Fun Things To Do!

Hello World!!  So I've been busy doing more sewing.  I just can't get enough of it!  I am participating in another quiltalong (as I mentioned in an earlier post that there was more to come on the third project I was starting).  I'm doing a Charm Pack Quiltalong by Karrie Lyne.  She is a sweatheart!!  Plus she just had her first Moda Bakeshop Tutorial posted.  I highly suggest you check it out.  I can't wait to have a free moment to make that quilt.  It's so cute!  Below are the fabrics I'm using (Thimbleberries Pumpkin Hill along with Kona Crush Natural).  I thought I would be fun to make a Halloween quilt since I haven't done one yet.  Fall is my absolute favorite time of year!  So...125 HST later, this is what I have...

I just finished squaring them all up last night, so these were obviously taken before the squaring was done.  :o)  I am sure glad she gave us two weeks to get that part done. :o)  Thanks, Karrie Lyne!  But if you're interested, it's still not too late to join the fun!  Just click on the charm pack link about and get busy!!

Another fun thing I did was make this CUTE notebook holder from one of my blogger friends, Melissa. This was so easy to make and I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out!!  I was so excited to make it that I forgot to do the top stitch on it!! LOL  You can find this pattern in her Etsy store.  I just love her creativity and kindness.  I HIGHLY recommend  her stuff!!

Let me know if you make one. I'm going to make more because I think that are a great little item to have around...plus I have lots of fabric that needs something done with it, and this is the perfect project!  Thanks, Melissa!!

Well...I'm off to go pull weeds.  The heat is not too bad this morning, so I thought I should get that done before I start doing housework.  The fun just never ends in the Smith house!  :o)  I will try to blog again as soon as I can because I have a GREAT concert review for you!  Wait until you see my pics from that night!!  WOW!

Hugs to you all!!!!!
Cindy

My Latest Projects

Just thought I would update  you on the quilting projects I've been doing.  Way back when (of course, when I say, "way back when", I do mean AFTER the dinosaurs.) I posted the fabrics I'd be using (Kansas Troubles Winter line) for the online quiltalong at p.s. I quilt.  Well, I'm working on putting the sashing and border on now.  But I thought I would go ahead and show you the lay out:

Now keep in mind, as I said, I am adding the sashing strips and border, so this is just a rough draft of what's to come.  :o)  I'm thinkin this pretty rad!

My new project is the Summer Star Sampler 2010.  The instructions are given every Tuesday for two blocks.  I just completed week two...BEFORE next Tuesday!  LOL  I'm pretty proud of myself for that one!  But this gives me time over the weekend to finish my pinwheel quilt, so I need to stay on top of my game.  :o)  I think juggling two quilt projects (soon to be three!...more to come on that one) has to be WAY worse then trying to juggle two men at the same time.  Just sayin...  Here's the new quilt:

This fabric line is Holiday Happy by Happy Zombie (with additions of other fabric lines if needed for contrast).  If you've never viewed  her blog, you really should.  OMG....LOVE this gal!!  She totally cracks my stuff up!!  My dream is to meet her in person some day.  I think we would be the life of the party.  :o)  Gosh...to me that would be like meeting the Barbra Streisand of the quilt world.  **sigh**  I got to meet Patrick Lose whose my other hero and he now calls me his friend....~~swoon~~.  So dreams do come true!  :o)  I'm incorporating his fabric into this quilt as well.  His blue Fizz is in the blue block on the bottom right corner.  I just love the quilting world!

Until the next adventure of the Singing Quilter...I wish y'all best stitches from my needle to yours!  (you guessed it...I LOVE Paula Deen too...you know...when she says, "I wish y'all best dishes from my kitchen to yours"! LOL)
xoxo

Flying into Vegas

So I just had to share these pictures I took when flying to Vegas.  I can't wait to get a new computer so I can put my Photoshop Elements 8 on it.  Ooooooo....the things I will be able to do with that!!  I love dabbling in photography.  Not that I need another thing to dabble in...I'm busy enough...but it's just so much fun!  So, enjoy the view!

Sponsor Giveaway!

Hey all my quilty friends and family!  Check out this giveaway for a gorgeous Spirit Moda charm pack!  If you enter...good luck!!  (though don't be jealous if I win....giggles!!)



C

What A Ride!!!!!

Oh my goodness!  Do I have a lot to share!!  What a ride I have been on this past week!!!  An experience I am THRILLED to have had in my lifetime!!  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I won a karaoke contest which sent me to Vegas for the finals.  I didn't get past the top 100, but that was OK!!  The talent I was up against was outstanding!!  There was no thinking, "How did 'so and so' make it this far??".  Every person that was there truly deserved to be there.  I met so many wonderful people from all over.  It was amazing!!!!  One of the competitors is getting ready to start her international tour this fall and another very nice gentleman is currently working on his CD with his wife.  Let me tell you...he has a golden voice!  Keep your eyes open for Tim Wilgers in the country music industry.  All of us know he's going to make it!  He's already opened for Mark Chestnut!  I know...I know...you want to see him...well of course you know I'll share photo's!

Oh yeah!  I'm proud!  And it was so nice to hear him talk so lovingly about his wife.  His wife is 7 months pregnant with their first baby.  But seriously, when he sings, everyone is quiet and you just want to listen and have his voice carry you away.

And on another lucky note, the Daytime Emmy's were  held the same day as the competition.  I got to walk the red carpet!!  (only because the plastic was still on!  LOL!!)

