Today Is The Day!!!

It has been 3 weeks since I put the pickles in a cool dark place, in my closet with a towel over them. I put a jar in the frig this morning to get them chilled. I have just opened the first jar. They are SO GOOD! I am glad I have 17 jars still in the closet, the first one is almost gone.

I will answer a question I got about the pickles. Some say their pickles turn out soft instead of having a crunch, I learned that you need to slice the pickles and then soak them in lime and water for 24 hours. After the 24 hours you rinse them, soak them in clean water for an hour and repeat 3 times. Then you pickle them. That is the longest part of the process. The actual pickling part took less than a half hour. It went so quick I wasn't ready with my jars, lids and stuff when my pickles were.

Now before you ask the closet was the only cool dark place I could think of in my house in August. I put a towel over them to block the light form the bedroom, bathroom and closet. This is also where we keep the red wine so I figured it would be safe.

Busy Saturday!

This morning I drove to Rio Vista to meet the Nor Cal HHR Club before their cruise. I was unable to go with them but they were meeting less than a half hour from my house so I ran out to wash the car, say hi, visit and take some pictures. I got to see friends that we only get to see once or twice a year.



This is a shot of all the cars at Able Chevy Dealership before they left for the cruise. Scott's car is to the far right, the white one on the end.

I was back in Stockton by 9:15am so I ran for a quick pedicure. I was home just after 10am. Checked my e-mail and took a nap! Then it was get up and get ready for my baby shower!

My friends Heather and Kymn through me a wonderful shower at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I received over 600 diapers! I am so happy. I also got some cute clothes, good smelling soap and a few gift cards! Delaney scored some wonderful big sister gifts too.

When I got home I found out that I get to angel a spot in group 2 of the Halloween Swap! I have started making my 9-patches and will be working on my Frankie blocks Sunday and Monday. I already have a spot in group one of the swap. My ghost are ready to take flight to Jane. I am hoping to have Frankie ready on Monday and mail them both together on Monday.

Last but not least I JUST finish the tutorial for Nu Bebe's sewing list. This weeks tutorial is a Duvet Cover. I made them a simple as possible that a beginning sewer could make it. If you have sewing experience you will be able to whip right through it.

Nu Bebe Sewing

The as promised list of sewing I would like to get done for Nu Bebe!

Need to do:
1. Duvet Cover DONE
2. Embellish Bumper Pad (it is plain red now)
3. Mobile In Progress
4. Diaper To Go
5. Burp Cloth Sets
6. Receiving Blanket
7. Glam Bag
8. Wall Art
9. Crib Sheet

Like to do:
1. Slip Cover Chair
2. Slip Cover Ottoman
3. Travel Pillow
4. Nigh Night
5. Bed Skirt

I have noticed that I haven't posted any tutorials lately over at Stash & Scrap Elimination. So each Saturday starting this weekend for the next 4 weeks I am going to post a tutorial on Sewing for Nu Bebe! I will post a photo here of what I made that week for Nu Bebe and the link to the project over at Stash and Scrap. I am trying to make everything from fabric and notions that I have on hand. I do know that I need to buy a few things, buttons and maybe some trims, other than that most of these will be gifts you can make from your sewing stash. ***My sewing stash always includes cloth diapers.***

Issues...

The dog woke me up at 3:30 am and I couldn't go back to sleep. So I checked the internet and did some sewing.

At 4am I found out that Teddy Kennedy had passed away. I have always liked Senator Kennedy. He was the last of the great Kennedy Dynasty. He served 46 years in Congress and accomplished many great things. He knew that he received the best medical care available because of who he was and the money he had. He was working on the Health Care Reform Committee up until his death. He felt everyone deserved access to good medical care not just those who could afford it. I am not saying the man was a saint. He was a womanizer, alcoholic and liked to party.

Here is my issue, flags will be flown at half mass. This drives me insane. I rarely read the news so I always end up calling my mom to find out why they are at half mass. When Regan died and they were down for 30 days it drove me crazy. Now for you trying to figure out my issue with this here it is something is wrong when the flag is at half mass. The world is NOT okay when you go to Mc Donald's and the flag is at half mass.

