Fat Quarter Shuffle Finished!!

I got the Fat Quarter Shuffle quilt finished today! I really, really like this pattern alot. It went together quickly and I love the way it looks. The backing is made out of a really soft cream colored blanket. It's so cuddly and warm! I can just see myself curled up with this quilt, reading a book and drinking hot chocolate. Maybe we'll even get some snow on the ground which would make it perfect!!!

Bye,

Finally quilting again!

HI everyone!!

I'm finally back to quilting and it feels so great! I got alittle busy with a Christmas help type job, but luckily I got to quit that pretty quickly. I'm back to being "just" a mom and wife and I have to admit it is wonderful. I love being here to enjoy my husband and daughter. And of course that gives me alot more time for quilting too.

I spent a good part of the day today working on the Fat Quarter Shuffle quilt that I started a month or so ago. It's almost done! I decided to sorta cheat and finished it out pillowcase style instead of using binding. I also used a really soft blanket as the back without any batting in the middle. I think it's going to be very cuddly! I finished the "birthing" tonight and tomorrow I plan on tie it all over. I know, I know, it is sorta like cheating but I just want to get it finished and on my couch. LOL! I'll post pictures when I get it finished - hopefully tomorrow.

And, I already have my next project picked out. I'm going to make the most recent Quiltville mystery called Carolina Christmas. I'm not planning mine in Christmas colors though. I have picked out the colors - blues, greens, reds, and neutrals - and I have all my strips separated. There are already three steps available but I haven't started sewing yet. I want to get the other quilt finished before I start this one. I'm alittle worried that it is going to be too difficult for me but I suppose this will be an opportunity for me to grow as a quilter. It sure is wonderful of Bonnie to offer such great patterns!!!

Bye,

Another finish!!!

I have finally gotten my Steelers quilt finished! I was able to make this quilt, as well as the tote bag/purse, from all the fabric that my friends on the internet sent me. Thanks so much, girls!! Anyhow, I got the quilt finished and I have to admit that I love it! One of the nice women from the internet sent me some fabric & the package included two pillow panels. I didn't want to make pillows too so I decided to include them into the blanket. I love the way it turned out. I admit that I decided to do it raggy so that I could get it finished a little quicker. Of course, by the time I got done with all the trimming it didn't seem any quicker! I hope you all like it and GO STEELERS!!!!!

I need some advice!

My husband bought me a package of pre cut diamond quilt pieces for our anniversary while we were in Amish country. That was in March and I'm finally getting around to them! I want to make a quilt for our bed. I know I could just make them into stars and applique them onto squares. I'm thinking there might be other things to do with them though. Any ideas from anyone?

Steelers bag finished!

I finished my Steelers bag today! Thanks so much for all you generous quilters out there that sent me fabric. I loved all of it and my bag is awesome!!! :) So far, in the month of September, I've made three of these tote bags. Each one is a different size!! I have to admit that I probably like the Steelers one the best!

Rough week

Well, this week has been pretty rough for me. First, I heard about my dear internet friend passing away. Then yesterday I got a call from my brother telling that he's getting a divorce. It's so sad! They've been married 10 years and have two beautiful children. I feel so badly for everyone involved. They live in Florida, as well as my parents, and now I'm dying to get down there to visit. It's hard being so far away from them! Please join me in praying for my brother and his family.

Okay, on a more positive note, I have gotten a great response to my requests for Steelers fabric! Lots of very generous quilters have been sharing with me. I've even gotten a few packages in the mail already. Plus more have been promised! It's so great getting squishy envelopes!!! I promised everyone that I'll be putting pictures up as I work on my projects. Originally I was hoping to get enough to make a tote bag. Now, I think I'll actually have enough to make the tote as well as a throw to cuddle up with while watching the games. Quilters are the best!!!!

I haven't been sewing much, well, really I haven't sewn any for about a week. But I have been reading tons of quilting e-mails as well as blogs. Gosh, I could be busy for years from the ideas I get from everyone else. Plus, I have gotten lots of quilting books from the library to drool over. My mind is very full & I'm itching to get on that sewing machine!!!

