and now I am off to sweet slumber!

Turbolent Tuesday

Yep, I think the name says it all. It is a full moon, one would have thought I would have taken the hint, but no, and today was a doosey! 12 hour, 2 Excedrin,non stop day! I finally finished at 8:44 pm, hubby asked if I was working on reports all night. I finally turned my work phone off, at 9:20 pm, thank goodness the battery was dead, because new I was! I have a feeling it is going to be like this, due to the Cash for Clunkers program. It is a good program, it is helping out the car industry, which I am involved in, and where my paycheck comes from, but I really do not think anyone was prepared for the response. I did get some stitching done, which helps me relax and unwind. Tomorrow I am heading down to Manteca, Modesto, Turlock, and Stockton. Very busy day, and I need to head home since I have Jo's tomorrow evening. I haven't even kept up with my Jo's class, but I plan to. I need to pin and quilt a couple of table runners I made at Quilt camp, one is a Christmas present and the other is for Halloween for me, so I need to get on the ball. I am falling asleep as I write this, so good night!

Week-end Adventure

Saturday, my friend Colleen and I were going to get together to do some embroidery, well, that didn't work out. Instead, we went on a field trip. I had received an email from the Tin Thimble, announcing that they were having a sidewalk sale this week-end. This store is known for vintage linens, fabrics, patterns, trims and such. Well, Colleen and I both love vintage linens, so off we go, along with her daughter, Kiley, 9 yrs old. It was a very warm day in the foothills, but it was well worth the trip. I just love the smell of old lines, I can't explain it. Then we headed on up the hill, to Cabin Fever Quilt Shop. Patty Henderson, (owner) was there, helping a customer out with colors and patterns for a particular quilt. Colleen really enjoyed seeing the shop. Then across the street to Auburn Drug store we went. They have an old fashion soda fountain, so naturally we had to get an ice cream sundae, by was it good! We also found a used book store and an embroidery store, but they were closed, so we enjoyed looking in the book store. Home was on the menu after that, I was tired! But I had a wonderful day with a good friend and her daughter. Sunday, hubby and I went out to breakfast then off to the Pro Bass Shop in Manteca, for 2 hours of exploring all kinds of neat stuff. Grocery shopping rounded out the day with a full night of working on my Hocuspocusville Block. Monday, was back to the grindstone with work. I am going to try to get some stitching in tonight before I go to bed. It is a full moon here, and I am feeling the effects of it!! Sweet Dreams!

Girl's Night Out

Yes folks, tonight was a dangerous night for people in the Sacramento regional. 4 unruly middle age quilters were on the loose for a night on the town, dinner and movie, (chick flick), and boy did we have a blast! We first met at BP&HH, (See Gran's website for our group photo, my camera was acting up), then off to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, where we feast on their Chopped Salad, and a side of Garlic/Cheese Foccacia Bread. Oh me, oh my, I was in heaven, of course due to the great company I was keeping, Gran, Kim and my BFF. Then off to the movies to see...........................The Ugly Truth. We laughed so-o-o hard, and really enjoyed the movie. It was very well written, (My BFF's opinion and I will share it!). Gran was a sweetie and gave us all a jar of her homemade cauliflower relish. Perfect, because we are having hotdogs Saturday night, so I can't wait to top my hot dog with it! I also posted a picture of the finished wool project of the month at BP&HH, a wool pouch, that I made. It was so easy and quick, approx. 2 1/2 hrs tops, and I think it turned out very cute! There is a limited number of kits so hurry! Anyway, off to slumber about Gerard Butler, and also of the great time I had with my buddies. Thank you all, you are the best!!!!

What a Thursday!

