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Showing posts from 2009

So much to do so little time

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I have been bad in not keeping up with the blog, but so much to do so little time. As the year slowly comes to a end my hands have been busy getting present mapped out, meals planned and schedules to maintain. William is about to start his finals and complete his first semester of college, he has gotten the driving part down and little by little he creeps closer to driving further out of his comfort zone (the freeway). I made my first big girl quilt for my niece a Day of the Dead theme which I gave her November 4th though it had lots of issues she did love it. I also finally got around to making my first pair of PJ's which are comfortable so now it is back to Joann's for more fabric so everyone in the family can be twinkies. This year is a handmade Christmas so I will be living in my craft room until then. Here is a pic of the quilt and PJ's

A place I would love to go someday

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In the early part of the year my hubby was supposed to get his passport for work so that if he had to travel he would be ready. He got everything together to go do it when my car and his truck got broken into, in his truck was all his paperwork, (i.e. social, birth certificate, wallet etc.) needless to say it was crazy for a time. We live in a place where it is not uncommon to not lock doors so the kids that did this hit alot of cars that night the next day they where picked up but they had ditch most of the stuff. So we had to wait 2 months to get his birth certificate since he was born in California, but once it came in they need him to get his passport quick he was heading to Scotland for two weeks. The week before he was to leave we bought my son his first car (a stick) which he didn't know how to drive only to have a few days to teach a left handed, Aspergerian 18 year old who hadn't driven in a year..believe me it didn't go so well. My son was to start his first day o

Dates to remember

I am sorry for being a bad blogger, but life catches up with you and this month I had my hubby go out of country, had a bout with the seasonal blues and projects. Today would have been my father’s 80th birthday with my mother’s following in two weeks I miss them dearly. I wish I would have said it more while you both where here how much I loved you, that you taught me the most important lessons about what true love means, to have a work ethic and above all truth in all things you do. I never appreciated those lesson until I lost you both, but everyday I hear your voices in mine, see your truth in my son and the love you gave in the family. So thank you both and Happy Birthday to you both I miss you.

Heading down the highway

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So today was a momentous occasion in our home, my son got his first car. We promised him we would get him one for graduation and my hubby took the week off to check out cars. Now my hubby is notorious for his careful ways when purchasing a car, he knows what to look for since he has worked on cars most of his life along with working at a paint and body shop in his youth. He is also notorious for purchasing the first car he test drives which in this case became my son's first car, problem is it is a manual which neither my son or I can drive but we will be getting a crash course in this. He theory was since my son like me has a way to go to another planet sometimes that a manual will make sure he has to concentrate on what he is doing, plus it is something everyone needs to know how to do. Last month my son started to complain of extreme pain in his abdomen long story short after Cat Scans, blood work and a few doctor visits we have an appointment to see a gastrointornigist next wee

Through the Looking Glass

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I can't draw this is a fact I have come to accept, my mother's artistic gene left me high and dry. I can doodle weird block head creatures, a wooley bugger or flowers yet true life drawing evade me. There is one thing I could always do as a child that was trace and color. I would spend hours with my coloring books, I had to have 96 crayons because 24 was just not enough (this is still true today)even as an adult I love to grab a coloring book and go to town. Then one day I was surfing the craft blogs to find a article about using watercolor pencils, watercolor paper and tracing to make a colorful piece of art. So I decide to give it a try my first one is still a secret because it is for someone special, but I will share with you the two I did for my niece. She is a great artist she inspires me when we talk everyday on the phone while heading to work, she is a talent not only in art but a beautiful poet and writer. So I did Alice and The Mad Hatter I got the art from Urban Threa

The story of the quilt

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Saturday was the triplets 1st birthday it was the first time I had seen them since they had come home from the hospital. Boy had they grown so much they are the most adorable babies full of looks of wonderment. I have to say they are some of the most content children I have seen they enjoyed being surrounded by people. In my previous update I posted the pictures for the girls quilts which unbeknown to me I did in their colors (Gods work on that one, but I also decided I would tackle a sundress. Now I am still a novice at sewing, but I thought how hard could it be to make a simple sundress I soon learned. I spent a weekend making them only to mess them up I gave up hope that they could be saved until I spoke with my sister. With the help of my sister who taught me the importance of not sewing everything up until you make a facing (which was something new to me), snaps, zipper and such. We spent Friday working on fixing them and I hope they fit them if not I will try again this time with

