Purpleheart Ori"Jenn"als

Halloween Tops Done

2012-02-02T14:07:00.004-06:00

Ok...so I'm either a few months behind or alot of months ahead of schedule. I choose to think I'm AHEAD of the game this year! ;)

Here at the Halloween quilt tops for the kids. All ready to be sandwiched together and quilted. Had a burst of energy last night....and a good movie on (The Notebook - LOVE!!!). That always helps!

I'm also working on getting ready to quilt a top my 85 year old grandmother pieced together by hand!! I got it all pressed last night and it too will be sandwiched together soon. I've been cutting 5 inch squares for her since Thanksgiving and I think besides this top, she might have enough for another 2 tops ready to be pieced!

3 Years Ago Today....

2012-01-26T09:44:00.004-06:00

This little dude joined our family.

And today, he's still got the biggest piece of my heart!

Happy 3rd Birthday Little Buddy!! We love you so much!!

Pillowcase Palooza!

2012-01-23T12:58:00.007-06:00

It all started with these two little lovelies.....

This pile turned into.........

This pile, which turned into..........

THESE!!
Not sure why blogger won't keep this one turned the right direction....but you get the idea! Quite the productive weekend! I love the assembly method. Did each step to all cases involved which made the process go alot smoother. That's a total of 12 pillowcases in 2 days!! And really I cut everything all on Saturday and only assembled 2 Saturday night. Did the other 10 on Sunday! The kids are stocked for pillowcases for awhile!

Hope I stay on track - I'm loving this momentum!!

Take care - Jenn

I am alive

2012-01-10T09:14:00.008-06:00

First off - Happy New Year 2012....and only 10 days late!

Well, I've finally decided to pull myself back up by the bootstraps and start sewing & blogging again. The pics below aren't anything real recent. Mostly Christmas presents. But I did want to share pics of my "sewing studio" that we cleaned out and rearranged a couple of weeks ago. I finally got in there last night and cleaned off the last of the junk from my sewing table. I'm all ready to get back in there and start cranking out some fabulous 2012 projects! And by the looks of my ironing board, a new cover should be the first project on my list!

First up though are some pics of a couple of table runners that Miss Em did for her Nana and Grandpa & Mary for Christmas. She did the tops and I quilted them. They all loved them!! She was so proud and I was too!

Here's Nana(my awesome mom!) with her Cherry table runner.

Here is Emma's Grandpa (my dad) holding up the table runner she made for him and Mary.
This is a little lap throw that I made for Mary out of her signature color - red! I quilted it in a very simple X pattern thru each of the blocks.

Now - here's the part that I'm REAL proud of....You should have seen the disaster BEFORE! I was really too ashamed to even take pictures of that nightmare.
I moved my sewing desk to the other window and as usual, have my little tv over in the corner playing none other than my super favorite sewing movie - Little Women!

Here's a picture of the left side of the room with my GROWING stash of vintage sheets and my awesome pie safe that one of my best friend's dad made for me a long time ago. And don't you know it's STUFFED full of fabric. It took my mom almost all day swapping out the VHS movies from there and putting them into the little white dresser below and taking that fabric and much more from various nooks and crannies and filling that cabinet. The drawers in that dresser were really too shallow for the amount of fabric I hoard, I mean have! But they fit VHS tapes just perfectly!

And last but not least...here is, what else, MORE FABRIC!

But at least everything has a place and so now I'm ready to start sewing again! I have vowed to work on Christmas projects throughout the year instead of waiting til December 24th again! First I'll start with a project list.....more to come!

Purple Tote

2011-11-15T09:19:00.005-06:00

A great friend of mine commissioned me to make a little tote for her step-daughter's birthday. Two key points had to be incorporated into it - she loves cats and love love loves purple. A girl after my own heart on the purple thing! I think I hit the nail on the head. What do you think?

Kindof proud of myself because it all came from my stash!

The stitching up on that top strip really isn't crooked. Just appears that way because of the angle I took the picture and that it's snapped. I really can sew straight - REALLY!
Cute little kitties inside too!

Hope she likes it. I'll know soon enough!
Jenn

Halloween - finally and Landry's Quilt

2011-11-11T16:08:00.006-06:00

I'm just now getting around to posting Halloween pictures. I'm a slacker - what can I say? No actually, working a full time job an hour both ways from my house, managing 2 kids and finding time to quilt - well it's just gotten the best of me lately. This time of year is super busy anyway. As always, still too many unfinished projects on my list for Christmas gifts. Maybe if I start in January this next year, I'll get them all done by December!

This is a sweet little quilt that I'm gifting to a good friend tomorrow. Her baby girl, Landry, will be here in about a month. I can't wait to see her all snuggled up in it.

TGIF!! Have a great weekend Ya'll!

Jenn

Shop Updated

2011-11-05T11:09:00.003-05:00

Just loaded my etsy shop with more vintage sheet goodness! Go check it out. Spread the word! Wouldn't everyone's life be better with a quilt made from vintage sheets?? I know mine would!
Have a great weekend! It's a nippy 40 degrees here in Texas today!

Jenn

Made to Order in my Etsy Shop

2011-10-13T10:42:00.003-05:00

Just listed this little project in my Etsy Shop. How cute is this?

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

2011-10-10T11:04:00.006-05:00

Well as disappointing as the comment qty was, I am still happy that at least 3 of my loyal readers commented for the Vintage Sheet Goodness Giveaway!

So instead of picking just one winner, it's Vintage Sheet Fat Quarters for Everyone!!!

Punkie Pie & Chiska - I'll be emailing you for your addresses to send your FQ to.

Love - well Love is a longtime bloggy buddy of mine and she so graciously opted out of the running and said give it to one of the others. Well, she might just be getting a little something special in the mail herself, just because!

So thanks ladies for entering!

Jenn

Vintage Goodness Giveaway

2011-10-06T10:37:00.010-05:00

Ok....I'm addicted. To what you ask??? The vintage sheet craze! It's almost reached hoarder mode! I am finding them right and left at my local thrift shops and have just loaded my etsy shop with fat quarter listings.
Purpleheart Ori"Jenn"als aka phorijennals

So, how about a little giveaway? Go check out the shop and come back here on this post and tell me which is your favorite vintage sheet piece. I'll pick a winner on Monday morning and you'll receive one fat quarter (19" x 23") of whichever one you said was your fav!!

Make sure that your email is listed in the comment area or connected to your profile!

Grin!! - can you SEE how happy this makes me???

Something else making me smile??? This fabulous little quilt that I also picked up at my local thrift store yesterday. And get this......for $1.99!!!!!

Major Score! It's going to look fa-boo on my mini-quilt wall in the livingroom.

So get over to my etsy shop and tell me which is your favorite FQ! Oh - and it couldn't hurt if you bought up a few things too. That wouldn't hurt my feelings none!

Jenn

Busy Busy World

2011-10-05T13:51:00.009-05:00

Again....it's seems like forever since I've posted. I find that I'm being pulled in so many directions these days. Unfortunately, it's all my own doing. I just need to learn how to manage it better or figure out how to add 4 extra hours into each day! HA!

Here are a few things that have been keeping me busy lately.

These two, of course!! Emma is still progressing beautifully with her braces. It's amazing how straight her teeth have gotten with her only having had them on since May! She lost another tooth - thankfully not one that was connected to the braces!

The boy, well what can I say about him? He's always keeping me on my toes! Found out a couple of days ago, he's highly allergic to mosquitos after he stepped out into the garage for all of 10 seconds to tell us something the other night and when I put him in the bath that night, he was COVERED in bites the size of a quarter all over his arms, hands, legs and feet! And just when our weather was starting to get nice in the evening - now we have to keep him practically quarantined to the house! Poor baby! Which for him is ok I guess because if he had his way, he'd be watching Lion King on VHS 24/7! Oh wait a minute! HE'S ALREADY DOING THAT!!!

Here is one of SIX placemats that I made for a co-worker's upcoming wedding.

Here are my blocks so far from the Red & White Block Swap that Karen of Sew Many Ways hosted a while back. I'm actually copying the pattern that Annette from Sunshine Yellow did with her blocks. I did ask her permission first though. And the funny thing about this picture is that I took it in total pitch black darkness! We were in the middle of a huge thunderstorm that night when the lights went out as I was trimming the blocks. So this was the best of the pictures. At least I was able to guesstimate the center and get all blocks in the picture! That only took me about 7 tries.

Here is a commission quilt from a co-worker of mine. She was all gung-ho about learning to quilt and when push came to shove, she just didn't have time so she brought me her fabric and said - Can you make this into a quilt? Of course I said SURE! Well, about 4 weeks later, this is how it turned out. I used the Hourglass pattern from Allison over at Cluck Cluck Sew. I just love that girl! Here patterns are super simple to understand and her work is truly amazing! This was such a simple pattern but turned out looking quite complex.

The backing was a vintage looking sheet that I found on a trip to one of my local thrift stores. Oh and Malek himself picked out the orange binding! I'll have that boy putting colors together for future quilts before you know it!

Ok, so last but not least....I've been trying to throw together a SURPRISE 65th birthday party for my mom. Talk about stress! I keep biting my tongue everytime I'm with her because I'm busting at the seams to talk about it. Then luckily, I stop myself because I REALLY want this to be a surprise for her! So the invitations are similar to the ones that I did for my grandmother for her Surprise 80th birthday about 5 years ago. I'm a sucker for old black and white pictures and luckily, my cousin had made a scrapbook for my grandmother back at her party and had burned me a disc, so voile! All the old B&W pics of my mom that I could ever want! So cool how some of them totally remind me of Emma. She favors my mom alot! Oh and you see that little vintage car my mom is sitting in down in the center? She STILL has that! My Papa gave that to her when she was 10 months old. She's had it redone to it's original state and it's a real beauty. I've taken pics of both kids in it. I'll have to post them when I dig them up one day. Yeah - add it to the list!

