Saturday, February 26, 2011

Getting closer.......

This weekend it is my goal to make some progress!  I have a couple projects that need to move, go, get moving.

DONE!!!!!

I've been working on them (well one)  and this weekend my goal is to make some obvious, amazing, and MEASURABLE progress.



This is also why my blog postings have been farther apart.  Although, I did cheat this morning and talked to an old friend of mine for a little while on Facebook, it was a good thing!

So......I need to set up my workspace and clean up a bit so that I can get to work.  Hand quilting and sewing.

Do any of you have pressing projects calling your names?  I think Spring may actually be coming around the corner.  This may be a part of "Spring Cleaning"  feelings creeping up on me.

What about you?  Feel it coming on?

Gentrie

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Another resolution (Quilt) close.....

I'm working on it!

It's so close I can taste it.  It's a wall hanging I am hand quilting.  Well, it's a big wall hanging.  I'm so in love with this quilt I can hardly stand it.  I want to look at it several times a day on my wall and get lost in the pictures and designs.

I'm on a mission and I cannot concentrate on anything else.

Here is a sneak peek.  Sorry it's blurry, evidently I have the shakes.  (They're all like this!Grrrrr)


I HAVE to get this quilt done!  The most intricate quilting is in this center section (which is most of the quilt).  The rest is simpler and will go quicker.

When it's done you'll be the first to see.

Gentrie

PS  My finger is soar!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Another Quilt Down

Last year the local quilt guild I belong to did a row quilt exchange for those who wanted to participate.  Sounded like fun, so I did.  It was fun.

I grabbed a bunch of north woods flannels I had accumulating in my stash and threw them into a bag.  I wrote up some loosey goosey instructions for the girls to follow.  I basically gave them a row length and a theme and said have fun!

Well, I got my rows back and was excited.  I pieced the quilt top together within a month I think, and pieced a back together out of a bunch of extra flannels I had left.

Then it sat, for a while.

I don't hand quilt flannels because it kills my fingers.  So it needed to go to a quilter, but that takes money.  In January I saved some pennies and sent it over to one of my favorite quilters.  I got it back just before our February Guild meeting.

I JUST finished binding the quilt and sewing down the label.

Want to see?

Here is the front.......


Here is the back.......


My label documenting the time frame and info about the quilt.........brief and to the point.  A good shot of my binding too.......byas.....don't look too close though!
Hubby has claimed this quilt for his own.  This is his first snuggle under it.  He was looking for a crepe recipe in a magazine I had.  I'm sure there is drool on this quilt now.  Sufficiently christened. 
This quilt is on my resolution list for the guild also, one down.

So what do you think?

Gentrie

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Spring is here?

Can you tell I'm tired of snow?  I'm wishful thinking.  It has been so nice here the last few days.  It has been wonderful.  We can actually see the pavement on our street again.  The snow isn't quite 3 feet deep in the backyard anymore.

I think there may only be about 2 feet 3 inches left.  Yeah!  I actually saw a patch of grass where the path to the shed melted.

Hurry up Spring I am ready!

Gentrie

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentines Day!

So Valentines Day has never really been about Valentines Day in my house since I married my husband.  You see, Hubby's birthday is today.



So Valentines Day always ends up being about his Birthday.  Not that I am complaining really.  While it's nice to get flowers and such.  I think it's nicer to get them just because and out of the blue, not because some ding dong made a national day of love.

Love should be celebrated year round.

My Mom always got us kids something for Valentines Day, but then my Mom got us something for LOTS of holidays.  St Patricks Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween of course Christmas.  Now that I write this down, I see the reasoning behind almost all of them (we are part Irish after all).


Anyway, Happy Valentines Day!  Hope you all have a great one, and continued love every day after!

Gentrie

Friday, February 11, 2011

Playing Catch with Friends

One of Hailey's favorite books series right now is the Elephant & Piggie books.  I call them the Piggie & Gerald books, because those are there names.  The people at the book stores always know exactly what book series I am talking about though.

These books are hilarious, and very creatively written.

This is one of Hailey's favorites.  She always giggles all the way through.  She likes for us to read this one out loud together.  She does the voice of Piggie (who IS a girl by the way).


We work on adding inflection to our voices when reading these books.  (No one likes a mono tone.)


