2012 *goals*

Ready or not, here comes 2012.  I think I'm ready!  I am looking forward to a new year, a clean slate, and new adventures ahead.  I am so thankful that my hubby has moved back home for good (job related) and we are putting life back together again. 

My goals are simple and reasonable this year:

1. Finish some UFO's in the sewing room!!  I have only one new project in mind to start this year.  More about that later.   Here's a work in progress that I hope will be my first completed project of 2012.

Do you remember all those swap blocks I had from the late 80's and early 90's?  These four I had already set together in the blue fabric a loooong time ago.  I brought it out the other day and added a border , appliqued the center flower, and plan to bind it the same red used in the flower.  This should be a quick finish and I will hang it above my loveseat in the livingroom. 

Livingroom.... That's a big part of my 2012 goals.  With hubby moving back in and all the kids moved out, my house is a mess and very 'undecorated'.  I plan to make my house 'my own' in 2012.  I'm looking forward to a little redecorating. 

I will continue with the Block Swap Adventure group.  This is my December block made by Samantha:

Again, forgive my photography ability; as this picture does not do this block justice.  This is a very very pretty and colorful block.. a perfect addition to the others I have received so far. 

2. We hope to find a church home this year.  Sadly, our church 'fell apart' back in the spring of 2011 and it has been a sad year, as far as church and Christian fellowship goes.  I never thought we would be here again, but we are looking for a new church.  I've done a lot of praying and I know God will lead us to the right church soon.

3. And my other goal is to spend more time with my grandchildren.... yes grandchild'ren'.  Avery is going to have a little brother or sister sometime in July.  We are very excited and I hope to have some fun 'grandma' days.  As a matter of fact, today is a Grandma day with Avery, so I need to get moving.

I hope you all are looking forward to the new year and I hope 2012 brings us all many wonderful memories!!

Christmas in Coyote Country (e book)

I wanted to share with you a sweet little treasure I hope that you will check out for yourself.  It is an e book written by a blogger friend:  Rose Mary at Life in a Cordwood Cabin.

This book is a quick moving 'mystery' from beginning to end and has a touch of romance to go along with it.  It is a good clean book... the best kind!!  It even features an 'alien'.... hee hee!

You can purchase your own copy here at Amazon for just .99 cents.  I know some of you received Kindle readers, etc. for Christmas and this would be a perfect book for you  to read while learning to use your new gadget.  You don't have to have an e reader to read this book ...I don't have one.... mine was sent to my email and I was able to download and read at my leisure on my computer.   I hope you will check it out and then drop by and tell Rose Mary how much you enjoyed it.

Thank you so much Rose Mary for picking me to win my copy from your blog.  I'll be waiting for the next one!

Snowman!

What a cute little snowman block!  I made this one in a hurry as a trial block and  I love him.  I got the pattern from the current issue of Quilt magazine.  The original pattern was used to make a set of winter placemats.  I think these little faces would make a cute little winter quilt.  I will do a couple of things differently in my next blocks, but I still think he is pretty cute.   Easy and fun project!

My! How time flies!

My! How time flies... this Santa pictured below is one that I painted back when all my friends  were painting pecan wood figurines.  I painted several pieces, but this was my favorite, and the only one that I still own.

Santa

I'm glad I put the date on the bottom of Santa... 1994.  That was 17 years ago!!  Where does the time go??? 

You can't really tell from the sideview, but I had written the names of the children in the family on Santa's list.  Most have faded away, but 'Justin' is still very visible.  The reason for that is:  Justin is my sister in law's son.  His was the first and only name on the list when it was first made, as I was going to give this Santa to my SIL as a Christmas gift.  Well, when it was finished, I didn't want to give Santa away, so I kept him and added the names of the others kids in the family to his list, using a different marker.  Those added names have almost faded away, but Justin is still there, as a very bold reminder that this was supposed to be his mom's gift.  :-) 

How do you like the vintage doily underneath Santa?  Not bad for a 25 cent thrift store find, huh?

Merry Christmas....early!

We started our Christmas celebrations with family over the weekend.  This little guy stole the show and we all had a blast.  Truly, it is so much more fun with little ones around. (there will be two new baby faces next Christmas!!!)   To see a few more pic's , go here, to my mom's blog.  Merry Christmas to all!

