Atlanta weekend

This past weekend was absolutely fabulous. Some time ago, we had planned on getting together with my best friend and her family for a Braves game. Our kids are big Braves fans (as am I!) so we headed down for a game last Friday night.






Thanks to the uber-fabulous Alisa, our seats were amazing...just up from home base, on the third base side. Our only disappointment was that Chipper Jones and Brian McCann didn't play. But - we did get to see Jose Constanza's first major league hit, which was awesome.

Tanner had noticed him earlier because of his speed - the guy was booking it down the baseline! He decided that he wanted a Constanza jersey because he was impressed that he didn't back down, despite getting out at first at least twice. Right after Tanner told me he wanted the Constanza jersey, the hit came. Nice.

About the same time, the Tomahawk Chops *finally* started... Tanner had gotten a bit worried that they wouldn't do one.  I assured him that we would and, sure enough, they started in about the 7th inning.  The game had been scoreless up to that point, so it was nice to see the crowd come alive.




Saturday morning, after a significant delay thanks to my dead car battery, Ash and I headed out to Intown Quilters in Decatur, a local quilt store my friend Chris had recommended. Oh-my-word it was fabulous. The LQS's around here are good, but nothing like this. I'm now very jealous of all the quilters in the Atlanta area. Of course, I just *had* to add to my stash...who can leave a fabric store empty handed??

I ended up with four half-yards of Tula Pink's Prince Charming, for a living room quilt, a half yard of some Soul Blossoms for my ever-growing stash of that line, and a half-yard of one of Joel Dewberry's Aviary that will be part of another quilt for Matt, and four LouLouthi fat quarters 'cause I liked them.  :)   I also picked up some Aurifill thread to try, which really wasn't as crazy-expensive as I was expecting given all the hub-bub I'm hearing, some Best Press, because I can't keep my homemade starch from molding, and some embroidery needles.  Still left with a tab of under $100, which was my goal.  Score!!




After jumping my car yet again at the shop, we headed out to meet some of Ash's friends for lunch, then it was on to Stone Mountain which, unbeknownst to me, had a little amusement park. Matt and I had visited before, while on the way to New Orleans for our honeymoon. Apparently, a lot can change in 14 years...LOL.

14-years later...and still schmookies.  :)

I highly recommend the area for good family fun. It was a bit crowded, but not so much that you had to wait for hours to do things. The big hit was the Sky Hike, a contraption you will NEVER find me on. It is a conglomeration of steel, ropes, harnesses, and tracks at death-defying heights - about four stories up - that made me swoon. (Literally - I thought I'd pass out when they first got up there.)




Although Matt and Trenton got stranded by some lightning in the area, the workers let them come back later, at the head of the line, which was wonderful. The funniest part is how I could hear Trenton, but couldn't understand him. Probably a good thing, because I'm quite certain he was cussing in his own little way.




All in all, it was a wonderful weekend - even with the car trouble. The kids got along fabulously and the weather was great. We're pretty much hooked on MLB now and are already thinking about our next trip down. We even thought about tweaking our plans and buying last-minute tickets for Sunday's game, but decided it would be far too late getting home.

Thanks, Atlanta, for an awesome weekend!

WIP Wednesday

Last night was my first chance to sew since leaving for the beach back in June. It's amazing how time at the machine and some good country music can lift your spirits. I'd been in a funk, but I swear I could feel the stress rolling off my shoulders with each stitch!

It turned out to be quite the productive night as I was able to finish blocks for four of my swap friends. I'm in two right now, TwittterB and a Christmas block swap - but ironically enough the TwitterB block for this month was a Christmas one...LOL! I almost felt like playing Christmas music. :)

The first blocks I finished were for Rene, who's been waiting forever for these. She sent us panels and fabric from Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas and pretty much gave us free reign, which I've decided is very dangerous for me. I'm a perfectionist at heart and that tends to trip me up and delay things.


,

Did you see the geese?  Get it?  Six geese a-laying!!!  Bwahahahahahaaa.... oh, I kill me... :)

Next up are block for Tiffany - the only non-Christmas ones of the night.  She sent us some adorable fabric with a forest village on it and asked for not-too-busy nine patches.  I used some solids and a moda marble to keep it crisp and to keep the focus on her fabric.




After dinner, I moved on to blocks for Rachel. She sent us some of the ultra-famous Sherbert Pips, which I had never seen in person. She had gone as far as actually cutting the fabric out for us ahead of time (very impressed!) so these were a breeze to sew together.




