We're Here!

We arrived around 1:30 Thursday afternoon to 80 degree weather!  This is what the back of our SUV  looked like (and I even took out dog crates and some other bags! ).

I use the space saver bags for pants, shorts, bedding and towels.  The bags work great on the seat so the dog crates can sit higher and the girls can look out the windows!

Works for me!  And them!

Girls anticipating arrival to our winter home!! We were pulling into the community.  They aren't allowed to be loose in the car while we travel. 

I couldn't resist these next two pictures.  We were going through Tenn. and the sight was beautiful!

Today the weather was more to my  liking...around 68 at one point and sunny!  That's perfect for me!  Only problem, I took the girls for just one walk today and that was at the library in their parking lot!  I had lots of stops to make  and with it being cool out this a.m. the girls got to ride along.  I didn't get home until almost 2 and by the time I finished unpacking my sewing/art supplies; setting up printer; putting away more groceries, making dinner and doing laundry (mainly dog bedding..ha) I honestly didn't feel like walking in the dark! Tomorrow is another day.  Yep, I'll be back to two walks a day!

New Year's Eve Bob and I just may have an early dinner at the new cafe here in the community...we aren't sure but it's a thought.  We sleep through any New Year's celebration!

 Sunday is the annual New Year's get-together at LaPlantes!  They are such great host and hostess and we do look forward to seeing all the gang again.

Hope to be back at making some art soon!  In between, eating, drinking, 'tooting' around!

Another Christmas Gone!

We had such a wonderful Christmas!  It started off on Christmas Eve with our traditional family time with my kids and their families!  

Here's our family picture! 

Bob, me (& Gigi) Nick, Darrin, Amber, Kris, Dawn and Jeff!

My babies!!!  Love Darrin and Dawn so much!

All my kids!!! Darrin, me, Amber holding Gigi and Grandpa and Kalee!

Dawn and Jeff!

Nick, Darrin, Amber and Kris...what a great family!

So much fun opening presents and seeing everyone happy or surprised with their gifts!  The kids are so, so generous....and 'grandma' got some really nice gifts!!!

And a special gift for my SIL, Jeff!   When I saw this T-shirt I had to get it for Jeff.  He's always such a joker and makes us all laugh a lot!

Christmas Day we had a nice dinner and visit having Bob's daughter, Diane and her hubby, Donald over to the house.  Nice to visit with them but bad me!  No pics!  I'll have to make a point next year to get pictures.  After the kids left, I started taking down the Christmas decorations

and I had everything put away and vacuum run by 8:30 p.m.!

Yesterday was spent packing our clothes for Florida!  After 11+ years  heading south each winter, we have this packing down pat!  Car was all loaded very early this afternoon so we're all ready to take off  today around 9ish.  House sitters have the keys so our home is safe and sound!
 
Dogs aren't sure what's going on...well, Gigi isn't sure...Kalee is familiar with the Florida routine!  Last time we had suitcases out we dropped the dogs off for boarding...wonder if that's what Gigi is thinking!  HA
My next post will be from Florida!  So until then, enjoy the remainder of 2016!  I will be resting as a passenger for 2 1/2 days!  Woohoo!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Quilts for our library

Our library sits in a very historic 1800 building and the inside even looked like you were still in the 1800's!   A few years ago the inside was finally  painted as well as new carpet and lights installed !!! There were always holes in the walls and peeling before the painting, so I started to donate some of my project quilts to cover those same holes. 
They don't have those "holes in the walls" anymore but my quilts are still hung.  I thought I'd share two of the donation quilts I've made over the past few years.

This  is a quilt I designed in 2005 while we were in Florida.   If I remember correctly it's about 45" square or a little larger. AND yes, I took this pic while the quilt was on the floor before I donated it...just lucky my feet didn't show!
This is a closeup of the tree. I  also photo transferred pictures of books, which were about 2"!   I think I was trying to relay they were falling from the tree?? Hmmm I don't really remember but that sounds good!

Just a closeup of the bunny block, which I thread painted.

Here is another block.  Clever...I know!  HA

This next quilt I made for a guild challenge in 2001 where I took a 2nd place. The theme was nursery rhyme and I couldn't decide which one to do so I did several!  This quilt is  20" x 20".

