Good news and some crafty goodness

First the GOOD NEWS!!!

I'm 3 centimetres dilated!!!

Yay!

this baby is on it's way soon!

Now, an udate into the crafty goodness around here as this will probably be my last post until after baby #3 joins our family....

I finished my quilt!

and it's at the quilters and I should have it back by the end of the week!

Here is the top:
and here is the backing:

i chose to have it professionally quilted because my hubby wanted it to have a soft cuddly scrunchy look and I can only do straight quilting.

Can't wait to bind it and throw it in the wash!

Pumpkin is attending her first ever real birthday party!

I saw this post on Bridget's blog, Everyday Chaos, in the morning and by the afternoon I had a gift!

Yeah!

It's getting sunny around here and the kids were due for Big Kid sunglasses.

I had seen this idea on Disney's blog (which sadly she is no longer writing)

and bought me some potholders.

Jazzed them up and instant sunglass cases!

and best of all--

No scratched lenses!!

Lastly I bought a pair of jeans for Pumpkin hoping they would fit.

no such luck. too short!

So they instantly

(or should I say after I decided what to do with them)

became some super ruffly and fun capris!
they were so easy and she gets lots of compliments!

So there you have it!

hopefully the next time we talk these 2 will have a new sibling!!

Wish me luck!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was so special for me this year.

It was the first year Hubby really included the kids

in things.

Pumpkin and Bubby made their own cards this year

which I big puffy heart!

Pumpkin had crafts from school that she had made that were wonderful.

Bubby drew snakes in my card-- and I have to say,

even though he's only 2 1/2 you could actually

say they were snakes :)

Then Hubby took them to buy mommy a special book.

A special book from my favourite used bookstore!

I just love Sophie Kinsella and have the rest of the series except this first one.

Pumpkin said they even got to pay and you could tell that that was a big deal to her.

Then there was the big gift which daddy clearly got in on but I don't mind...

no don't mind at all!

Pedicures are one of my favourite luxuries and he knows it!

Especially when I'm prego.

Not bad eh?

(yes. my feet are small)

The nail colour is "I'm not really a waitress" by OPI.

I wore it on our wedding day.

Hubby bought me a bottle of it on our honeymoon.

Love this colour.

so....

I didn't get a new mousepad...

but I got something so much more...

My family.

ahem...

THIS

is my mouse pad...

It has seen some serious use.

Bubby got ahold of the tape the other day and tried to fix it for mommy.

bless his 2 year old heart!

I whispered in his ear that maybe he should get mommy a new one for mother's day...

I guess we'll see tomorrow!

Happy Mother's Day!

the DIY Dish inspires me!

Have you seen this?
the DIY Dish?

quirky, fun.
Love the Kris and Kim team effort!

After watching this video...

go ahead and click on it....
I'll wait--it's a good one :)


wasn't it good?
I was inspired around the 14:40 mark, especially.
I needed an embellishment for a gift I'd wrapped for a bridal shower.

I had to leave at 7:25pm.

It was 5:30pm.
Hubby would be home in 15 mins

and then dinner, kids baths, bedtime and out the door.

I had to think quick.

there was no time for lollygagging

(my Nana used to say that!)

the part about the flowers in the 2 minute countdown of the DIY Dish segment popped into my head.
and in 5 minutes....
I had this!

Even with children hanging off my limbs!

Fabulous!
Fun!
Easy and QUICK!

and a bit of a show stopper!

Thanks Kris and Kim :)

Isn't she a beaut?

We bought our pumpkin a sewing machine for Christmas.

She's 5 and has a real interest in craft and sewing.

She has been using my sewing machine off and on

with LOTS of supervision!!!

Not really for her safety, sadly,

but more for the safety of MY machine!

After reading this post

I was convinced that I too wanted my daughter to enjoy the creative journey

and craft and sew side by side.

This machine is seriously basic.

Just straight stitch and reverse.

but she's loving it!

So far she's made a drawstring bag

which she promptly took to school before I could get a pic....

now I'm stumped...

what's next?

Any good sewing project ideas for a 5 year old?

Dear John...

Do you remember that Christmas?

The one when money was tight for you and mom...

Life had taken ahold of things for a bit and you made lots of sacrifices for us all.

That began your attitude of giving. You were a giver dad.

Not a giver of things

--although you gave to us anything we needed before you gave to yourself.

Your answer was the same every year at Christmas

" I don't want you to buy me anything!"

Of course, we did.

But you gave of your time. You gave of your gifts--your talents.

Your creativity in the kitchen and willingness to serve

--well, anyone who knew you won't forget soon.

We loved those late night shrimp bowls

or the filing cabinet filled with chips and licorice that you kept stocked with Peanut M& M's for mom (her favourite).

