Happy Halloween!

I wanted to make a quick post to wish you all a happy Halloween and to share a picture of the finished pincushion kit that Kim gave me.
I got started on this last night and finished it after coming home from a 5th grade Halloween party this morning. I'm still working on getting my blanket stitches a little more even, but I'm really happy with the way that it turned out. If you check the picture of the kit in yesterday's post, you might be able to see that I changed the shape of the acorns a little and added an oak leaft for a more color. I have to admit that this little project was a lot of fun. I think I see more pincushions in my future!

BTW, I took Marcie's suggestion to use lizard litter to fill the inside and in the process discovered that lizard litter does NOT come in small packages. Maybe another reason that I'll be making more pincushions. Either that or I'll have to buy myself a lizard. NOT!

Happy Halloween, Everyone!!!

Goodies and Gifts

I'm going to start out with this picture taken by Blondie. I guess she thought it was pretty funny to see her two parents sitting on the couch connecting with others on the World Wide Web. LOL! I have to admit, though, that I'm become quite connected. I may not have mentioned this before, but last month we got an new cell phone plan with unlimited texting. Up until that point I had always been anti-texting. "Why don't you just dial the number and TALK to someone?!" Well, since then I've become converted.

Last Saturday evening I made some corn chowder for dinner. I knew there was no point of yelling down the stairs to call the girls for dinner when the bedroom door was closed, so instead I sent a text message to Blondie and her friend, K. I though K was going to die laughing! She told me that her mom would NEVER text to call her children to dinner...she'd just yell. I guess she was still laughing about it when she got home, because her mom was telling me about it when we met for bagels on Monday morning! Oh, how times change!

I recently got a bunch of gifts and goodies that I want to share with you.....

I think that a lot of you have seen the Wintergreen pattern designed by Marcie over at Patchalot More. She has a lot of amazing quilt patterns on her website, Patchalot Patterns. Go check them out!!!

Kim sent me this birthday goody. It's a kit for a little acorn pin cushion. Of course, I had to tease her a bit about her do-it-yourself gifts. I would have made a bigger issue of it, but I think I pointed out that the platter in yesterday's blog was a gift from Kim. I didn't have to make that! LOL! Stay tuned...I hope to get this finished by the end of the week.
And these FQs were a sweet gesture from Melanie. I didn't have either of these, which makes them that much sweeter!
There's a funny story behind these Thimbleberries fabrics.....

Remember a few weeks ago when we took the girls to the amusement park? Well, on the way there I started thinking about a quilt shop, Thread of Time, in Centerville, that was right on the way. I don't go there very often because it's over an hours drive away and I have a bunch of other shops that are so much closer. I asked DH if there was a possibility of making a stop there on our way to the park. He turned and gave me THE LOOK, so I dropped it and didn't think anything more of it. Until...DH started to get hungry. He made an exit off the freeway just before the amusement park in search of food. Just off the exit there were only a few fast food restaurants, which weren't too appealing, so we drove up the road a little further. LOOK! There was a deli! That sounded good, so DH pulled into the parking lot. It wasn't until the car was in park that I informed him the quilt shop was in the same strip mall. Needless to say, I asked them to order me a turkey avocado sandwich and I headed into the quilt shop where I found this fabric on sale for $3.50/yd. Obviously, the quilt gods were smiling on me that day!!!
These are a couple of great books by Judy Martin that came in the mail last week. I think that both Eileen and Patty are currently working on patterns from her newest book.
And last, but not least, here is a little quilt top that I'm making from the Fall Back in Time charms by Sandy Gervais for Moda. Looks like I might need to make it a little longer if someone wants to use it while sleeping on the air hockey table! ROFLOL!

