Fun Flowers

Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions. 
~Edgar Cayce

I have been dreaming a lot the last couple of nights.  This in itself is unusual because I don't normally dream.  Monday morning I woke up and could remember two of the dreams I had the previous night.  Just stupid dreams that made no sense at all.  Last night I dreamt a lot too.  Couldn't tell you what the dreams were about this time.  However........there was one very odd component to one of the dreams.  In my dream, up in the upper right corner was the sign you see on tv shows for the hearing impaired.  Now that is strange.  Why remember that above all other aspects of the dream.  Does that mean we listen to our tv too loudly - which, according to DD#2 with the super sonic hearing, we do.  Does it mean I was having trouble hearing something in my dream?  Whatever it was, it made me wake up and shake my head as I got out of bed this morning.  I'm sure I will never figure that one out - lol!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Ice Cream Soda

Today is Ice Cream Soda Day.  Doesn't that sound good in all of this hot weather?  The ice cream soda was invented by Robert M. Green in Philadelphia, PA, in 1874 during the sesquicentennial celebration. The traditional story is that, on a particularly hot day, Mr. Green ran out of ice for the flavored sodas he was selling and used vanilla ice cream from a neighboring vendor to keep his sodas cold. His own account, published in Soda Fountain magazine in 1910, states that while operating a soda fountain at the Franklin Institute's sesquicentennial celebration in Philadelphia in 1874, he wanted to create a new treat to attract customers away from another vendor who had a fancier, bigger soda fountain. After some experimenting, he decided to combine ice cream and soda water. During the celebration, he sold vanilla ice cream with soda water and a choice of 16 different flavored syrups. The new treat was a sensation, and soon other soda fountains began selling ice cream sodas. Green's will instructed that "Originator of the Ice Cream Soda" was to be engraved on his tombstone.

  The beverage quickly became very popular, to such a degree that it was almost socially obligatory among teens, although many adults abhorred it. According to some accounts, it was banned, either entirely or on holy days, by some local governments, giving rise to a substitute treat, the sodaless ice cream sundae. As soda was marketed as a miracle cure, it was often considered a substance that required oversight and control like alcohol, another controlled substance that could not be served or purchased on Sundays in many conservative areas. Many soda fountains had to figure out a way to turn a profit on Sundays when selling soda was considered illegal. The solution was to serve ice cream on these days, as it is merely a food product and not a controlled substance. Soda fountains then coined the term "Sundaes" for the ice cream concoctions that they served on "soda's day of rest".

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2 NEW FLOWERS

Yesterday I created two new flowers for One Flower Wednesday and for my GFG.....

This flower was made with DD#2 in mind.  She has played the trumpet since she was 10 and even went on to graduate with an MFA in music performance.

This flower was made by fussy cutting part of another flower.  I couldn't really decide which way to place the petals and this is what I ended up with.

While I'm showing you flowers, I thought I would show you my traveling case.  The petals on the left are the ones I made going down to L.A. and back this weekend.  Lots of stepping stones for my GFG and petals for next month's swap partner.  I do make sure to take matching threads to the petals if I plan to assemble flowers while we travel.

If you are interested in seeing other flowers around blogland you can, thanks to Karen, Journey Of A Quilter, who has provided us with a linky to connect up with each other.  Thank you, Karen!

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HOT SUMMER DAY

Just had to share a photo of Snickerdoodle and Weasley.....

Both of them were sound asleep on their backs - baring their bellies helps to keep them cool.  It's not often I see them laying like perfect little parentheses - lol!

This little funny was sent to me by Jennifer.  Thank you for the little laugh!!

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FMQ - DAYS 5 and 6

I had a lot of fun with this practice.  Leah calls this Wandering Clover.  It's meandering with some petals thrown in.

Yesterday's was more of a challenge.  I divided the piece in half and definitely had more success with the second (right) side.  I still didn't blend the stitching very well in the middle.  This practice piece is called Flowing Glass.  I know I had trouble relaxing with this one and could feel the knot in my shoulders when I was through.  I don't think this will be added to my future quilting.

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TODAY'S and TOMORROW'S GOAL

Today I will work on a mug rug for a swap that needs to be in the mail by the end of the month.

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GIVEAWAYS

Our Busy Little Bunch is having a giveaway.  You could win a Fat Quarter bundle of Hoo's in the Forest by Doohikey Designs, some fun Riley Blake trims and buttons, and a Layer Cake of Sugar & Spice by the Quilted Fish.  This giveaway ends Saturday, July 30.
 

Vrooman's Quilts is having a giveaway.  Sharon has made up 100 Cookie Crumb blocks to giveaway.   This giveaway ends Sunday, July 24.

Freda's Hive is having a giveaway.  You could win a GO! Baby Cutter from AccuQuilt.  This giveaway ends Friday, July 22.

