Monday, April 27th, Sssssnakey

Right before we went to the quilt show last Saturday, I took my sister and her friend Linda to the local quilt shop, Quilt Play. I don't know why I hadn't seen it before, or just wasn't paying attention, but they had a sample pillow case hanging in the baby room that I wanted the fabric for in the worst way. A few months ago, I wouldn't have cared for it, but now that Catie is dating a snake guy, it was perfect for him.
Wouldn't you know it; it was a year old sample and they haven't had the fabric for at least 6 months. Drat, well, (I thought) with 450 vendors at the show, surely someone will have the fabric.
Every booth that we went to that had novelty fabric, I was on an earnest quest. I almost settled for gecko fabric, (which he also has a passion for) but I really loved the snakes.

On Sunday, I was relaying my woes to Celia and telling her I would have to go on the internet and start my search, when lo and behold, in that very booth, 20 minutes prior to the show closing and right after the above statement, there it was. "LAAAAAAA" (those are angels singing) I screamed and laughed and was so happy. After purchasing it, and mind you it wasn't just fabric, but a pillowcase kit, I ran to show Beryl and Linda and they screamed and laughed and danced too. Everyone around us thought we had totally lost it and maybe had overdosed on the quilt show!!!
Today, I mailed it to him. Now, here's hoping he loves it:

In order to see the adorable snakes, you have to click on the picture. So cute!!!

Sunday, April 26th, Quack

The past two days and for most of the next week is rain, rain, rain. This morning while we were in church it rained so hard, the audio people were up and down on the volume for John's mic. It reminded me of when we had our camper and it rained while we were in bed at night and you couldn't even hear each other talk!!! The investment we made in new gutters and downspouts a couple of years ago really pays off when we get a gully washer like this.

Saturday, April 25th, Another baby project done

Before taking my nap today prior to work, I worked on the two baby quilts in progress.
All I have left on this one is to tie it.
The front:

The back:
I love it and can't wait to give it away!!! I washed it and it is so soft and comfy....

Friday, April 24th, kickin' my butt...

This week, I upgraded my Curves membership to include Curves Smart. It is a computer chip that I scan prior to the work on each machine. Prior to a real work out, it set my range of motion and my strength, so each time I work out, I am competing against myself. It has been awesome and I feel so good!!! A bit sore, but good. It also measures how many calories I burn each time I work out. Today, it was 434!!! Now, that doesn't mean I have license to eat more. But maybe I worked off that piece of Popeye's chicken I had last night?

Oh, and the spinach dip?

and the cookie?

and the coffee cake?

I should have done three workouts today!!!!

Thursday, April 23rd, A glimpse of the latest project

I am having a blast making a girl's baby quilt right now. I am using a template I bought 2 years ago at the quilt festival. I just love it and am too excited to wait to show until it is finished.
Here's a little hint:
Stay tuned....

Wednesday, April 22nd, something different

At the quilt show, I was drawn to a vendor who was selling pieces of old chenille bedspreads. She had hers made up into baby blankets and stuffed animals and they were so adorable. When I was growing up, I hated those things, but now I think they are so cute.
Anyway, I bought some because I know the perfect new mommy to make it for.

However, I was not prepared for the difficulty of working with this stuff. I had to put it aside for a while until I gear up for it again. It's turning out really cute, but very frustrating and my whole house looks like it is covered with snow!!!

Tuesday, April 21st, Hoping that some creative juices splash on me...

I literally sewed all day today. I didn't take my pj's off until it was time to get in the shower at 5 p.m. to get ready for guild. Tomorrow, I will show you my challenge of the week.
Our annual meeting for Quilt guild was last night and we had a salad supper, games and show and tell.
I apologize for the terrible quality of this picture, but this is what Celia showed. It is absolutely amazing the way the color spills over the surface of this little piece. When I grow up, I want to have her skill and eye for color and texture.

Monday, April 20th, remembering her...