Christmas Trees, Pumpkin Cakes and Ed

I finally finished Kim's challenge to make Marcie's Trees on the Table topper. One thing that I learned in the process is that I'm somewhat TriRec ruler challenged! It took several attempts to get everything lined up and sewn correctly so that the tree top came out as a square. Although I used varying sized strips for the tree, I decided to use the 2.5" strips that I already had cut in my green border. I'm really happy with the way this turned out and am eager to get it quilted so that it will be ready to throw on my dining table come December.
Yesterday for dessert I made a batch of mini pumpkin cakes. I got this recipe several years ago at a Main Street Cotton Shop retreat held in Hutchinson, MN. I was so impressed with the delicious treat when I first tasted them and was glad that they handed out the recipe. The ones made for the retreat had a dab of frosting on the top of each cake, but I think it adds an extra touch of something when the frosting is piped on with a large star tip. This recipe makes five dozen mini cakes which, when shared with neighbors, is barely enough to last through the evening! I also discovered that if you send a bunch to the neighbor's home on a pewter plate that I comes back the next night filled with decorated Halloween sugar cookies. How great is that?! BTW, don't you love the acorn and oak leaft platter below? That was a thoughtful gift from Kim which she gave me after I hosted a retreat last fall. MINI PUMPKIN CAKES

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Fill each 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degs. for 15 to 18 mins., until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

OOPS! Marlene and Eileen brought it to my attention that I forgot to include the pumpkin when I first wrote the recipe. Sure wouldn't be pumpkin cakes without the pumpkin, would they?! LOL!

Also...When I made the mini pumpkin cakes on Sunday, I left the oil out all together and they still turned out very moist. Who needs all the calories from a cup of oil?

FROSTING

8 oz. cream cheese
6 Tbs. butter
2 to 2-3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Top each mini cake with a dollop of frosting.

Add a toasted pecan half to the top.

************

On a bit of a sad note...our friend, Ed, who I blogged about last month, passed away on Friday night. We're all so sad at his passing, but know that he's just as busy elsewhere as he was here in our neighborhood. There will be a memorial service on Saturday. DH and I went to visit Vi last night. Although after 61 years of marriage she'll definitely miss her companion, she seems to be at peace and is glad that he's no longer suffering. She's grateful that all of their friends came to visit while Ed was still alive, rather than waiting till after his death. It's a good reminder to me to take time for the important people in my life.

I'm so grateful for each of you who take time out of your day to check on me and see what I'm up to. Bloggers are truly a unique people. I feel so blessed to be part of such a large community who (for the most part) have never met, but celebrate the good events in one anothers lives and sorrow in their trials and misfortunes. Thanks for stopping by today!

DIY LASIK

Yesterday morning I woke up a little apprehensive about my pending LASIK surgery. I arrived at the clinic at 9:30, all set to go. The nurse asked if I wanted a valium. YES! I course I did! My husband has had the procedure three times now and definitely recommends the valium. I mean, really...who wouldn't like a fee valium every now and again?

I'm happy to report that the surgery went very well and I can now read my computer, cell phone and notes from the teacher without needing to hunt down a pair of glasses. It's wonderful! I also appreciate support, concern and good wishes from my online friends. I only have one complaint.

Have you every gone and purchased something from the store (or quilt shop) only to find out that a couple of days later your girlfriend gets the same thing for a fraction of the price? Well, that's how I felt this morning when I was doing an online search. Look what I found...a do-it-yourself LASIK kit. So what I want to know is why no one bothered to mentioned this to me before? Had I known that I could have purchased LASIK at Home for only $99.95 I never would have wasted two and a half hours of my life and a couple thousand dollars. It's amazing what we find out after the fact, isn't it?

Welcome Back, Fall!

We made it through that brief winter spell and are once again enjoying beautiful fall weather.

Yesterday I finished up this Pumpkin Picking quilt that has been sitting on the shelf for ages. It's nice to have another UFO completed. I don't know if you noticed or not, but I seem to have an awful lot of fall quilts. I just love making them, but honestly, I don't know if I have another spot in my house to hang this one, so it's being sent off to another home where it will hopefully be loved.

