Baby Quilt Progress

(Don't read this, Julie, if you want to be surprised)

On Tuesday I started working on the baby quilt for my brother and SIL. Baby is due in about 3 weeks -- it's about time I started! This block pattern is called Delectable Mountain, and I'm using 5 different fabrics. I have been making a few blocks every night, and figure that I need about 35 blocks.



I've been putting the finished blocks on my design wall as I finish them. In the final quilt, I'll have the blocks mixed up, not matchy matchy like this. I think it's turning out quite nicely. I hope to have the top done by the time the baby is born. I still need to get backing fabric and maybe an outer border fabric.

Flowers in the garden

Here are some of the flowers blooming in our yard at the moment. The dianthus seeded itself from last summer, and I love the color. The delphiniums are little -- they are only supposed to get to be 10-12" high, and the color is so light and fresh. The iris came from my mom last year, and are double bloomers. I should get another set of blooms in fall. She is planning to divide a bunch of other iris in tons of colors (white, peach, tan, black, purple, yellow, and combos), and so I hope to get those planted along the garage. I cannot wait, they are all so pretty.

The peony should be blooming next, within a week or so.

Boxer Bonanza

A few weeks ago I made a pair of boxer shorts for Calvin, using the First Choice Boxers pattern from Timberlane Press. I compared the pattern to a RTW pair he has, and decided on tracing off a size 2 (yes, a size 2 for an almost 7 year old!). They fit well, but before I made up a bunch (because he'd rather go commando than wear regular underwear, and we can't find RTW ones small enough), I wanted to try them again in a size 4. I figured if they were just a titch bigger, he'd be able to wear them longer.


Saturday afternoon I traced off the size 4 and made a pair up. I also increased the waist elastic 1" from the previous pair (but still quite a bit smaller than called for in the pattern). They fit great! He loves them, and now I need to get a production line set up and start a Boxer Bonanza. I'll do some in cotton, some in flannel, maybe some in knit, and he's requested a silk pair as well. HA! A six-year-old with silk boxers! :)

Oh Baby!

We went down to Chi Town yesterday for a baby shower for Julie. This one was for family. It was a fun time. The boys were excited to feel the baby belly. Only three more weeks to go! I gave Julie some of my favorite baby creams: Weleda Diaper Care and Calendula Baby Oil (it's fantastic for after baths or in baby wipes). She was also to get a Calendula Baby Cream, but Connor had gotten a hold of it the night before and tore it apart!

Only three (or five! ~G~) weeks to go, and we'll find out pink or blue! I'm thinking pink, personally. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but that's my gut feeling. Now to get started on the christening gown!

Stash Enhancement

Today was the last day that my favorite fabric shop, The Cutting Table, was open. :(

Last week the boys and I went when everything was 60% off. All of these except for the asian print are going to become boxers for Calvin. He picked the brown flannel himself. The minimum cut allowed was 1 yard (I only need 3/8-1/2 yd for boxers) so I might try and come up with some sort of cowboy quilt with the leftovers. The asian print had 4 yards left on the bolt, so I took the whole thing (natch!). It'll probably become the back of a quilt. All in all, I got 12 yards of fabric for $39.

My mom called me on Tuesday to see if I wanted to go back and check things out, at 70% off. Go to a fabric store? Don't have to ask me twice! Actually, it was pretty picked over, and I only found these pieces. The red/black print was tucked in with the 30s prints, and I bought the whole bolt (4.375 yds). I'll find something for it, it's kinda cute. Calvin picked the soccer players for another pair of boxers, and the FQ is just plain cool looking. I only spent $16 this time. I will miss the shop so very much, and am really sad to see it closing. I did my best to keep them in business, trust me. ;)

I hope to get in my sewing room this weekend, to at least get the next pair of boxer shorts for Calvin made (I'm going to try a size 4, to have more grow room). Lots of yard work on the schedule too, plus a trip to Chicago for a baby shower.

ack! I see I just broke 100 yards 'in'!

