Birthday SOH for Wilma

I'm busy wrapping things up before I go to Charlotte on Wednesday. My biggest fear is leaving DH and DS alone. They assure me that they are capable but I'm still not convinced. We have completely different ideas about what is and isn't clean. For some reason HALF-ASSED keeps coming to mind. HMMMMMMM, I wonder why. LOL.

Anyway, one of the things that I wanted to get done was this heart for Wilma. I realize that I have until the end of June to get it to her but I just couldn't see any sense in waiting. Besides, this heart turned out to be a turning point for me. Wilma had stated that she didn't care for purple or for orange. I'm okay with the orange part but PURPLE!!! OMG, that's my favorite color. Suddenly, I felt disoriented. LOL.

So, I decided if I was going to work out of my comfort zone, I would do something VERY DIFFERENT. Different is good - YES??? Well, that's what I thought at first. And I somehow kept telling myself that even after I pieced and botched the first block (it's in the garbage can, BTW). Okay, round II. Same colors: Black, Tundra, Gold, Black/Gold mix, and Cranberry (crushed velour).

About 2 hours into deciding what to do with it, I decided that my lace was too white. So down stairs I run, open a tea bag, heat it up and toss in the lace. Finished product...not as dark as I would have liked but not WHITE anymore. Okay, making progress.

Seam treatments - blue looks like crap, so does pink, and most of my reds, greens, and yellows. Re-evaluating here (tick-tock, tick-tock). Okay, fine! Let's try some darker colors. I stayed with shades of brown, gold, amber, copper, and muted greens. DUH (and success!!!)











The center, circular piece is a dangely from an earring that I laced with ribbon and decorated with larger green beads. There is a star in the center. I guess since I live in Texas it could stand for the Lone Star State! BTW, this piece I received recently from my good friend Kat along with a whole box full of goodies (thanks again, KAT!). The lace pieces were part of a Lace Buy with Sharon (thanks again, Sharon). And then finally, I attached a copper heart with a key hole in the middle.





Again, there's a spider. I'm still working on perfecting the web. And to a degree...I guess the spiders too. This one has a squarish head. LOL.















I also managed to sneak in some pink glass beads on the right hand side. They actually toned down the gold thread a little. I also added some white beads for contrast in the left hand side (there's a lot of black over there) and on the flared ends of the lace pieces.

In the end, it turned out much, much better than I had expected. I like it! I only hope that Wilma will like it too. I'm also including a litte squishie of goodies for Wilma. Apparently, due to various circumstances, she didn't get all of her birthday squishies in a recent swap.

Well, lots to do....Happy Needling!

A Time For Remembering...

All of those who have served this country. Those who have died. Those who have been injured. And those who have survived. Those families who have been separated from loved ones called to duty. Those who continue to serve, to fight, and to die. And those of us who reap the rewards of FREEDOM every day of our lives. Bless you all.

The School Year is OVER!

I am SOOOOO glad to have this school year behind us. It was really nice to sleep in this morning. For those of you who don't know...our DS cannot seem to get up to an alarm. So either myself or DH have to get up every morning just to make sure he's up. Or get him up if he's not. We have tried everything we can think of and we've had little luck. It's weird but it's a thing. I really worry about what will happen when he goes to college. And especially, when he enters the workforce. YIKES!!!! I'm thinking some sort of clinical trial maybe.

Still and at any rate, now we get to take a breather until August 27th, when it starts again. DS will be a Junior in the fall. And then college is only 2 years away. Have you seen the cost of tuition lately? Ouch!!!! And despite my crabbing, when that time comes I'll be sad to see him go. And NO, I never cried when he went off to kindergarten.

This is our DS 6 months ago. I'm kind of sorry that he cut his hair. I thought he looked just fine with long hair. I guess I just like long hair on a man. When I met my DH he had hair down below his shoulders and wore it in a pony-tail. Now he keeps his short too.

The other picture is about a week old. It's DS clean cut and shaven (LOL) with his girlfriend. Isn't she a doll? She's really very sweet. Very polite and courteous. And she's smart! I'm sure her parents are very proud. Anyway, this is what young love looks like for those of you who might have forgotten. LOL. (Sorry about the photo. Removing the clock was an after-thought.)


Unfortunately they won't be hanging out this first weekend that school's out. DS found himself restricted from using his car because of the events surrounding the BIG dent in his car bumper a couple days ago. I don't even want to go there. Let's just say, "I'M NOT A HAPPY CAMPER!"

Well, 'til next time....

