i have to say...

so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu!

Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you!

I will be back on August 10th.

See you then!

what i do with my free time

This is what happens when the internet is down.  Lots of stuff gets done. 

We have had huge storms come through over the last few days which has led to almost non-existent computer service, so my time has been freed to craft.  This, of course, confirms my suspicion that I spend too much time goofing off in front of this screen.  I am back to a using a timer, just like my kids do when they use the XBOX.  On one hand it feels rather lame, but I know I need to do it.

A small quilt seemed like a fun project and I love how quickly it came together and how simple it was to make.  There are a few things I don’t like about it (is anyone else as picky as me about things you make?), but on the whole I love it.  The colors are so cheerful and sweet and I wish I had a dress just like that one.  I would feel compelled to wear it everyday because I know it would make me feel happy.

I was planning on making another small quilt, but a pile of fabric I bought a few weeks ago (yes, I do buy fabric even though I have 200+ bolts staring at me everyday!) was calling to me.  With all of my free non-computer time I got a new quilt cut out and all of the blocks sewn together.  This one is a wall-hanging and I am hoping to improve on my machine-quilting skills by working on a smaller piece.  It will be perfect for making my stippling design smaller.

I also started to make my list of school books that I need for the kids.  Since September is just around the corner I thought it would be a good idea to start thinking about it.  Really, I need to place an order soon otherwise my curriculum will be backordered.  My kids would love that!

What about you?  Do have any projects in the works?

my darla quilt completed

Here is my Darla quilt in all of her glory. I am very pleased with the finished product!

Whenever I make a quilt I start getting tired of the fabric and the layout about halfway through so the quilting part is always an exercise in hope for me.

Hoping that I like it when it's done.

The binding always does it for me! The frame the  binding creates brings everything together for me.

I purposely went with big squares to show off the fabulous-ness of the Darla collection!

The only thing I would change is that I should have added an extra row on two sides and it would have fit my bed.  I am going to try it out as a coverlet with a red comforter underneath.  I will say that finding this color of red in the bedding section of the store is hard.  Most of the reds are cranberry or rust toned.  Darla's red is a bright crayon-red.

This quilt almost makes me wish for cooler weather so it could be used for snuggling. 

Please note that I said "almost". 

For now I like it folded on the edge of my bed, waiting for it's day of usefulness.

I can wait patiently for the end of summer!

an adventure

Tonight we are having a sleepover birthday party for my two boys who are turning 13 and 15 over the next few days.  Eight boys will be sleeping over tonight and they are all bringing their swim stuff along with their Airsoft gear.

We have piles of snacks ready.  Muffin-making will begin this morning (what an easy way to feed so many teenage boys their breakfast!), but no house-cleaning will take place because they don't care (one more point for teenage boys!).

Tents will be set up in the backyard.  What a great way to house so many boys, eh?

At exactly 9 tomorrow morning all of the dads will arrive bearing their own Airsoft gear to challenge the boys to a fight.  We are a politically-incorrect group of people, I suppose.

Where will I be?

A friend and I have gotten a babysitter for the littles and we will be going to yard-sales and out to lunch.  My hope is that the house will be reasonably clean by the time I get home.

I can dream, can't I?

Have you ever noticed that a large group of boys in a pool looks a lot different that a group of girls?  The girls spend their time demonstrating their handstands and flips, along with doing lots of giggling and talking, while boys just splash and yell and dunk each other.

I love those differences.

Well, wish me luck in being surrounded by so much boy-ness. 

This is sure to be an adventure!

Have a great weekend

harvesting herbs

My days have been busy, busy (in a good way) so computer time is taking a back seat. If I seem to be a little absent, just know I am enjoying my summer and trying to use my time in the best possible way: spending time with my kids drinking in the sunshine.

My herbs are growing like crazy and I figured it was time to harvest some and experiment with drying them.  We use sage in cooking, but also to makes tea for colds and flus so I want to make sure to have lots of that set aside.  Also, the oregano and thyme are growing nicely and were begging to be cut back.

