If you come to my house

you are sure to find at least a couple of areas that look like this:

(floor of our office/bedroom)

and this:

(family room)

(Oh, and you don't even want to walk into my laundry/sewing room!)

I've always got at least a few projects going on. Today it was snowballs. I've been working on this Christmas quilt using up scraps. Here's what I've got so far:

I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but I do always enjoy a good stash busting party.

To me, sites such as the one above are lovely. To my family - well, they are use to it. Now, when it comes to piles of shoes, clothes or toys - I can't stand for them to be laying around and cluttering the house. As for me and my projects, that is a different story.

Hillside Green

Almost two weeks ago, I referred to this little family below as "charming." I got quite the earful from my hubby's facebook friends about this as he wondered out loud how much this "charm" was going to cost him. If I remember correctly, someone said "Run Forrest! Run!" That one actually made me laugh, but what do YOU think? Can you see it?

(BEFORE)

Well, I saw it. And, I'm not normally one who can envision these kinds of things, but I see them (finished) in other peoples houses and I love them! So, with the go-ahead from the hubby, a can of paint and one very sore back later, I have THIS:

(AFTER)

I finished up this BIG project on Monday. Yesterday, the hubby and I moved the table in from the garage and got everything in place (I am sore today. How sad is that!?!). For $50 bucks plus another $50 in supplies {probably wouldn't have been so much if I wouldn't have spent $20 buying green paint "samples"} I got a brand new kitchen table and 4 chairs! I finally took the plunge with this color:

(HILLSIDE GREEN #495 BY BENJAMIN MOORE PAINT)

Then we moved the other table into the dining room, so after about 5 years that room has furniture. Yay! The new table pictured above is minus one other leaf that it came with. I think that is a pretty good deal for the money. Now we can seat at least 6 more people during big family get-togethers.

So, do you think it's a good sign when your husband says, "I wonder how much you could sell if for now?" Such a guys mentality. But. I took it as a compliment...

I'm not normally one to get an autograph, but I couldn't help myself.

My cute sister-n-law, Brittany and I went to a couple fabric stores on Saturday looking for some material to make some fall pillowcase covers. We went to Broadbents and Material Girls, since I hadn't been to either in a long time. I was also looking for some of Heather Bailey's Pop Garden Rose Bouquet fabric. All we had at JUST SEW was this colorway:

But I really wanted this colorway:

(This was something I knew I shouldn't spend the money on, but since I am an admitted addict and I just won this book from Anka's Treasures, I knew I better get some before it was all gone. )

I just love the cover quilt, so I had to get me some of that center fabric. Anyways, long story short (everything is a long story with me...) I found the bolt I wanted at Material Girls and was walking around the store, minding my own business and suddenly Brittany tells me that Heather Bailey is "Here. Today." We waited patiently in line and then spent a few minutes talking with her, seeing her sketch book and checking out her upcoming fabric line (which she had pictures of on her laptop.) I had her sign my fabric which I will eventually be making a little tag out of and stitching to the back of my finished quilt - someday. Memories. Anyways. Very random. And very exciting. After a little Cafe Rio for lunch, we went back to get a picture of us with Heather via Brittany's phone, but unfortunately she had left. Heather was really friendly and down to earth. She is amazingly talented and no wonder she was here in Utah speaking at the Startup Princess convention as the Keynote Speaker. Lucky us that we ran into her that day. The very day I wanted to get me some Rose Bouquet...

Oh, I haven't been posting much the last few days because I've been working on something involving this (and $50 dollars).

I can't wait to show you! Let's just say I've been waiting almost 6 years for one of these...:)

And, you fellow blogger-slash-refinishers of wood have inspired me!

A BIG thank you!

Look what I won from Heather Mulder over at Anka's Treasures. I know. I can't believe it! I won the grand prize for her first blogiversary giveaway. She is so generous to give away this quilt that she designed and pieced. Isn't it beautiful!?!

So, as you can imagine, I am also completely thrilled about these two books that she sent along too. I can't wait to get started on making a few of her quilt designs. Both books have a lot of patterns that I would LOVE to make, but if I could only pick a few (time and money - there's usually never enough of either) then I would start with Center of Attention, Buttercup, Baby Bloomer and Secret Garden. I guess I'm in an appliqued-flower-kind-of-mood. But there really are many more from both of these books that I would love to make. You guys should check them out! Great work, Heather!

(Click here to see photographs from Stop, Drop & Roll and here to see photographs from Sizzlin' Sixties.)

Thanks so much Heather! It's an honor to have one of your quilts! And don't worry - it will be well cared for. It's already found a nice home...Thanks again.

Heart Blocks #3 & #4 (plus a little sneak peak)

I would like you to meet blocks Three & Four:

I am loving this Heart to Heart pattern I'm working on right now! It's just so fun playing with a new design and fabrics on each block!

I'm also in a very good mood because this baby is done (pattern and all)!

The pattern is being edited and we've got a little photo shoot tomorrow! After that it's printing time and then off to the quilt shops I go! My goal is to start selling my first three patterns by the end of September. I've got a couple more pattern ideas up my sleeve, but I guess I should see how all of this goes before I get in too deep. I've never done this before and don't really have anyone showing me the ropes. It's just a little fantasy of mine and I'm having so much fun creating, writing, etc. It's been a fun process thus far.

CONTEST ENDS TODAY!

Leave me a comment (under this post or HERE) by midnight tonight to enter to win some fabric!

The rules are:

*Leave one comment with a link to your posted pictures for each quilt label you've made.
*Labels had to be made sometime between August 6th, 2009 and today.

I'll pick the winner tomorrow. Good luck!

Simple Gifts Quilt

This quilt is a few years old but is one of my favorites. I think I like it because it has such a different feel than any other quilt I've made. I made it for my parents as a Christmas gift in 2006. They had just built a European style home, so I tried to create a quilt that would look good in it. I didn't want to go too country or too mod with the fabrics. I think this one suits them quite well. I know they keep it on the back of their couch in their family room and snuggle up in it often (I LOVE that. I strongly believe quilts should be out, loved and gently used instead of hiding in a closet somewhere.) The pattern is called Simple Gifts from the book, Blended Quilts by From in the Beginning. I love that book. Lucky for me, my parents moved to Utah recently, so I am able to see them more often and was able to snatch a couple pictures of this quilt the other day.

Thankfully I've got a label on it, so I can remember the year I made it. I lose track after awhile!

Little Missy

This little girl asked her brother the other day, "B, do I look cute today? ...Stylish? ...Functional?" (And if you know her, you'll know there was a little shake of the hips and some hand motions involved when she asked it. Yeah. She's only FOUR.) B and I had some good laughs over that one. It was just so funny the way she said it. She definitely keeps us laughing (or crying - it depends on the day.)

d

Swingin' at Nana & Papa's house.