Halloween

It's today!! Halloween is today!! We've been working up to this day all week. DD finished carving her pumpkin last night and we have them on display on top of our TV. I'll post pictures this weekend. Tonight we are going to do the Trick-Or-Treating thing and then come home and watch movies til we fall asleep. Gonna have lots of fun. Will fill ya in later on all that happens.

I have a couple of goals for this weekend. One is to get the Jacobs Ladder scrap quilt together and piece the backing from my stash. What a great way to reduce your stash of those 'uglies' and 'those what was I thinking' fabrics. Will post pictures of the top soon. Need to work on some other blocks too to help complete another UFO. I have so much still to complete by Christmas for gifts. I had better kick it into gear.
Another goal I have to complete is go through DS's closet and find clothes he can wear. I have a pile in front of his closet where I have them pulled out and if you can wear them they are being put on hangers and the rest into boxes for the yard sale I am planning soon. DD will do her own closet as she has her own style and I don't know what she will wear and won't.
Another goal is to clean off the counter in the bathroom. I noticed this morning I have too much stuff on that counter and I need to thin it down and toss the old stuff I don't use. Anyone else have this problem?? buy a lotion, perfume and thing of makeup try it once or twice and never use it again? That will be my organizing goal for the weekend then, my bathroom counter.

until next time ....

Fall is in the air here ...

The weather has really changed the last couple of days. It is downright chilly here. Just the perfect weather for Halloween, scenic drives, bon-fires and so much more. Tonight after the Candy Extravaganza at church, we are going to be craving our pumpkins, the kids are so excited and they picked out candles last night to put in them. Tomorrow will be trunk or treating and Friday will be Halloween. They are going to have a fun filled week and by the weekend we will need some down time that is for sure. Planning on a bon-fire and hotdog/marshmellow roast to end the fun.
This past weekend I got several thing done but not all of my goals were completed. I did get a UFO done but not one from my list. I finish this Fall tablerunner from some applique blocks I made some time back. It's just right to set off my dining room table and get it ready for Fall. It is my first real attempt to machine applique. I have alot to learn that is for sure.

I got to work some on my Jacobs Ladder scrap quilt and have several rows together and the blocks ready to finish the rest of the piecing this weekend.
until next time ....

posting pictures ....

I have figured out how to post pictures now!!! One fancy thing at a time for me with all this bloggin stuff. I added some pictures last night and although it took some time to get them where I wanted. I think I have it down pat. I will slowly be adding pictures of what I am working on and what I have done and throw in lots of pictures of my kiddos and how life is coming along.
Fall is definitely in the air here. The temps are dropping and the sky is overcast today so it's chilly here. The leaves are starting to change their colors now so we are in for some pretty scenery in the near future. I love Fall! Halloween is just around the corner and the kids got their costumes last night so they are ready to have some fun. I'll try and post pictures of the kiddos in them on Halloween. We have the pumpkins ready to carve and get the house all ready for Halloween. I know I am behind but I am getting there.
until next time ....

Bloggin ...

I want to thank my dear friend for helping me add the label cloud - thanks tirane!!! You are the best!! I will slowly get the hang of all this fancy stuff that goes along with bloggin. This weekend I hope to be able to figure out how to add the pictures of the UFOs / projects I have listed and those I quilts I completed so far. That is one goal for this coming weekend.
Another goal is to work on my Jacob's Ladder Scrap Quilt. Currently ... it is in the blocks stage at the moment but I have enough blocks now to make the quilt with so it shouldn't be a problem to get it all pieced together into a top. I also want to piece this backing to use up some of my stash and not have to buy anything. Trying to reduce my stash a bit and use up those odd pieces and those what was I thinking fabrics. Ya'll all know the ones I'm talking about I know.
Another goal will be to sort through little man's closet and find out which clothes do not fit anymore. Which will probably be all of them. He has grown like a weed and each pair of jeans we try on seem to be high waters and that is not a good look. So it's time to declutter his closet and dresser. DD has been slowly going through her closet as she tries on something and it doesn't fit it goes into the yard sale box and that one is full so we need a new one. She has grown alot over the summer and her style has changed so it's time for a shopping trip. Which she loves to do. But what teenage girl doesn't?

that's it for now ...

so goes on the life and times of a mother and scrap quilter ... until next time

Camping in October - What Were We Thinking???

Here it is the middle of October and we decided to go tent camping with some friends of ours. What were we thinking? This is a last minute throw whatever you can grab into the car along with the tent and get there as quickly as we can to set up before dark. lol
Me and the kids grab clothing - jeans and pullovers mostly, enough food for the weekend, the air mattress, pillows and TONS of quilts to stay warm. I had to stop at the Dollar General to pick up a flashlight (I know everyone should own a working flashlight but I didn't) and decided to buy a little heater just in case.
We get to the campsite area about 7:30 or so and our friends help us unpack the car and set up the tent they let us borrow. We got everything set up and then sat around the campfire for awhile before calling it a night. I thought it might get cool enough during the night so I turned the little heater on before we went to bed.
We woke up Saturday morning to temps in the low 40s. BRRRRR!!! That little heater had worked so well I didn't realize it was that cold until I got outta the tent. We got breakfast ready and ate. It was so cold you could see your breathe the whole time. I thought to myself, I wish we were at home in the nice warm house. But .... to make the best of it after breakfast was ate and we clear everything up I took all the kids on a walk around the campsite to get our blood a pumping and warm us up. We spent the rest of the day walking, hiking in the woods, looking for shells by the river and playing at the park. That evening it warmed up quite a bit. It still felt so nice to come in after supper and sit by a nice warm campfire. Me and the kids all made outdoor s'mores. YUMMY!!! We went off to bed a bit later and again I was tickled to have that trusty little heat to turn on .
Sunday morning we got up to warmer temps mid 50s maybe but still chilly. We got our stuff packed up and ate breakfast and left by 10AM to be able to go to church and visit family the rest of the day.
Our lesson for this weekend ... no matter what the temps are (lol) - make the best of your time together. We had such fun. The kids enjoyed being there with me and the others - it was a nice time to unwind and to re-bond. I love my kids to pieces and life has been crazy busy lately. This last minute decision was just what we needed. Time away from everything and time to just enjoy being together. And that trusty little heater was a lifesaver.
I'll upload photos later of some of the fun we had.
until next time ....