Flowers, Sweaters, and Teeth

The iris are in full bloom just outside the kitchen. I love seeing them out the window when I come down in the morning to make David's coffee. I think our yard is going to look pretty nice this summer.

Look, I finally finished this sweater for Connor! It actually got finished during the Winter Olympics, but then languished in a bag because I don't like seaming. My friend Beth took it for me and finished it this past weekend. I like it, but the neckline is a bit wide. It's a Debbie Bliss pattern, which I lengthened, but I also should have done another row or two of decreases at the neck. Next to knit is a hooded sweater, from a different Debbie Bliss book.

Calvin lost a tooth on Sunday! This is lost tooth #3, and I still need to get over to the bank and get a golden dollar for him. I didn't even know it was that loose, and all of a sudden it was out! He looks pretty cute with a 'hole' in his mouth. :) The 'matching' tooth on the other side is loose as well.


Connor is kinda sick. He coughed most of the night, and is still coughing today. He's quite clingy, so we'll be making much use of the sling.

UnGala

David and I attended the Congregation Shir Hadash UnGala on Saturday night. I had hoped to make Vogue 2711 to wear, but due to life in general, I didn't get to start on it, and just decided to save myself the stress of finishing it on time (I really don't do well with deadlines), so I never even started it. Instead, I wore this sparkly nursing top (OOP KS 2643) that I had made for Christmas 2004, with a black skirt, and my black satin heels. We had a lovely time with good friends and good food. It was really nice to be out with my husband -- alone -- and dressed up.

More Yard Work

We've had a lot of rain lately, and so the ground is pretty wet. It's been good for working in the yard, which is pretty much what I've been doing every night.

I wrote last week that a friend gave me some plants from her garden. Here is where I planted the stuff. You can see that the peonies are doing well. I think only the large bush will bloom (it's the only one that wasn't moved), but they all look healthy. Over to the right, just out of the picture, I planted two red climbing roses. The tree is lovely, isn't it? It's a redbud tree (Cercis canadensis), and is 20 years old.

The iris are starting to bloom. This one is right outside the kitchen door, and part of a large clump. I'll need to thin them out later this summer. I also have a white one shooting up buds in a far corner of the yard. I don't think the rest will bloom this year, as they've been moved. I also have a nice patch of strawberries here.

My big project has been getting rid of weeds and bushes in the back, and laying mulch. This is what this area originally looked like, and here it is after we cleaned it up a bit more. Caleb has been helping me. I really enjoy doing the yard work with him; we have some really nice talks. The back fence is going to go along the line made by the mulch. I need David to help me move that last large rock (it is REALLY heavy). We also plan to put a gate here in the back.

Birthday Cake

Click on any picture to see it full size

This is our traditional birthday cake for both Caleb and me (Calvin takes after his father and prefers chocolate). He usually gets raspberry, I usually get strawberry. It's a great summer cake, as it's 'no-bake', and very refreshing to eat. My mother made this cake for my very first birthday, and I've pretty much had it ever since. :)

1 pkg flavored gelatin (usually same flavor as frozen fruit)
1 c hot water
1 10 oz pkg frozen fruit
1/2 pint whipping cream (the kind you have to whip yourself)
powdered sugar and vanilla to taste, if desired
1/2 angel food cake, torn into bite size pieces


In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin into hot water. Add frozen fruit, and place in refrigerator until congealed.




Once gelatin mixture is congealed, whip whipping cream until fairly stiff, adding a bit of powdered sugar and vanilla if desired.




Add gelatin mixture and mix just slightly. You want sections of just gelatin and sections of just whipped cream.




Add torn up angel food cake and mix to coat.





Pour into 8x8 pan (or, if you are like me and have broken your pan and keep forgetting to buy a new one, use a pie plate), cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve garnished with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Don't forget to lick the bowl! :)

Usually I match the gelatin flavor to the frozen fruit, however, I have made it strawberry/raspberry (or vice versa), and strawberry kiwi (strawberry/kiwi gelatin, frozen strawberries, garnished with sliced kiwi). You can easily double this recipe and then pour it into a bundt pan. Unmold and serve right away, though, because as it warms to room temperature, it starts to 'melt'.

