Can I Get a Volunteer?

Wanted: One babysitter for the upcoming weekend.

My grandma's usually up for a weekend of torture, but she happens to be busy. And I'm pretty sure if I ask my mom I'll get the death stare. You know? The same one she uses when her iced mocha isn't just right.

Anybody? Come on, I really need to learn to wakeboard with no whining children in tow. Getting up on it? Sure, no problem. Staying up? Well.....that's another story.

So, can I get a volunteer?.......Anyone?..............Cowards!

Me on My Space

My Space has been around for, well, I don't really know how long. I do know that it's been a long time. But, until last week, I had resisted. "How silly," I thought, "Who has time for that?" I even told my sister she was silly to participate.
I'm not ready to go so far as to admit I was wrong, just yet, but I will admit that I might be warming to the idea.
Yep, I did it. I opened my own myspace page last week. I couldn't stalk and spy on anyone without "logging in," and what can I say, I had a weak moment. So far, it's been sorta fun, much to my own chagrin. Wanna see my page? Click Here! Even better, wanna be my friend? Because right now I only have 10 and I'm not looking so popular.
I even went so far as to put an actual picture of myself up! Whoa, that doesn't happen, ever. As a general rule, I hate all pictures of myself and avoid them at any cost. However, I'm attempting to conquer the fear of my face in photo format, and I'm avoiding using pics of my kids, which is a cop-out since they're always cute. Those kinds of pages are so annoying.
So, if you're on myspace, send me a message. Can you believe I haven't found a quilting themed template yet?

New Kits as Promised

Here are some of the new projects and kits we have been working on at the shop recently. The first is Through the Woods, a pattern originally pictured using bright holiday prints. Instead, we used rich prints from Kansas Troubles and Holly Taylor, on a light marble background. The result is a beautiful quilt! It is also large, at 72x80. The kits will be up soon, priced at $94.95 for top and binding.
Although this project is not pictured on the Seasonal Celebrations cover, it is included. We used the new Buggy Barn fabrics.

This last quilt is made using the new Tracks Along the Trail flannel. The pattern is Side Lights,and it will also be available as a kit soon(by the end of today). I know these are horrible pics, keep in mind these are not quilted yet!

What Happened to the Quilting?

So I haven't written anything about quilting lately. Doesn't mean I'm not quilting, though! I quilt over 2 hours 6 days/week, so it's always there in the background of my life. This week, just as I was starting to catch a glimpse of the carpet under my machine, I was once again inundated with quilts. When I asked one customer when they would like their quilt back, the reply was "Not for about 2 weeks," as if that's a long time! Yikes, try 2 months! Once again, my carpet has disappeared.
This weekend is Deary Days, which brings the yearly town parade. It's one of those typical small-town fiascoes, with the same people and the same floats you can see in any parade within 50 miles, for the past 10 years or so. Although I haven't come up with a float, and have decided preparing to move the store next month is stressful enough, my husband is full of ideas. His latest? Borrow a friend's Volkswagen Van, hitch the "ghetto wagon" to it, (that's his trailer made from an old pickup box and covered with diamond plate), and hang quilts all over it. I think it's safe to say that, yes, folks, there is such a thing as bad publicity.
I have some great new kits in the shop that we've been preparing. I will hopefully upload them to the site by the end of the week. One of them features the new Tracks Along the Trail and is really great!
This Thursday is the monthly Moda University meeting. This month we are holding a Summer barbecue, along with a quilter's strip poker party. (Fabric strips, people, get your minds out of the gutter!) Should be lots of fun, as we had one for Christmas last year that was a blast! Happy quilting until tomorrow, everyone! Time for me to break up a fight about t-ball shirts......

Sign of the (Flying) Times

Lately, I've been noticing some signs that time is moving faster than it seems. For instance, just the other day I found myself searching a box of Tylenol for dosing instructions for children 2 and under. The only problem, I don't have any children 2 and under!

Then, I was laying with Will at bedtime, when he asked if I would sleep with him all night. I quickly replied, "No, I'm just staying a few minutes, because I want to sleep in my own bed." Then it occurred to me what a momentus occassion this was! It wasn't too long ago I would have said, "Yes, honey, I'll sleep with you," while simultaneously hanging one foot off the bed and planning the quickest, quietest escape path. Since when do my kids answer a calm "OK" when I admit I have no intention of sleeping with them all night????