Since I was up at 4am and couldn't sleep I made another Christmas present. I am trying to get groups of people done, you know like this family, that social group, my parents, ect. I have a grouping of 5 that need to be done, as of this morning only one left in the group to make a gift for. It helps they are all getting the same thing.

I also realized about 5am Nu Bebe will be here in 5 weeks and I haven't started sewing for her. Today I need to make the list of stuff to make for her. It will be longer than I want. The reason I am sharing this I am going to have to put the Stars and Stripe quilt on the back burner for awhile again. I know I called some of you out to finish projects with me. I am just shifting projects. I will post my list of Nu Bebe projects tomorrow and the new goal number of what will be finished for Labor Day. I am also thinking of posting tutorials of some of the things I make over at my Stash & Scrap Elimination Blog.

Happy Birthday to ME!

I turn 35 today. I am not having an issue with the number but reflecting on ALL that has happened in that time. Believe it or not I have lived long enough to see some amazing things take place.

The biggest WOW thing for me has been computers. I can remember as a kid a computer took up whole buildings and the government used them. The home computer wasn't even a concept. Today I own a desk top and 2 lap tops! It is amazing to think that something that not long ago took up HUGE buildings, I can now throw in my purse and drive down the road using it! (NO I don't drive and surf the web. Scott drives, I surf.)

I am going with a list off the top of my head here. Other things I have live through and seen:

1. the King of Rock n Roll dying, Elvis
2. the King of Pop dying, Micheal Jackson
3. the crack in the Iron Curtain and the Wall coming down
4. Vinyl to 8 track tape to CD's to an I-pod
5. Who Shot JR?
6. Having less than 10 channels on TV to having hundreds
7. Desert Storm
8. Cell Phones
9. The space Shuttle Challenger blowing up
10. The Twin Towers
11. More than one Recession
12. Harley Davidson celebrating 100 years
13. Rotarty dial phones
14. Pong to Atari to Playstation to Wii
15. THE Royal wedding, Princess Diana and Prince Charles
16. OJ Simpon Murder trial
17. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
18. San Francisco Bay Earthquake, 1989
19. Iran Contra Affairs
20. Bill Clinton's Affairs
21. Oaklahoma City Bombing
22. Capture of the Unibomber
23. Capture of Noriega in Panama
24. Disneyland turns 50, DisneyWorld turns 25, and openning of Disneyland Tokoyo and Paris
25. Welfare Reform
26. Birth of MTV
27. 1992 Execution of Robert Alton Harris, first Death Row Execution in California in 25 years
28. Rodney King and the LA Riots
29. Aids and HIV
30. Internet

A little on quilting changes:
31. Hand quilting your own to 3 month waiting list to send out to a Long Arm Quilter
32. Horible little calico prints to big bright bold designs
33. Making your own cardboard templates and cutting with scissors to plexiglass templates and Rotary cutting almost everything
34. Yo-Yo Makers
35. Quilting being something your Grandma did to being something everyone does

What is the WOW thing, for you, that has happened in your lifetime? Come on, leave me a comment it's my birthday!

Free Produce

Besides going to my parents house and taking what you need out of their garden I am going to share with you how to get free produce at the Farmer's Market.

First you take a 3 year old with you and hold their hand. Next you hit the bakery booth and buy the 3 year old a cookie to hold while you shop, it keeps them busy. Next you stop to buy 1 bell pepper, the 3 year old ask for "a tomato, oh PLEASE, oh PLEASE, oh PLEASE." As you are paying for the 1 bell pepper you tell the 3 year old next time. The nice farmers gives the 3 year old 2 tomatoes. You both say "Thank You." Next you go to buy some nectarines. As you are paying the 3 year old asks "momma I want a peach." Big sign. You explain "we got nectarines this week, we will get peaches next week." Again farmer hands 3 year old a peach. You smile and say "Thank you." As you make it to the last booth and you are paying for your pint of blackberries the 3 year old asks for blueberries. You have given up. You say "if I was buying Strawberries you'd want Raspberries, if I was buying Raspberries you'd want Blackberries, today we are buying Blackberries so you want Blueberries. Next week we will buy Blueberries." Before the nice farmer gives me my change he goes to the truck to get the 3 year old a good pint of Blueberries. You both smile and say "Thank you." As you walk to the truck you murmur spoiled.

