I am so ready for the FALL!!!!

The Fall Season Is My Favorite Time Of The Year

Giveaway Coming Soon!

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes---Oh my, if you count my gray hair I've seen way too many.

I don't know if it's the family get together, the leaves turning and falling or maybe the good baking going on in the kitchen, I just love this time of year. The picture above is a wedding party, but some of our family gatherings were as large as this one.

Being from Texas, the fall season is very short and not celebrated like further north. We stay hot until you have to start thinking about Christmas. I have found the further north you go, they celebrate fall with full force. How nice!

I plan on having a giveaway just because thinking of this season makes me happy and I hope to have a giveaway now each month until the end of the year at least. So keep checking back with me. It may be a handmade item or an antique treasure or something from the online store. Just leave a comment when I post it and help spread the word of the giveaway.

Well it's still hot here so I thought I would post a recipe that is so good.

Mandarin Orange Cake

1 Pineapple Cake Mix "yellow"

4 Eggs

1 cup of Oil

1 can of Mandarin in juice

Combine all ingredients

3 layers or 9X13 pan. This is good with 3 layers to get all the icing in the layers, but you can also bake it in a tube pan, much easier.

Bake as cake mix states on box, depending on pan used.

Icing

1 can Crushed Pineapple with juice

Big box of Instant Vanilla Pudding

Mix together until mixture thickens, fold in large container of Cool Whip

This recipe was given to me by a quilting friend that would come to the store to quilt and always brought a goody with her.

Delicious!!!

Mind Wide Open Contest-Here is my entry!!!

Mind Wide Open Contest

I love Gail's contest at Mind Wide Open because it puts your thinking cap on. What can I do with the image she provides and a word of inspiration.

So here goes. First I thought about the book The Secret Garden. Then I thought of two friends meeting when they were young in this secret garden and growing into true friendship. I don't know if that makes since to some of you, but to be a true friend you have to grow and have a few punches, but still be there for one another. So this is what I came up with. I hope you like it. Go to http://www.mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/ and you will see all the great artwork people have come up with.

Welcome To The Secret Garden

Two Friends From Long Ago Would Walk The Paths Of This Garden

And As The Years Go By, The Weeds May Come & Go But The True Garden Will Always Grow

Just Before The Storm!!!

Today was a hot steamy day. I stayed outside and watched as the cement got poured for our workshop. Have you ever seen a cement truck with a neck like this. I wish my neck was long and skinny.... Oh well, back to the story. These young men worked really hard in this hot weather.


Do you see the guy closest to us with the belt on, he was working the truck from that control, amazing. I remember when my Dad and others would pull that concrete all over the place, you talk about a work out. Here are a few more pictures.

TaDah!!! Here it is all finished. What a mess in the yard... Why do buildings look so small with just the slab? It's going to be 30X50 building with a 20' covered front area. I'm so glad they got this poured today, because we are in the path for the tropical storm out in the Gulf.

Part 2

Now I thought I would show you a purse I had done, which I call it my mistake bag. When I taught sewing in my shop a lady had cut all her strips to small. A measurement that wasn't in the quilt pattern. So when she got to the class, she just threw them in the garbage. OH MY, I grabed them up and told her she could use them in another project and she said no they are just to small 1 1/2" strips. She insisted she did not want them and bought more fabric.

I wish I had taken a picture of the bag I made her out of the strips. I had it all made when she came to the next class and she decided then, you can use all your fabric for something.

This bag spread like hot cakes and everyone wanted to do them, so I started doing classes making them. I have pictures of my bag, I tried to put each persons personality in each bag I would make if they purchased them. Anyway, thought this would give you some inspiration.

Can you tell mine is so full with quilting and magazines it's about ready to bust. It has pockets all inside and a long straps for handles.

Finished Purse!!!

Another UFO Finished!

I just love the three cowboy's in this picture.

I put a tag I made out of faux leather on this side that reads "Cowboy Butts Make Me Nuts", I saw this on a tee shirt and thought it fit this picture, but it is removable.

The handles, I took three fabric strips and raveled the edges. I then braided them to make a sturdy handle. Antique Button for closure and plenty of pockets inside. I will be listing this on my online shop.

Now back to the machine, it makes me feel so good to finish something.

My Baby Boy Is Turning 29! Happy Birthday!

He is always Happy!!!

Isn't he a doll!!!!

He always had a ball in his hand.

Now he loves to play golf!

Mom and Dad loves you,

Many More!!!

