As Promised...

I'm glad so many of you enjoyed the pictures from the Market. I took lots more but am saving them for other posts. Since my friend was mainly ordering for next Christmas, we spent most of our time looking at Christmas merchandise. I got lots of ideas for decorating and making pretty things for gifts next year.

Remember my post about the baby shower gifts for my oldest daughter? Well, I can now share a picture of the snuggle blanket I made for her, which she loved. I made some baby bibs but they aren't anything special. I wanted to embroider some cute things on them but just ran out of time. I also made her a nice nursing cover with detailed instructions I found on the web. Those things sell for $40 and it only took one yard of fabric ($10). I'm happy with the little snuggle blanket though. The pictures aren't very good; the color doesn't show properly. I made it from very soft chenille, which is a lime green color. It looks very washed out in the photos, but you can get an idea of what it looked like. The back is a soft beige satin and I put a layer of soft and natural quilt batting between the layers. To keep the batting in place, I did a little hand stitching around the appliques. I made my own appliques from some free images I found on the internet - don't you love free?!?




And after visiting some of my favorite sewing/quilting blogs, I decided I should post a picture of the quilt I made for myself last summer. I've made several quilts but this is the first one I've completed for myself. I named it Summer Sherbert.


Today it's still cold, but not as cold as yesterday! I think I'll spend my day organizing my craft and sewing rooms. They've gotten slightly (cough cough) out of hand over the last several weeks.

I hope you all have a great day and stay warm...and don't forget to help the animals that others don't take care of.
ttfn

Atlanta Market Part II

Hey everybody,

As promised, I'm sharing more pictures I took at the Market in Atlanta last weekend. I was most attracted to the displays that included garden related items. And since I went with a nursery owner, that's what I got to see a lot of! We both liked a lot of the same things and I just snapped away with my camera as soon as I was given permission.

I saw a lot of glass cloches, and all sizes of wood ladders used for displaying things on. Years ago I made a cute table out of a small wood ladder and put a round glass top on it. I still enjoy it and that's probably why I was so interested in how bigger ladders were used.

Enough gab....enjoy these pictures. I hope they remind you that even though it's bitter cold in most of the nation, spring isn't far away! Have a great day!

Atlanta Market

Hi everybody! A friend took me to the Atlanta Market and what a trip! I've never experienced anything like this and it was quite overwhelming. I took tons of pictures of displays, with the permission of the exhibitors of course, and wanted to share some with you right away.

And before I forget to tell you - guess who I met live and in person? - Anna Griffin of Anna Griffin, Inc!!! She was so nice and very gracious about me being so bold as to introduce myself to her...like I'm anybody! I just had to tell her that I loved her beautiful products and was so happy for her that she had made such a success for herself doing something she loves.

OK, now for some yummy pictures. The first few are of a wonderful exhibitor Peacock Park Designs - they had an absolutely gorgeous display! I'm a long time gardener and am drawn to almost anything related to it. Check out this sweet little garden shed, which is available for purchase...




And check this out - it's nothing more than a torn piece of cardboard that has been stenciled with their name. How cute is this?!?


And I'm definitely liking these wire cloches, which several exhibitors had. I didn't realize that I took pictures of every one I saw. I can't remember which exhibitors these are from, but I did ask their permission before taking any pics.




I have lots more beautiful pictures to share but will save them for the next posts.

I hope you all have a great day and appreciate being in your own home as much as I do!

Stormy Skies

Yesterday's weather was so rocky and I took a few pictures on my way home from work.

When I left work, I ran into a very hard rain storm, which isn't anything unusual. But...when I turned onto a small highway where it was still storming, I could see through the trees to the west and there was a bright white sun shining. The contrast was so sharp that I knew there would be a rainbow around somewhere. Sure enough a little further down the highway (it's a small road that winds past several horse farms), there it was - a rainbow. Not only a rainbow, but a double rainbow! The main one was so vibrant, but the pictures don't do it justice.

After heading onto another highway, the skies turned dark again.

Then I could see the clouds breaking up and there was the brightest silver lining over a big bunch of them, but I couldn't get a picture because trees blocked the view. By the time I could take pictures, the silver lining was gone but there were still bright highlights.


Another minute and there was a big patch of clear sky with an enormous black sky behind...this was the cold front coming. The clouds are so dense that it actually looks like the mountains off in the distance, but they are a couple hours to the west of me (sigh).

On to another road over a lake and and there were the prettiest orange/pink clouds...again they don't really show up but it was so pretty. I love crossing this lake every day and looking across it.

So the cold front moved in and we had a hard frost last night. I'm not complaining, as our weather is fairly mild for most of the winter.

I hope everybody has a nice day today. Tomorrow I leave for trip #2 and have soooooo much to do yet! I'll miss visiting in blog land!

A Cozy Give Away!

Well, I know this is my second post in one day but I've just learned of another great give away.