Look What I Did

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OK I am so happy it came out right. Friends of mine have triplets and it is their first birthday coming up so I decided to try my hand at making them each a quilt along with other stuff. I have made both the girls a doll quilt and will be making the boys tomorrow and will have additional photos of the finished project. It has been so much fun getting back to sewing after my hiatus. So without further ado..... Front of quilt: Back of quilt: Front of other quilt: Back of other quilt: I am also getting to the TUTU's soon

Grandma's Attic

Growing up I lived for the summers it was a time that I was able to go see my grandparents in Shreveport, Louisiana. Both my parents where born and raised in Shreveport it was where Elvis Presley started his career on the Louisiana Hayride, birthplace of Terry Bradshaw and home to the Louisiana Fair. My father told me stories many stories of listening to a young man by the name of Elvis play at on the Louisiana Hayride or why my aunt was a Steelers’ fan because of the hometown boy. This is the place I would visit almost every summer, during the fair and on occasion holidays at the time it was a sleepy city with one college there to me a city with less than 4 million people was sleepy. I still remember packing the station wagon the night before we left to be woken up at 5 in the morning while it was still dark, climbing into the back of the wagon to the comfort of the pallet of blankets awaiting me. There were no such things as potty breaks you if you had to go dad would pull over an

Imagination Station

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I remember as a young girl in the 70’s that we did not have the cool toys they have today. We would spend hours make believe with nothing more than a large refrigerator box, blanket and a picnic basket making it our house, space ship, theater or school. My mother had old school desk that ranged from 2 from the 30’s or 40’s and one that was from the early 60’s I bet they where a garage sale purchase, but I would ask my neighborhood friends over and we would play school. I had a huge playhouse in the backyard with a chalkboard we would keep our school supplies and the library had wonderful book sales that we could get school books. Those where the day that imagination was abundant we had little TV, no computers, and everyone in the neighborhood. I am sadden that there is a whole generation that was left behind when it came to imagination they are the generation that was in dated with x-box, Nintendo, computers, iPods’ etc. I am guilty of this because my son is that geek. We did a lot

Happy 4th

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Sorry been awhile since I updated, but with my arm being shot for over a week I finally have time and both hands to type. I had tendinitis in my rotator cup and with a week of steroids it is back to normal which I am happy about because I don’t know how much longer I could wash my hair with one hand. The heat here is making me crazy we haven’t seen a good rain since May along with over 1 of temps in the 100’s the fourth is going to be hot. So my plans are to spend it with family and friends watching the fireworks from Downtown Houston then spending the rest of the time pool side at my friend’s apartments. My hubby informed me the figs on the tree where ready to be picked and since the bugs are not as bad I needed to pick them. So today I took my blue bucket to pick them to make Fig Jam and Fig and Strawberry Jam this is my first time to make jam so cross my fingers I did it right. I can’t wait for the grapes to ripen so we can make wine also a first for me. Our neighbors where swe

age is a state of mind

Age maybe a state of mind, but most of the time the body is a rebellious teenager. please excuse the all lower caps my arm is in a sling and i am typing with one finger. two days ago my left arm at the shoulder began to hurt like i slept on it wrong, the first night i slept OK, the next morning it was hurting a little more. i took more alieve and Advil then i should have nothing stopped the pain leading me to the 24 hour Walgreen's at midnight. i called the Dr this morning but couldn't get in to see him until Monday. long story short, i went to the emergency clinic near work because of the pain was told it looks like tendinitis or something arthritic. so pain killers, naproxin and a sling i will get some sleep and Monday i will know for sure. my sister always said after 40 you roll down the hill. So i may be off grid for a few days, but with the meds and father's day in the country all will be right in the world.

New Addition to the Family

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From album Meet Marcel a stray that found his way to our house last week. We figure he is around 8 weeks old and he is quite the fun little creature. David said he looked like a mime so I decide his name should be Marcel as in famous mime Marcel Marceau since his paws are all perfectly line up the same. We have decided to add him to our group of toads, slugs, fish and though the other two cats are not quite happy with us soon they will love him as much as we do. This is the first kitten I have every had my father hated cats so I did not grow up with them.

Sorry so late...

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I was lucky enough to participate in a Spring Swap and late in May I received my package from the wonderful Chez Vies in India. Her package was thoughtfully wrapped and when I opened it was floored by what it contained. My hubby was amazed at the beautiful detail in the ribbon embroidery along with the most exquisite ribbons. I have placed it on my wall in the place of honor so that I may look at it for inspiration Thank you again. Sorry I was so late in posting this but now I am able to breath again. Look out for all the WIP because my summer is free.

