i have to say...

the color run

My lovely daughter accompanied me to The Color Run in Denver this weekend!  She was a really good sport AND managed to run the whole thing (without any prior practice running!) and she was lovely company.

There were over 10,000 runners participating!

At first everyone is in a white t-shirt, and that changes very quickly!

Next year I intend to get a group of friends together to form a team and to take some of my kid's friends.  They would have a blast!  Lots of people were wearing ridiculous and fun costumes!  And I think we should join that group of people!

Each runner gets a packet of colored powder to use at any time during the race.  And at each "K" you have to run through a color blitz (5 altogether), and let me say that some of the people throwing out the color are VERY enthusiastic!

If you have a Color Run in your area, I suggest that you get signed up ASAP since they sell out quickly!  This is a great run for anyone and it's perfect for families.

Now all I need to do is to find some people to run the Retro 5K with me!

a little something...

...for a little someone.

Sewing time has been scarse these days, but I hope that tonight will offer some free minutes for me to work on this little quilt.  

Today the temps are supposed to be in the 90's so I will be poolside supervising some giggly girls this afternoon.  And, anyway, sitting inside while the sun is shining is something that I want to do less of.  Sunshine always begs to be enjoyed, don't you think?

Have a lovely, sunshine-y day!

he made it!

He graduated high school this weekend!

And I am so proud of him.

My boy is kind, humble, delightful, goofy, sensitive, intelligent, discerning, encouraging and fun!

He will start working for my husband today and attending the community college in fall.  Whatever he does in the future, he will be successful, I am sure of it.  

Getting to a milestone like this is bittersweet, for sure.  Mothering is one of my favorite things to do because I get to hang out with my favorite people.  

Seriously, I adore my kids.

But sending them out into the world--essentially working myself out of a job--is the whole point of what I have been doing since they were born.  This is a crazy concept!  And sometimes it feels like a bit of a rip-off.

Looking over old photos to put together a slide show was a sweet time with my boy.  And it was so fun to see that over the years he hasn't changed a bit.  He has always been a bit of a goofball, and he has always given me a hard time when it comes to taking a picture.   But, really, that is part of his charm.

Congratulations, Micah,

I am so proud to call you my son.

mom's day pics

Just wanted to share!  :)

it's been a pink and green week

We have been busy building a little clubhouse in the backyard.

Well, my husband has been building and us girls have been painting and thinking of decorating ideas.  This is a very girly clubhouse, unlike the boy's fort which now doubles as an Airsoft bunker.  Soft pink for the inside (the color reminds me of strawberry cake!) and the outside is a fabulous green:

We still need to paint white around the windows and work on some trim, but it's usable right now. A bright pink chalkboard wall is also on the list-of-things-to-do, but I need to get some things planted in the garden this weekend.  Painting will have to wait.

My Whimsy quilt is all laid out and ready to be sewn together.  I admit that this one was a challenge when it came to checking the layout.  Since the hourglass blocks are laid in alternate directions, my eyes had a hard time seeing what needed to be changed.  Kind of funny, really!

I do love how this is shaping up:

I hope that this weekend yields a bit of sewing time.

Have a lovely day!

the thing about simple...

...is that it's oh so quick!

I got this quilt done in record time--for me anyway!

Most of the time I spend up to 2 months on a quilt since sewing time isn't always in abundance.  This one just came together in a few little sewing sessions.  

I love that!

This quilt is for a lovely girl who has some pretty intense medical stuff coming up in her life, which will keep her in the hospital for a couple of months.   A little bit of quilty comfort seemed in order.  She loves bright colors and lots of pattern.  

And I accomplished that, don't you think? For some reason my cat always has to get into the quilt-picture-taking action!  At least she stopped herself from rolling on it.  She seems to think she needs break in the new ones that way!

This quilt is a big mix of bright aquas, oranges and yellows, and I hope it brings some cheer to a lovely girl.

About this quilt:  I used seventy-two 8" squares and the quilt measures 57" X 62.

thankful for...

...the 3 girls playing in the sprinkler in the front yard.

...sunshine that makes that possible.

...a quilting foot that works correctly.  Yeah for the right tools!

...a husband who can quickly put out a fire.  On the BBQ.  That I started.  Which caused a big black mark on the side of the house.  Sheesh!

...chicken that tastes great even though is totally blackened.  Taking the skin of was all it took!

...being surrounded by lovely fabric.  And having a business that is a hobby for me.

...James Morrison songs.

...painted toenails.  Coral.

...a running partner for tomorrow morning.

...the weekend coming soon.

...being able to plant a few garden plants tomorrow.  Potatoes for sure.

Have a wonderful Friday!

something works!

A week or so ago my sewing machine quit machine-quilting properly.  This has been coming for some time now, but it finally got to the point where it was impossible to get  a good result.

The sewing machine shop was 3 weeks out on appointments for  service, plus I didn't want to spend the $75 for a tune-up.  Someone mentioned that I should try purchasing the actual walking foot made for my sewing machine, so I gave it a go.  Up until now I have used the Universal walking foot made to fit most machines.

Well, the Janome foot works great.  No problems at all!  And it was only about $3 more than the Universal.

This was great since my computer, my car, my van and my son's car were all not working at that same time.  I was seriously to a point where something needed to work right or I was going to go a bit batty.  A few of those on-the-fritz items are now working again too, and that is a wonderful thing.

I finished up the sewing machine cover for the next sew-along, and I think it came out just fine.  At this point I am working with a gal to get some templates made for those of you who don't have an Accuquilt cutter.  As soon as I have more details, I will let you know.  Some fabric scraps sets are also in the works for the shop and they will be perfect for this project!

Now I am off to cut out a new quilt top.  This one will be simple and colorful. I am really in the mood to make something fun!

Happy crafting!

we got a little sunburned...

...but that is OK with  me!

The weekend was lovely.  Warm weather, sunshine and the outdoors.

We worked in the yard, took a hike, rode bikes and went out to breakfast.

Good times.

I am so happy the winter-y days are behind us (mostly!).

It's nice to be thinking of gardening and summer activities.

Sunshine on my face just feels right!

What about you?  How was your weekend?

the not-green room

Well, the family room is finally not green!

And I love it!

But we keep calling it "the green room".

Must think of another name!

I took these pictures before it was fully put back together, but I was anxious to show things off anyway.  Above you can see my new favorite corner in the house.  I am thinking early morning coffee + bible + computer = i like!

There are still some touch-ups to be done, but that should take just a few minutes since we taped like crazy. It's funny how long that takes compared to spraying the paint.

Here is a before picture:

I am so happy that color is gone. It's a nice green, but not for walls (my walls, anyway!).

Here is shot with some of the furniture put back.  Again, we still have lots of stuff to put back in and organize:

Now I am also thinking this will be a nice room for some sewing classes.  All I would have to do is to move the couches out and put in some tables  and chairs.  That would take me--well, my boys--about 5 minutes.

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday!