Grace's New Purse

When my husband and I took Grace and Luke to the Oregon Coast this summer we stopped at the Center Diamond Fabrics store in Cannon Beach. Grace fell in love with Amy Butler's Birdie Sling Bag so naturally a project was born! Look at the fabrics we picked out!

I signed and dated the lining for her!

Making the pockets!  This fabric is by Anna Marie Horner.
 Grace likes it so well we ordered more from Center Diamond for a skirt.

Moda Bliss is the top and sling handle and the body is Odyssea by Momo for Moda

Here is the final project! She loves this bag. She chose this bag over a backpack.

  A wise choice for a maturing young lady!

I entered this purse in the Purse Week Contest...check out the other entries on their Flickr Site!

Luke's Dinosaur Quilt

                             Here is my first large quilt project, finished earlier this year.

 I found this wonderful pattern in the January/February issue of Fons&Porter Quilting Magazine.  http://www.fonsandporter.com/index.html the panel was designed by Michele Wojcinski for Avlyn Fabrics.

Luke is as high as he can be displaying his finished quilt. I was slow getting started on this project. I searched everywhere for this dinosaur panel in the middle but I finally found it bugfabric.com. I wasn't able to find the coordinating Fossil prints so I went to a favorite local quilt shop, http://www.aheartlikeyours.com/ and fell in love with these batik prints.  As I got started my simple lap sized quilt grew until it fit his double bed. I am linking up with Sew Many ways today for So Darn Crafty linky party...check out all the great ideas!

Random quote for a Tuesday.....

"He respects Owl, because you can't help respecting anybody who can spell Tuesday, even if he doesn't spell it right." - A.A. Milne


I didn't know Winnie the Pooh growing up and maybe that is a good thing. I am not sure I would have appreciated his 'wisdom' as much as I do now.  Fun, whimsy, innocence and wit...

who can ask for more when we live in such a serious world.

Never forget....

Lady Liberty stands greeting all who comes to America.
 In the background stands the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center
 before the inconceivable and horrific terror attack of September 11, 2001.

What a glorious picture.

A memorable, hopeful moment.
Among the rubble of the unimaginable that our "Flag was still still there."
Thank you to all the heroes of September 11, 2001.
To all the families who lost a loved one, we have not forgotten.

Ruthie's new shrug!

Meet Ruthie, my very own American Girl doll. She is wearing her new shrug, crocheted by

yours truly. I thought I would make this in time for fall.
I chose a crisp white baby soft yarn to accentuate the
trim on her "feed sack" dress, lovingly made by
 Kit Kittredge's mother. If you have read the books or
seen the movies about Kit, you will know that Kit is Ruthie's best friend.  They lived in the time of the Great Depression, when my mother was a girl. Mrs. Kittredge made lovely dresses out of the printed sacks, the same type of sacks my grandmother made tea towels and, most likely aprons. It was good quality cotton and women made good use of everything in those times to contribute to making their homes a haven and keep the family clothed. I could have listened to my mother and grandmother talk forever about those times as I was so curious!

I look forward to making more sweaters for Ruthie....I have a long navy blue one I will share with you after I get the buttons sewn on and her matching jeans and t-shirt sewn!  (I downloaded the pattern from the web so many months ago I will research where I got it so that I can give proper credit to the pattern designer.

Don't forget to enter the drawing for an eye shadow bundle from Mary Kay...the contest ends next Thursday, September 15th!

Burpies for a cause

I spent one morning with these ladies sewing flannel burp cloths. It was fun and it felt great to see the pile of 70+ burpies when we finished about 90 minutes later. Fun, fellowship and lots of goodies baked by my dear sister Judy who is third from the left in the back row. All the burpies were taken to Catholic Charities 
for a special program that mentors young moms to be.
I hope to be invited back for the next sewing session!

Smiling and visiting while we sewed, Judy is shown in the background picking up our finished projects and giving us fresh-cut burpies ready to sew. Having some of the group cutting, pressing and fetching whatever we needed made short work out of yards and yards of flannel!  Good coffee and the camaraderie made it all the more special.

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!
 

Fall is a great time for a new look!... and...its giveaway time

As we approach a new season we look at our wardrobe and start looking for new ways to update our image a without breaking the budget. Did you know that you can get a lot of mileage out of just adding a few accessories like a new jewelry or simply by adding a scarf that can be change a multitude of ways?  A pashmina scarf can be tied as a scarf for an updated look.  Unfastened it drapes to become a wrap when an air conditioned conference room starts interrupting your focus. Colors and print choices are in abundance at your local department or discount stores.  My favorite is a pastel pink that goes with me to all of my breast cancer related meetings. It warms me in many ways not the least that it was given to me by a favorite sister in-law.

I like to look at my makeup collection too when the season changes. I like to make small changes such as lipstick or eye color to bring out the best in my characteristics.  A new lipstick to go along with a new pair of earrings, a new shade of shadow that is enhanced by a new sweater and I am set to go without surprising my husband with a bag to break the bank.

I am offering a special sale September 4th through September 18th: Buy one eye color bundle of your choice and get a free mini compact for your bundle!


Check out my website: I am giving one eye color bundle to one
lucky winner: http://www.marykay.com/mgrayhek/whatsnew/newproducts/eyebundle/eyeland.aspx?ab=lghp_eyecolorbundles


You must be a follower of this blog to enter.....Leave a comment about how you will update your look for fall...and what bundle of color matches your eyes.  Enter by Midnight Thursday, September 15th!

One Heartbeat At A Time ~ SC Chapman

I love this song by Steven Curtis Chapman....It  reminds us no matter how small the ordinary may seem when wiping small faces or reading   the same story for the umpteenth time, we are making a difference to a child's life, one little heartbeat at a time! This video was made in honor of Mother's day but for all of us mothers in the world we celebrate it every day.

September....

"By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather
And autumn’s best of cheer."
- Helen Hunt Jackson, September, 1830-1885

September is here with all her beauty....more than just the slowing of summer and haste to begin school...September is all the above, captured so well by Helen Hunt Jackson.  Cooler nights and earlier sunsets bring later sunrises and sleepy heads who want to linger a while on their pillows before going back to the routine of deadlines, schedules and homework.

I love summer but I always welcome the promise of a new season and this month I will savor the last of summer while waiting for the crimson and golds of falls splendor!

Ginger Joe walks the rail to meet Emma...waiting to greet their last days of summer!