I may be inspired...

but man,

am I tired!

I see a quilt though...

this one is going to have to wait until after baby is born but

I've got big plans!

teacher appreciation

Pumpkin has officially finished Senior Kindergarten.

How did this happen?

Where did the time go?

Is it possible that she will be in Grade 1 next year??

Wow!

I just realized that....I'm getting old!

Pumpkin's year was a great one.

She grew in stature, goodness, kindness, mind, body and spirit.

She's made friends that have made a difference in her life and shaped her into a forgiving and caring friend.

She's made mistakes and learned from them.

She's become bigger than life.

I wanted to thank her teacher's in a personal way as they have touched Pumpkin in a personal way on her road to becoming who she is.

They have families they love and enjoy family time with. Just as we do in our home.

So what better thing for them to share with their families than

a Super Sundae in a Jar Party!

Layer a large jar (I used a pickle one)

With all sorts of YUMMY sundae toppings...

Our list included peanuts, M&M's, chocolate caramel balls (Rolo's), mini coloured marshmallows, gummie bears and worms, butterscotch chips, sprinkles, toffee bits (Skor bits), mini oreos/cookies, etc....

I made my favourite homemade hot fudge sauce and gourmet peanut butter sauce.

Used scrapbooking papers and some clipart to decorate the jars...don't forget the Mod Podge!

And...VOILA!

All they have to do is dump the toppings in a bowl and add a spoon for easy sprinkling,

warm up some sundae sauces,

add some ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry and they're set!

I think these gifts were a hit!

Goodbye Senior Kindergarten--

HELLO SUMMER!!!

Happy Father's Day

I wish I could wish my dad a Happy Father's Day,

but I can't.

I do have lots of good memories of him which warm me on days when I feel lonely to talk to him.

And I'm a LOT like him.

in so many ways.

My dad was a ham bone! in a good way!

He was funny and silly and everyone laughed when he was around.

I happen to think I'm just as outgoing as he was

(--except I wear a one piece in the pool)

He LOVED to dance and he was a good dancer!

He and my mom could really dance it up.

Often others would stop dancing just to watch my parents on the dance floor.

my dad used to hold me and dance me around the room

to Kenny Rogers "The Gambler"

When I got older, he'd let me stand on his feet.

I loved dancing with him.

He worked at a hospital where literally it felt like EVERYONE knew who he was.

As a child the most remarkable thing about that to me was

that he cared more and spoke more often

to the "little" people than he did about all the prominent doctors in the world.

He loved the cleaning ladies and cafeteria ladies, the orderlies and his patients.

He chatted them up, knew their names and truly cared about them.

He always remembered little details about them.

I too learned from his example that everyone is important and worthwhile.

No matter their title or place in life.

Daddy was just plain fun!

He was always with us kids.

He didn't just sit around like the other adults.

It always felt like he enjoyed being with us almost more.

He never rushed me.

Or lost his patience.

He truly loved.

I aim to do the same.

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's in your life

living with us and in our hearts.

Dear John...

I really miss being able to talk to you, dad.

So much has been happening in our little family and extended family--sometimes I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Your passing away has saved you the heartache you would be feeling right now surrounding these events--and for that, I am thankful. It is a blessing that everything was good and in its right place when you left this earth.

However, it seems that nothing has been right in me since you have left.
It's hard.
Will it always be this hard?

I'm having baby number 3 and you won't see it.
You won't hold it.
I remember when pumpkin was born and you held her for so long.
You cried when you saw her.
She looked like you.
She was a part of you and your story.

She still loves you and talks about you.
She tells bubby about you.

The other day we were going to the store and bubby didn't want to use the bathroom.
and pumpkin said to him
" you won't remember this, but Papa always said to use the bathroom before leave the house."

well. He did.
Not because mommy said so...
but because the Papa he didn't really know, had said it to his big sissy.

These are the little things that make me cry.
Oh well, life does go on.
And you're still a part of ours.

Love,
Me.

almost...

I almost...

had enough fabric for the backing of my quilt--almost...

I almost...

ordered fabric online

I almost...

spent an hour scouring etsy for the perfect fabric for the back of my quilt

I almost...

paid for shipping to Canada instead of sending it to my mom because I needed it now...

I almost...

had to wait 2 and a half weeks for fabric to arrive

(top fabric: Cotton Blossoms by Bonnie and Camille, bottom fabric: compliments of Fabricland)

I almost...

used my very favourite Full Moon Polkie by Amy Butler

but it didn't feel "right" with the rest of the fabric.