It's almost always a big hit with the kids. :)

Finished quilt

I finished stitching the binding on this quilt over the weekend. The pattern is Strait of Georgia from More Fat Quarter Quilts, by M'Liss Rae Hawley. My friend Sarah, in Iowa, sent me the packet of FQs early last year, as they reminded her of me. If you don't know me well, just know that I adore animal prints. I switched the b/w zebra stripe FQ out and put the dark greenish one in its place. The pattern was easy, though I did have to piece some of the light green patches. I guess that particular FQ had been cut skimpy. I like the way the skinny orange border looks, and the wide border is a really neat looking fabric.

I had the local fabric shop do the quilting, and chose a wool batting. Wool batting is my favorite batt to pick, it's so soft and drapey. We've already put the quilt to use, and it's very cozy. Looking at the photo of the full quilt I think I should have arranged my blocks a bit different, like going from dark to light from the center out. Either way, I'm happy it's finished and that this quilt is for my own family. I will think of Sarah every time I use it, and that will make me smile. :)

A CPF Music Mix

This is the music mix Caleb put together for his birthday party:

1. Axel F -- Crazy Frog
2. There's A God In My Garage -- Benjamin Antell
3. Coffee House Disco (Groove Mix) -- Electro Morph
4. Cold Feelings -- Social Distortion
5. Devil's Nightmare -- Oxide & Neutrino
6. Get Bizzy Time -- Voight Kampff
7. Illuminati -- Fatboy Slim Featuring Boosty Collins
8. La Bomba -- Ricky Martin
9. Lola, Lola -- Ricky Martin
10. Mambo Swing -- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
11. Right Here, Right Now -- Fatboy Slim
12. The Rockafeller Skank -- Fatboy Slim
13. Youth Of The Nation -- P.O.D.

Yard Work

We've been working on the yard the past few days. A friend of mine gave me some plants from her yard, so on Saturday I cleaned out some more of the flower beds and planted some iris (no idea what color), asters, bee balm, and something else that she couldn't remember the name of, but the flowers are yellow. Sunday we bought 2 climbing roses, so I planted those by the neighbor's fence. I think they are red. The peonies I moved look healthy. I think only one will bloom this year, but at least they all are growing.

Monday we had 5 yards of red cedar mulch delivered. David and Caleb spent almost all of Monday evening spreading mulch along the side yard. It looks so nice and clean and fresh! I also spread mulch where I had done my planting.

We found a nest of bunnies while working in the yard, so Calvin has been going to check on them a lot. He knows not to touch them or bother them, and we rescued one from the dog. As of yesterday, they haven't been around. We went to the library to find some books about wild rabbits.

Quilts and cars

Here are my fabrics for my 'Red Onion' quilt. They look pretty nice in my bedroom, which is painted purple (Martha Stewart's Thyme Flower, to be exact). I got out my copy of The Quilter's Pocket Reference last night, and figured out that if I want to make this a queen sized quilt, I need to have 63 blocks. Hmmm. We'll have to see.

Every night I've been trying to stitch at least one set of blocks. My homework is to have 36 blocks done by Tuesday. The technique is the same as it was for the Stack and Cut quilt I did in February. So far I have 22 done. I have enough fabric to do 63 blocks, and I am one third of the way there ....

On to cars. I mentioned last week that we bought a new car:
Brand-spankin' new! I've been driving it this week, and I must say, it is really nice. I'm still getting used to backing out. All the other cars I have had the mirrors automatically tilt down when you go in reverse, so you can see by the tires. I didn't realize how much I depend on that until now -- in the Honda, the mirrors don't tilt. It is nice to drive though, and doesn't feel huge.

The boys love all the room, and yesterday, they figured out that if they put down the third row of seats, and turn on a CD, they can have a dance party in the back. Caleb has been making playlists on iTunes and burning them to discs. Since he's really too tall to be dancing in the back, he is usually the DJ. I'll have to post some of his "CPF Music Mixes" for fun someday.