So, that's my life round these parts in a nutshell. Still many other projects in the works. Oh and then throw Halloween costumes into the mix! I think my hair is about to set fire!

Where O Where Have I Been?

2011-09-06T14:42:00.008-05:00

Ok - so I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... Summer's been hard around these parts, but getting better. School has started and we're finally getting back into that old routine. New school and new daycare to boot!

We also managed to enjoy one last dip in the pool as well as some much needed cooler weather yesterday (60's- 80's!!). Haven't seen temps like that in a LONG time. Yesterday the kids and I had a great time at the park playing in the sand.

I managed to finish up a couple of baby quilts for some co-workers over the long holiday weekend.

I really love being able to quilt small projects like this myself. It's saving me tons of moo-lah!

One for Baby Sister and a matching doll quilt for the Big Sister!

And someone also found his new favorite movie this weekend. Any guesses???

Working on another 10 or 11,000 other projects so hope to start posting more regularly. Not placing any bets, but I am still around.

Jenn

Just some commission work

2011-07-21T10:50:00.006-05:00

Here are the projects that I've recently worked on. Slowly, the commission work is picking up.

Emma's 10th Celebration

2011-07-21T10:27:00.010-05:00

Wow - it's been almost a month since my last post. What can I say, Life Happens! So here's a little of what we've been up to. Mostly celebrating Emma's 10th birthday!!!

Here's the Junk Food Junkie quilt I made for her. She LOVED It!

Then we had the family over and cooked some s'mores! YUM!

Then on her actual birthday night we took her to Medieval Times where she and Malek both got their faces painted.

This one really has nothing to do with Emma's birthday celebration, but I thought it was such a funny picture of Malek showing us his muscles. Something about the faux-hawk that brought out the tough guy in him!

Then Miss Emma had a slumber party with some of her best friends from school. Let's just say - 4 ten year olds and then Malek up in the middle of it all - I'm worn out! We swam, ate too much, watched movies and overall had a great time.
My living room was turned into a slumber party oasis! And of course you see the little mister right up in the middle AGAIN!
Bravely - my mom even joined in on all the fun.
So overall it's been a busy couple of weeks. Not a whole lot of sewing going on, with the exception of Emma's junk food quilt, but did manage to make a few more custom steering wheel covers for some folks here at work. Oh and some super cute Lobster themed placemates and matching coasters. I'll blog those in a separate post, because I'm sure I've overloaded you all on the pictures with this post!

I need a vacation! Maybe once school starts back up again I can catch a break! Yeah fat chance!

Jenn

Doll Quilt Swap Revealed!!

2011-06-23T15:49:00.009-05:00

Yes Megan it finally arrived!! It was a toss-up but Malek really loved the envelope more I think.

Thanks so much!! Love the colors and look at the quilting - awesome!

And this is the one that I made for Megan! Sweet and simple. She said she loved it - it was hard parting with those colorful scraps though.

Still working on the Lobster placemats and coasters. Hope to finish those up this weekend so I can post a couple of pics. I've also got a couple more special orders for my steering wheel covers! Check them out here in my etsy shop - I do special orders too! Just convo me!

Dallas Mavericks Steering Wheel Cover

2011-06-14T07:58:00.004-05:00

Support your favorite basketball team.....for sale in my etsy store. Go check it out!

GO MAVS!!

Can't wait til the parade on the 16th!! Right in our backyard!

Oh how I love junk food!

2011-06-13T09:20:00.003-05:00

The top is done for Miss Emma's Junk Food quilt!! Yeah! That's what I did this weekend - not too shabby. Now hoping my quilter can get it done and sent back to me before her party on the 16th next month!

Doll Quilt Swap 2 Final TEASE!

2011-06-10T08:31:00.005-05:00

Behind original due date but AHEAD of new due date!!

One last tease for Megan before she receives it in the mail.

Enjoy! Jenn

Also on a sad note, my friend whom I made the Mary Engelbreit FRIENDS quilt for on this post, passed away on June 1st after the bravest fight battling a brain tumor. We'll miss you so much Nancy!!

Graduation

2011-06-06T14:25:00.009-05:00

My Emma is now a 4th grade graduate....with honors!! Straight A's baby - all year!! She was also selected for the Gifted and Talented program next year!! "Us"

Emma and her Nana - my mom

Emma with Grandpa and Mary - my dad and stepmom

This is Mr. Kenneth Davis - whom Emma's school is named after. He gave each of the students their graduation medal.

And these are the squares for a quilt that I've been saving fabric for since last Fall. It's all kinds of yummy junk foods. It's for Emma to celebrate her 10th birthday that's coming up on July 2nd. Turquoise and Hot Pink - HER signature colors!

Oh crap - just noticed that I've got 2 fry squares next to each other in the bottom row. It's much easier to tell what needs to be switched around once you've taken a picture of it. Kindof hard to tell laying out on the bed. Oh well - at least the squares are done - the swapping of squares is the easy part. I hope to get the top done this weekend so I can mail it off to my quilter and have it back in time for Emma's sleepover slumber party on the July 16th.

So - lots of other projects in the works too - what else? That's how I roll!

Later!

Jenn

Wrapping Up

2011-05-25T11:38:00.012-05:00

Where did the weekend go? And now here it is Wednesday. Well, Friday, we went to Candlelite Inn for one last dinner as it's closing down on the 15th after something like 54 years of business I think. Might be 57. Anyway. Food was delish. Weather was a little questionble though. But then we got a treat to a double rainbow. The kids really enjoyed that.

This is Malek's new night-time ritual. Must put on gloves to help him fall asleep. Just weird. Yeah and it's 90-ish in Texas this time of year.
Another one of his nightly rituals is to sneak off BEFORE bathtime, a la in the BUFF, and jump under the covers in MY bed. Couldn't resist, caught him in the act. Luckily he had the covers up to his chin.
So yesterday was the BIG day for Miss Emma. Braces Day!

before......

And After!
I think she was cheesing a little too hard in this picture. Think she was trying to show them ALL to me. Notice her choice of turquoise and pink bands - HER signature colors!

Well, after getting them on and then back home for lunch, we had to turn right back around as she popped one off when she bit down into her Sonic burger! That sent her into a tizzy - so worried that the dentist was going to be mad at her. Glue just wasn't strong enough. No worries. But then later last night, we had some crazy weather here in Texas. Lots of tornados touched down around us, hail and a lot of rain. Luckily, it passed around our house and we only got rain, but made for a long night.

OH! I found out earlier that I won a "door prize" from the giveaways that Amy from Amy's Creative Side hosted from the Bloggers' Quilt Festival. It's a kit from Pat Sloan!! Can't wait to receive it. I'll post some pics when I receive it.
Til then.....quilt on!
Jenn

For Nancy

2011-05-20T09:32:00.016-05:00

I know I've shown this quilt before, but today I wanted to share it again because today I received an email that my friend that I made this for, has took a turn for the worse with her brain tumor and has now had to enter hospice. It's not fair! She's the sweetest person you'll ever meet. Never a negative word ever passed her lips in all the years I worked with her. Always a smile and a laugh. She, like me, is a big Mary Engelbreit fan and when I first heard of her illness, I knew she'd have a tough road ahead of her and that a quilt might bring her a bit of comfort or at least know that I was thinking about her at this trying time. It's just a simple disappearing 9 patch that I added a topper to with letters that I free-handed in true Mary Engelbreit-ish style.
I saw this saying once and I thought it was so appropriate for her.

I guess the most important thing that I learned while making this is that as long as I made this for her, she'd always know that I cared no matter where either of us were.

So with a heavy heart, I leave you with my most special quilt ever made - Friends.

And because I like to be a follower of the masses, I'm also taking the plunge and entering this quilt in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival that Amy at Amy's Creative Side is hosting.

Happy Birthday Babe!

2011-05-20T08:29:00.007-05:00

Babe - that's what I've always called my husband. For the longest time Emma actually THOUGHT that WAS his name!

Anyway, with the "help" of the kids, I made this little quilt for my husband for his birthday, which is today. Kindof corny for a man, but he was very happy with it because it had something to do with his kids and the fact that I made it for him. I think it finished out at about 12" x 14".

So - Happy Birthday Babe - Dinner tonight at the Candlelite Inn!! Whoo hoo. Gotta get there before they close on the 15th next month. Best place in Arlington, TX to eat. The only place you can get a steak, Mexican AND Italian food all in one place! After 54 years of business, it's about to close. All thanks to the big bad COWBOY STADIUM. Hope someone comes in and buys it so that this long standing iconic restaurant can stay open for another 54 years! My parents used to take us there when we were kids. It was my dad's first job. He was a busboy. I had an aunt that waitressed there for many years. Zack and I started going there when we were dating and after we had Emma. It's a great family place with great food (oh and super cute little juke boxes in the booths!). Now we will introduce Malek to it's fabulousness. And it's super cheap too. Bonus!!

Candlelite Inn - you will be missed.

Don't really like it, but.....

2011-05-19T10:54:00.010-05:00

It's not perfect, but Emma loved it. It's a case to hold all of her DSi video game STUFF. It'll do for now. Such a learning experience I tell ya! I'm gunning for her birthday in July to have another one made the "right way". Learned alot thru this process. I'll save you the agony and won't go thru all my OCD issues that make me not like it.

I DO love the little handle though!

Doll Quilt #2 Sneaky Peak

2011-05-18T09:02:00.004-05:00

Here's a sneak peak for my partner Megan Z. for the Doll Quilt Swap #2 that Christine is hosting over at Once Upon A Quilt. Stay tuned for more.......

