Finished!

I finished this (huge) quilt! It's from "Pie Plate Patterns" and the pattern name is "Skip to My Lou". I'm sorry I can't remember the book it's from - I borrowed it from the guild and have since returned it. It measures about 84" x 104".

It's called "Irish Sunshine" because it has a little bit of an Irish Chain going and the colors are so gorgeous and sunshine-y. I love it! I had to run it outside to try to get the colors to show better:

It has nice, cozy flannel on the back, except for this random corner with a few scraps, since I did not buy quite enough backing.

I got it done right before I hopped down to California for a great, quick, visit. I have no pictures of said visit because I am a slacker and did not bring my camera. Although, I must admit, that even though I think my trips are great - you all might think they are kinda boring/same thing. Visiting my sisters, my parents, my son and his girlfriend. Going to the movies, manicure/pedicure, good food, going to church, reading, relaxing, helping my parents with a little organizing, etc. So, maybe it's not so bad that I didn't bring my camera and make you all sit through the family pics...

Oh, Bother...

I am getting a new favorite quilt quilted on the frame in the studio, but as you can see, I've run into a little problem:

The batting, that seemed quite big/wide enough, Just. Isn't. This is a piece of leftover batting that someone must have taken the scissors to while I wasn't looking (I'm SURE that was what happened). I have just a little bit left to go, so I guess tomorrow, I will be hunched over it, whip-stitching a bit more batting onto it - bleck!

And, while I'm on the subject of complaining - why is it when I go to work every afternoon, I look at the family room and with that sunshine coming in it looks so inviting!!! I just want to lay down on that sun-warmed couch and take a little snooze! But, alas, it's off to work with me!

And, yes, as you can see, we finally got some snow - hooray!

Ruminations

Hopped down to Hurricane for a relaxing weekend, we hadn't been there since before the holidays, so it was great to head down. The weather was beautiful. We took a 7 mile hike (low, rolling hills - or I wouldn't have made it!), the only one more tired than me was our dog! We got back to the condo and treated ourselves to this:

Yep, 4 each, we don't mess around! We went out to a nice (big) Mexican lunch, then back for a much needed NAP! I have recently gone back to the gym and started a little weight-lifting again and had done a "lower body" workout, so even before the hike, I was pretty sore. When we got to the restaurant, I was moving VERY slowly, because whenever I moved, I hurt. Then, I had this amazing light-bulb moment! I'll bet this is what it feels like to be (really) OLD! We have a few older gentlemen at our church and they move like I was moving all the time! I am trying not to be nervous about this discovery - I figure I've got 20-30 years before I feel like that all the time! (Maybe if I don't think about it, it won't happen?).

Anyway, we had a great weekend - visited a fun quilting store and even though I had already spent my paycheck, I took my sugar-daddy with me (Mr. Handsome), so I came home with some delicious fabric! I did manage to get this quilt all bound while we were watching movies:

The name of it is: "Perfectly Square, An Oxymoron", if you really look at it, you can see what a brilliant name that is - I'll wait.

Hope your January is going great! I am super excited to be working on fun quilting projects - "just for fun" - no holiday deadlines! Toodles!

Why Grandparenting is Important

Yesterday, Brooke and her family left for the long drive back to Missouri. Babygirl was beside herself, crying and being very sad. The younger ones gave good hugs but weren't really upset - they were more interested in the movie being shown in the car. For Babygirl, it's back to the grind of first grade...

Our house is back to quiet today (after a quick visit from "Little Man" this morning) and it makes me reflect on the importance of this whole grandparenting thing. I think that kids need grandparents because it is great when a grown up thinks they are just perfect and wonderful. Their parents are pretty busy worrying about feeding them some sort of healthy food, fashioning them into upstanding citizens and keeping the fighting and noise to a minimum.

Grandparents are just amazed at the adorable-ness of them. (We know in the back of our mind that our own children were adorable too - but we were so busy then). Grandparents love their grandchildren forever and ever, no matter what. We take the time to do things with them that we didn't have the time (or the mental capacity) to do with our own children.