Next in line are the blocks I finished for Moira in the 12 Days group.  I'm actually pretty proud of myself on these because the fabric came while I was away.  That means for once, I'm not only on-time but a bit early!!  Woo!! Moira used the same block that Laura had picked out a couple months ago, and I can't blame her - they are fun and oh, so easy! She sent the off-white Christmas fabric and the rest is fabric from my scrap bin. Gotta love the scrap-busting blocks.





And now - on a true Work-in-Progress note, I've made a little progress on my Bethlehem Star quilt. I have the strips cut, but no sewing yet.




This is going to be a monster of a quilt, and I'm so far behind I'm almost ashamed. A group of us are working on it together and I'm about three weeks behind due to a delay in purchasing fabric and then vacation. It will be my main focus for the next little bit because I want to catch up with the others. I'm down to only one set of blocks for a swap - I got fabric from my friend Katherine while I was away, too.

Oh, and in case you missed the posts, I finished my husband's Coffee Quilt and Molly's Quilt while away. Finally, some changes to my ongoing WIP list!!

And - on a parting note - I'm missing the beach terribly.  Re-entry is difficult, and I think it gets more difficult every year.  Here's a parting shot of my family, taken on our last night there.  Until next year, my dear Hatteras....




Enjoy your week!

coffee quilt finished!

OK - I don't know whether it was the Sew Shine WIP Challenge or the fact that I was on vacation, but I've finished yet another quilt. Maybe it was the timing of the two. Who knows - but whatever it was, I'm on a roll and I'm loving the momentum I'm feeling.  Sorta like a dieter who has lost her first two pounds - it's inspiring me to keep moving!!

Yesterday, I finished the last stitches on my husband's coffee quilt - a quilt over a year in the making!!



He and I are avid coffee drinkers - though not coffee snobs - and when I saw this collection at a quilt show last spring (2010!) I wanted to make a quilt for him.  The panels have the cutest sayings...my favorite is "Without coffee 'Good Morning' is an oxymoron."  Oh, so true.



This is also the first quilt I designed on my own - sort of.  The outer ring is a block that was featured on Moose on the Porch Quilts as part of a sampler sew-along.  (Just FYI for inquiring minds - it's Block #2.)  I didn't do all the blocks, but of the few I did, this one was my favorite.  It was simple and quick!

The inner four blocks are my own.  I wanted to highlight the panels, so I measured and cut them, then worked with the remaining prints and panel scraps to make the blocks fit. It's basically a wonky nine-patch, with the middle "row" being much thicker.  If I remember right - and forgive me for not actually measuring - the panel cuts were 6-ish inch squares and the outer rows about 3.5".

I pieced the back, out of sheer necessity.

Because I didn't have a clue as to what I was going to do with the fabric when I bought it, I bought what I thought was enough.  All I knew is I wanted a lap quilt.  The lady at the fabric booth helped the best she could with estimates, but let's face it - she didn't have much to work with!!  By the time the quilt top was finished, I had a veritable mountain of turquoise, brown, and cream scraps, but not enough floral to cover the back.  And I had no binding...something that apparently slipped my mind back then.  (But hey - I had only finished two quilts at that point and both were under the watchful guidance of a teacher at my LQS.)

So, a few weekends ago, I sat down with my graph paper, pencil and eraser and got to work.  After about three hours, I finally had a combo that would both use my scraps and leave me enough for binding.



The next struggle was the quilting, which is no news to those who have read my previous grumblings about the actual quilting step.  I had decided long ago that I would straight-line quilt, but I wasn't sure how to do it with the seams between the two blocks (the outer and inner rings) not even.   I finally decided to start in the middle and quilt a square spiral in the center section and then parallel the seams in the outer ring blocks.  Except for running out of top thread a little over two-thirds of the way through, it went pretty smoothly.  I prepped and attached the binding, then packed it up for my beach trip.

As I was finishing it, I couldn't help but think about how much has changed in a year.  The quilt show (where I purchased the fabric) was in May 2010 and I had only "restarted" my quilting in January.  I had not found any of the blogs I follow and had never heard of "modern quilting".  I hadn't started this blog, either.