Deadline has been extended til June 15th, but I'm pretty sure I will have mine done way before then. I love these colors - have a little extra, so I might have to whip one up for me too!

"ME" Mug Rug Love

2011-05-13T13:51:00.002-05:00

NEW baby quilt blocks

2011-05-12T09:03:00.000-05:00

So I WAS going to make my co-worker's baby quilt out of the Origins tumbler blocks that I posted about here. BUT....they just found out they are having a BOY, so I wanted to make something that really screamed BOY. SO, I finally took the plunge and decided to make their baby quilt out of the Whirlygig block! SO fun and EASY PEESY!! I love how it looks so far. I just LOVE the marble fabric! (I've been hoarding it for a while now, like I do ALOT of my fabrics.) And it's for a baby boy, so marbles are so appropriate. But is the black too much? Does it need shashing in between? And if so, what color do you suggest? I'm still playing with it. Maybe I should put them on point? Oh the choices......

These things are like Lay's potato chips, you just can't make one! I whipped up 7 of them last night while I watched my Felicity DVD's. I'm 41 and living vicariously thru the lives of those college kids. It so wasn't like that when I was in college. Watching that show, I can sew for hours!!

Well, I'm sure I'll be making more blocks tonight! Let me know what you think.
Jenn

Little Mother's Day Goodness

2011-04-29T13:41:00.012-05:00

I whipped these up last night for my mom for Mother's day. It measures about 6" x 5". correction...it's about 7"x5". I can't for the life of me remember where I got the tutorial for the bag (hence doing it from memory), but the little tissue holder was from Kim Walus over at her blog bitty bits and pieces. Her tutorial actually allows you to construct 6 at once but since I was "test driving" the pattern, I kindof winged it with only making one at first. Now I'm going to go back and make a few more for the other mothers in my life.

I also started working on a little tumbler baby quilt for a field coworker (Colorado - lucky dog) who is expecting his first child later this year. I think this is the first time I've ever made a baby quilt from a whole charm pack and didn't mix it with anything else. It's Moda's Origins by Basic Grey. I got mine here. And it appears to be ON SALE!! Charm packs $6.95!! So go getcha some - or some of her other Greatness! I stocked up a few weeks back with about 15 various charm packs. Seriously - who could pass up such a great sale?

I'm also using this pack for a wedding quilt for another coworker that is getting married in October. Haven't decided on the pattern for that one yet.
It's Friday - that's all I've got! OH - I am meeting up with a few quilting/blogging buddies at my friend Love's house tomorrow. Lunch and quilt lovin' - should be a great day!

Easter

2011-04-26T15:39:00.012-05:00

Easter! What a fun weekend. This is the "basket" that Malek made a daycare. He was SO proud!

Then we tackled dying eggs. THAT was alot of fun.
Thankfully, Nana was there to help us out.
Holding your tongue just so, really seemed to help!

Me & the kiddos.

Crazy kids! Posing with their Easter eggs. Mom picked these cute little holders up at Joann's at 50% off! Perfect!
Here's a couple of pillowcases for each that the Easter Bunny added to their baskets.

Despite Malek's look, he was REALLY excited about his basket. No...really he was. hehe
Chocolate bunny goodness!!

I hope everyone had a great Easter. We sure did!

It's my turn

2011-04-20T08:51:00.003-05:00

my very own steering wheel cover

Friday Night Fever

2011-04-18T09:39:00.007-05:00

It was Disco Dance Night on Friday up at Emma's school. I think their attire was quite appropriate. It was a great night. My only complaint is that they didn't play any actual Disco music! Not sure what the reasoning was on that, but we had a great time. Lots of dancing and a couple of tired kids at the end of the night. Here's Malek displaying his best John Travolta impersonation. That shirt he's wearing was a ladies sz 3-5 shirt that I altered down to fit him at about a 2T. And here's Miss Em in her fabulous disco-wear!

Elephant Crossing

2011-04-18T09:21:00.006-05:00

This is another steering wheel cover I whipped up this weekend for my mom's cousin's wife. She's crazy about all things elephant. My mom bought the center panel from etsy and the other fabrics are left over from my mom's quilt that I previously posted here. Did more sewing on some NICU baby quilts. Hope to post some more pictures of those later in the week.

Block Swap

2011-04-13T08:43:00.006-05:00

I joined a really cool swap over at Bolo Heads for a Fabric Rainbow Block Swap!! My color is Hot Pink/Fuchsia. Yeah!! We were to select 10 fabrics in our chosen/assigned color and then cut 20 4" blocks from each. Send those in and get 200 back in a rainbow of fabulousness! Here are my selections that will be going in the mail shortly!! Can't wait to see all the awesome colors that I get back. I've already got several patterns in mind for my blocks too. I'm so in love with that one on the top of the left stack! The Joann's that I went to only had one FQ!! I'm on a quest now. I used to have it in purple too - just dreamy!

Texas Tradition - Bluebonnets

2011-04-11T10:07:00.007-05:00

Bluebonnets 2011

Apparently NO ONE wanted to take a pic with Dad! Poor guy!

More sewing projects to come.....ripping out the quilting from an entire baby quilt now - Argh! Darn pieced backing! Stretched something awful.

BUSY Weekend! (picture overload)

2011-04-04T15:14:00.012-05:00

Like I said, it was a BUSY weekend! And here are the pictures to prove it! I did alot of sewing this weekend anticipating a return email from my swap partner in Round 2 of the Doll Quilt Swap at Once Upon a Quilt. She finally emailed back so now I get to start dreaming up something wonderful for her!

But in the mean time, I got several things accomplished this weekend. I started out by putting together this little lap quilt top for my step mother. Red is her signature color and their car club's color. She and my dad have an old convertible street rod that they like to drive around. Back in the cooler Winter months, she had said how she needed something to cover up when they went cruising because with no top it was a bit chilly. So this is what I came up with - though it's not been too chilly lately. Oh well, she'll have it for next year anyway. I'm going to bind it in that black & red fabric that I threw in to add some character.

Sometime last year my mom and I got to thinking about doing something really meaningful with our quilting talents. So we came up with making small quilts for the NICU babies at one of our local hospitals and my mom's neighbor just so happens to work in that dept. So she was very excited about these. Here is one that I started, sadly before Christmas last year. But it's complete now and I've got 2 other tops just like it ready to be quilted. They'll be ready for THIS Christmas though! I backed it with some cute It's a Hoot! green dotted/checked fabric I bought from Vanessa at V & Co. during her "oh swear word, my husband's company is shutting it's doors sale". Here's another top for the NICU from the leftovers from my cousin's baby quilt I made recently. More to come! I've got tons of fabric combo's already pulled to start making more.Now....Malek is going through a phase where he likes to carry around something soft at all times. We have coined the phrase "his soffie". So to keep him out of my fleece stash.....I let him pick out some cute dinosaur fabric and I whipped up this little quilt for him. He seems quite proud as you can see. And when I asked him to turn it to the back to show me, he turned his whole body around so I could see HIS back! So cute. But you get the idea.

Then Sunday afternoon, we went to see Disney on Ice Toy Story 3! So he had to have a Toy Story soffie to take too. He LOVED it! So quick and easy. I think the whole thing took about 2 hours. Plus it helps me practice my straight line quilting too!Here are some pics from the show! We had great seats and the kids loved it. We took Nana with us too so it was alot of fun.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.....bluebonnet pictures to come.....Like I said.....It was a busy weekend!

Jenn

Sneaky Peak

2011-04-01T08:59:00.003-05:00

Been sewing again!!

What's everyone working on this weekend?

Mug Rug Love!

2011-03-28T09:13:00.006-05:00

Not sure if you've seen, but over at the blog called "twomoreseconds" she's been hosting Mug Rug Madness! These little things are catching on like wildfire! I've made several, but never had done one for me.....til NOW!!

I've had this fabric from Keepsake Quilting for.EVAH! Finally - the perfect little project to display these cutie fabrics featuring my signature color - PURPLE!! It went together super fast because I used the String Block method where it quilts as you go. I even got brave and tried sewing the binding to the back and then...get this....STITCHING IT DOWN BY MACHINE to the front!! I am an avid "sew to the front then hand stitch to the back" kindof girl, but I thought what the hey - I'll give it a whirl! So don't look to closely at my stitching as it's a little swirvy. Is that even a word? lol

front

back

Then afterwards, while I was still on a sewing high, I decided to start a table runner out of a cute rooster panel that I found at Joann's. I'm making this one for my aunt that kept Emma entertained for several days during Spring Break. As a little "thank you!"

So go forward and join the Mug Rug Madness!! Or whatever other madness you choose to join!

:-) Jenn

Weekend Wrap-up

2011-03-21T11:42:00.006-05:00

This weekend, we went to East Texas to stay with my aunt and then all go to one of my cousin's baby shower. This is the quilt that I made for Mason Lee - how cute is that name? Apparently he's due any day. They loved it and it goes perfectly with his nursery.

Hope you can see the hand quilting that I did. It was alot of fun and added some interest I think. Just free-handed it all. I love the bouncing stitches up in that green area the best.

The backing was so soft and I just love how the green binding contrasted with it.

Malek got to ride on a real country tractor with my cousin's husband. He even let him steer. Malek loved it. Later that evening when we were quizzing him on what everyone's name was, when it came to Jason, he just called him Tractor! So I think Jason has a new nickname! So cute. Morning coffee on the porch with Nana. Sorry Mom for catching you with no makeup. *smile*

{left to right: Kaden, Malek, Ethan, Lane & my cousin Stephen}

Hanging out on the porch after a game of tag.

It was a fast trip but a good one. We had a great visit with everyone - just wished we could have stayed longer. We plan on going back soon to take all the kids on the train (Rusk to Palestine). It runs RIGHT BEHIND my aunt's house. That train whistle was quiet loud!