This is a true story. These events took place today in Downtown Stockton between 12:30pm and 1 pm. I now have enough fruit to last me weeks!

No Spending For A Year!

First no I am not jumping on board with this. I would never make it a whole year. The people who can do it are dedicated. I have problems getting the whole concept, not the no shopping part but other parts of it.

Yesterday I was at my sister's house and flipped through this months issues of Good Housekeeping, it has a few really good articles in it. One that caught my eye is Could You Survive a Year Without Shopping? Without reading the article my answer is HELL NO! I have cut back but not give up completely. I encourage all of you to go and read the article.

I can get into most of the concept. You are to only purchase edibles and depletables for one year. Okay I get it. Money not spent on "shopping for stuff" is saved or spent on entertainment (vacations too). Okay. Using Freecycle and repurposing things you already have. Got it. Making gifts instead of purchasing THE most expensive, fabulous, new thing on the market. I am still with you. Taking your families old clothes to a consignment shop and using the credit to purchase new to you stuff. Okay, kids grow and need clothes.

Here was where I get hung up, the family of 5 in the article go to the movies more in this year, that could be an easy $80 to $100 dollars. For this family to see a movie in Stockton tickets would be $45.75, if they purchased all 5 a large drink that is another $25. Right there this family is at $70.75 with no popcorn or candy which is okay to purchase since it is edible. Wouldn't it be cheaper to wait for the DVD to come out? Really you buy the movie $20, box of microwave popcorn $4, 12 pack of soda $4 and a candy bar each $5. Grand Total for movie night at home $33. But you can't buy the DVD because your not shopping for a year. WHAT!!! Is it okay to go to Costco and buy the movie passes their at a discounted price? See where I get confused?

Here is my other issue, they switched to using disposable razors (they found under the bathroom sink) cause blades aren't edible or depletable. HUH? Last I checked I CAN use up a Mach 3 razor blade. You know you have used it up when it starts to draw blood. DEPLETABLE!!!

Here's the last issues I will share on this, can you still purchase services? I mean you don't NEED to get your hair and nails done. You could pluck your eyebrows instead of waxing them. Some people who do this say no to luxury services others say they are okay. To big of gray area for me.

Now some of you are trying to figure out how I have cut back. First I have not got any new jewelry this year, with the exception of one small princess cut diamond for Nu Bebe on my add a diamond bracelet. Normally I would have gotten something for Mother's Day and something for my birthday next Monday. Also I have cut way back on fabric, I have purchased 52 yards this year in turn I have used 125 yards. Which means I have used 72 yards more than I have purchased. Instead of buying books on the Tuesday they come out I have been trading some with my sister, no since of both of us buying it. I am even thinking about getting a library card, shh don't tell Heather I don't have one.

So are you going to try not to shop for a year?

Confused...

Everyday we are bombarded with information on conservation. I am confused on what I am supposed to conserve. One minute I am supposed to conserve water. The next minute it is the trees. Not to leave out gas and electricity. Save our Natural Resources. Recycle EVERYTHING! Ride your bike. Take a bus. When is it enough?

Today alone I got an e-mail telling me the benefits of using cloth diapers. REALLY! Give me a break! Okay I understand it takes forever for a Pamper to decompose in the landfill. BUT what about the water I have to use to rinse the cloth diaper in, the spray (that is creating the hole in the ozone) I need to use to sanitized the bucket and my house with, the water to clean the dirty diaper bucket, the gas for the truck to pick up and drop off the cloth diapers and never mind the additional water and chemicals to clean the cloth diaper. What about those resources?

