Pay It Forward - Kreativ Blogger Award

I still can’t believe I was awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award from my dear friend Alyssa at Alygatr’s Everywhere. I am so honored and now I am excited to pass it on those blogs that I enjoy and admire. First let me say that blogging has introduced me to more friends than I ever thought possible – what a beautiful world blogging is!!!

Let’s see the rules of the Kreativ Blogging Award say that I have to tell you seven things about me that you don’t know. Hm-m-m-m-m-m.

1. Big T and I were college sweethearts and have been married for a very, very long time. (A really long time!)
2. I could eat my weight in bar-b-que ribs. The good gooey finger licking kind that gets all over you. Throw in a few French fries and I’ll think I died and went to heaven.
3. I love pineapple pie. (I must be on a food kick.) It was always a special treat on my birthday. (I don’t care for cake.) Last year M made me one for my birthday and when she served it, I asked her where the top crust was. She looked at it and said “I knew I forgot something.”
4. My birthday is my favorite day of the whole year. I know that’s being really selfish of me – but it’s true.
5. One year in a doubles bowling tournament I won the prize for “lowest score”, “highest score” and “most improved player”. It’s the only sports event I ever succeeded at. My trophy took a place of honor on the bookcase for several years. (I was also accused of sandbagging. I just told them they were jealous.)
6. I didn’t start sewing until two years ago. I have always knitted and crocheted but never sewed anything worth showing or keeping. I actually took the “learn to quilt class” as a way to meet friends when we moved to North Carolina. (My knitting is magic it grows and grows. I made a twin afghan for my daughter to take to college. It now fits her queen sized bed.)
7. I do not particularly like to cook. Big T and I do most of the cooking together. That’s the only way he knows he is going to get a real meal. Probably if it were up to me, we would be on a straight cold cereal diet. Even worse than cooking is the dreaded question “what are we having for dinner tonight”?

Ok now you know ALL about me - what else do I have to do? Pass the award on to seven blogs that I follow on a regular basis. My seven awardees are (drumroll please):
Lace Hearts
Boutiqueaholic
Loft Creations
Sugar Spun Quilt
Lazy Gal Quilting
Q is for Quilt
Anieman Designs

Now the final direction to Pay It Forward (if you should wish to do so):

1. Copy/paste the Kreativ Blogger Award picture onto your blog

2. Thank the person who awarded it to you and post a link to her/his blog

3. Write 7 things about yourself we might not know

4. Choose 7 other bloggers to award

5. Link to them

6. Notify your 7 bloggers of their award

Thank you Alyssa. (I think I’ve said that several other times this week.) Please visit her shop on Etsy and enjoy her work – the flowers are exquisite.

The custom diaper bag is finished and on its way to its new owner. I hope she’s as pleased with it as I am. It was going so smoothly until I discovered I put the top bands on upside down. I even had the top stitching done. But I must admit it does seem to work better with all the pattern pieces going in the same direction.

The quilt wall is covered and the batting is securely fastened down just waiting to be hung. He was going to hang it Sunday as planned but other family commitments took priority. Right now it is laying in the middle of the floor in my home studio (aka sewing room). This is the last piece before my room is finished with the make over.

I also finished my would-be table runner turned tote bag string quilt challenge project. (Try saying that 10 times). That will make two entries in the “no strings attached challenge” and 5 finished new projects in 2010. ‘Chick and Chic’ is now posted on Hummingbird Treasures. I am so proud of myself, it is the 28th of January and I haven’t bought any fabric or new machine embroidery patterns yet this year. (The diaper bag doesn’t count because she provided the fabric.)

Daughter M is my model. Isn't she lovely?

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic.

Marie

My Alygatr Day

Yesterday was the day of OMG surprises all the way around and they almost all had Alygatr’s name on them. First, I opened my valentine swap and found out my blogging buddy was my valentine partner (more about my beautiful gift a little later on); then I found out I had received the Kreativ Blogging Award (again compliments of Alygatr) and as I was reading her blog – OMG there was my Peter Rabbit quilt featured on her Etsy favorites. Last, but not least, Big T bought the quilt wall ‘board’ and screws today. Today should be THE DAY!

From now on days full of surprises around my house will be called “alygatr days”. What fun for an entire day.

Last Thursday I lost all my ‘followers’ on my blog. I was sad as if I had lost my best friends. I kept checking back every once in awhile to see if they had magically reappeared or if they had fallen into the black hole of blogging. Today, you are all back and seemingly in good health. Don’t scare me like that.

Big T and the Dude crashed their big model airplane on its first flight (which went nowhere but down). The smaller but much cheaper plane flew higher and further than they thought it would. The Dude had to chase it across the soccer field with the remote to control(?) it. They spent the last 45 minutes throwing rocks and sticks into a pine tree that had eaten the plane. Persistence paid off and the small plane returned home with them. The large plane has assumed a place of honor in a corner of the garage – future to be determined.



