Put your smile on

I saw this on a friends Facebook wall and loved it....had to share the laugh.
Ignore the lousy job I did of embedding the video from You Tube....it's my first time.   :)

Living My Memories

My Dad's side of the family has owned a camp on Indian Lake in upstate New York for about 100 years.  It started as a hunting cabin.  Not exactly sure when it became the family residence during the summer but I know that's how it was for my Dad growing up.  I was lucky enough to get to go for a vacation most years growing up...though never for an entire summer.  I LOVED my time on the lake.  "Camp", as we have always called it, holds fond memories for me...all happy ones. 

Here is Camp as it was in 1988:

Time stood still on vacation. My brother and I played from the time we woke up to the time we were sent to bed. We played in the woods, swam, canoed, water skied, caught frogs, worked on puzzles, visited at neighboring camps, cards & board games, read in the hammock, fed the chipmunks....so simple but unforgettable.

Me with our dog Charlie out for a canoe ride:

Me water skiing for the first time at age 11....still "got it" many years later as an adult:

My last visit to Camp as a child was at age 14.  My parents divorced and we never went again.  That is until I was married with kids of my own.  1988 was when we had a small family reunion at Camp with my Dad, Edie and my brothers family.   I was thrilled to introduce my kids to what was my favorite place on earth.

Here they enjoy canoeing (same canoe) with their grandparents:

We were able to take them back to Camp two more times after that trip.   Flying across the country was much harder to accomplish than a drive.   Who knows if my grand kids will ever get to go.  I hope so.

For now, hubby and I rent a house on Lake Cavanaugh here in WA and invite our family to come spend time at the lake.  The area is different, the "cabin" is a huge modern home, the lake is more crowded....but the lake is still a lake.  Our grand kids might not get to experience canoe riding on the same lake as their ancestors have but they CAN experience it.   And I get to live my memories all over again.  

A few pics from this years lake visit.

Jenn, Faith and David learning the fine art of summer relaxation:

David and Liam playing with dominoes:

Puzzles...gotta complete a puzzle:

Thank you Lord, for happy memories past, present and future.   :)

30 Years

Then:

Now:

Happy Anniversary to us!!!

Super Easy Receiving Blanket

I put together this cute little blanket in less than an hour.  I already had the pieced top done.  The pattern is for two pieces of flannel so there'd be no piecing involved anyway. 
So nice to have a pattern that is quick and easy. 

Close up of the mitered corners:

Weekend with the Grands

Jenn and the grandsons came over this last weekend.   The weather was nice so we had lots of outdoor time.   Hubby had found a wooden mailbox at Joann's that he painted a few weeks ago.  We thought it'd be fun to put it on our property with "mail" inside for the boys.  We put it in plain sight for this visit but will hide it more as they grow older.

Here it is under the tree...waiting for the boys to collect their mail:

Close up:

This time we put some cars inside.  Who knows what it'll be next time.  
Barely got this picture taken before they were up and running!

They also love playing in the back of the truck. 

And we topped the night off with a marshmallow roast.  :)

Fun visit!

Quilt Closet Organized

I'm one of those people who can't deal with clutter once it happens!  In my head I want everything to be all nice and orderly but in practice....well, you know how it is.   Once my quilt closet got cluttered it became a spot of overwhelmingness (yes, I made that word up!)...so I'd just flip open the curtain and throw in whatever needed to be "put away".   Ugh.   It finally got to a point where I couldn't remember what was in there....and that's bad.  That's when you start re-buying what you already own cuz you forgot you had it....and I didn't want to go there.   It was time to dig in and organize.

Here's my closet before:

And here it is after:

Much better.  :) 

There are shelves off to either side too...and they are all pretty now.    I didn't really purge much but now I know what I have and where it all is.  

Miniature Garden

My step mom makes the cutest miniature gardens that I got to see again when I went to visit in May.   I decided I wanted to make myself one.  So to start I ordered some cute mini garden furniture from here.  Then told my Yaya's & hubby that I wanted related stuff for my birthday....which they lovingly did.    You can see the cute mini garden Miss M made for me at her blog.  

I used what I bought and what I was given to create this:

Aren't those two retro chairs adorable?   Found those on clearance at Lowe's while shopping for the container.   Grand kids just *have* to have them.    :)

Here's a close-up:

Too cute!   I have a few things left over so will be making another one.  I love them.

Blog Comments

Just a quick note for those of you who regularly read and comment on my blog.

I've been getting spam comments for months now and even though I have enabled the word verification, they are continuing.   So now I'm gonna try moderating.  But I'm starting by moderating only comments that come 3 days after I post a blog.   Usually the spam comments come after the blog post has been up a few days.   Hopefully this will work.   If you comment after the 3 day, I will approve you, don't worry.........us bloggers love our comments.   :)

Thanks for your patience.  

Leaf bowl

Yesterday I went to my first MEOW meeting.   :)    Machine Embroiders of Oregon & Washington has a local chapter that meets once a month.   Quilt artist, Cynthia Keim, has been asking me to come join them since I started working at the quilt store.  But their meetings fall on the same day & time as my Red Hat group, so I've not attended.....that is until yesterday!   I decided it was time.   I'm ready to learn new things that go beyond the traditional quilting that I usually do.   We made these little fabric leaf bowls and it was fun!   I'm looking forward to more meetings.....once I figure out how to manage two groups on the same day!

