I haven’t forgotten about you guys, I Promise. 

It’s spring break and some unexpected things came up.  They are good, just a bit over whelming and time consuming.  My sister came to visit which I so love.  She wasn’t the overwhelming one.  We sat and eat veggie pizza, cheese cake and movies.  Kicked our feet up while my sister-in-law had my kids for the day.  It was very enjoyable.  The over-whelming part came when my husband said there is a huge chance he is going to be able to put a new roof and fix the upper room on the building, the one I wanted for a studio.  I’ve mentioned this in the past of cleaning and fixing it up.   The thing is, it has to be completely cleaned out to do that.   It was strange as I was just talking about that to Daisy in her spring cleaning post.  I said something about showing pictures of what needs to be spring cleaned at my house, the horrible room up above.   Never thinking just a couple days later, I would seriously be doing it.  So, I asked my sister if she could stay another day to help watch the kids and I worked like mad women showing no mercy. I’ve already hauled a truck load of junk off and my van is filled to the brim ready to head to the Goodwill. This may be my chance, to have a room! My very own room! It is so needed.  I’m no where near done, but a HUGE chunk is gone.  So here goes… the horrible pictures of what having a VERY small house, 3 kids, 11 year of marriage, throw in not the best of organizational skills and no room will get you …… Throw it the storage building. Out of sight, out of mind kind of things.  These are the very before pictures.  Before I even started to clean on it.  I can’t believe I’m doing this, but here goes………….

 

 

Am I taking this sharing thing a bit to far?

Updates on the WIP’s Done and the quilt will have to wait until next week. Your going to laugh when you see how far the quilt has come along.  I’m using a tip I was given from a VERY seasoned quilter, 50 years of quilting and a dear close friend. I also have more lovely fabric from crafters to show. So fun! Now off to spring clean some more.

I am so excited, seriously. Just wiggly all over – can’t sit still excited. Have you seen all the pictures over at Prints & Patterns. It’s “KIds Week”  This is my dream! To be an artist for kids items, paper, totes, toys, bedding would be so so fun, plates and cups, books, dolls.  The list could go on & on. Since 2007 is about sharing for me. I will have to take a few pictures of my ideas. I have been doodling and coming up with ideas for years now. I just love it.

Ok, next post will be the update. I just couldn’t contain myself and had to ”share” this with you. Have a great weekend!!!!!!! 

These are things I have posted about in the past while they were work in progress, just forgot to show the finished work. Bad habit I’m trying to break.

I meant to post more of my finds from this yard sale weekend and here they are many months later.

This was my most exciting find. This huge storage wall. I have no room in my present house for it, but someday I will have a studio and this will be in it. Filled with ribbons and trim, fabrics and papers. The fun stuff.

 

And this pretty aqua pyrex frig set in excellent condition, for next to nothing.

Then we have the post about this little metal chair…….. And here it is.

I had mentioned a few times about my daugher wanting a horse room and I hated to paint over her walls, so we came up with the idea of just painting a horse on the wall. It has a felt mane and tail that is attached with poster puddy so we can change the look of the horse in just a few snips and cuts from the scissors. The color is a little off because the walls are a pink.  I had planned on putting a fence on the bottom. We have some left over fence slats that match her painted fence perfect, how ever I forgot they are treated lumber and have a chemical in them and I don’t want that in the house let alone my girls room, so I need to paint the fence. Sadly this horse has been with out legs for several long months. Lucky for me, he can’t voice it’s opinion or I’d get a ear full. And my daughter is just so glad to have a horse in her room, that she hasn’t said much. This is something I really need to finish.

Ok, I’m feeling so much better but I’m not done. More next time! I’m off to enjoy the sunshine we are having today. Bye-Bye

They other day my daughter was just playing away all by her little lonesome self. She was giggling and talking. I took a quick peek around the corner and this is what I saw. I wish I had sound with this.

I ran and grabbed my camera, as I thought I would take a couple snap shots of her. I don’t have a lot of pics of her because my last camera. I know the old camera story again. It took about 10 snaps just to get a focused one and anyone that has a toddler knows by the 10th shot, they are out there. I pulled back the curtain to see her and take a couple more shots.

She was having a ball. Did she have an imaginary friend?  I had an imaginary friend when I was little. I was the first child, so you got to do what you got to do. It became so serious that my mom had to set a plate for him at dinner, tuck him in at night and when I got a candy bar at the store she had to buy him a candy bar too, that was actually me just out smarting my mom for more candy. Where ever I was, so was Johnny. Then my little brother came along and he started to play with Johnny. When he was at my grandmas, he would ask, “Can I go home and play with Gina and Johnny?” We were 2 peas in a pod. But once my little brother became old enough to really play with me, Johnny slowly faded away.

