CRYASTAL IN THE POWDER ROOM!

I've been keeping my eye out for an antique crystal chandelier that was small enough to fit in my bathroom....one that I could afford. Although most were too large and more money than I wanted to spend....I did finally shop at a new local lighting store and buy this small version of what I really wanted.

When I told my husband I wanted him to hang this in the bathroom, he asked in a rather puzzled voice, "In the bathroom?" I told him yes, it would be pretty. Good thing this is a handy man because is was too low and he had to undo the entire thing and hang it higher.

Then of course my cupboards felt left out......and one of the ladies I sew with every Wednesday had beautiful crystal knobs in her new bathroom make over from Home Depot, so I went searching.

And I bought new jewelry for the cupboards....crystal knobs. I can't remember if these are exactly like hers, but they made me so happy. If they are the same, no one but she and I will know since mine are in the master suite...the sewing ladies will never see them, except on my blog of course.

MY NEW QUILT BOOK

I just wanted to share with you my new quilt book, NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S QUILT just out from the Kansas City Star. You can get one of your own here.

It has six lap sized quilts based on traditional blocks like those seen here.....
With some applique added to spice things up! The blocks are large and very fast, so these quilts will not take you months to complete!

There is a lovely little saying for each quilt, like this one from Kimberly McCole from Dear Daisy Cottage . She always writes the sweetest things on her blog, and she was kind enough to let me use this one!!! Thanks Kimberly!

Also, every quilt has a recipe that goes along with the quilt or it's name so you can bake, sew and then wrap up in your quilt as you read your book.

~~~ Thanks everyone for all your help in getting my book to the finish line. You have heard the old saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." Well, it takes a "heap" of talented people to produce a book.~~~

BIRTHDAY QUILT

One nice thing about being a quilter is sewing for someone you love! When my grandchildren turn 3-4, I make them a pieced quilt. Like my grandson!~ ~~ However, after I got the quilt back from the quilter....I noticed the engine looked strange.....can you tell why?
I forgot it's back wheel, and my grandson who is a train expert would have noticed it straight away! So, I had to applique on the last wheel, fussing with the bulk of the entire quilt. (Not an easy task.) Moral to the story....make sure all the wheels are on first!

~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mr. Gavin! ~ ~

RUBY RED DOTS....IN BLUE

This is the blue wool & flannel version of my Ruby Red Dots quilt done as a block of the month by the Quilters Way. You too can sign up for it. It looks so delicious...like blueberrys! I am so happy Quilter's Way showed me so I could show all of you! It is so fun to see what people do with your designs to make them their own. I am really big on sewing and quilting the way that works for you. If you see a pattern and like green....do what you like, and for heaven's sake do the kind of applique that makes you happy!

I KNOW this quilt would be FABULOUS done in PINK and lime green!!!!

QUILT SHOP TRIP

I sew with a group of ladies every Wednesday. We have been getting together for over 10 years. We gather all our "stuff" sewing machines too, and a project we want to work on for the day and meet at one of our homes. When everyone comes, there are 12 of us. Usually we have 8-10 show up on a weekly basis. The host for the day makes lunch for everyone. It really isn't' too bad because you only have to cook once every 8-10 weeks! And let me tell you....we have had some GREAT meals!

This past Wednesday we took a road trip for our sewing day and went to a couple of shops 3 hours from here in Rupert, ID and Kimberly, ID and Pocatello, ID. It was a 12 hr. trip! There were only 7 of us so we all fit into one Suburban and we laughed and talked the entire way!
So, from left to right: Louise Godfrey, Sonja Cherry, me, Susan Hansen, Kathy Robinson, LuJean Clark, Chris Klingler. Taken at "The Gathering Place" in Rupert, ID. A FANTASTIC SHOP!

This was a darling shop called, "The Quilt Barn" in Kimberly, ID. We had never been there before....So fun, I think it was an old department store...the floors were wood, (probably original) and white washed. Such a cute young owner... her husband said she should open the shop....GO HUSBAND!!
There were lots of samples to see and LOTS of beautiful fabric!! Yes, I did buy fabric...but I kept it within reason.

These are some of the cute samples hanging all around. Do any of you shop hop?

ONE LAMP....CREAM

Does anyone else love T J Maxx and have I asked this question before? I have had my eye on this lamp for sometime now. I love it's barrel shade....so 1960's, and of course it had to be cream to go with my "all things cream" decorations going on....although not everything is cream like you see in some of those beautiful magazines. But when you already have beautiful pieces of furniture that you can't replace, they become the accent color to my cream! Hope your day is a happy one.

SPRING FABRIC

Buying pretty spring fabric will always make me feel better....(the floral shop didn't have any daffodils yet!) I am going to hem around this 45" square and make a simple table cloth for my kitchen table. I can't set the table without a table cloth...I don't know what happened but I have had a table cloth on the table for as long as I can remember, and most of them are just a pretty piece of hemmed fabric!


This is a piece I bought two years ago for fall. When I see a piece of fabric that is very pretty and I don't know what to make with it, I buy 1 1/4 yard and make a table cloth. Some pieces are just too amazing to cut up into little pieces for quilting. This way I get to enjoy the entire piece. This piece is a Kaffe Fassett piece. Here is a bit of his bio. very interesting.

WHERE IS SPRING and SUMMER?

We still have quite a bit of snow although it is melting. But because I live at a higher elevation than even the main streets of my little city, I have more snow to melt. I was shocked yesterday when I drove down main street to see they hardly have any snow.....please, please....I NEED SOME GREEN GRASS! I have been known to shovel the large mound of snow down a bit to help with the process. Perhaps I will go out today and see what can be done! I know many of you are having spring and I feel happy for you!! Today I am off to the floral shop to see if they have any daffodils!

CLEANING

While cleaning out a file cabinet I ran across this little saying that made me smile!

