Eye Candy

One of the reasons I look at blogs is to see what others are making. I mostly like the pictures. My husband is the opposite. He likes the words. The more the blog looks like a newspaper, the more he likes it. I think he's weird but I love him none the less!!

My friend Amy just got her blog up and running. It is called Fresh Vintage. Click here to check it out. I also found this super fun blog and web site. Nolan and I had quite a bit of fun scrolling through these pictures. If you happen to have a little boy in the house, he'll like it, I promise.

Finally, the picture above is my newest creation. If you remember this quilt, you'll notice some similarities. I had enough squares and just enough batting to make this little dolly quilt. It is for sale in my etsy shop. The big version sold in about two days so I'm hoping someone will like the little one too.

Bag It!

I'm addicted to this bag. Oh, I guess I should say bags. Here are some more of these fabulous totes I have been making. I have them for sale here.
This fabric was so inexpensive that I'm thinking of making myself some really cool grocery bags. I HAVE to be fashionable, you know. Oh, well, if you actually know me you know that I am about as fashionable as a plastic bag. I have no where to go but up. I should start somewhere and where better to start than at the grocery store.




Speaking of the grocery store, we are out of milk (again). I guess I need to buy two gallons a week instead of one. Now, remember, I only have two children. How do you mothers of five, six and ten handle the milk situation???

Back in Action

We just got home yesterday from a week in Williamsburg, VA. We had a blast but it is good to be home. I missed my sewing machine. Is this a sickness or what???

Here is the newest item for sale in my Etsy shop. It is a reversible tote which can be used for a multitude of purposes. Big enough for market, the library, a diaper bag or any old thing. Fun and funky fabric to feel stylish, even if there is a dirty diaper inside. There are six pockets all together which can be on the inside or the outside.The fabric was on sale and I just couldn't resist. I love these projects that only take an hour or so. I love making quilts but I don't get any immediate gratification from them. On the other hand, I don't get any immediate gratification which is good for the soul. That is part of the hand sewn philosophy....it takes time.

Lost and Found

This is the Rosary that I received when I went through the RCIA classes at our parish. RCIA (The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is a class that anyone may take to learn more about the Catholic faith. It is required if an adult wishes to join the church. My journey to Catholicism is too long to mention here but maybe I will tell it someday.What I want to share is that I came to love that plastic red rosary. Maybe because red is my favorite color. Maybe the beads just felt "right" in my hands. Maybe because Nathan used to sit on my lap and pray the beads with me early in the morning. I don't know. What I do know is that I lost this rosary several years ago. I hunted high and low for it. I asked the kids if they saw it. I pulled back the bookshelves to see if it had fallen behind.

I prayed to St. Anthony to help me find it. Nothing.

On Thursday when we were preparing to go to the Indian Steps Museum, I pulled out my old camera bag (which was used to house my 35 mm camera). I wanted to put my digital and my wallet in it. I decided I would clean out the front pocket to see what I could toss out. I found the lens cleaner and some tissues, the 35mm camera booklet, about a dollar in change and....
my rosary!
Thank you St. Anthony. When I was telling the story, Nolan said that St. Anthony did help me, but it wasn't in my time but God's time. Wow! Something is getting through.

Prince of the Butterflies

I promised another post about my ongoing entomology lessons. Years ago Nathan became interested in the butterfly life cycle. Like ladybugs, butterflies undergo a complete metamorphosis. In case you were dying to know the difference between incomplete and complete metamorphosis check out this site. I think I am learning more from being a mom and a homeschooling mom than I ever learned in school.Nathan has a special understanding of the animal world. It wouldn't surprise me if he became a biologist, veterinarian, animal rights activist or worked at the pound. Well, back to butterflies. At the moment in our school room we have a slightly smelly habitat filled with cabbage white caterpillars. When they arrived, the eggs were so small they all could have fit on a baby's fingernail. They hatched almost as soon as Nathan placed them on the cabbage leaf. They were translucent green and very hard to see. After a few weeks Nathan was having to change the cabbage leaves daily and clean out the frass (poop).Two days ago we saw that the caterpillars were starting to pupate. First they crawl up on the side or top of the habitat and then they sew a little bit of silk around themselves to attach (see how God approves of sewing!!). The next day we could see how they had begun to change. They "lost" their legs and began to look more pointy at one end and to have some ridges around parts of their body. In one to two weeks we should see them emerge as little white butterflies.In the past Nathan has "grown" Painted Lady and Monarch butterflies. Watching the metamorphosis of those butterflies was amazing. Both these types pupate in a slightly different way then the Cabbage White. I can't even believe that, 1.I know this information and, 2.that I think it is fascinating.