Bye,

Remembering an online friend

I just found out that a wonderful young lady I met through a couple different Yahoo e-mail groups has passed away. She was young, probably in her early to mid 20s, and married just six to eight months ago. She recently discovered that she was pregnant with twins as well! Her life seemed to be a fairytale. Her marriage seemed to be very strong and they both seemed to love each other very much. It's so sad. Her name was Lorenza and she passed away suddenly on August 30 of a brain aneurysm. She was only 5 months along so unfortunately they lost the babies as well. I can't even imagine how her husband and family are feeling. I'm shocked and upset myself. I only knew her through the e-mails I've read, but she seemed to be such a wonderful you lady with a beautiful life in front of her. Please remember her family, and especially her husband, in your prayers!

Steelers fabric?

As you can see by reading my blog, I have gotten completely addicted to making tote bags. Now I want to make a purse size - alittle smaller than the pink and brown one I just finished. Since I'm a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I'm thinking it would be fun to make a purse out of those colors. Of course, my husband is a Cleveland Brown's fan so I'm having a hard time convincing him to buy me any Steelers fabric. Plus, I don't really need alot & it would be expensive to buy all the different types for just a few squares of each. So, my plea to everyone reading is if you have any type of Pittsburgh Steelers fabric it would be so great if you'd share with me. Even just a couple squares would be a help. Thanks so much!!

Bye,

"Small" bag theory

I finished the next tote bag!!! I'm going to call this one "small" bag theory. LOL! It is basically the same pattern just using smaller (3.5 inch) squares. I absolutely love the colors! Ashley thinks it looks like a diaper bag and I sorta think she's right. I want to use it as a tote for work though. I can fit lots of "stuff" in there! I was hoping for it to be a purse too but really it's still alittle too big. I'm thinking of making it out of 3 inch squares next time and using less of them. Can you tell I'm getting addicted to making totes?! It's so neat that I'm getting more confident too. I decided I wanted to put pockets inside this bag. I basically figured it out myself and that feels good. Plus, I was wanting the corners to fold in some instead of being so square. I used thick thread to make ties on each side. Then they can be tied or left open depending on how full the bag is. I have to admit I'm kinda proud of myself!!!

Bye,

New tote bag

I've been quilting up a storm yesterday and today! It's so fun!!! I am just so thrilled to be back at it & I don't want to stop. I've started another tote bag - this one is from the same pattern as the last one but I'm making it smaller. I used 3 1/2 inch squares this time. It's checkerboard style with brown and pink fabric. So pretty & girly! I'll post a pic as soon as I get it done.

Steelers won the other night - YEA! They are so good. It would be so awesome if they would actually win the Super Bowl again this year. That is a long time away though so we'll see how the season goes. I sure hope Troy Polamolu is feeling better soon & back on the field!!

bye,

Go Steelers!!!!!

Tonight is the opening game for the NFL season!! I am so excited! Go Steelers!! They are the best team in football right now and I hope they win the Super Bowl again. My husband is a Cleveland Browns fan so we don't always see eye to eye on sports topics. LOL!! But of course, I know how to pick the winners.

Speaking of winners, we watched America's Got Talent last night and I can't believe the level of singers they have this year. WOW! Barbara Padilla, the opera singer and Lawrence Beamen are both just amazing. I like Lawrence alot but if Barbara won that would be alright with me too. I can't wait until the finale Wednesday night!

Ashley and I watched So You Think You Can Dance last night too. I am so happy it is starting again. Although I really don't like the audition episodes too much. I prefer when they are down to the top 20 and paired up. Of course it is only the first night of auditions, but I saw someone I liked alot. Her name is Mollee Gray. I think she'll make it to atleast the top 4 but Ashley doesn't think so. We made a bet on it! Hopefully I'm right.

bye for now,

Busy

I have been so busy the last few days. I haven't done any quilting though. I've been thinking about it alot and catching up on group e-mails. We've been straightening up the house and my husband got me a new ceiling fan! Isn't it pretty!?!


I got to quit my job today too!!! YEAH! I've been working for my brother-in-law at his milk delivery business. He runs it out of his house and his wife had been doing all the office work. They hired me about 6 months ago to work a few days a week and give her a break. It's been alright but I'm really used to not working and being home with my family. Tom finally decided that I should quit so I told them today. They took it pretty well but I could tell they were disappointed. My last day is going to be September 23 - praise the Lord!!!

So You Think You Can Dance starts tonight. I can't wait! I am so excited for all the new shows to be starting. I just love all the reality shows - well the ones that aren't too trashy. You'll be hearing me talking alot about them too.