I wasn’t expecting to see movement. Had her imaginary friend come to life? As I was snapping away. Something popped up among the piggies, dolls, and bears. A dog. That explained all the giggling and laughing.

They are like best buddies. Two onery toddlers. They keep my day a hopping and on the go.

Back next week with some updates, this time it’s not the quilt. Before I move on with it, I need to tie up a few loose ends. The projects are all ready done, been done. I got to thinking about all the things I started to talk about on my blog but never showed the finished part. I had moved on. So a little show and tell. A few hints, doll house chair, yard sale finds, horse room, bib. This year I am wanting to improve my organization, In the house and in the blog, in the mail (if your waiting for a package from me, it’s coming) and in the brain…

 

 

 

 

 

 I started cutting and cutting and the pile grew ……

and Grew ……

and GREW!

And This is just half of what I have cut out.

These blocks were cut from the fabrics given by the generous people out there in blogland. You guys are amazing people! I’m so touch and inspired by this quilt. When I first seen it in the magazine I knew I wanted to make one but I never thought it would turn into something so so so special. ~Pieced together with scraps from crafters around the globe. How wonderful is that! I should change the name from postage stamp quilt into a friendship quilt. I’ll have to do a little googling about quilts, there names and patterns. Wonder if there is a friendship quilt already out there?  Here are a couple of those great people and the wonderful scraps they sent, sweet Teresa. She gave me a wondeful variety of fabrics in every shade and style.

 

There were a lot to choose from but here are just a few of my favorites she sent. Delightful and I can just see the quilt coming to life in this picture. They remind me of vintage feedsack prints. Don’t you think?

And the Lovely Ali’s package of scraps. I hated even untying this beautiful bundle.

And here is what fun it contained. Such yummy prints. There was this really cute fish print that sadly didn’t make in the picture and I didn’t catch it until I upload the pictures.

 

Meet my new pooch.

He has been looking outside a lot, longing and wishing for it to warm up so that we can play fetch, cool swims in the pond and those fun long walks in the woods. I miss those walks myself, as I have gained a few pounds over this winter. I can’t wait to take Ollie to the bike path with me and the kids this summer. It’s one of those simple family pleasures that cost nothing but your time and leave you feeling happy and connected.

It’s sort of become a habit, everynight before bed he will stare outside as the sun goes down.  It first starts with him getting his favorite blankey. Did any of you guys have your favorite blanket or toy that you just had to have and sleepy with?  Then comes scruffy, his well loved chew toy bear. I have been meaning to mind him, but Sammy likes him just the way he is. Well loved.  I was at a craft show once and a little girl was carrying around her toy. You could tell by the worn look it was loved a lot. It was a chenille rabbit. It was the cutest thing. I actually went up to the lady and the little girl and ask to see the toy. I just had to have a closer look at that darling bunny.  I think the little girl who was around 6 or 7 years old was like a proud mommy showing off her precious children.

Once he starts to suck his paw, I pick him up and put him in his crib. My little one sucks her thumb, she has been doing that even before she took her first breath and I have a feeling it’s going to be a hard habit to break. Any advice from someone that has been through this?  I’ve been trying to slowly remove the thumb. If I see her do it through the day I just remind her that she can only do that in her bed. So far she has been ok with that. Just as long as she knows she can do it when she is sleepy. Now trying to stop that may be a whole world in itself.

Finally after a little song, which Sammy really likes. It sounds more like howling and baying and makes him feel right at home amongest wolves. My other children for some reason run at the sound of me breaking out in a song. I inherited my mothers singing talent. My mom was a smart women, when she realized she could not calm her children in the car with a beautiful song or lull-a-bye then to sleep with her voice, she threatened us. Yeap, threatened us.  I can remember going down the road in the car and of course being stuck in a small confined area with a little brother always resorted to fussing. My mom would yell back at us, if you two don’t behave and settle down I will sing to you. Of course we would  both cover our ears and say “NO! We will be good” and before you knew it, we were giggling about the song thing. So mother like daughter, I too threaten my children with the unusal tone and shrills of my loving songs.

 

I can’t wait to show you the next update on the quilt, it’s so exciting but I’m going to leave that for another post.  It will probably be Monday, so till then happy crafting.