Did you see it?!?!?

I love, love, loved the last quilt-a-long and it looks like she is at it again! Can't wait to pick up some fat quarters and get started on this! :)

Mother's Day ...

I love, love, love this store! Seriously, the digi-scrappin' world is amazing, but I *heart* her products the most-est! :) I've been in debate mode about Mother's Day/Father's Day things ... mainly because we make so many for each of the grandmas, great-grandma's and even one great-great grandma. So, when I saw this and this ... I knew they'd be PERFECT for both Mother's Day & Father's Day! So fabulous! :)

Not much sewing happening ... BAD, BAD, BAD week with the baby and no sleep. You know it's been a hard week (sleep-wise) when you open your eyes after getting a *decent* night's sleep and your eyes are STILL blood-shot and burning from dryness/exhaustion. **sigh** I miss my sewing machine ... but each time I look at it, seriously I feel like that on-button feels too heavy-duty to even touch. But, I have been busy making recipe cards for a church service auction next month ... here's three of my favorites from this week ...

and then three more macro-shots I uploaded yesterday ...

Deep, Dark Family Secrets ...

Well, kind-of at least. LOL. So, my grandmother makes each of the kids a blanket when they are born. I still have mine and cherish it and my children also have one of their own as well. Right after Colton was born, she became quite ill and still has not even come close to fully recovering from it. But, she at least knows what day it is now (some days). So, she approached me asking for some help pre-making baby blankets for future grand-kids. So, each of the grand-kids without children would at least get one blanket before she passes on. Of course I agreed.

Than I started asking when she'd like to do this, when would she like me to take her to the store to pick fabric, etc.? No, that's not how it works she explained. My Aunt has always just MADE the entire blanket, tied, etc. for her and then given them to Grandma. Who then gives them to us. So, all those cherished blankets from Grandma ... well ... Grandma did sign her name to them. I was ready to roll on the floor laughing at this revelation. That's quite the family secret. LOL.

So I agreed to do the tying (with her though) and then I'll take them home and sew up the edges for her. BUT! If I am making the future grand-baby blankets (about twenty or so ... I think) ... then I'm making some for my future babies and they are going to get darn cute, quilting store quality ones (which of course I am having to buy the fabric for)!

So ... here is a girl one I am making ... just charm squares and then I'm going to go pick up the yard of fabric for the outside to finish it off ... then for the next boy one I found this darling panel at a local quilt store. One of the gals I go to quilting time with gave me her extra fabric (she had also bought this panel), it's more than enough to finish off a baby blanket. I'm going to make one more girl one too ... rather be over-prepared blanket-wise than under. Ryan of course is getting a huge kick out of the blankets "grandma" is making. LOL.

Those are my macro-shots for the last two days ... and here is the 16th ...a yummy asian broccoli coleslaw (so delish!). And the 17th ... I'm on the 6th Mario on the cross-stitch! Can't wait to finish it! :)

Another type of crafting

So I love to scrapbook ... but our budget will not allow the paper stuff ... it barely allows the fabric crafting! LOL. So ... a couple of years ago i really got into digital ... ove doing digital, the fact that I can un-do anything I feel is a "mistake". For Mother's Day this year, I was going to order some of these cute books and use this pre-made kit to make cute books to send to the grandma's. But ... it was almost $50 when I added everything up (5 sets of books, shipping & then printing the actual pages) ... so I scrapped with the pre-made pages instead and now just need to figure out something a little more in-tune with my budget.

Finished Nursing Cover

As if to prove that I do not have enough of a life ... or rather to ignore the fact that my kids are reeking holy havoc on my home while I do this ... lol) a THIRD post for today ... I finished that nursing cover for the baby shower last weekend! HOLY COW! She wanted it longer, larger and I DEFINITELY did that ... it's way too big for me, but hopefully it will work for her. I am not good at going on my own and not following directions ... at least not on something I have absolutely no idea how to make. The fabric is a cute Alexander Henry print I found by chance at Jo-Ann's ... hope she likes it. :)

More Macro Shots ...

April 12th - Look at all those rocks! It took 7 (or was it 8) trips with the van ... my poor dh was definitely feeling sore for a couple days after that. And every time I tried to get a shot of it all, my son had to jump in and show his big muscles ... since he had helped too. LOL. April 13th - Cute little chunkers loves to feed himself.April 14th - She's so cute when she's sleeping ... you'd never realize the complete meltdown that came right before this ...

