Sprinkles

So ... it's August. A little cooler than July*. It's Block O' the Month time. Fun time. All gooooood.

I found this block to be particularly delightful, and not just because of the sugar related theme. My favorite part was finding the perfect vanilla frosting in one of the latest (2009) Christmas lines from Moda. (I just happened to have a Charm Pack.) Can you guess which one?

I am very sorry about the lack of other sewing posts. Life's pretty hectic right now but I have planted some seeds on a couple of new quilts. Really I have.

Thanks for your patience.

*(It was not only the hottest July in history around here ... it was the hottest month in history. I kid you not.)

Self-Medicating

So ... there's a reason that the Red Cross and the Swiss flag have something in common and that reason is this:

Swiss chocolate will cure what ails you. Or ... you won't even care about being sick.

I was lucky enough to be the recipient of this magical piece of pure swiss chocolate. Hand carried from Switzerland. From the proprietors of this store who took an excursion there, courtesy of Bernina.

Now ... I really, really like their sewing machines. And I generally feel better after sewing on mine.

But this ... this ... is different.

This is a medical miracle.

So ... what delectable goodness does it for you??

Pink Chomping

So ... technically I am still taking pictures of pictures ... but these ones are just more fun (which I promised) and required me to eat a calorie-ridden cupcake (which I did.)

After our morning round of appointments we had some lunch (eh ... so so) and ventured next door into a charming little shop, appropriately called Sugar. The walls were all painted in lovely pink stripes, with these luscious pictures of sugar laden goodies to offset the oppulent displays with the real things for sale on the other side.

Of course it would have been just rude, rude, rude to take my pictures and leave. Being the generous soul that I am, I purchased a chocolate/cream cheese cupcake and ate it on the spot. PDaddy had an oatmeal raisin cookie. I would hardly call that Sugar, but to each his own.

On the way back, PDaddy himself pointed out this lovely scene, above. Even if you live in an old high-rise apartment building, that doesn't mean you can't add your own sparkle and panache.

I would definitely call that Sugar!

More Sugah ...

So ... I finally finished the paper-piecing sample and I'm more than happy with it. Except for the fact that it took way, way too long to make, but what did you expect? For those that have any interest in it (are there any who are interested in it?) all of the patterns for the paper-pieced blocks (which include the borders) came from Carol Doak's book (complete with CD ... so, so easy to use) called 300 Paper-Pieced Blocks ... or something like that.

Now I am furiously at work on the machine-applique sample and let me just say ... that although she doesn't know it ... my own Mrs. Dub actually designed it and it is quite splendid, if I do say so myself.

Which brings us to the most important topic of the day ... chocolate chip cookies. (Pretty much the most important topic of any day.) Those pictured above were personally made for me by the PDaddy as part of his Mother's Day tribute and they are particularly nummy.

So ... two questions:

How was your Mother's Day? ... and ...

Are you concerned that my posts are clogging your arteries?

Speed Eating, the new Olympic sport

So ... just today a friend of mine came over ... for no particular reason at all ... and gave me the above gift. This lovely creature is actually more of a daughter (in fact I like to think I had major influence in raising her), but if I say "friend" then I appear to be much younger than I am. So ... I am going with "friend".

I would also like to say that I saved the above pictured gift and thought about it all day long while I toiled away furiously and built up an appetite for such a rich, gooey, scrumptious, treat.

Naw ... I downed that sucker in about 90 seconds flat.

But my gratitude has lasted all ... day ... long. Thank you my scrumptious friend.

So here's to friends ... and to Sprinkles which opened its first store in the Phoenix metropolitan area today.

Long live cupcakes.