Lily Pad Quilting is having a giveaway.  You could win a seven fat quarter stack of Lola's Posies by Lila Tueller, in the rose colorway, a $20 credit to Dewberry Lane, a set of Quilter's No Melt Press Bars, some thread and a new package of quilting needles.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, July 26.

Cotton Cocktail's is celebrating her second blogiversary with a giveaway.  You could win 4 beautiful fat quarters.  This giveaway ends Monday, July 25.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her Mystery Monday giveaway.  You could win 5 fat quarters in your choice of colors.  The winner will be announced Monday, July 25.

Keep Me In Stitches is celebrating her one year blogiversary.  Peggy is giving away all sorts of cross stitch goodies.  The winner will be selected on Friday, August 5.

I Have A Notion is having a giveaway.  You could win a Village Green & Portraits Of My Garden Patterns by Amanda Murphy Design.  This giveaway will end Thursday evening, July 20.

Quilting With Debi is having a giveaway.  You could win one of four (4) sets of 200 - 5" charms (2 of 100 different fabrics).  Debi will draw four names on Friday, July 22.

1 Choice 4 Quilting is having a giveaway.  You could win an Amelia Jelly Roll or an Amelia Layer Cake or a Hometown Jelly Roll.  This giveaway ends Monday, July 25, at 10:00 pm EST.

The Colorado Lady is having a giveaway.  You could win one of two 1 year subscriptions to Taste of Home.   Suzanne will draw the winners on Sunday, July 24.

Pigtales and Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win a Quilters Depot goody bag.  This giveaway ends Monday, July 25.

Me and My Stitches is having a giveaway.  You could win either a piece of jewelry or a scissor fob that Julie created.  A winner will be drawn on Monday, July 25.

Fabric Worm is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win  Monica Lee Now We're Going Places, Orange & Lime in 8 Fat Quarters.  This giveaway will end Monday, July 25, at 8:30 am PST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

So far I'm enjoying this three day a week blogging schedule.  Monday I was able to sew all the way until 4:45.  Mind you, it did feel strange not stopping at 3:30 to prep for a post on Tuesday.  I was able to spend the afternoon putting borders on quilts made by others of our guild for the QOV project.  It's interesting to see the work of others that you don't normally see - seam allowances, stitch length, etc.  I also was able to prep for the sew-in at Thursday's guild meeting.  We are going to be doing the jelly roll race and since I don't happen to have a jelly roll on hand, I had to finish cutting the pieces to have enough strips.  It's amazing what I can do with a free hour every once in awhile.  I hope you are enjoying your week so far.

One must learn a different... sense of time, one that depends more on small amounts than big ones.
~Sister Mary Paul

A Wide Range Of Emotions

I have often lamented that we cannot close our ears with as much ease as we can our eyes.
~Richard Steele

So much for my quiet days of last week.  Last week the school across the street was on Easter break so there were very few cars going down our street.  No buses bouncing through the pot holes.  Only the daily visit of the mailman.  This week all of that noise is back.  My noise pollution is made up of the diesel engines of the buses and delivery trucks.  And the daily visit of the bass from a stereo blasting from a car as they wait for their child to be out of class.  In addition to all that, they have started working on the house next door.  It has finally sold after a year of being empty.  The previous owners walked away but only after leaving the inside in need of much repair.  So now I also listen to a nail gun and an electric saw, not to mention the dropping of wood and occasional loud voices.  The lovely sounds of construction.  Oh, and don't forget the daily barrage of car alarms that all of the teacher's cars seem to have.  No wonder the mocking birds around here can mimic that sound so well - lol!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Karaoke

National Karaoke Week is celebrated the fourth week of April. How is it celebrated? Easy! You go out and sing or even better, purchase a karaoke machine.

There are various disputes about who first invented the name karaoke. One claim is that the karaoke styled machine was invented by Japanese musician Daisuke Inoue in Kobe, Japan, in 1971. After becoming popular in Japan, karaoke spread by Hideo to East and Southeast Asia during the 1980s and subsequently to other parts of the world.

In Japan, it has long been common to provide musical entertainment at a dinner or a party. Japanese drummer Daisuke Inoue was asked frequently by guests in the Utagoe Kissa, where he performed, to provide a recording of his performance so that they could sing along on a company-sponsored vacation. Realizing the potential for the market, Inoue made a tape recorder that played a song for a 100-yen coin. Instead of giving his karaoke machines away, Inoue leased them out so that stores did not have to buy new songs on their own. Originally, it was considered a somewhat expensive fad, as it lacked the live atmosphere of a real performance and 100 yen in the 1970s was the price of two typical lunches, but it caught on as a popular entertainment. Karaoke machines were initially placed in restaurants and hotel rooms; soon, new businesses called karaoke boxes, with compartmented rooms, became popular. In 2004, Daisuke Inoue was awarded the tongue-in-cheek Ig Nobel Peace Prize for inventing karaoke, "thereby providing an entirely new way for people to learn to tolerate each other."