Today it is rainy, cold and gloomy outside and I slept very late this morning after a busy weekend and recovering from the frenetic energy that accompanies my sister!!!
Today would have been mom's 81st birthday. This picture was taken on Christmas 2007, the last one she spent with us. Last year around this time, Beryl and I were able to give her an 80th birthday party at the house and even with a last minute invite on Friday afternoon, we must have had at least 50-60 people come. She was a much loved lady.

Sunday, April 19th, Back for more

We went back to the quilt show today and Celia was able to join us. We were there for only about 2 hours today as it closed at 3. I was able to enjoy most of the art quilts with Celia and also did a little more shopping.
This was a real treat for me to notice the creator of this quilt. It is Paula Rustkowski, who has quilted for me. Then a few minutes after seeing her quilt, I saw her in the shopping area. Such an honor for anyone to get a quilt in this show. It is similar to getting a quilt accepted to the Padukah show. My friend Bonnie is heading there this week as one of her quilts was accepted.
Here we are at the end of the show in front of the grand prize quilt for the show. What a fun weekend. I hope I will be recovered by next weekend at this time!

Saturday, April18th, it's that time of year

My sweet sister and her friend came this weekend to attend the annual Quilt Festival at the Donald E. Stephens convention center with me. We had so much fun saw some wonderful things.
Some of the beauty:

Those are just a little appetizer for the thousand or more quilts that were on display. The art quilts could not be photographed, but they were astounding.
In addition to the museum like display of work, there were 450 vendors. I told Beryl and Linda that the whole thing is so exhausting that we probably couldn't stay until it closed........but we did. Huge apology to the ladies for doubting their endurance!!! We only hit 4-5 rows of vendors today.

It was so exciting to see many of the "celebrities" of the quilting world and realize they are just normal human beings with incredible creative talent.
This is Jodi Barrows, a fabric and tool designer who has gorgeous fabric lines and patterns and her latest is called "Celebrating Abe", which is a tribute to Abraham Lincoln. She was so kind and showed us the line and the quilts she had designed around them.
This is Lori Smith, a prolific pattern designer of "From My Heart to Your Hands". I have quite a few of her patterns and I have never been to a quilt shop yet who doesn't carry at least one or two of them. I don't think she ever sleeps because there must have been 300-400 patterns in this booth.
We also saw Pokey Bolton from "Quilting Arts" TV show, the ladies from the Chicago School of Fusion, the woman who designed the fabrics for the "Charleston" collection of Civil War Repros and many, many more.
Aaaah....sensory overload, but such creative inspiration!!!

Friday, April 17th, A master list maker...

Being the slightly obsessive compulsive person that I am, I tend to make lists of things I want to get done in a day, week or month. It may not be on paper, but I check things off when I finish them and then feel a great sense of accomplishment. In fact, I'm one of these people who occasionally make lists at the end of a day and cross things off, just to see it. I used to beat myself up if I couldn't get everything done, but I do less of that now in this stage of life. What can I say? I'm a little driven.

Thursday, April 16th, such a lovely group of ladies

I have been trying very hard to work my schedule around quilt group because I enjoy it so much and it always inspires me to finish projects. Last night we met at Diane's house, which is such a lovely fairy tale house. It is next to the bike path, which is an old train track. Her house was a Sears kit house that was delivered on the train way back. (I don't want to show my ignorance to give you the year, because she has told me, but I can't remember) Her front door is rounded and the charm and details in the house entrance me. She is a prolific quilter and is now hand quilting her project day quilt from our November project.
She used a bunch of florals from her stash to compliment the project fabric. I love it.
Eileen also brought the top from the most recent project day. I still have this project all ready to sew together still in a bag in my pile of "to do's". Will I ever get caught up so I can do something new????

Wednesday, April 15th, a one car family

We have been down to one car here at home since August of 2008. Candice took the car that I had been driving for 8 years to school. That means we are down to just our van. Believe it or not, it has worked. It is only because I work nights and Chuck's squad car is his office and his work vehicle during the day. When I work and he has a conflict or a meeting, somehow, it we have never been lacking for transportation. God has been so good to us. The last time we only had one car was when Catie was a baby. We shopped for our second car while I was pregnant with Candice. That was 21 years ago. It is so nice to not have a car payment right now. We really want a second car, but probably not until Candice graduates from college.

