More winter, it's not over yet

After about three months of having three inches of ice on my driveway I finally got it removed. It's hard to believe how happy the little things make me. And not 24 hours later we got another three inches of snow. I shoveled in the morning and then again in the afternoon. I did not want to see the ice build up again by driving on it. Thankfully since the last shovel yesterday, all of the snow that has come down hasn't stuck. It is such a relief. I just don't understand how it can snow, alot, when it is nearly forty degrees outside.  

Aside from shoveling snow I have been trying to come up with a new project. Oddly enough, starting another quilt just hasn't come to me.  I am thinking about branching out into the world of soap making. I would like to make some that would work for sensitive skin. My sister has a serious reaction to almost all soaps.  I have the time, for now, to give it a go.  I just need to figure out how to afford the supplies.  Amazon gift cards to the rescue.  When I get the supplies I will have to share my experiences. Even the bad ones. They can serve as a lesson to learn from.

I am also starting to have an interest in couponing. I live in the northwest so those great high value coupons that people seem to get on the "extreme couponing" show are nowhere to be found. Here the coupon savings is a bit silly. I mean really, .50 off when you buy three boxes of hamburger helper. Almost makes a person wonder if it's really worth the effort.  I am studying up to see if there is a trick to it.  We'll see.

It looks like the house we have for sale on the coast might actually sell. It's only been on the market for two years. Many sales have fallen through. We will keep fingers crossed that the end is near.

Catching up

Wow, how time flys.  There has  been a lot going on in my household in the last year. Moved, left a frustrating job only to take another one that just told me "we don't have enough work to keep you on". At least we are going into tourist season. So a new job should be coming along soon. If not I hope my business which is an errand running/housecleaning service takes off.

By the end of last year, I managed to complete five, yes five quilts! Bonnie's mystery quilt, block of the month at my lqs, Bonnie's "Tumalo Trail", Bonnie's Jamestown Landing and Cathedral Stars.

Tumalo Trail

 

 

It started snowing in October and we still have snow on the ground since then. I am so tired of seeing it. We got 15 inches in the first 24 hours. Today we still have about 12 inches in parts of the yard as well as about three inches of ice in the driveway.

 

Well, little miss M will be coming thru the door any time now so I will have to get ready for her.

Sisters Quilt show

Today was the Sisters quilt show here in Oregon. It was a beautiful and HOT day for the show. The first thing I did was start collecting fabric. I had to think about pacing myself.  After I had seen all I was going to, about 3 hours later, I drove to Redmond and went to the Oregon Summer Quilt Expo. I was smaller this year but, still fun. It made for a full day. No cooking for me. Dh took me out for dinner. Since I don't have the ability to bring in more fabric and store it I had to leave the fabric behind. I did manage to come home with a quilt puzzle and t-shirt from the quilt show and several fun things from the expo.

Here are some of the wonderful quilts that were on display today.

 

Then I spotted this cute little foot stool.

 

And I found a

Bonnie mystery quilt. Celtic Solstice made by someone in Astoria Oregon. It was beautiful.

After all was said and done, I had a great time. Met up with friends and got a sunburn to go with it. I should sleep very good tonight. We'll see.

After this day of inspiration I am going to spend tomorrow in front of my sewing machine. I have Bonnie's Jamestown Landing, Cathedral Stars and Celtic Solstice kitted up and waiting to become beautiful quilts.

I can actually see the pattern coming together on the Jamestown Landing quilt.

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a great holiday season. Mine was different. Thanksgiving came with a move. Downsizing is not fun when you aren't prepared for it. Christmas was great. Got to spend it with my whole family. Just not at one time. But that's ok. My son and his wife came for Christmas Eve which for us was the 23rd. It is so nice to see them both.  Then the official Christmas Day brought my husband home from out of town. M was so excited. When he knocked at the door I let her open it. Daddy was the best gift of the day. I thought so too. New Years was quiet for us. Everyone was in bed before midnight and we have just been enjoying the vacation time at home.

My sewing room is still somewhat of a mess. So very little sewing has been taking place.  Bonnie Hunter's yearly mystery quilt began on black Friday. This year the quilt is named Celtic Solstice. If you get a chance stop by her blog and take a peak . It's free until the end of May when she will pull it off her website and it will then go into a future book. http://www.quiltville.blogspot.com/p/celtic-solstice-mystery.html .  I printed out all of the clues and saved them for a later date. On New Year's Eve she surprised everyone by giving us the big reveal. It is gorgeous! I have step 3 done and step one started. Can't wait to see this quilt completed.  Hopefully I will get my sewing room finished so I can get motivated to get sewing again.

My dear daughter in law graduated from George Fox University on 12-21-13. We are so proud of her. She graduated with BA in biology. Don't they make a cute couple?

 

I have to start getting back into the usual routine of going to bed relatively early and getting up early. Yuck! But as they say "All good things must come to an end." Sad but true.

donation quilts

I got the last of my donation quilts for the firefighter families done Saturday. Seems nobody in my county ships packages on Saturdays so I have to do it tomorrow. I tried to mail out the two boxes but all of the UPS stores were closed.

Now I am working on finishing one of Bonnie's free patterns "strip twist" just have to put the borders on and I can send it off to be quilted. And I am trying to straighten out some rows on a quilt I am making as a gift for someone.  So frustrating. Then I can get to the final step of Quiltmaker Magazine's Bonnie mystery Lazy Sunday. Can't wait to have that as the only active quilt in the making.

Thanks to bills, school shopping will be off until a very busy holiday weekend. Yuck! Just wish I could get it taken care of sooner.

Ordered my tickets for the Northwest Quilt Expo in Portland. Just have to make reservations for the hotel and I'll be set. I'll be heading for it after my time with Bonnie In southern Oregon. September will be an exciting month.

Today I took M clamming. We got up at 5:00, yes AM. We got our limit and headed back to town and got breakfast. Since she doesn't have any boots she had to wear her only pair of tennis shoes. So off to Fred Meyer we went to get a new pair. I however bought a pair of boots.

In the afternoon I announced that I had to wash my work truck. She was all over that. "Can I wash it too?" I'm not one to turn away free labor so I told her to get a sponge and have at it.

She liked it so much she asked me if this could be her new chore.  Then she came inside and asked to help with the laundry. I got the soap in and told her to load up. Then she loaded the dryer and turned it on. pretty soon she'll have that chore too. I know, enjoy it while it lasts. Eventually she will just whine when I bring it up. lol.

Thought I would slip in a few more show pictures.

What seven year old girl doesn't like pink? Mine sure does. She said this was her favorite quilt.