Viva Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day (that's September 16). Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in Puebla. Go celebrate with a margarita (I prefer strawberry) today! :)

Plans and upcoming projects

It seems I always have 18 projects going on at once. We got invited to a "UnGala", and I need a pretty outfit. Vogue 2711 popped into my head, because I want to use up stash, and I already have the pattern. The plan is to make the blouse out of a leopard print silk chiffon, and the skirt (shorter version) out of a brown moleskin. I'm keeping the option open of making the skirt from brown satin. I need this done by May 20.

I started a quilt class on Tuesday, called the Red Onion. This is a quilt from the book Stack A New Deck, and I'm doing mine in asian fabrics (naturally!). My homework for this week is to have all my blocks done (36 of them), and being the person I am, I plan to make my quilt bigger. Actually, as I was preparing all my fabrics, I realized they look pretty nice in my bedroom, so I might try and make enough to have a queen size quilt. We'll see.

Sadly, my favorite local fabric shop is closing its doors. The Cutting Table is liquidating their inventory, with a final date of May 26. I am going to miss them so much. I love the ambiance of the shop, my boys loved going there and playing in the little play area, and I learned how to quilt there. If you are in the area, everything is on sale: 30% off this week, 40% next week, 60% off the third week of May, and 70% off the last week in May. They are not open on Sundays. This week I purchased a bunch of fabric (hence the large jump in $ spent and yardage in stats), and so now I have everything needed for baby quilts #2 and #3. The babies are due in June, and at a minimum I'd like to have the tops done by then.

I also have planned more boxer shorts for Calvin. He won't take the pair I made for him off! Flattering, for sure, but stinky too. :) Then there are clothes for me -- I always have ideas for clothes whirling around in my head. I think I'll be putting in some late nights these next few weeks.

Diez Añotes

(Obviously there is something yellow on the scanner. I have no clue as to what)

Caleb is TEN!

10 years ago.












He is such a fun, wonderful kid.
















A handsome young man.












Time has gone by fast.

Later on tonight we'll have his favorite supper: pork roast, mashed potatoes/gravy, peas, butterflake rolls. We'll also have his traditional birthday cake: raspberry jello-cake (recipe to come later). Right before bed I'll tell him his birth story and all about when he was a baby.

Happy birthday kiddo! I love you bunches.

Rainy Weekend

It's been threatening to rain for a while, and it looks to be turning out to be a rainy weekend. No downpours or anything like that (yet), just wet and chilly. A PSD: Perfect Sewing Day. Last night I made a pair of Timberlane Press First Choice Boxers for Calvin, and they fit well. I'm going to try the next size up, since I want them to last a while. Pictures will come later. He slept in them last night, unhemmed! I made him put a pair of RTW ones on this morning, so I could hem them. He likes mine better, because there are no tags, and they fit (the RTW ones are almost too big, but I haven't been able to find them any smaller).

In other news, Calvin and I planted some carrots on Thursday, and I weeded around the peonies and laid down mulch. That means there is one small section of the garden that looks nice! We bought a new van this morning, and I need to get up the nerve to drive it. It seems so big. I need to take it over to a parking lot and just practice.

My Top

Some people have asked what is wrong with my top, because they can't see anything wrong with it. Nothing is wrong with my top, it's just not right for me. The colors are just off a bit -- maybe they need to be a bit stronger, or maybe if my hair wasn't pink. The fabric is really really stretchy, so it seems really loose. Honestly, the top is not bad, I just haven't decided if I like it.

Anyone who knows me fairly well knows that I don't sew for the end result. I sew for the process. I love the process so much, so even though I'm not completely sold on this top, I still had a good time making it, and I'm not dissapointed or crestfallen that I'm not in love with it.

I finished up the Chelsea Handbag pictured in the previous post, and wrote a review, with lots of detail photos. Next in the lineup is the start of another quilt, and I really should finish that pink jacket.