I had to go to Modesto for work today, and then run by Elk Grove and pick up some contracts from a client. That meant I had to go to my corporate office, which is only 5 minutes away from BP&HH, so I called my BFF, she was getting her haircut. Oh well, so much for me stopping by her house, so I went and dropped off the contracts, then I went by BP&HH. Guess who was there, but my BFF!! She was cutting up fabric to do a shop sample. We started laughing, because 5 minutes earlier she had just asked Lindy if I had been by. She knows if I have to go to the office, there's a 99.99% chance I will stop by. Well, she was right, so after I admired her cute haircut, then who by chance walks in, but Gran! We all started laughing again. Gran was looking for background fabric for her Hocuspocusville blocks, and I was just looking at all the new fabric that came in. I haven't been feeling well, some stomach thing, and my BFF asked if I had eaten, no I hadn't, so off to Panera, so I can get some soup, Bake Potato, which tasted so-o-o-o good! Then we went back to her house to look at the fabric she chose for A Frightful Halloween class that Kim is teaching and to pick up a loaf of homemade zucchini bread she made for my family. She is so thoughtful! Hubby and son went out for Mexican, (UGH! Did not sound good to me!) I started stitching on one of my Hocuspocusville blocks and also sewed the snap on my August wool project for Lindy. I am pretty tired, so I think I will get some sleep and get ready for our girl's night out tomorrow. Sweet dreams!

Keep Counting, Kim!

16 more days...Kim and Gran, you will have to keep on guessing, because these lips are sealed!!!!

Guess What????

In 18 days, big annoucement!! Stay tune!

Another Monday

Well, today started out terrible, my work laptop was not working, my boss called to educated me in the fact that I should have notified her it was not working, (her best friend, my coworker tipped her off on that one), which really confused me. If she knew that our laptops were not working, then why is it my fault??!! So, at I cleaned up, and headed down to Stockton and Lodi. I got home and guess what, my laptop was working. Seems that there was an internal problem that they were able to correct. So after working a few extra hours tonight, I decided enough is enough. I started making the shop sample for the August Wool Project for BP. I completed it in 2 hours. It was so-o-o-o easy, and it turned out so cute. Only thing, I am not able to show it to you until August 1st, but I will post a picture then. Now, I can start on one of my Hocuspocusville blocks. Hummm, I wonder which one to start on first....maybe the Quilt Shop Block. You will have to wait to find out, until then, take care!!

New Week, New Attitude!

Sorry I haven't posted anything for the last few days. My job has been very busy, which is a VERY GOOD THING,! I have been quite tired, so when I get home, I take care of home stuff and veg, meaning, falling asleep on the couch! (No Kim, not like Al Bundy!) I did go visit the Abraham Lincoln exhibit at the California Museum of Arts with my BFF. There was actually papers that Lincoln wrote in his own hand writing, it just really blew me away. Not to mention the maps that they drew and the details they had on there. If you are able to see this exhibit, please go see it. It is well worth the time and little money it cost. The name is "With Malice Towards None, The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition" present by The Library of Congress. Of course, we had to finish the day with a drink at Starbucks, in Kim's honor! I worked at BP & HH Saturday, and we were busy, which I prefer. I met some new customers, as well as the regulars. On Sunday, my friend, Colleen and her daughter, Kiley came over for lunch and to go through our patterns we have amassed for embroidery and such. We also traced out a couple of the blocks for Hocuspocusville. We both picked out 2 of the same blocks. We had a really good time, but the winner here is Orca, my dog. Kiley had a blast playing with him and also fed him 2 Popsicles. SHe has never seen a dog eat them before. He felt like Prince of the day with all of the attention and love she gave him. We are looking to get together again real soon! Well, off to work on the August wool project of the month for the shop. There are 11 kits, and it is a really darling project, so check back, I will post a picture when I complete it this week. Hopefully by Wednesday. Have a great Monday!