April 15th - I went to the local DI (thrift store) today and got eight outfits and four extra shirts for the kids. Lots of name brands (Gap, Gymboree, Old Navy, Children's Place & Polo/Ralph Lauren)... and hey! I'm recycling. LOL.

Fun Free Kid Project Tutorials

I seem to have this problem ... I have three kids, and school and a life (some weeks) and as a result, I can never seem to finish anything I ever start ... ugh. And then as I realize the magnitude of my unfinished projects ... I find even more that are just BEGGING me to do them. I think I need to take a break from all craft blogs and just focus on finishing & starting projects. LOL. Here are a couple awesome ones for the kids ...

Superhero Pig - this would make an awesome gift for some of my 5yo son's friends this year!

Maya Wrap - my baby has been going thru a hard little phase lately ... he won't even let me put him down for a bathroom break. Seriously killing me to hold his chunky-self all the time (not that I mind ... just hard on the back) ... this would definitely solve that! :)

Garden Party Apron - Remember the apron I made my daughter? She sitll wears it non-stop ... at least this would add a little more variety to it all and make it so cute with jeans!

Button Flowers - I have no idea what I would need these for ... but they are so deliciously cute they deserve to be made!

Silhouette Plaques - I have been wanting to do these for a while ... they'd be so sweet on a wall in my front room!

Flower Scrunchie - This I have been dying to make for AGES for my daughters' room ... I'm trying to slowly collect a wide assortment of fat quarters for it ... there's a store going out of business in town ... maybe this month I could do it actually!

Hair Bow Designs - I actually have bought the ribbon to finish these ... just need some clips now!

Linus Blankets - I really like the idea of giving back ... these would be a fabulous way to help someone else!

Cozy Hooded Towel - One of my girlfriends is about to have a baby ... this would be so perfect as a gift for her!

Girl Spring Mini Tote - I haven't been able to accumulate enough felt sweaters for this yet ... but I can't wait to make it!

Baby Bunny Quilt - Perfect for my daughter's ever growing doll collection!

All Hearts - this gal is so fantastic & full of great ideas! Can't wait to make this for my daughter's room!

Pom Pom Garland - It is NEVER too early to start planning for Christmas. Never.

And just one more ...

Lidmen - I'm trying to collect enough lids for my son's preschool to make these ... just need about 150 more in the next six weeks ... yikes! ;)

Macro-Shots

Lord knows I would HATE to sign up for something and than completely flake on it ... lol. I finally found my lost camera ... gotta love two years old ... she thought she was the funniest thing on this planet when I finally found it hidden in the back of the van, next to her seat. So ... here is April 7th at a local park here in Las Vegas ...

April 8th - Vegas is definitely in bloom! -

April 9th - So this is what happens when you ask your 5yo to smile ... there is a beautiful boy beneath those scary lookin' eyes. LOL.

April 10th ... my sweet little chunkers ...

April 11th is the most exciting one yet! See all those beautiful rocks? Someone had them in front of their lawn for free! That's not even a fraction of them too. Time to get started creating a backyard!

The biggest project I've been working on is a nursing cover. A gal that I go to church with asked me to make one for her ... but larger to fit her better. I have sewn this dang thing together more times than I care to admit ... and yet it is not finished, not even close. And the baby shower is tomorrow ... that's why at 1 am I still am debating ... sleep or no sleep?

More Macro Shots ...

And I have a few projects SOOOOO close to be done! We had lots of company coming this past weekend ... so now it's time to focus back on the fun craft stuff!

April 4th - feeding the baby -

April 5th - flowers from my daughter's room -

April 6th - FAO Schwartz here in Las Vegas! -

Photo Challenge

See that icon up on the top of the screen? I decided to try and improve my (very lacking) photography skills. The goal is to take photographs using the the little flower thingy (very technical term ... I know) using a macro shot each day. Hope I improve.
My first shot is of the soap the kids were given for Easter from their grandma. I had seen this idea on craft magazine's site but didn't realize what a hit it would be with the kids! They love, love, love washing their hands and are in a race to see which of them gets to "get the duck!". I am totally going to do some more melt n' pour soaps with prizes inside now! :) This second shot is of a special box made for me by my great-great grandmother (who's 103 ... and my COMPLETE inspiration for craftin'!) ... she made it about a year or so ago.

And third (for tomorrow) ... I am collecting lids like crazy for a lidman. I do preschool with some other Moms & I will have the kids for one of the final weeks ... thought they would be fun to make & count and sort lids for! And as soon as my kids aren't all sick than maybe I could get outside and find something EXCITING to take some pics of ...