Saturday Snapshot : The sewing machine has been humming!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky (at West Metro Mommy). Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

In the last few weeks I have been working on finishing some projects. My plan for 2014 is to use up what is in my stash and finish projects that I have purchased and not finished. A plan to downsize and git r done!

All 2013 I have been taking part in a BOM from Shabby Fabrics. I have shared a few of them in past posts.
They come from designer Kathy Schmitz and are complete with fabric and backing. I only need to supply the batting and the sewing thread, and a scrap of fusible web. Here is August and November. They all fit on a standing frame that I display on top of our entertainment center. I am working on stitching December to have it ready by Dec 1st or no later than the 10th.

Also this fall, I worked on a seasonal banner set that has 4 parts, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. It was in the Quick Quilts magazine 2011. I have done Summer and here is Fall:

 This was made with fabrics from my stash. I did not purchase anything.  The same with the large table runner shown below. You can see the scrappy binding and even the backing piece was in my fall basket on the shelf. I did have to buy a piece of batting for this one. It is 27x36 and the largest batting I had in my stash had a chunk cut out of it. *sad face*   But I did purchase some fusible tape so I can put my batting scraps together for future projects.

This pattern is called Log Cabin Pumpkins and is from Suzanne's Art House. I purchased the pattern from Pinewood Cottage, the quilt store in Story WY during Story Days. I used all fabrics from my stash. 

At last but not least is the Turkey banner from Patchabilities. This is also from my fabric scraps and I completed it last year, but really like him, so every year he gets hung up too. 

You can't tell here, but our living room walls are sage green and all this fall decor looks good in here! This space between our front hall closet ( to the right) and the stairway edge (to the left) always has a seasonal banner occupying it. 

So I have been busy and I have also read or listened to 13 books since the first of October and during the month of November I am going to work part time for my former employer while the Admin. Assistant is off on medical leave.  Whew!  When I list it all, it seems overwhelming. But you know my mantra:

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

So until next time, 

SB&SH

Mailbox Monday 9-9-13 This is Paradise

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week(s) and explore great book blogs. Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. For the month of September the host is Yoland at @ Notorious Spinks Talks

 Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Lately I have had empty mailboxes.  But last week, while we were away camping a book arrived. Hurray. 

I won this copy in a giveaway from Wendy at Caribousmom.  Thanks Wendy. It is collection of six stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila.  I am looking forward to reading this collection.

This week will be busy with my quilt guild September meeting in the park. We gather to have a lunch exchange, reminiscent of an old fashioned box social. We will exchange a lunch and the container that it comes in. Some will be homemade, some will not. Then we sit in the park, and work on our own UFO(unfinished object)  handwork. Some will work on embroidery pieces, some will sew on binding, some will come just to share and visit. We ALWAYS have a great time.

I will be unpacking the camper, catching up on the laundry and getting ready to go again on Friday. We will drive to Fort Collins CO to meet our newest great grandson who was born on Sept 5th. I can hardly wait. If it OK with his parents I will share a picture or two when we get back.

So until next time,
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

A confession and more

I recently finished reading a book recommended and written by a fellow blogger and that I used to fulfill a book challenge for a group I participate in on goodreads.com.  The author of the book,  Paulita was so kind as to respond twice to my post from last Tuesday.

I really am such unknowledgeable blogger. I can't always get links to other sites to work, I don't even know how to link a review from another site, like Amazon or Goodreads. And I feel so unworthy when it comes to writing reviews. It seems most bloggers have a degree in English, or Literature or something, I graduated HS, got married and raised a family. I have always loved to read, but writing reviews intimidates me. I could sure use some pointers, if any of you have any.

I love reading all your blogs. I get to see all the different books that are out there. I get to feel a little like we are friends. I have been exposed to books I never would have picked up on my own. So, for all this I thank you.

When I started this blog, I had recently retired from work, and wanted to be able to share projects I completed, books I read, and some parts of my life. My life is in a constant flux, so sometimes I am away from my blog for days or even weeks at a time. Please know that even though there are days that I cannot share what is happening in my life, I still read and sometimes even comment. I try to stay involved in several MEMEs. My favorites are "What's in a Name 6", "First Chapter, First Paragraph Intro Tuesday", "Mailbox Monday"," Wondrous Words Wednesday" and "Snapshot Saturday".