Oh my, I guess I better eat my words!!!

I wonder how this couple met?

I read a post today about finding great friends on the blogland and I really believe in that comment. There are so many people you can find that share the same interest, hobbies, spiritual and inspirational journals, just about anything you would like to read. The prayers that go up for the one's that need all of us to support them just makes my heart swell.

I find that I save all the ones that I want to go back to and my list is growing daily. (Now can I remember which one is which)

The reason I say, "I must eat my words," was due to me thinking about the sites that let people meet other people. I've always thought who in the world would get on a computer and meet someone of their DREAMS. That is ridiculous, but you have to remember I'm from the old school.

After meeting so many friends, and even though we haven't actually met, I still will call you my friend, this may just be possible for the ones looking for love. I feel lucky I found my one and only at a young age, but for the young and those still looking I know it is hard to find that special someone.

Projects-not completed!!!!

I came across some projects that I have all good intentions on finishing. Well....what is my problem. One thing, I did just find them and here Peg's challenge is almost over. Some I had from teaching quilt classes at the shop.

But I ask the question. Is anyone else like me. Do you start so many and put them aside? Am I the only one? There are a lot of us that joined the challenge. Maybe that's the answer to my question.

I am determined to finish things I've started. I've been doing some reading to help me with this, if I just finish the book.

Here are just some of them....

This is a 4th of July project and a picture frame with an old quilt in it that I'm doing handwork on.This is a purse in the works.... Cute Cowboys...



Christmas runner, "Jesus Is The Reason For The Season" only needs the handwork on the binding.... I guess I kinda had doubts on this one, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus being snowmen.

And last a baby quilt, needs quilting. I have to stop looking for stuff.

So cute it has the prayer embroidered with Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.

Help I'm Under The Fabric-Another Peek

OK, here is another peek, and then I gotta get busy stichen' and loading fabric and patterns on the website. I'm not sure what I'm doing, but when I get close the picture get a little blurry. Have a great Sunday!

Just a peek!

I'm really excited about participating in Linda's Bag Swap, http://all-stitched-up.blogspot.com/ . I plan on showing little peeks as I go along in making this bag and as soon as I can show it I will. We're not suppose to give the name who our bag will go to.



I thought well if your making one, go ahead and make some more. I love to do assembly lines. That's the only way I can really get anything accomplished. (or maybe it's because I can't remember how I did it, so I have to make more than one) So here's a little peek.

Where is it going? I can't say, still stitchin'.

More Autumn Angel

I just love this angel from the book "Easy Does It For Autumn"-Art To Heart. She just makes me smile, so I put her on an apron that is really a good cooking apron. Big pockets and a place to hold your towel. Working on fall projects just makes me a little cooler. Maybe Peg at http://happyinquilting.blogspot.com/ should have another finish by ????, but it would be Christmas gifts that need to be completed. Doesn't that sound good to ya? Hope all the creative people, (quilters, scrapbooks, artist in general) have a great prosperous weekend.

"Pay It Forward"

Marlene at Stitchin By The Lake, a new blogging acquaintence, is participating in a blogging exchange - Pay It Forward. I've decided to join with her and others in this project which is based on the Movie "Pay It Forward." This exchange focuses on acts or deeds of kindness being done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness perform their own acts of kindness. So here's how it works. I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange. I don't know right now what the gift will be, and it probably won't be this month but it will be some time this year, I promise. :) If you are one of the three, what YOU have to do in return is to pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. So, anybody want to join in?

Does Your Husband Hate To Use The Phone?

I don't think mine will hate to use it anymore. My DH asked me to call and get some SAND, you see we are having a building built, for our workshop. Well I called and ordered SAND, 8 loads of SAND.

My DH was working his 12 hour shift and they start coming at 7:30am with the SAND, he told me to order. Well on the last load the guy in the dump truck said, "Mame are you putting a slab here?" and I said "Yes." He then tells me with all the sand in the spot of the slab, "Well we usually deliver 60/40 for slabs."

I panicked and called my DH and asked, "What did you want delivered?" He said at that time in a lovely voice, "Sand, 60/40". I told him he didn't tell me to put 60/40 on the end of SAND.....

His lovely voice wasn't so lovely when he said "WHY"?

Oh well to make a long story short, I told him he had to do the calling for the rest. It's kinda like when they work on a car and ask if you can go get a part and they write it down for you. You go, but in the back of your mind you know the automotive place is going to ask you a question you can't answer.