Bye

A quilting finish!!

I actually quilted for 4 1/2 hours yesterday (Sunday)!!!! I am so proud of myself. It felt really good too. I started out with the intention of quilting for 15 minutes but it turned into 4 1/2 hours. LOL! I suppose that is proof that it felt good to be behind my machine again. And, even more exciting, is that I actually finished something. This is the "big bag theory" tote that was featured in the McCalls Quilting magazine a few months ago. I started it in May and am finally finishing it! I love the way it turned out and the pattern was every easy to follow. My only complaint, and it's my own fault for not looking closer at the pattern, is that it is SO big! I was wanting a tote to use as a purse but this one is going to be too big. The picture with the magazines shows you how big this tote is - there are five magazines piled inside there! Anyhow, I loved it so much but want it smaller. Next time, hopefully tomorrow, I'm going to make it smaller. I think I'll use smaller squares and less of them. It's going to be out of pink and brown fabrics. I just love those two colors together! Hopefully I'll have another tote to show off soon!

Getting my groove back!

I'm finally getting my quilting groove back! It feels good too. I have been away from quilting for so long that it was starting to stress me out. But my husband finally stepped in to help me and we got it all worked out. He told me last night that I needed to take some time for myself this weekend. He wants me to relax and get excited about quilting again. Now, we're having a yard sale tomorrow and Saturday so that is taking some of my time. And I have to go to work for alittle bit on Saturday morning. But other then that we'll be home and I"m going to be focusing on all things quilting!! LOL!

Today I spent the day reading e-mails from Yahoo quilting groups I belong to. I've also looked at lots of quilting blogs. I have gotten so much inspiration from everyone it's amazing! I had planned to get out all the projects I've started and decide what I like and what I want to change. I was going to pick four of them and they'd become my "Fab Four" that I would focus on. I didn't get that far though. Instead I spent the day on the computer and helping to get the yard sale ready.

BUT tomorrow is another day! In the evening, and maybe if I can sneak inside some during the day, I'm going to drag out all those projects and get thinking. I want to pick my Fab Four and focus on them. I'm going to commit to sewing 15 minutes every single day. It doesn't matter which of the four projects I work on, or if I decide to sew longer or not, but I have to do my 15 minutes. I really think it'll make a big difference!!

Bye,

Freecycle rant!

Does everyone know about freecycle? Here in Ohio we have an e-mail group called freecycle. People throughout the county post items that they no longer want & offer them to others free of charge. Then if you are interested in something you e-mail the original poster and request it. It's an awesome idea! For people with things to get rid of it is nice because you are helping your community out and still clearing out unwanted objects. And of course for the people that get the item it is awesome because you are receiving items for free!

Anyhow, as I mentioned the other day, we have been working out in the yard decreasing the size of our flower beds. I had alot of plants that I no longer wanted so I offered them on freecycle. I got tons of responses which was good because I had a ton of plants too! I ended up offering the plants to 40 different people. Should be a happy story, right? Wrong! Of the 40 people that came to get plants from me - 6 of them didn't get anything because other people had taken their bags of plants. I had put them out on the porch in labeled bags and as a result some people felt it was fine to take extra bags. Terrible!

So, please, if you are a participant in freecycle, make sure you only take the items that were actually promised to you. It hurts other people that you are taking from - plus the original poster (like me) feels so bad over it happening!!

Bye,

Quilting

I got an e-mail from a friend of mine who I hadn't heard from in quite some time. She sent me some pictures of a quilt she had made. The whole center was made from charms squares she acquired from a swap that I had organized. The quilt was beautiful and really got me thinking of quilting again!! I miss it alot. I've been feeling like I needed some motivation to get started again. Her e-mail came at the perfect time.

I have a long list of UFO's that I need to focus on. It's hard though because there are always so many tempting patterns I want to start. My husband keeps telling me I need to finish some of the things I've started first. :) He's probably right too!

My goal is going to be to quilt atleast 15 minutes every single day. I mean it....every single day!! If I could do that I really think that the quilting bug would bite me again. Plus, I'd probably be surprised at the amount of projects I could finish with just 15 minutes a day. Hopefully soon I'll have lots of beautiful pictures of my own quilts to post!

Bye,

Teenage girls can be exhausting!