Looks Like We Made It

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Well he did it he graduated this Saturday and I am one happy mother. I never thought I would become so emotional but there I was crying, screaming and jumping up and down as he stepped across the stage. His class graduated 530 students, poor Will was the next to the last row so we had plenty of time to step out to smoke or bathroom breaks without missing a thing. He walked into the arena looking up trying to find the family I thought only later to find out he was looking for a former Texas A&M player’s jersey. We had to drive 78 miles to get him to Reed Arena in College Station on the A&M campus; they have graduated Tomball Seniors along with Magnolia seniors there forever since we are still considered a small town. He had a great party my beautiful sister used her Cricut to make his decorations (I will take pictures of what we have) making sure that when he arrived at her house that the front yard was full of posters with his pictures on it. She slaved in the kitchen to m

Parents

I am cleaning out my computer and came across these writings I did about my parents. With my son just graduating I thought I would share them both. I will come back later with a story of his graduation and pictures. About my father: He was larger than life to this small girl Looking to the heaven of his eyes Taking his hand letting him lead her to play His voice shook fear through his bones His love was always giving Darkness shrouds the bad Lighting the good that was always there Watching him tenderly kiss mother Slapping her behind just to hear her giggle Love abound in them Lesson taught to her young soul One day the light went out in mother’s eyes Memories of those around her could not be found He slipped farther into the abyss He stood by her side nursing her hoping for a glimpse of her former self The teen-age girl watched love in a different shade Unconditionally he believed she would come back from the darkness Angry rises to the top Angry for the life they would not get to enj

Work in Progress

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I have taken a sabbatical the last week so my projects have been on the back burner. I have so many to start and finish that my summer will be rocking. I have tu-tu to make the tulle is just waiting to done, tons of kids patterns for dresses, pants and hats. I need to work on some baby quilts and other baby theme things. So here is what I have in process right now: This the the quilt top for my mother in law's quilt. I need to tie it and add some details. From goodies Remember the S snake I was working on based on my niece's drawing: From Dairy of an Unconscious Mind Well here he is so far I still need to add his belly, tail and cape From goodies So there you go a update of my slow process, but vacation time is coming so I can open up the windows to let the sun in and sew sew sew.

Pinching Pennies June Cleaver Style

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During these tough economical times I have had to tighten my purse strings. I started to learn how to really use coupons, reward cards, checking out sales ad and traveling back to a time when arm and hammer was all you needed to get everything clean. I was so proud of myself this weekend when I took my coupon organizer, list, and Kroger’s reward card to grocery shop I saved over 30 dollars I was jumping up and down. When we first bought this house I researched online on how to make meal plans, make ahead meals and more, but after awhile it feel to the wayside as life gets in my way, but working in the oil industry has put a quash on that, so it is back to channeling my mother for the way she kept a house with 5 children in line. So I went back to the internet to find the answers to June Cleaverism and found a world of information , so I am please to give you the frugal links that have made my life easier if you have small children there are some great site out there for samples, coup

My Favorite Things and Places

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goodies "> These are a few of my favorite things. I have always been a thrift store freak not just because of the prices but because I love interesting things. Thrift stores are like my carnival I can spend hours digging through all the stuff and when it was just me and my son most of his clothes, toys and shoes came from there. When we moved to Magnolia/Tomball I was so happy they had two thrift stores in town a place on Saturdays I can rummage through I am glad my better half loves to go also. So I have placed a group of some of the finds I have found along with what I have aquired from Freecycle (go to Freecycle.org and look to see what people have in your area.) if you are not familiar with it, it is a place where people are trying to give away stuff they have no use for to keep it out of landfills. Also another place I have found is shopgoodwill.com where goodwills from across the country put stuff on to auction it off like ebay, I have found tons of patterns, s

Crazy Days in my house

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I am sorry for neglecting the blog lately, but with Will’s Prom, Graduation and the party the last few weeks are crazy. So I am playing catch up with everything. I participated in a spring swap at the six o’clock stitch on Friday one of my partners Aunt LoLo at LoLo Crafts package came in the mail it brighten my day, I loved the butterflies. Butterflies for me symbolize my mother’s spirit, every time I see one I think of her. So having these butterflies hanging in my room I feel my mother looking over me. Many thanks for this beautiful creation. This is it: My baby is so grown up last Saturday was his senior prom, he decided to go it alone and meet up with a group of friends. My son being the terribly shy had a hard time with asking someone, but at least he went an had a great time. After the prom they have project prom in which those who sign up for it are bused to a location to be locked in until 5:00 in the morning. They went to Dave and Buster’s they played laser tag, video