Weekend Stuff

This past weekend was really nice. Calvin and I went to the UWM Science Bag on Friday night, and learned all about the differences between lakes and oceans. It was a lot of fun, and Calvin got to create a tsunami. Afterwards we stopped for an ice cream cone at Culvers. On Saturday morning, we did a river cleanup in honor of Earth Day. It is so sad how much garbage people throw around. Caleb was gone most of the weekend, camping overnight with a Boy Scout troop.

Saturday afternoon I made this top. The first garment I've made this year! It had been cut out for ages, and I finally finished it. It's OOP KS 2643, and I think this one ended up too big. I think the fabric is really cool, but it's not "me". If you want more information, go read my review. I've made this top 4 times now, and all those photos are linked in the review.



I also made this Amy Butler Chelsea Handbag for a friend for her birthday. I used some leftover fabric I had laying around from a different bag. I think it's darling, and I also think I have enough to make the tote version (for me!). It went together beautifully. I changed a few construction techniques, and I'll be writing a review for it in the next few days (Review is here -- step by step pictures of how I did the handles are there).

Today was just gorgeous (70 degrees), and after getting our studies done, we walked to the library and then met a friend and her kids at the park. Tomorrow is supposed to be crummy, so I'm glad we got outside today.

Books

One thing I love as much as fabric/fiber arts (and shoes but we won't go there now), is books. It is not possible to have too many books, is it? I am blessed to live in a city with a great library system. I can search the entire county system online, reserve my books, tell them which library to send them to, and get an email when they arrive. Is that great or what? Lots of times I look up books on Amazon, and then open up another browser window to check if the library has it. I love it.

Right now I have Organizing Your Craft Space checked out (I picked it up on Friday), and I think I'll have to buy this one. Some great inspiration and ideas. You can get it as a bundle with Where Women Create, which the library system doesn't have yet, but I have heard good things about that book as well. My friend Jennifer has been getting into Precious Metal Clay, so I have about 4 books on that checked out, with 2 more coming. David thinks the PMC is really really cool, so I'm sure we have a new hobby. Can you imagine -- you could MAKE the perfect buttons for that perfect jacket!

One more site I want to share with you: Library Elf. This is a fantastic site. It keeps track of all the library cards you enter into their system. Both my older two boys have their own library cards, and I have mine. When we go to the library, we all check out multiple books. We also go at least once a week. I used to get on the CountyCat and check each card, manually entering each number, logging in, checking the list, logging out, entering the next number, etc. Well, Library Elf takes care of all that for me! It emails me 3 days before books are due, emails me when holds are ready for pickup, emails me if we have overdue books and each email has a consolidated list of all the books that are checked out, ready for pickup, etc. ALL the books, for each of our cards. Do check it out (hee hee, little pun there), and if your library system is there, consider signing up; it's free and has been wonderful for us.

Spring Break

We decided to have our spring break this week. Other than the boys' spanish class, we've done hardly any studies. It's been nice! I've been catching up on the housework and doings some spring cleaning. Yesterday I tackled the boys' room. It wasn't that bad, but I still had stuff piled in their closet from my dad, including 4 big display boards that we had covered with pictures for his funeral. Finally I took all the photos down (I didn't even cry) and put them in envelopes so they will flatten. Someday I'll put them in photo albums or maybe even make a simple scrapbook. Their room is looking great now! I still have a few things to clean out from the top shelf in the closet, and I'd really like to get that done by the weekend. I also found a slide projector, a movie projector (remember those 8mm movies from the 1970s? one of those), and what I think is a short wave radio.

We went to the Milwaukee Art Museum this afternoon. On Wednesdays, it's free for county residents. I hadn't been there since the Calatrava addition, and I must say, the lobby area is just breathtaking. Heck, even the underground parking lot and elevator are way cool! It was nice to walk through and see all the art, especially the ancient Greek and Roman stuff, as we just finished a study of ancient Greece, and just started on ancient Rome. Calvin's only observation of the whole thing was he wanted to know what was up with all the naked people.