Over the weekend I got my water bill, they so nicely enclosed 5 sheets of paper (I assume the paper came from a tree). A few pages of that was their newsletter on how to conserve water. The man who writes the newsletter (I am assuming it is a man, who is bald and has a beard that makes him look like a ZZ Top reject) states that I need to take a 5 minute shower with a low flow shower head. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! First off I have yet to be able to get all of my hair wet with a low flow shower head in under 5 minutes. In that 5 minutes how am I supposed to wash and condition my hair, wash my body and on a rare occasion shave my legs? See this is how I know a man wrote this. By the way some of his other brilliant tips do full loads of laundry and dishes. No really? I enjoy doing both of those so much I wanted to do it twice. Don't leave the hosing running while you wash the car. If the next newsletter tells me to only flush once a day I will nut up! Maybe I should started peeing on trees, no flushing or watering the tree, two birds one stone?

Now lately their has been a big push on using cloth napkins instead of paper napkins and cloth towels instead of paper towels. I will be saving a tree but what of the water and electricity to keep washing the towels and cloth napkins?

Never mind the electric company. For them I am supposed to cut may usage between peek hours of 2pm and 7pm. Set my thermostat to 82 degrees and 10 degrees higher when I am not home. Buy all new appliances that are energy efficient and pay to have the old ones hauled off, to save money. Re-insulate my entire house and put in new windows, which I am require by the city to find a program to recycle the old stuff.

The garbage company demands that I pay for and use properly 3 garbage cans. One is for actual garbage, one is for recycling as much as I possible can and the last is for green waste. This has also caused me to have neurotic 3 years old who spends too much time sorting her garbage to make sure it is in the right can. God forbid we go somewhere that doesn't recycle.

To top it all off yesterday Costco started having a coupon (printed on paper) for $50 an ECO Composter with base. GREAT! Just what I need. I can recycle more stuff, to make more dirt, to plant stuff that is going to need watered. And I can only buy this online, so that takes electricity to order. Never mind the truck that is going to need fuel to deliver, which the exhaust is helping that hole in the ozone!

For now I am going to conserve my time and energy. I am going to keep driving my Suburban, that way I can financially support 2 gas station employees every month. I will shop at my farmers market with cloth bags, I will be supporting a few migrant workers. AND last but not least I will start wiping my butt with a spotted owl to keep a few loggers working!

The "P" Report...

Delaney enjoyed her camping trip. On the way to Chester Delaney had to Poop. Grandma pulled to the side of the road so she could go in the woods. Delaney refused to get out of the truck. She was "NOT going to POOP in the woods like a dog!"

The Pickles have all sealed. I have 18 jars of Bread & Butter Pickles waiting 3 week in a cool dark place to see how they turned out. I have noticed that the liquid level is going down. Is this normal? Anyone?

The Purse Pattern I got is irritating. I am happy I got it on clearance. I sometimes wonder if people who write Patterns try sewing from their directions. The Pattern does not tell you to make the Pleats on the right side of the fabric. After reading the directions I made my Pleats. THEN I notices the Photo on the next column in italics under the Photo said mark wrong side of fabric. I did it backwards. On top of that there isn't a legend showing what right side, wrong side and interfacing looks like in this Pattern. You are suppose to just know this I guess. I think at $2 for the Pattern I spent $4 too much!

Photo of Liar, Liar Pants On Fire! I love this quilt! I have made 3 rag quilts now and this is the first one for me. Last year I made a rag quilt for a customer, she had cut all of the denim for me. It was 20 squares by 16 squares. To do the math it was 320 squares of denim and 320 of flannel. She was VERY happy with the finished quilt. BUT she had a ton of denim left over. She call me to see if I wanted it. She ended up giving 275 denim squares. Liar, Liar Pants On Fire used only 168 of them. I still have 107 left. Quick tip if you make a rag quilt take it to the laundry mat to wash. The weight can throw the balance off on your washing machine, then you have to pay a repair bill.

