~Whatcha' Working on Wednesday?!~

I know it is really Thursday morning here in Idaho, but yesterday I worked on my colonial brown sugar cones, and they are currently drying, so there will be a photo of them all wrapped up and pretty next post. I did work on my punch needle project, and it is soooo close to being done. I need to divide my time between three things today - my quilting studio, putting another coat of paint on our spare bedroom, and this punch needle, in that order.

This morning it is raining and very windy, something that doesn't happen too often here - storm. I love rain, and like snow even more, but since it is 7:15am and already in the low 40's, I guess rain is second best. I love the coziness of home when it is storming outside. Just images of curling up by our fireplace with either a stitching project or a good book just reaks of comfort! I am in the middle of a 9 book historical fiction series about the revolutionary war and life in the colonial days of early America called 'Prelude to Glory' by Ron Carter. Like I said, there are nine in this series, and there are only five pictured here, but one I had to borrow and the others I can't find yet. This series was only published in the late 90's - early 2000's, but one of the books is over $200! That will be one I borrow! They are out of print and are very hard to find. Anyway, they describe early American life very well. I am only on the third book! Ha, but I love them.

What are you doing today? Are you doing some creating, rearranging, or beautifying? Whatever it is, enjoy it - tonight we are having lasagna soup for dinner with some "homemade" rolls, perfect for a rainy day. Thanks, Cousin Aud, for this timeless recipe!

Enjoy the moment and blessings on your day!

Shanda

~ Some Precious Girl Time in Wisconsin! ~

~ The Girls in Wisconsin ~ Cousin Diane, Aunt Lynn, Audra, daughter Sarah, me, and mother! ~

I know we just celebrated Valentine's Day, but I need to digress just a bit. Over the Christmas holidays, my daughter and I were able to take a train trip from Salt Lake City, Utah, across the plains to Illinois. Oh, my ~ how gorgeous our America is!!!! Especially all snowy and white. Over the rocky mountains was beautiful during the daylight hours, and then at night, crossing the plains, christmas lights galore!!!! Barns, silos, houses...... so many lights lit up the night. And in the morning I awoke to the most torential snow storm somewhere in the eastern part of Iowa, but my ..... it was a simple pleasure to be on that train, chugging along, listening to christmas music on my iPod and looking out the big window at the snow storm. Very soothing and nostalgic, actually. Wow!

Anyway, my mother, dear heart that she is, took a car load of us family girls and went to a dream quilt shop in Spring Green, Wisconsin, called Country Sampler of Spring Green. The shop was filled with Chistmas spirit, smells, decorations, and inspiration enough to last through five christmas seasons. This was a day of pure delight to me - I bought projects to last me for two years and met Cousin Diane, who I had never met before. We went to lunch, visited, and laughed . I shall never forget these moments. Thank you for making this day possible, all of you! These are the moments that last, these are the things that are important. These are the simplest of pleasures!

Coming up next post..... making colonial brown sugar cones!

~'Tis Sweetest Day~

'Love is not Love, until it is given away.'

'Tis Sweetest Day. Who is your sweetheart? Who makes your heart beat faster? Who does nice things for you to cheer up your day? I am the kind of person that doesn't need a dozen red roses or a heart shaped box of candy, although I am very weak with DARK chocolate. But I do have a dearheart husband that jumps everytime I need something fixed or I am struggling with a project. I love the way dearheart has suggestions to make daily life easier. He writes wonderful letters to me and is very patient and is 'long suffering' with my weaknesses. Dearheart's name is John, and he is my Valentine. We have been married for almost 22 years and have 2 beautiful children. He makes great fruit smoothies and the best scrambled eggs. He is very much in every one of my days.

On a side note - I am still working on my curtains and finishing a cross stitch. I wore my apron all day today and rearranged some furniture. I have been 'tweeking' as Linda from Behind My Red Door has been doing. I do like to tweek, and I am going to be painting a spare bedroom this next week and trying to decide which quilt to put on the bed. I will be taking some before and after pictures of the redo. The weather here is blah, and by that I mean no weather at all. No snow, no rain, no wind, no nothin'. Just ugly gray fields, grass, and sky. So it is perfect to still stay inside and 'stir the nest.'

Enjoy your long weekend, and have fun, whatever is happening. Be simply minded and love your family. Blessings on your time spent together!

Shanda

A Great Uncle ~ No One Could ask for a Better One!

Uncle Chuck, March 13, 1947 - February 5, 2009

I just got back from Illinois, where I was blessed to pay tribute to a wonderful man. My Uncle Chuck was laid to rest this past week. His entire family will miss him greatly and there is a hole no one can fill. Uncle Chuck was a funny and yet greatly compassionate man. We love you Uncle Chuck!!!

Meet Goldie and my Quilting Studio

This is my quilting studio - I spend several hours here each day quilting, mixing colors, and in a sense, creating. Goldie was the name of my great-grandmother who liked to sew, and I feel a kindred relationship with her. So I named my quilting machine 'Goldie', in her honor.

My quilting studio is right off the main entrance to our home - notice all the quilts on the church pew? Those are some of the quilts that need to be quilted in the next few weeks.

Today, though, I am working on creating a quilt top. I like to make quilts that are scrappy, or look just like grandma would have made them , with what she had on hand. Here is a block from the quilt I am currently working on:

I am also working on a cross stitch sampler that is the alphabet:



It doesn't look like this yet, I only have the middle three rows stitched, but I also love to cross stitch. I have so many projects! And they are started, I just get so excited to start them and I want to finish them all, but you know how it is - 'you can't have just one'.

I think I will go get started on finishing my basket quilt. One good day and it would be ready for quilting. Dinner tonight is left over spaghetti. It should be 45 and sunny today.

Blessings on your day.

Shanda