Project 6 in 14 -Butterfly Kisses-

Here is the final product of a baby blanket for a SIL due any time now. I call it butterfly kisses. I wanted to do something that wasn't as baby-ish and would work for her as she grows into a toddler. Since it was for a cousin, I got the kids all involved on it. Hunter & Savannah helped determine where each color stripe would go and believe me ... it was an entire afternoon of debating about it all for Hunter. It was really sweet. I LOVE having flannel backing on baby blankets. So many times when I'm at church or out and about, the baby will fall asleep in my arms. And flannel is so soft and warm and it's always nice to lay the baby down on something like that. Usually since it's a nice warm spot they won't wake up for me because of that flannel. I have a couple of baby blankets I was given for Hunter that had flannel or fleece on them and they get the most use because of that. It's nice to have it done and going in the mail. I wouldn't show it usually until she got it but I am 99.99% sure she doesn't read this blog ... so it's all good. :)

Projects 4 &5 in 14 -Blankets-

Ryan is coming back today! YEAH! 14 days is a REALLY long time to be gone ... we did get to see him the whole 36 hours during last weekend ... but it was too short of a visit. The kids have missed him terribly and we are all excited to have Poppa Bear home tonight! And I am REALLY excited for sleeping in tomorrow morning ... ha!Only two more by Tuesday to make my goal! :)

The top blanket and the bottom aren't going to be completely finished by me, but I still count them as individual projects. The bottom one is for my Grandma June to tie up. And then the red bold blanket (on top) is being sent over to the fabulous Miss Mati. Her quilting is absolutely stunning and I am getting an awesome deal from her. Piano lessons for quilting. I think I'm getting the better end of that bargain too! :)

Right now she's working on a blanket for Savannah's birthday that will probably cost me months & months of piano (but it's so worth it!) and then this will be sent over sometime after that. It's for a SIL that's due later this year. At first I thought it would be much too bold, but it really turned out cute and when I saw the pictures of how she painted her boys' rooms I knew that this blanket would have a perfect home with her. But of course ... no close up pictures until after she gets it. ;)

The middle photo is of the project #6. It's a baby blanket for a SIL that is having her first baby. I hope to have it done tomorrow sometime.

Thrifty Thursday - July 24th -

I know the Goodwill can be overpriced, but they tend to always have *something* I need. This week was no exception. I saw this there one time for only $15 (retail $60). I really loved it and didn't get it ... it was new in the box and had all the parts. Don't ask me what I was thinking, I couldn't tell you if I tried. I drove away without it and realized that it was dumb and drove back for it even! But, of course it was gone when I got back ... someone else recognized the AWESOME deal it was. I have been going back again and again to find it ... knowing one day it would be there again. And this time it was ... for $30!!! There was a second one, but it was missing half of the buckets, so I didn't get it. There was some slight damage on the back of the shelves, but it's minimal (and hidden in the back) ... I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! :) Now ... to just find a second one ... lol. ;).

The other item I picked up was a game called Whack-A-Mole. Hunter LOVES it and plays it over & over & over & over again since we picked it up (great entertainment ... for only $2!!!).

It's 'cause I said it out loud ...

You know of Murphy's Law? Well, yeah it's happening over here. I said my goal out-loud ... I should have knocked on wood or something, because just like that! Things started going kooky over here.


My machine broke. I don't know what I did, but I broke it, it's doing this jerking thing and then it freezes up and jams and breaks needles ... it ain't pretty. I thought it must be something that can easily be fixed, right? So I took it to the quilting group today, who all advised taking it to the repair man ... which takes DAYS. With Ryan gone right now this has been my little bit of sanity and enjoyment. The days are kind-of hairy with the kids (we are on day 12 of 14) and then I get my evenings to relax and sew. I could NOT make it the next couple of days alone ... without my machine to keep me company at night. LOL. So, I found an awesome, brand new machine on Craigslist. It cost as much as the repair will ... but it was an instant gratification. And!!! She threw in her walking foot too! :) YEAH!


Then I dropped my cutter on the tile and now it won't rotate and cut anymore. So, I *had* to go buy a new one from Jo-Ann's. It's a nice, big one and I love it ... but unfortunately it meant no sewing for today ... so instead I tied on the strings on the Christmas ornaments (and worked on a super-awesome project that I've been working on for almost a year now) ... project #4 is tomorrow ... as long as something else doesn't go wrong ...

Project 3 in 14 -Embroidery Alphabet-

So St. George didn't happen, but the beach did instead! I'll have to post some photos from our whirlwind trip to California tomorrow. For today though, I finished another project! I got this done, except for the french knots ... which are mentally really difficult for me ... I don't know why. So, I sat down and forced myself keep reading & re-reading the tutorial on-line until ... I got it! :) I was making this originally for my Grandma here in town ... but she told me the other day that she doesn't want any more stuff for her house, so the finished one is now Savannah's and Grandma will get a loaf of bread & freezer jam instead (no clutter there, just yummy goodness!). :)

Project 2 in 14 -Magnet Board-

I should point out, that not all of the projects are monumental ... you know how you buy things or accumulate things from other people and *plan* on doing something with them ... and then never do? Or how you have had ideas linger for months, even years and then you miss the opportunity? So that's the kind of projects (for the most part) I'm hoping to complete.

Like today's finished project ... my poor baby has been miserable & sick (I think it's the air quality ... all the California fires have created HORRIBLE smog here). I have been holding him while he sleeps so he won't gag and cough constantly ... but it meant I needed a simple project for the day, so I could still make that goal. :)

Last week the little characters were 3 for 99 cents at Jo-Ann's. I had seen this darling idea here and shamelessly copied it for my boys room. I already had a large magnetic board (from IKEA), so I just used it ... not quite as cute with a white board ... but still awesome ... and DONE (which means it's perfect)! Hunter has been making up games for us to play with them, and already we've lost a couple of the guys ... but I'm sure they'll turn up as soon as the room is clean. Have a fantastic weekend!

Thrifty Thursday

So I am so excited! Tomorrow we are heading up to St. George to see some completely awesome friends and the thrift stores there are F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!! But first this week's finds ... I love that my kids think it's "normal" to thrift shop, that they feel no sense of shame in saving money ... and that Hunter was so excited to find this ... he BEGGED me to get it, then I saw this for them to try too ... and the best part were these letters ... I am working on gathering up all the letters of the alphabet to make a mural for the boy's room. Which is getting pretty pricey ... so I was thrilled to see these for only 49 cents each!