I've been lost in the WAY BACK MACHINE!

What is it with the nostalgia lately??? First of all, someone posed the question - "what music do you listen to while working out?". I started listing my favorites, most of which are from the 70's! I know very little NEW music unless my kids share some tune with me. I like the old songs that I know the words to AND they conjure up a memory or two. Then the very same day Des was creating a 70's romance Playlist to save herself some money. With the exception of 'Brandy' we were pretty much in agreement over the songs chosen and the memories they had attached with them.

I don't know what prompted the dinner conversation the other night but I was sharing with my son about when I was in junior and senior high, calling in to radio stations for their contests. Using a ROTARY PHONE! Now that takes some talent I tell you! I even won a few times too. My very best prize;

(although it should read DisneyLAND not world)


Oh yeah, that was a GRAND prize! My favorite place to go! Do you know who I chose to go with me?? My sister who also loves Disneyland. See, here is proof that we've been loving that place for a long time;

(circa 1960)


Don't you just LOVE how we were dressed for a day at Disneyland?? Just the way things were done back then. That is me on the left :D

We still INSIST that a day at Disneyland is not complete without a ride on Dumbo. Even though the lines are crazy long now. Some things are just worth the wait.


I found this picture online (http://www.davelandweb.com/) - a nice site if you have hours to waste looking at old Disneyland pictures. I miss those Sky Buckets and look at the Tea Cups! Oh I love me some Disneyland.

Oh, back to the Valentine's Day Party at Disneyland! Ya see how I get when I am in the Way Back Machine?? So my dad dropped the two of us off at the park. A couple of high school girls. I remember spending a good portion of the night ditching a pair of young Marines (in uniform no less). Now many, many years later my sister is married to an ex-Marine who was stationed at Camp Pendleton many years ago. I like to tell her that he must have been one of the guys at Disneyland that night. ;)

I don't know why I never applied for a job at the Happiest Place on Earth. It would have been perfect for me! I still think I should. I mean they have OLD LADIES working in the Crystal Shop! They do! I've seen them! The commute would kill me but what a way to go...working at Disneyland.

This is what I REALLY aspired to;

***********the cream of the crop***********

I was only intrested in the uniform style with the knee socks.

I think I have the Disneyland knowledge for the job - just ask Des. ;)

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So besides spending too much time in the Way Back Machine, I have been doing some sewing too. I finished my January Challenge. I finished it on the 3rd of February. :( I will post pictures tomorrow along with a review. I guess I need to decide what my February Challenge is going to be. I have guests coming for President's Weekend (and they are bringing my college girl with them!!!!) AND this is a short month. All things to consider when choosing my project for this month. I do have something else in the works right now but I can't reveal ANY of it at this time.

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Prayers - college girl's schedule is jam packed this week. She has been shorting herself sleep so that she can fit everything in. Prayers that she would get some sleep this weekend but still get her homework done. She totally stresses herself out otherwise. Praise - someone came to look at the house we have on the market! They seem interested. So that is also a prayer request.

I'm going to challenge myself

So as I was wasting time, procrastinating, putting off doing anything productive and oh yeah, catching up on my blog reading I came across THIS challenge over at Oil Cloth Junkie's Blog. Boy oh boy could I relate, I love me some patterns! When the fabric stores have Simplicity, McCall's, and Butterick patterns on sale for 99 cents or even 1.99 I feel it makes sense to buy some. Sometimes I can even reach the limit. But then I also like other kinds of patterns, the kind that don't go on sale very often. The challenge - USE some of these patterns! So I have chosen 13 patterns. I will choose ONE pattern each month and make that item in a month's time. I have 13 so I can have an alternate if one of them is just not speaking to me. ;)

Sorry for the lousy pictures. Bad lighting and it looks like I took an aerial view from the Goodyear Blimp. But hey, can you believe I took the pictures today AND they are now up on my blog...same day! I know, so very exciting. Not as exciting as an impromptu trip to Disneyland but it is the best I can do.

the first 6 patterns;


Stacked Coins by Pieced Tree Patterns - for a charm pack friendly table runner. I have admired stacked coin quilts online and I thought this would be a small investment in time and material to see if I like the process.

the emmeline apron by montessori by hand - cute apron AND reversible!

Strip-Ease by Threaded Pear - I even have the fabric for this (and right now I have no idea which line it is - Ava Rose? Pop Garden? Seriously I have no clue).

Simplicity #3949 - a classic apron style with some variations.

Hip Skirts by Favorite Things - I have made a couple of skirts for college girl using another one of their patterns and liked it so I bought this one.

Covington Bag by Amy Butler - this is hard to come by and I found this at a teeeeeny fabric store I visited this summer when I was at the quilt show. I was thrilled and even more so when I saw the price marked down to $3 from $12.95. Something tells me it was marked down again though to 99 cents. but that sticker is not on the pattern so maybe I am dreaming that part.

