An Autumn Dinner

So I rarely post about cooking, because there always seems like something else to write about, but today is different. I enjoy cooking and before there were other hobbies and distractions would often cook full and various meals. But life gets busy and the creative cooking falls to the wayside for quick and easy dishes that me, Hubbie, and the Munchkins all enjoy.

I truly consider today, Halloween, the kickoff to autumn. Living in the South has taught me that my fall usually starts around now, cool mornings, changing leaves, and dark evenings starting earlier and earlier.

In an effort to celebrate MY start to the season and to give the Munchkins full bellies for Trick or Treating, I'm cooking dinner.

Asian Salad - spinach, red peppers, carrots, green onions and Asian sesame dressing
Maple Glazed Stuffed Pork Roast (stuffing includes apples)
Roasted Vegetables - eggplant, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and zucchini
Cresent Rolls (for Nugget)
Pumpkin Bread for dessert

I'll be sure to let y'all know how it all turns out. Happy Halloween!

My newest addiction....

....playing with clipart and customizing it for myself. It's almost as fun as actually creating real life quilts.
Bazooka is in the sewing machine now. I started quilting it last night. Niece's birthday is Sunday so I have a hard stop!

A Shot of Quilting Mojo

After I found my Quilting Mojo, I decided I needed to create my version of a shot of Quilting Mojo. This is more my speed.
Ok, you can say it,"You've got too much time on your hands." I know. But I can't help myself from playing with clipart and photos! Quilting update to come shortly....

Quilters in Stitches - What a grand time!

Well I did it. Last night was my first paid speaking engagement to a guild. Colleen (you remember my going-out-of-business-online-fabric-store friend) and I trekked across three counties to join the lovely quilters of the Quilters in Stitches Quilt Guild. My program title, Oh My Blog!

After numerous conversations with many members of my own guild, Chattahoochee Evening Stars, about blogging and all the fantastic resources for crafters and quilters online, my friend Sheila invited me to come speak to her guild. After spending more than a year online, I love sharing all the "finds" I've found and getting other quilters excited about joining the blogsphere. These ladies were very nice and friendly, and very interested in my adventures online. So "Thank you" QIS, y'all were a great audience and I hope to find you online soon.

And on a side note, I'm admitting here that, yes, I did buy more fabric from Colleen. I swear I see something new everytime. These are some 1950's reproductions....another quilt to make, sigh.

My hair might be fake blond, but I have blond moments, too

So first of all, let me say that I know it's shocking for everyone who knows me to hear me say,"I had a blond moment." Shocking, I know. The whole "me being blond thing" goes way back to my Mother telling me I had blond hair to the moment at a restaurant when my best friend in high school told a waiter that,"It's the blond girl's birthday," and him saying,"What blond girl? Oh you mean the girl with brown hair?" So reality came crashing down that I wasn't a blond at all, I had just lived my life that way.

So onto my most recent "Blond Moment"....I'm scheduled to be a speaker at a local Quilt Guild's October meeting. This is my first speaking engagement, and for weeks I've been fussing and fretting over my program (which is about all the cool stuff that is available online for quilters.... blogs, shopping, tutorials, etc). This past Monday, I spent a good bit of my day working on my Powerpoint presentation about blogging, other bloggers, online shopping hints and tips, and virtual quilt shows. Hubbie came home early from work so that I would have plenty of time to get to the meeting and set up. I got dressed, did my hair and makeup and was all packed up and waiting by the door for my ride 10 minutes early. Then my cell phone rang,"Um yes I just got your email about the Guild meeting, you DO realize it's NEXT Monday?!" Color me embarrassed. Oh well, at least I'm prepared for next week, right?

Next up isn't so much a Blond Moment as it is a Whoo Hoo. Last Friday, I taught my first quilting class to Nugget's Brownie Troop. This was lesson 1. They worked on piecing a six square Webkinz quilt and while they were waiting on their turn on one of the three sewing machines they worked on their paper quilts. I took all that scrapbooking paper I bought during that phase of my life and cut it into 3" squares. I showed them how to make half square triangles from a square and gave them some classic blocks made up of squares and triangles. Big piece of paper, glue sticks, and a minutes later, they put together some amazing quilts. It was a huge success. This Friday they are finishing their quilts and putting together their first Quilt Journal including pictures. All the girls did a great job. I was very impressed by this group of 8 year olds. They were very attentive and careful with their tasks. I absolutely promise pictures to follow. Oh and yes, at approximately 5:30 pm last Friday I was pouring myself a big fat glass of wine.

