...how will i be able to wait?!...

I pre-ordered this

tonight!

Estimated delivery date: October 20, 2010.

How will I be able to wait that long?!?!?!

...happy mother's day...

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends who are wonderful mother's to their children, but especially to my Mom.

We went to a new cardiologist this week who went over (in detail) her surgery from last April. He was amazed at what she'd been through and kept saying "Whoa....Wow....Wow...." Going over pretty much every detail reminded me again how lucky we all are for the skilled doctors and for Mom's strength to survive.

So - Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and my Grandma too.

{sorry I slept all afternoon!}

...hunky dory table runner...

I saw this table runner on Rachel's blog (p.s. i quilt) and thought - I love a good disappearing nine patch quilt...how cute would that be in a table runner!

So - I got myself a fun charm pack and went to town!

I was on such a roll, I even decided to try machine quilting it! I know - watch out!

I love how it turned out!!

The quilting isn't the best - but I think it's a decent try for my first time. It's a little more concentrated than I would've liked - so I'll have to work on that for next time.

Pattern: Disappearing Nine Patch as seen on p.s. i quilt

Fabric: Hunky Dory by Chez Moi (my current fav)

Quilted by: Marcie!

...birthday quilt...

I have been working on this quilt since Christmas (it feels like) so although I love it, I am happy to see it completed and out the door.

When I began making this quilt, I was making it because I wanted to try this pattern. Little did I know it would take A. LONG. TIME. to complete the blocks!

Anyway, here's the finished product:

{Whoops - Dad - Hold it a little higher so we don't see your white hair peeking out the top!}

I gave this quilt to my Aunt Kim for her 50th birthday. The colors go perfectly with her home...hopefully it's a cozy quilt for her to relax under!

Pattern: Wild Thing by Thimble Blossoms

Fabric: Simple Abundance by Bonnie & Camille

Quilted by: Marcie!

...sarah's key...

I read a great book this week. It's one of those that stays with you throughout the day.

It's a little hard to explain, so here's the description from amazon.com:

De Rosnay's U.S. debut fictionalizes the 1942 Paris roundups and deportations, in which thousands of Jewish families were arrested, held at the Vélodrome d'Hiver outside the city, then transported to Auschwitz. Forty-five-year-old Julia Jarmond, American by birth, moved to Paris when she was 20 and is married to the arrogant, unfaithful Bertrand Tézac, with whom she has an 11-year-old daughter. Julia writes for an American magazine and her editor assigns her to cover the 60th anniversary of the Vél' d'Hiv' roundups. Julia soon learns that the apartment she and Bertrand plan to move into was acquired by Bertrand's family when its Jewish occupants were dispossessed and deported 60 years before. She resolves to find out what happened to the former occupants: Wladyslaw and Rywka Starzynski, parents of 10-year-old Sarah and four-year-old Michel. The more Julia discovers—especially about Sarah, the only member of the Starzynski family to survive—the more she uncovers about Bertrand's family, about France and, finally, herself.

I can't stop thinking about it. The stories from the Holocaust are so haunting. It's amazing what people went through.

There are some very difficult parts to read in this book - especially since you know that those things really happened to people. The story is amazing though - and trust me, you'll be hooked. Hope you have some free time because one you start, you won't be able to put it down!

...teacher appreciation...

Melissa has been asking for a book bag, so I've been looking for the right pattern to use.

I saw this on Saturday (click on this) and picked out some fabric at Craft Warehouse yesterday.

I came home after school...two hours later, this left my craft room!

It's reversible!

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I gave it to a teacher I appreciate! That's how it's supposed to work, right?!

I have come to the conclusion that I really like to sew bags.

Especially ones that go together this quickly and easily!

...oh no! it's the big 5-0!...

Last night we celebrated my Aunt Kim's 50th Birthday with a Surprise Party!

Apparently, she'd caught on to something going on, but I think she was pleasantly surprised to see everyone together!

It was fun to celebrate Kim's birthday at Kevin & Tiffany's new (to them) house. They recently moved into a farm house in the middle of God-knows-where Eltopia boondocks. They've done a lot of work and have turned the house into a home.

Happy Birthday Kim!

Many blessings for the year to come!

...to the window....to the MALL...

On Thursday, Mom & I took the 2010 Junior Miss girls to the Tri-Cities to find their "travel outfits" (what they wear to and from parades & to special events). It sounds like it'd be fun right? You're right - it was. :)

Here are their cute outfits they found:

Kendall Taylor, Laryn Wells (JM), Alice Phongsa, Ali Erickson, and Crystal Clyde

Aren't their outfits cute? I think it works with each of their individual personalities. They look like something each of them would've bought on their own.

We didn't go to the Tri-Cities until after practice and then we were mean and withheld food from them until they found their outfits. Mean mean mean! It made them make deicisons faster (sneaky sneaky!).

We celebrate our shopping success at Red Robin! Guess who came to visit?!

And it was Kendall's "birthday"!

We're looking forward to going to the Lilac Parade in Spokane with these girls in a few weeks. If you can imagine, it's quite a comical time with this group of girls! To know them is to love them. hehe

...me! me! pick me!...

Serena has a giveaway going on over on her blog (http://thefarmchicks.typepad.com/)...

well, I'll let her explain it:

How would you like to be my guest at The Farm Chicks Show on set-up day, arrive early for the show on Saturday and be my special guest at the Vendor Dinner on Saturday night? Well, here's your chance! I'm offering this special opportunity to one blogger or Twitterer - who will write all about their experience at the show when they get home!

I've never been to the Farm Chicks show and I want to go real real bad. Real bad. RealLY bad. :)

...hint....hint....hint....

p.s. this is my 400th post....shouldn't that be reason enough to win?!

...how to make headbands...

My cousin Amber was wearing a super cute headband tonight at her Mom's birthday party - and so we were talking about all the cute headbands I've seen online. She said she's on the lookout for headbands...and I said I wanted to make some...SUCCESS! We have a match!

So - I told her I'd email her some pictures to see what she'd like, so I come home, do a google search, and come up empty. I cannot find what I thought I saw!

Can you help me out?! If you've seen headband tutorials online - send them my way!