Then, yesterday, I overheard Kylee and Will giggling about some "gummy bear song." They were laughing and carrying on, so I had to ask what it was all about.

"The gummy bear song, on the computer Mom," says Kylee.
"The What?" I ask.
"You know, on youtube, you just put in "gummy bear" where you type things and the gummy bear song comes up," says Kylee.

Hold on now, since when does my 6 year old know more about youtube than I do??? I didn't even know she could spell gummy bear. This sent me running to the computer to see just what my kids have been up to. Thankfully, the "gummy bear song" turned out to be G-rated, OK, maybe PG if you count the booty shaking. Here it is, and for some reason it is kind of amusing:

Gummy Bear Dance

My How the Time Flies

This evening Kylee and I spent some time digging through the "too small clothes." The "too small clothes" are a group of Rubbermaid totes filled with clothes Bailey has outgrown. I have always saved them to pass down to Kylee. It has been a very long time since we've gone through them, and I'm happy to say I don't need to buy Kylee anything for school this Fall!
Digging through those clothes is like digging through memories. So many of those clothes make me recall specific days, or just how Bailey looked before she got nearly as tall as me, with bigger feet. The jean skirt I can still remember her wearing the first week of second grade, the dress she wore in class pictures, so many memories! It has me feeling a bit nostalgic. But.......some memories are better left in the past.
Why, oh why, didn't I get rid of that coat? I guess because it's in brand new shape and I hate to waste things. The coat is extra big, super duper puffy, and bright yellow. Not a nice yellow, but raincoat yellow. It's the one time I ever asked Monte to buy clothes for the kids by himself. The cold weather was upon us, Bailey needed a Winter coat, and I was home sick with the stomach flu. The result is this monstrosity of a coat that only a father could love.
Who buys such a coat for a girl, anyways? My husband, I guess. I didn't say anything, didn't return it to the store, because then, how could I ever ask him to pick up anything for me again? And now, since I'm too frugal to toss it, I get to re-live it all over again this year. Probably, since it looks like a boy coat anyways, I'll end up saving it for Will to wear, and I'll get to savour it for another year soon. Then, just to be sure I spread the joy as far as possible, I'll pass it on to my nephew for my sister to cherish. At least, for one year, we'll be able to spot our kids in the crowd!

Book Reviews & Shopping for a Good Read

I think I broke my sewing machine. Remember that class I took in Walla Walla in June? Well......if sewing machines were kids, mine would be in foster care right now. I forgot my machine was in the trunk, unpackaged with no suit cases to wedge it in place, and it allegedly tipped over when I hit the gas. Whoops......yeah, I'm a horrible sewing machine parent.

What's that have to do with book shopping? Well, my upright thread holder is broken, (at least I hope that's all it is) I can't sew, and I'm at the shop all day with no back up sewing machine. I'm not in the mood to finish cutting mystery blocks yet, so I've been browsing books on Amazon, looking for my next good read.

The last book I read (not counting re-reading From a Buick 8, which was just as good the second time) was The Pillars of the Earth. This was also an excellent book, with many underlying, thought provoking themes.

Before that, my most recent read was The Ruins. I love a good scary story, and this was one for sure! I bought it at the Charlotte, NC airport on the way home from Jamaica, and it saved me from unconsciousness on the ride home. Having something to focus on really helped with my air sickness. (Monte bought a Yacht magazine - the man loves to dream!) The book was so good, I don't want to "ruin" it by watching the movie.

Today, I'm in the mood for a self-help/informative book of the business variety. I know my warm, kind-hearted, enchanting and attractive personality can only take me so far in business. (Why are you laughing?) I'm hoping to find something worthwhile to my business, because it can never be good enough!

Since I'm also in the mood to be more frugal, I'm making a list for the library. Normally, I'd order the books, but I just blew my book fund of a wakeboard. (Totally worth it, by the way) Here's what I have so far:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
Good to Great by Jim Collins.
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't work.... by Michael E. Gerber.

If I manage to read all of those, maybe I'll actually learn something useful!