I have the fabric cut for the diaper bag and have memorized the directions. Now I need to let my subconscious put it together in my sleep before I put needle to fabric. Don’t laugh - I save myself a lot of headaches that way. My subconscious makes the mistakes so I don’t have to. Of course, this does tend to cause a few sleepless nights just lying there letting my mind wonder where it may. I need to finish this by the end of this coming week (self-imposed deadline) so I start to work on machine embroidering her reversible bedspread.

Tomorrow will be dedicated to the sharing the Kreativ Blogging Award. I have to think of seven things you would want to know about me. The Dude thinks I should let him write that list. That might be kind of fun but I reserve the right to edit his list.

And now (drum roll please) my gift from Alygatr in the infamous valentine swap. Isn’t it beautiful!! I love it. It is hanging in a place of honor for all to see as soon as they come in. I do not have anything else like it. She is a very talented and creative lady. Please visit her shop on Etsy to see that talent for yourself.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic.

Marie

Ready for the Holidays

Things are wrapped, shipped or packed, laundry is done (almost) and I am ready. All we have to do is wait out the expected snow and ice storm expected the same day we are scheduled to fly out. I don’t know how many times this happened to us in New Jersey; but you don’t expect this to happen when you live in the South.

I have one last item on the embroidery machine and it’s for me and not a gift. I have my sewing studio cleaned and ready to shut down for two weeks. My vacation notice is on www.hummingbirdtreasures.etsy.com.

I added a quilting magazine to the grocery cart yesterday. When did magazines go to $12.99? I was shocked when I got home but not quite as much as Big T. He told me that I was a little out of date and that from now on I had to wear my glasses when I go shopping. It did have a few great project ideas though so all in all it was worth it.

I am quite entranced with some of the contemporary quilt art I’ve seen lately. This may be a new opportunity to explore with Hummingbird Treasures in addition to the other items. Big T has promised to hang one in the great room when it’s finished. I have made several sketches and am still deciding which to tackle first. I work best when I let things mull around in my subconscious for awhile. Hummingbird Treasures is a combination of quilting and machine embroidery, and I like the idea of combining the traditional and the contemporary arts. Keep watching after the first of the year.

The end of the calendar year is also a good time for me to analyze what is working on www.hummingbirdtreasures.etsy.com and what is not. What needs to be revamped or changed? Two six hour plane rides in the next two weeks will give me lots of quiet thinking time. (I also plan to read the book on blogging so you can expect to see some improvements here.)
Oh yes, I need to physically write down my goals and plans for 2010. One of my goals is to join a local writers’ group. I need to dust off my young adult novel and work on completion of the second round of editing. The Dude and Big T are my only readers at this time and they left me copious editing notes to be addressed. I think this was when I put it on the shelf for awhile. I’ve probably procrastinated long enough.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic. Happy holidays to all of you!

Marie

Getting Ready for the Holidays

December 15, 2009

All right, I gave up and ordered “Google Blogging for Dummies” from Amazon. Everything I try beyond simple posting takes far too long for me to figure out. Of course, if I weren’t such a control freak, I could ask for help. But no, I have to figure it out myself.

I am so excited – Big T and I were browsing a bookstore today and saw a book co-authored by our older daughter (M). It was front and center on a center aisle shelf. There was her name and her book for the whole world to see.

The holidays are here. I finished my homemade gifts for everyone and am busy wrapping. I have not even sat at a sewing machine in almost a week. I am too busy finding the things that Big T and I acquired for everyone throughout the year and stashed in a safe place. Every year I say I am going to keep a list; but that’s Big T’s job and he does it well. I think everything has been found and is either wrapped or sorted to be wrapped.

We are having multiple holiday celebrations – one here and then one in San Diego. Yes, we are going back to San Diego again. We are ALL going this time so the entire family will be together at the holiday season. What a special treat for all of us.

My Christmas cactus is blooming. The first bloom was spotted the day after Thanksgiving. Big T and I started this one from a single stem cutting (I won’t tell you where we got it though). The last two years it has bloomed at Christmas. (Of course, it also bloomed last May.)

I am working on my plans and goals for 2010. I don’t like to call them New Year’s resolutions because I have never kept them in the past. Why would I think things would change this year? I am very goal oriented so I will approach things how I work best.

I need to start focusing on building up my readership of this blog. Any suggestions from you would be appreciated. If nothing else, it would prove there is someone out there reading this. Sometimes I feel as if Big T and I are the only ones reading this (and I’m not really sure about Big T). Leave me a comment and let me know you exist.

During our walk through the arts and crafts show on our last trip to CA, we sampled some delicious quick breads from a bakery called Mama Houli & Sister T. The breads were absolutely great. Their website is www.mamahouli.com. Check it out. My favorite was the lemon ginger bread – I think I went back several times for samples.

I have taken several e-classes online the last month or so related to embroidery and appliqué. The classes at www.embroidery.com are a perfect way to learn a new technique. I like the concept of sitting at my desk watching a demo on my PC while in my grubbies, barefoot and no makeup. This is the only way to learn - beats those college lecture halls with 200 students and a professor who was microphone-shy and couldn’t be heard past the 3rd row. You will start to see some of these new techniques on www.hummingbirdtreasures.etsy.com in the coming year.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic. Happy holidays to all of you!

Marie