Shortly after starting this quilt, I began falling in love with quilts from people like Rita, Rachel, and Julie - who I still admire to the point of near stalking.  They had a crisp, clean look that often made me catch my breath (and still do!).  I began seeing that, yes, it is ok to use solids in a quilt and - gasp - I liked it!  I found straight-line stitching and gave it a try.  I started perusing websites more and more, and my list of  must-read blogs and must-try projects continued to grow.  I grew, too.  And it makes me wonder what my style will be like next year.

Looking back, I'm not sure I would have made the same quilt today as I started back then (even though "back then" was only a year ago).  Not that I don't like it.  I love it... it's cozy and warm and I love the chocolate/turquoise combo.  It's incredibly special to me because it's for my husband, my schmookie.  It's themed around a quiet cup of coffee, one of the simple pleasures we both adore.  I know it will get lots of use. 


But, for now, it's back to packing.  We leave this beautiful piece of heaven tomorrow.  I swear the weeks go by faster each year.  Fortunately, the weeks in between trips seem to go just as fast.  I leave here refreshed and rejuvenated - just the way it should be - and I'm already looking forward to next year.




(See my Linky Party page for blog party links and buttons.)

beachy things - and a quilt finished!

One week from tomorrow, I arrived on the island. Once week from tomorrow, I'll be leaving. This middle weekend is normally a time of reflection for me - one for reminiscing over the past days and relishing the fact that I have seven more remaining.   We're beyond blessed to get to spend two full weeks here, and I try hard not to take it for granted. 

I've managed to snap a few photos to share, and a video as well.  Photos can hardly convey the beauty of this place, nor the peaceful, laid-back atmosphere surrounding every aspect of life.  I'm quite serious when I say I want to retire here!

To start, here is a snapshot of the front of the house we rent.



It's our sixth year in this house, and we were the first to rent it way-back-when.  We go with the same set of friends - three families - with a few others rotating through with us. It's so familiar to us now that we hardly have to plan anything.  It's truly become a home away from home.  By the way - those are my two boys in the front.  :)

Here's the view from the top floor in the back:



This is where I typically go out in the mornings with my coffee and a good book. I'll spend a few minutes out here before starting my day, which includes a one-hour run every other day. I normally hate (hate, hate) running first thing in the morning, but the sun beats down unmercifully here, so I'd rather suck it up and run, then take a nap later.

Because the island is so isolated and, well, thin, there are only a handful of things to do here. We spend most of the days on the beach, then in the pool. One of our favorite things to do is take the Jeep to the beach. Hatteras is one of the few places where vehicles are still allowed in the sand.



There are areas where vehicles (and people) are not allowed due to some bird nestings...not the most popular thing with the locals...but this year the restrictions were very minimal. For the first time since I started coming down here, we made it to the end of the island.



The water above is Hatteras Inlet. The island just beyond it is Ocracoke. It is only accessible by ferry.

Here's a short video of one of our rides...



Of course, not everything we do is outside, and I've been able to finish one of the two quilts I brought with me...Molly's Quilt!!



This is the one I did as part of the Above All Fabric Quilt Along, using the Moda charm pack "Happy Daisy".



Of course, I think it's appropriate that I finished it at the beach. Just in time for some happy, sunny pictures.



Enjoy your week, everyone...and have a Happy Fourth of July!

time for a vacay

Well, I'm sad to say I didn't get my Guitar Quilt quilted on Wednesday. When I got to the local quilt store, all jazzed and excited, I found out they were closing at five. Not enough time to get the quilt done. Turns out their normal closing time is five, but they stay open later for classes on days they have classes. When I booked the appointment, there was a class scheduled until seven that night but no one signed up for the class, so it was cancelled. Therefore, the shop closed at five.

The ladies were super nice and tried to help me out, even offering for me to get started and leave it on the machine overnight. But with work being what it is and my evenings being booked solid, that just wasn't an option. So, I'm signed up for July 14th now. There is a class that day, too, but it's the middle of a Beginning Sewing series that already has people in it, so I should be ok. :)

So - instead of finishing that quilt at the beach, which was the plan, I'll now be finishing Molly's quilt (the Above All Fabric quilt along) and Matt's Coffee Quilt.  I was able to piece the back of Molly's Quilt and get it quilted on Saturday.  Here is the back...no pic of the quilting yet.

Both are already packed in the car, ready to go. We'll be gone for two weeks, which should be plenty of time to get the binding done.  I'm also taking my pile of hexies.  I've been working on these since last fall but Kristen at K*D Quilts has inspired me to get to work on them again.  I have about 150...but need about 1,100.