I love how sometimes, Mo (the author) just lets the expressions tell the story too.  Learning to interpret body language is good too.


They try very hard, and in many creative ways to play catch with a snake.  Subtle, but Hailey really laughs at this page.


But, you'll be glad to know they all work it out in the end.  The double meaning here is not lost on Hailey either, she laughs her little butt off.  Truth be told, so do I.

If you have a 5 to 7 year old they may love these books, mine does.

Gentrie

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Oklahoma......not the play

We found out today Hubby might be going off to Oklahoma for a few months.  Construction workers in Minnesota do not know how to prepare for winter work so they can work during the winter.  So Hubby may be heading off to Oklahoma to work on a power plant for a little while.

Surprisingly, that is only about 500 miles from here, half the distance of going to Montana.

One of my favorite bloggers lives in Oklahoma.

 Just thought I would throw that out there.  No particular reason.

While we always miss him when he is on the road, I can see the change in his attitude already.  He is already a bit giddy with the thought of going back to work.  He's a bit sick isn't he?


Hubby @ the Hubert Humphrey Metro Dome in Minneapolis.
OOOHHHH, look at that sunshine!  I have serious cabin fever, can you tell?  In a way I hope he gets the job.  It will make SUCH a big difference in his attitude. 

It will also give me an excuse to go to Oklahoma.  I've never been there.

Gentrie

Monday, February 7, 2011

New Identities

I want to be in the FBI.  I want to take on lots of new identities and pretend to be people I'm not.  Smarter than I am, richer than I am, snobbier than I am.  I could travel and meet new people, granted they would probably be mostly criminals.  Not all criminals are bad though.......

OK, so maybe not.  Maybe working every day at the same job, raising my daughter and living with and loving my hubby are enough.

A girl can dream though.

I would have made a great FBI agent!

Gentrie

Sunday, February 6, 2011

On the Superbowl and life...

Hailey's bathed and ready for bed, the Superbowl commercials are very lacking and Christina and Fergie were both definitely NOT on their A game tonight.

I've been doing some studying lately, and some inspirational reading.  Not inspirational as in God, but inspirational as in creative and motivational.  Gearing up for the big project.  Almost there.......

Next month Hubby should be working again.  That will be a relief, he's starting to drive me batty too.  I know he's very stir crazy right now, but now it's starting to get to me.  It's the same every year by February (in Minnesota) then by March all is well again when he starts working again.

I have a feeling our world is going to be changing dramatically very soon.  I am trying to prepare us for this, mostly myself.  If I'm prepared then I can handle everyone else.

Hailey took this picture at my niece's wedding.  This is my Uncle Marlyn, Hailey's Great Uncle.  This picture just cracks me up.  In a way it represents my Uncle, but not in a literal way.  Definitely not a "usual" expression for him.

Gotta love it all.......

Gentrie

Friday, February 4, 2011

Ode to Brownies

Sweet watermelon
Sweet apple pie
Give me a mocha brownie
BEFORE I DIE!



These aren't mocha brownies but DANG they look good!



Gentrie

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Bittersweet Graduation

Aaaaahhhhh graduation.

I remember I could NOT WAIT for my high school graduation!  I was SO excited to be free from High School.  Then it was college, I couldn't wait to get through college.  The first year I think I relished it.  All the parties, new friends, the independence, the parties. 

Oh, did I say that already?  About the parties?  I did, OK.


Sydney @ about 8.

Anyway, the whole point of this post is my stepdaughter is graduating High School this year.  I remember when she was 3 years old and clinging to her Daddy's leg.

I love this picture.  It's one of my favorites, still about 8 here.

She grew up.  She's not this cute little girl anymore who just used to make me laugh.  She was so shy and quiet, but was fun and goofy when she felt at ease and comfortable.  Dancing in Dad's cowboy hats and boots, riding her first horse, dancing a jig down the grocery store isle.  I have lots of great memories.

About 11 here, that's her gingerbread house, I only helped a little bit, really!

When I look at her now I can still see this little girl.  It's hard around the womanly frame and makeup, but she's still there.




She has her whole life ahead of her.  I am excited for her and a little scared.  I get stressed thinking of her going out on her own.  I worry if she'll make the right decisions.  She may not understand this, after all, I am only her step mom, but somehow, someway, she is my little girl too.


Well maybe not so little.


Gentrie