Fairy Tale RR Progress

I've just finished working on Leona'a Wizard of Oz block. It was a bit of a challenge because I've never worked on a block so large. But I did have fun with it. I did more work to it than I have to some of the other blocks because I had a little more time on my hands.



I'm still working on lettering. It's getting easier. I'm still struggling with buttonhole wheels, though.



The "Wicked Witch" photo was found on the Internet, copied to fabric and then attached with ribbon, rick-rack and beads. I wish it had printed a little lighter. Oh well...



How many of you remember the hourglass from the movie? My DH and DS didn't. Obviously, this one is very basic because there was no way I was going to attempt recreating the movie prop, which had dragons for handles. I also used blue sand instead of the red from the movie. I think the mixture of threads and beads makes it look kind of cool. Fluid almost.



At the bottom of the block I added the "Somewhere over the Rainbow", and the rainbow. I chuckle because my cursive is much better than my printing. Another 'lettering' lesson. LOL. And I also know that a rainbow is made up of only 7 colors but after all this is OZ...



Well, I better go get this little beauty into an envelope and on its way. Happy Needling!

Blogging Day!

Gosh, I miss having time to blog. So, today is my designated day to catch up. Hopefully, I won't get a hard time from blogger and I can get through it in a reasonable amount of time. LOL.

Okay....off and running (weeeeee)

Mother's Day
It was great! Even though I still did my typical "MOM" stuff like making huevos rancheros for breakfast, a pork roast for dinner, doing dishes, straightening up, yada, yada, yada, I did take some "ME" time too. I decided to dye my hair again. Up until 2 years ago I had dyed my hair some version of red for the past 20 or so years. I couldn't remember why I quit dying it. That was until I remembered that I hate to touch-up the roots. Oh well....

I also broke down and bought some nail polish. I bought 3 in fact. So....I did my finger and toe nails. Now if I could loose that extra 20 (really 25) pounds, get the extra skin removed from my eyelids, and get into better physical shape I WOULD HAVE IT MADE! LOL. Pretty tall order, though. I better go sit down and think about it. LOL.

Tomorrow DH and DS are taking me to Brennan's for a New Orleans Jazz Brunch (a late Mother's Day gift). I LOVE THIS PLACE! I can hardly wait. Here, go check out the Menu for yourself. It's such a nice place. Valet parking, champagne cocktails, Shrimp Remoulade, Eggs Benedict, Banana's Foster. YUMMY!!!!

Speaking of MOM's Day. My DH gave me the most wonderful present. A plane ticket for my mom to come and visit. I'm so excited. She has never been to our house in the 4 years we've been in Texas. And I haven't made a trip to Phoenix in 2 years. Telephone calls and email only go so far. Now, all I need to do is find some fun stuff for us to do while she's here. I don't get out much!

School is out next week. YAY!!! Monday is my last day of the year for packing a lunch in the morning. And Thursday is my last day for waking up a 16 1/2 year old who can't wake up to an alarm.

I leave for Charlotte, NC on the 30th. I am going to Nationals for the USBC (bowling). I don't expect to win any money but I am looking forward to 5 days with 'the girls.' No cooking, no cleaning, no laundry, no errands....FUN FUN FUN! If anyone reading this post has any ideas about what there is to do, see, etc., I would love to hear from you. I can't seem to get any useful information from the Internet.

Current projects. Well, there's actually only been two. First I made myself a cell phone pouch. The pattern was a no-brainer and it went together 'sew' easy. Even the lining (BONUS). I just love the way it turned out. I have room enough for a pen, ID and credit card, some cash, my phone, and a lipstick.

And I was finally able to use some of the beautiful goodies that I have received in swaps, for MEME's, etc. I have a really tough time deciding what to use since I couldn't use it all! LOL. In the end...this is what I came up with.

The back is brocade and it just shimmers. The photo really doesn't do it justice. Of course, on this particular day, none of the photos I took turned out very well. Oh well.... As for the strap, I decided just to add a place to 'clip' them on. I have a number of different straps and chains, in different lengths. I wanted some flexibility and now I have that. I also needed a place to put my keys (I only carry 2: car and house). Next I'll be working on a beaded key fob.

Second, I made Bella a little cushion for the end table that she won't stay off of. Actually, this project was DH's idea. He had to prod me for awhile but then I caved and made it for her. I've resigned myself to the fact that she is not going to stay off of that table. So, I guess if you can't change something, you can at least protect the furniture. LOL.

And the verdict is....she LOVES IT! You can't see it but there's a strap underneath that velcro's together to keep it taut on the table. And I put a little non-skip shelf liner under it so what when she sees a squirrel and bolts off of the table, she doesn't take the lamp out with her.