Tonight will be a fun night...girls night out to the Def Leppard concert in Raleigh.  Can't wait.  Then a day with the boys tomorrow, likely including Cars 2, and off to the Outer Banks with everyone Sunday.  This is our ninth trip together and we look forward to it all year long.  And I mean that quite literally - we start talking and yearning for "next year" the day that we leave.


If you've never been to the Outer Banks, you need to add it to your list of things to see.  We are partial to the southern part, Hatteras Island in particular.  You just can't beat it.  Tiny villages full of houses, vast beaches, and gorgeous sunsets.  Wanna see?  Here's a google images search on "Outer Banks NC".   No traffic, no noise, no hoardes of people.  Sheer, wonderful, all-out peace.  Island life is the life for me.

It takes forever to get there...nearly six hours from our friends house...but it's worth it.  Because the islands are so far from the mainland, there are only two places to cross - Manteo/Nags Head has a set of bridges or you can take the Swan Quarter ferry to Ocracoke and another to Hatteras.   We opt for the former as Ash gets seasick and the SQ ferry is about two hours long.  In some areas on Hwy 12, you can see water on both sides, the island is so thin.  Very cool...except in hurricanes.   

So in a little over 48 hours I'll be unpacking and settling into what has now become our home away from home.  I'm still trying to convince Matt that we need to retire there.  Almost there.  :)

Can't promise a lot of activity here, but I'll try.  I'm sure you'll understand, though, if I make myself scarce.  After all, someone has to watch the kids while they play.  :)

back to "reality"

The trip was...

Outstanding.

Awesome.

Life changing.

I'm not even sure where to start, so while I'm gathering my thoughts over the next few days (or weeks) and processing it all out, here are some pictures.  I'm actually thinking of a "what I learned" series here regarding the culture and how different it was...and how it has affected my outlook on life.

Let me start with this:  If you ever have an opportunity to go on a trip like this, take it.  

Don't hesitate.  Go.

Don't let fear hold you back.  You'll never regret it.

On to the photos....

This is the amazing and wonderful view we were treated to while driving to one of the local villages. Breathtaking.

A photo with the family we visited on one of our first days there. We were walking through the neighborhood and one of the older women said hello. We started chatting and, next thing you know, we were invited into their home where we talked like we were old friends. One of the ladies' son (at right) spoke English and was a great help. They gave us water, tea, cookies, and fruit...and even shared the photo album from a recent wedding. Before too long, the entire family had shown up to visit us, including a less-than one month old baby. So wonderful.

This is me on the edge of the neighborhood where the women lived, with the rest of the town in the background (and the mountains in the distance). I think the building near me is a shepherds' hut, but I'm not sure. Not a house, but a place for them to rest during the day. There were several shepherds in the area.

As you probably guessed from the terrain and people's appearances, I was in the Middle East. It was amazing. Though fleeting thoughts of danger (worry, I guess) had occurred before the trip, not once did they occur while on the trip. We never felt afraid or threatened. I continue to be astonished at the warmth and hospitality we were shown...even by complete strangers.

More pictures will slowly trickle through as I post more. It's strange to not know what to say - there is just so much!

Oh, there is one more thing...

While I was there, I finished and gave away three mug rugs, including one I gave to the women pictured above (we went back later in the week). They didn't have anything like them over there, so who knows how it will be used.

I didn't get pictures of all of them before giving them away, only one. I really hate that I didn't get all of them - or, what would have been even better - a picture with the recipients. Oh well. Life is about living, not photographing, right? Besides, I have the images in my heart. 

Here is the one that I did manage to snap a photo of...

Very simple, just a four-patch with a border. Still, I think it turned out very pretty.  Reversible, too...what did you expect?  Simple stripes on the back (no pic).

I also picked up some fabric while I was there to make a quilt for myself. I'll have to use stabilizer, but I think it will still work. There was no cotton to be found. Hope to have pics of that up soon.

take a little trip....

I mentioned a few posts ago that I'm preparing for an overseas trip.  Well, the trip is almost here - I leave on Friday.  Destination Far-Far-Away. 

Yeah, yeah - I know that's anti- climactic and all, but the truth is I've been asked not to tell.  And in this particular situation, I'm going out on a limb and doing what I'm told...so please forgive my secrecy.

So - even though I can't give you all the details, there is one thing I can tell you.  Here's a hint...