So, my husband and I have one child. She is 16 and her name is Ashley. Any moms out there? You know what I'm dealing with then!! She really is a great kid - very mature for her age and not into all the typical teenager things. BUT her emotions are all over the place! One minute she can be happy and carefree, then down in the dumps and pitiful, then mad or frustrated, then back to happy again! All within a span of a few minutes. Of course, I was even worse then that when I was a teenager. My poor parents. Tom and I got married when I was 19 and my mom used to joke that about the time she started liking me again I had moved out and gotten married. It used to make me really mad that she insinuated that she didn't like me as a teenager but now I'm understanding why. I know I should be thankful for what a great kid Ashley is and I am thankful. She is so responsible and capable. It is wonderful to not worry about her getting into trouble or running with a bad group of kids. I just would like it if her hormones and emotions could calm down alittle! I guess she would probably like that too!! :) The craziest thing is that she is going to be leaving for college in just a couple years! It's hard to believe she is that old. I'm proud of her wanting to take that big step, but we sure are going to miss her when she's in college!

My wonderful husband!!!

I really just wanted to take a minute and write about my wonderful, amazing husband. He is my very best friend and has been for a long gime. :) We've been together since I was 16 years old. We've been married for 18 1/2 years and things are better now than ever before! I'm so happy to have him in my life. Lately, I've been pretty stressed. I've been feeling like I need to hold everything and everyone together all the time. The other night I finally opened up to Tom and he was so great. He let me talk and vent. Then he held me and it was beautiful! Since that talk he's been trying so hard to make some big changes. He loves me so much. I need to always remember that. I need to start showing him how much I appreciate all the wonderful things he does for me. I just thank the Good Lord that he is in my life!!!!!! A hot, exciting, fulfilling marriage is a beautiful thing!

Gardening stress!

Today has been a stressful day and I think it's probably going to get worse. My husband and I bought this house about 3 years ago, after living in different apartments for the first 15 years of our marriage. The house has a really nice yard - picket fence in the front and privacy fence in the back. The previous owners had done some landscaping but we wanted to change it. Of course, we didn't know anything about flowers or gardening.

That first summer I made a friend on the internet, Becki, and she helped me so much! She gave me lots and lots of great advice. And she also gave me tons of plants - mostly daylilies that are beautiful. It got me going and we did alot of work to the yard.

The next summer I was feeling overwhelmed with everything and didn't put much time into the yard. My husband and I made a few changes and began to downsize somewhat. Plus we were both terrible about weeding.

This summer we started out great - weeded and put down lots of mulch. But then as it got hotter we got lazy. We didn't make it out much until this past week. Now we've weeded everything again and it's looking nice. We've decided to downsize more and only have beds that are about 3 or 4 feet deep. Right now the beds are about 15 feet deep.

This is where the stress is coming in!!!! We're trying to decide what to keep and what to pass onto other people. We're also trying to decide how to set up the beds. I am always so bad about cramming too much stuff into beds. They end up looking way too crowded and just messy. This time I'm hoping Tom will help me to plan it all out. He's much better about spacing stuff the right way.

I'm hoping that we'll get it all done within the next few days and I can post some awesome pictures! :)

bye for now,

Welcome to my blog!

I'm so excited to start this new blog! I hope to find lots of new friends that are interested in the things that are going on in my life. It's going to be fun to write about all my different aspects of this wonderful fairytale I'm living! You can expect lots of different posts because I have lots of different interests. I love quilting, reading, gardening, reality television, listening to music, raising my new puppy, being a homeschooling mom, working on my already wonderful marriage, and of course above all else is giving glory to my Lord and Savior. I hope everyone enjoys my blog!

Oh, to explain the title of my blog "Life Full of Laughter". I got that name from some lyrics from a new Daughtry song. The song is titled "Life After You" and it's on his new CD called "Leave this Town". It's a great CD, by the way, everyone should go out and by a copy!! Anyhow, the song is about a man that wants to enjoy a life full of laughter with his loved one. That is just what I am blessed to have. My husband and I have a great life and it's filled with laughter. Of course, there are rough times sometimes but we work through those quickly. Praise the Lord!

I'd like to dedicate my first post to my beautiful dog, Daisy, who passed away at the end of May. She was a great dog and an important part of our family. She was a boxer and was 9 years old. She passed away suddenly and we all took it very hard. We miss her so much everyday! Here is a picture of her. Isn't she the greatest?!?