Thursday, January 28, 2010

Emily's Notebook

I posted my fitness notebook last week.  This is another fun book my daughter, Emily made for a friend.

This is the front of the notebook, made from a composition notebook like mine. 
She found all the papers and embellishments in my stash.  I think
it is adorable.  Here's the back:



Don't you just love the handmade stamp with the crown?  I've had it for
years and think it's the best.

We don't really have any formal directions for these notebooks.  I've made so many
as gifts over the years.  I just start finding coordinating papers
and fun embellishments and start cutting to fit.  You can add as much as
you'd like to make it super cute -- now is that a 70's phrase or what?
Great job, Em!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

A Different Kind of Paper




Here's a picture of some different kind of paper that let us in to see a
Country Music Superstar Friday night at the Encore Theater!  Yes,
we saw Garth Brooks.  He announced last September he was coming
out of retirement to perform a very limited engagement here in
Las Vegas.  His tickets sold out quickly but my youngest
daughter registered for email notification for tickets.  Scalped tickets
were confiscated and resold.  We couldn't all sit together as there was
a two ticket maximum per ticket buyer.  This was a birthday present for
our oldest daughter, Emily.  Her birthday was Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Here we are posing by a sign near the theater.



Left to right it's my husband Don, Brandon (Emily's boyfriend), Emily, me and Laurie.

The ticket price was steep but it was worth every last penny!  Laurie and I were in the third row, stage right.
The theater holds 1500 so it was very nice.  Garth came out with his acoustic guitar wearing jeans, workboots, sweatshirt and baseball cap.  It was a very different show than we saw about 19 years ago here in the Thomas and Mack Center.  He was amazing, talked about all his musical influences throughout his life and sang songs from Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor (he said his oldest daughter, Taylor, was named for him), George Jones, Merle Haggard, Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Bob Seger, Don McClean (his favorite song is American Pie) to name some of them.  And Roy Clark was in the audience so Garth sang one of his songs and the audience sang Happy Birthday to Roy's wife, Barbara.  Then Trisha Yearwood came out and sang a duet with Garth.  Every single minute was fabulous.  He sang Don and Laurie's favorite songs (Too Young to Feel this Old and Beaches of Cheyenne).  He took lots of questions from the audience and sang one couple's wedding song for them (To Make You Feel My Love).  I think we might see him again if we can be lucky enough to get tickets again.  There were people from all over the country in the audience.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

2009/10 Notebook

My goal is to post 2-3 times a week but fell short this week.  There were some technical difficulties -- couldn't find our digital camera!  And my daughter has a few pictures I need on her camera and I keep forgetting to ask her for them!

Anyway,  today I'm showing the notebook I made last January to guide me and my resolutions through the year.  I didn't meet them (by a longshot) so I'm back at it in 2010.



I think this is very clever!  I used a pattern in an old PaperCrafts magazine.  I would love to
look like my cover!  The red nail polish is really out of character for me too.



This is the back cover, fairly simple.  I've found that if you add too
many embellishments to the back, the notebook doesn't lay flat very well.




Here's the front inside pocket -- you can see my motivational stickers tucked inside.




The back pocket gives you more space to store fun items, lists, charts, etc.
This was fun to make.  I used a composition notebook purchased at Walgreen's.
I had all the papers, ribbons, brads and stickers in my stash.  I put tabs inside
for each month, goals, plans, progress and fun stuff.  I journal
once or twice a week and chart my progress, rewards, exercise and
anything else that helps me.  I hope to make even more
progress this year in the areas of health and fitness.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Quilt Book

This was another gift from my mom.  It's been on my Christmas list for the past two years.



I can't wait to start browsing through the 300+ pages of great photos and quilt stories.




This book came highly recommended from a fabulous quilter.
 I must keep repeating to myself as I browse,  "no more new projects"!
That's going to be hard because I know the book is filled with fabulous quilts
and that will give me new ideas.  I especially love vintage and classic
quilt patterns.  Maybe you could find the book someplace too.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Yo Yo Throw

This is the best Christmas present ever!  My mom made this for me.  She loves to make yoyos. 
She made my sister a yoyo throw last year and it was beautiful.  Well, it was my turn this year!