More stitching to do.....where to begin?

Jenn

Strip Quilt

2011-03-16T13:41:00.004-05:00

Have you ever heard of the blog Film in the Fridge? Well, it's a little piece of fabulousness. Ashley does some great quilts in really beautiful colors and fabrics. Lately she's been on a kick of strip quilts. I can't get enough of these, especially her latest ones out of Flea Market Fabrics. Man, I've got to get my hands on some of that!

Well, this is my adaptation of a strip quilt, but I did it like a giant string block. Started in the middle and worked my way out. Quilts as you go, serged the edges so putting on the binding would go smoother too. Now I'm adding some simple hand quilting to jazz it up a bit. Will post pics when I'm done with that and the binding. Better get hopping as the baby shower that I'm making this for is this Saturday - out of town! Wish me luck!

Jenn

EEEeeeekkkk! Doll quilt received!

2011-03-14T09:10:00.006-05:00

Squeal!! Here is my doll quilt from my partner Sarah! How cute! And so my colors!! Sarah - you did such a great job!!! She even sent me the pattern and a cute little FQ of red/pink heart material. Sorry I didn't get a picture of that - was too excited about the quilt as you can imagine!

So I asked Malek to hold the quilt for me and smile.

nice smile, but can you smile a little bigger?

Ok - that's a little better....but can you smile a little Bigger??
That's it! I think he was just as excited to receive this as I was!

Thanks again Sarah - You did an outstanding job!!

Malek was quiet taken with it. I might have to make him one but in "boy" colors.

Sarah should be receiving her quilt today. Man I hope she likes it!! Wish me luck!

Final Doll Quilt Swap Teaser

2011-03-10T11:14:00.003-06:00

Soon, this little gem will be on it's way to my swap partner Sarah. Hope she loves it as much as I do!

Doll Quilt Sneak Peek & other Happenings

2011-03-07T09:41:00.007-06:00

Finally....I've got my mojo back! Not sure where it was, but it reared it's head alot this weekend! So without further ado, let the show begin....

This is for my partner Sarah (Be Forever Grateful!) - First off a little sneak peak of my Doll Quilt for the DQS that Christine at Once Upon a Quilt is hosting. I hope she likes it because I know I'm sure going to have a hard time parting with it.

Then I made this super easy little coffee cozy for my stepmom for her birthday in her "signature color". This is the fastest little project and would be a great little gift for the coffee lover in your life.

I also finished up the baby quilt for my bossman's oldest daughter who is due with her first baby - a boy - early next month.

So - that's about it in the sewing department.....now onto what the kids have been up to while their daddy was out of town for 8 days. Malek has already picked up on his momma's knack for multi-tasking like caring for the "kids" and vacuuming the house.Lounging under the coffee table watching movies.
You might think - oh how cute, he's posing with momma's quilts. No - on the contrary. This is his time out spot. And let's just say, he spent alot of time there this weekend. Just couldn't help "beating up" on his sister.
And when he wasn't beating up Emma, they were snuggling on the couch playing her DSi.
He also suited up in his protective gear to do a little work around the house. And you can't work without your trusty sidekick dog Pluto!

Daddy's home and we're all happy once again!

Take care and keep on quiltin'!

Jenn

41 down

2011-02-23T15:14:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I finished my 41st year on this planet.

To celebrate, I received these beautiful flowers from my mother, as she does every year. Thanks alot Momma!!

Now to tackle the 42nd year.....

Funny Valentine

2011-02-18T11:18:00.005-06:00

Well it's better late than never....Here was Emma's cute little Valentine's bag we made for her to take to school on Monday to carry all of her Valentine goodies. I actually wove several different strips of pink & red fabric and then just glued it to the sack. Easy peesy! She was very happy and said that she got alot of compliments on it.

Cute pic of me and my two sweeties! Malek actually has his eyes somewhat open and is smiling! Emma's smile is a little more evil - she can be so dramatic at times.

So I'm super excited that I will be meeting a couple of fellow bloggers - turned friends next Saturday for some quilt shop hoppin' and good food eating !! Love & Ruth - Can't wait to meet you guys!

Now....back to my doll quilt swap project....decisions decisions.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend. It's supposed to be in the 70's here in Texas!! Yeah!!

Jenn

Doll Quilt Swap

2011-02-08T09:23:00.009-06:00

Hello Everyone! I've signed up for my first doll quilt swap that Christine over at Once Upon a Quilt is hosting (thanks Christine!). My swap partner is Sarah from Be Forever Grateful and so far, she is spot on with her color choices for my little doll quilt! I love bright colors! I hope to narrow down my selection for Sarah's little quilt soon too. Ok Sarah - here are a few that I had in mind.....anything strike your fancy???

So I'm sure some of you saw the crazy ice & snow storm that we were hit with here in Texas last week.

(looking from my driveway down the street)

(yes - that's my child laying face down in the snow refusing to come in)

4 days - count them FOUR days of no school or work! That has never happened before. Nice little vacay! While I was recovering from a bad sinus infection and broncitis, I found time to do some hand quilting on a top that I started quilting about 4 years ago. Really couldn't do anything else since we were socked in and I had no voice! I'm almost done with the hexie blocks and will then start the quilting on the borders. Maybe I'll finish this one soon!

We are expecting more bad weather tonight so maybe I'll get to work on it again tomorrow. Till then...... Jenn

2 years ago today....

2011-01-26T09:11:00.004-06:00

We were waiting for this little guy.

01/26/09

8:16am

9 lbs 4 oz

20 inches

Today 01/26/11

28 lbs 2 oz

36 inches

And as you can see, he's quickly catching up to Miss Em. She measured in at 5'3.5" this morning. 9 1/2 people - she's only 9 1/2. Their daddy doesn't have a chance. He's only 5'6".

Happy Birthday little buddy! We love you so much and you've made our family more chaotic, crazy, loud and most of all fun.

Tonight we will celebrate with dinner out and then his big party will be on Sunday.

Love Momma, Emma & Daddy

Big Thanks!!

2011-01-17T10:05:00.005-06:00

A HUGE THANKS goes out to Jen at MissPunkiePie! She helped this less-computer savy girl change her background on the ol' blog! Now that I know how, I might change it up more often. Just trying this one out for grins since Valentine's Day is coming up....Never know - might change it tomorrow to something else. Anyway - that is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders - thanks again Jen.

So my long weekend turned into a weekend of sick parents, sick kids, and tons of laundry. Stomach virus can go now - thank you very much. But in between all of the madness, I did manage to get this little top finished and ready to be quilted. It's a baby quilt for my boss's daughter who is expecting a baby boy in April. All of the fabrics came from my stash! YES! And the backing is a cute sheet that I purchased awhile back from a local thrift store that will match perfectly. Sadly I didn't think to take a picture of it. Oh well - when it's done I will. But it's white with tan, brown, navy and light blue skinny stripes. Should be very cute.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm secretly glad to be at work today - away from all the fever and throwing up. Does that make me a bad mom? 4 days was enough. Momma loves you Em & Malek! You too Daddy!

So not computer savy - HELP NEEDED

2011-01-12T15:53:00.005-06:00

Am I missing something?? I'm college educated but for the life of me can't figure out how to change the background for my blog. Is there anyone out there that can help me? I'm sure you all see the lovely little reminder over in the top left corner from Shabby Blogs that codes need to be updated by the end of January.

Well, I've clicked over to where it says to update the codes, blah, blah, blah.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Ok at this point I'm pretty much dozing off.

Their directions and all the other directions from google aren't getting me anywhere.

Is there anyone out there that can help me? My blog is thru Blogger.

Thanks Blog Buddies!

The Machine Is Up and Running

2011-01-10T10:04:00.008-06:00

WOW - first off - snow in Texas!! Not much, but enough to cause excitement in our house with the little ones. We even got to build a fire last night!! That was alot of fun. Didn't have marshmellows for s'mores though - darn. Next time!

I finally got my booty in gear and while Malek took a nap Saturday. I tackled my sewing room nightmare. Here are the after results. I am so glad I finally put on my big girl panties and tackled it. Gives me such a sense of calm to start new projects in a somewhat more organized environment.

For some odd reason, I woke up Sunday morning with my gut telling me I NEEDED to make one of these clever little plastic bag holders. So I did! So quick and simple.

I was also able to finish one of the last of my Christmas projects for my aunt. Matching pillows to go with the first quilt my mom ever made. I didn't get to see her over the holidays so finishing them late wasn't too much pressure on me. Hope to see her soon though. I'm sure she will love them.

And this little pile of pretty is a project for my step-mother's birthday next month! So far 2011 - I'm on schedule!!!

So it's Monday - Stella's got her groove back and let the sewing continue!!

Swaps

2011-01-06T14:59:00.008-06:00

Emma - circa Halloween 2004 (no reason - just cuz she was so darn cute)

So what are your thoughts on swaps? I've only done a couple of block swaps but never a whole (doll) quilt swap. But everytime I see the results on all those "popular" blogs, it makes me a little jealous that I wasn't in on it. Until now. I just signed up for my first Doll Quilt swap over with Christine at Once Upon a Quilt. It should be starting up soon and I'm super excited. She's already scheduled 2 swaps and maybe more after that if we are still interested.

So this got me to wondering.......would any of you out there like to do a swap? Maybe something small scale, say a mug rug swap or a block swap? If so, leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts and I'll get the ball rolling. I need something to keep me in the quilty mood because it's a proven fact that quilting reduces your blood pressure and helps you sleep better. And we know I could use some of both!

I'm buried and can't dig out....

2011-01-05T11:24:00.004-06:00

This is why I haven't blogged about anything quilty since Christmas. THIS is how my sewing room currently looks. Actually, I just got brave enough to open the doors this morning to take this picture. Sad I know, but soon I plan on getting back out there and busting a move and get it all cleaned back up and put away only to start about 92,000 more projects for 2011.