But again...lucky me!!  When I watched soaps (I had to cut myself off because I was going insane with all the drama! LOL) my favorite actress was Bobbie Eakes who played Macy on The Bold and the Beautiful.  Oh my goodness...the tragedies with she and Thorn.  :o)  Guess who I just happen to come across???

Let me tell you...she's as sweet as she is pretty.  I was in awe!!!  SHE even told ME I looked cute!  OMG!!  She's a size zero...and I'm..........not!  :o)

We went on a tour of Hoover Dam.  If you ever get a chance to be in Vegas, make sure to put this tour on your To Do list.  It's one of the wonders that will keep you in awe for probably the rest of you life.  Absolutely incredible!

We also ate at a fun restaurant.  Toby Keith's Bar & Grill.  It was great!  And they serve free 'freaky' shots.  LOL  And freaky it was!  If you ever see one of his restaurants on your travels, make sure to stop and say 'HI!' to Toby!

I have to tell you that it was great having my mom, aunts and friends travel with me to Vegas.  They made it even more special.  But you know the saying.....

So...I will tell you that we were all good girls that had a great time!!  :o)

What I can tell you is when I got back to work Thursday, my co-workers had this for me:

It just doesn't get any better than this!!  I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.  Whether they were with me in Vegas, or thoughts and prayers, I felt the love and it was GREAT!!!  I can only hope I give back to others in my life as much as they give me.  And I have to say, for as much glamor and glitz as I saw in Vegas, nothing beats coming home to my sweet hubby and handsome son's.  I got home and Skeet had a nice cup of coffee ready for me (cause God knows I couldn't drink that stuff in Vegas!  Yuck!) and we sat on the front porch and shared what  happened while we were apart.  Hands down, I am blessed!

Patrick Lose Contest

So...most of you know how much of a fan I am of the fabric designed by Patrick Lose.  Well, he's having a contest.  Of course, I entered...AND bought fabric....just cause  his stuff always makes me smile!  I was THRILLED when Quilts by the Oz in Moline, IL started carrying his stuff.  As a matter of fact, I was so excited I took a long lunch with my sister when they received his Satinesque line in and bought a half yard of each color.  I couldn't stop myself!  If you would like to enter his contest, just click here.  I hope you all have a great day!!

My Latest Accomplishments!

I hope this post finds all of you healthy and full of things to be grateful for.  Today we honor those who gave their lives in the service of our country.  I send a prayer to all their families. God bless America and those who continue to keep us safe.

So...it's been a busy couple weeks at the Smith house.  We have a new addition to our family.  She's an adorable little girl who has melted our hearts!  She's just a little bundle of energy.  I would like you to meet Sadie....she's a 3/4 lab and 1/4 coon hound.  A friend of mine found her on Craig's List for us.  She was from a litter of unexpected puppies that were being given away to good homes.  We are blessed!!

                                                     Here is Sadie and her duck Justin bought her:

 
                             
                                             And here is Jesse and Sadie.  Jesse is the one who picked her out:

 She is quickly becoming spoiled!  Her first vet visit was last Saturday.  I was so proud of her!  She got the first of her puppy shots and is in great health.  She was born April 1st and weighs 10 pounds already.  I think Sadie is going to be a big girl, so I'm going to enjoy this little size for the time being.  :o)

I also got 2 quilts done for my niece's high school graduations.  I thought I would share as I really enjoyed making them!  I also made each of them matching pillowcases, which I forgot to take pictures of!  Sarah helped me with Rachel's (the black/white/red one).  Rachel is a niece to both of us, so I made the quilt and Sarah had it quilted and put the binding on along with the quilt label.  (THANKS, Sarah!)  Of course, this is the quilt before it was quilted.  I totally forgot to get a picture of it completed.  I'll have to hook up with Rachel later to get that!

And here is my niece, Hannah's, quilt.  She is the daughter of my husbands brother.  I am proud to say that I quilted this one myself on my sewing machine.  I'm not a big fan of that, only because it's hard to do!  LOL  But as I was telling my sister this morning about a quote I like..."Impossible is only an opinion...not a fact"...with that said, it really wasn't impossible to quilt it myself!  :o)

My husband is holding it for me.  Isn't he cute?  LOL  I just love him to death.

One another note...I'm going to Vegas the end of June!!  I was talked in to entering a karaoke contest.  After 3 weeks of finals...I WON!!!!  Can you believe it?????????  So...my prize was a free trip to Vegas to compete in the Nationals.  Skeet can't go with me, which bums me out, but my mom and two of my friends are going along.  My goal is to make it to the top 3.  How exciting is that??  I was so shocked.  But I have to tell you that the support of my family and friends was absolutely amazing.  I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.  To sing and look out into the audience and have half of them be my family and friends....I will never, ever forget what that looked like. And when they announced my name as the winner and I saw all of them cheering and jumping up and down...my heart is swelling right now as I remember that night!!

Well, it's time for me to sign off.  I need to get my house cleaned.  After all this sewing, and graduation parties (we had four last weekend and 5 this past weekend), it's been feeling a little neglected.  Skeet has started putting up his new building...The Man Shed....so I will be cooking a lot in the next couple weeks for all that come to help.  I'll be trying some new recipes, which I will definitely share!  Be on the look out!  Until next time....keep looking up and laugh as much as you can! xoxo