Monday, Calvin asked me if I had "one of those things that you push the buttons and it makes words". It took me a bit, but I figured out he meant a typewriter. I said we did have one, so he begged for me to get it out. Of course, I did, and you would have thought I had uncovered the Ark of the Covenant! They played on it all day on Monday ("Mama! I bet none of our friends have a typewriter! This is so cool!"). They made notes, a newspaper, signs for a lot of the doors, play money, and whatever else they could think of. Every time one of their friends comes over, they have to bring them into the dining room to see The Typewriter. :)

Clifford's ABC

Normally I don't name my quilts, but this one just seemed to need one. I finished it on Saturday morning, stitching the label on whilst sitting in the car as everyone else hid eggs. It was ooohhed and aaahhed over quite a bit. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it, though I think the little red patches get a little lost amongst the little Clifford dogs. The winner thought it was cute, and was going to give it to her 2 year old grandson. I am happy it is going to a child, and I hope it gets lots of love.

Isn't the backing fabric cute -- little dog bones! I bound the quilt in black, and had that all finished by Friday night. I slipstitch it onto the back by hand, and I do find it very calming and therapeutic to sit on the couch and stitch. I put the binding on and started the handwork on Thursday.

Here is a progress photo of the quilting. Normally I don't quilt my own quilts, because I don't like to do it. However, I made this quilt in a month's time, and didn't have time to take it in the shop. It turned out pretty good, though I can see all the mistakes (isn't that always how it is?). I do my quilting kinda backwards, in that I have the quilted part behind the foot, instead of in front. My sewing machine light burned out, and the shadows made it harder to work also. I started the quilting on Saturday the 8th, and had it finished by Wednesday.

Ooooh, pretty!!

Today I thought I would show you some of my sewing pretties. I like pretty things, and nice tools, and my opinion is you should have the best and enjoy it too. I know I could use a bamboo stick, but isn't this rosewood stiletto prettier? (I got it from Wendy Schoen Designs. She carries a lot of pretty needlework tools) The thimble holder I found in a local yarn shop. The pinwheel was made for me by my friend Terri, in Australia. The dragonfly is embroidered onto silk duppioni. The other side is plain. Isn't it just darling? Calvin likes it a lot too, and likes to take it and play with it.

Here are my embroidery scissors. Terri gave me the scissors with the tassels for Christmas this year. It was so much fun opening the box ("Ooh! Ooh! Pretty!"). She made the tassels, and also gave me a book on tassel making. I hope to get some ones made for my regular shears. The cheetah enameled embroidery scissors were a treat to myself a few years ago. I love animal prints, need I say more?

The little tin is where I keep my extra pins (I have a pincushion, but it's boring. I hope to make a dress form pincushion someday). It's cute, with designs on the inside as well as the outside -- the boys always like to find the little mice hiding in the straw on the inside. Terri also made the stumpwork butterfly in the jar lid. I use the jar to keep my open safety pins for quilt work. She loves to embroider (she also sent a stumpwork berry design that I need to make into something. Or just frame it), and I really wish she didn't live on the other side of the planet. I would love to sit with her and have her teach me all the pretty embroidery.

I like to sit and do handwork, and the pretty tools just make it that much more pleasureable for me. Terri -- thank you so much for all the lovely things. They remind me of you every day, and put a smile on my face. :)

Quilted!

All the quilting on the Clifford quilt is D-O-N-E! phew! I have a slight headache, and my forearms are sore. Normally I wouldn't crank the quilting out this fast, but I have a deadline you know. All that is left is to put the binding on and the label. I'll get a picture up tomorrow, so I can also show off some of my sewing pretties.

Monday Monday

This past weekend was pretty good. I got most of the quilting done on the Clifford quilt, all that is left is to quilt the borders and put the binding on. I have until Saturday morning to have it completely finished. We went to the zoo yesterday for about an hour (it was free day, and was packed). The weather was beautiful, and I bought some new rain boots, so I mucked in the garden, cleared out brush and leaves, and filled 3 lawn bags. Hopefully I can get some compost this week and we can plant our carrots soon. We got our tax returns from the accountant, and are getting a refund (a nice change from last year!), which should pay for the fence. I need to call the digger's hotline to have the wires marked.