Actually it pretty much looks like this at any given time of year, but especially heinious at Christmas.

But on a good note....this is the bestest Christmas present my momma got me! Now I can SAFELY transport my machine to her house or my friend Susie's house when we have "sewing parties". Yeah happy day! I was a very good girl this year! Thanks Mom!

So, promise to you all to get my act together and get sewing again!!

Jenn

Birthdays, Sewing & Christmas Lights

2010-12-20T10:29:00.012-06:00

What a busy weekend! Saturday was my grandmother's and sister-in-law's birthday. Friday night was our monthly Family Game Night / Birthday party celebration. Pizza, salad, presents, cake & ice cream! YUM! Oh and some Farkle too! Fun fun dice game.

Saturday morning, Mom came over bright and early so we could sew a bit. I finished up a few pillowcases to give to the other "Golden Girls" at my grandmother's nursing home.

On Saturday night, we (me, my Mamie, Mom & the kids) went to look at Christmas lights in a "fancy" part of town. This is a tradition that my mom and I have done with my grandmother every year on her birthday since my grandfather passed away 24 years ago. Poor Emma was in this position before we ever got there so she got in a good nap before all the fun started.

Malek has learned to say LIGHTS so that's all we heard all night was "Lights! Mamie! Lights! Nana! Emma! Lights!" You get the picture. We all had a great time seeing them thru his eyes this year.

Then on Sunday, Mother came back over so she could finish up the quilt she is making for one of her sisters for Christmas. I've got a matching giant pillow on my project list for her too! I did some straight line quilting on it and Mom learned how to do mitered corners on the binding! I am very proud of her - she did an excellent job!
Malek decided he needed to model with the quilt in this shot!
Well, back to the sewing machine......

Crafty Goodness

2010-12-17T15:12:00.004-06:00

Been burning the midnight oil again......

Coasters a coworker commissioned me to do - 6 sets of 6!!

Christmas pillowcase for Mr. Malek

String pillow for my Mamie who's 85th birthday is tomorrow!!

And a couple of mug rugs. Purple & Green for Em's teachers and the Hello Kitty one is for my sister-in-law who's birthday is also tomorrow. Funny how my grandmother can never remember hers. Said it's because she's always trying to forget her own. Well, no one will be forgotten at tonight's monthly Family Game Night / Birthday Celebration.

Have a great weekend! The Countdown to Christmas is on!

Hello....anyone there?

2010-12-13T14:32:00.002-06:00

Slipping into a funk due to all the projects I've left to finish before Christmas....man I hope to be back in regular rhythm soon!

Little Susie Sunshine

2010-12-08T13:39:00.011-06:00

So, this is what I've been working on lately. MY FIRST "QUILTING" GIG!! I quilted this cute little baby quilt for Sydney. She also sent the yellow ruffle that I attached that I think just made the whole quilt!

I quilted 1/4" on either side of each diagonal seam.

Thanks again Sydney for being my first official customer! It reminds me of a sunflower - doesn't it??

Now...back to that looooonnnnng list of Christmas projects I've still left to do before the 25th....

And the Pillow Goes To........

2010-11-12T08:16:00.003-06:00

#8 - Emily said...
Congrats on your big post and awesome giveaway! I love those string blocks. After making a very small string quilt, I wasn't sure I'd have the stamina to make more. They are so pretty, but so tedious!! If I were lucky enough to win, I would choose the 16x16 square in grays and yellows. I love that color combo! Thanks again for the chance to win!

Pop on over to Emily's blog. She's a new momma to the cutest little baby boy named Reid and quite the crafty momma too. So go over and show her some love.

Congrats Emily!! - I'll get to working on your pillow cover this weekend! Please send me an email (purpleheartorijennals@yahoo.com) and let me know where to mail it to.

Thanks to all who entered! I'm so excited for all the homemade goodness that I'll be giving as presents this year. Sometimes I think that homemade says cheap, but the gifts that I'm creating this year are very special to me and I hope will be to those who receive them!

Thanks to you all for following my blog and everyday craziness!
Jenn

Remember....

2010-11-11T09:02:00.002-06:00

Thanks to all who have served, Papa & Grandad, or are currently serving our country.

Also a very Happy Birthday to my good friend Julie!!

Who's ready for a Giveaway?!?!?!

2010-11-09T10:06:00.010-06:00

Happy 100th post Purpleheart Ori"Jenn"als!!! Well it's actually 102nd - but who's actually counting, am I right? A celebration is cause for a giveaway. I've been beating my brain trying to come up with some clever giveaway like other blogs do and I'm just at a loss. So what I've come up with is something I do best. My Sting Block Pillow Cover.

Said winner will be able to select the color & cover size of their choice to fit either a 12"x16" rectangular or 16"x16" square pillow form. Giveaway is for cover only. Sorry pillow not included.

So... who wants to WIN?!?! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. That's it! Easy Peesy Lemon Squeezy! And speaking of lemons!! I just love LEMON fabric. As you can see by my sample Sting Block Pillows below.

So leave me a comment telling me which size you'd like and what color you'd pick. I can do a monochromatic color scheme or two tone like the pink/yellow one. It's up to you! Or you can select a total scrappy - all color style. You pick! It's all about you today baby!! Contest closes at midnight on Thursday the 11th. Winner will be announced on Friday the 12th!

In other news....finished up the crayon rolls for my two cousins' boys for Christmas. Aren't these cute? And each only takes about 20-30 minutes. On the cowboy ones (for the 3 Amigos) I added their first initial to the outside so each could tell them apart when they were all rolled up. Each measures about 14" x 9" and includes 10-1" crayon pockets and 2-1 1/2" pockets for pencils, pens, rulers or scissors. Each also has an elastic band button closure.

I'll be taking special orders in my etsy shop for these - so stock up for Christmas! These make great little stocking stuffers or birthday gifts!

WOW! What a day! The ol' sewing machine has really been humming lately!

Aarrrgggh Matey!

2010-11-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

It's Monday

2010-11-01T09:12:00.002-05:00

Some of us don't want to get out of bed this morning.....

Uncle Bud turns 44 & Making Our Christmas List

2010-10-28T10:05:00.009-05:00

Happy Birthday Robert aka Uncle Bud!!

Monday my big brother turned 44! So last night we gathered for a little dinner and gift givin'. Of course I had to make him one of my ultra-cool steering wheel covers - ala skulls of course. Seems to double as a French beret too!

When we got home, the Toys R' Us Christmas Big Book had come in the mail. Immediately, the kids had it down on the footstool looking through all of it's greatness trying to choose everything they wanted for Santa to bring them this year.

Malek was REALLY into it.

Emma asking him which bike was his favorite. Little did I know that he was a little TOO into it. Too into it so much that he didn't let his daddy put a new diaper on him before they started looking through it!

Hope everyone has a safe & Happy Halloween this weekend.

Stay tuned until next week - Post #100 is a-comin' and so will a giveaway!!

#3 of 28...29...30...I lose count

2010-10-26T09:08:00.004-05:00

FINISHED!!! WOO HOO!!

And how cute is it?? I call it - Pink Lemonade!

This is one of many that I'm making for the ladies that my grandmother shares a lunch table with at her nursing home. This one in particular is for her roommate Miss Lavern. I'm sure she is going to love it!

Love late night sewing.....

OH!! Stay tuned in the days/weeks to come - I'm about to hit my 100th post!! And that my friends is call for a celebration! Time for a giveaway! Check back and let's see what that's all about.

Pumpkins

2010-10-25T13:45:00.008-05:00

Took the kids to the pumpkin patch this weekend....again. There were many more pumpkins this time around. Was all fun and games til it started to downpour! It was a fun experience anyway.

And then we carved our pumpkins....

Oh and here's a teaser regarding Malek's Halloween costume!

#2 Christmas Project Done - Check!

2010-10-22T13:54:00.005-05:00

Notice the time on the clock.... that's not daytime either!

Christmas project #2 done! Yeah! I just get a RUSH after I watch Project Runway and HAVE to sew - no matter the time....obviously. hehe

OMG!! First Ever Tutorial!!

2010-10-18T16:29:00.011-05:00

I'm please to present to you my First Ever Tutorial!! Tell me whatcha think! I hope you all like it and make up tons of them. Think about it! Just about every adult you know has a car. No matter where you live, whether it's hot or cold, every steering wheel could use one of these! Jazzes it up a bit don't ya think?

So without further ado..Purpleheart Ori"Jenn"als presents:

The String Block Steering Wheel Cover Tutorial

You'll need this 1/4 circle template too. If it doesn't allow you to click on it to enlarge, just leave me a comment and I'll email it to you. Blogger is giving me all kinds of fits today!

It takes a couple of seconds to post cuz it's CHUCK full of step by step photos! So just bear with me.

Coming Soon!

2010-10-15T14:27:00.002-05:00

State Fair of Texas

2010-10-13T09:12:00.014-05:00

We went to the State Fair on Monday and boy did we have a great time. Nana even got to come along with us. This was Malek's first time and Emma's 3rd. She hasn't been since she was about 2 so it was like going for the first time all over again for her too.

giant tractors.....

baby giraffes.....

baby donkeys (or as Emma used to call them - Honkeys)

baby camels and big camels - check out those lashes!!

and baby piggies!!

And here's Malek trying to decide whether to share the kibble with this goat. Yes - my son ate goat kibble.

First and last ride Malek rode.....

This is his new "CHEESE" face.

Assuming the "CHEESE" face with his Nana.

3 Generations....

running thru the water....

The Original Big Tex Head.

And poor Emma after we made her schuck corn all day....no posing - really. This is what she looked like by the end of the day.