I have learned that it takes 3 days to eat a Pint of ice cream when Scott is not here to help. Otherwise a Pint can disappear before the groceries are unloaded and you have a chance to get a spoon!

Attn Quilter and Seamstress'

I am going to share a little advice. I am speaking from experience on this one.

Last weekend I purchased a pattern to make a purse that was put out by a fabric company. I looked at the required fabrics to purchase on the cover and it didn't seem too bad. Lucky for me the store was out of what I needed. I figured I would come back this week after they got shipment. Off I went with my pattern.

I got home opened my pattern and started reading. I discovered a TON of un-needed fabric required for my pattern. The required fabric is a Jelly Roll and 1yard of fabric for the lining and strap. As I read my pattern it ends up that I need 9 strips out of the 40 strip Jelly Roll and I could get away with as little as 2/3 yard for the lining and strap. As I read more I saw the I could use 2 more strips out of the Jelly Roll for the strap and buy only 1/2 yard for the lining.

Fabric companies are in the business to sell fabric, I understand that. When they produce a pattern it is with the mind set to sell the fabric to go with it. They actually give larger numbers on purpose, to sell fabric. In these economic times I am unable to purchase excess fabric for "just in case."

So here is my advice when you purchase a pattern sit and read it through, either at the store or at home. Take out a piece of paper and a pen and start adding up the numbers. See if you REALLY need all of the fabric it says to buy. If I would have purchased the "required fabric" I could have made 2 purses and had half a Jelly Roll left over.

For those wondering I am using scraps from the Bordello Quilt to make the purse today.

Do You Know What This Is?

Besides Delaney eating a cupcake. This is the first photo taken with my new Kodak EasyShare C180 camera! This is a HUGE accomplishment! Never mind the whole I am going to learn how to use the Sony. With no power cord because Scott lost his a stole mine. I have to go to 3 stores to try to buy a new one. Today I took the photo and learned my old EasyShare software is not compatible with the new camera. So that meant finding the new software online and installing it. I am SO NOT a camera or computer person. This one photo has taken over 2 hours to get!

Delaney was busy playing with Polly Pocket, making foam bead necklaces, eating a cupcake and watching TV so she couldn't look at me during this photo. Do you see was is behind Delaney on the back of the chair?

Yep one quarter of Liar, Liar Pants On Fire. It looks like it should be photoed in the next 48 hours.

Monday, Monday

Fill you in on my day. No I didn't learn to use the Sony camera. I have good reason though. The Sony has a special battery in it. You must have the special power cord to charge the special battery. Scott lost the special power cord to his silver Sony. So when he went to Iraq he took the special power cord to MY RED Sony, without telling me. Hence I have no special power cord. I did try to buy a special power cord today. No luck! I did find out I could purchase a Universal Sony battery charger for $41.99 and then I would need to also purchase the adaptor for my battery for an additional $19.99, for a grand total of $61.98. OR I could just buy a new Kodak Easy Share camera for $89.99.

So I bought a new Kodak Easy Share today. Popped the batteries and memory card in and I am good to go. It is very much like my old camera, I don't even need to read the 6 page pamphlet they gave me. As opposed to the 12 page pamphlet and 98 page book the Sony has. We are back in business!

I am still waiting for 1 jar of pickles to seal. If it doesn't seal by morning it will need a water bath. Not bad for the first try at pickles and 18 pints of them to boot.

I did work on the Liar, Liar Pants On Fire quilt. I don't think it will be done tomorrow. I am now hoping for this weekend though. I will not give up! I am very happy with it. I did buy more snuggle flannel for it today. Got it washed and ready to cut.

I also had the pleasure of spending $101 for an oil change. This is what I get for driving a big block engine truck! I do have an 8.1 liter engine, which also means I get 11 miles to the gallon on a good day. In the $101 I also got a $23 air filter. I also learned that 75,000 is considered high mileage at some oil change stations. I told the dude helping me that is crazy since we have a truck with 300,000 mile plus on the original engine.

I rounded out the night by seeing the movie The Proposal. Love it. It has a lot of great people in it, Betty White is the grandma and Craig T Nelson is the dad. Worth going to see.

