Another great giveaway

***Happy Halloween Everyone!!!***

For all you fabric lovers...you gotta head over here and enter this giveaway! Katie of See Katie Sew is hosting a giveaway of a flat rate box stuffed full of yummy fabrics to celebrate her 2 year blogiversary. Just look at the sampling of what you get...So what are you still doing here???...get over there!!! (and mention I sent you!)

[photo from JCasa Handmade]

One of my favorite blogs that I stalk is JCasa Handmade. If you haven't checked it out yet, now is a good time to do so because she is hosting a giveaway! How lovely is this baby quilt? I could certainly get some use out of one of these come April when the twins arrive :) All you have to do to enter is post about her giveaway on your blog and pick 3 main colors for the quilt. That's it!

Since we don't know if we are having boys/girls/one of each, my color choices are in the air. Maybe something neutral like khaki, chocolate and sage? If I win I would be so thrilled I really wouldn't mind which colors were in it. All of the stuff she makes and posts on her blog is so beautiful! So head on over there and enter!

A few of my favorite things...

1. Yummy brownies.

2. Longaberger pottery (makes the brownies taste better...I swear).

3. My cute snuggly Chloe.

I'm handy with a knife

This is the first time DH & I have ever followed a pattern to carve a pumpkin. It was fun and I think it looks super cool at night. :) I am also now a big fan of the little pumpkin carving sets (previously I just thought they were a waste of money...I figured everyone had a knife at home). But now, I realize this pattern would have been impossible to do with my steak knife. However, don't plan on keeping one of these sets to use year after year...one of the little carving knives snapped in half before I even finished carving. The pumpkin guts scoop that comes with the set got a thumbs up from the hubby. Overall...very much fun indeed.

My Bernina and I are friends again

I'm sure my Bernina was wondering what happened to me. Over the summer, my sewing mojo was...well...non-existent. Cooler weather thankfully has brought it back. I spent most of the weekend working on sewing projects so I should have plenty to share this week.

First off is my FIRST EVER completed quilt. I've made quilt tops in the past but they never made it to the long arm quilter, much less to the binding stage. So, I was thrilled that I finally finished this Yellow Brick Road pattern baby quilt. I am so proud of the binding. This is something I never thought I could do. But thankfully, one of the nurses at work showed me how to hand sew on the binding in just a couple of minutes between patients and it turned out better than I could have ever imagined (mitered corners!). I owe her one! I picked out this awesome varigated brown-pink thread for the quilting work...love it.

Everyone who has seen it has asked if it is for one of my babes. Well, if "A" or "B" ends up being a girl this quilt is all ready for her! We still don't know what we are having yet though. I purchased the fabric long for this very project long before I found out I was pregnant. Could that be a sign? If I end up having 2 boys...well, the next lucky friend to have a girl will probably get it.

[Front view]

[Back view - chocolate brown with pink polka dots]

Isn't my DH just the best model???

The verdict on the pattern: LOVE IT! Easy to understand, easy to come together. Will definately make this quilt again (especially if we are having one - or two - boys).

It's all about the shoe

Soon, DH & I will be packing our bags for our annual fall weekend retreat at a posh resort across the state. It really is one of my favorite times of the year. We get all dressed up, have fancy-shmancy dinners, get to sleep in a soft-as-can-be feather bed and I get to spend all day at the spa on Saturday. DH's favorite part is that the cottages we stay in have honest-to-goodness fireplaces that he can build an honest-to-goodness fire in. It is a nice and relaxing weekend. Every year, one of my favorite indulgences before we go on this little trip is that I get to purchase a new pair of wild/fancy shoes. My dress choices are kinda limited this year due to my pregnancy. I'm just a little to big to look good in my formal dresses I have on hand and a little too small for maternity dresses to look cute. So this year...it was all about the shoes to make my sorta simple black dress look fantastic. So, I picked these Carlos Santana shoes...affordable, super cute and can go with many dresses/outfits in the future. Very sensible...well except for that heel. :)To keep these little beauties safe in my luggage, I decided I needed a proper shoe bag. Perfect pattern found in Simple Sewing with a French Twist. I love this pattern...super easy to understand and super fast to come together.




