Life Happens At Midnight

I just got a message from a friend asking why I am still up? Life happens at midnight was my answer.

I missed turning off the TV in time, and the Phin and Ferb Christmas Special came on. Delaney has been waiting 2 weeks to see it. It was on at 8pm but she was at a Christmas party with Gram and Papa. When she got home she finished watching another show then it was supposed to be time for bed. I gave in. She didn't get to bed until 11:30pm.

In the mean time I am doing load number 6 of today's laundry. I might as well stay up and get another load in. The one coming out also needs folded. What the heck I am up.

Plus tomorrow is the big day, we are going to Old Sac with friends to ride the Polar Express. I need to get the gifts wrapped that we need to take with us. Also 2 of the kids had birthdays in October and I need to put the finishing touches on their birthday presents. What the heck I am up.

Since we are going to Old Sac, what a perfect place for a toy drop for the Toy Society. Now I just need to make a toy. I think I want to try for making a snowman. I have plenty of time we don't have to leave until 2pm tomorrow. But I have no time in the morning for this. What the heck I am up, I'll do it tonight.

Christmas Giving On A Budget

This year most of us are on a tighter budget than in years past. Which makes our gifting giving a little more creative. I am going to share some ideas for the people on your list and giving to those less fortunate.

First, give a gift to a whole family rather than buying each individual a gift. Give them a family night gift. You can create a gift basket with a movie or game theme. The new Harry Potter movie came out yesterday and is $15 at Target. Combine your movie with a few bags a microwave popcorn, 2 liter of soda and a couple boxes of movie candy (WalGreens has 3 boxes for $3). Package this all up in a plastic bowl you can pick up at a dollar type store. You can keep this gift between $20 and $25. Another idea is a game night, Steals and Deals posted about getting games inexpensive at Kmart this week. Combine a game and junk food and you got a great gift for the whole family.

Another idea is to stretch your baking with gifts to be used when the food is gone. Here is the idea instead of overloading on baking, who really has the time, whip up a few potholders from my tutorial. One yard of fabric will make you 4 potholders and they take no time at all. For those with a little more time and sewing skills make a matching apron. I found this apron in an hour tutorial. It is very cute, I think I am going to try it!

Most of use give to those less fortunate than ourselves at this time of year. The bad news is some of us are close to being less fortunate this year too. So here are a few ways to give to others that wont break the bank. If you usually adopt a family, why not ask a few friends to adopt a family with you. You each buy a gift for a member of the family.

Also the Toy Society has a big Christmas drop each year. All you do is join their group, they e-mail you the link to the letter to print to enclose with your toy, make a toy and drop it for someone to find the weekend before Christmas. ALL of my toys have been made from scraps, with the exception of the felt I bought.

Another idea is make a donate a pillowcase. I know of two different groups doing this. First is Jackie over at Canton Village Quilt Works sent out a call to help donate 2000 pillowcases to the Hole In The Wall Gang. If you are local and would like to send pillowcases to Jackie's group I will be mailing my box by Jan 15th and would love to include yours in the box. So far I have 12 going to Jackie, 6 made by my friend Bonnie and 6 by me. The other group is American Patchwork and Quilting is looking for 1 million pillowcases to be donated, to the cause of your choice. They also have a few different tutorials on how to make different pillowcases. I will also be posting a tutorial in the next 24 hours on how I make mine with no exposed seams, tons of photos.

Here is my last idea, it is for soldiers serving overseas. There is a group in Stockton that sends boxes to soldiers year around. The group is called Packed with Pride. They have a list of items that you can donate that they will ship in the boxes or you can make a monetary donation. Each box that is shipped cost $8.95.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Toy Drop #2

I dropped off a snake at the Downtown Stockton Public Library in the children's section. The library was quiet so it wasn't a problem to find a spot for my snake and take a photo. I had both girls with me, Delaney was busy reading and playing.

This snake is super easy to make and took no time at all. It is leftover strips from my Bento Box quilt pieced together with a white strip on each end. I folded my strip piece in half, I drew a curve on one end and a triangle on the other. (curve for head and triangle for tail) I started sewing at the fold, around the head and down the side. About half way down the side I left an opening for turning and stuffing. I continued down the side, around the tail and to the fold. A little trimming and flip. Next sew on the eyes, stuff and sew hole closed. Mr Snake is done.

I am having a lot of fun with this. This week I am hoping to make a small stock pile of toys for the BIG Christmas toy drop. I have a ladybug, doll and alien cut and ready to sew. The doll and alien are both the Black Apple Doll, the alien was cut out of green fabric and will have small antennas.

Toy Society Drop #1

Today I did my first drop. I have had my toy and camera in my purse but I kept forgetting to leave my toy somewhere.

I made Amy Butler's Bed Bug from her book little stitches for little ones. It is the small ladybug. It fit perfect into a sandwich size ziplock bag.

