Did they say "MEGA STORM"???????

I just walked out of the living room after watching the Weather Channel. They are hinting at another winter storm coming our way on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week.

This isn't just any storm........... they are calling it a MEGA storm. Ok, so I'm not too worried right now. It is four days out, and they have been wrong twice so far this year.

So how can something as beautiful as this snowflake, make my heart skip a beat????

Scholarships for guild programs

I have a question for my blog friends out there. Do any of your guilds have a scholarship program to help members pay for workshops that the guild holds? If so, how is this handled? Do you have an application? Who determines who receives money?

My worry about this is actually determining who is more needy and how to actually handle it tactfully.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Snow Day!!!!

The call came at 5:30 am.........we have a day off; it is the first day of the new semester. So what does a teacher do on a snow day???? Teacher stuff of course. I brought home my binder for the unit I'm working on; my lap top and while the laundry is doing its thing I'll be doing mine. This also means we lose a day around Easter I think........ but I'll deal with that when the time comes.

Of course I won't use the entire day for school stuff....... there is definitely going to be some much needed fabric therapy.

When did Quilting become Sexy????

Kim's having a giveaway

Kim at Bitty Bits & Pieces is having a Valentine's giveaway. If you are so moved to go check it out, please make sure you mention my blog.

Good luck!!!

Happy Scrappy Houses

I got the Happy Scrappy Houses back from the longarmer's on Tuesday and got the binding on Wednesday night. I love it!!!!

This pattern is from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville. I have to say her instructions are easy to follow and the block goes together very quickly. For a totally scrappy look you can't over think your fabric choices.......... just grab, cut and sew. I cut my pieces out and pinned the little 'block kits' together and just kept putting them through the machine. After about 4 blocks I'd force myself to get up and walk away so not to get to nuts with them.

My friend Donna quilted it using a flower and butterly panto. I think she did an excellent job. The small picture is a close-up of the quilting.

Now my 2-inch strip drawer is full........... should I make more houses?????

Dentist Day

You gotta love holidays....... what better day to schedule a dentist appointment. Of course the twins are thrilled with this. Had to get them up early on their day off from school; make sure their teeth are bright shiny clean.

I'll never hear the end of this one.

Oh for more funny cat pictures go here. They are a riot.

More Credit Card Woes

If you read my earlier post about our credit card number being stolen, you know I LOVE those Vikings that are 'in my wallet'. We got our new cards today and activated them. When I did mine I was curious to know what transactions were on the account.

GEEZE LOUISE!!! Someone had bought $460 worth of shoes TWO days after the account had been closed and the charge had been transferred to the new number!!!!! So I'm on the phone with the fraud guy again, getting the transactions taken off the account and being told I will be getting some paper work on this case that must be returned.

Why???? How sick and low can you be?

Ok, I'm done venting

Taking time to be cool

We got the PC tower back from the computer doctor so tonight I'm taking the time to work on my 'coolness' and uploading CDs to the iPOD. I'm on #24................. 26 more to go.

Student update

Thank you to those who have commented on my post regarding my student that was in the accident. Also a big thank you to those keeping him in your prayers.

The student whose Dad was driving the other vehicle says his father is doing well. The student that was sent to Hershey made it through surgery and should make a full recovery. He may be home the middle of next week..... but will have a lot of physical therapy and other things to get through.

Keep the prayers coming!!

Student in Accident

This past Tuesday evening I was teaching a quilt class in our LQS. My hubby called on the cell and said there was an accident somewhere between his office and a cross-roads closer to home. He wasn't sure what had happened but he did know that Life Lion (from Hershey Med. Center) was coming and going to land next to his office on the practice football field at the univeristy. Anytime that chopper comes to town I get nervous.

Well by the time I got home around 8:30pm they still had the road blocked so I went over the river and through the woods to get to the other side. I happened to pass the two roll-backs carrying the vehicles involved. One was a pick-up with its front end smashed in. The other was what I thought to be something like a Blazer (I later learned it was a mini-van) and it looked like it had been T-boned.

I found out this morning that the driver of the pick-up is the Dad of one of my students. He was hauling a horse trailer with mules in it so you know there was no way he was going to stop quickly. He is home now but I don't know how he is doing. The other driver IS one of my students. His pelvis was crushed and I think he was having surgery today in Hershey.... he is listed as Critical. He was with his grandfather and had just gotten his permit. I know this young man didn't act irresponsibly. The curve where the accident happened is a wicked one...... very hard to see what is coming from the left; and the traffic on the main road can travel 50 mph.

I just had to share this. If you know a young driver stress to them how important it is to be cautious and look both ways a gazillion times.

On-Point

Well after asking all of you, I decided to sketch the block into EQ6 and play with it a little. The comments I received all agreed that On-point is the best; so here is the final product.

The set-in triangles will be a very pale yellow..... probably a marble. The final measurement is going to be 103" square......... but I figure she's been waiting 7 years, I might as well go all out LOL

On-Point or Straight Set

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...............

I originally planned to make this a straight set quilt.......... but then I wondered what on-point would look like.

Which do you like best?

I love coffee!!!

I love coffee............ what more can I say? I am a total coffee-aholic. I even made a coffee themed quilt and called it "Cool Beans".


At home we drink the half-caffeine stuff, but I'm seriously thinking of going to a totally 'leaded' coffee. I fill up the HUGE mug (the kind from the convenience store) every morning and I'm good until after lunch. Then the down time hits me. The reason I haven't gone full strength is I worry about the down time after total caffeine.