Plus side to this little project...it could be so adaptable...make it a little smaller for a great cosmetics pouch or coin pouch. Line it with iron on vinyl and it would be perfect for toting that wet swimsuit around during the summer. Make it a little bigger and it would be the perfect bag to put your dirty laundry in while on vacation so when your re-pack your bag to come home all of that laundry is in one place...okay...now I know what my next sewing project is for this week!
After visiting that Carlos site to find a picture of the shoes I purchased at macys, I found these lovelies. I have a chocolate brown dress that these would look fab with. DH, can I have these too...pretty please???

Edit: Well...after searching the internet high and low the lovely Roulette Brown Leopard Carlos shoes are not available ANYWHERE in my size. Bummer. If anyone happens upon this shoe in a size 7 please let me know! Now, I feel like a crazy woman and want it that much more! :)

Cooler weather means...

Talking and laughing with DH beside a cozy fire in our firebowl in our back yard. I just love the smell of the fire and sound of the crackling wood.

Hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream. Mmmm.

Yippie, I love fall!

Cooler weather means...

Paula Deen CrockPot Taco Soup...mmm. A favorite in our house...so easy to make and so tasty!

Again, I must say it...I love fall

What is not to love about a season that produces beauty like this???

Mark another off the to-sew list...or not...

I've been wanting to make a camera strap for my sister (the awesome photographer) for quite some time like those of Adrienne and Jade. For whatever reason though, I just couldn't imagine cutting up the strap that came with the camera. Plus, I wanted this to be a surprise so I couldn't exactly steal her camera strap...I mean she uses it every day. So, after studying my own camera strap I figured there must be some way I could make it all on my own. After a trip to JoAnn's, I figured I had all the supplies to give it a try. Now, like I said, I've been wanting to do this for a while. My trip to JoAnn's was back in July. So, it was quite comical last night when I decided to actually sit down and figure this out. I couldn't find the pleather (fake leather - vinyl stuff) I had purchased. After much whining and searching ("DH have you seen my pleather?" - ask your husband that...it gets quite a reaction), I found it and settled in. The result...

Not to shabby. I used buckle fasteners so that the straps that attach to the camera are fixed in place and the strap itself can be removed and exchanged. It is much easier to remove the camera from the strap with this setup than the strap that came with my camera. Now...I'm addicted. I feel like I need to make 2 -3 more different straps so she can interchange them based on mood. Or maybe holiday ones. Ooo, the possibilities. Now, I gotta make one for myself too...so I can't exactly mark it off my to-sew list just yet.

Productive Saturday

I have recently lost my sewing mojo but I am determined to get it back now that cooler weather is around the corner. I woke up this morning determined to mark something off of my to-sew list. So, I finally made the backing to this Yellow Brick Road baby quilt I made a while back. The above is a sneak peak of the quilt top. The backing is solid and in the brown with pink polka dots fabric. I finished up the backing and sewed the binding into a long strip. Plus, I was extra productive today...I already took it to the long arm quilter! She told me it should be ready in about a week. When I get it back the binding is already ready to go...I'll get it all wrapped up and then hopefully post it sometime next week.

Also, equally productive...sorting wedding pictures! DH & I have been married for 2 1/2 years and all of our wedding pictures (aside from the professional magazine-style album our photographer had printed for us) have been sitting in a tote since we ordered them! Shame! I had big plans to scrapbook all of the photos and incorporate the invites, cards, ribbons and the like but with the babies coming I knew that would never happen. Plus, I'm not much of a scrapbooker (hehe that sounds funny). So, I purchased these nice leather-bound albums from Target (where else!?! - love that store!) and spent the evening organizing and filing the photos away. Now DH can stop asking me when I am going to finish our wedding albums!

Hope you all had a productive (and relaxing) Saturday!

Little hats for little heads.

I purchased a very nice natural colored baby alpaca yarn over a year ago with no particular project in mind at the time. For some reason I thought of this yarn today while drying my hair getting ready for work. I thought it would make the perfect little warm, snuggly, gender neutral hats for my little ones. I threw it in my bag along with my Knifty Knitter hat loom (yeah, I can't knit with needles...too hard). I was able to whip up both of these soft little cuties in no time flat. I even had yarn left over so I made a 3rd hat for one of the nurses who is expecting soon. I will put it with some burpies and maybe a appliqued onesie and call it a day. :)

I am also very excited about my new BlackBerry Curve. I must say...what did I do before you??? I was able to snap this photo, send it to my computer and make this post happen...all from my phone! Love it!

