little bit Country, little bit Rock & Roll

So ... I have been sewing my brains out lately ... which explains so much about the state of my brain. These pictures are of my latest pattern ...

"sum sum summertime".

I had so much fun with the paper-pieced houses and the applique, but my favorite part was the quilting on the border where I managed a fake scallopped edge. I used a larger zig-zag, but the same yellow variegated thread as the suns. It made me shine, for sure.

Then ... let's not forget my other paper-pieced ... more colorful ... friends that would not usually be hanging out in the same neighborhood as my summer houses. I cannot tell a lie, these two took some serious time committment, but it was all worth it. I also have a Helpful Hint where the curved seams are concerned: If you are lucky enough to have a Bernina and have to sew some curved seams, then use the #57 foot (a quarter-inch foot with a bar along the right edge.) They came together like butta, I tell you. That was the easiest part of all.

So after all this sewing and the fact that I spent 8 hours on my feet today helping out at the Seis de Mayo Event ...

Any suggestions for the retreaval of my brain?

Believe it or NOT!

So ... I am not entirely sure how many of you actually believed that I won yet another GiveAway, but today I offer proof of my extraordinarily good luck/blessings. On Saturday there was a package in my mail from Carrie/Miss Rosie (I am not entirely sure which one of them licked the labels) containing not only my Hot Cross Kit, but also thread, a Miss Rosie Ruler and a cool decal that will continue to remind me what it is we all should be doing.

And let's not forget the fact that it involves some Charm Packs from Moda with some Fig Tree Finery which is also a thrill for me. I already have plans for this sample that may or may not involve Patchwork Pilot Club in the fall. Ooh.

In other news that will certainly make it's way into the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum ... I Made Bread. From Scratch. I even ground my own wheat. I am NOT kidding. You have to know that in the past, yeast and I have not gotten along. You might go so far as to say that we had an acrimonious relationship. A couple of weeks ago, I attended a class at church with a 3 hour demo from the mother-daughter team at Pantry Secrets. This particular bread makes up in one hour. Start to finish. My kind of time frame. I will save for another time some of the accompanying stories like how my wheat grinder pretty much fell into my lap and how you can make a kajillion other things from the same recipe, but for now just digest this:

I Made Bread. And it looks, behaves and tastes like real bread.

Believe it or ... not.

What's with all the Color??

So ... this sure doesn't look like me. I mean, where are the pastels and the florals and the ... simplehappy? It's just temporary, mind you, but I've gotta admit that it's been more than a barrel of fun. I'm doing two paper-pieced New York Beauty blocks for display at the BC for an upcoming Cinco de Mayo Event.

The strangest (saddest?) part is that all of these fabrics came out of my stash. Back in '03 when I first started working with quality fabric with a store discount, I snatched up everything in sight. Seriously ... it was a tad over the top. It was a few years later that I decided to narrow my focus and my spending. I'm not sorry at all that I did, but I'm also not sorry that I am having this much fun.

In other freakishly good news: I won another GiveAway! I'm. Not. Kidding. I won a whole KIT over at Miss Rosie's ... Carrie Nelson. (She's a fellow AZer and she actually played a part in my decision to focus on the simplehappy, btw.) I started doing the math and I do believe that I have some sort of good-luck vibe going with the give aways. I have got to start entering more of them.

Thank you Miss Rosie. Now ... off to the Kingdom to get all bleary-eyed with the COLOR.

Do you think I should wear sunglasses?

It's My Kind of Town ...

So ... I may have spoken too soon in my complaints about the heat last week. Oh ... don't get me wrong, it was hot all right. But just a few days after that, we arrived in the Windy City and found out that heat is not such a bad thing after all. We actually saw a lot of crazy weather during our short stay there. Rain, Wind, Cold and then sudden moments of what can only be described as ... balmy. The point is this:

Who the heck cared what the temperatures were?!? We were just there for the views. Like the skyline, pictured above. And our sweet 2.5 year old Miss Dub demonstrating just a few of her many talents, like ...

Yogo postures and/or dramatic gestures.

Rowing a boat at the Shedd Aquarium.

Sliding at the park and looking every bit like the angel she is.

So now we're back in the heat. Missing the rain and the dramatically changing temps. Doing our best to mend our aching hearts.

Sigh.

I'd like to thank my ... fan ...

So ... I know all you California People are complaining about the heat, what with it being in the 90s and all. And I feel for you ... really I do. But I gotta admit ... I'm feeling a tad sorrier for those of us who live in Arizona ... what with it being 102 degrees and all.

In April. Sigh.

So on Tuesday (the peak heat day) I was happily sewing away in my sewing room which sits upstairs ... where heat is wont to rise. I knew I was feeling somewhat ... sweaty ... but hey, I was hard at work. What I didn't know was that the temperature up there was quickly climbing to 86 degrees. Of course once I knew that it was suddenly way too unbearable and I was forced to turn on the A/C (on the earliest date in many ... many ... years.)

But in the meantime I want to give a shout out to my trusty Wal-Mart clip-on fan that has served me through many a sweaty AZ summer.

And yes, I am well aware that in July ... if it ever gets down to 102 degrees, I will be forced to put on a light sweater.

In the meantime ... how are you dealing with the heat? Are you thinking about heading to Wal-Mart right now?

Are you sweating?