I traced and made patterns for each of the characters from a nursery rhyme coloring  book.  Then I raw edged appliqued each one.   This was the first quilt I donated and they hung it in the children's section where it still hangs today!  I  like to think the kids do look at it and enjoy it from time to time.  

I transferred different sayings or poems next to the nursery rhyme character(s) so folks would know what/who they were!    

I have donated several other quilts that I've finished from workshops or quilts that I've made for exhibits that I've just 'outgrown'!  HA  Works for me and covers the high walls at the library!  

Get ready for a busy week!

Last week, other than having to shovel snow, was quite relaxing.   I was home just about every day which allowed me to work on my challenge piece.  And wearing my braces do help...I've also bought some KT tape, but I need to have Bob watch the YouTube video on how to apply it.  Interesting concept!

But I have now stopped sewing as I have two ideas for finishing it but I want to get input from my fiber buds when we meet tomorrow!   Our meeting last week was canceled due to snowfall so 3 of us are meeting at Panera's for our last get-together in 2016!

I've also taken inventory of food/dinners I have left in the freezer and should have enough meals to last through Monday!  It's kinda fun or a challenge for myself to finish up all leftovers.  Amber teases me because I freeze EVERYTHING!   Bob and I don't waste anything!   Personally, I love leftovers but I don't always want them the very next day...hence, I wrap and freeze!

This week will be busy as it always is before we leave.  Today is meeting my buds for lunch; Tuesday I'll grocery shop for Christmas Eve and Day meals for kids (menu all set for both days! woohoo!);  Wednesday is cleaning family room; oven, frig...just basically making sure each room is well dusted/vacuumed and ready to relax until we get home next spring!  HA

Thursday I'll get cookies out of freezer (yes, I froze them!) and packed up to deliver on Friday; Friday girls are getting groomed so I'll pack up the backseat while they are gone (and Bob is gone!  Better I do this without him!) then start making  pecan pie (per Amber's request)  and putting together other dishes for Saturday and Sunday!

I've also taken inventory of food/dinners I have left in the freezer and should have enough meals to last through Monday!  It's kinda fun or a challenge for myself to finish up all leftovers.  Amber teases me because I freeze EVERYTHING!   Bob and I don't waste anything!  Personally, I love leftovers but I don't always want them the very next day...hence, I wrap and freeze!

Next Monday is our laundry and packing day!  Because we take both summer and winter/fall clothes we don't pack up until the day before we leave.  Some clothes we've worn so I have to wait until laundry is done.  We usually have the car totally packed (with exception of dogs!  HA) by 2 or 3 in the afternoon.  After 11 years you know what goes where so we're pretty good at this  part!

Tuesday we leave!!  I always have mixed emotions abut leaving...hate leaving my home, family and friends but I do enjoy the warm weather and Florida friendships!!

Happy Birthday!

Hubby's BD is today.

I'm going to make him his favorite Bang Bang Shrimp dinner!!  It will be a nice, quiet day for us...watching football and maybe a glass of wine!  Yep, Bob is getting into having a glass of wine with me before dinner!

Bob isn't a sipper when it comes to drinking any liquid!!  But he is learning to sip the wine!!  Guess I'm going to have to stock up on my wine!!

So from your 'girls', HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

And the countdown begins....

Yep...it's countdown time for Christmas and for heading south! Christmas is looking good...as far as gifts are all wrapped and under the tree!!  Other gifts have been mailed and received so looks like that part of Christmas is all take care of!

I did get my art supplies packed up and I'm not taking near as much as usual! Honest!   This was my table in my dye room as I was separating supplies to pack up!

The small art group in Florida have decided to work with: deconstructed screen printing; disperse dyes and making our own stamps for printing on fabric (just to name a few techniques!).

With those techniques in mind, I decided not take take my bead containers (yes, I have more than one!) embroidery thread container, fabric and watercolor paints, Solar Fast etc.




I'm quite confident that I won't have time to work on anything else this winter!  Well, maybe another project or two!!  Remember, I did finish all my Fiber Valentine cards so that project is done!

But this is all I have packed to take!  I've really cut back on my 'need' to take this year.  It is hard to know what I'll be working on but I think I have a better idea this year.  And, as in the past, if I don't have what I need, I'll just have to purchase an item.