Photo op.

We went to the lake this past Sunday to have a picnic lunch with my family. The weather was so nice. I love fall. My sister (who is an awesome photographer) snapped this picture of DH & I while we were there. She has such an artsy eye...I just love it. Once the little ones come along I must have her take a shadow photo of them once there are big enough to toddle around.

Mmmm...good.

Dear Husband,

Stop reading my blog now. You don't want to read this post. Trust me.

Love,
Your Wife

Everyone else,

This is what pregnancy can do to you.

You are hungry (ravenous) and working the night shift. Any other night shift (non-pregnant) when you get hungry you pop a lean cuisine or smart ones meal in the microwave, grab a turkey sandwich and some baked lays or eat an apple. But when you are PREGNANT on a night shift you decide a nice, hot cafeteria meal would be a good idea at 12:30am (blame it on the hormones). So you wonder downstairs and hit the jackpot. Breakfast food at midnight.

Yeah...not my normal meal AT ALL. But, gosh, it was sooooo gooooood. Apples, potatoes, biscuits and gravy. I know this picture looks pretty gross (blame it on the blackberry - not the best quality photo, right???) but our cafeteria is actually pretty good. DH says that it is just because I am used to all of this cafeteria food...but hey, they make a mean midnight breakfast.

Oh, and husband (because I know you are still reading)...I promise I don't eat like this every night. :)

So Fall.

One of my friends sent the sweetest gift when she heard our exciting news...a lovely note of congrats and two beautiful sunflowers (one for each babe who will be the sunshine of our lives). They are so fall and I so love them.

I recently had a chance to do some baking (well, my form of baking - out of a box). I tried the Archer Farms (Target brand) scones in Vanilla. The verdict...well...they are just that...kinda vanilla. They are very moist but not much flavor. Don't think I will try these again. Anyone have any good and quick and easy scones recipes???

New Gadgets.

So...I'm vamping up my blog.

Thanks to a recent post by Jessica at How About Orange, I have been inspired to do a little work to make my blog a little more fun.

Take a look over there on my sidebar --->
1. Added a search box. Now you can easily find that post that lists my recipe for that yummy Lemon-y Tuna Salad.
2. Followers. Come on. Sign up. I would love to know who follows my blog!
3. My Blog List. In case you ever wondered what I am reading an who I tend to follow.
4. And my new fave...
This is so cool. Now I can add little snippets that don't necessarily warrant a full post. I can update via the web or on the go via my cell. You can even follow my twitter-ings!

What do ya think?

New Etsy Shop! Giveaway!

(photo above from BettyNinja)
BettyNinja has done it again! Another cute etsy shop! Go see her new shop Lost in the Woods and while you are at it you must stop by her blog to be entered in a giveaway!

Getting prepared.

Finally got a little sewing done. I completed a trio of burpies to stash back for future use. I love these...so quick and easy to make, so darn cute and it is the perfect project to use up some of my fabric scraps. I see making at least a dozen of these in my future.

While you are here...check out the new gadget blogger has added as a option for our blogs. It's over there on the sidebar called "Followers" - sign up - follow my blog! :)

Exposing myself.

Remember that post by Jade about exposing yourself?

Well...I signed up for the challenge and procrastinated (story of my life?). Finally, I just took the plunge and started with my hall closet. I almost can't believe I am showing this picture (embarrassing!).

Entry Hall Closet Before

I sorted and sorted. In the end I got rid of a garbage bag full of shoes (gasp!...but remember I have to make room for these babies!) and 10+ coats. I added a new mesh shoe organizer to the door (the old plastic one had several pockets ripping) to help organize scarves, hats, gloves, umbrellas and flip flops.

I purchased a revolving shoe stand for DH's shoes (which are always too big to fit on a shoe organizer or in the shoe pockets) and arranged our coats.

Now we are all ready for cooler weather with jackets and gloves/scarves/hats easy to find.

My next "expose yourself" project should be my office but I am just too embarrassed to post those before pictures!