August Wrap Up

August seems to have been a very busy month.  Thus the lack in blogging.  Here are a few things I did get done this month.

- Business trip to Pittsburgh.  I have 2 clients in the city and its been over 2 years since I visited with them.  I do love the city of Pittsburgh.

- Sewn and quilted a car quilt using the Wheels line from Riley Blake.  Jake calls it his cuddily quilt.  I guess he's getting it.

- Made raspberry peach jam, and I do have to say it is delicious!

- Actually even got some quiltling done.  I LOVE this quilt - I want to make one for myself now.

- Threw a few showers - Images can be seen here and here

- Introduced Sam to my quilting machine. I found him under the machine, and had climbed up a bin while I was quilting.  Maybe he doesn't like how loud it is????

- Got hooked on scrabble....

- Jumped on the trampoline in the pouring rain with Jake

- Playing with my boys.

All in all I think August was a really good month.

****as a side note, I also tried using my phone as my camera for quick last minute shots.  All pictures posted above are taken with my iphone.  I'll have to learn how to make them larger and edit them in the future.

Accuquilt Go!

This is a new little gadget for the quilting world, to help us with all our cutting needs.  Everyone I know that has tried one loves them.  They are quite the investment.  So winning this little giveaway would be nice.

Head on over to Sheri's blog and check it out if you're intersted.

Menu Mondays

Monday - Fruit and Feta salad
Tuesday - Tacos
Wednesday - Spaghetti
Thursday - Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Friday - Chicken Curry

Conversations with Jake

The other morning we were getting ready for work and Jake was playing in my closet.  I guess he broke something.

Mike: "Jake, why did you break that"
Jake: "It was an accident."
Mike: "An accident?"
Jake: "Yes dad, if you break something its an accident"

I wonder nearly everyday where he learns these things.  I guess we need to explain to him, if its done on purpose it isn't technically an accident....

I believe it was that same morning, I was doing the dishes.  Jake likes to pretend he's a chef "Chef Jake" as he refers to himself and make things while I'm in the kitchen.  I must have handed him a wooden spoon or something to use.

Jake: standing on a stool puts his arm around me and starts patting me on the back "thanks for sharing with me mom, that is very nice of you."

I must pat him on the back when I thank him for sharing with Sam (which is usually a problem). 

His little personality is so much fun right now!

It's All About Fall

The weather here has been a little up and donw the last week or so.  Cooler temps one day, 90's the next.  Raining and thunder storms one day, not a cloud in the sky the next.  I have to say - the cooler days and the thunder storms get me so excited for fall!  There is something about this time of year that I love. 

I can't wait to put out my fall decorations (making their debut this weekend).  Its almost as big as Christmas at my house.  I love the orange, red, brown, and yellow leaves that we start to see.  Even the mums which I don't always love - tempt me when I see the beautiful big pots at Costco in late August. The oranges and rust colors pull me in!  I love the pumpkins, the soups, the ciders, the breeze that comes in the air.  I know its still August and I'm a bit early, but I am so excited for fall this year! 

Next year when Jake heads off to pre school we'll have to see how I feel about fall then...but for now I'm loving the rainy, cooler days coming our way!

Wordless Wednesday

Bath time fun. These are pictures I received when I was out of town. Made me miss my little guy!

Catch up

I am alive and kicking....its been a busy couple of weeks. 

I've traveled to Pittsburgh and back leaving Sam for the first time (and all the boys did great in my absence). 

I've gone to 3 baby showers (2 of which I hosted).

CLEANED MY WHOLE HOUSE - which sadly I have not done in a long time! 

I've had a lot of catching up to do with my kids and Mike so I've lacked in the blogging.  New posts coming soon I promise!

French General Table Topper

Another one of my new favorite designers from Moda is French General.  I loved their first line Rouenneries.  Their second line was Jardin Garden, which I didn't think I loved as much.  Until I bought the charm pack and laid out this table topper.

and I love the back almost as much as the front

I'm a sucker for toile

Even though the 4th is long gone, I had to switch it out and display it for the rest of the summer. 

I love this new designer!

Martinique

I have been in love with this line since day one.  The big floral toile print, the reds and browns, the stripes and polka dots.  It has everything one could hope for in a line. 

I started this little quilt/table topper months ago and finally got it finished and in the shop.  I usually buy a charm pack of a line when it comes out if I love it.  I want to look at the fabrics and figure out what big quilt I want to make out of it.  Having the prints in front of me helps me decide what I need to make.  A pattern with a layer cake or jelly roll so I can get all the prints in, or do I just want to pick a few of my favorites out and find a fun pattern to use with those?  Decisions, decisions. 

Love this big toile print.  I want a quilt made of this and nothing else. 

I saw this quilt on this blog a few months ago and of course I have to make this one now too.  I love how she mixed the Martinique and Park Avenue lines. 

I really wanted to start it this last weekend, but decided to get a few other completed projects done first.  This is a must on my to do list!  This is a Miss Rosie pattern and looks surprisingly easy for a Miss Rosie quilt.  I can't wait to get going on it. 

I also have all the fabrics to make Nana's Attic.  My friend has made this out of Martinique and it looked beautiful. 

So hard to decide which project to do next.  I just want to sit and sew for a week straight!  Hopefully I'll get to these soon.

Weekend To Do's

Last Thursday I made a to do list and left it sitting on my desk.  I'm happy to say I got most of it completed.  Most of my lists I create at work are sewing oriented because that is what I was I was doing when I'm here.

-Finish 12 Days of Christmas blocks - Not only did I finish the blocks, I get them sewn together with the first border

- Sew Car Quilt - I made the cutest little boy quilt. I got it sewn and quilted this weekend.  Just need to get binding.  Picture to come soon.

- Quilt Something - I have a closet full of my own quilts I never get to, so this was my goal for the weekend to quilt something of my own.  I'm happy to say I quilted my car quilt and a table runner I had sewn probably close to 2 years ago!

- Bind ISpy quilt - I finished an ispy quilt top for Jake long before Sam was born.  I finally got the binding sewn on and we actually played a little with it this morning.

- Bind Luke's quilt - one thing I didn't get done on my to do list....(next week)

- Put quilts on Etsy - 2 new quilts were list at the shop head over and take a look.

My goal was to actually get some old projects completed and I'm happy to say I achieved my goal.  I love finishing off something that has been sitting around for a year.  I actually feel like I've accomplished a few things. 

We started our weekend off early on Friday by taking the day off.  Mike and I went golfing, to lunch, and then a movie (Inception - that could be a post all on its own, have you seen it?) It was a fun day with just the two of us, and much needed.  Saturday was a lazy day with the kids, and then a late night up sewing til 1am.  Sunday another lazy day.  Whit came over and we swam with the kids and then laid out for a bit while they slept.  I didn't go sew til about 8pm.  I love it when I can spend the days with my family and still have enough energy to get something done at night!  It was a very nice weekend.  Wish all my days were weekend days.

Menu Monday

Monday - Chicken pesto pasta w/ tomatoes from my garden and homemade pesto from my own basil plant!
Tuesday - Mexican Lasagna I added corn and black beans as well.
Wednesday - Chicken enchiladas
Thursday - Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Friday - Panini w/left over pork