And that's why I only have 2 quilt pics. Kids were DONE by this point.

But at least I got a picture of this cute baseball quilt. I must have been channeling the Rangers!! Congrats to my Arlington, Texas Rangers on winning the ALDS!!! Bring on them Yankees!!

At least the night ended happily!

Halloween's a-comin'! What are you dressing up as?

Here's a little hint for what I'll be whipping up for my two - ARRRRGGGGHHH!

Also - Happy Birthday Momma!!! Can't wait to celebrate on Friday!!

Where has the time gone?

2010-10-07T11:40:00.008-05:00

I can't believe that it's been 3 weeks since my last post. Shame on me. Well, life goes on....Our offices moved a couple of weeks ago so it's taken me some time to get things settled and by the time I get home, I'm wiped out! At least we've started to have some cooler temps here! YEAH!! I LOVE waking up to temps in the 50's!! At least I finally finished the Mary Engelbreit quilt for my former co-worker that is now going thru radiation for her brain tumor. I hope to drop it off this week. I hope she likes it!! Here are a few pics. Sorry for the blackouts on the label - got to protect the innocent. hehe

I just did some simple horizontal quilting between each row and then in the middle of the red border. Just enough to hold it all together and then added some buttons throughout to further the ME feel of it all.

Finishes!

2010-09-15T16:39:00.005-05:00

Here's Mom's finished Quilts for Kids Dinosaur quilt. It turned out so cute. Can't wait for it to reach someone in need of a good hug to brighten their day.

Here is also my take on a cool Steering Wheel cover. Living in Texas, the wheel can be oh so hot on those 100+ days even WITH a sunshade. This one is for my dad - the ultimate Beatles fan. I was really trying to go with the random string block gig, but my strips started to match up a little too good in some places and then totally off in others. Oh well - must work on more randomness! I'm seeing alot more of these added to my Christmas list too! I might be persuaded to put together a tutorial on these too. Let me know what you think. I just threw this one together, but it was super simple and the possibilities are endless for the top design!

Here's hoping we get another good rain like last night!

Blink...blink....it's 12:13am

2010-09-10T10:14:00.005-05:00

Holy cow! I can't believe I stayed up soooo late!! Sewing on my Christmas presents. Here's a sneaky peak of what I worked on last night. Can't show the full project because my buddy to receive this sometimes frequents my blog (Hi Susie!!) So....this will have to do for now.

And how about some leg warmer action?? Actually, these are just my socks, but he felt the need to pull them up OVER his knees for some kitchen floor dancin' fun!

Have a great weekend!! I hope to cross off complete and cross off my FIRST of 26(and counting) Christmas presents!!

Mom's Progress

2010-08-30T14:53:00.007-05:00

Back a couple of weeks ago, I had my mother over one Saturday and we had ourselves a sew-in. Well, mother finally got the top sewn together for her Quilts for Kids quilt. The dinosaur fabric is just adorable. Last night I got it quilted and tonight I'm going to be sewing on the binding so she can finish it off while Malek naps when she comes to watch him on Wednesday. Such a simple pattern and so cute. I really should cut up some of my stash and make a couple more myself.

She's also working on a string block quilt for my aunt (her sister) for her birthday at the end of September. She's going to use light pink as a filler sashing and a first border and then add another darker/brighter pink similar to the block centers for the main overall border.
And what blog entry wouldn't be complete with a random pick of my son clad only in a beach towel? His expression is priceless. Like someone just startled him out of the bath! hehe

Another day, another quilt top.....

I DID IT!!

2010-08-23T10:52:00.009-05:00

I'm so proud of myself! I sewed and sewed my little heart out but I finished the Snoopy quilt in time for the birthday party for my friend's little boy. Of course, I rearranged the squares AGAIN before sewing them together, but I'm happy with the result. Plus I found the most fabulous fabric for the back - (oh crap! forgot to take a pic of it!). I still have a piece of it. Will have to photograph it and post it later. It was meant to be!!

They even played pin the ear on Snoopy! Here's Malek taking his turn.And here is my big 4th grade girl! All 5 foot 2 1/2 inches of her (and just only turned 9) !!! I see WNBA in her future at this rate.

Hope everyone else has a great first day of school wherever you are!

Snoopy Blocks

2010-08-17T10:47:00.008-05:00

I don't know if I'm completely happy with the layout or not. What do you all think? I'm a little OCD about having the same fabrics touching or repeating too closely together. Does this layout look ok? I'm not happy with the 3 white center blocks playing tic tac toe diagonally. Any suggestions? Might just have to live with it. Either that or just go buy more fabric!!

It was late (as usual) when I did this last night, so I may take another stab at it tonight. Still need to trim them all up to the exact same size. Should have done that before I started arranging them. Oh well.....

Hurry up and wait...

2010-08-16T16:02:00.008-05:00

Over the weekend, I finished zig-zagging around all of the letters on the ME "Friends" quilt and got the backing pieced. Now it's set aside til I get the batting and can get it sandwiched and quilted.

So in the mean time.....I just can't sit still! I've got to start another project! Yeah that's me - the one with the most UFO's! Except this one I HAVE to get done asap because it's for a birthday present this Saturday. It's a baby quilt so it should go together quickly.

I've got all the squares done. I followed Allison's (cluck cluck sew) pattern (BTW love her!) where you lay two blocks of fabric on top of each other and then cut all pieces at once then change out the center block to make two blocks, somewhat mirror image of each other. I couldn't remember her dimensions so I just went with the flow and made up my own. I started with 8 inch blocks and cut off 2 inches on each vertical side. Then cut off 2 inches from the top and bottom. This left a 4 inch center block. Switched out the centers and sewed them all back together.

Here is what I ended up with! Pretty darn proud of myself. Tonight I get to lay them all out. I'm sure with the help of a certain someone too!! Might have to wait til that one is down for the night.

These are about the worst photos I've ever taken, but given the time of day (11:15pm) last night, they will have to do. You get the point - right? Tomorrow I will have better pics of them all laid out. I have 30. Main fabric is that cute little Snoopy fabric. This is going to be one luckly little dude! It's for a former co-worker's son's 1st birthday!

On to the layout of the blocks!

Progress...

2010-08-11T08:58:00.005-05:00

I tackled the scariest part of this quilt last night.....zig-zagging around the letters. 4 down - 3 to go... Not the greatest, but I think I can add some applique flowers or cute buttons to cover any "boo-boo's".

I love sewing late into the night, but I sure pay for it the next day! Oh well, that's the price I pay for my passion!

Weekend Sew-In

2010-08-09T09:56:00.005-05:00

Well, to help my mom, as well as myself, get the motivation to get back into sewing, I held a little sew-in at my house on Saturday. She came over about 7:30am and we sewed our little hearts out. Yummy snacks and a crock pot beans included. Both of the kids even joined in. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pics of Emma sewing but she worked on some charm squares that she's making into a baby quilt to donate to a child in need. Here's Malek getting Emma's seat "warmed up".

This is how Malek spent alot of his time "helping" his Nana sew - standing in the chair behind her back. She worked on a super cute dinosaur quilt for the Downy Quilts for Kids charity. Again - no pics - guess I was just too busy sewing myself! It's a great charity though and they send you just about everything you need to make a great little quilt for someone in need.

And I made a little more progress on the quilt top for my former co-worker that had the brain tumor removed. I've got to applique the letters down and add a yoyo for the dot over the I and then I can start quilting it. I freehanded the letters similar to the ones that are on the ME website. Wanted it to be as authentic as possible.

And last but not least - Friday afternoon, I took the boy in for his 18 month (where did time go!) checkup. He is currently 26.2 lbs and 34 inches tall! He's averaging about 2-3 inches every 3 months since he turned 1.

Have a great week - quilt on!

Giveaway Win

2010-08-06T08:19:00.009-05:00

So with temps here in TX between 105-110 the past couple of days. it's just too hot to even think about going outside to take those great outdoor shots of my quilts. But last night I sucked it up and went forth! As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I was the winner of Rachel's giveaway (p.s.iquilt) from her sponsor Rachel @ Quilter Girl. So without further delay...here is the GORGEOUS little quilt that I won!! Can you hear the giddyness in my typing?!?!? It's so sweet and looks perfect in my house!

The stitching on the back is with a beautiful verigated thread and is amazing up close. The perfect little home for this beauty!

Sneaky peak

2010-08-04T16:31:00.007-05:00

Hope to have some borders on it tonight or tomorrow to share.

I've Caught the Hexie Bug!

2010-08-03T08:33:00.006-05:00

Weekend Wrap Up

2010-07-26T14:14:00.008-05:00

Another birthday celebration for Miss Em - but with family this time. Had a nice cookout and more CAKE!! YUM!!

Looks like someone is tuckered out!

However, this was Malek this morning - ready and raring to go to daycare. He turned 18 months old today!!

So today's post isn't all about gratuitous kid photos....here's a little quilty goodness that I whipped up a week or so ago for my grandad's 86th birthday!

Promise of more quilting fun to come. Working on an I Spy Hexagon quilt for a co-worker's grandson, a disappearing 9 patch Mary Engelbreit quilt for a former co-worker that is having another brain tumor removed tomorrow and pics of a sweet little quilt I won from Rachel over at p.s. i quilt via her sponsor Quilter Girl! OMG is it more adorable in person!!!

Later!!

Cheryl & Jason 07-17-10

2010-07-19T10:33:00.012-05:00

As promised....pics from my cousin's wedding this past weekend. Miss Emma was asked to stand at the guest sign-in book. She was thrilled! And I finished the dress in plenty of time!! Unfortunately, I didn't get a single picture of the back of it. The wedding was held in Rusk, TX at a beautiful old home called Grace Manor.