We need granchildren too - it makes us feel needed, special and important. They remind us that the world is a wonderful, amazing place, when we see it through their eyes. They remind us that relationships are so worth working on. I am so glad that Mr. Handsome and I have made it through those rough years together so we can enjoy our children and grandchildren together, because I don't think anyone else would be so crazy about them. Their little faces light up when they see us - what a joy!

They remind to relax and help us to remember what is really important. (Them)

They are such a blessing in our lives and we are forever grateful for each one of them. I know not everyone is able to have a relationship with their grandchildren, so it makes me appreciate them even more. (And my fabulous children too). Happy New Year! (You weren't expecting resolutions, were you- blech!)

On the other hand, our dogs' nerve are shot from having such a houseful for two weeks, she barks now whenever anyone comes over or makes a loud noise from the other room, etc.

Winding Down...

Christmas has been wonderful this year, as usual - happy and crazy. Brooke, Ben and the babies have been here for 2 weeks and are heading out tomorrow, we will miss them terribly! Jeff & Vanessa were here for a few days and it was great to see them and everyone got to meet Vanessa (and the votes are in - everyone loves her). My entire sewing studio is covered with toys, books & games from Santa's visit - but I still managed to sew a few blocks together for my "scrappy around the world" quilt. We also had a baby shower for Miss Amanda:

It was very well attended and she is pretty much ready for the big event in a few short weeks.

Her sister-in-law made her this totally cool love-y taggy thing-y:

We all examined it very carefully and want to make some on the next family quilt night.

We've been to a few movies - always fun. Family Christmas Parties, BINGO night, Tamale Making, - oh yeah and most of us got the flu - blech!

Here is Mr. Handsome with the "big" grandkids, with our little scrawny tree in the background:

It went out the day after Christmas because I am the grinch. One more event tomorrow - Shane & Becca are blessing baby Brian - so one more party and then back to "normal" life - whatever that is. Hopefully after Brooke and her family get home safely we can get some snow around here - it is pretty dry and barren - very unusual, it was in the 50's yesterday! Of course, after reading the weather report, I decided to polish my toenails and wear sandals and short sleeves- I froze and had to add socks and a jacket for the movies. Apparently even though the 50's are quite warm for December in Utah - it still isn't quite toasty - go figure. Hope your holidays were wonderful!

Procrastination...

Brooke and her family have officially left Missouri this morning (at 3 a.m.!) and are coming this way! They will be to our house by Sunday, so, guess what I'm doing today? That's right, cleaning! So, why am I posting instead? (You really have to ask?)

We are going to have a houseful for Christmas, Jeff & Vanessa are coming and even my Mom is coming - that is a Christmas Miracle all by itself! (Dad is staying home with all of the dogs) I am so excited to see everyone and feel very, very blessed.

All of my shopping and wrapping is done and Mr. Handsome made himself VERY useful, as usual, and made our neighbor gifts:

Sugared Pecans - delicious! I made them cute with leftover charm pack squares. That is outside his area of expertise...

I have a whole pile of fun stuff to do with the "big" grandchildren when they get here. We haven't seen them in 6 months, which is WAY too long. We have lots of things on our list to do when they get here, you know, things like "Going to the Nicklecade and shooting the giant spiders", pillow wars with the uncles, dates with Grandpa, and all of those wonderful grandchildren things.

Well, I'm off to clean...

White Elephants...

We had a fun "White Elephant" gift exchange party last night. It made me reflect on the many years we've attended and had a great time at White Elephant parties over the years. I came home with these babies last night:

(yes, price tags still attached) Mr. Handsome got a fabulously ugly (women's) sweater and the funny thing is, that I don't even have it to take a picture of this morning, because 2 of our sons have figured out that they want to wear it to their work parties - they are having ugly sweater parties and they think that sweater is perfect! After they are done with it, I am going to felt it and make a cupcake pincushion, etc. with it. So - you can get some pretty fun stuff at these shindigs. We have so many fun memories of these parties - Doug bringing a live mouse in a hamster ball and wrapping it up - quite a surprise for my neice, who opened it. One year, Brooke bought a 1 pound box of See's candies and we all carefully opened it and took a bite of each candy, then she re-wrapped it and took it the party - it was a hotly contested item, but at the end, when the final recipient opened it up - we all laughed uproariously, they did not - such is the luck at the white elephant parties...