What Are You Up To?

Saturday I felt like I drove here, there and everywhere all day long. Just one of those days when things had to get done, kids had to be a few different places and errands had to be taken care of.
Just one of those days! And when I got home, there wasn't an once of energy left for sewing. That sort of bugs me on a Saturday, I feel like I'm "wasting time", but some days other stuff DOES have to get done, and that IS ok!
Now, Sunday was a different story! After that wonderful message I received at church, I came home ready to do some creating. Even though I only have about 4 more log cabin blocks to sew, I just wasn't in the mood. So I turned my attention to a sampler quilt I am starting.
I wanted to use the fabric I received from the 10 inch charm swap and the fat quarter swap over at www.maryjanesfarm.com. I just couldn't see me letting all these beautiful pieces get separated so I decided that a sampler quilt would be just the thing! I have never made any of the blocks involved except for the log cabin block so it has been a fun learning experience. I think it will turn out to be a nice way to remember my farmgirl friends.
I finished the basket block first. I had the pieces cut out already. I don't think it is quite right, because the book mentioned making adjustments for a 12 inch block, but didn't explain the adjustments! I do like how it turned out though.





The next block I made Sunday was a Dolly Madison square. Again, I am not the perfect stitcher, but I love how the colors came out.






I am cutting now for a Flying Geese block. I may get more of that done today, as I am home waiting for the furnace man to come between "10:00 and 1:00"!
Hope all is well for you and yours!
~Blessings

The Father's Heart

Really incredible message today at church. God knew what I needed to hear, and what I have struggled with over and over again in my 34 years. Of course He knew, He made me.
But I seem to forget that.

We had a guest Worship team/Speaker with us today. Isaiah 6 Ministries. Check them out, they are really wonderful; http://www.isaiahsix.com/

Anyhow, after some worship time (time of singing and praising God), and our announcements, the leader of Isaiah 6 ministries spoke. He spoke about true worship to God, about our hearts being right. Our hearts can only be right in pure worship to God when we realize how much He loves us. Realizing God's love for us is an on-going process, partly because His love is so huge it takes a lifetime (and beyond!) to get a grasp of it! and partly because the wounds we suffer in this lifetime often block us from receiving God's love.

I'm terrible at paraphrasing, but the speaker really got to me when he told a story of when he was 6. After a fireworks display, mom thought dad had little guy, dad thought mom had little guy; but little guy was lost in a crowd of people. Scared, alone and afraid no one would come looking for him. A good Samaritan took him to lost and found and his name and whereabouts was announced on the PA system. Meanwhile, dad, who was naturally a quiet, timid man, had been running through the crowd yelling out his son's name, knocking people over trying to find his boy.

He told the story so much better, but his point was that the Biblical description of God is of a God that pursues us, that wants our friendship, relationship, worship much more than we can ever imagine. He loves us. We often perceive God as cold and distant, maybe not realizing we are lost in the crowd. But that is not what the Bible says about Him. He adores US. He is waiting to hear from US.

I don't why, I always get hung up on this, but I do. I was always the scared, shy kid. Panicked that no one would find me, no one would want to find me; the not good enough, smart enough, so why don't I just fade into the background one. But God loves me, and wants to hear from me. When I accept His love, the fears fade. The anxiety I feel over stupid things is gone, because I know Father God has it all under control.

I hope you all have a blessed Sunday!

From the Heart

I just couldn't believe today when I got home from work that their was a package for me from my farmgirl buddy MaryBeth! How exciting! How ironic (she'll see in a day or two!) How fun!! This was a wonderful package, seriously, it brought tears to my eyes. MaryBeth has picked up on my love of books, and I doubt she could have picked two better!
The first is a 1930 copy of New Delineator Recipes. I'll admit, I had to look up the word "delineate". It means to dipict in words, describe. I can't wait to curl up with a hot cuppa tea and see what it will describe to me.
The second book is The Rose Years Little House on Rocky Ridge. I have always wanted to read the Little House books depicting events before and after the Laura years. I have always enjoyed Little House on the Prarie, but for some reason never read the books until I was an adult. Something special about this book besides the fact that it came from MaryBeth is a sticker on the back indicating that it came from the Little House Bookstore in Mansfield, Missouri!
Thank you so much MaryBeth!

It's Friday again. Seems funny after working only two days. We are having my girlfriend from highschool over tonight. We have celebrated Christmas together for years, but this year it just didn't happen; so tonight is our Christmas party. The weather is perfect for it! So much for those forty degree days!
We are just having pizza and wings. Having moved out of town, M can't pass up the opportunity to have pizza from her hometown shop.
Reflecting on it all, it's amazing all the curves and turns our lives have taken since high school. Since I started walking with the Lord, I couldn't be a more different person. God turned my life around! (Thank You!) I know M has thought I was crazy, and now maybe a dowdy homebody; but we still have a love for each other and take the time to get together at least a couple of times a year.
I hope you all have a good weekend. Nothing too busy here. I am getting the rearranging spring cleaning/decorating mood-we'll see where that leads me!
~Blessings

What I Did on My Days Off by Beemoosie!