** note: most people keep files or paper in their filing cabinets but my parents had a filing cabinet seriously full of junk food.

No really--it's true.

If dad could have afforded a second microwave, he would have put it on top and then not even had to go upstairs to microwave his popcorn :0)

So dad, who could blame me when I wanted to give you your hearts desire one Christmas?

I knew you wanted one.

They were all the rage.

So I saved.

I worked on an extra project and made enough to buy it and some extras.

I wanted to give it to you more than anything.

Not for the look on your face.

Not even for the sheer joy of giving

--but because you deserved it.

And you opened that Black and Decker Breadmaker

and you cried.

Tears of JOY!

I loved you dad and wanted you to know in a way that was more than a hug or a kiss.

In a way that showed I sacrificed for you like you did for us.

You were worth it. And I love you.

Merry Christmas.

Love,

Your Favourite

(and only) Daughter

last minute gifts...

I so see this being a late night tonight....

I'm going to need one of these for a particular little girl's stocking...

and then when I'm done I'm going to send 2 more to the hospital toy drive...

I'd better get crackin'!

Dear Santa,

"I've been awfully good this year..."

Isn't that how everyone starts their letters to you??

It must make you crazy!

okay so here's the truth...

-this year I have spent way too much $$$ on fabric (without my hubby knowing)...

-this year I have spent way too much time on the computer gleaning ideas and not doing anything with them...

-this year I ate most of my kids Halloween candy all by myself and told my husband the kids must have eaten it all...

-this year I dinged the fender on our van because I don't know how to parallell park (I hit a light pole)...

-this year I have lost weight by cutting back on portions and then gained it back by eating those portions I'd missed out on!

So as you can see I don't have a stellar record but I'm hoping if you have time to look at your "B" list, that you'll consider me...

I heard through the grapevine that the Fat Quarter Shop has your direct line so I thought I might have a better shot if I sent my list through them...

Because we all know that they have been really good this year!

It's a small list, really :)

_______________________________________

1. Figgy Pudding

--I'll take anything I can get Santa!

But 2 Jelly rolls and some 1/2 or yard cuts would be GREAT!

I'll make it easy and you can pick--i love it all!

2. Simple Abundance

-- I know it's practically extinct already but Santa, I must have it!!!

2 Jelly rolls and 1/2 or yard cuts in anything I can get would make my Christmas...

I know you're not a miracle worker, but I just had to ask....

3. Winter Parade Bundle

--'nuff said!

4. Authentic Quilt Kit

I know, I know... I sound greedy--and truly Santa, I am!

I'd love it all--but really I just figure by the time you get to me you might be out of something so really I'm just giving you options...

I know you're a busy guy, So Merry Christmas!

Love Kelly

P.S. If my readers were interested in sending you a letter via the Fat Quarter Shop, you wouldn't mind would you?

I didn't think so...

Is it too early?

For CHRISTMAS?

I realize that those of you who live in the U.S. haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet

So you may feel this a little premature...

And there are those of you that sleep when I'm awake

--not that you're nocturnal,

you're just from Down Under

(do you call it the Down Under when you live there?--okay, nevermind)

Anyway,

When do Australians start to decorate?

It's summer isn't it?

Christmas in the summer...

hmmm...

----------------------------------------------------

Well I'm ready now!

I've decided to buy myself a little gift every year that reminds me of my dad.

You know, something to make me feel that he's still a part of it...

Last year I bought one of these brooches from here

in grey of course.

So this year I was stumped.

Until today that is.

I was reading blogs and stumbled across this post from MakeLifeSweet

Okay.

Seriously.

They know they've got my number.

My VISA number, that is!

I couldn't help myself.

I clicked buy before I even looked at the price.

It's a kit to make 2 pillows using some of their new Make Life... fabric

Which in case you didn't know...

I am IN LOVE WITH!

Why do these pillows remind me of my dad?

Well those little words all over the one star...

Make life special

Make life fun

Make life simple

Make life exciting

you get the idea...

Well my dad,

at Christmas (or any occassion really)

would

Make Life...Colourful

He may have worn alot of grey

and enjoyed a grey day

but that man brought colour to the cheeks and a smile to the face of anyone within earshot!

---------------------------------------------------------------

Now....the real question is...

Is it too early to decorate??

Hubby says it is.

I say it isn't!

We argue about it EVERY year!

Apparently my neighbour agrees with me!

I always did like them...

Did you know that the library is a great source of information

as well as inspiration?

Well, I did...but I didn't...

I'd never thought to look in the craft section before

and looky here at what I found:

Material Obsession by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke

so good!

Quilts in the Sun by Kaffe Fassett

Oh my!

I had no idea this would inspire me as much as it did!