BTW, this is what she sees while she's resting on her cushion. There's squirrels out in them thar trees!

Okay, it's time to let her get back to relaxing. LOL.

Lastly, there are the flower beds, an unexpected visitor and a planting experiment. First are a couple of photos of flower beds. I did this as an after thought, and didn't really do a great job with getting photos of the nicer, more colorful areas of the yard. But then again the point is that the weather has been cooler. The humidity has been WAY down, and our foliage is growing nicely. My little rose bush is in full bloom and the Tea Rose that we planted recently has 2 blooms already. Gosh, I hate to think that I might start liking roses. LOL.

We lost one of our established hibiscus from last year's freeze. The other two had to be cut back nearly to the ground but they are leafing out nicely and will be blooming later on this summer. Just for good measure, we planted 4 more of them. Along with a wide variety of other plants/shrubs. As you can see the Hostas and Firebushes are huge. The Day Lillies are blooming nicely and I THINK, the Hardy Lillies will bloom again.

You can just see (if you squint) my favorite yellow tree in the left hand corner of the photo. We're not sure if we will let it reach tree status or not. Maybe just a nice, plump bush would be good. Hmmmm.
This is a Cotton-tail running out of the front yard. When I went out to get the newspaper I never expected to see this little guy. It was munching on some weeds that DH had pulled out and left on the lawn. I went in and out of the house to stare at him for 10 minutes or so. Then when I finally remembered "MY CAMERA" I barely got a snap-shot before it scurried away!

This little beauty will someday be a potato! At least that's what my DH tells me. He grew up on a farm, chose agriculture for his trade, and loves to plant and grow things around the yard. When I described my understanding of a potato plant, he laughed. I won't even offer that version to you. Anyway, this was his "SEE" how it's done to convince me that he knows what he's talking about.

Well, I think I've covered it for now. Thanks for stopping by!

Wishing You All A...

I've Been Tagged...

You know, it's actually quite flattering that someone who you admire and respect would think of you, too. This time it happened twice. Thank you, Pat and Ati.

And even though we 'blog' and share within our groups, I've noticed that few of us really share any secrets or details of our lives. I'm often curious about the persons behind the blogs I read. Not because I'm nosey but because my 'on-line' friends are such a big part of my social circle. Most of it in fact. But we'll get to that later - or maybe not.

I've been reading the "MeMe's" posted around and I've realized that there are some very talented, interesting, caring, and yet very regular women out there who do the best that they can from one day to the next. They deal with households, children, bills, errands, husbands, homework, sickness, pain, and loss. And throughout it all, they do a remarkable job of maintaining a sense of humor and realistically, positive perspective. I applaud you all.

So, this MEME is to list 7 things about yourself, and then pass it off to 7 others. Or some number depending....

It's really difficult to come up with so many things about yourself when it's not new to you. Or when you're, like me, just not very exciting. LOL. But here goes, anyway:

1. I am the oldest of 5, and the only girl. Can you say, "SPOILED?" LOL. I guess I was. Right up until my DH and DS stole my heart and I wanted to give everything to them. Anyway, in the spirit of 'those days' and still maintaining an 'Attitude', I have a shirt that says, "You say SPOILED like it's a bad thing!" My license plate cover reads, "If I don't have it...it's because I don't want it" (that one BTW replaced the original that read, "I want it ALL, and I bet I GET IT!") I have a key ring that reads, "I don't have an Attitude Problem...It's supposed to be this way!" and I have finally changed the saying on my checks from "A woman's place is in control" to "If a MOM can't do it; it can't be done."

2. When I was younger (around 10 or so) I was in to gymnastics. I was limber enough and strong enough then to lock my legs behind my head and walk around on my hands. I could also do the splits standing up. I used to hang out doing that in a doorway while talking on the phone. Now, I have to settle for tying a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. (Still quite a feat, BTW)

3. I never had a Barbie doll. I didn't like Barbie and I still don't.

4. I have more pairs of shoes that I want to admit to but I almost never wear shoes. And if I do, they are usually slip-ons and I only put them on when I have to go into a store or eatery, etc. If I'm not getting out of the car, I'm going barefoot!

5. I'm a coffee snob. I only drink fresh ground and brewed coffee (espresso strength). And always black. I also love iced coffee.

6. I hate ripe bananas. The smell of them makes me gag. If I eat them, they are still fairly green and very firm.

7. I'm an avid reader. I read every night for 1-2 hours. When I travel I take an extra book just in case. I read fantasy and sci-fi, and always in a series of 3-10 books. I'm fascinated with witches, magic, dragons, vampires, and faerie.