I will be handing out Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes!  [insert squeal here!]

If you aren't familiar with Operation Christmas Child, they are an awesome ministry of Samaritan's Purse - headed by Franklin Graham - that delivers gift-filled shoe boxes to children around the world.  People in nine countries, including the US, take empty shoe boxes and fill them with small gifts, toys, clothing, school supplies... you name it... and they are collected, processed and shipped all over the world.  Last year over 8 million children received a shoe box and, for many, it was the first gift they have ever received. 

Check out this short (only a minute or so) video... 

Did you see the smiles??  I get to do that!!  [**breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out**]

I'm still amazed that I have been given this opportunity.  It's a dream come true, for sure.  My family has participated for years, filling a shoe box or two, but this year I really got to jump in.   A few years ago, we began attending our current church, which has been a Collection Center since the mid-90s.  This past November, I helped out in the collection process and we handled over 34,000 shoe boxes from our region.  Then, I had two opportunities to travel to Charlotte, NC, to help at the Processing Center, which handles millions of boxes.  I can't tell you how many shoe boxes I have touched - either collecting or processing - boxes from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, and who knows where else. 

Now I get to give them away.

The collection and processing experience was almost overwhelming for me.  To think that every shoe box I touched was a gift destined for a child in need frequently brought me to tears.  A seed of hope.  A spark of love.  A reminder that they are not forgotten.

Now I get to deliver that hope.

Wow. 

(It's getting hard to breathe again.)

So, back home - wherever your home may be - pray for my team.  Pray for OCC.  But most of all, pray for the kids.   Pray that they will know they are loved.

Please forgive my silence for the next couple of weeks.  In return, I promise to share lots of pictures when I get back.

easter weekend

Like most long weekends, Easter came and went with hardly a blink. It feels like weeks since we took off to spend a few days in the mountains with friends. It was so relaxing and wonderful...I wish I was still there!

As can happen on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the fog was crazy.  There were times you could only see a few feet in front of the car.  Crazy.  To say the least, it took us a bit longer than usual to get there.

(And, yes, you can see the table runner I'm trying to finish in the reflection.)

The next couple of days, though, were simply awesome.  We got up late, stayed up late, hiked, joked around, ate plenty of food, and practiced a lot of new German words with our new friend, Chris, who is visiting from Germany for a few weeks.  My favorite - Neuschwanstein.  Partially because I'm a princess and partially because it's just fun to say!

Chris even took the time to make cookies with my youngest.  She got a kick out of it - apparently they don't have the break-and-bake cookies in her town.

We tried a couple of times to head up to Grandfather Mountain, but ended up not going in.  On Saturday the line was just too long.  On Sunday, we.... uh.... well...there were technical difficulties.  You see, they charge to get into the park...which is not a good thing when every adult in the car left her purse at home.  (*cough*).

Plan B for Saturday was hiking a bit on some random trails - they are all over the place up there.  Here, my oldest and I stop for a quick photo.

Flowers and trees were just starting to bloom, and there were little patches all around.
 

The trouble, though, is that it really took a toll on our allergies.  I'd been doing very well this spring until this weekend. 

Easter morning was quiet and relaxing - as compared to Easters of the past. This is my first year (other than sicknesses) that I have ever missed church on Easter.   Ever.  It was weird, but at the same time, refreshing.  And very interesting to step away from tradition, even if only for a moment. 

Of course, we did leave a note for that fabulous chocolate-bearing rabbit...and what do you know?! He left us a little treat. :)

We asked him to go easy on the candy, but as you can see it didn't really work out that way. The LEGOs were a lot of fun, though.

On Monday, we headed out to a local park and took off hiking again.  By this point, though, my allergies had just gotten the better of me.  Shortly after I snapped these photos, I headed back to the car to wait it out.

The kids were just too cute with their little walking sticks...

After I got to the car a storm came up which cleared out the picnic areas. Unfortunately the rest of the group got stuck in it. They were too far out by the time the storm surfaced and couldn't make it back quick enough. (I wish I would have thought to take some pictures of their drenched little butts...LOL!)

All in all, we spent a good portion of time outside, but I also got some quilting done.  Apparently a little too much, as hubby thought he needed to snap a picture of me at work. And now I can see why my back was hurting so much. I really missed my counter-height cutting table.

That's Jane's Black and White quilt I'm working on, by the way - a post on that soon to follow.