Total must read!

Lastly,

Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson

Took this book out because it was pretty.

I had no idea I would actually find so many do-able

and desirable projects inside.

I had to try her bird ornament

and I was really pleased with the outcome...

Giving Julie from djaj-o-blog the credit for inspiring me to

put a bird in my "cage"

this book prompted me to get'r done!

Voila!

Une petit oiseau dans mon cage a oiseau...

um...yeah... that's my francais... :)

So a trip to the library has started me on my Christmas List...

Yeah, I know I can borrow them for free

but now I want' em too!

Bookmark Bliss

Yesterday was Pumpkin's graduation from Preschool.

She seems so BIG.

And capable.

I'll be sad to send her to school next year.

My only solace is that one of my bestest friends will be her teacher.

Whew.

Otherwise, I think I'd have to enroll myself into kindergarten.

I wanted to give Pumpkin's teacher something special.

I mean, handmade.

I'm sure she gets mugs and chocolate.

But who needs more mugs?

unless of course they're vintage or totally cute...

okay so I could have gotten her a set of mugs with red polka dots

and it would have totally rocked....

and look you can get a matching cake or pastry pedestal...

So yummy!

but...I didn't.

Miss H is young and has no children.

She is looking to buy a house

but I didn't want to give her something she would just have to move.

Or maybe not even like.

So I settled on ordering her a PED EGG

(which I know she wants)

and making her a bookmark.

Any excuse to use Amy Butler is a good one!

I was inspired by a couple of different tutorials...

but really wanted to try piecing fabrics together for a scrappy look

and then saw one on Etsy made by

Park City Girl

And a lightbulb went off.

I loved my Amy fabric sooo much that I did

a scrappy patchwork on the front and

then backed it with my fave print.

I really enjoyed making it!

Now I think I need to make more.

Even Hubby wants one.

(not in Amy Butler though)

I think I might make them as gifts for our favourite librarians.

Oh the joy of living small town life!

I had Pumpkin do a tracing paper card

with the words "thank you" on it.

Thank you Miss H.

We had a great year!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

"Beauty comes from within"

"Beauty begins in the heart and lives through the soul"

"What are flabby arms, spreading hips,

and saggy boobs

compared to the beauty of how one lives

each day through the eyes of their children."

"Beauty can be measured by the love in ones heart."

Speaking of beauty...

check this out!

Not only is this fabric beautiful!

It was a GIFT.

The sweetest kind, too...

just because.

Sheridan has become my blogging friend

and an inspiration to me.

If you've never read her blog

Chaletgirl

then you must!

She recently wrote a blog post about BEAUTY.

And wants to off load some sheets to boot!

Sheridan,

thank you for the fabric and your kindness.

In my eyes

you're a

PERFECT 10!

So much to say...so little time

Wow! I have so much to say!

So many thoughts all fighting to get out first.

Well,

Where do I start?

I don't have much time.

It's 9:30am

and the dog has a vet appt. at 10:15am...

so to make this quick,

what first?

Well I was TOTALLY blown away

by the number of comments I received on my Giveaway!

145

Wow!

and I thought no one would like it!

Well THANK- you!!

and you,

and you,

and you too!

And then a wonderful thing happened...

you all know that I am soooo excited about Dana's quilt along.

Well Dana has this suction-y gadget-y thing-y for her straight edge

and I didn't know what it was.
So I asked.

But of course Dana is SOOO busy.

but I knew she'd get back to me sometime.

Well now she doesn't have to!

Because I made a new friend...

yes.

A new quilting friend

(I feel special)

KRISTEN

Hi Kristen--thank you!

She did all this research and finally discovered that the

suction-y cup, gadget-y, thing-y

is called a

GYPSY GRIPPER

you probably knew that,

Right?

Well now I know too.

I'm holding back with my Visa.

The Visa company really likes me!

And we all know how important it is to feel accepted,

but this time I think I'll ask for it for Christmas.

I mean if I BUY everything myself

then what are they going to get me?

hmmm..

I suppose there's always

fabric!

p.s. I know you're all dying to know the winner of Mr Hamburger

but you'll have to wait until after the dog gets dewormed

gross I know!

Have I hinted enough?

My dear babies,

Have I hinted enough to you about what mommy likes?

Have I shared with you exactly what to tell daddy

when he asks you what to get mommy for Mother's Day?

Don't forget to show daddy the card with the phone number for the quilt shop.

(it's on the fridge).

Daddy will need help remembering which one--

maybe this photo will help.

And I'll need the matching mat to go with it.

And if you can persuade daddy to be generous

and overlook my mounting stash in the basement...

maybe just a little bit of this.

but don't push it.

If he looks like he's done then we'll just have to remember...for Christmas.

*wink*