Hustle Award

Max has a great basketball shirt with a slogan that reads "hustle never rides the pine". I think it is perhaps a slogan I try and live by. I might not always be the smartest, most talented, etc . . . but always know I try hard and am trying to instill that in our children. So I must tell you Hawthorne Threads just really blew me away. Usually I give one of the kids my hustle award for the week, but this week it has to go to Charlie and Lindsay.

I was drawn in my their wonderful newsletter showing me eye candy I could just not pass on . . . I think I placed the order around 3 pm on Monday and it arrived in my mailbox at noon today. Granted we live about 45 minutes north of their location, and the USPS should get some credit . . . but they cut, packaged and got that order on its way! Thanks so much and all I can say is you have made the starting line-up in my book! Here is what they sent me . . . yummy, huh?

The scale of the elephants is great and they are really CUTE, even cutier in person.

This one speaks for itself and says . . . WOWZA! Leicen

New AH and so close to their old Downtown Dot that I really loved, but love these colors even more!

The black with the fall color apples is fantastic. I think some clothes for Ellie in this for sure!

Loving these two and my new favorite color, grey. It is my new black . . .

I think this grouping might be my favorite and the colors are so wonderful!

Started working on the second project for the Urban Home Goods swap and of course the iron spit up a bit on the fabric and it looked like a little rust . . . ughhhh! A quick hand wash and it is all good I hope! I think I am gonna love this project and who knows if it will actually leave our house!

Posted a question on irons and how to solve my dilema on flickr and had some suggestions of trying a clean with vinegar. It was not a fun task, steaming vinegar through the iron, but it did get out some rusty looking bits. I am going to give it a go in the am and if it doesn't work . . . off to buy a new iron. I love this cheap little number, but maybe will need to upgrade.

Mirror Balls, Heather Ross, Garage Sale and Baseball - what a weekend!

Has been a crazy week and I just realized although I accomplished a lot, not much is actually completed . . . goes for sewing, the house, the kids, and getting ready for our first craft/art fair since before the holidays!  A huge accomplishment for me was cleaning the basement and realizing we just don't have the storage space for all the crafty stuff I like to hoard supplies for.  I made a mental break through, which I hope will translate to a physical one.  I decided that yes I do still love to knit, but if I knit everyday I still could never use all my stash and some items I just am not that into anymore.  For example knitting socks - with 3 kids (two 2 year olds) just not a reality anymore.  Yarn I have had to make Steve a Fisherman's Sweater he has requested for 10 plus years, not going to happen.  (actually found three sets of various gray 20 skeins each bags and partial sweaters in various boxes and bags!)  Gone!  It was a wonderful experience.  It all was put out at the garage sale and what didn't sell is going to find a good home in the next month.  Lots more to go, but it was a start.  Sold about half what I put out!

I had meant to take pictures of the sale set-up.  It did take a few days, but I think it was worth it.  We got rid of lots of big items crib, changing tables, big plastic toys, baby gear, yarn, rubber stamps, linens, dishes, paper goods, etc.  This is what is left to go to charity in the am (minus the stroller which Ellie pushed over to use as a ladder to get up on the table)

Moments after the sale, it was off to watch the last game of the season for Steve and Max's team.  They had such a fun year and are looking forward to a post-season play and a game against an west-side of Saratoga team.  Great bonding for Steve and Max.  The team had tons of fun and the coaches called them the dirt devils, which judging from the dirt after washing Max's uniform was a great name.

It was a hard season for Sam and Ellie, they really didn't want to watch.  They either wanted to run onto the field to see daddy or big brother or get wet at the spray park next to the field.  They never really get too wet, just damp and then the dirt from the field really sticks to them.  Baseball for me equals bath and a VERY dirty load of laundry!

When I was taking the team photo, this is what Sam and Ellie were doing.    Sam is at the top of the frame and really just as crazy about the dirt as Ellie is here.  We are getting sand in the sandbox this week!  We were exhausted on Saturday night and everyone went to bed by 8!

Today Ellie and I went with a friend to look at all the quilts on display at the Adirondack dome in Queensbury.  We also did a little fabric shopping.  I was thrilled to find the discontinued mirror ball fabric from Michael Miller and even more thrilled to see all the yardage that was available.  I have been searching for a boy color to use as a background for a Happy Birthday banner for both boys, like the one I made for Ellie a few months back.  I didn't get around to it for Sam's birthday (last week) because I really hadn't found a fabric I loved.    I am so thrilled to have a stash of this!  It works great when you want a solid that has some zing!  I also love it for quilt backs.   Another thing I have been consumed with this week is trying to land some Heather Ross prints for a swap group on flickr.  I now have in my stash, pink bikes, pink VW vans,  blue gnomes, the dogs above and misc.  stripes and dots.  After some e-bay shopping I hope to have some of the fish and fish in the bag.  I lost a few crazy auctions this weekend and can't believe the prices on some of the munki munki stuff. I have been looking at PJ's but haven't found the deals that I am hearing some people finding on-line.  I will keep trying!

Finally I will leave you with this shot of various pink mirror balls - it is a lovely light pink, lighter hot pink and then HOT pink.  I am loving them all!  Is it crazy to be so excited about fabric?

The Postman feeds my habit

No words needed on this one.  Joy through the mail!  The first photo is fabrics I have been collection for a baby quilt for either my mom or sister to receive at one of my sister's upcoming baby showers.  Each night after the kids are asleep and our ETSY orders are packed and ready to go, I find myself fondling, folding and just gazing at all the wonderful fabrics I have been collecting.  It has been great fun trying out various blocks and color combinations for this quilt and I think I am finally on the road to getting it done.  I took a bit of a detour today and got a great start on matching PJ pants for my sister-in-law and my two nieces.  It is SIL's birthday, actually today, and I hope to have the matching pants to her in Seattle within a week, but we will see.  Tonight I wasn't in the PJ pant mode, so I cut out and sewed 20 of the 60 blocks I will need for this quilt.  I am doing the Simply Delightful pattern and so far it has lived up to its billing.  Time will tell.  Off to bed for me, but with some luck I will have lots to show this week.

After the quilt is ready for the long-arm and the pants are done, I am hoping to tackle a few stuffed bunnies, one for each of the kids.  All this and taking care of two two year olds, hosting easter and a six year old with a short school week - will I ever actually complete all I set out to do?

Must Stop On-line Craft Purchases . . . NOW

Okay, I just can't control myself! I just ordered some cute Japanese fabrics to make some more slippers for Ellie and Sam. Don't you think these will made some cute little house shoes? ETSY and Paypal make it too easy to have wonderful packages just show up on your doorstep! After a little fabric shopping I turned my attention to wool felt. How wonderful are the colors? I am not sure what it will all become, but I know I just have to have it! I am taking an on-line class with Red Velvet Art and lots of the projects we will be working on over the next 8 weeks call for felt. I will posting some of my projects for the class soon. Finally, I turned to needlepoint shopping . . . Now that I have pulled out my loop, needle, thread and scissors, I am hooked.  While making bags with a friends over the weekend, a friend mentioned Sublime Stitching and the rest is history.  A box of fun should be making its way to me in the next couple days and I am thrilled!  But what should I work on first?  I could make a dress for Ellie with some of the lovely art of Emily Martin of The Black Apple, or some baby items for my niece who is coming soon with some sassy stitching, or maybe adorn some linen baskets I am about to attempt to put together.  The options are overwhelming, but for now I must get Max off to school, hit the grocery store and get my heads out of the "I must make something today" cloud.

Did I really do all this shopping with two toddlers climbing on me, before getting oldest son off to school?

B