Bathroom painted

Well, we're almost done sprucing up the little bathroom.

Mom, I laughed at myself for painting the vanity this color.  I remember when I was sooooooooo happy that our family lost the avocado green refrigerator and got a new white one.  Now look what we've done.... changed the white vanity to avocado!  I would have never thought it back then!

Now to  get rid of that ugly gold water faucet!  :o)

Is this what it's like?

Last night when I went to work, I realized I wasn't seeing very well.  Thankfully, I had a pair of reading glasses with me and was able to function.  Eventually, I realized I didn't have my 'bifocal' contact lense on my eye.  Hmmmm.... honest mistake I guess.  (though I was puzzled) After I got home from work, I started checking out my contact situation, trying to figure out how I went to work without my trusty bifocal.  I tried on four different contacts that I already had open and none of them worked.  My first thought was that I had received the wrong contacts when I reordered last week.  Upon further inspection, the only box of contacts I could find was my old box and they weren't bifocals.  hmmm... what did I do with that new box of contacts?  I searched and searched and searched.  The trash was already at the curb for Friday's pickup, but I convinced hubby to retrieve the garbage can for me at 1:30 am.  He and I sat in the garage and dug through baby diapers, coffee grounds, chicken packaging, etc.  (you get the picture), looking for my new box of contacts.  (he was gagging and I was giggling)  Anyway, they were not to be found.  As he took the garbage can back to the curb, I looked in a kitchen drawer, that I had already looked in two times before, and there they were!!!  Am I losing it??

Not only that, I am very clumsy these days.  I tripped over the dachshund on Wednesday, landing flat on my back in the kitchen.  It scared the grandbaby and he cried. I went to visit my daughter last week at her new apartment and fell backwards over her end table when her huge dog jumped up to greet me.  Hubby says I need to exercise to regain strength and balance.  I'm thinking about rejoining Curves next week.  Did I tell you I also hip problems??  How will I ever function at Curves?

Female things are happening and I am very scatter brained these days.  Is this menopause?  Will it get better when menopause is over.... say like .... ten years from now?  Any advice?  Any encouragement?  Wow, who knew things could change so fast?  :o( 

Winner Winner!

The winner of my 21 block giveaway is:  The Mayo Family  Congrats! to you and I hope you will enjoy these blocks.  Email me your address and I'll get these in the mail to you soon!  :o)  :o)

What I did today

I went to the dentist, cleaned the kitchen, played with this little guy,  took a nice nap on the couch, ate leftover veggie soup for supper.   Currently watching ball game with hubby.  It has been a good day.  :o)






***Tomorrow I will draw the lucky winner for my 21 quilt block giveaway.  See post below***

21 quilt blocks *give away*

I've shown you some of these blocks in the past.  These are swap blocks that I received during the 1990's, while swapping with others through classified ads in "Quilt" magazine.  I've held on to these blocks for all these years, thinking that 'one day' I would make them into a quilt.  I don't think that 'one day' will ever come, so if you are interested in becoming the new owner of these blocks, to do with them whatever your little heart desires, leave a comment and I will pick a winner on Wednesday, Oct. 26.   (note: most of these blocks have the maker's signature on them)

Quilt Progress

I completed the quilt top yesterday for "Quilts for Kids".  Next week I plan to baste it, quilt it, and send it back so that some sweet little child (probably a little boy) can enjoy staying warm under it, while he is trying to get well.  My prayers go out to this little fellow and his family.  I truly have enjoyed working on this project.

And then it happened...

Just when we thought hubby wouldn't get to move back home until his retirement, it happened!!  A position opened up in our area which allowed him to transfer home.... just like that!  He found out one day, drove home that night, and has been here ever since.  Yay!  However, we still have this 'little' issue of moving his things from the rental house.  We've been working on that this week and next week we'll be moving our daughter into her own apartment.  Busy?? yes, but I've still managed to sew a little and I even read two books this week (during our travels).  Mom, have you ever read Glenn Beck's "The Christmas Sweater"?  If not, it'll be on its way in the mail to you soon.  A must read!  I also read another  Elm Creek Quilts  this week.  I just love those books!!  Not only are they fun stories, but they actually teach some quilting techniques throughout the stories.  Love them!!!