Awesome Glass Hurricane for $3

I fell in LOVE when I saw this AMAZING tutorial for a Williams Sonoma Glass Hurricane knock off for $3!!! I rushed out to the nearest Dollar Tree and gathered more than enough supplies. I need to get outside and gather more leaves for filler, but you get the idea :) I can't wait to fill the with cranberries for the Christmas Holidays. Hurry and visit Melissa for the great tutorial and get your supplies for a great Thanksgiving centerpiece! All of the glassware and candles were purchased at Dollar Tree. Even the cute little bird tea lite holders.

Oh Christmas Tree

Last year I created this little sweetie for Halloween.

So this year I decided a Christmas cutie was definitely needed, meet Ms. Christmas.

Wow. Time Flies.

I LOVE this time of year! The anticipation of the Holidays is too much to bear sometimes. Here is just a small glimpse of what I have been up to lately. So much to blog. Maybe I can try to be a little more regular with my posts :)

Halloween.

Apple Picking

Craft shows with my sister :)

Thank you to all of you that continue to check in on me :)
I hope to post some fun creations in the next few days.

Final Birthday Celebration

Finally Gina's celebrations are over! She wanted to have a My Little Pony Tea Party. We invited a few of her friends for an intimate little party. There was cupcake decorating, pin the tail on the pony, Pinata bashing, and a candy bar for favors! Playing in Oma's garden was an after party bonus for all the Princes and Princesses!

My sweet sister helping set up the Candy Bar for the party :)

Gina's 6th Birthday!

Yesterday was my sweet little girl's sixth Birthday! I made her this sweet kitty using a Melly & Me pattern! I adore the way it came out.I woke her with a small powdered donut and candle and sang Happy Birthday to her. We shared a few sweet moments before her brother woke.

I decided to give her the kitty before school, her just from mom gift :)

My, all too grown up, baby ready to face her Birthday at school with her new friends!

Crazy Birthday Season

We have officially entered Birthday Season in our family. It started with my cousin, then lovely sister, next my little cousin, then Gina, and finally Me! And really there are more to follow this month too, but we will stop with me for now LOL! I already shared the quilt I made for my Sister. I just LOVE it to pieces :)For my little cousin, Ian, I made a Birthday shirt with the number 12! He LOVED it!

(I am not to sure about this goofy face he is making ;) ).

I am working on some special Melly & Me projects for Gina now. Her Birthday is tomorrow! She is going to be the big 6!!! I can not believe it! Time flies for sure. My birthday is 2 days after hers. Lots of celebrating ahead! I thought I would practice making a Rainbow Cake. It was super easy and so completely yummy! I made the cake according to the box directions, not the diet version (though I could definitely go on a diet LOL)!Here are all of the colors mixed up! Then poured into our star cake pans!And how else would you top a Rainbow cake, but with Rainbow chip icing!!! YUM YUM!

I thought the cake would not be as bright, because my batter looked lighter, but it was soooo bright and deep vivid colors. Everyone LOVED it :)

Finally

I participated in the Old Red Barn Quilt a Long earlier this year, but I couldn't blog about it. I was making my quilt as a Birthday present for my sweet little sister! Well Finally her Birthday has arrived and I can talk about this wonderful quilt a long!

I was so excited to actually make a full size quilt from start to finish! I usually make baby quilts, so this was huge!!! It fit my daughters full size bed. Dana was such a great teacher too! She took us step by step through the process. I will show the quilt finished with binding tomorrow (I still have to upload those pics). I used vintage sheets from my collection and I LOVE the way it all came together! I think I need to make myself one.

*Happy 32nd Birthday to the most wonderful little sister anyone could EVER have! I Love you NEALIE!

First Day of School

Today was Gina's first day of Kindergarten! I was so sad and so happy all at once. I am so proud of how confident and independent she is, I am a little sad she was so happy to go.
*On a sad note the toadstool backpack could not be used. They were supposed to just carry a 2 pocket folder and that fit fine. Well new policy is to carry a three ring binder and it doesn't fit!!! So sad!

Toadstool Backpack

I finished a project from my favorite sewing book! I am so happy with it! Gina picked out the colors and sewed the button on the door. I can not tell you how much I love MELLY and her sweet patterns! This will be Gina's first backpack for her first day of Kindergarten (insert weeping momma here).She thought it would be cute to get a picture of her opening the door :)

Of course Adler loves everything I make ;) He wanted his picture taken too!

Another Sweet Bunny

A great little friend of ours turns 4 this month! What better gift for a cute little mother hen than a bunny and baby bedding! I love using these little quilts to practice my machine quilting. I did some free motion circles and waves on this cutie.

Can You Stand the Cuteness?