Knot-y Ladies Night

Yes, its true, if this is the 3rd Monday evening of the month, then it must be Knot-y Ladies night. It was good to see the gals, its seems like forever since I saw them last. Kim was working on something, but I was sworn to secrecy, so mum is the word! But somebody is going to be very, very lucky and pleased in one of her classes! We went over our French Knots and corner stitches. Gran made us practice, but first, she made us do Embroidery Yoga, 2 different exercises, and one of the ladies heard a pop, but we saw no weasel! Then it was down to business. Practice, practice and more practice. We also had show & tell, which I always enjoy seeing every one's creativity! Wendy is almost done with her Garden Angel, quite a few of us brought our completed tea towel. Carolyn used blue floss, to match the blue stripe on her towel, and it turned out beautiful! I had quite a few items to share, but only because I took my stitching with me to the ball games, so I was able to stitch and watch the game at the same time. I did finish a Christmas present tonight for my step mom. I embroidered a rooster in Red floss for her, and I will be putting it in a frame for her to hang in her kitchen. She collects roosters, and its hard to find ones to fit in her kitchen. I think she will be pleased. Anyway, my eyes are very tired, so its off to dream land! Take care!

Is This Heat Ever Going to Stop??

I sure hope so! I am really getting grouchy due to the heat! One good thing though, I was able to work on a couple of embroidery projects and wool projects. I will take pictures tomorrow. It's too late for my eyes! Speaking of tomorrow, tomorrow night is Knot-y Ladies night! I can't wait to see Gran and Kim. My son's girlfriend came down for a couple of days with us. It has been awhile. She decided she wanted to bake cookies tonight, at 9 pm! Hubby said go for it, and she did. Then she cleaned up and went to bed. I guess that wore her out! I am hoping the heat will die down a bit, but from the sound of the weather people, I don't think so. My blogging friend, Anna, who lives up in Edmondton has a beautiful picture she took last night of some sheet lightening from a storm they had last night. Her blog is Quiltmom's Journey. Check it out! She has a wonderful way with writing and words. It's getting late, my eyes are almost shut, so off to bed I go. Sweet dreams everyone!

Saturday's Adventure

Well, today was the big day. Off to Oakland for the last of the state tournament and to visit Needle in the Haystack in Alameda. I dropped hubby off at the ball park, and I hit the road, down through the Webster Tube to Alameda, which is an island in SF Bay. It is a beautiful community, very diverse and eclectic, and the people are so very friendly! I found the store with no problems, parking was tight, due to the Saturday Farmer's Market right around the corner, but the embroidery fairy must have been looking out for me and took pity, for I found a spot to park on the street, 1/2 block away, with time left on the parking meter, 13 minutes left, so I dug for a quarter, and as luck had it, (or hubby planned it), I only had 1, so I put it in, and 42 minutes was my allotted time. The store is very bright and cheery, the help very helpful and friendly. I asked if I may take some pictures, and they said it was find, as long as I was mindful of copyright laws. I explained to her I was only taking shots to show the layout of the store for my blog and also to show what all kinds of stuff they had, and she said that was fine. They are mainly a cross stitching store, and in my opinion, expensive, but that I am finding out is the norm for stitching stores. I bought a little caddy for my embroidery, a transfer pattern by Sublime Stitching, and of course some floss. This would definitely be a great Saturday outing with the girls, lots of exploring to be done! I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week-end!

I Think We'll Make It!

Today is Friday, the day of perpetual hope! Only 1 game left and tournament season for me will be over and out, 10/40 good buddy, roger day! I am very excited about tomorrow and my adventures at Needle in the Haystack field trip. I will try to take pictures if it is ok with the shop. Until then, good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!

Boring Thursday

Today was a boring day for me, same old thing, work, driving in the heat, Starbucks, and baseball. I started embroidery a flour sack towel with a coffee theme for my bosses birthday which is Monday. From the look of things, I should have no problem completing it, since its now almost 1 am and I am fully wide awake and don't anticipate getting sleepy in the next hour or so. Anyway, tomorrow is the last ball game for the 12 year olds, and the official last game is Saturday, at noon in Oakland, which I will be attending. But I have another motive why, there is a shop in Alameda called "Needle in the Haysack", and you guess it, it is needlework and embroidery. Well, since we will get to Oakland a couple of hours prior to start time, I am planning on dropping hubby off at the field, and heading over to this shop to explore and get prepared for a future field trip with Gran, Colleen and hopefully Kim. I plan on taking my trusty green, funky camera to get pictures of this place and they do have a web site, www.needleinthehaystack.com. Check it out. I cannot wait. Have a great evening, or should I say, a great Friday!