In addition to reading, I also quilt with a group of women 2 Sundays a month, I am a member of another local quilt guild, I belong to a stitching group and a stitching club (we do hand embroidery). So my mother always said busy hands are happy hands and that is why I named my blog the same. These days I am not happy, so please forgive the "rant" an know that I am working on getting back to "happy".

Until next time,
Stay Busy and Stay Happy,
Judy.

Tuesday - Countdown to Thanksgiving.

I haven't posted in a while. Keep thinking that there is nothing to write about. I haven't finished reading The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman, but I am really enjoying it. I have been sewing some.




 Finished some really simple place mats for Christmas. They will go 2 to my daughter and her husband, they have an empty nest now that the youngest has flown. The other 2 to my oldest granddaughter and her husband. They have not started to fill their nest yet so only the 2 of them too. I will send them before Christmas, cause what fun is it to have Christmas place mats the day of Christmas then you have to pack them away? They are reversible and slightly different in the binding. One set is bound with the red snowflake fabric and one set is bound with the Christmas Words fabric.

I belong to a local book club and we will have a bookmark exchange during our December gathering. I made a bookmark and will supplement with a package of Book Darts. Have any of you used these? I have not, but I saw them online and thought what a great idea. I can't stand to write in books I own,  and of course don't write in book that I borrow. But I often want to remember a word or quote, and don't want to stop to go find a dictionary or a pen and paper. I found a small package of them in our bookstore. I will order some for myself online, after Christmas. They are on my Christmas list, so will wait to see if they appear in a gift.

The book mark is an oriental looking fabric, in burgundy, teal and gold. The book is our book club's reading selection for discussion in January. It is Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotry. It's hard to see in the picture, but the book darts are little copper arrow shaped pieces that slip over the edge of the page.  Cool!!!! Below  is a little bit better picture of the Verse Keepers by Book Darts.

I also am a member of a quilt group, a quilt guild ( more organized than just my group) and a  group of women that meet every Thursday to just stitch. Hand embroidery, knitting, crocheting, or even sewing the binding on a quilt. We call ourselves the Thursday Stitchers and we have decided to have a stitch block exchange. So I traced a design on 8 squares of fabric, and will come home with 8 different traced blocks after our December 13th session. I will post pictures of those after the party.

So I guess I did have something to write about after all. This evening I will grind the cranberries for my family cranberry salad recipe and make the cornbread for the dressing. I am going to try a new crockpot dressing recipe that I have tasted by never made before. Will let you know if I am successful.

Til Later

Stay Busy and Stay Happy




Judy.

Mailbox Monday November 12

Mailbox Monday is on tour for the month of November at Bermuda Onion's Weblog. Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

This week I scored big time!.  My AMAZON box arrived with  "The Secret Keeper" by Kate Morton. It is for the current book selection for a group on Goodreads. Also included was a copy of "Russian Winter" by Daphne Kalotay and "Claiming Ground" by Laura Bell. These are the December and March Selections for my local face to face bookclub.   This week too, I received three books that I ordered through Paperback Swap. I was glad to finally get them. I had mailed 4 books, and hadn't received the credits to order the ones I wanted. I got a copy of "Durable Goods" by Elizabeth Berg. It is #1 in the Katie trilogy. So that is fun. I watched an interview with Patricia Cornwell on Sunday Morning  a couple of weeks ago, and decided I wanted to read her books. So I now have #1 and #2 of the series.  "Postmortem" and " Body of Evidence". I should stay very busy now, along with the holidays are creeping up on me. I have to cook a turkey for my quilt guild on Tuesday this week. I am hosting my Bunko Buddies on Thursday and have a quilt group sew-in and baby shower on Sunday. Then Thanksgiving is at my house this year!!!  WHEW, I may not be back to blogland for a bit.