I am just guessing here, but hanging them to dry seems the way to go.  I tied little bundles and hung them from the back of a chair, all the while trying to get my cat to leave them alone.  Obviously I will have to shut the door to keep her away.  Maybe sage is as attractive to cats as catnip? 

I do have a finished quilt to show you, but taking a picture of it has proven to be a challenge.  The right light, a big enough area and cute setting is what I am waiting for.  It all has to be just right, you know? 

What can I say?  I have a fondness for cute quilt pictures!

Have a great day!

big and small adventures

 
Aubry got to ride a horse for the first time this weekend.  She has been dreaming of this for a while and she was thrilled when we saw the opportunity at the zoo.  Her blue, snow-cone grin was ear to ear the whole time.  Now she is campaigning for me to call a friend of ours to ask for some more ride time. 

Cori, you will be hearing from me soon.

She also got to feed the giraffe.  Fun stuff!  The baby giraffe was hungry too, but much too popular to get close to.  This hungry guy (girl?) got the bulk of our crackers.

Craig and Josiah got to go river-rafting.  We live in a place that people travel far and wide to in order to ride the white-water, but we have never gone.  Ten years living here and we haven't tried it, can you believe that?  (Craig is front-left and Josiah is the 2nd on the right in the above picture).

I am thankful to have a hubs who knows to let Josiah out of the boat before heading down the Royal Gorge part of the trip.

They had a great time!

Did you have any adventures--big or small--in your weekend?

praying....

I am praying for Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl today.  I can't even begin to imagine what he is dealing with right now.  My prayer is for his safety and grace towards him on the part of the people holding him captive. 

Also, I am praying for his family and friends as they await news about him. 

Will you join me?

waiting on the "good stuff"

We are at that mildly frustrating point in our garden where our harvest is improving, but none of the "good stuff" is ready yet.  We have tons of radishes, carrots, lettuces, and, unfortunately, more turnips than we know what to do with, but the tomatoes, squash, melons and beans are taking their sweet mid-summer time.

Weeding time each week is not quite the thrill it was at first (OK, so thrill is probably an overstatement!) and the motivation to invest time and sweat into our garden is waning. 

We need a ripe tomato to keep us going!

A bushel of them would be even better!

I know it is just a matter of days before we have more goodies than we can use, but Friday's weeding day is not looking desirable. Lucky for us, we have great friends who keep us entertained week after week.

What about you?  How is your garden growing?

smoothies, this way and that

My latest breakfast addiction is smoothies. By far my favorite is made with one container of plain yogurt, about 1/2 cup of orange juice, one-half of a frozen banana, and a large handful of frozen raspberries. Blend and drink. No fat (unless bananas have fat) and great taste.  Lots of good stuff in a glass!

My husband likes to go green with his.  He starts with 1 cup of cranberry juice, one half of a frozen banana, a large handful of frozen blueberries, a super large handful of spinach and one raw egg.  Lots of good stuff in that one too, but the egg is over the top for me.  For him, it is great protein and I think it makes him feel pretty manly.  You can hardly taste the spinach, believe it or not. 

Here is a basic smoothie recipe:

1 cup juice ( part of this can be yogurt)
one half of a frozen banana (adds lots of sweetness)
one handful berries or your favorite fruit

Blend it up and drink it. 

Your kids will even like this!  Just don't tell them that it lacks sugar.  They will think you are super-mom because you made shakes for breakfast!

It's all in the way you present things, isn't it?

sewing seeds update!

I am so happy to announce that the latest Sewing Seeds project has been a huge success! 

Bella has left for Costa Rica with a stash of 176 skirts and 53 pairs of shorts.  Simply awesome!  I know that many girls and boys will be blessed because of the sweet people who came together to gather such abundance.  I am thankful to all of you!

You have to visit Kimmie's (Bella's mom) blog post to see their newest addition to the family helping to sort the clothes.  I tell you, this kid is a star!  What a cutie!

Have a great Monday, everyone!