Pooper Scoopers For Hire!

Aren't they cute?
They work for pretty cheap!

These two pics cracked me up...
My poor, forlorn daughter...

...but, wait!  There's a butterfly!  :)

Did I mention in my last post how much I love the Bliss line from Moda?
The colors are so bright...I love red and turquoise together.
{These pictures really don't show the true colors since I'm taking them downstairs...I'll
take some on natural light once the quilt is done.}
So here's what the quilt looks like after just a couple of hours of work.
Picture it with red binding...I can't wait!
The top is done...it's time to sandwich it together and quilt it.
But I have a problem!  The only quilting my machine allows me to do it straight lines...like the quilting I've done on all of the rest of my quilts.  This one would look SO good
with stipling...but my machine just won't do it!  I'd run over to her house and steal borrow hers, but it's a bit far and she might not call me friend afterwards.  I could pay someone at the quilt shop to do it for me, but then I have to factor that cost into the price I'll end up charging for it.
Hmmmmmm.....  ideas?!
{And, sadly no, Bob is not open to the idea of my buying my own $10k+ machine.} 

Last night, as I pulled out  my graph paper and ruler to design a quilt,
I thought about how much I {love} to create things.  Beyond spending time with those I love, there's little I enjoy more than taking a piece of fabric or a piece of paper and watching it become something else.  As most of you know, I hope to have a business up and running
by the end of the year doing this very thing.  Each time I think of this, I think of my dear husband.
He understands the importance of one of us being home for the kids, the importance of volunteering weekly in their classrooms.  He doesn't nag suggest that I get a part time job {although I have my arguments prepared for that~imagine a part time job where you can't work during tax season or during any school breaks!}.  He totally supports what I do ~ and appreciates all I do.  Last night I commented on how much I love to create things.  His response was the he loves how my I love to create things.  So sweet!

So, back to last night.  I drew my design out on graph paper and then pulled out
a Moda "Bliss" jelly roll I purchased earlier this year.  The jelly roll is what I  used to make the strip quilt earlier this year.  This is going to be a baby quilt, so I cut each of the 40 44" strips in half and then in half again.  I set 2/3 of it aside.  I'm thinking that I might be able to get three projects out of one jelly roll!  Anyway, so I cut my pieces for my blocks and sewed them all together last night (after cleaning my poor neglected machine!).

Here are a few of my favorite blocks. 
I'm off to add the sashing.  I can't wait to see how it turns out ~ hopefully
somewhat similar to what I'm picturing in my head! 
~~~

Before I go though, I wanted to share the fat quarters the kids and I picked up
at Craft Warehouse this morning.  LOVE these colors!

{This one is Emma's!}

I seem to have misplaced my kids!



I think that they are somewhere in here...their "biggest fort ever!"



Farm Days

For the next couple of days, I'll be playing a bit of catch up here on the blog.
Too much fun and not enough time to post!
~~
Two weekends ago, we headed over to Mom and Dad's to attend
Thunderegg Days.  I remember going as a kid, and my kids love it, too!

Afterwards, we went back to Mom and Dad's for a BBQ, to spend the night, to learn how to
can raspberry jam, and to enjoy their beautiful yard!

You've seen this stump on here before...it's Ryan's jumping stump and Emma's
dancing stump. We've never seen it like this before, though.  The
Lilys were SO tall!

Did I mention hand-cranked icecream with the
same recipe we  had as kids?  yum!

Ryan has so much fun going down the dirt roads that surround Mom and Dad's property.
Emma hopped on for a quick photo before he headed out again.

{Photo by Emma...that's what we can see of the convention grounds
now that the corn as finally started to grow}

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for an awesome weekend!

{Time}

Every year, at about this time, I buy a new planner.  It's the only way I can keep our household organized.  It's full of birthdays, anniversaries, events, appointments, the school calendar, deadlines, etc.  Without it, I would be lost.  I know it can all be done on the computer, and with the laptop, it would be easy and convenient.  But I prefer a real book...something I can put my hands on and thumb through. 
~
I bought my new one today.  School starts on August 24th, so I've entered the school's calendar and what few appointments are already scheduled.  Once school starts, I'll add the kids' schedule, my volunteer days, practice dates, recitals, games, etc.  But, for now, it's pretty bare. 
~
Time has been on my mind today with the news this morning that a friend of mine had passed away, very suddenly and at a very young age.  No warning...just gone in the morning.  Her passing is a very real reminder that age does not matter when it comes to our time...we need to live each day as if it were our last.  It's o.k. to plan for the future, as long as we are living as if this is our last day.
Often, I tend to forget that.  I spend so much time looking to the future that it seems another day has passed me by without really taking notice.  Her life was an example of how to live...I'm hoping that her death will also be an example for me of how to live.