The top picture is from 2005. This was the summer we decided to homeschool. I don't have any digital pictures of the painted lady butterflies. We hatched them in 2004 when Nathan was in 1st grade. Since today is our "official" last day of school, Nathan is now a 5th grader. How did the time pass so quickly?

Indian Steps Museum

Another homeschooling/church friend invited us to go along to the Indian Steps Museum and a hike today. This was loads of fun. We liked the museum but loved the little pond outside with frogs, toads and tadpoles.
I love homeschooling.

Prince of the Ladybugs

For some time now my 9 year-old has considered himself "Prince of the Ladybugs." I think the fascination goes back about two years. What I never knew about ladybugs (which isn't surprising) was that they do a complete metamorphosis from the time they are an egg until an adult ladybug. Nolan received a Ladybug Land in his Easter basket and we sent off for the eggs immediately. The eggs were mostly hatched into larvae (which, IMHO, are very ugly creatures) when they arrived. We watched them grow and shed their skin and Nolan watered them faithfully every day.It was an exciting day when the bugs attached themselves to the wall of the Ladybug Land and began to pupate. An even more exciting day happened a week ago when we watched the ladybugs hatch. To me these processes of the natural world just confirm my faith in God. I just don't see how anything this complicated could happen without being part of a Master plan. I'm very scientific, aren't I?Last night we let them go. It was wonderful to see them take flight and to let them crawl on our hands and knees for a while.Do you know how ladybugs got their name? In the Middle Ages when farmers found these little spotted creatures helping to rid their fields of bugs that would eat their crops they named them after "Our Lady, Mary" in thanks.In college, my Biology professor was an Entomologist. The man loved bugs. He talked about them all the time. I thought it was the most hideous class I'd ever taken. I'm sure God has a sense of humor. He gave me boys who love bugs and have made me think they are the most fascinating creatures too. Tomorrow I'll show you the "Prince of Butterflies."

Give Away What You Have Winner

Thanks for the comments, gals. I put your names inside the bubble bag and pulled one. Out came....Amy! Congratulations.

Quilt block for MS

Here's a link to the quilt block I donated and sent to Australia to be made into a quilt to be auctioned on Ebay to benefit MS. Wow, that was quite a terrible sentence wasn't it? Could be a children's book.

Well, here's the link to the blog of Amitie Textiles that is making the quilt to be auctioned on Ebay to benefit MS. Can you find my square? Pretty cool.

I will be ending the give-away on Wednesday morning. Heather, looks like you don't have a lot of competition (ok, or ANY competition)!

And finally, because I can't stand posting without a picture....This is Nolan the Magnificent and Nathan the Marvelous at our Parish coffee house. Quite a duo.

Give Away What You Have

OK, friends. Here they are to some lucky commenter (is that a word?). I will be off blog-world for a few days as I am going to be speaking to our Parish Mother's group about Finding the Joy in our Vocation as Mothers. I want to do a good job so I will have my head in the books and my knees on the floor for a few days.

Leave a comment on this post (or any other) and in a few days (or a week) I will print them off and pick one out of a hat. The lucky winner will receive this set of four coasters (cow print front, 2 black, 2 black swirl backs) and this very fun, summery bubble bag.

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather. See you in a few...

Use what you have?

Does it count if you use the fabric store that is going out of business? Because that is what I did. I had an idea for a new product and needed some supplies. I also needed white thread. I kept my purchase under $25. For that amount I bought three small spools of thread, four yards of yummy yellow fabric and two yards of fleece. Since this was just the amount of my birthday money, I guess you could say I did indeed use what I had!Here are a few pictures of what I made. A soft blanket for baby or toddler or any size person. The bottom is fleece which makes the blanket nice to sit on and the top is cotton which makes it cool in the summer. The bag is round and just the right size for the blanket. There are more pictures in my etsy shop.Finally, here is a picture that I took in the back yard this morning. Our neighbors have two bunnies that have tunneled out of their pens and now hop around our yards. It is the most delightful thing to watch. If I can just train them to eat enough of our grass so that I don't have to mow...

Use What You Have Quilt

So I've been sewing everyday which is good for my soul (and my stash). I had only one bag of batting and it was craft size (32x36 inches or something). I decided that it could make a baby quilt. I had a lot of Moda Marble squares cut out from my stained glass quilt top and thought I should use them. I also had quite a bit of this white dotted fabric. This quilt came together in no time. It is hand quilted and the binding is finished off with hand stitching. I think a nice new summer baby would enjoy this, don't you? I put this quilt for sale on Etsy.