A week late and a peep short ...

So ... I just now finished my April Block for the Bunny Hill Block of the Month that I am officially addicted to. I am not unaware that this whole post would have been a tad more appropriate about 10 days ago ... so sue me. Why the delay??

A) I may or may not have tried to actually eat the chocolate bunny.

B) I had issues. One false start and one round of sewing at the same time I was on the phone with my sister. Not recommended.

C) I was more concerned during this time period with figuring out how to post my B.O.M pics on the Flickr group. Thanks to Jodi and to PDaddy ... and to me* ... I accomplished my goal.

D) I spent a great deal of time patting myself on the back for the *very small part that I did play in the techno-figuring which was time I could have spent sewing. Did you not see my Flickr "Badge"?

E) I also had two other projects going at the same time.

F) My machine went kaput in the middle of the whole dang thing.

Hey ... it's still April and I'm going with that.

So ... does anyone else rationalize as much as me and/or try to sew while talking on the phone??

The Evolution of a Centerpiece ...

So ... my feet are killing me. Something to do with putting on a brunch for 160 people. And the fact that I was in charge of the centerpieces. But they really turned out simple and lovely in just a few easy steps ... that took a few easy ... hours.

First take pint sized mason jars.

Add ribbon from the dollar bins at Michaels.

Flowers from Costco.

Tie 'em up. Cut the stems. Mix it up. Add some water.

Ta Da! Centerpieces. Times twenty.

Excuse me while I go lie down. Oh yeah ... how was your weekend?

I'm hangin' in there ...

So ... I got my machine back ... I finished the quilt ... I'm pretty much a happy camper.

What you need to know (because I am prone to confessing things no one cares about) is that I actually finished this particular quilt top last summer ... in fact I posted a picture of it here.

Which naturally begs the question ... "Then why the heck did you wait 8 or 9 months to quilt it, putting you in a major fix when your machine broke, because you needed to have it done ... yesterday?"

And the answer to that question would be: "I haven't a clue" ...

Or ..."I put it in the closet and forgot about it" ...

Or ... "Life's just weird, isn't it?"

Which is why I'm calling this particular quilt,
"Hangin' in There".

Because it describes my brain in bright, happy colors.

Easter in La La Land

So ... we headed west for the weekend.To the land O' Sand and Sun. Land of children (2) and grandchildren (1).

Friday: The OC. Saturday-Sunday: L.A. Sunday night: Back to the OC. These pics are from a post lunch stroll at Venice Beach. Mmmmmm .... good.

Here's the little guy in his bedtime finery. He's huge and he is too precious for words. And he's rather fond of me, if I do say so myself.

Here we are on Easter morning.

A fine, fine, Easter indeed.

Hop to it

So ... Happy Easter.

From one of your favorite peeps.

Love means never having to say you're sorry.

So ... the ol' girl let me down. For the first time in all the years I have known her, she is insisting upon a doctor's appointment and refusing to wait for the annual spa treatment.

Aaaarrruuugghh.

Yeah, yeah, I know she's sorry but could she have considered the timing of her ... untimely ... illness? Could she have picked a different project to start throwing up thread balls on the underside of my machine quilting? Could she at least have up-chucked them on the top half so that I didn't sew for 20 minutes before discovering the problem, only to take 45 minutes to unpick the damage?

Does she know that I need this finished before next Monday's Teacher's Meeting?

Does she??

And to top it all off, Miss Anne at Bunny Hill just posted the April Block. Seriously, in my delusional state I am almost beginning to wonder whether she did it on purpose.

Nah ... I know she loves me. I'm just wondering whether or not I need to bring a bowl in the car for the drive to the Doc.

Poor Girl.

Honestly ...

So ... I came home from out of town only to find that I had been tagged by Queen Pam at PKM to tell six (count 'em 6!) honest things about myself. I have already disclosed several such items under the heading of True Confessions, but I will dig deep into the well of all Honest Mary Weirdness and see what I can come up with.

(1) I am a compulsive bed maker. I never don't make my bed first thing in the morning unless a) PDaddy makes it instead, b) I'm washing the sheets and don't finish the whole job until later or c) I am still in it.

(2) I have already owned up to an unhealthy relationship with cold cereal here, but to further freak you out as to my culinary tastes I will honestly admit that if the above carton is sitting in my fridge ... I am more likely to drink it than to whip it.

(3) I'm also a bit overly enamored with olives (green or black) which I am likely to mix with almost anything ... except that which sits in the gold carton, pictured above.

(4) I'll admit it, I watch my share of television. My favorite programs are The Office, 30 Rock, Chuck, The Mentalist and my newest fave Lie To Me. I watch them while sitting in this sweet little love seat, pictured above. I have also watched enough Law and Order in the course of my life to pass a bar exam.

(5) I love, love, love to read self-help books. They're like candy to me. (Unfortunately ... candy is also like candy to me.) I cannot honestly say that I have incorporated into my life every single helpful tidbit, but I can say that my attitude has been formed in part by what I have read.

(6) My dream career would be as a motivational speaker (see #5). Or perhaps as someone who works on a "Whale Watch" boat.

There you have it. At this point there is not a heck of a lot you don't know about me. Please still be my friend.

Oh, and I tag Brooke, Renee, Jody, Ginger and Ginny. Go for it.