I've been a good girl doing my housework and especially my LAUNDRY! LOL! I have found a lovely distraction as I fold clothes, watching home movies of my dad's family when he was a child. Oh, the farmlife! The aprons! The real tinsel on the Christmas trees! It's all been fun to watch.
I had 3 days off this week, the sun is out, the snow is melting and I even hear birds!




Worked on projects of course! I am STILL sewing log cabin blocks! I love how they are coming out, just feels like they are multiplying on me!
The other picture is my first made from scratch tea towel. Monday DH came home sick, and crashed on the Family room couch. I couldn't very well keep sewing, so I got out an embroidery pattern I received for Christmas. I copied it onto some muslin and traced a handtowel onto it, cut it out and hemmed it. I have no clue if this is how it's done, but it looks ok to me!


I mentioned before my DH gave me an IPOD shuffle for Christmas. I filled it up fairly quickly, so today I "shuffled" some of the music. I added some Bruce Springsteen, Bob Segar, Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Bing Crosby and Vince Guaraldi. I love my IPod while I am sewing, but couldn't excercise on the tread mill without it!




I started Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice this weekend. I have to admit I have never read anything by Jane Austen before. I have owned a 4 book set by her for years, and never picked them up. I keep seeing her named mentioned in different blogs I enjoy so I decided it's time to getting reading! So far, it's felt like home!



I finally got the nerve up to wrap up that pillow package for little Jared. I am the worst wrapper in the world, bar none! If you have received a wrapped package from me, I am sure you can attest to that. But off today it goes! I have to pick up my daughter from a friend's house later so I will make a Post Office run. Hope the little guy enjoys his pillow!



Now, no peaking, there may be some farmgirl mail going out today!




We had our first 4H meeting Saturday. Ten girls between 11 and 14 and my 12 year old son! It was alot of fun, and crazy too! They voted on officers and choose our club name- The Mocha Moose! I swear, I had nothing to do with the name!

It's been a lovely five day weekend. Hopefully I will get some of these projects done soon and start thinking of some spring things to get started on!

Thanks for the visit!
~
blessings

Blogging Space

Well, today Sue at http://countrypleasures.blogspot.com/ asked to see our blogging space. This is mine at the top of the stairs of our cape cod. There is lots of potential here, just haven't gotten around to finding it yet. We are in our third year at this house and I've painted all the community rooms downstairs, plus my daughter's bedroom. Now I'd like to paint this area a little warmer color and just let my family put their sports memorabilia up. Both kids and DH have trophies of various kinds and plenty of favorite teams and racecar drivers and thought this would be a good room to show them off. I have the rest of the house for my stuff, so I thought that would be fair, right?! So let's keep it going and show off your blogging space!

Happy President's Day

I know not many of you get the goosebumps over President's Day! I am a "history geek" so I kinda like it I must admit. I have even subjected my children to listening James Earl Jones reciting the Gettysburg Address to Aaron Copland's "Fanfare For the Americas".

Torture, I know.

But today we sort of did our own thing, meeting up once in a while to check in on each other. I got up and did much needed housework that was neglected after a week being under the weather. Then I sewed some more log cabin blocks and copied an embroidery pattern onto some muslin for a tea towel. First time I have attemted that so I will let you know how it turns out.
DH came home sick, I think it has to do with some peanut butter I told him not to eat. I should have thrown it out immediately and just saved the lid for my refund, but I didn't think he'd eat it!
Both my kids have friends over, and the girls sound like they are creating something in the kitchen. That is always an adventure.

This is the sort of day I like. Just being home, just being mom!

~Blessings

Longing

My daughter and I were looking through her pictures last night and this one caught my eye. Oh, how green, how lovely! And look! Flowers! I do love the seasons, really I do. But it does not take me long at all to miss spring and summer!
God has His reasons for the seasons,though! And when all else fails me, I'll remember: This too shall pass!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. Saturday will be filled with DD's basketball game. Then my first 4H meeting. I feel totally unprepared! Then Sunday will be church and Daytona 500 day. Yes, I must admit we are race fans, but we are kinda fuddy duddy "old school" fans. Oh, never mind that isn't even worth explaining here! LOL!

~Be Blessed!

Can You Handle the Romance?

I know all you women will be insanely jealous when you see what DH got me for Valentine's day! Please, don't compare your DH or condemn him for the same old flowers and candy...
Here it is...





TWO John Wayne movies and a new DVD player!

And yes, wierd one that I am, I love it!

A Serious Matter

Ok, I have just GOT to know

White socks or Printed?

I love my printed socks, hearts, flowers, holidays, MOOSE, you name it, I've got them! I am just SHOCKED to find out that the ladies at work find my socks a little on the WILD side!
Little ol' me, wild?
My mother thinks I am the most conservative thing in the world! But the women I work with laugh and sigh at my socks as if the thought of even buying them would make them blush!

So I need to know, whites or colors?

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! Just wanted to show off all my farmgirl Valentine's Cards! They were all so wonderful! I decided to take it easy today. I feel better, but my head is still too foggy to sew. So I took down my Christmas cards and decided I would put them and my Valentines into a scrapbook. Wow! I had alot more than I thought, plus sweet notes from many farmgirl friends.
Like I said, I'm still a little foggy, I can't get the scrapbook together the right way! LOL! Maybe Nancy Jo can ride a snowplow over and help me out!