Anyway, I am always up for going to the coffee shop..... cappuccino, latte........ anything coffee is wonderful!!! I found Egg Nog latte over Christmas.................... they were to DIE for!!!!!! Of course, I should have just stuck it on my butt and given up right then and there; talk about calories. But they were worth every one!!!!

I love home made chocolate chip cookies too...... but that is another post entirely.

I think I'll go make a pot..... decaf at this point in the day. I do have to get up tomorrow morning.

Where have you lived?

I have the most wonderful opportunity through blogging. I get to 'see' where other people live and it is so much fun to see places that I may never get to really see in my lifetime.

I was born in NE Ohio (South Euclid to be exact) back in the 60's. My father worked for General Electric. So thanks to GE I moved about every three years or so until I went off to college. So here is the list:

1. Ohio

2. Tennessee

3. Kentucky

4. upstate New York

5. Maryland

6. Ohio (three locations, between divorce and remarriage of my parents)

7. Pennsylvania (Near Philly, my senior year in High School)

8. Pennsylvania (South central - college, marriage, and here we will stay - hubby is from here)

So....... where have you lived?

Creating a Blog Button

I need to ask a favor to anyone out there who knows how to create a blog button to put on my side bar............ like the Calendar Quilt Challenge button over there -------->

I want to create one but not sure where to start........ any suggestions?

Gotta love those Vikings!!!

No I don't mean the ones in Minnesota (though they are special too........ except to those in Green Bay LOL).

I mean the ones that run around pillaging and burning until the guy pulls out the Capital One Card and they ask "What's in your wallet?"

Well I'm glad they are in my wallet. I got an email today saying someone had used my number and charged stuff yesterday........... on places that I never go to!!!!

So, watch your credit card usage and make sure if you shop on line it is a secure place. Lord knows where and how my number was lifted. Now we have to wait for a week for new cards and paperwork.

Sundae Quilter "Secret Sundae" Holiday Get-together

Our little quilt group, "The Sundae Quilter", got together for our Post-Holiday Holiday get together yesterday for brunch at Panera Bread before our regular guild meeting. Everyone had a good time and the gifts received were greatly appreciated.

One of our buds, Beth, couldn't be there due to the weather. It was one of those storms you had to watch and while the snow went north of the PA Turnpike (I'm always amazed at how they know where the turnpike is) the sleet started at about the time she would have been traveling home to Maryland. So while she was greatly missed, we were all glad she was warm and safe at home.

So here is the gang from left to right: Carla, Jan, Marie, Fran, Judie, Me, Belinda, and Carole.

We have decided that a Panera breakfast (or anywhere) must be a monthly event...... can you tell we like to eat and chat?????

Where did the snowflakes come from?

I was asked in a comment where the snowflakes on my blog came from. Unfortunately, this person didn't leave a way to respond.

So, here is the answer. Up at the top of my blog, near the upper left hand corner as you look at it, is a link to Free Backgrounds. Click on that and you are good to go.

Hope this helps.

I hate computers!!!

If you've read the post about me 'being cool' you know that for some reason the PC stopped working right and we thought it had picked up a virus. I had it to the doctor, they said they got the program off and I brought it home.

So I got it all hooked up, and it still doesn't work. I am so not happy. So I've left a message on the doctor's voice mail and will probably end up getting the hard drive wiped.... again.

I'm wondering now though......... could it be the Ipod?????

NOOOOO !!!! Part 2

I survived......... the kids survived (I think they were glad to be back, they have no idea how much of their time is taken up by school).

Enough said.

Hope you had a good doing whatever it was you did!!!

Hugs,

Teachers (Educators) who Quilt

I've been thinking on this one a while so I decided to go ahead and do it. I've created a new Yahoo group called Teachers Who Quilt.

I know as a teacher it is tough finding time to quilt...... and when I'm quilting I feel I should be working on stuff for school. My saving grace is I only teach half a day....... and I constantly think about those quilters who teach a full load.

So if you are a teacher, feel free to come check out the group. It is going to be really low key, no pressure........ just a forum to talk about the ups and downs of our craft and our vocation.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I don't wanna go back to school....................... I don't wanna leave my fabric..........

I wanna live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I'm done whining........... thanks for listening

First Finish of '09

On Christmas Day my father-in-law asked if I had any baby quilts "lying around". I said no but I could make him one ......... when did he need it ????

Like, now!!!!

All-righty then......... thankfully the LQS was having a FQ sale so I went down, found nine FQs that looked 'baby boy', came home, grabbed the Turning 20 book and put it together. Of course, the thread I decided to quilt it with ran out with JUST THAT MUCH left to quilt. But my BFF, Beth, came through and sent me her spool to finish it out. Thank you so much BFF!!!!

So here it is, ready to deliver. It feels good to actually have something started and finished in a decent amount of time.

I am officially "Cool"

Why am I cool you ask? I'm 46 years old and I am just now "cool"??????

I inherited Erin's Ipod LOL. This thing is HUGE compared to the ones they have now, but hey, it works and I can now listen to my music when I can't seem to retrieve the classic rock station on my radio in the sewing room.

So what is on it? Right now just Christmas tunes (jamming to Charlie Brown as we speak). The PC is the only computer with I Tunes on it and we caught a virus on it on Christmas Day. So it is now at the doctor and hopefully will return home next week. Then I'll download some more of my CDs (Clapton, Zepplin, Enya, Josh Groban... varied music styles don't you think??)

Quilty Hugs!!

Happy New Year

2009.............. where did the time go. Happy New Year to all of my blog friends; may the year be good to all of you.

We will be celebrating in the traditional family way. My Mother-in-law is making roast pork and saurkraut and members of the family will be bringing various side dishes (I'm in charge of bread and macaroni and cheese).

Have a good one!!