Until next time,
Stay Busy and Stay Happy
Judy

Mailbox Monday 9-17

 Mailbox Monday is on tour for the month of September at Book N Around. Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

These 4 books have been added to my To Read List this week. They did not arrive in my mailbox, but they live in my house now.

 Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks is the October read for the local book club that I belong to. Tomorrow night we meet again, after taking the summer off ,to discuss Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. Then in October we will discuss Caleb's Crossing. I have only been a member of this book club since February 2012. But I enjoy the ladies who belong and meet to share. 

 Fifty Shades of Grey , by E.L. James was recommended to me by my daughter and granddaughter. I guess I will see what all the hoopla is about. I have read several reviews on Goodreads, and not many recommend it. I will judge for myself, but I am not sure what to expect.

The Lost Wife, A Novel, by Alyson Richman is one I picked to complete a challenge on Goodreads.  The title caught my eye and the cover peeked my interest. " A rapturous new novel of first love in a time of war."  "Staggeringly evocative, romantic  heartrending, sensual and beautifully written" - John Lescroart, New York Time bestselling author.

The Hunger Games  by Suzanne Collins is also a book recommended by my daughter and a possible pick for our local book club. I found it on sale at Wal-Mart , so decided to add it to my stack of books to be read.

This week too, I will attend another Quilt Retreat in the beautiful Black Hills of So Dakota. Eleven friends and I will meet to quilt, play, eat, laugh and generally just have a great time, at Ranch A near Spearfish SD. I hope to get some pictures, the leaves should be turning. They are early this year because it has been so dry.

I will pack a book light and my current read, Betrayal by Michele Kallio, which I won from the author. I am enjoying it and hope to be able to write an acceptable review.

Til next time,
Stay Busy, Stay Happy
Judy

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros Sept. 11 2012

           First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros is a MEME by Diana at Bibliophile By the Sea.

Feel free to join in by posting the opening paragraph (sometimes maybe a few ) of a book you decided to read based on the opening paragraph (s). Grab the banner and play along.



Today I am sharing the first 2 paragraphs of an upcoming read. It is from The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman. 


He dressed deliberately for the occasion, his suit pressed and his shoes shined. While shaving, he turned each cheek carefully to the mirror to ensure he hadn't missed a single whisker. Earlier that afternoon, he had even bought a lemon-scented pomade to smooth his few remaining curls. 

He only had one grandson, one grandchild for that matter, and had been looking forward to this wedding for months now. And although he had met the bride only a few times, he liked her from the first. She was bright and charming, quick to laugh, and possessed a certain old-world elegance. He hadn't realize what a rare quality that was until he sat there now staring at her, his grandson clasping her hand. 

What do you think, would you read on or not? 


Other than planning on this read, today was so busy. Took my MIL to the doctor, tried to pick up the resulting prescription. But it wasn't ready, so I went on to my PPQG end of summer picnic. We stitched a small heart with spring buds intertwined. I know it is fall, but I am sure the project committee has a "plan". We also had a lunch bag exchange, I got one just like I made, only bigger and different fabric. It unfolds to make a placemat. Great idea, the pattern needs tweeking though. Then back to Walgreens, still no script!!! So I placed a call to the nurse, she sent it again, I signed checks at my old office, went to PO and back to Walgreens. This time it was ready. Finally I am back home  WHEW!!! What a day.  

Oh My Gosh!!!!

Where have the last 8 days gone?  I have been too too busy!  Tuesday this week, I had a regular Quilt Guild meeting, a meeting for our area Quilt Show, planned for October, a rescheduled Stitchin' Club picnic and a regular monthly meeting of our GWRRA group!!  Whew, I made them all, just not for the whole meetings. !! Did I get pictures ??? not a single one. !  What in the world was I thinking.

Tomorrow I must finish cutting my 5" squares for my class at Quilt Wyoming next weekend. And get at least one friendship block completed!.

We had a tiny scare with my MIL today. Her blood levels were off according to the nurse and the doctors. She is on a blood thinner. So they took her off til her reg  appt next Friday.. She is feeling well, just noticing bruising etc.