Daphne provided cover from the street and people while I tied my bag to the bench between JoAnn's and Ross this morning. I got to JoAnn's a little before they opened, so I headed to the bench. By 9:58am the doors opened and our toy was tied off and photoed.

We left the store at 10:20am and the toy was gone. With any luck the person who found it will send an e-mail to the Toy Society saying it was found. My toy should show up on the Toy Society blog this next week. My toy is number 810 on the Toy Society Blog.

Today I am going to make my next toy. Also I need to make a few extras for the weekend before Christmas. The Toy Society does a big Christmas toy drop. My goal is to drop 10 toys that weekend. You don't need to have a blog to be part of this great group.

Lunch With Friends

So what do you get when you have Amy, Anna Maria, Heather, Joel, Kaffe, and Sandi all together? One rockin' Bento Box!

This last August I picked up a yard of Joel Dewberry Lime Wood Grain for $5, yeah you read that right, plus 6 fat quarter pack of a mixture of other designers for only $10. All this fabric has been sitting in a pile waiting. Then I added a few from my own stash and the pile grew.

In October I decide I wanted to make a Bento Box Quilt with it. The only think holding me back was ALL THAT COLOR! It was very over whelming. Yea your still reading Dianah's blog. And I just said I had too much color in a quilt.

I started surfing the web to find directions for a Bento Box quilt. I found a cheater Bento Box, part 1 and part 2. I love how every other strip is White. This was the light bulb moment, I still have some Kona Snow that would be perfect for this. Lunch with Friends was started.

Because I still have a few client commitments for Christmas I am only allowing myself to sew one set of blocks a day. I am making of positive and negative block with same fabrics. Which also means I have two of the same blocks in my quilt.

I currently have enough fabric to make a total of 23 blocks. I either need to find more of one fabric to take me to 24 or buy another quarter yard to take me to 25 blocks. My block size is 15 inches finished. It will be a big throw quilt.

I promise to update with pictures this weekend.

I Have A New Cause!!!

Just what I need right. I think this is so cool.

The Toy Society started in Australia. I found them last year around this time. I thought "WOW that is so cool. I wish people here in the States would do something like that." Then the holidays hit, Scott got the job in Iraq and I found out I was pregnant. I kind of forgot about the Toy Society. Shame on me!

Tonight while looking at a couple of blogs I found them again. I filled out the little application and am patiently waiting to hear what I need to do.

I know I need to make a toy, drop it in a public place, and photo it. But I am sure there is more to it.

My goal is to drop something over Thanksgiving weekend. Anyone going to join me is spreading smiles to random people?

I have heard from the Toy Society, I am in!!! I have printed enought letters and lables for 12 drops. I will be poluting our area with toys soon.

I'm Alive!

So I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I am still here. Scott was home, that is my only excuse.

Scott flew in on the 29th of October and life has been a whirlwind ever since. Friday the 30th he spent with the girls, putting in his new TV and recovering from flying. I was able to go to lunch with my cousin Steve that day. On the 31st we head to Old Sac to go on the Spook-o-Motive Train with friends and trick or treating at night. Monday the 2nd was dinner at Lodi Feed N Fuel with 13 friends that wanted to join us for dinner. We had a great time and saw many long time friends. Tuesday was spent to repairs in the back yard. I lost 6 feet of fencing in the last storm and found out that part of the rain gutters were pulling away from the house. Also Scott replace the rails to Delaney's bed that broke awhile back. Thursday the 5th we went to Modesto to drop off a quilt, look for boots and Delaney got carsick before we made it to the water mall.

The second week of his trip was much like the first, CRAZY! Friday the 6th was breakfast at Chuck's, shopping for clothes for family photos, shopping at Ikea and dinner in downtown Sac with more friends. Saturday was up early for photos at Delta College, THANK YOU H for getting us in!, more shopping, me having coffee with Kymn and Scott taking the kids to see his parents. Sunday we went to church for the primary program, then we did some Christmas shopping and ended the day at my parents with Thanksgiving dinner. That night the guys did get my new to me dryer installed, finally! Monday we left for VACATION! We spent the night at our timeshare in Windsor. We had dinner at Johnny Garlics in Santa Rosa and it was amazing, also Scott and Delaney went into the night time pool, hot tub. Tuesday we made the trek to Bodega Bay for Delaney to play in the ocean. Me and Daphne stayed in the car, Delaney and Scott played in the water, it was way cold! We did make the trip back to downtown Santa Rosa to go to the quilted Vine quilt shop, Fabric is running $11 a yard! Which really limited how little I bought, 2.5 yards was $30 with taxes. Wednesday the 11th was spent finishing things around the house, putting up the Christmas tree, and getting out ALL the Christmas decorations.

Today the visit was over. We took Scott back to SFO for him to fly to Dubai and tomorrow he will go to Iraq. His next trip should be in late February.

I have some photos, quilting up dates and an Etsy shop update that will be happening in the next 7 days. So come back soon! Also I am getting the house ready for a dinner party next week. Come back for some sneak peeks.