Warm Wednesday

Boy was it hot today in Sactown! 106 I had heard on the radio. I had class tonight at BP&HH, Clues in Calico. My BFF made me dinner tonight before class, and boy she did a great and yummy job! She made chicken fajitas, spanish rice and a delicious berry smoothie. Then we went over some fabrics I had brought over to use in Kim's class next month, Frightfully Crazy. We are both making "If The Hat Fits". Then off to class. Lindy's granddaughter Chloe was there, and boy has she gotten taller. Got to visit with Kim, it seems like years since I had seen her. I took some pictures from class "Show & Tell". There are some very talented women in that class. There's even a picture of Kim holding up her Clues in Calico quilt. It was a great night. Thanks for stopping by, hope all goes well for everyone!

Terrific Tuesday

Yes, today is going to be Terrific! I just know it. It may hit a 100 degrees today, but that won't matter. I have only 4 days left until tournament season is over for me, so the countdown is on! My friend Colleen called me last night after her first Knot-y ladies class with Gran. She was so-o-o excited, and I can't wait until she can join us in September! But, I knew she would love the class, but most importantly, just fall in love with Gran. Who wouldn't? For those of you who know Gran, you know what we are talking about. For those who don't, here is her NEW website, http://web.me.com/knot_yembroiderylady. Check it out. She even has a photo of her machine quilting and the most adorable grand kids that she is very proud of! I also need to make a shout out to Kim, of Kim's Big Quilting Adventure blog. For those of you who follow, we are addicted to her blog! She writes with great humor, (tongue in cheek and VERY dry!), but she also says the things that we think and sometimes just don't say but wished we did. With that being said, yesterdays blog, Stuff I Cannot Say, seemed to hit a nerve in some readers. As I read the comments, some of them upset me to the point I had to close her blog. I was afraid I was going to write something in my comment that I shouldn't and I didn't feel that was fair to Kim, since after all, it is her blog. The comment would have been directed at those who leaving their own comments/take on what Kim had said. I knew what she was saying, she was not berating her husband, she was just saying what a lot of us feel. But, this is American, and we are all entitled to free speech, so that is it. If you haven't read these blogs/websites, please do! They are real ladies in this real world of ours! And yes, they are both TERRIFIC!!! Here's to your TERRIFIC Tuesday!

Almost to the End

Yep, I am almost to the end of the last baseball tournament. The weather this weekend I have to say was beautiful, but being outside for 12 hours+, 2 days in a row, 1 1/2 bottles of sunscreen, I am a little burned out. (Not sunburned, just really tired). Just heard the weather report for the week, we are heading back into the 100's, which is not good for some of the teams,since they are from the Bay Area, so anything over 70 is a heatwave for them. I want to apologize for not getting any new pictures posted, but you pretty much know why. I will try this week. Hey, do you remember me mentioning a couple of months back about reconnecting with a cousin of mine? Well, his daughter, Alexis has contacted me and we have been chatting via Facebook. Yes, I am on there, and I have a lot more pictures on there of family and Quilt Camp, and such. I also have reconnected with his sister, Kim, whom while growing up, we were joined at the hip. So, that has been really a good thing to catch up on our lives. I hope all stay cool and have a great week.

This is the End!

