Fall into Fall Giveaway!

My first giveaway and just in time to celebrate my favorite season. I am one of many quilters hosting a Fall into Fall Giveaway. Sign-ups start with this post and will end on October 14th at midnight. I will post winner at noon on October 15th. Just leave a (nice) comment and a sure way for me to contact you and let the fun begin. The prize in this giveaway includes Mariner's Medallion Quilts book by M'Liss Rae Hawley, a Christmas color homespun fat quarter bundle, and a Double Feathered Star pattern (Little Bits) by Cindi Edgerton. Have fun and good luck!











Be sure to visit Debi's blog at http://fallintofallquilters.blogspot.com/ or click on the scarecrow to the left after you enter my giveaway. There are many more participants with giveaways to enter...now go!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

Fibro and Politics and no more excuses

It's less than 90 days till Christmas and my BIG plans to have my Christmas gift sewing has been deterred...again, happens every year. Why is that? This is my favorite season - FALL - it is the season that rejuvenates me and makes me feel I can do anything. It's the season I WANT to be outside, walking, looking, breathing, waiting for leaves to change, jumping every time an oversized acorn falls (I am being targeted), mums showing up on everyone's front porch. Last year my next door neighbor cut down 2 huge trees that were in between our houses...I miss those trees...I would sit on my patio and watch squirrels until I lost track of time...then the squirrels would spot me and start hulling their nuts right above my head and I would get bombarded with remnants and missed bites...well not this year...the squirrels had to go find new trees and a new person to annoy in their own squirrelly way.

The last 3 to 4 weeks has been a foggy nightmare...and I couldn't shake it. The political madness had me in knots. Innocent conversations would turn vile and ugly. I normally keep my mouth shut so when people would ask me how I was planning on voting I would just say that I was still weighing the possibilities of both sides (I HATE JUST 2 SIDES). People that I trusted were just like me (in that they also didn't like turmoil and heated discussions) became belligerent and name-callers (things that were said by candidates and bloggers and reporters) that were totally uncalled for and untrue). My sons would come home from school and want to discuss what they had heard and read ...too much political brain overload based on rumors, gossip, and outright falsities.

I have been voting since I was 18. I never knew what party my parents belonged to until I was 25. It was a very personal and private and an extreme thought-provoking privilege to them. I remember the first time I voted. I rode with my dad and on the way there he asked if I knew who I was voting for, not to tell him , just did I know who...I said yes, I knew and before I could say who, he said "Just vote for for who you trust the most". He did ask me how I came to decide and I told him that I looked at it like the US was one big family...the Pres would be the dad (the tiebreaker) if the family (Congress and Senate) was undecided. I told him the Pres to me would be responsible for all outside forces ( like foreign policy, helping other countries, world business) just like my Dad would do making sure all ran well around the perimeters of the USA (family) with the Congress and the Senate. The state offices would be like my Mom who made sure my day-to day life ran smoothly. He just smiled and that was that. I always thought my parents were the opposite party of what they are...they do look at things in a very different way than I do but it's funny we end up wanting to vote for the same candidates.

My decision is done and not without pain and I mean literal pain...the political turmoil this year caused a stress factor like I haven't had in over 3 years which was the last time I had a fibromyalgia attack as bad as the one I am in now. So my absence, foggy brain, lack of projects completed has been explained. Fibro sucks and it sucks even more when stress is added to it, or maybe stress is the real factor in fibro...don't know , I am still learning and coping with this extremely weird, unexplainable condition. But I am feeling better and it's FALL!!!!

I'm almost OK

Wow...I've been out of it awhile! and I still am really but I will come out of the funk for a few minutes...I've been tagged by Marcel over at http://auntpittypats.blogspot.com/

SEVEN THINGS ABOUT ME THAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

1. My 4th son was exactly 3 months premature, weighing in at 1.5 oz. I held him in the palm of my hand and there was room to spare. He is now 16 and 6' 2", still growing.
2. I failed my driver's test the first 2 times...I was so nervous...the third time I passed and surprised the instructor and hugged him in front of all the highway patrolman. I have only had one wreck that was my fault (and the slick, wet, oily road - no one hurt) and no tickets.
3. I am 50 and I simply cannot wrap my brain around that number...I do not feel it. Both my grandmother's are alive and in their 90's.
4. I wore a pair of shoes today that my mom bought me when I was a junior in high school.
5. My favorite comfort food is .... don't go ewwww.... Velveeta cheese slices on toasted bread with a glass of Nestle Quik chocolate milk...when I was in grade school my dad would leave his work early during the week to be home when my brother and I got off the school bus (my mom worked till 5) and he always had our afterschool snack ready...most days my mom left 'healthy' snacks for us...but at least twice a week we got Velveeta and Quik or my dad's 'infamous' spoon fudge...and we learned NOT to tell on him!
6. I am just like my moma and dad...and I am finally happy about that.
7. I would marry my husband all over again and the only thing I would change would be to tell him 'I love you' more often...I didn't tell him much with 4 little boys running around...who had the time. He does hear it now.

And there it is...I don't do these often and now I am thinking of all kinds of things....I would love for anyone else to do this and let me read yours....

My Marine just called and got a 5-day leave, altho he is not supposed to go farther than 100 miles (who's counting?), he and DIL and Kaylin and THE TWINS may be coming for the weekend...which means I have to hustle to get my sewing room and the office and the den and the dining room cleaned up...I have surprise sewing laying everywhere and I have to hide it from them!

I hope to be back this weekend and show you lots of stuff and tell you about my breakdown!

Chompers....

How did my babies get so many teeth in 3 weeks???? My how my grandtwins have grown...and my how much fun they look...I want to be on the beach with them although they may have to scoot out of town today because of the hurricane blowing through Wilmington/Camp LeJuene!!!!
(say a prayer) So here a a whole post of the latest pics from Steph and I hope to be there in 3 weeks! Miss you Kaylin!!! Miss you Olivia and Haley!!! Miss you Steph and Patrick!!!

MY Carolina Blue Girls!!!!!

I love apron swaps!

I received my Fall Sassy apron yesterday...it's so neat. I absolutely love the color and fabric...and if anyone can identify and tell me what the fabric name and manufacturer is I would be so grateful! Jennifer S...thank you, thank you, thank you...and for the Cranberry pie recipe too...love. love. love. (I sound like Rachel Zoe there).

...and look at the cool ribbon/button and applique embellishments!

I am also going to show the apron I made for my partner...I have never made one this style and was so excited how it turned out! I will make this one again! She should get it today.
Thanks for the swap fun...and I have to get back to sewing now...lots of projects to make...

September already?????

Last month I actually won something!!!! and then I proceeded to forget that I had won ....but I got it in the mail last week... Isn't it cute? It is actually very nice and thick and much larger than I expected! and I chose preppy colors in honor of the days when I "knew" exactly what I liked...hehe. The giveaway site was http://preppypinkcrocodile.blogspot.com/ and the sponsor was The Palm Gifts at http://www.thepalmgifts.com/ . Super super cute stuff! (I see a lot of little girl twin monogramming in my future!