This is a a table runner than I made back in October 2004, long before I started blogging. I just love the Thimbleberries focus fabric that is in the borderJust thought I'd share. LOL!

Oh the weather outside is frightful.....

This is what my home looked like when I woke up Sunday morning.
And this is what one of mountains looked like as we drove to church.
Can you believe how loaded the trees are? Many had branches that were touching the ground due to the weight from the snow. In the lower right hand corner of the picture above you can see that one dead tree didn't make it and crashed down next to the road.
Although snow covered the ground it didn't stick to the roads. That's a good thing!
And here's a picture of Mt. Timpanogos covered in snow and clouds. This picture was taken from the same place that I took the picture from a couple of weeks ago.

On Saturday we had a Super Saturday craft day at our church. There were a lot of fun crafting classes, but the best part was the caramel apple dipping demo. That's Blondie giving it a try. She wanted to make sure she knew how dip apples correctly so that we can do it at home. Now that we can make our own caramel apples, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory may go out of business.
Here's College Girl and her friend. They just came for lunch. Smart girls!
And here's Blondie and the Ballerina eating their treats from the chocolate fountain.

After I finished up at the crafting day I headed over to the "Sit and Sew" that my local guild was hosting. It was fun to do a little stitching, as well as mingling with the ladies there. It was a long day, but filled with lots of fun!

It's my birthday!!!

So now I finally know what it feels like to be 45! LOL! It's a fact that Father Time has slowly been creeping up on me for quite some time now. For several years I've been paying my hair dresser to cover the gray in my hair and for at least five years I've been wearing reading glasses. During the past couple of years my vision has become so bad that I can't even read a price tag or see who's calling me on my cell phone. I'm not taking this "age thing" like a sissy, though. As a matter of fact, I'm fighting back! Next week I'm having LASIK eye surgery to help correct my vision so that I will at least be able to look at fabric and patterns in the quilt shops. I'll still pretend that I can't see the prices on the ends of the bolts as they go higher and higher!!!

So far it's been a pretty nice day. My friends and I went on our twice weekly bagel excursion to Einstein Bros. They gave me nice gifts like jewelry, peanut M&Ms and a gift certificate to a LQS. They're the greatest!!! Afterward, I stopped and had my nails done. They were starting to look pretty shabby, so this was a much needed (and much deserved, I might add) treat.

I just got a text message from College Girl telling me that she's heading home in less than an hour. I'm so excited to see her. She was last here over Labor Day weekend so it's been a while. This is her fall break, so she'll be here through Monday. Since I'm pretty sure that College Girl won't be reading my blog before she leaves it's probably safe to show you the quilt that I've been secretly making for her.

A few weeks back I got a text from her saying that she was freezing and needed a quilt. I guess a good mother would never have sent her DD off to college without a quilt, but what can I say...I'm somewhat of a slacker, I guess. So now when she arrives home this evening she'll have her own quilt to take back to her dorm.

This Turning Twenty quilt is made mostly from Fresh Cut fabrics by Heather Bailey (chek out her blog). I simply love the colors and designs. And I know that College Girl will love her new, very own quilt in which she can snuggle all winter long!!!

Tonight, after all the kids get home, we're heading out to dinner at our favorite tepanyaki steak house. It's been a long time since we've been there so I'm really looking forward to it.

Now I'm off to pick up the girls from school. Have a great day!!!

And the winner is.......

Congratulations, Nadine!!! I think I still have your address so I'll get your prize in the mail this afternoon! Enjoy!
Our girls are enjoying a few days off from school this weekend for fall break. We decided to be indulgent parents and took them to a nearby amusement park, Lagoon, on Friday night. Each year, during October, the park is open on the weekends for their Frightmares festivities. I haven't been to Lagoon in years, but it appears that the Terroride hasn't changed a bit since I was a kid. Cheesier than ever!!!