Here is the second lousy picture of the other 7 pattern picks;


Short Stack Apron by The Paisley Pincushion - I have almost all of her patterns and I really like those I have made (yeah so there could be others on this list). I did have difficulty with one of them but I emailed her and asked for clarification. She answered quickly and sent photos via email to go along with her explanation! Try doing that with Simplicity or McCall's!

New Look #6841 - I love these bags! The grey one on the top left is going to be RED - yes I already have the fabric. It is a faux silk. I wish I could have found that same grey, maybe someday. I also love the white one the model is holding but I am going to use some Joel Dewberry Ginseng fabric for that I think.

Simple Charm by Thimble Blossoms - I am going to make this pretty much like the pattern cover, although I might not use the blues. This is a table topper and I might part with it and give it as a gift. I love Cotton Blossoms fabric (have two quilts to make using it!).

Flea Market Bag A Grand Revival Pattern - a simple ( I hope) slouch/messenger style bag. It has a few variations. I have some batik that I am thinking of using for this.

Ava Bag A Grand Revival Pattern - Says it is easy AND reversible!! I imagine all sorts of fabric combinations for this always wondering how I would decide which fabric would be in and which would be out.

Just Can't Cut It by All Washed Up - I have seen this made up most recently over here. Seeing that young man make this up encouraged me to add it to the challenge. Maybe if I just send him the fabric...

Market Bags by Portabellopixie - my favorite of the two variations is the gathered market bag. I am not sure which fabric to use for this yet.


So there you have the line-up. This will be sewing in addition to my other projects. I have other quilts and aprons and purses that I want to make. This really will be a challenge for me.

Since I am starting this challenge when January is more than half over I need to go with something I think might be fairly simple. Well at least compared to a quilt!

This is my pick for January:


I sure do hope that all of my other unused patterns don't feel bad.


Praise - that my college girl was able to spend time at my sister's house this weekend. Not quite the same as being home but at least they are related. I know she felt loved while she was there. She worked on a project for school, went out to eat, watched a couple of movies and went ice skating.
Prayers for all of those involved in the inauguration, especially those in law enforcement and security. My friend's hubby is working very long hours and people are taking their crowd control frustrations out on the men and women in blue.

A few new projects

Oh the list is long don't you know. Projects to do, for myself and for others. Mostly for others. I finished up the set of aprons from the Marcus Al Fresco fabric and sent those off to the recipient. Yes I took pictures but they are still on the camera. Now I am working on a duvet cover for my son. Not a quilt. :( I think he figured a quilt would take me way too long so he opted for a duvet cover. I am measuring twice or three times and then cutting once. It makes me nervous sometimes cutting BIG pieces of fabric. I just cut the second piece and I am second guessing my cut, so I had to take a break away from it.

Boys - they are just wired so differently! I had in mind what I might use for a quilt for my son someday. Huh, I was wayyyyyy off! Everything I showed him was turned down. Then we started looking at images online, together. In contrast to his sister who would have trouble narrowing it down, he had trouble finding something he really liked. We finally found an abstract image - circles in various colors. I got some Kona Cotton one of the colors for borders and backing. When the print fabric arrived we were BOTH disappointed. The images shown were sooo much larger online than in person. Now granted the image did not have a ruler next to it but I was familiar with other fabrics on the site and knew how the scale was with those. We figured all of these circles were going to be MUCH larger than they actually are. I was really bummed that we went through all of that and then he still did not get what he really wanted. He says he is fine with it though. He is more easy going about things like that than I am. My son has been so anxious for me to get to work on this though, asking me constantly if I was done with the aprons that I told him HAD to be done first.

I am thinking I can really make some headway with the duvet cover tomorrow. I am going to the gym first thing and then to get some matching thread and some buttons. I would be really excited if I could actually start and finish it tomorrow. My reasons - #1 to shock my son and #2 so that I can scrapbook the rest of the weekend!

Since I don't want to post without pictures (so Des will be able to follow along) I will show you what came in the mail yesterday. Two pieces from Michael Miller's new Tattoo Parlour line. Someone who just loves tattoos wants an apron and I might make a purse/tote bag as well.
Isn't it pretty???

Okay, off to bed so that I can get up early and get to the gym. I skipped the gym today. The workout that I got on Monday and Tuesday about killed me. I was so sore last night it was difficult to fall asleep.

Prayers - for my son as he has started his second semester of college classes, that he would maintain good study habits and a good attitude towards his classes. For my college girl and her 2nd quarter of classes and specifically her prayer project. Praise God for the opportunities He has given to my children to attend college.

Sign of the times?

Sad news today. I was taking a look online at my LQS's site to see if they had any new and interesting classes for the month. January had nothing new so I paged forward to February. The entry on the 28th said "Last day of business". WHAT????

I immediately called the store. The gal that answered confirmed what I read but she said January 31st would be the last day. I told her what the website said and she said that was the owner being positive - saying they could last until February 28th. She said it was just decided this past weekend when they had finished with the year-end inventory.

I am going to go by there before the week is out and see the owner. I want to convey my sadness, my condolences to her as well as offer some encouraging words for her. I wonder if they have a sign like this in the window.

