New For Spring

Just this week, new items for Spring arrived in the store. Check out the Potting Shed section of the store for some great items.
All of these products are made in nearby Troy, ID, by Potting Shed Creations. They are the highest quality ingredients, and grow beautiful plants. There are organic rice hull planters, galvanized pails, and even mini seed tins that are magnetic and super cute! These would make great gifts through-out the growing season!
I can't wait to season my food with my very own herb garden. The next time I get the urge to cook, that is.

What's Up in the Next Few Weeks?

I suppose it's about time to update my schedule again, if for no other reason than to help myself keep track of myself. So, here goes!

This weekend, May 9, 10, 11th, I will be hosting I SEW Shop Hoppers on Saturday from 9-6, at the quilt shop. Sunday, I will attempt to create a beautiful oasis in my as of yet pathetic flower bed. Also on Sunday, I plan to beautify the space underneath our back deck with decorative rock, and bring the boat home from storage to prepare for a hopefully sunny Memorial Day Weekend! And last, don't forget the Survivor finale Sunday evening!

Next week, beginning May 12th, I will be frantically trying to finish the following before Friday, the 16th: Having the transmission on my car serviced, finishing the flower bed that likely won't be done from the previous weekend, preparing for Portland Quilt Market (don't forget to watch for pictures!), and quilting as many quilt as humanly possible so I don't fall behind. (whoops......too late)

Sometime during this week, the new Holly Taylor fabrics, "Birchwood," will arrive. Watch for it on the website soon.

Wednesday, May 14th, I'll be going on the Silverwood field trip with Bailey. I WILL NOT be riding the bus, as I discovered last year that it is super noisy, super slow, and doesn't make pit stops at Starbucks. (Who knew?)

Friday morning, bright and early, I'm headed for Portland! I've been waiting 6 months for Quilt Market to roll around again, and it's here! I'll be spending the weekend in quilting glory, shopping for new and exciting merchandise until I drop. I promise, I'm taking my computer with me! I'll spend the 2 weeks following Market trying to figure out how to use all of the awesome things I've seen.

Between Quilt Market and Memorial Day Weekend, I'll be praying for warm weather and sunshine. We're just itching for a weekend at the lake!

What a Day

What a day - and that's the understatement of the century! The day at the quilt shop flew by, as almost 80 I SEW Shop Hopper's passed through the door! I survived on espresso and waffle cookies all day, and pure adrenaline. At 3:15, I picked up 6 giggling 6-year olds from school and threw a Hula Party for Kylee's 6th birthday. In a matter of an hour, my house looked like a banana split/grass skirt/birthday wrapping tornado had gone through it. Then it was back to the quilt shop, to help my mom close out the long day. And tomorrow, I get to do it all over again, minus the Hula Party part. (One Hula Party is more than enough for one month)
I have hilarious video of the relay race the kids at Kylee's party did. I had them put on silly parrot hats and sun glasses I found at the dollar store, hold a blow-up flamingo or monkey, and run across the yard and around a bucket and back. They did really well, laughing the entire time, and it's one of the funniest things I've ever seen! If you're ever throwing a Hawaiian themed party, this game was a big hit.
Kylee will be busy the rest of the weekend preening over her loot. Makeup, beads, jewelery, and perfume, not to mention Barbies and Littlest Pet Shop. Needless to say, she's a girly girl.
Wow, Kylee's turning 6! I still remember when Bailey was 6, totally in love with Dora the Explorer, and still wore dresses. Now I have to resort to hiding certain shirts as they go through the laundry, just because I'm tired of seeing her wear the same one every day. Next month I have to throw her an 11th Birthday Party. Should be interesting, entertaining an older group who are "too cool" for everything. Hmmmmm......maybe if I start now I'll think of something!

Sweet Sunshine Progress

Here is how my quilt "Sweet Sunshine" is looking so far, made using the Hemming House layer cake:
I will take it home to do the button hole stitch around the applique. In the mean time, I'll be working on piecing the outer sections for the rest of the morning at the store. Watch for a finished pic hopefully coming soon!

My Little Fashionista

You know that child at school that makes all the teachers and parents wonder, "What was your mother thinking?" Well, that's my child. She's got a mind of her own when it comes to fashion, and I just can't help but indulge her. It's no fun to tell her that those colors never dreamed of going together. Hey, maybe she'll be the next Amy Butler! This morning's outfit, believe it or not, is actually pretty tame by Kylee standards!

Quilting Product of the Week-Dog Gone Murder

It's Here! This post may be a few days later than Monday, but I have to tell you that the latest installment in the murder mystery series by Marnette Falley is here! I will be taking preorders for this latest mystery, which will be filled when I return from Quilt Market May 19th! This is sure to be a fun addition to your book collection! Click here to preorder!

Our (Soon To Be) Beautiful Yard

Here is what our yard looked like this past Saturday morning:
And now, thanks to some very loyal and hard working relatives and friends, here is what our yard looks like now:

That's 450 blocks, and there's another, smaller wall, on the other side of the house!
All of this, plus some long awaited sunshine, has really put me in the yard work mood. Now I've set my sights on the empty space between the sidewalk and the house. Yesterday I made a flying trip to Lewiston to find Luau Party supplies for Kylee's birthday party, and along the way I had an obsessive compulsive urge to buy a bird bath for my planned flower bed. ("What the h**l is that?!" was Monte's reaction)Thanks to this urge, I made it home with 45 minutes to spare before a scheduled demonstration for the local quilters! But hey, I wouldn't be me if I was ever on time!
Here is the flower bed so far: Yes, I know it's pathetic. I guess you can see why I am now having the urge to go get decorative rock and planters to finish it up and make it gorgeous. And yes, I know gas is almost $4.00/gallon, but I'm still feeling the urge to drive to Moscow.
I've decided to go with decorative rock and some large planters. Let's face it, anything I plant will likely be dead by next Spring, if not before, so I might as well make it easier and use planters. I'll likely succumb to my urge before Friday, since every day until I do concentrating on quilting gets harder! Look out plants, here I come, and I have a black thumb!

Moda University Mystery Quilt

Wow! That's all I can say. I just received an email with the final 4 months worth of Moda University quilt blocks, plus a picture of the final quilt, and WOW! If you're doing this quilt, you are going to be blown away by how awesome it is going to be! It's going to be a hard secret to keep for me!

I'm also so excited, because Quilt Market is coming up fast! We leave next Friday, and I can hardly wait. Now, especially, because I was also emailed info that I will find out about the new Moda University block of the month program to begin after the Mystery Quilt is finished. I can hardly wait!

If you don't know what Moda University is, check out my Moda U web page!

And That Settles That!

In case there was any question as to who won the "Best Bud" contest, I found this on Will's door yesterday!

Negotiating With Will

Setting: Our Kitchen, Sunday Morning. The girls are eating cereal.

Enter Will.

Will: Bailey, get me some cereal!

(Bailey ignores him)

Will (urgently, whining with frustraton): Bailey! Get me some cereal!

Bailey: No, Will. Get your own.

Will (whining):Baileeeeeeeeey!

Will (suddenly calmer, with a new strategy): Whoever gets me some cereal can be my best bud!