Okay, that's it for now. I'm also NOT going to tag 14 people. But I am tagging:
Kathy,
Sweet Pea,
Art Junk Girl,
Connie, and
Susan

And PLEASE anyone who reads this and hasn't been tagged feel free to tag yourself. But be sure to let me know you've done it so that I can come and see!

Do You Really Think It's Free?????

I routinely borrow animations and graphics from "FREE" sites. I always give them credit and a link back in my side bar. But recently a site that I truly enjoy and visit often, Heather's Animations grabbed my attention. She is asking for DONATIONS in order to maintain her site. Apparently, it's very expensive to host an animated graphics site. Especially, one this size.

Well, I sent her a donation not only because I have frequented her site and it was the RIGHT thing to do, but also because I like what she's done and I would like to see her be able to both EAT and MAINTAIN the site.

I don't know if any of you are familiar with her site, or maybe another. But if you borrow from a site, if you enjoy putting goodies on your blog, and you have the good common sense to know IT'S NOT FREE....please consider giving a little help to the maintenance.

Swap Updates

This is the work that I did on Judi's Wizard of Oz block for the Fairy Tale Round Robin in the Crazy4CQ group. I found the Emerald City and Ruby Slippers photo on line and copied it to fabric. The brooms I saw on (and borrowed from) Jo's blog. She had borrowed them from, oddly enough, a Wizard of Oz block she had recently seen.







And this is the May birthday heart for JoAnn for the CQForNewbies (CQN) group's Sharing Our Hearts swap.









Well, that's it for now. Got to go work on some ATC's. Happy Needling!

Spring Fling Block

This block is for the Spring Fling swap with the CQN group.

(click on any of the photos for an enlarged view)


Naked block: The idea behind this swap was to create a block with the look and feel of spring. So, appropriately I added fabric in bright colors with butterflies, flowers and bumble bees. The finished size is 8" square (with unfinished edges). And we are allowed to embellish however we choose.



Center: In the center I added a garden themed siggie which you might recognize from the top of my blog. I copied the photo onto fabric, trimmed around the subject and attached it with ribbon and beads. Don't you think the bow and beads looks like a butterfly? Well, it's supposed to...

At the top of the block I added some ferns (at least they're supposed to be) and some french knots for flower buds.



Corner 1: This piece of lace came from DD. A few months ago I swapped some fabrics for some antique and vintage lace. Isn't this a beautiful piece? At the top of the motif I placed a smiling sun charm. Then glass beads around the center and a purple flower in the center. In keeping with the theme, I added flower charms along the seam above it and a butterfly off to the side.



Corner 2: I chose to add "Spring" to the block. Just for the heck of it. I've been practicing lately with lettering, so I was once again given the opportunity with this block. The bee is supposed to be the dot for the "i" and I was just in the mood for a pink spider. So, there you are!



Corner 3: This was actually a bit of an experiment in seam treatments. I had my Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches by Carole Samples in my lap and I just couldn't resist. I also chose to throw in some black. I think it adds a nice contrast with the white beads. Oh, and of course there is a dragonfly.



Corner 4: And finally, a button and bead trail with a bonnet, rose, ladybug, beads, and of course buttons. Below the lace I added a flip-flop charm.



And here is the finished block. Our co-list mama Lesa is hostessing this swap. And it will go out to her on Monday.











Happy Needling!

On The Road Again!

Sunday DH and I took the motorcycle out. The first time in I don't remember how long. The weather here has been unusually nice and the timing was perfect. We only put on about 100 miles which seems so few when you consider that we (mostly DH) used to put about 10,000 miles a year on the bike. We even got married in July so that we could take a bike trip yearly to celebrate our anniversary. We always had a different destination, usually in mountainous country and would put anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 miles on in 10-14 days. The longest day we ever did was 750 miles. And if that doesn't sound like very many miles to you, try it sometime. You need 'world class buns' to do it. Awe, those were the good old days. LOL

This photo is an older one of DH stopping (in the middle of the road) to take in the beauty of the mountains. I was safely off of the road taking the photo.

Sadly, since we moved to the Houston area we seldom get out on the bike. If it's not the weather, the bugs, the sudden storms; it's the traffic. With 5.8 million people in the Greater Houston Area, people take their lives in their own hands just climbing into a TANK and hitting the roadways. Getting on a motorcycle is just short of suicide! So needless to say, when we ride we stay to country roads, farm to market (FM's) roads, and the like. Luckily it's still very wooded and rural around us, so even though we don't have nice winding, sweeper type roads we can still get away in relatively few miles. Still and at any rate, it was nice to get out for the day together :-)