More snow:

More Snowy Pictures!

Snow Day

We by no means have the 7 plus feet of snow that people upstate have, but overnight we got quite a bit. I haven't heard what the "official" measurement is, but we definately got the 6 to 12 inches called for. We are supposed to get at least that much again today!

First things First

I took Sue, at Country Pleasures, challenge to show my work space. I am sure she is waiting breathlessly!
This is our family room. It's actually a three season room on the back of the house. We've been in this house (our first) for a little over 2 years. Being the nature girl that I am I fell in LOVE with this room. The windows look out onto our deep backyard. Our first 2 summers we would put furniture out here, then when the weather turned cold we would head back to the "livingroom".
Last fall I just couldn't do it. I had moved my sewing stuff into the corner of this room, and I wasn't ready to leave it. There is nothing wrong with our "livingroom". It has the nice new furniture, new paint and pictures on the walls. But it just doesn't have the same "feel" as the "family room".Besides, we just love seeing all the critters in the back yard. We see lots of beautiful birds and deer all year round. These past few weeks we have had about 10 deer in the yard every night!
So here is my ragtag room. Just think of me on Sundays when DH is watching sports (which I don't mind) I am usually in my corner trying to make something!

View from sewing area back.

Quickly running out of storage space! My machine on mom's old sewing table. It all does't look like much, but I love having everything right where the family is. I can work whenever the notion strikes!

Card table is currently my work space, and the iron is always ready!

my card baskets on the window ledge filled with Valentines!

Quick Project

We exchange names with my dad's family for all the kids at Christmas. My son drew my cousin's 4 year old boy's name. Jared loves the movie Cars and I found him a great little Tow Mater toy that talks. He was in love with it. I mean, that kid just made my Christmas with his enthusiasm! So for being such a cutie I thought I'd make him his very own Cars pillow.

The envelope pillow is quite easy to make, the pillow forms come in multiple sizes and you can make pillow covers to match any decor or season. They make great gifts too! Here is a link to the directions I use. If you make one, let me know, I'd love to see it!

http://sewing.about.com/od/freeprojects/ht/envelopebkpill.htm?terms=envelope+pillow

Friday Thoughts

Well, it is Friday, and although I did not have to work Monday due to the snow day, the week seemed very long. I think a combination of the bitter, bone-rattling cold and the fact that I wasn't working my normal job this week just plain tuckered me out! But I came home to a package from Crafter's Choice. I belong to this book club and had a number of "bonus points" saved up so I decided to use them and get some books I've had my eye on! Aren't they yummy?! I love books and these all look like winners! The apron book had mixed reviews I think due to the fact that it isn't a "how-to" make apron book, but I checked it out before I bought it and love the style and content of the book. I'm excited to peruse over this weekend.

Speaking of the weekend, I hope to get in some serious sewing time; putting more log cabin blocks together and maybe even starting a sampler quilt I found a pattern for. I think I am going to use the fat quarters and charm squares I received from the MJ swaps and put them into this quilt. So I am itching to at least try one block!
It seems doable this weekend. DD has a basketball game bright and early tomorrow morning. My turn to take her since DH will be at work. Then I MUST get groceries. I didn't last weekend. I protested..."it's TOO cold"! So I stopped into our local expensive store all this week to get us by. I love the thought of sticking to your local stores, but it really is hard to do when it costs twice as much no matter how careful you are. So tomorrow it's REAL grocery shopping. Then I hope to come home to a lovely afternoon of quilt time.
Sunday it will be good to get back to church. I missed last Sunday because the roads were awful. The kids miss it too. They have a great youth group. My Grandma's birthday is next weekend, so I need to figure out where she will be. She has been doing well, just very tired from the rehab. Thank you for your well wishes.
Well, I must head out one more time for today to pick the kids up from school! Have a great weekend!
~Blessings

My dog, Jasmine, obviously gets more enjoyment out of the snow than I do! Top picture she has her head buried, bottom picture she is looking at me. A little dark to see...you just wouldn't catch me doing that!

How Cold IS It?

It's so cold that when I returned to work Tuesday and had to go into the walk-in refridgerator, I thought it was too warm in there. I thought something was wrong and checked the temperature...it was right were it was supposed to be at 40 degrees. It felt like a heat wave in there! THAT'S how cold it is!

Back in Action

It is still blowing and cold here. I wish I could capture just how cold it is in a picture, but I refuse to stay outdoors long enough! I hear it's colder in other parts of the country, and we definitely don't have as much snow as other parts of the state.

Monday our school was closed due to the windchill factor. So I stayed cozy in front of the fire and finished cutting my log cabin quilt strips.

Here are some of the quilt blocks I have put together so far. I think there will be a total of 36.
I missed my camera those two days! I have learned to keep the extra batteries charged!

We take our daughter to a meeting tonight about starting highschool next year; time sure does fly! I hope all of you are warm and safe! I know some of you out there are planning spring gardens all ready!! Can't wait to see those pictures!

~Blessings