Please visit Joy at http://www.joytotheblog.blogspot.com/ to see what she is giving away. I can just see myself all wrapped up with these goodies and a cup of hot chocolate...mmmmmmm.....cozy!

Whatcha Workin on Wednesday?

Hi everybody!

I wish I could save this for Pink Saturday, but I won't have access to my computer.

A few posts ago I had pictures of some different pink fabrics. Well, I completed my first stacked pincushion from some of them. I wasn't really sure if I needed to cut curved pieces or just circles and then tie the pearl cotton tightly around each section. I didn't have a pattern, so just made my own choosing to cut the curved pieces. I think it turned out ok, but I'm going to change the beads for some that have a little more bling to them.

I've also sewn a bunch of little heart pillows; they're stuffed but not embellished. Maybe I'll save those for the next Pink Saturday.




There are a few baby items that I've completed this week, but I can't post pictures till after the shower this Saturday so the surprise isn't ruined for my daughter. I can show you a sneek peek, though (hee hee).




One more thing - please be sure to read my previous post about the danger of sugarless gum to pets and pass it along to everybody you know! My friend's dog may have pulled through; we're still waiting for results of the latest bloodwork. If she beats this, it's nothing less than a miracle.

ttfn...

The Dangers of Sugar Free Gum (not a joke)

Hi everybody,

I meant to post this earlier and didn't, but I wanted to share some very important information to you pet lovers. I was completely unaware of the hazard of sugar free gum to pets, specifically dogs. Any sugar free gum containing Xylitol needs to be banned from your home. It is extremely toxic to dogs and can kill them within hours. Below is an email I received from a friend.
****
Carly, our two-year old dachshund, got into some of Luke’s gum containing Xylitol on Saturday morning. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that few even know is deadly to dogs. We realized it within just over an hour and rushed her to Dr. Schaller. After her tummy was empty, she was given charcoal and has been on fluids and medications since that time.

Tonight Dr. Schaller told us that her liver values are 4 times higher than normal and is in liver failure. The next 48 hours are critical. If the liver is too damaged, it will not be able to heal. We love her dearly and can’t imagine not having her in our home. Please say a little prayer for her so that she might be able to return home and be the sweet, happy, loving dog we know her to be. Thank you for your prayers.
****
Please be mindful about what your pets have access to.

I'm Baaaaccckkkk & a Give Away!

Hi all,

I'm home from my visit with my two oldest friends...er..I mean my two friends that I've known the longest...

Anyway, it was a quick trip but great to be with my buddies, Hartley and Karen, who live on the Eastern Shore of VA. One day I'll be moving back and will stir up lots of trouble between them and their hubbies...but that will be a long way off, so they are safe for now (hee hee).

I took a couple of pictures as I reached the edge of the shore. I love the little wildlife area just as you get to the end of the Bay Bridge Tunnel. This shot is of Fisherman's Island; it's so natural there. I couldn't stop to take a better picture but just beyond the water's edge, the marsh begins and it's so pretty.


I also got a great picture of Hartley's new baby, Toby, who is just eight months old. She has done a wonderful job training him to be a calm companion - quite different from the craziness in my household! Isn't he gorgeous?!



And since I'm on an embroidery kick right now, I snapped pictures of a couple of Karen's cuties she has so that I can make my own eventually. (sorry for the flash)





Please visit Dianne Knott's blog - she's giving away a beautiful cross stitch of a Chickadee - one of my very favorite little birds! I hope I win! :)
http://dianeknottsmusings.blogspot.com/

I have lots more to tell you but that's it for the moment. I've got some baby items I'm finishing for my daughter's shower this weekend (before I leave on another trip). Really, I'm not a traveler but January has just turned out this way. I'm a major stay-at-homer!! (grin). I can't wait for next week so I can settle into my own routine again...there are so many irons in the fire right now!

ttfn!

It's Here and Happy New Year!

Look what came in the mail - my little chickadee charm on an easel from Laurie of Laurie's Charming Designs!

I love almost anything with birds, feathers, nests or trees and leaves and this little gem is absolutely precious! Right now it's sitting on my kitchen table in front of my centerpiece and shows up very niceley but I've got to find the perfect permanent spot for it - someplace that I can see and enjoy it every single day!

Laurie - I just love all of your work! I paint too but have a very different style.

Thanks again!



HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!

New Projects

Well, I know it's not Pink Saturday yet but after seeing Laurie's pretty pink charms on http://lauriescharmingdesigns.blogspot.com/, I was inspired to get some pink fabrics and make some small items too.

I've been looking at those little stacked pincushions and wanted to make some. I decided my first one will be from some of the pink fabrics I bought yesterday (like I need more fabric and to start yet another project!). I'll be adding some embellishments once it's all stuffed and assembled and will post a picture of the completed project afterwards.

I've also decided to make a bowl full of various little heart shaped pillows for the kitchen table as a decoration for Valentine's Day. I should have an entire pile of them by then :)








~ have a great day! ~