just an update

I have been super busy with life in general and trying to keep up around the house and the kids changed schools this week so we are all adjusting to the new schedule too. They really are liking the new school and making lots of new friends. DD said that she is so glad they changed schools. It is so rough being a teenager, I wanted to ensure that she had a good group of friends and enjoyed going to school. Where she was she said she didn't fit in and the kids were really mean to her. I couldn't and wouldn't accept that. Changing schools is proving to be a positive change all the way around. I am so glad too :)
I have made some progress on decluttering. I am going through stages of trying to go through stuff for awhile and then working on keeping the rest of the house clean too. It is a work in progress and I will continue as I find the extra time and energy to do so. The house is looking so much nicer and is easier to clean.
I have made some progress on my UFOs as well. I have a top at my friend's house to be quilted. It is the Tennesse Quilt. I am leaving it up to her to quilt - she did my Four Patch Ladder and I love it. She is so talented and creative. I trust her to do what will look best. Here is the preview of the top. Gonna do a scrappy strip binding.



Got to figure out how to add pictures soon to show you what I have been working on. Lately I have been making string blocks to make another scrappy quilt with. They are turning out nicely if I do say so myself. I got part of them from a swap and the rest I made. I have lots more to make to have a full size top but it is a great way to use up those strips and strings. Here are the blocks I have made so far. Whatcha think? Neat for just strips and strings.


I have gotten all the Bow-Tie blocks into a top only to find that I am in need of lots more of those blocks too. That will have to wait until I get another top together though. Here are the blocks I have done - I sewed them together to see what they would look like. I like the way it is coming along.


I have the Jacobs Ladder blocks sewn together in pairs so that one will be my next one to get together and off to my friend to be quilted. I still lack FIVE quilts to complete by Christmas. One is at my friend's house ready to be quilted, the rest are in various stages. I am just trying to do them as I can. I have quilter's ADHD - I can't stay focused on one project for that long anymore. I know I am terrible.

so goes on the life and times of a mother and scrap quilter .... until next time ...

It's Finished!!! Four Patch Ladder Quilt

I am happy to say over the weekend I got to finish the binding on my Four Patch Ladder quilt that a dear friend of mine quilted for me. She did a lovely job with the quilting. UPDATE!!! Now that I figured out how to add pictures .... here is the picture of it. Whatcha think??



This is one of the six quilts I need to complete by Christmas for gifts for my brothers and sisters. Shhhh .... don't tell 'em! I also was able to start some Christmas blocks for an online swap I am doing and need to get those done by the weekend. I'll work on them each day a bit and see what I can get done by the weekend.
I completed DS's room and have it all nice and neat for him - he loves it! Feels good to have it all done. I started decluttering my bedroom over the weekend and got alot done but am babystepping my way through it. I can see the difference I made though so in time it will be all neat and organized and I'll want to get that room painted and done up nicely for me to enjoy but that will be a ways down the road.
so goes on the life and times of a mother and scrap quilter ... until next time ...

making progress

I did it! I finished the backing for my Four Patch Ladder quilt. I pieced it using 10.5 inch squares all from my stash. That helped me used up almost 6 yards if I figured right. I am trying to use just fabric from my stash and make up enough quilts to give my brothers and sisters for Christmas presents. That means I will need to make a total of SIX quilts. So with the Four Patch sent off yesterday to be quilted, that means I have just FIVE to go in SIX months. Think I can do it?
I have been trying to follow the Flylady program a bit to help remove the clutter from my house. I have made great progress with this and this week I am working in my DS room. I have just about everything out of the room and I am painting it now. He picked grey and blue. Lower part will be medium blue and upper will be a light grey. I have a cool sports themed border I got and both colors are in the border so it will look great. He will be so happy to have his room done. DD had her room repainted for her birthday earlier this year and he asked "when is my room getting done?"
So will keep you updated on the decluttering progress and room redo progress as well as the quilts on my UFO list too.

getting started ....

I have been looking at several blogs that my friends have and find them so inspiring that I wanted to try this myself to see if I can inspire someone and myself a bit too. I will be posting about my life as a mother of two wonderful kiddos and a peek at my quilting trials and projects and whatever else I might want to include too.

I chose the name of my blog 'cause I am learning to use what life has given me and pick up the pieces and move on. I also use bits and pieces to create my scrappy quilts which I love to make. Around here nothing goes to waste as you will come to see.