Need a Bigger House for my Hobbies!

     It's still pretty dang hot around here, but I am holding out hope for some coolness in the (hopefully) near future, as tomorrow is September!!!! (Yay, birthday month!)
     My friend gave me a hand quilting frame this week, I already have a regular old-fashioned one, but this is a fancy roll up, tilt-y one. I brought it home and it's bigger than I expected and I don't know if I can find anywhere to keep it! It looks really big in my little grandma house and I can't disassemble it a keep it under the guest room bed where my other hand quilting frame is.  I have it downstairs in the studio, but a couple of times a month I have friends and family over to quilt and it would be pretty squishy down there with that puppy in the way. If I hadn't taken up piano playing, it would fit where the piano now resides - shoot!
     I sometimes get after Mr. Handsome for leaving things lying around, but I have to remind myself that I pretty much have all of the closets/extra basement space, etc. all filled up with MY stuff.  I would hate to buy a bigger house just for stuff! One of my favorite shows is "Hoarders", but maybe because I am a closet hoarder myself (Bahahaha, I AM a "closet hoarder" - sometimes I just crack myself right up!).  I think it would be easier if I: a) didn't have any hobbies (but how boring) or b) didn't want to have people over so I could fill up my house with all of my hobbies and the equipment that comes with them. (again, how boring). I guess I will just have to work out some happy medium - there is that moderation thing again that I am soooooo not good at!

 This little guy is 3 months and his mother says his bib should say "I'm afraid of my big sister" (She just turned two)

These two little monkeys were playing quietly upstairs in their rooms, when their mom discovered that Izzy had cut Beckham's hair down to his scalp! He now has a nice buzz.

Here is my next project, for my cute niece having a little girl this fall. My colors will be different, I got this from Google Images and I actually think I can figure this out without a pattern! (I know, progress, right?)

 Their wedding is coming closer, it is also this fall and the nice thing is I think that all of my kids will come from all over America to witness it! (Family reunion!)

Hope your life is happy and quilt-y and not too hot (unless you like that sort of thing)

Balance, Will I Ever Find it?

     When I was younger and busily raising 5 children, running my Mr. Handsome's business, serving at my church and all of the other tasks associated with living, I would wonder if I would ever get my act together.
     Fast Forward about 25 years and I still struggle with this! Now it's not the laundry that is towering over me (thank goodness!), but it's all of the things I love and want to do! My children and grandchildren don't take the day to day caring (except in the summer when they all come over), but they have lots of birthdays and love care packages and phone calls and face time. These are some of the joyful tasks I get to do.
     I am again doing the paperwork/organization for Mr. Handsome's real estate business, since he sold his brokerage awhile back. Luckily, now I have some lovely cleaning ladies that help me out a couple of times a month - good trade for me, I'd rather organize than clean.
     Even though I don't have to clean, there is still shopping, cooking, straightening, laundry, etc.
     I am still trying to learn to play the piano, that's definitely a work in progress!
     I am quite active in my wonderful church and am currently working with the youth there as well as still serving in the Addiction Recovery Program (12 step), trying to be a good neighbor, taking some time to read my scriptures, ponder, etc.
     I look at my yard and want to play with my flowers (but it's awful hot!). There is always exercise, which I enjoy, but don't particularly like getting up early for, however it seems to be a must to get it done daily  regularly.
     Then there is QUILTING, which is what I want to do all most of the time! Each year I attend 3 four day/night retreats, plus a few 2-3 days daytime only retreats. I belong to two guilds, 2 bees, and have a "quilt night" at my house a couple of nights a month, and of course, I love to hang out in my basement studio and watch my "shows" - favorites include: "Hoarders", "Fons & Porter", "Bones" and random Netflix movies.

     So there you have it, my life in a nutshell - nothing to complain about - FULL of blessings to be grateful for, I will just keep seeking balance, just like everyone else, I imagine! Hope your life is balanced and full of quilting!

Summer is officially OVER (now would someone please tell the weatherman?)

School Starts around here this week and I'm DONE with non-quilt related trips for 2 months! I am signed up and paid for 3 upcoming quilt retreats (YAY!). Just waiting for my lovely quilting machine to arrive from overseas, hopefully in a month!  Here are a few pictures of who I got to see this summer:

Mr. Shane popped by (without his family a couple of times)

 This little munchkin got his quilt from Grandma:

 This darling girl turned 10 yesterday! Our oldest grandchild:

 We helped this sweet family get settled in Kansas:

 Lucky for us, this cutie still lives in Utah and is coming over for a sleepover this week!

 This one will not know us by October when we head to Florida!!!!

 This one loves her Grandma and the quilts Grandma makes for her:

I'm officially READY for Fall, but it's still terrible hot! I've noticed that as Menopause has its evil way with me, I keep setting the A/C lower and lower, last year, it was 74, this year started off at 73, but it's pretty steady at 72 now, I hope that is not going to cut into my quilting budget too much! 

Oh well, I'm off to the studio to get some quilting in!!!

Trunk Show - Done

     I did my trunk show today, I talked fast and it went quickly. It was fun and I had lots of great friends there to support me.

      I took 25 quilts and since I talk so fast, I was done showing them in about 17 minutes! I finally finished and photographed these last couple of quilts:

Asteria:

 Emerald Pools:

 Halloween Block Exchange:

     I did decide what to do with "Asteria", I'm giving it to my momma, for her birthday this month, these are her colors! I hope the dog doesn't get it, but hey, it's up to her!  I will probably keep the Emerald Pools, since non-quilters do not love Batiks. The Halloween one will be a hot commodity in my family because it has lovely soft minky on the back (black, of course).
     I'm back from all of my trips for a couple of months, after a quick hop to San Diego next week. Then I plan on immersing myself in quiltiness!  And, I'm super excited that it's August, the gateway to the best season of all, Fall! I made chili tonight and turned up the A/C and it was yummy. Quilt Fest coming up next month, then quilt retreat, and it's just quilting season! Happy Quilting!