Yes, today, Saturday is going to be great! I can feel it in my old, creaky and sore bones! The sun will be shining, the sky will be blue, the clouds will be fluffy and the birds will be singing so sweetly! Yes, it will be a fine day! Why? Because, today is the first day of the last baseball tournament!! Yippy, skippy, I will be free! Free to quilt, free to visit my buddies and go to my classes to see my buddies. Free to do what I want to do. Not that I have been idle, no, not me! I have done some handwork, I just need to find my camera. I think it is under my car seat, (don't ask!!). Yesterday, being Friday, means I was in the office, again, trying to help them process and get caught up. I was feeling a bit low, so what does a gal do when she is feeling down and out? Well, she goes to her favorite quilt shop, which is BP&HH. Thank God, it is only a couple of blocks from my main office. Lindy, BFF and Gran were working. And man, were they busy! Lindy was telling me the book I had mentioned a couple of days ago in my blog, "A Month of Pennies", she had 2 copies left, just sold out that day. She will be getting more. I saw a couple of her shop samples of the wool applique, and I let her know that I was doing the embroidery, so I will be bringing them in for shop samples. Gran showed me all of the new embroidery patterns Lindy got today. I felt like a kid in the candy store. I got a couple of Crabapple Hill, Halloween of course, along with my Buggy Barn pattern/book for Kim's class. Then, I got some WONDERFUL news, my BFF is taking Kim's class also, and it is full! Man, Kim will be having double trouble in that class for sure! My friend, Colleen is also taking it, so maybe I should say, triple trouble!! I heard that Kim came into the shop later that day after I had to leave for baseball, and sang the Oscar Meyer theme song with her back up singers, Lindy and BFF for Shirley. Oh how I wish I was there to join in! Well, I need to throw some embroidery stuff together to take to the ball field. Yes, today is going to be a beautiful day!

Baseball Duty

I am sorry for not writing anything for awhile. We are in the middle of our very busy baseball season. The first 2 weeks of July are when all of the State Tournaments are for Cal Ripken Baseball, and well, being State Tournament Director and DH being the State Commissioner, we have been a little in the overtime mode. The games have been good, the parents are getting better, and yes, I am getting some embroidery done. I found a book on my shelf in the guest room that is called, " A Penny A Month" by Bonnie Sullivan. I bought this book a couple of years ago at BP&HH. It has the patterns/directions for wool pennies, applique or fused flannel and also embroidered. There are some really cute designs, and I totally forgot about it. So-o-o, I traced one pattern out, August, a crow on a sunflower, and I took it with me. It goes pretty fast. I have the crow and the the flower part of the sunflower done. I will try to get a picture tonight for you, if its not too late. We have only 1 game tonight, so I should be able to get it. Also, I am looking for some advise out there. My son is planning to move to Chico. He is my only son, and I know he will be fine, but I could use a little help in trying not to worry so much, so any advice on how to stop worrying would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks for stopping by and take care!

The Day After....

Well, it is official, I am really getting old! Why do I say that, well because, I in general require very little sleep, always have since day 1. I fell asleep yesterday late morning on my sofa, Delta breeze gently blowing, and woke up 8 hours later when my mom came over for dinner and in time to give my poor baby, Orca his doggie downer because of the fireworks. Where did the day go? I had visions of grandeur for embroidery. But no-o-o-o, I fell asleep. What are my plans for today, well, after I got up early and made a big batch of sausage milk gravy and a couple of dozen of homemade buttermilk biscuits, (for hubby to take to the tournament for the tournament workers), I read the paper, had 2 cups of Typhoo tea, (my favorite) and now, I am getting ready to go watch some great baseball. The weather is going to be almost perfect today. The Delta breeze is brisk,(YEAH!!) and the sun is shining brightly, so I am ready for some fun in the sun. Here's hoping your SUNday is filled with fun! Enjoy!

4th of July Eve

I thought today would never get here, but here it is. So what do I do to start off this 4th of July Eve off right, well, go to the ballpark and get an old fashion hamburger, since tomorrow I will be having a hot dog! It was so-o-o good, just mustard, cheese, grilled bun and burger patty. The Delta breeze kicked in and it was a perfect evening at the park. Tomorrow, I need to run to Woodland, (No Kim, I am not exercising, I mean driving, Please!!) to drop off stuff for their tournament, and I just found out they are serving biscuits, gravy, breakfast burritos and I sure all kinds of other yummy things. No that is not the reason why I am going, but it may have swayed my mind a bit! Then, I am coming home to embroider to my hearts content. Hubby will be at the park all day until 9 pm tomorrow night to host the tournament, son is going to a b-b-que, so its me and Orca having our own celebration with homemade ice cream, hotdogs, watermelon, pasta salad and Cowboy beans. I think my mom might come over and watch 4th of July Concert with the Boston Pops. Hope all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!!