I am in LOVE with this little cutie! I went to the Flea Market this weekend and it was PACKED! The weather was super so there were lots of people out just enjoying the day. I had walked the whole place and bought the vintage green and yellow fabric the owl is sitting on, then I found some G.I. Joe guys I knew my nephew would love. I called my sister to meet me and once she arrived I walked the Flea with her again. I had walked passed this little owl and not even noticed him! The guy I bought him from was literally selling what looked like dirty trash out of the back of his beat up pick up truck! He said he had just cleaned the barn out. Well I glanced up at the cab of the truck and on top there sat this beautiful creature! Guess what? He is a bank too, complete with the original stopper! Made in Japan sticker still in tact :) I am in LOVE!!! I think it will sit perched in my sewing space, What should I name him or her?

Eye Spy Swap

For Christmas this year I am going to make my nephew an Eye Spy Quilt! I was super excited when I found this little swap (truth be told I may have had more than enough variety already in my stash ;) ). These are the fabrics I sent to Meredith. I cannot wait to see all of the variety I get back. Then it is off to start another quilt :)

Beautiful July

Nothing crafty to report, I wish there was. I have so many projects going on right now! The weather has been absolutely phenomenal for July! I have been trying to do as many outside things as possible with the kids. The Chihuly Exhibit was at our local Botanical Gardens a few years ago and thankfully a few pieces remain. His work is AWESOME! Get out and enjoy the sunshine :)

Owl Love.

As a child of the 70's I remember the lovely Home Interiors Owl pictures my mom had hanging in our living room. Maybe that is why my sister and I have a love for all things owly now. I found this adorable owl tote pattern on a new to me blog. It is super cute and must be added to my long list of to do's :)

Wonky Stars

I need to give credit where credit is due :) I used this FABULOUS tutorial to create the stars for my Fourth of July quilt! It was super easy and a lot of fun too!

New Fabric.

I love using vintage sheets in my sewing. Occasionally I find a new sheet that I love almost as much as the old ones. I found this bright cheery set at Target on clearance! I have so many ideas flowing. I love the blue and funky flowers. The full size sets were on clearance, not the twin sets. I had to buy two sets because Gina loved them for her bed as well! I am thinking of a twirly skirt set for Gina, possibly a quilt backing, maybe a dress for a Melly & Me bunny. What would you make with this great print?

Well She Finally Came to Her Senses!

My Machine that is. She would not work for me. I tried the new cord and NOTHING! Then I blew on her (dusted her), and begged and pleaded and finally she started up! No light though? Halfway through the line stitching on my quilt the light finally came on!!! Thank you old girl :) We are back in Business!

I was able to finish this July 4th quilt just in time! It is the first quilt I have machine quilted, and the first larger than a baby quilt I have made by myself! I would have never been able to accomplish this without the help and support of the Old Red Barn Quilt Along! Thanks to all of my fellow quilters :)The parade was cancelled this morning because of rain!!! So this new quilted blanket will be perfect to sit on and watch fireworks this evening, weather permitting. I have tossed it in the wash so it will puff all up in time. I can hardly wait!

Thanks again for all of the help and encouragement, and special thanks to Dana for making it all possible!

Happy Independence Day!!!

Was it Jealousy?

I was using my ANCIENT Kenmore to quilt my 4th of July quilt when all of a sudden my trusty Modern (circa 1999) Kenmore won't turn on at all!!! I think she is jealous that the old lady was getting sewing time? I have no idea! But how will I finish everything I need to? Maybe (hopefully) she just needs a new pedal/power cord. I am seriously in tears right now. I would love a new machine, but I have a sick attachment to her. She was my first new to me machine. The old lady is a piece of junk! I don't like her, and was just using her to quilt. She was actually 2 steps from being sent away before I realized I could lower the feed dogs to free motion quilt.

I am going to run and get my sister's power cord (she has the same machine). I hope this works!

4th of July Quilt

Well I am attempting to machine quilt! The only machine I have that I can lower the feed dogs on is this super old Kenmore. I really need a machine upgrade!

It is not going so well. Maybe I will finish this quilt for the 4th next year. I like the loops, and the randomness. This was supposed to be my practice quilt for a bigger project I have going on. I may just have to put the old machine away and break out the quilt frames. Hand quilting is so much more therapeutic, right?

Annie.

Last Thursday, when it was super hot, I took Gina to see the musical Annie. We went to an outdoor amphitheatre. The musical started at 8:oo p.m. and ended at 10:40 p.m. It was 95 degrees still at 10! But it was sooooo much fun!

When the show started Gina decided she wanted to be Annie. Then she leaned over and whispered to me that she likes to sing but just not in front of a lot of people! I bought Gina the movie about a week before we were to see it live, but she said she wanted to be surprised! By the end of the show she was singing loudly right along with the girls (those songs do stick with you LOL).It was so hot the cotton candy got hard before Gina could finish it! We had a wonderful time. As we were leaving Gina took my hand and said I had so much fun spending the evening with you. She is so sweet and I Love her so much (I must remember these times when she is a teen)!

*Thank you Dad and Peggy for the great tickets!