My aunt, the mother of the bride, made the wedding cake and the groom's cake. And boy were they delicious!!!

This was the sand pouring ceremony that joined them all together into a Family of 5!

Cheryl, Jason, Kaden, Ethan & Lane (Jason's son)

This is Cheryl with her boys Kaden and Ethan. We were even able to bust my grandmother from her nursing home for a few days. She wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Mr. & Mrs. Jason Hill

The Three Amigos!

Kaden, Lane & Ethan

Well, it's been an exhausting but TOTALLY FUN weekend!

Has it really been 3 wks???

2010-07-15T14:09:00.009-05:00

Talk about a slacker! I just realized that it's been 3 weeks since my last post. So here's a little of what we've up to in our household.....

1 - Emma's 9th Birthday / Sleepover - we were supposed to go the a local play pool, but with all the rain we've been having here in TX, we decided to go to the movies instead and saw Karate Kid.

But not before hours of karaoke. Notice the time on the clock. That's PM folks and it's only started....

2 - Swimmin' fun at the local kiddie pool. How precious is this kid I ask ya? Knock kneed just like his mother. Poor baby.

3 - Finished up BOTH of the following quilts! Yeah me! Finally - I know my mom and Zack are both proud of that!

And 4 - Not much else. Currently working on a dress for Emma to wear to my cousin's wedding on Saturday. Talk about workin' under pressure! I may be sewing til the wee hours of the night tomorrow. I'll post pics next week. It's been a long time since I've had to make ANYTHING using a pattern and even though I have a Home Ec degree, I am having a hard time with this pattern. Hopefully, between me, my mother, my aunt and my grandmother, it will be finished in time for the wedding.

I'll leave you with a couple of funny pictures of Malek. This one reminds me of the one I posted here of Emma. Almost identical! No denying they're my kids or at least that they are related.

Hope this isn't how he's going to treat his kids!
See ya later! Just hope not in 3 more weeks!

Monday

2010-06-21T10:43:00.006-05:00

Well, we finally took the plunge and Malek started daycare today. Good for him, but sad for me and his Nana (who has been keeping him since I went back to work when he was 2 1/2 months old). It will only be part time for now - 3 full days a week. His Nana or Daddy will keep him the other days.

He wasn't too sure when I put him in the car this morning. Kindof was wondering why he was up, dressed AND in the car at such an early hour!

He seemed to love it from the second he walked in though. Took to the toys REAL well.

So maybe if he's worn out at the end of the day, I might be able to get more sewing done in the evenings. Right now working on the binding of the boxed squares quilt for my mom. Should have it finished up in the next few days. Then on to the next project on the list!

It just never ends.....

2010-05-12T15:36:00.002-05:00

I am now among the sick pool! Bad sinus infection and have lost my voice. Poor Malek is over the German Measles, but now has fever and another double ear infection! Man it just never ends at our house!!

I have been staying up late sewing alot of new Tag Raggies for the Grapevine shop. "May Days" is the weekend of the 21st so I've got to get my inventory ramped up. Have got alot of new patterns that I'm hoping will be good sellers. I'll try to post some pics tomorrow.

Hope everyone else is staying well!

Jenn

We temporarily interrupt this program.....

2010-05-06T10:09:00.009-05:00

With a case of THE GERMAN MEASLES!! So after about 7 days of 102-104+ fever, a trip to the ER, iv fluids, 2 antibiotic shots, multiple vials of blood, 8 loads of laundry (due to all of the vomiting and diarrhea) and 30+ baths....we have a diagnosis. German Measles. The poor boy is COVERED head to toe in a rash. The fever finally broke on Tuesday about 4pm. By the time he woke up Wednesday, the rash had reared it's ugly head...all over. The picture above was BEFORE the rash broke out, but was obviously feeling the effects of feeling rotten!

Pictures really don't show the true effects. Poor kid!

This week has also been Teacher Appreciation Week at Emma's school. Today's gift was something of the teacher's favorite color. So I whipped these up over the weekend between laundry and baths for each of her teachers. She had alot of fun picking out just the right fabrics for each.

Take care! I think I hear more laundry calling my name....

Frustrated....

2010-04-27T15:53:00.006-05:00

Does anyone else have this same problem???
Right after I leave a comment on SEVERAL of my FAVORITE blogs, it starts opening about a ZILLION new internet windows. It goes on a rampage I tell ya! On and on and on and on!!! And trying to exit out of them is next to impossible. Has this happened to anyone else? I can still read them, but now have to miss out on commenting about great quilt projects, or cute grandkid pics or entering their fabulous giveaways! Man am I steamed! So if you haven't seen me comment in a while, it's not because I don't love ya and read your blogs daily (because I do), it's because there's a gremlin in my computer that doesn't WANT me to comment.

Thoughts?

Look who's got a new DO!

2010-04-26T11:10:00.007-05:00

No quilting this weekend. We had out final soccer game, a cookout at Grandpa's house (my dad) and did a whole lotta unpacking boxes!!! Finally - and we've only been there a year! My mom is so inspiring. Just her being there gave me the willpower to finally tackle ALOT of boxes. She did alot too. Thanks Mom!

But in more important news.....Malek got a real BIG BOY HAIRCUT!! I do miss the curls, but how HANDSOME is he I ask???

BEFORE.....

DURING....

He seems to look a little worried about how much she's taking off over the ears.

ALL GEL'D UP! END RESULT!
Wish us luck today! Emma goes back to the orth dr to see about taking her cast off! Let's hope it's all healed and we can get back to normal life!

Happy Monday!

Texas Bluebonnets

2010-04-12T09:34:00.010-05:00

As promised.....one of the best things about living in Texas.... Bluebonnets!

Hate Candle Smoke Smell? TRY THIS STUFF!!

2010-04-08T15:20:00.014-05:00

Does your house have that not so fresh smell lately? Whether it's from the dog, kids, husband or just everyday wear and tear, have I got a solution for you! My good buddy Jennifer is selling the latest and greatest stuff called Scentsy. Her mom got me hooked on it and now I'm so done with burning candles. This stuff smells sooooo good! I've got a couple of the plug-ins and one of the mid-size warmers (I actually have the one on the cover below!)and my 1800 sq foot house never smelled better. And the best thing of all, besides, not having to deal with the stinky smell of when you blow out candles, it's non-toxic and so kid friendly!

So do me a favor and go check out her website and look around. These make great Mother's Day presents!! (hint hint hubs....not like he reads this anyway) It's very reasonably priced and the lovely smells last up to 80 hours just off of one little wax block! And they've got like oodles of different scents. You could even mix them to create your own good smellin' creations. My favorite scents are Clean Breeze, Perfectly Pomegranate & Cinnamon Bear. Yum!! These great smells also come in room sprays, travel tins and little "hang anywheres". I got a couple of those hanger ones and put in the kids closets and man does it smell good in there now!

Here's her link. Go look around. Buy a couple. Book a party! Have fun!

http://jclinesmith.scentsy.us/Home

Thanks quilty friends!!

Miss Emma's New Accessory

2010-04-07T11:48:00.004-05:00

A 3 wk semi-permanent hitch-hikin' thumb!

Easter Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-04-06T10:11:00.012-05:00

I finally finished my Quilts For Kids quilt that I first blogged about here. It tells all the details on how you too can make a quilt for a deserving child. It's all washed and dried and ready to be sent off to some lucky kiddo!

We had a great Easter weekend. The kids hunted for eggs more than once. Well, Emma did anyway. Malek was more interested in busting them open and kicking them around all over the livingroom. He was REALLY into the "grass" in his basket. Note to self.....skip the grass next year. I'm finding it in the weirdest places!

I cooked for my mom and grandmother. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and cheesecake (walmart however cooked this - delish!).

I think Malek was going on about 6 hours of straight being awake in this photo - hence the open mouth yawning. He finally crashed out after we did the egg hunt.

BEFORE our nice long Easter weekend....Emma tripped at school last Wednesday and somehow landed on her knee but not before her left thumb slipped under it and broke. First broken bone. Hey at least she waited til she was almost 9. Stitches were at 2 1/2 though. Anyway, we go tomorrow to the ortho dr to see what's next. She's been sporting that fashionable blue splint type thing ever since. So I've had to help her bathe and dress.....man I forgot how easy it was only doing that on one kid! Now I've got two to contend with in those departments. She's been a real good sport about it. She's really wanting a turquoise cast or hot pink.

Things were very pleasant with a 3 day weekend....Easter went off without a hitch.....then Monday hit. See photo below. Malek got into a tangle with the magazine rack and apparently lost. Said rack is highlighted in this photo.
I just noticed, not only did it hit his eye, it clipped his little nose and his big toe on his left foot. Mom said he only cried for a few minutes and then was back up playing like nothing was wrong. All boy!

Have a great week! I've got TONS of sewing projects to get to. Oh and of course Texas Bluebonnet pictures!!! Here is last year's picture. He was so tiny!

I'm still here.... Really I am.....

2010-03-31T15:49:00.011-05:00

Raising two kids almost 8 years apart is HARD, but so rewarding.

Drumroll please.........the little guy is FINALLY WALKING!!! 14 months old on the 26th and he's finally decided that walking is so much more fun than crawling. Here's the proof.He's also discovered that he LOVES suckers (of course under extreme adult supervision....)
So at the start of 2010, I vowed to take more pictures of my kids with me in them - something I didn't do alot of when Emma was smaller and now regret. So here's one of me and the kids the other night at Emma's open house at school. Of course Malek was busy looking at some other kids that were playing nearby.
And on a quilting note.....this is a project that I've got listed on my sidebar or at least I think I do...note to self - check that out.

