Tiny Tuesday...

Did you think I forgot? Just busy this morning running errands (two banks to deposit to for girl scouts), Walmart and then picked up my friend Deb for a Sam's Club run. Remind me to go alone next time... although Greg won't have to stand in the pantry with the door open saying 'there's no snack foods'. It will be easier to pack lunches as well - especially since Emily and I have a field trip tomorrow to The Barberville Pioneer Settlement. We were completely out of lunch snacks.... so the pantry is now stocked with fruit and veggie chews, animal cracker packets, cheese puff balls and granola bars. I also got some clementines.... so yummy, too bad my kids won't eat oranges.

I started this little shoe in the car line yesterday and finished it up last night while watching the Charlie Brown special ... well there is still a bow that should go on it but... I kinda like it plain so it may stay like this. Too bad the show was on so late -9PM on a school night so the kids were unable to watch.

The kids have done really good going to bed and getting up for school. No tantrums and no yelling at all (by me) ! It will be so nice to have Greg home again tonight though..... even if they go back to normal kid behavior. I've been bribing them with little car trips at night to see the Christmas lights =).

Better test out the new broom in the kitchen before heading out to pick up the kids from school. 

Oh - for those who love to read and have a kindle or nook I was on bookbub.com last night and loaded a bunch of new free books onto my kindle. You can customize to see what types of things you enjoy reading. Think I'll bring my kindle in the car with me today for car line.

2 posts in one day!

Progress! This is what I am thinking for the borders.... the corners are in thought process. I think I will just do a straight line to connect them to the corner.... that way I don't have to extend into another border. I think it will work.... now to find any purple and pinks of the hand dyed fabrics. I sure hope I have some more...... I have all the parts for the light blue, yellow, brown and red already sewn. Just need to cut more background but that will have to all wait for tomorrow. Must do a few things before picking up the kids.

Design wall Monday....

Lots of progress on my RSC Sampler - alternate blocks on Saturday. I only have 5 to go... and 3 to fix before I can start sewing them together =).

Emily was a trooper and did a great job ringing the bell for her Community Service with Girl Scouts on Saturday - 2 hours of ringing by my 6 year old with no complaints. She had fun and did a great job... and people were extremely generous =)

Someone in the house is very happy the tree is up and the Christmas tree skirt is down. This will be her spot (Maxie)  until the tree comes down. Sophie will watch the tree from her spot on the couch!

Linking up with Design Wall Monday over at Patchwork times.

Weekend post...

I have been enjoying a bunch of hand work the last few days.
I added a few rounds to the aqua trip block - mostly yesterday on the back porch while watching the kids with their play date. One little girl went home for a nap but her brother stayed to play for the afternoon. Lots of running around outside - trips on the playhouse as a boat (watch out for the whale!) and hikes through the back woods as settlers to the new world. Time to prep more squares for this - 28,24,20, etc down to 4 to finish this last block off. I do wonder if on this last one I'll actually remember not to sew on those corner white triangles? I've only remembered twice the whole year!

Last night I added another 1.5 hours of hand quilting on Hugs and Kisses and have the fist border completed. Now the challenge - hand quilting that last edge. I got the blue peel quilted inside and out and started the orange before I decided to stop for the night.

When I need a change of pace - I have a little binding to add onto the twinkle star quilt that I machine quilted earlier this week with a wiggle stitch. This little guy is 40x40.

For the sewing machine..... I plan to add a few alternate blocks and maybe start sewing my blocks into rows. I have most of my parts sewn together - just need to finish the red four patches and cut some more 4.5 inch squares. I kept forgetting to change one part of 4 blocks of Angela's pattern to help my last border to connect those chains. Must find the yellow and light blue fabric to cut a few more squares for four patches. Of course... those are the alternate blocks I have already sewn up!

Linking up Saturday with the RSC Challenge and Sunday morning with Slow Sunday Stitching.
Greg has taken the kids to Grandma's so I get a little time of quiet in the house. My Daisy's are ringing the bell as part of their community service today so I'll be checking in and making sure someone is there. We have 3 hours to fill in at the end - I had Em signed up for the last hour but will try and have her do 2 and I'll cover the other hour by myself with the cadet scout. Too bad I can't bring hand work with me =). Sunday..... Greg and I will toss a coin and see who gets to work the short day. I hope I win - as he'll get the kids and I'll work before he heads to Clearwater Sunday night for a couple of days of training (recertification of CPO - certified pool operator). I'll hit the recertification at the next training session usually in Feb/March time frame.
Our elf has learned what the kids want for Christmas this year and I'm sure he has reported that back to the big Boss. Emily wants a police rescue helicopter to round out her rescue team (fire trucks, ambulance, police cars). Aidan wants a blue sewing machine. So nice the kids only really ask for one thing from Santa instead of the big lists I've heard other kids ask for.
Ok - must go shower and dress so I can sew a bit before Greg gets home.

Black Friday... is decorating day

And boy are the kids gung ho for decorating for Christmas. They started at 8:30.... I really need more coffee. All my fall things - mostly my Partylite candles were put away by the kids... and then properly put into their boxes by me. Then they dragged out the Christmas boxes of decorations. To distract them - I said to go find the tree in Aidan's room and take that out. I gave myself a 1 hour reprieve while they decorate the tree before I have to start helping =) A big thanks to Daddy for stringing the lights so they could add the garland and then the ornaments. They are actually doing a good job this year - I don't think I'll need to redecorate the tree this year and spread out the ornaments!

Oh, the elf flew in this morning. I was sure he would get confused and head to Vermont since that is where he last saw the kids. He must have gotten Aidan's note that he was to come to our house this year. They found him right off this morning in the dining room.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.  

No BH mystery for me this year.....

I have way too many things in process! Instead of working through the clues with everyone else in blog land over the next months, I will be working on getting some finishes.
My hope is to work through the following in December.

1.) Finish the last 10 midget appliqué blocks and get the yellow surround on them. I have fallen a little behind on these but would love to have the blocks competed by the end of the year.

2.) Finish the teal trip around the world block and hand sew all 9 blocks together. I decided to hand quilt it as a whole project rather than individual quilt as you go.... which means I need to ......

3.) Finish hand quilting on Hugs and Kisses and get it bound.

4.) Appliqué the 13  dresden plates onto the background and piece into a top.

5.) Finish the alternate blocks for the RSC Sampler quilt, assemble the top and get it quilted and bound by the end of the year.

I may not get them all done, (you know, life does tend to interfere with my quilting!) but at least I'll have made progress on them rather than starting something new. If I do pretty good on the list - my reward will be to finally make my Bittersweet Briar wall hanging that I have had sitting in a kit forever.... well since I saw Kim Diehl speak at my guilt up in Vermont before I moved to Florida. After that one is done- it will be paper piecing my storm at sea kit. That one has been waiting 8 years to get made.
There. I feel better now that I have the plan in my head down on paper. =)

Now to make some cloverleaf rolls and a pumpkin pudding for Thanksgiving. I just have to make the potato and gravy on Thursday as Greg is in charge of the turkey and stuffing this year. He saw an episode on America's Test Kitchen that revisited Turkey with Julia Child. I'll let you know how it came out!