Playing TAG

OH my...I have been tagged by Wondermommy! http://wondermommy.wordpress.com/

.....she makes the cutest stuff!



What was I doing 10 years ago? I was living in my beloved Asheville with hubby and 4 boys. That was the first year they were all in grade school at the same time...I was office support at Kinko's (before Fedex bought them) and I had "PUNK" hair because it was easier to explain (you have to know Asheville) than CHEMO!



What are 5 things on my t0-do list for today? Finish (!) binding mantle quilt that should have been done yesterday, go to Post office, wash the 2 boys bed linens, LOOK for pressure washer that hubby 'lost' somewhere here at home, vaccuum up Keera's shedding dog hair...and the kitchen........the kitchen....



Snacks I enjoy: M&M's, Ranch or spinach dip and Ritz crackers, melba toast and butter



Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Buy my hubby a farm in near Asheville - we have discovered he has a very green thumb (hand), help all the family get bills and houses and college money, buy a beach house, have all kinds of sewing and embroidery machines for everyone to come and play with....wow...this list could get never-ending....



Places I have lived: near Charlotte, NC (now), Asheville (NC), Hilton Head (SC), Savannah,(GA)



Jobs I have had: started working when I was 15...at a boutique, then a junior shop in the mall, then at Sears...then went to college...got married, had a million (ok, only 4) boys, taught preschool, ran a daycare kitchen, office manager at medical supply company, Melco Embroidery demonstrator, Applebees server trainer, at FedEX Kinkos for 10 years, moved here, worked P/T at Old Navy and Belk's...and now I am home needing to work and bring in some $$$$ but haven't found a job for me yet.... sound a little ADHD don't I? eh, it runs in the family....



OK...that was kinda fun...but I always have a ton more to say on any subject... so I edited myself!



...and I am tagging these 5 lovely people:

Sandra@ Sandra Sews

Kris@ Dandelion Quilts

Barb@ So How Was Your Day

Nicola@ MimisRoom

Jen@ Cre8tive Quilter

Mantle wallhanging on its way....

I'll be showing the mantle hanging tonite...I am almost done binding it! yay....

I finally made a Miranda!

I started making my Miranda bag on Sunday evening...and after numerous interruptions...it's done. AND I LOVE IT! The pattern was super easy, the bag is big (which I love) and it has pockets in it...I had a little difficulty with the handles because I couldn't decide what I wanted...but I like the ones I made, just have to do some tweaking for the next one. YES, there will be a next one and probably many more! Lazy Girl Designs...go see! and then make one or two...






.....and I am wearing my apron today!

Cleaning in style!

My apron came from the Sassy Summer Swap!! It's awesome. I LOVE it!

Mellissa A made it...it was her own design...it is reversible...the fabric is too cute.
It has a towel loop and 2 of the sweetest pockets ever...AND Rick Rack...oh, how I love
rick rack. Thank you Mellissa!!!

Sassy Apron Swap and other stuff...

I got my package from my partner Saturday...it was here after we got back from BBQ'ing...we had a busy weekend planned and I knew I wouldn't be able to send my part of the swap out until Monday...SOOOOOOO, I haven't opened it yet...and I won't until I get hers in the mail today...and I can't stand waiting...BUT I don't want to open it with hers still here....Kris...yours goes out today and tthen I'll open mine...I know I am going to just love it! I really hope you like yours too.

After our hike up Crowder's Mountain yesterday in 90 degrees!!!! I came home pooped...but the hubby fixed steaks on the grill and after dinner I started a Miranda bag.....I hope to show that this evening too...so far, it's so easy......

The big kids (Patrick, Steph, Kaylin, and the twinseys) found a house already and will move in 3 weeks...WOW...15 minutes from the beach....I KNOW where I'll be ...I don't want to be the in-law they hate, but they really shouldn't move to the beach and expect me to not visit (for loooong periods of time...bwahahaha)....

BBL

With much gratitude

On this Memorial Day, I have taken the time to reflect on my family members and friends who have served my country. I always wonder what makes a person choose this life. I wonder no more. They are born to it....like others are born to be the opposite. Our paths are all different, but we must follow our path for our own peace.