I am still trying to listen to Wuthering Heights and read Fall of Giants.  Both of them I am enjoying.  Also got my giveaway win book in the mail.  Will tell you more about that on Mailbox Monday.  

Tuesday Intros.

When summer comes to the North Woods, time slows down. And some days it stops altogether. The sky, gray and lowering for much of the year, becomes an ocean of blue, so vast and brilliant you can't help but stop what you're doing - pinning wet sheets to the line maybe, or shucking a bushel of corn on the  back steps - to stare up at it.  Locusts whir in the birches, coaxing you out of the sun and under the boughs, and the heat stills the air, heavy and sweet with the scent of balsam.

This is the first paragraph of "A Northern Light" by Jennifer Donnelly. It is the June read from Ladies & Literature on Goodreads. I need to start this soon, but am in the middle of "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This is a good story, but translated from the original, and is sometimes cumbersome.

Today, I will attend my local quilt guild. I hope to have pictures of "Show and Tell" and of our "lesson" - Attic Window. I am needing the camaraderie today.  

Lost is Found Friday

If you read my post from the 25th,  you'll remember that I was lamenting misplacing  losing a roll of ribbon somewhere between the store and my sewing room.  Well, today I found it!  Yea!  It had rolled away and was behind the door to my sewing room.  I hardly ever look behind the door, just shut it on the mess  "ha".   Today I was chilly, my sewing room is in the basement, and sometimes I stash a long- sleeved shirt on the doorknob.  My shirt was not there  ( can you say 'senior moment"), but there was the roll of dark pink ribbon.  So glad I had not made a special trip back to our local big box discount store to purchase another!.  So now I will finish the comfort blocks for my quilt guild.

Also finished reading a book picked up at the library. It is a new 2012 published book. " First You Try Everything" by Jane McCafferty. I do NOT recommend it. The book was difficult to read, the character not easy to like and I cannot ( even though I feel a bit crazy myself at times) believe anyone can be that "off the wall". Dumb Dumb Dumb.  I have started reading "Watermelon" by Marian Keyes. Picked up at the library too.
I sometimes pick up a book by it's cover. This one had a recommendation on the cover written by Nora Roberts, and since I have read a ton of her books, I chose this one.  Same premise, so far, as the first one. Husband leaves wife......what's with that!!!!!  Will continue with this one and see where  it goes.




Happy Friday,
Judy

Small Town Library

I always was proud of our library here in Campbell County Wyoming. But today I am disappointed. I went to check out The Bungalow by Sarah Jio.  They don't have it.  So I had a list of Amy Einhorn Imprint books for another challenge I am doing.  I found 1 on the list I had with me.  Remedies by Kate Ledger. So today I will start the reading Remedies.  I will go with a more complete list next time and guess I will make my way to Hastings to purchase Sarah Jio's book.  I love owning books, but was trying to cut down on expenses.  I will keep trying, I will probably have to have a list of those imprint books published in 2009 or 2010.  Maybe they will have those.

Today I also worked on some heart blocks for PPQG comfort blocks. I found a kinda squishy wooden heart I purchased long ago. It has 2 holes in the middle for maybe a ribbon or such.  So I cut out a pink print and as I looked at my ribbon stash, realized the 1/4 inch ribbon was probably too fat. So I have 2 shades of yellow, blue, green of 1/8 " ribbon.  I had a piece of white for the pink block. It turned out cute. So off I went to "Wally World" to buy 1/8 " ribbon. They were out of white.  Small town syndrome again.  I bought light pink, dark pink, and red.  $.47 each.  I tossed them in my purse with the receipt, and when I got out to the car, put them in with the fat quarters I had purchase at LQS.   Went to put away, all the fat quarters where in the bag, only the light pink and red ribbon was there. I looked in the car ( 4X) under the seat, everywhere.  NADA.  makes me so mad.!!!!

I did get one more pink heart done, and a lavender one, which I tied with 1/4" white ribbon, but it's not as nice.  Guess I will cut out other hearts in coordinating colors for the ribbon I have.  Want to have 12 done by our guild meeting on the 2nd Tuesday.