Inspiration

The other day when visiting the grand kids I got some quilt inspiration from a book I was reading to Liam.    Hubby and I love reading to the boys but for some reason this is the first time the illustrations jumped out at me and said "QUILT"!  

(David currently doesn't like his picture taken...this right as he saw me with my camera and seconds before he yelled NO and wiggled off hubby's lap)


            This is the illustration that "talked" to me:

All the insects are singing.  Aren't these grasshoppers cute?   I love the bright colors and the cheerfulness of the picture.

And here's a different illustration that I liked:

I love finding inspiration all around!  If only there were enough time to make all the quilts that I want to make.

Shop Hop Fun

Tink and I got to work together again today at the quilt shop.....that's 3 days in a row!!!   It's the Western Washington Shop Hop....busiest time of year for shops here in our part of the woods.   

I didn't think to take a picture of our shops block (a totally adorable squirrel) because I've been seeing it for months and was more in love with this new beauty:

Barb Schultz of Enchanted Valley Arts designed this little wall hanging for this years shop hop fabrics.  We have a sample in the shop along with the pattern.  So cute.   Since I can't do the hop because of work, this wall hanging will be my memory piece.   

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Hubby brought home this gelato last night and.....oh boy, is it good!    He got it at Central Market.  Not sure what other flavors were there but I will definitely be checking it out.   You should too!!!

By the way, I saw a "Tempt My Tummy Tuesday" post at Kingston Girls blog.  Not sure if she originated it or not but I thought it'd be fun.  

Fabric Fortune Cookies

 I just finished my first "batch" of fabric fortune cookies and they were so easy.  I saw it on a quilting show or magazine or something.....can't remember.   Aren't they cute?     :)

I didn't think to take pics of each step, sorry.   But I got some of it.   First you fuse two 4 inch squares of fabric together.  Then cut them into 3.5 inch circles (I traced around a glass).   

Next you fold them over and fuse the opening closed like this:

Then you put your fingers in each opening and push in the middle to look like this:

I used paper clips to hold the openings together.   Then you brush on a liberal coat of fabric stiffener.   I put a cookie cooling rack into a jelly roll pan and then set each fortune cookie upright (using the paper clip) to drain and dry overnight.  (pic below is before I painted them with the stiffener). 

Afterwards I stuffed them with the "fortunes" I found online.  Mine were quilt quotes --- of course!   :)

Fun project.  

Design Wall Monday - Primavera

This is what was on my design wall this morning.  It's a beautiful applique quilt called "Primavera"....which you can find at Vintage Spools.   I am making changes in some blocks to make the quilt more personal to me.  For example, I had to add my cat Finnian.  :)       I decided to put up all I've made so far and then decide on background fabrics for the rest.   I labeled them and took a picture.....hopefully I won't forget when I prepare new ones to applique.

But, this is what is on my design wall as of this evening:

This is a picture of all the strips I sewed together with my focus fabric below.   I made one strip set which gave me the pieces in the picture above.  

This quilt will be on my design wall for quite a while.....and change a few times.   It takes weeks to play with all the pieces.....what happens if you move this here.....or add this there?   That kind of thing!!!   I'm excited about it, though.   Love this project.  
See other design walls at Judy's site.  Enjoy.

Schnibbles

This is a little quilt I just finished today.  It's a sample for the Kingston Quilt Shop showing some Amy Butler fabrics.   The pattern is from the book "Schnibbles Times Two: Quilts from 5" or 10" Squares" by Carrie Nelson.  Each quilt pattern is done in two sizes....one a full size quilt using the 10" square layer cakes that are so popular now....and one little quilt using the 5" charm packs.  

Poo-Pourri

Seriously?   

I saw this product while shopping and had to look twice before I realized what it really was.    
Here's an excerpt from their web site explaining the product:
"Our patent pending formula of essential oils control odors by creating a barrier that prevents embarrassing bathroom smells from ever escaping the toilet.   We make sure that the stinky poop smell isn't something you've left behind. So go ahead, let others think your poop doesn't stink - maybe even convince them it smells pretty nice?"

Oh my goodness....I laughed so hard.  

I'm in the camp of "if it sounds too good to be true.....", but maybe you'd like to spend $10 on 2oz of this magic formula to find out?  If so, let me know how it worked.   :)

Young Lovers

I was re-organizing some stuff yesterday and found this photo booth pic of hubby and I from high school.  Pretty sure it was taken in our senior year....so late 1978 or first half of 1979.    Too cute, huh?

Kirigami

Every year hubby and I buy one of those page a day calendars.   This years calendar is "Kirigami" or paper cutting.  It's been lots of fun.  

Instead of throwing them away, we decided to send them to our grandsons and let them do whatever with 'em.   Our daughter has been putting some of them up on their bedroom wall.   It is so dang cute.....I had to share.

Hiking and Circles

I am participating in a photo blog with my Yaya's....the one with weekly themes...I think I've mentioned it before.   Anyway, this week our theme is "Circle".   Hubby and I went for a nice long hike today to enjoy the sunshine.   I decided it would be fun to look for circles while we walked.....and it was!   

Here are a few I found:

Fabric Friday

I haven't had much to blog about lately.  But I have been buying fabric more than usual.........so I have that to show!   :)     This is from Blank Textiles (a company I hadn't heard of).  It's the "Essence" line by designer Karen Combs.   I found it in Houston when I was there.   Lots of great color to add to my stash.