I have 4 sons. A Marine that will be back at Camp LeJeune within the month. He has been to Iraq once and knows he will be going again. He has a beutiful wife and 3 daughters. He was born to be a Marine. I have a National Guard son. He is still in trainng. His best friend leaves in January for a tour in Iraq. My other 2 sons have not chosen their path yet (young) but they will and I hope whatever they choose it will be with much conviction. My grandfather fought in 2 wars and has passed. My uncle was an Air Force fighter. Many friends of mine have sons and husbands and brothers who have fought the fight.



I honor all service men and women today. They make my life liveable.


THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

http://www.warriorsthefilm.com/Movie.html

It's a beautiful 'thang'

...when a friend says do a pattern and it turns out as easy and cute as she said it would be!

Sandra at http://suddenlysandra.blogspot.com/2008/05/hexagon-star-tablerunner.html,

go look at hers...they are so neat. The pattern is Hexagon Star tabletopper from the Jan/Feb issue of Fons and Porter's "Love of Quilting". Mine is not bound yet and I had a hard time right at first...BUT it was BLONDE error. Once I saw my mistake it was a breeze and cute...I just used some fabrics that were in my scrap bin...I may make some matching potholders and gift it!

I finished it ... now to make a few potholders to go with it.

My reason for being...Happy Mother's Day

Having 4 boys has been a hoot

(and still is, especially when they are all together).

In HS, one of my BFF's wanted 10 kids, another

of my BFF's wanted 2, and I wanted 0 (nada, zip, none).

I had big plans, I was going to move to NYC and be a

working girl (I was into drafting), I was going to walk

my dog in Central Park and meet a ton of cool guys

and say NO to them all and break their little hearts.



Funny how things work out. I wasn't the first to get married,

I DID do the 'break their hearts' to a few guys...BUT then one

got me and yep, I was taken...I'll tell that story another time.

I do have more kids than my HS buds and I do enjoy being a

MOM...more verbally than my HS and college friends...and

they still find that hilariously ironic and amusing.



So on to Mother's Day....this pic is the 'best' professional pic of

the family boy pics we have, IMO...because hubby decided to surprise

me with this one...I had gone to a training thing for work and he

had this done while I was gone. He had a PLAN...all in jeans and reds,

what he didn't plan on because he wasn't aware of the 4-boy dynamic,

was the time and energy, coaxing, and pleading it would take to

get one good pic (he thinks it never came, I do). Apparently this took

4 HOURS to get...they were fussing, and picking at each other and it shows

...that's why it's my favorite. Patrick looks defeated and surely wants to leave,

Jamey has given way to giggling, Mike was (and still is) always smiling,

and Zach was having a rather good day...he wasn't sleeping.

I so LOVE these guys and this is who they are! So different, fun, and wierd.

!!%%**@@**%%!!

my main toilet just overflowed...egads, I hate that...got that up and mopped and cleaned the whole bathroom, went to kitchen to make dinner, pulled my ceramic roaster off top cabinet shelf but a rubber footed bowl stuck to it (I'm short and didn't see it)...roaster shattered into a million pieces and I'm barefoot...cleaned that up, did supper, went to put all icky wet stuff in washer...washer is acting funny....

...came to sit and spill my guts...

I've been bit in the butt because I unnecessarily went off on the 2 boys...well, they should have been quietly told what I needed to tell them, but I let their snarly teen attitude turn my demeanor into a raging warpath warrior...and payback is messy and dirty.

I'm going to park my self into the rocker and watch tv. all night.

2 NEW Books for Me

I made my menu plan..and grocery list, I will

be trying out Sandra Lee's crock cooking this week...

And then thanks to JEN http://cre8tivequilter.blogspot.com/

I have an awful 'itch' to make bowls...lol. Altho she and her mom

are just zooming thru them, I hope she will be on call if I get

STUCK...are ya listening Jen?

I did start and make most of this in 2 days last week..then

I had an idea about the back...but didn't work so I am

going to try and get this finished tonite. It is to go over

the mantle in the den...the colorless (brown) room. I did

a lot of out-of-my-comfort-zone stuff with this and altho

it's nowhere near perfect...I LIKE it and I will be happy to

put it on my wall (maybe that's why they used to be

called the'rumpus' room) in the den, the comfy room.