Cool GiveAWay!

Check out the COOL GIVEAWAY over at Bloom Workshops!

www.bloomworkshops.com

While you're there, peruse the cool website! Lots of good stuff to be found!

I'd love to have the membership to www.clickinmoms,com or the wonderful presets for my Lightroom!

** on another note, I'm looking for a quick and easy Mystery Quilt Pattern for a wall size or small lap size quilt. any ideas would be appreciated! **

for the quilt/blog police...

Here's a sneak picture of a quilt top I am working on!

My girlfriend at http://www.froggybottomquilting.blogspot.com/ designed this.

I love the colors!

I hope to have the quilt top done this week!

It's been a busy week! I hope to get some downtime this week but doubt it. Is it possible w/ 5 kids? We have a 5 day school week this week (both homeschool and public)! The poor kids, what will they do?

I have swim class 3 mornings this week, then 5 mornings each week in march! Can't wait!

Brother-in-law Van is still visiting. In fact, he and other b-i-l- and dear m-i-l were here for dinner tonight. We had yummy steak, diced cheesy potatoes, salad, watermelon, and rolls for dinner. It was delicious! They had icecream for dessert, I had none. No dessert for me!

Hope you have a blessed week!

It's just peachy!

I just love when the blossoms appear on my favorite tree!

Do you see the bee?

I saw the bee. I didn't see the other 3, but they saw me!

Yikes!

Yummmmm

Happy Birthday to my dear brothers-in-law!

Both Van and Big Rick were born on Feb 17, but 3 years apart!

Van turned 57

Rick celebrated the big 6 0 !!!

He doesn't look a day over 59, huh?

Van came from the rain forest to surprise his older brother here in the desert! We celebrated with dinner at Buca de Beppo's! One of our favorite restaurants.
It was divine!

Heaven in the Desert

Yesterday was President's Day and the kids were off from school. We had an impromptu gathering at the Wetlands Park in Las Vegas/Henderson. This is the newer area that was developed within the last 5 years. It was a BEAUTIFUL day and we had sooooo much fun!

Here's most of the kids, I think there's a toddler missing. Hopefully she didn't' fall in the creek!

Ricky, Jett, Travis, Ashtyn, Sara, Mara, Addison, James, Matthew, Sean, and Daisy's legs! Oh No, where's Ansley Jo?

In my dreams...

In my dreams, I have lots of time to sew, to make fabulous quilts, to spend hours upon hours sewing and not ripping. I have so much time to take beautiful pictures and edit them perfectly so I will one day win the prize when Pioneer Woman has her photo contests!

But I live in the awake zone, not the sleep zone. So here's a few pix of quilts I have downloaded off the internet (THIEF!!) and would love to make someday. When I am dreaming!

Signs of Life

Our almond tree seems to have had some late bloomers. We picked our almonds several months ago. There are new buds all over the tree.

Our peach tree has hundreds of buds on it! I am soooo excited! I love peaches! We need to brace the tree really well this year - last year it broke in half from the weight of the peaches.

I can hardly wait!

He is...

He's the love of my life. Even when he drives me crazy. Even when he leaves his dirty socks on the bathroom floor. Even when he eats the last piece of key lime pie. Especially when he brings me coffee in bed. Especially when he rubs my forehead when I have a migraine. Especially when he tells the kids to get in the car and takes them out so I can have some peace. Especially when he finishes my sentences.

Mr. D, I love you!

Priceless

I took this snapshot yesterday at Homeschool Friday School. I love how it turned out after being cropped. You can't tell it's not really a serene setting, that there aren't 15 kids running around w/ glue sticks and markers! YIKES!

The Year of the $5

2009 was the year of the $5 quilts. This one was actually $4.99 BEFORE my 20% coupon. Don't you just love it!



I feel one of my purposes in life is to rescue certain hand-made items from the thrift store shelves. I have found 2 beautiful cross-stitched samplers and many quilts over the last year or so. As a quilter, I know how much time goes into making a quilt. Let's not even mention the cost of the fabric ($10 a yard is now a good deal and even a baby quilt takes 3-4 yds minimum). A simple one block wonder baby quilt can take 2-3 hrs just to cut & piece. Then there's batting, backing, quilting, and the worst part, binding!

It breaks my heart to see these beauties just discarded like garbage. Some pieces are even signed. It's my job to rescue them. I will love them.

(just a note, i have also found some quilts at the thrift store, that were SO UGLY they should be burned, not sold for $4.99! They did not make it into my shopping cart.)

Stars and Moon

We had our dear friends Dan & Marguerite over for dinner the other night, to celebrate Marguerite's bday. We just adore this couple! What a blessing they are, and their testimony is inspiring.

I received a text during the evening to go take a picture of the moon. So, being the good obeyer that I am, I grabbed my camera (ever ready) and got a picture of the moon. It was a beautiful sky.

Peer Pressure

A dear friend pointed out to me that I don't have many quilts photos on my blog and wasn't that contradictory to my title, 'Patchwork in the Desert'? So I am posting a picture or 2 to appease my humble following... all 2 of you!

I found the Pansy quilt at Savers, my fav thrift store. $4.99, a STEAL! Better than getting it free if you ask me! I love the colors and date it to the late 30's.

The redwork quilt is another $5 steal! My mom bought it from some kid back in the late 70's/early 80's in Newburyport, Ma. He was using it as a dropcloth and thought his mom might want him to not sell it. My mom pointed out he had paint all over it. He sold it to her for $5. Notice the 1903 date HANDSTITCHED on it! I love it! I finally wore my mom down and she passed it on to me!

Bugs & Girls!

Chicklet & girlfriend at the CC Heritage Museum


Caterpiller