I almost...

walked right past this fabulous brick coloured chicken scratch fabric

I'm so glad I didn't!

I almost...

don't know what I like better...

vertical?

horizontal? either way, (thoughts???)

I almost...
passed up a chance to find this fabric for $3 a metre!

sometimes shopping in Canada for fabric isn't all bad.

(for those that don't know--Fabricland is the Canadian equivalent to JoAnn's fabrics but not quite as good--but it's growing on me!)

***I almost think the word "almost" looks funny to me now that I've written it so many times in this post

there goes the neighbourhood...

We live in a neighbourhood of neatly manicured landscapes.

Everyone mows their lawn,

weeds their flower beds

and waters their impatients.

overnight the neighbourhood seems...

well...

up in arms.

And I can't blame them.

Many of them have lived here

a long long time.

and then this shows up on the neighbours lawn.

yes.

this is a toilet.

and yes.

it does have plants in it.

Impatients actually.

but no one has watered them so

they're not so "standy uppy" at the moment.

ummmm....

what can I say?

it's a toilet planter!

their house is not perfect.

(ours isn't either...shhh)

But they've been working hard on improving it.

hence the toilet.

it came from their bathroom remodel.

Many neighbours wish it had gone to the dump with the rest of the refuse from the reno.

I'm not a fan of it myself.

"Toilet planters" aren't for everybody.

but in their defense....

they always mow their lawn.

a thousand apologies

here they are.

My May blocks for Kathleen.

For the Tethered Threads 2 swap.

Done and dusted.
In the mail.
LATE...

So sorry....

so what happened to me this month??
why the late blocks from a girl who's turnaround record has been pretty good?

ummm...
well when I received the fabrics and directions, I froze.

I found it confusing.

ummm...yeah.
let's remember I'm 34 weeks pregnant.
I have baby brain, people!

so then I didn't have the right fabric in my stash.
so I had to go to the store.
the fabric store 25 minutes away.

this is not normally an issue.
It's normally a joy...

hmmmmm...this month? not so much.

"surely I must have something here..."
nope.

....

so then I equated purchasing the fabric for the block
to finishing the block.

ummm...
note to self:

purchased fabric=UN finished

so this morning
I decided to let it lag no longer.
45 minutes
2 freezies
and a broken seam ripper later

(don't ask-- I didn't even need it for the block!)

ta da!
two blocks finished.

with love, from mom

My mom sends me some of the best emails.

She is a pastor and church humour runs high in her circles
(along with many other types of humour, eh mom?)

My mom is a particularly "punny",
oh, I mean funny, person herself.

here's her latest email:

4 Worms Church Sermon!

For those of you who missed church on Sunday, here is a recap!
Four worms and a lesson to be learned!!!!

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to
his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate jars.

The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.
The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.
The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following
results:

The first worm in alcohol- Dead

The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead

Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead

Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation -
What did you learn from this demonstration???

Maxine was sitting in the back, quickly raised her hand and said,
'As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!'

That pretty much ended the service

ha ha!

Every story has its moral!

thanks for the laugh, Mom!

a little bit of this...

and a little bit of THIS

Oh my!

I love it!

It's called Glitzmas and it's fabulous!

I'm a sucker for Christmas anything and I just think this fabric would

sing with my Michael Miller mirror dots.

I haven't cut into the gold or the moss yet and I think if I could swing $25 bucks out of my hubby I'd be slicing and dicing!

Speaking of slicing and dicing...

here's a yummy pile of Cotton Blossoms fabric by Bonnie and Camille.

I bought this layer cake over a year ago with someone special in mind.

Well she's more special than ever and I've decided to

jump into this fabric with rotary cutter in hand!

I'm basing my quilt on one by Kaffe Fassett in his book

Quilts in the Sun.

It's called Tropical Frothy and it uses half square triangles.

I'm just awaiting the arrival of a bit more fabric so I can move on with it.

Lastly, let me leave you with this pic of my yummy new stash!

Anna Maria Horner's Garden Party!

Heather and I couldn't resist (it wasn't hard to talk her into it!), so we went in on an order together and this is what resulted!

that's 6 yards of fabulous colour!

(the top one I have had for a bit but it matches so well)

Can't wait to cut into it!