It's gorgeous today, so after lunch we are going to walk to the library and probably stop at Winkies for a treat. The boys are excited to start our study of Ancient Rome, and hope to find a bunch of good books. We finished Stuart Little, and need to get another read-aloud book for bedtimes. I hope to work some more on the quilt tonight, and maybe fill another lawn bag with leaves. I really really really want to get this yard looking nice this summer.

Another Swing Bag

I finished this Swing Bag last night. It's for my mother, for her to use as a baby shower present. I had the fish print in my stash, and found the batik at my local quilt shop. Originally I wanted to pick a green, but didn't find one that made the print pop. The orange was the best choice, and I do like it. This one also has an inside pocket. I've made at least 6 of these bags now, and am getting pretty good at them. I should make one for myself!

I bought some more fabric this weekend. Friday there was a fat quarter sale at the quilt shop: $1/FQ, but you had to buy in multiples of 10. Of course, I found 10 FQs. Then on Saturday I bought some fabric for a baby sling -- a present for a co-worker of Dh's. My yardage in/out stat is getting dangerously close to being out of balance. :)

Weekend Progress

I didn't get as much done as I wanted. I am almost finished with the Clifford Quilt top, it just needs two borders. My goal was to have it completely finished, so I'm not too far off. I'm not wild about it, just kind of 'meh'. The little red patches got a bit lost, as they are almost the same size as Clifford. I'll reserve final judgement for when it's completely done, and besides, it has to do, because I don't have the time or inclination to make a different one.

The Amy Butler Swing bag I'm doing for my mom (for a baby shower at her work) is all ready to stitch together. I had hoped to have that done as well. I always get screwed up with the spring time change ("Spring ahead one hour"). That lost hour is missed! I hope to get some work done on it today.

Off to get the boys up and start our studies. We're planning to go to the Mitchell Park Domes this morning, as it's free for residents on Monday mornings. It'll be nice to get out; it's raining, and pretty much has been off and on since Friday afternoon.

Fourteen Years

Fourteen years ago, in Scottsdale, Arizona, it was pouring rain. It was raining so hard that one could have taken a shower outside! I was told then that rain on your wedding day was good luck, so I guess we got a lot of it! I think people just make that up to make you feel better that it's raining. Originally, we had planned an outdoor wedding, but ended up inside instead, in this lovely avocado green 1970s courtroom. This was a last minute change, and the only people that got to see our actual ceremony were the people that came with us, so quite a few people thought we pulled an April Fool's joke. That's my friend Kelly on the left, and David's brother, Steven, is on the right. After the ceremony we had a lovely dinner reception in a nearby french restaurant, in their garden house. (yes, I made my wedding suit. More pictures here)

David and I met in November 1988, in Long Beach, at college. Three weeks later I went home with him for Thanksgiving at his mom's house. The following Christmas, when this photo was taken, he came to Wisconsin to meet my family, and then I went to Iowa to meet the rest of the family, where this picture was taken. Man, we look like children! After getting married, we moved here to Wisconsin. The first winter, David figured he was insane to live here, and then when we had a snowstorm on our first anniversary, I thought he might leave!

Time has treated us well. We've had our good times and bad times, and are happier now than ever before. I love him more and more each day. I love how he smells after his morning shower, I love his sexy hands, I love watching him play with the boys, and I love it when he fixes breakfast. (yes, I made this dress too)



We've aged well together, and I look forward to many more years with this man. He puts up with my quirks (the purple hair, goofy glasses, sewing addiction), I put up with his (the video games, extra super spicy foods, more clothes than any one person should have). Normally we don't give presents to each other, but today I gave him The Essential Johnny Cash. Later on, he's going to take me shoe shopping for some new running shoes, and we'll probably get some nice takeout for supper.

I love you, babe!