Doesn't this look fabulous on our sectional?  Of course, no one is allowed to
actually sit on it.  They have to reposition it when they sit down.

My mom said there are 990 yoyos in this throw.  She would sit and watch TV
in the evenings, make the yoyos and drop them into a box.  Then
she spent countless hours hand stitching them together, with many
nicks and finally callouses on her fingers.



Here's another close up of some of the 990 yoyos.



It's so fabulous.  I'm so lucky to have a mom who would do this for me.
Don't you think I'm lucky to receive such a gift of love?

Sunday, January 10, 2010

First 2010 Finished UFO

Well, I commented on New Year's Day that there were many UFO's lurking in my sewing room.  I have compiled my list of 25 quilts, 7 stitching projects and countless other sewing projects.  And I can't even address all the cards to be made and pages to be scrapped!

I finished this quilt (binding, label and sleeve) while watching all the bowl games.  This is very special to me and I'm keeping it.  The Little Red Hen is one of my favorite stories.  I hope to hang this in my office if there's a wall big enough for it!


Here is a close up of one of the Hen blocks.  The longarm quilter followed the diagonal
lines on the background fabric.  This is a fabric I love and use for
many of my stitching projects.  It comes in many colors.  In fact, I used it in the
Princess project I just posted.



Here's another close up picture of one of the star blocks and the quilting.


This last picture is a border close up.


This is just a great quilt.  It has all of my favorite colors in it and it's my
favorite story.  I hope you like it too.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Prince and Princess

These are two of my favorite projects to make for new babies!  These patterns are from a company I've
mentioned before, Two Blonde Mice.


I have stitched many of these fun gifts.  This frame is from Ikea.  I wish I would
have bought more of these.  The look is perfect.



This one is on her way to a very special newborn as I type.  If someone
sees it before it arrives, don't tell her!  I chose a fun silver frame for her.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Favorite Applique Quilt

This is one of my all time favorite hand applique projects.  It took me several years to finish.  It started when my friend, Rachel, asked me to take a class to make a four block wall hanging from the book.  Well, I fell in love with the center Cottage block and had to make the entire quilt!

Isn't this cottage sweet?

This is another block I love!


The longarm quilting is exquisite, and not done by me!

And here is the quilt:


It's hanging on the wall between my dining room and living room.
It's a big quilt and I'm fortunate to have this large wall space.
This was my first scalloped border, I think it looks fine.


Sunday, January 3, 2010

New Project, New Year!

It's me again, this time with a fun couple of paper projects.

This is a card I've made the past few years and is so quick and easy.


I used a few different sized circle punches and several different Christmas paper scraps.
You can add a pin, jingle bell and ribbon scrap too.

This is an adorable card I received from my dear friend, Loretta's daughter.
Jennifer is a very talented card maker.  My daughter Emily and
I really love this card!


I think they would be fun to make.  I don't know what she used to create the edges.
I bet she'll read this.  Maybe she'll tell us!

This is another card that came from a friend that moved away years ago.
She always sends a handmade card.


It looks like you need a circle punch, crimper, chalk, white gel pen, a stamp and
embossing supplies.  I just love it!

Here's the trio:



Which is your favorite? 
Oops, looks like I'm already finidng new projects for the new year.
This isn't good news for my project spreadsheet!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

January 2010


This is an embroidery project I did years ago.  I bought the pattern at a quilt shop somewhere in Iowa.  I don't remember the name of the shop but do remember it was next to a barn and the owners have written several quilt books.

Here is January:



It's hard to see the snowman's body due to the glare of my flash.
 I need to perfect this photography element of my blog this year.
 Anyway, since we live in the desert, we don't have many opportunities to build a snowman.

I hope you are enjoying the New Year so far. 
I just finished my traditon of multi tasking while watching the Rose Parade.

I've spent the last few days organizing the house, purging closets and drawers.
The most important thing I did was go through my unfinished sewing and embroidery
projects.  It was much uglier than anticipated.  I have enough to keep
me going for the next couple of years!  My good friend, Rachel,
put hers on a spreadsheet.  Guess I will get busy and do the
same.  My goal is to focus on finishing during the new year!