Tuesday, April 14th, Cubs win, Cubs win, Holy Cow

I admit it. I am a goner. I have been a loyal Cubs fan all of my life, but more after I met my husband 27 years ago when he was more in to baseball than he is now. There was a time when I had to let it go while raising babies, and I did get mad at them for a few years after the strike, but I came back, just like a crack addict. I have high hopes every year and you would think after last season, that I would turn my back on them, but here I am, a true fanatic again. I am sad that they let Cedeno and DeRosa go in the off season, but this line up looks so good this year. Also, I am not sad about Woods....he needed to go because how many games could he actually lose for them before management woke up????
The above flag hangs on my house after a Cubs win to show my spirit. My sister and I each got one last summer from a neighbor of my dad's. He has had a little crush on my sister since she was a freshman in high school and the minute she said she would like a win flag, he ordered one for each of us. I am a little sad when I look at it this week, because he died a couple of weeks ago. He had leukemia for a few years and he succumbed to his disease. Thanks for the gift, Alan.

Monday, April 13th, one pound down

I joined Curves on March 27th and have been really good with exercising at least 6 days per week. When I don't actually go to Curves, I have been walking/running for at least 30 minutes. I haven't been on a diet, per se, but have watched portion sizes and haven't had any seconds. Last week I weighed and I was down only .2 pounds. But the thing is, I feel better, like my legs feel stronger, my arms feel more toned. Truth be told, I was discouraged.
Today I weighed myself again and I am down a pound. That doesn't sound like much, but remember this was a holiday weekend and I probably ate a little more than I would have normally.

I looked in the cupboards and the freezer and found things that weigh one pound. It helped put things in perspective. I am also reminding myself that muscle weighs more than fat.

Sunday, April 12th, He is Risen!!!

We had a wonderful Easter celebration today, although we missed Catie and Mom. I tried my best to make it a festive day.
We started with Hot Cross Buns, an Easter celebration:

I copied the following information on web site I found:

Hot cross buns are traditionally baked for lent, the 40 days before Easter. In the Christian tradition they start on Ash Wednesday, the day after Fat Tuesday. Their greatest day is Good Friday as they are served to commemorate Christ's suffering on the cross. However, the bun acquired mythical properties during the centuries, generally now forgotten. Early literature reveals that the hot cross bun was better known as the Good Friday Bun. Pepys referred to it in his diaries of 1666, and Boswell included it in his Diary for Good Friday in 1778.

We went to church and had a great celebration. We had almost 200 in church today and the excitement was palpable.

After church we came here for a very big meal. I worked on it all weekend and unfortunately it wasn't ready until almost 2.
Candice showed us her new bass and entertained us with a note or two:

We invited Celia and Kenny and he had a tee time at 2:30. So we kind of wolfed it down when it was finally ready.

My Menu:
Roasted Lamb
Roasted Potatoes
Asparagus
Herbed rolls
Strawberry jello
Tossed Salad
Three pepper Quiche
(the pretty peppers that went in to the quiche)
Punch
Celia brought her veggie pizza for an appetizer
Citrus cream pies for dessert

Chuck and I had the dishes done and put away by 4 and I am in veg mode. Candice left around 3 and Dad left around 5. The house is quiet again.Love the times I can entertain and cook, but the older I get, the more recovery time I need.
I hope you all had a wonderful day celebrating the ultimate gift of mercy that God gave us in His son Jesus Christ.

