Birthday Blessings and Apples

Friday was a busy day at our house.  First it was my birthday.  I turned 35 and am so incredibly blessed by the people in my life.  When Zoe woke up, she got her tea cart ready with all the things I would love for breakfast.  She made me breakfast in bed.  I got coffee with toast with peanut butter.  She even sang to me and did a special birthday dance.  She and grandma made me a bag that Zoe colored and it says, "MOM" on it.  Inside was fabric from the Mama Said Sew line of fabric.  She told me they made a special trip to the quilt store just to get that for me.  So precious.

My mom bought me a Block of the Month for Sew Spooky.  I can't wait to start sewing!

After breakfast in bed and all the birthday festivities, Zoe and I had a special date - a class field trip to Greenbluff to the "apple patch" as Zoe and her friends call it.  We had so much fun.  The kids learned about the importance of bees to the apple patch and how to pick an apple.  Interesting fact - you turn the apple upside down.  If it comes off the tree with the stem, it's ready.  If it doesn't come off, it's not ready to be picked.

Zoe got a gala apple.

Then it was off to the maze, where there were about 10 different cut-out places to get your picture taken.

Then we got to pick pumpkins!

They even had a teepee and some information on the Spokane Indian Tribe and then we got to go on a hayride.  It was the absolute best place to go for a field trip.  The farmers were so kind and great with the kids. 

One of Zoe's favorite parts - finding HUGE dandelions to make wishes from.

After the field trip, we took off to Orofino, Idaho to see daddy.  I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday that experiencing life with my favorite people.



I Have to Laugh

Sometimes it feels like life can really be a rollercoaster of emotions.  This season of our life could make even the most daring rollercoaster envious.  We are experiencing pressures from places/people/sides that we never anticipated.  It's been both sad and a reason to keep on keeping on. 

To distract ourselves, we try to steal away moments that give a some moment of serenity.  I am doing a Block of the Month quilt.  Basically, it's a year-long program where you do one block per month (hence the very clever name) and at the end of the year you have a quilt top.  June was the first month and I was super excited.  Not only is it my first Block of the Month quilt ever, but I love, love, love the fabric line:  Vintage Modern by Bonnie & Camille for Moda.  It's a little retro, a little bright, whimsical and so much fun. 

This is what I made:

I was so excited.  It took about 30 minutes and I got to quilt!  Then I looked at this picture and realized something was wrong.  Apparently, in my 30 minutes of "me time" I stopped reading directions and just slapped the thing together.  Now I have to take the top row out and put it on the right way so the red looks like a real pinwheel, not one that got put together by Picasso.

That's not really the big deal, but I showed this to my mom's quilt group before I realized that I can't read directions.  Bless those ladies, not a single one said anything.

Bless N, he didn't even notice! 

Another way we've been trying to steal time together is dates.  N is working only an hour from our house for a bit and I decided to head his way and surprise him for dinner one night.  He called on his way back to the hotel from work and I informed him that he needed to be ready to take me to dinner.  It's always fun surprising him because I can't usually pull it off.  We haven't been able to do during-the-week dates for over a year.  This was extremely special for both of us.

We went to a cute Mexican restaurant people at his work recommended.  The food was delicious.  We went back to the hotel to watch some television and just be.  It was wonderful.

Until...

We both got food poisoning.

I think I've learned some valuable lessons:

1) Always proof your work, even if it's a quilt square before you show it to all the seasoned quilters.

2) Always read directions a couple times.

3) Mid-week dates don't always work out the way you envision.

4) You know your marriage is made to last when you can be in a hotel room with one bathroom and you both have food poisoning.

5) Cute little Mexican restaurants aren't always so cute the next day.

A Cute Sewing Project

It's only taken 6 months to get into a routine with school, church, life.  With that routine comes time to sew!

Zoe goes to a private school for Pre-K.  The elementary portion of the private school, along with the preschool and Pre-K programs are at one campus and the junior high and high school are at a campus close to our home.  The school has been incredibly blessed with a new elementary campus near the junior high/high school campus.  Today is her last day at the old campus and two of her teachers will not be moving.  We had to come up with a little thank you gift for them.

My mom had some stamps that said, "thanks a latte" and I had coffee fabric.  I'm not entirely sure what made me originally by fabric with a coffee theme, but I thought I could use it on something.  Quite frankly, I think that's how a fabric addiction starts.  You think you'll have a use for it and then pretty soon you have a whole room of just fabric.  Trust me, I'm not judging, just getting a clear picture of my future!

We found this pattern and we made this with it:

Once it's cut out, it sews together faster than you can make a tuna sandwich. 

The Exploding Pineapple

Last November N, Zoe and I went to the great state of Texas to visit our family for Thanksgiving.  Also, not to mention, it was Zoe's and my first time there and we were introduced to Chick-fil-A.  I don't think I really need to say more than that, unless you've never had it.  Almost 365 days later, I still have cravings.  Sometimes they are so strong, the plane ticket to Texas doesn't seem too bad. 

That Chick-fil-A sauce can sure sidetrack me.  While we were there, Aunt DeeDee was gracious enough to drive me to a quilt store in north Austin.  Honey Bee Quilt Store was absolutely darling.  If I had been in town for another couple weeks, I would've definitely signed up for their Mariner Star quilt class.  So hard, but so beautiful. 

While at Honey Bee, I found a fabric that spoke to my heart.  It was Grease fabric.  If you know me, you'll know that has been one of my favorite movies since I was 4.  I know all the lines, know all the songs and even have the soundtrack on record.  When I was younger and my mom would have game nights, they'd usually play Trivial Pursuit.  Because I was too young to play that game, she would change all the questions to Grease questions for me.  Bless her heart.

It was hot pink, black and white.  I had zero idea what I was going to do with Grease fabric, but I knew I had to have it, much like Cha-Cha had to win that dance contest on national television. 

I figured I'd make a table runner and pull it out when I was feeling sassy.  Then I went to the Washington State Quilt Show and saw the Exploding Pineapple quilt.  My Grease fabric began to speak to me.  This is the result:

It's wild, bright and a total departure for me.  I LOVE it.  I have zero idea what I'm going to do with it.  N is a little paranoid that I'm going to want to hang it in our living room or something.  It still needs a couple borders and to be finished, but I think it's super fun.  Just looking at it makes me smile.