No one has yet to break into my house to do the dishes. Guess I will do them in the morning.

Determined...

Is the word of the day. I am DETERMINED to tackle a few things.

First I am going to learn how to use my Sony Camera. I have a brand new camera sitting in the box for almost 4 years now. I am DETERMINED to take pictures with it today!

I am also DETERMINED to get everything off the to do list today:

1. Get oil changed in my truck DONE
2. Go to Post Office DONE
3. Back to JoAnn's ( I need another yard of Snuggle Flannel) DONE
4. Make Bread N Butter Pickles DONE waiting for lids to seal 1 didn't seal
5. Finish Liar, Liar Pants On Fire Quilt 3/4 DONE
6. Dishes
7. Learn to use Camera Bought New Camera

No one broke into my house to do the dishes yesterday, so they got moved to today's list. Maybe I will get around to doing them today.

I figured since I worked on UFO's on Saturday and I got so much done I deserved to start a new project! I started Liar, Liar Pants On Fire yesterday. I am DETERMINED to be able to photo and post this finished quilt by Tuesday night. Wish me luck!

Sew Much To Do, Sew Little Time!

I started the day with a small list of things to do. Which included not leaving the house. All of that has now changed! The list is long and I need to go to 6 different places and one is a far drive! Sorta.

So it is now noon and I am thinking I would like a nap, not on the list. So let's make a list:

1. Cut and soak cucumbers for tomorrows pickling DONE
2. Addresses for Kymn and Heather DONE
3. Dishes
4. Clean up Delaney's toys DONE
5. Stash and Scrap blog DONE
6. Target DONE
7. JoAnn's DONE
8. Beverly's DONE
9. Michael's DONE
10. Toys R Us DONE
11. Ralley's DONE
12. Put away Free Sew Stuff DONE
13. Take out trash DONE

I really don't feel like doing any of it! I will update you in a few hours if I do anything.

Yesterday I got to go to my guild's Free Sew. I had a great time and got a lot of progress made! I finished 2 tops, pieced part of a back, I figured out fabric for a friend's Christmas gift, made a quilt block, and looked at fabric to see if I had enough to make what I wanted (I don't). We had tons of food for the potluck. I think everyone had a productive day.

True Story

I am going to share with you a little of my sister's life last night. As she was leaving a School Board meeting last night, 11:20pm, she saw 2 girls by the store. She thought one of them had played ball for my brother in law so she doubled back. By the time she got to the store they were gone. She went looking for them.

She drove north on one of the the roads that lead away from town. After some searching Linda finds the two girls, they were not who she thought they were. Linda pulls over and asked if they needed help. Both girls were on their cell phones. The girls said no a friend was coming to get them as soon as they could get a hold of her. Linda asked how they got out here. The girls were at a Stockton Ports game and had met a girl who told them about a party in Linden. The girl said if they could get a ride out to Linden she could get them a ride to the party. The two girls then met a guy that lived in Valley Springs at the game and he said he would drive them to Linden.

Linda told them she was safe to be with could she take them some where. The one girl said her parents were out of town and she was staying with the other girl. The second girl said she lived all the way in Stockton. Linda said that was fine she could drive to Stockton. They said no. Linda asked if they knew where they were. The one girl used to go to one of the Linden elementary schools and knew some people in the area. Linda said okay would you like to call one of them and they come get you or I take you to them. After a few minutes it ended up that the brother was staying the night with a friend in Linden. Linda knew the mom and drove the girls their. By the time they got to the brother's friends that mom had called the second girls parents to come get both of the girls.

Now let me tell you these girls are 14 years old. Old enough to know not to get into a car with strangers. Old enough to use a cell phone to call their parents for help at midnight. Both girls are lucky that nothing happened to them and that Linda is the one who found them.

Only 20 Shopping Days

Until my birthday! My mom notified me Sunday that I had not posted my birthday wish list yet this year. I am guessing between her, Linda and Scott it made shopping easier. I don't think I am hard to shop for, they do.