I packed up fiber dyes and disperse dyes as well as my lino supplies and some of my larger (5"x7") stamps.  And I packed up my Blue Beaded Squirrel and beads for that project, which fit in an old cigar box!  I have another hand stitching project to work on as well.

This was a year or two ago...you can see the difference....I had LOTS of items I have taken in the past years.

Yep....this is a lot of 'stuff'!!



Now we'll have more room for Bob's 20+ pair of pants!  Our friends know about this fun fact about my husband!

Winter wonderland!

Well, our first snow of the winter occurred this week!  We had over 9 inches of snow...yes, it was pretty!

 The girls wanted to go outside and play!

I left the snow on top of the chest...


It's a lot of work shoveling the deck and even running the snow blower takes more energy than these 70 year old folks can do!  HA

This was the deck before I shoveled!

The dogs are loving the snow!!! 

Now we just hope this will be the last heavy snow we shovel in 2016!

Art Quilts Around the World Challenge - Science

Woo hoo!!  My 'science' challenge for the online blog, Art Quilts Around the World, is finished.  I call it A Quilter's DNA!

I'm sure most quilters can identify with having some blood on a quilt or two, hence the red on the fingerprint.  

I'm sure some of you may have seen on those CSI shows a picture of DNA sequencing...if not, this is a picture that may look familiar or close to it!  HA  Actually, this was my inspiration for creating a background of 5/8" hex's (paper pieced by hand)! 

I started on this awhile back but with my hands/wrists being an issue (that's a blog post on it's own!  HA) I have been slow to stitch these little buggers!  But I do so love hand stitching!   

And a closeup of the fingerprint (machine quilted) and some hex's! 

I didn't do much machine quilting, other than the fingerprint, as I felt it would take away from the theme.  

This was a fun challenge and sorry I didn't meet the date on the 30th!  But it's done and now on to the next challenge, 'Believe'...hmmmmmm

Do check out some of the other challenge pieces on the web site: Art Quilts Around the World.

THANK YOU!!!

I received this delightful present in the mail earlier this week!!! It is called a Pocket Letter and was made by my blog buddy, Sherry, from Createology!

Sherry is so clever as well as so prolific!  Isn't this so clever!!!  The back (or front depending on how you look at it!) is of a butterfly that is cut into ATC size cards!

Then each holder is filled with some item, such as candy!!, Christmas gift tags, a little felted ornament or could be a gift tag but I'm keeping for an ornament! and even a tea bag!!  So delightful!!!  And just so creative!!!!

And such a surprise to receive in the mail!!!  THANK YOU, Sherry!!!  You are one of the best!!!!  To be inspired by Sherry's creativity do check out her blog here.

Better Late Than Never!

Thanksgiving 2016!

Yes, I'm behind, but now I'll try to catch up!  This year we went to my son's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  The other picture I had of the food was blurry...trust me...there were tons of dishes and they were all wonderful!

I made two lemon pies which were pretty good if I say so myself!  

And as usual, Kris (DIL) outdid herself!  It was nice to spend time with the grand kids, Kris and Darrin, as well as Kris' mom, dad, brother and his wife and son.  All around a wonderful day!  Kris decorates their home so nice too!  Check out some of her decorations!!

This is on a table in the entrance way.

And of course, her table is always set so beautifully!!

Kris took burlap and wrapped her chairs with it then tied part of some old curtains around each chair!  How clever!  

Friday after Thanksgiving I cooked to prepare for Bob's son and family for our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday!  I do love to entertain and cook for folks but it is exhausting isn't it!  Guess the old age is catching up with me.  Kids arrived Saturday around 10:30 so they could get settled in before Michigan played football at noon!  Priorities you know!!

We did enjoy the time with all the kids and Bosco, Kayla and Nate' dog, was a doll....Gigi, not so much!  But that's another story!!  

It seems like yesterday that all the kids were in diapers and not even walking yet!   Ian is so tall now and a junior at Purdue U!   

Ian, Nate, Kayla, MaryJo and Ron (Bob's son)

And now they are all grown up!!!  Geezzzz  Wish they would stop aging!!!  I can feel old on my own!