~~~

We the willing are led by the unknowning to accomplish the impossible for the ungrateful....we've done so much with so little for so darn long we're now qualified to do anything with nothing!Do you remember wanting to help with the cleaning when you were about this age. I remember specifically wanting to help my mom do the dishes and she replied that there would come a day when it wasn't fun anymore.

This one likes to play in my farmhouse sink in the "water." I put the water on warm in a small stream and she will play for over a half hour...please note the little charm square apron!

Yes, I know, everyone says she looks like me.....even her baby pictures! She said when she came today, "Guess what color I am wearing?" I asked, "What color?" Her reply was she pointed to her dress and just smiled. Her favorite color is purple, but she knows mine is pink! Could you love them any more? It is SO surprising to me how much I love my grandchildren!

SKIRTS AND MORE SKIRTS!

Could you ever resist this face? This is my neighbor...so DARN cute! She was my model for the MODA BAKE SHOP project, Twisty Twirly Girly Skirt I made.

She was so sweet that I decided to make her a skirt of her very own.

Her favorite color is YELLOW! When I gave her the skirt, she hugged it! IT MELTED MY HEART!

AND THE WINNER IS.....

I know this drawing is not very sophisticated, but it works! So, comment number 4....you are the winner....Patty, email me with your address and you will receive....

Two bowls that have a pretty flower in the bottom.....

And are so darling to look at while you eat! Thanks everyone for sharing your morning rituals, it is fun to see into people's lives!

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

I like to eat breakfast with my pretty dishes! I am usually the only one at the breakfast table in the morning and I feel like I am "worth it!" I love to see the pretty motifs in the bottom of the bowl as the hot cereal slowly goes down.....I also like to read a magazine while I eat...and I LOVE to drink orange juice in the prettiest glasses I own! Funny, I had to eat hot cereal everyday of my childhood life. I didn't care for it much then, but now that I am older and wiser, I love it! What do you do for yourself for breakfast? I think I shall have a "GIVE A WAY" of two pretty bowls for your breakfast; what do you think about that? Leave a comment and share your breakfast rituals! I probably won't be able to afford to ship internationally with glass bowls, but you ladies go buy yourself one pretty bowl and celebrate too....because you are WORTH IT!!