DH and I were good sports and went on all of the roller coasters. Of course, DH had to make an appointment with the chiropractor this morning after a night of roller coaster riding, but he seems to be much better this afternoon. That's The Ballerina and Blondie in the picture above. They're just finishing up their ride on the Jet Star II.

I have to admit that I really like going on roller coasters of all kinds, but when we went on Wicked I thought I was going to die of fright! I'm glad to report that I didn't wet my pants! lol!
If you look closely you can see the feet of DH and Blondie. There was no way we were going to get the Ballerina on the Rocket.
Hamming it up before one of the rides.
Look...here's proof that DH and I were there!
Here are the girls after a night of adventure. A great time was had by all!!!

Pumpkin Picking Prize

Look at the pretty princess in the pumpkin patch!
Each morning on the way to school we pass this delightful home. In the springtime the gardens are filled with bright and beautiful flowers and in the fall the yard is filled with pumpkins. You can see that even in the fall that the gardens are lovely. (And did you notice that the snow still hasn't melted off of the mountain?)

In the top picture it looks like the pumpkin princess is standing in the middle of a huge pile of pumpkins, but in reality the pumpkins are in three long piles that reach from the front of the house out toward the sidewalk. The different sections are different prices. The first section that you see (toward the front of the picture) has the $3 pumpkins, the next section back is for the $2 pumpkins, and then the smaller $1 pumpkins. You can't see the $.50 pumpkins 'cause they're too puny. The second picture has the $4 and $5 pumpkins and a deer that's not for sale. :-)
Now that's a happy pumpkin picker! Isn't she cute?! We got three of these $3 pumpkins.

I just love this antique truck that is part of the display.
Look...the pumpkin princess is picking puny pumpkins! She picked four of those and then went back for two of the $1 pumpkins.
These are the ghost pumpkins. They were only $3 each so we bought two.
This is a cabbage that is growing in the garden. Like the deer, it's not for sale. Or at least I think it's not. Maybe I should have asked.
This wagon is filled with squash. I bought one of the yellow spaghetti squash for $1. I probably should have bought two since my family loves spaghetti squash so much. I think I may go back for another one next week.

While we were picking pumpkins, one of my daughter's assignments was to figure out the total amount that we were spending. If you can figure out how much money we spent on pumpkins and squash then post your answer in the comments section. If you have the correct answer then your name will go into a drawing for the Perfect Autumn Pumpkin scented anti-bacterial soap by Bath and Body Works. The contest ends on Friday, October 12th at midnight. Good luck...and no fair cheating off your neighbor's paper!!!

Decorating for the Season

I finished up a couple of quilts this weekend. This first one was pretty simple and very quick to make. The focus fabric and border fabric are both by Alexander Henry. Although it's a small lap quilt, I think the fabrics pack a lot of punch! I actually tea dyed the quilt to help tone down the bright orange figures and to give it more of an oldtime feel.
I think you've already seen the quilt top for this quilt made from fabrics by Bonnie Sullivan for Maywood Studios.
This is a close up of the quilting.

Below are some picture of the fall and Halloween decorations around our home.

This sign is on the wall of the dining area in our kitchen.
These sit on my kitchen counter top.
More candy in a hurricane lamp. My son thinks this is one of the most stupid ideas ever! I mean, really, what is the point to having candy if you can't eat it?! Can you see that I've rigged it so that they can't get the candy bars without the candy corn dropping down to the bottom of the lamp? I've made serious threats against anyone who might try to eat the candy bars! LOL! The candles in the kitchen come with less of a threat. I've even been caught snitching the malted milk balls.
Obviously, there is no threat associated with the candy corn in the pumpkin jar. We had a houseful of twenty-somethings at our home for dinner yesterday and I told them the candy corn was up for grabs. Those are "boo bells" in the vase.

I hope my sister won't take it personally when I say that my girls have named our little witch Susie. They must have named her that because she's so cute! (Did I cover myself?)


This is my (somewhat) new front door.
We haven't bought REAL pumpkins yet, so these will have to do until we