ANYWAY....it's a doll quilt to match a baby quilt that I'm making for a co-worker. I even quilted it myself!! Not washed yet, but still cute as can be in my book. I figured her 2 1/2 year old daughter would like a mini version of the one her new brother or sister will be receiving when they arrive this summer. They aren't sure of the gender, and the baby is due in June so when I found the umbrella fabric, I just knew it would make a cute summery baby quilt. I also plan on making them both matching bib and burp clothes out of the same fabric. I'll post more pics as I progress.

Well, it's Wednesday and almost the end of my work day, oh and we have Friday off (yeah)....nothing on tv tonight so that means SEWING!! YEAH ME!

Have a good one!

Emily's Smile Boxes

2010-03-11T09:53:00.010-06:00

http://cbs11tv.com/local/roanoke.smile.boxes.2.1551886.html

Please watch this little news clip of a local Texas girl. I know this family and what this little girl has created in her Smile Boxes is awesome. She started this charity shortly after one of her little brother's many hospital stays. Jude, her little brother, had a stroke in utero. Please go to their website, Jude, The Diary of a Baby and a Stroke, and read their story. They are an amazing family. I'm proud to say that I've contributed to them too. She currently delivers to area hospitals on a monthly basis, but hopes to one day be able to deliver them worldwide.

Feel free to grab their button and help promote Emily's Smile Boxes and Pediatric Stroke Awareness!

Have a great Thursday!

Quilts for Kids

2010-03-10T08:47:00.007-06:00

I saw another quilty blogger had made a quilt for the charity Quilts for Kids and I thought it was a great idea so I logged onto their website and ordered a kit. It was shipped to me within a week and comes with everything except batting. And the strips and focus squares are already cut! How much easier could it be to make a quilt for a child in need. These quilts are given to kids in hospitals that are battling cancer, AIDS and other life threatening illnesses or child abuse.

I encourage each of my quilty friends to go over and order a kit and make a quilt for a child in need. This kit is so super easy. The directions and pattern are very easy to follow and it makes up in no time at all. It's taking me a little longer since the only time I've been able to sew lately is after the kids go to bed and then it's only an hour here and there. But here is where I'm at so far. The fabrics are so cute. My blocks are sewn together. Now to sew the rows together and add my two borders and voila! Quilt top will be done.

So pop on over and order a kit. When I get this one ready, I might just request me up another one! They also encourage you to send one made from your own stash. I KNOW I've got plenty to make one with my own fabrics. I think I'll do that!

It's Wednesday.....it's all downhill from here. :-)

Braggin'

2010-03-04T14:11:00.006-06:00

No quilty business today....just some good ol' fashion momma braggin'.

Here are a couple of Malek's 1 year pics. I'm lovin' this boy more and more every day.

Busy Busy Bee

2010-03-03T10:04:00.010-06:00

Here a little something of what I've been working on for Miscellaneous in Grapevine. Dropping off the goods today at lunch. The tag raggies are so soft! Emma - almost 9 years old wants one too, because they are so darn cute and cuddly!

I also made some awesome meat & veggie lasagna last night too. My first time EVER. And EVERYONE loved it. I was pretty impressed with myself. I may have a college degree in Home Ec, but cooking has never really been my best forte.
Have a great day!

And the winner is...

2010-02-26T08:44:00.003-06:00

#7 - Deb! Congratulations! Please email me with your address and I'll have your little bag in the mail promptly.

Thank you to everyone who left me Birthday wishes! You guys are all so sweet!

Stay tuned.....I might just have some more giveaways in the near future. Lots of projects in the works as you can see by my right sidebar. I've got alot on my plate! Some of the projects have been on my plate for a L.O.N.G. time, but I had to list everything I could possibly think of so I don't forget them another 3 years!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Malek has his 1st birthday pictures to do, Emma's got another mini soccer camp and I've got brunch with one of my bestest friends Roxann.

Have a good one!

Quilting by Moi!

2010-02-23T10:44:00.013-06:00

I finished up this little quilt the other night for a co-worker's 2 yr old son. He needed a quilt since he just became a Big Brother a couple of months ago. I call this one "Monkey Business".

His baby sister got this quilt. They didn't know if she was a boy or girl so when I found this deer fabric, I knew it would work for either. Though I was secretly wishing it was a girl! It was quilted by Karen's Quilted Creations. She did an awesome job! I just sent her two others to quilt that should be landing on her doorstep tomorrow.

I found the tumbler block pattern over at Moda Bake Shop. It is by a great blogger / quilter amandajean from crazymomquilts. Unfortunately, she no longer blogs - bummer! But her blog is still up and she has some great quilt pics of her projects. Though I didn't make this from a charm pack (I used mostly fat quarters), it still went together very quickly and I just added a couple of borders to make it a little bigger. A.N.D I quilted it myself!! Not perfect but it got the job done!

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway!

Have a Happy Tuesday!

40

2010-02-19T09:18:00.012-06:00

Today, February 22nd, at 1pm CST I will be 40 years old. 40. Forty. Where have the years gone? I still remember being a 7 year old, riding my cool blue Spider bike up and down the street in front of my childhood home for hours on end. Now I drive my car every day for hours on end.

Today I celebrate becoming 40, but what I should really be celebrating is that my mother brought me into this world 40 years ago. Without her and my dad, I wouldn't be here. Thank you to you both.

I saw this on someone else's blog (sorry I can't remember who) and thought it would be kindof fun to apply to myself to mark the occasion. So without further adew.....here are 40 usless bits of information about me - the 40 year old.

1 - I always lock my doors when driving because I’m paranoid of being snatched at a stop light. The instructor at driver's ed put that fear in me!
2 - I always wave at the person behind me when merging lanes in traffic. Not everyone does this – why is that?
3 - I apologize to parked cars when I bump them with my door. Sorry-Sorry-Sorry. Has to be said 3 times fast.
4 - I can pick up things with my toes and so can both of my kids.
5 - I can swim but can’t dive.
6 - I can wiggle my ears.
7 - I can't sew with shoes on.
8 - I drive a 2005 Honda Pilot that was wrecked (parked at the dr office) only 8 days after I drove it off the lot.
9 - I change my purse every 2-3 days. I love working for a handbag company!
10 - I collect thimbles.
11 - I did debt collections for a copier company for 7 years after graduating from college with my teaching degree in Home Economics.
12 - I don’t like coffee, seafood or tomatoes.
13 - I drive over 60 miles round trip to work each day.
14 - I gained 0 pounds while pregnant with my daughter, but gained 47 with my son.
15 - I H.A.T.E. being late!! Anything less than 15 minutes early is late to me.
16 - I have a tattoo of a purple heart on the inside of my left ankle.
17 - I have one brother – 3 years older.
18 - I never buy the 1st of anything on a shelf, unless it’s the only one then that voids this rule.
19 - I played 1st chair viola for 5 years when I was in grades 4 thru 8.
20 - I remember getting a beautiful red tricycle for my 4th birthday.
21 - I secretly l.o.v.e the Jonas Brothers. hehe
22 - I taught 7th grade Home Ec. (for a whole 2 months) Kids are just horrible at that age.
23 - I used to collect carpet fuzz when I was little. (details are only privy to those who REALLY know me)
24 - I used to speak French; not fluent by any means.
25 - I wear size 12 shoes.
26 - I weighed 10 lbs 10 ½ inches at birth and was 22 inches long.
27 - I’m 6’1”. Weight now…. – well we just won’t go there.
28 - I’m afraid of heights. Being tall doesn't help.
29 - I’m very anal and detail oriented. My husband says I’m a control freak. I just like things a certain way.
30 - I’m very much an introvert.
31 - I’ve been in the Empire State Building….but only in the lobby, hence point #28.
32 - I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 10. Same year I got the horrible “Dorothy Hamill” haircut.
33 - I’ve had stitches 4 times (not counting surgeries); all before age 8.
34 - I’ve never been skiing – either snow or water.
35 - I’ve never broken any bones.
36 - I’ve read all 15 of Jennifer Chiaverini’s Elm Creek Quilt books.
37 - My cell phone ring tone is Bon Jovi – It’s My Life.
38 - My favorite color is purple though I never wear it.
39 - My favorite drinks are water, tea and Dr. Pepper.
40 - My favorite foods are my Mamie’s fried potatoes, her chocolate pie and Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls.

So now that you know me a little better (hehe)....How about a giveaway?!?!

I found the link to the tutorial to make this cute little bag via The Polkadot Chair inwhich she had the actual link to the tutorial on Skip To My Lou's blog. It was my first time EVER to work successfully with zippers and with iron on vinyl. So cool. I know what everyone's getting for Christmas this year!!

So - you wanna win this cute little bag? Here's how....I'm going to make it simple today.

Leave me a comment and your entered! Easy as that!

Good luck. Drawing will close at midnight Thursday 2/25/10. Winner will be drawn on Friday Morning! Good Luck.

Happy Birthday to me!

There's a Bloggy-Birthday Giveaway Coming Up!

2010-02-19T09:08:00.006-06:00

Stay tuned in Monday for my birthday giveaway to help commemorate my 40th birthday! Lucky me the celebration starts tonight at my house!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Love!

2010-02-17T13:37:00.006-06:00

Just wanted to wish a Happy (belated-so sorry!) Birthday to my quilty-blog friend "Love" over at I Just Love Quilts. Her birthday was really yesterday. Go check out her blog and see what she bought for herself to celebrate! Awesome - might have to get the same for me for my birthday next Monday!

Love - I can't comment anymore on your blog because for some odd reason, everytime I do, it opens like a Z.I.L.L.I.O.N. new windows and I can't E.V.E.R. seem to get out of them all and when you comment on mine, you have a no-reply comment return email address and I can't email you back. So - email me (purpleheartorijennals@yahoo.com) with your email address so I can keep in touch with you lady!

Have a GREAT DAY and BIRTHDAY WEEK!!