Saturday, April 11th, Getting ready for Resurrection Sunday

My dad is here this weekend and has been relaxing and watching the Master's tournament while I have been cooking and shopping, etc. Easter around here has always been a big deal. I usually have company and I make a big meal with some traditional dishes, at least to us. One of those things are these wonderful bird's nest cookies. My kids hate coconut, so I make half with coconut and half with sugar coating. They are just too yummy.
It was comforting to me that today while I was making them, Catie was also making them in South Carolina.
Candice doesn't really like hard boiled eggs, but Chuck and I love egg salad sandwiches, which we only have this one time of the year. So I only boiled 12 eggs and Chuck and I dyed them.
Aren't they pretty? Egg salad....mmmmm

Friday, April 10th, got me some new boots

Today, while shopping for Easter items, I noticed these adorable rain boots at JoAnne's. I will probably use them tomorrow when I help out at church for the yard work. They were 40 % off. I saw Catie's cute ones when we were visiting her.
An addendum to this post: I came home with these boots and showed them to Candice. She loved them and I had buyer's remorse and thought I bought them rather impulsively. So, I gave them to her. I decided I really didn't need them that much.

Thursday, April 9th, there are still remnants

I had a meeting at work and noticed that there are still mounds of snow in area parking lots. I don't know how it is possible, but it is slowly going away and spring is definitely in the air.

Wednesday, April 8th, these are a few of my favorite things....

I drink one diet soda a day. It is my treat and I am a huge diet Pepsi fan. Sorry to you poor people that think diet Coke is the bomb, but to me it tastes like medicine....
I have tried all of the new diet Pepsi flavors, a few of which I think were out for testing market purposes only and for a limited time.

I am not entirely sure about the new, 21st century packaging, but the taste is still the same....sublime!

Tuesday, April 7th, tuning up the machine

Today, I bunched my required exams in one day.
I have been with my dentist for almost 20 years and one of her hygenists is from the Grayslake area, so we always have a lot to talk about. The dentist is usually full of questions about the girls and how they are doing.
We have vision insurance again, which allows us to get glasses once per year. Since there wasn't a big change in my vision, I opted to get prescription sun glasses this year. That will be great when walking, or biking or driving in the heat of summer.

Monday, April 6th, another baby quilt

I am really enjoying this flannel that I bought last week and have started another baby quilt. It is so soft and cuddly. Can't wait to see how this one turns out.

Sunday, April 5th, Please come, spring

All around me, I see the evidence that spring is coming. It seems like everything is in anticipation of the glorious blooming of the season.
This is the red maple in front of our house, which is laden with bright red buds just about to pop.
Because this is Holy Week, I also feel a bit of spiritual anticipation as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the glorious Resurrection of our Savior.

Saturday, April 4th, laughing with the ladies

Today, I went to a shower for Tricia Leach, a gal in our church who is having her first baby any day now. We had so much fun and one of the games we played was to taste baby food blindfolded. You know it is not the tastiest stuff in the world, but the facial expressions were so funny!
This is Donna, the new baby's grandma.
Oh, and did I mention that we had to feed each other? That was the funniest part!!
The theme was rubber duckies and Julie made this adorable cake:
I knew I was going to make Tricia a baby quilt, but didn't start it until 4:15 yesterday. I didn't finish until 2:30 in the morning, but I did finish it!!! She likes very simple things, which I really didn't know and the nursery colors are navy blue and white (nautica produced). The quilt blends perfectly, and I am happy with the way it turned out:

Friday, April 3rd, lovely work from my friends

I know I have been remiss in posting for the past two days. Later today you will see why. But for now, I wanted to show you that my friends had fun while I was gone on vacation. THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED!!! I lay very strict rules down about such things, but just like kids needing cookies from the cookie jar, they never listen.
Our quilt group's quarterly project day was March 14th. It was interesting because you were to bring 12 fat quarters cut up for the quilt's requirements. The catch is, all of the fabric was put in to one pot and you picked strips randomly. There was a singular theme, which was tones of red, white and blue, but other than than, it was totally random. I planned on putting my fabric in, and actually cut up the fat quarters. But when I saw them all together, I couldn't part with them, so will make mine on my own. Mine were all civil war prints and are just too wonderful when laid out.
Here are two of the completed tops:
Celia on the left, Kathy on the right. (they are smiling!) I guess Colleen also struggled with giving up her fabric. I think they turned out great.

Thursday, April 2nd, sure sign of Spring

While walking today, I saw crocuses in a few neighbors yards. I just love how beautiful and delicate they are. We had a few in our yard but the chippies and squirrels dug them all up, maybe in the fall I will try again.