According to my mom if I like something I buy it. Well DUH! I will say if I tell you I want something I don't buy it myself. Also if I put it on a list of things I would like to have, I don't buy it. So I really need to pre wash some fabric, the Shout Color Catchers would be nice! Also I just watched Tyler Florence make Coq Au Vin and I want to try it but I don't have a Le Creuset 5 quart Cherry Enameled Over Cast Iron French Oven. HINT! HINT! Also I have been eyeing Vicki Welsh's Stargazer Hand Dyed Fat Quarter Set. They are BEAUTIFUL! I have been wanting them since she opened her shop a few months ago!

I will continue to add to the list for those of you shopping for me. Also I may leave it up for your Christmas shopping also. Yesterday I finished making one gift and purchased gifts for 4 others! I am knocking people off that list too.

Now for those of you wondering how I get it all done, I will tell you about my Glamorous Life today. Between puking and cleaning the living room, I got stuck between the Freezer and Keg-A-Rator in our garage. Now before you even ask, they are both in front of the light switch in the garage and I am 8 months pregnant. After all that Glam Life, I got to make grill cheese and clean the garbage disposal. It doesn't get much better than this!

I am going to sew!

Oh My Stars!

I finished sewing star number 60 this afternoon!!! Yes you read that right. Which meant I promptly pulled out the variegated Red, White & Blue thread and started a new block with white thread. All before hanging the section of the quilt I was working on onto my design wall.

The block I made is for a new group I joined last night, Block Lotto. I have been watching this group for about 5 weeks now and decided to give it a try! So I have made one 6 inch log cabin block. I did the foundation piecing method since it is a small block and I wanted my seams accurate. I am hoping to get 9 blocks done, which will give me 9 chances to win. My first block is blue and orange. The good news is I have to post a picture of my blocks in order to be entered into the Lotto, so you will have pictures this month!

Now that I was able to sew something other than stars I have started putting the middle section of my Stars & Stripe quilt. I am hoping to do borders tomorrow! Then to piece the back and sandwich it by Saturday morning. I really want to be able to quilt this at the free sew!

As for Christmas, I have made the list, inventoried the closet and started with some gift ideas! I feel a little better about it now. I have also figured out what I have on hand to make gifts.

I have to say a BIG "Thank You" to Vicki for the wonderful comment she left yesterday. I read her blog and feel like I get nothing done compared to her. She makes and sells beautiful hand dyed fabrics, her etsy shop. Makes her own lotions, soaps and lip balm. She also long arm quilts, pieces and does cross stitch, I love seeing the progress on her cat! On top of that she blogs way more than I do! Each week she blogs her goals for the next week and what she got done the week before, my favorite is "Field Tripping the Web" which is links to other peoples projects (I hope to make the list one day). I suggest you go over check out her blog and leave her a comment!

Delaney is leaving again Friday for the weekend, I have some big plans! I am thinking of making pickles, haven't tried this before. Going to the free sew Saturday. Cleaning more of Nu Bebe's room.

7 Down 5 To GO!

It's already August 1st! Can you believe it! I can't. This year is flying by. ONLY 145 days until Christmas. Also if you care 23 days until my 35th birthday.

So this past week I have been thinking of what gifts I am giving/making for Christmas this year. I really need to write down a list some where. I have events happening every month until Thanksgiving that will use up a chunk of my time, and I am already behind on making gifts. I haven't even made jelly yet this year! Never mind salsa.

This week I need to concentrate on making my gift giving list. Both for Christmas and Birthdays we have in the next 6 months.

1. Who we are giving to
2. Homemade or store bought
3. Spending limit
4. Supplies on hand and needed to make gifts
5. Start ordering online gifts
6. Inventory Gift closet

Never mind that I still need to figure out our Christmas Cards! I haven't even thought of what colors we are wearing to start looking for paper so I can start the traditional 120 cards made by me! Good thing people enjoy getting our card to see our dog!

And for those wondering I am still sewing stars on my quilt top!