There was no mention of a sale on the site or by the gal who answered the phone. Maybe they are just sending it all back to the manufacturers? Maybe someone else is buying the inventory? Maybe the employees divided it all up amongst themselves?? I have no idea.

The store was not very big but the owner always had a good mix of fabrics. She had some of the latest and greatest, not always an entire line but then she would have a few prints that I had never seen before. The staff was helpful and friendly and funny. I guess that 'member' key chain that I purchased this past fall (and good for a full year) will be a collector's item in another month. I am bummed. I can only imagine how the owner and the staff feel.

Prayers - for the owner and staff of the LQS. That if they need to work they would be able to find employment. For them to rely upon the Lord for their needs, to trust in Him for their future.

Finally - a post with a picture!

I know it is no fun to read posts that don't contain pictures, especially for Des. I am having awful computer problems and if hubby is not able to fix it soon I am afraid I might take matters into my own hands. It won't be pretty. Trust me on that.

So here is the fabric I am using right now. Isn't that a pretty mix? It is some of the Marcus Al Fresco line. The blue and white flower print reminds me of Moda's Summer in the City.


Day 5 of sewing every day. I didn't scrapbook today, but I could have and should have. I wasted time today for some reason.

My daughter is back at college. I miss her already. My son has another week off. He spent 4 hours shoveling snow off of someones roof this morning. My hubby spent hours out on the tractor plowing and snow blowing the new snow. I did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, did more laundry but nothing too productive.

Praise - that our friends were able to stop by this weekend on their way home from MT, visit us in our new home and take our daughter back to school. They had a very long, but SAFE trip. Praise that our friends that had oral surgery today and had to drive through a snowstorm before and after also had safe travels and successful surgeries. Praying for their smooth recoveries.

2009 To Be Read Challenge

Thanks to Ginger Patches' blog and her link to the TBR challenge I am now on my second post of the day. I NEED to read more. I LOVE to read! What better way to get 'er done than to challenge myself. Put a list out there for others to see. That is the thing though, can I come up with a list? Right now. Today. A list of 12 books to read this year as well as alternates. I'd better get to work.

In no particular order:

1. The Time Traveler's Wife

2. Water for Elephants

3. I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist

4. The Truth Wars

5. The Kite Runner

6. The Quilter's Homecoming

7. A Sweetness to the Soul

8. Assassins

9. The Indwelling

10. The Mark

11. Desecration

12. The Remnant


Alternate reads

1. Armageddon

2. Glorious Appearing

3. Mystic Sweet Communion

4. The Healing Quilt

5. When Boy Meets Girl

6. Not Even a Hint

7. Mad Mary

8. A Clearing in the Wild

9. A Mending at the Edge

10. For Women Only:...

11. Redeeming Love

12. Sisterchicks - sombreros/gondolas/downunder

So there are my lists. That gives me something to work towards and a specific list! That should help.

The link to TBR should be in my post title. Nope, I can't get it to work. Here it is then TBR.

Happy New Year!

No pictures again today but I did want to post on the first day of the new year.

Do you make resolutions? Do you make them and break them or do you make resolutions you are able to keep? I usually have a general idea in the back of my head of things I want to accomplish in a year's time. Maybe if I wrote them down I would feel obligated to sticking to them. Maybe.

I have a few things I want to do this year;
Project 365-take a picture DAILY to create a snapshot of one year in our life.

Sew something daily. Is that too ambitious? Should it maybe be, cut out or organize or should it be to actually SEW something daily. I was thinking there will be days when we are gone but I could finally learn how to make yo-yo's or sew on a binding or ???

Scrapbook - daily? weekly?

**just saw on Ginger Patches blog about a yearly reading list. I do keep one and have done terribly the past couple of years. We have no tv - I should read more.

Lose weight - for my health, for the clothes hanging in my closet.

I resolve to make a serious dent in my fabric stash and my scrapbook stash.

I resolve to limit fabric purchases to specific needs, for items I am making for someone OR if something is needed to finish a project (quilt batting or backing).

I resolve to buy NO MORE scrapbook items unless ABSOLUTELY necessary (adhesives, basic cardstock) until stash is noticeably diminished and then not until house sells.

On one hand I think if I am too strict and I fail I will just throw in the towel but if I am not strict enough then weeks will go by before I realize I have not done anything. I was thinking of limiting myself to windowshopping in online fabric stores to once a week. Oh sure I would still see all the new pretties but #1)I would spend less time at my computer, which leaves more time for daily sewing or scrapping #2)I would spend less time 'wanting' something that I don't 'need'. I know I would still get plenty of inspiration from the blogs I visit daily.

Okay...I am outta here. I am going to sew for a bit and then I am going to work on a scrapbook page.

Prayers - for the college kids that should have been making the 6 hour drive here today, to come visit and to ski. The passes are closed and they finally gave up on traveling today. Praying for safe travel for them tomorrow. Praying as well for my son who is snowboarding today - it has been snowing ALL day. Praises - that we made it to 2009 (didn't you think when you were in grade school that the year 2000 seemed so unreal?)! That God has blessed us with so much!