Needless to say, I haven't gotten much sewing done. I've been "sew" busy with preparing for my speaking engagement and Brownie meetings. But it's been fun. I've also offered to Nugget's troop some followup weekend quilting classes "on the house." We'll see what happens...stay tuned.

And naturally, with all the Halloween stuff out and our own little black cat, we're celebrating. Viva la Black Kitties!
And finally, I've been really trying not bore the blogverse with "In process" pictures of the quilts I've been working on, but since I really haven't got much progress made sewing wise, here are the squares for Bazooka laid out all pretty. Remember it's going to have the pale pink Kona sashing.
Y'all take care....and talk to ya soon!

I kept my lips zipped

To start this post, I freely admit that I'm the worst gift giver. Hubbie and me both. We both are very thoughtful about what to give to people. The problem comes when the perfect gift has been thought of and purchased, and the gift giving occasion is days, weeks, or month away. I've been known to purchase Christmas presents in October and go ahead and give them to the intended because I'm so excited I can't wait until December. Last year, Hubbie bought me my iPod for Christmas in November and we had it out playing with it before Thanksgiving. These actions often bring "tongue clucking" and head shaking from Kate. She often chides me for revealing my gifts early. Well, I finally showed her.

Kate got married in May (YAY!). In the months before the wedding, various details were discussed. Fabric napkins.....wedding colors (turquoise and spring green)...wedding dresses...yada yada yada. Well, from almost the moment she became engaged, I had decided that I was going to make her a quilt. And lo and behold, what quilt was I beginning that had one of her favorite fabrics featured? And turns out contained her wedding colors? And when we snuck away for a quick girls weekend and I whipped up pillowcases, for her pillowcase I used said favorite fabric? And what quilt did I recently take to her house for her to help me lay out all the blocks? Yes, Turquoise Tulips! I didn't tell a soul what I was doing. I didn't tell Hubbie until recently. It was so hard for me not to bust out,"I'm making a quilt for you. Here are the fabrics." or "That pillowcase will match the quilt I'm making for you."

Well, finally Sunday I was able to spring my surprise and gift her (and the BOY) with the quilt. And I was able to gloat that I never let on.....ever! Mwhahahahaha!

And finally, more proof of the age old adage "If you leave a quilt, a cat will come."

Quilting Mojo

Well after my last post I got some well wishes that I soon would rediscover my Quilting Mojo. I when I read Jacquie's comment about "mojo" I immediately thought of that Austin Powers movie where his mojo is stolen by Dr. Evil. So then I envisioned a syringe full of my "Quilting Mojo" floating around out there. Now this logically leads to the question of who stole my mojo. I don't have any hard leads, but I do have my suspicions and I'm not going to name names. Yesterday I found my Mojo.
When I was searching clip art for a "shot", a shot glass, bottle, salt shaker, and lime wedge clipart came up. Frankly, those are the shots I prefer, however it didn't really work with the storyboard of my missing Mojo that I have created in my head.

Anyway, yesterday, I sat down and put the binding on "Turquoise Tulips". I think part of my problem getting this one finally done was that I was having such a difficult time of thinking of a name for this one. Believe me, I've spent hours online searching various keywords and quotes to have nothing jump out at me. And I have to have a name for a quilt before I finish it. Both for my own insane reasons and pratical reasons (I sew the label to the quilt as I'm adding the binding.) It's not that I don't love this quilt, I do. The colors are lovely and it has some beautiful hand dyes worked in with the Urban Garden by Erin McMorris fabric that I love. And I painstakingly selected a variety of other prints over the last year to coordinate. Then the magical find of the Anna Griffin fabrics for the back and binding. It all came together. It has been a charmed quilt from the get-go.
Pretty, pretty.....how do you not love the turquoise.
Now, I'll be the first to admit, that this quilt has led a "charmed" life, but I did have a couple of hiccups along the way. Remember the mismeasuring? The layout confusion? Quilting hubrus? But, honestly these all just seem like happy mistakes as this quilt has come together.

Take care, I'm off upstairs to start cutting the sashing strips for Bazooka. And maybe I'll also work on my Post Bedquilt that is the last Stake in the Sand quilt....

Happy Friday...do your best Friday dance!