Middle of the Road

Today is great day, why you might ask? Well, its great because I woke up on the right side of the grass, (as my Father in Law says), I have a wonderful family, a job, and a great blogging community and quilting friends that are always there if I needed anything. What more could I ask for? I could ask for tonight, the last baseball managers meeting of the season, thats what! And they fed us some great B-B-que to boot, so life is pretty good right now. I had to miss Jo's because of the meeting, which means I don't get to see Kim and my BFF, but I should see them both in a week or so at Clues in Calico. Son is spending a couple of days in Chico, (I don't want to know what he will be doing, sometimes, ignorance is bliss!), so after the meeting, I came home and completed some reports for my job and then hit the blogs! I did stop at Ladybugs Quilts today and saw Jen, she had a whole bunch of new Crabapple Hill patterns, and some other really cute stitching patterns. I am not sure the pictures are clear enough, but I can't wait to start on them. Here's hoping that all of your lives are pretty good at this time!

Twisted Tuesday

Today is month end. And for those of you who has jobs that have deadlines by month end can side with me. Anyway, I think I made it with all 10 toes and fingers and head left on my body. Only time will tell, actually, tomorrow will tell, since my boss will be with me all day. I am doing this early so I can get to bed early and get things ready for tomorrow. If you have been reading Kim's blog, and if you saw the Halloween pattern from Crabapples, just a fyi, Lindy at BP&HH has ordered that pattern and it is due in anyday. I spoke to Lindy and verified that today, because, I want one. I agree with Kim, the middle part needs to be lighten up. I am cleaning out my extra bedroom in anticipation of it becoming my sewing room. I am trying to help hubby along! At least, today wasn't as hot as it has been. Oh well, not much else except for work and baseball stuff, both are benign to me at this time, so good night, sleep tight!

Just Another Manic Monday

As the song goes, wish it was a Tuesday, but I hardly don't I would be wishing that. You see, its month end, and my job is in extreme stress and panic mode at month end. And this month end is no exception, except, it seems my boss had waited until the last minute to complete reports for her boss, our SVP, so-o-o, she has us scrambling around pulling numbers and doing reports for her so she can turn them in to her boss. I am really exhausted today, and with the heat, it sure doesn't help. Thank goodness the Delta breeze has kicked in for us, and it is fairly nice and comfy outside. I took my time watering all of my plants, and containers of plants and flower beds and cleaned out the birdbath and filled up the bird feeder, then came back in and fell asleep on the sofa. Hubby woke me up and told me to go to bed, but I am awake now, so off to blog land I go. We did make it to Oakland yesterday, it was still warm, 87 degrees, a lot cooler than here, but we did not make it to Petaluma to the Quilted Angel. You are not going to believe this, but I just was too tired to make the drive. I had a really hard time driving home from Oakland, and hubby was sleeping as soon as he got in the car. I went to bed early last night, (8pm) and woke up at 7 am this morning. Only 1 more meeting for baseball, and then I am through. I get to sit and watch the kids play while making yo-yo's to finish my Hat Party Quilt and to also complete a Halloween project, (more on that later). Nite to all!

Sizzling Saturday

Boy, was it ever! The shop was busy, I signed 2 more people up for Kim's class in August. My friend Colleen came in to get her supplies for Encore Knot-y Ladies class, and boy is she excited! Me and my BFF worked hard, and then we went out to dinner at Mimi's. We talk, ate and cooled off and really enjoyed each others company. Hubby was at a baseball tournament, son was in Oakland at the A's game, and poor Orca was out in the heat. As soon as I got home, I found out that son forgot to turn on the a/c, so needless to say, the house was a little warm. I turned it on along with the floor fans and brought Orca in and gave him some fresh water with ice cubes and a couple of Popsicles. He was a very happy camper, but he wanted back outside, so I let him out. I was going to do some more embroidery, but I was really tired and tomorrow I need to be in Oakland bright and early for another tournament meeting, so I think I will call it a night and get some much needed shut eye. Hope you all stay cool!