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BLOCKS RECEIVED

Yesterday I received an envelope from my Block Swap Adventure swap partner for April.

Charlene made me TWO blocks.  Aren't they wonderful?  I just love the pattern and the fabrics she used.  When I first saw them they immediately reminded me of a summer picnic.  Thank you so very much, Charlene!!

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ANOTHER WIN

Don't hate me, but yesterday I received another squishy with a something I had won last week.

Staci, from The Confused Quilter, had a giveaway featuring B. Bumble & Co. patterns and I won this fantastic pattern called The Shop Hopper.  Linda Winters designs such cute patterns but I think this is my absolute favorite and can't wait to make it up.  Thank you, Staci!!!

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MORE MAIL

Yesterday I received an envelope that I wasn't expecting.

As a thank you for sending them my star blocks for the Just One Star project, Moda sent a little thank you card and a little packet of 2 1/2 inch squares.  That certainly was unexpected but much appreciated.

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DISAPPOINTMENT

On March 13, 2011, I won a giveaway from Material Girls Quilts.  I was thrilled.  It was the first time I had won a fat quarter bundle.  This is what was pictured with the giveaway blog....

It wasn't exactly specified which one you would win but stated there would be three winners.  I kept waiting for the package to arrive.  I contacted one of the other winners as we are blogging friends - she hadn't received hers either.  We began emailing Material Girls (separately) and received back an assortment of different excuses.  Nothing for over a month. We sent of 5 emails each.  Finally, on Monday, I received a plain brown envelope with no return address.  It looked a little dubious but I opened it.  Inside was this....

7 fat quarters - coordinated by color but not by designer or company.  Now I don't know about you, but I was expecting one of the first fat quarter bundles pictured above.  I think they finally sent me these in an attempt to shut me up.  They were probably tired of receiving my emails.  I don't usually complain and will shrug off something if it never appears.  But to picture something that you are giving away and then have it be nothing like that is basically lying.  It's deceptive and could be considered fraud.  (See Sharon's blog, Vrooman's Quilts, for further information about the legal side.) 

I hope none of you ever have something like this happen to you.  But if you do, don't just sit on it.  Let your voice be heard.  It is the only way to prevent others from doing something similar.

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BALTIMORE BLOCK

Yesterday evening I put the final stitches in another Baltimore Block....

This is block 3.  I had a little trouble with the points on the pineapple tops but I'm still pleased with how it turned out.  I'm definitely still on the learning curve for hand applique.  I have been using the glue stick method but I think I might try the starch method for the next block.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will finish the baby quilt. All I have to do is sew on the binding and then hand stitch it.

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GIVEAWAYS

The Raspberry Rabbit is having a celebration giveaway.  To help celebrate 700 followers they are giving away several different books.  This giveaway ends Sunday, May 1.

Just One More Stitch is having a giveaway.  You could win a jelly roll of your choice from 1 Choice 4 Quilting.  This giveaway ends Sunday, May 1.

Jackie's Art Quilts is having a giveaway.  Jackie is giving away 5 beautiful fat quarters.  The winner will be drawn on Thursday, May 5.

Diary Of A Quilter is having a sponsored giveaway.  Jackie from Canton Village Quilts is giving away a fat quarter bundle of Art Gallery Oval Elements collection.  This giveaway ends Sunday, May 1, at midnight MST.

Blacksheep's Bit Of The Web is celebrating her fourth year of blogging with a giveaway.  He will be giving away "nice prize and leave it at that".  This giveaway ends Friday, May 7, at 3:00 pm PST.

Stray Stitches is having a fantastic giveaway (if I do say so myself - lol).  You could win....

these lovely 10 fat quarters.  This giveaway ends Sunday, May1, at 8:00 pm PST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Wow!  This post was long.  Sorry about that. There was just so much to share.  And, of course, there was also my ranting.  If you have stuck with me through the entire way, thank you!  Aren't friends wonderful?  They put up with you no matter what kind of mood you are in.  They will share your happiness, your sorrow, your grumpiness, and even your bragging.  Friends are priceless.  I have enjoyed sharing my life with you.  But I especially enjoy sharing your life through your blogs.  They are what get my day started.  I visit some of you while eating my lunch.  Others I read just before bed. You have all enriched my days and expanded my knowledge.  Thank you!

A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.
~Lois Wyse

Be thankful it's Thursday - another day for creating!

Stars And Eggs - Green!

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,

May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

~Irish Blessing

It's St. Patrick's Day!  Do you have on your green?  Do green eyes count?  If so, then I am covered.  If not, then get your pinches ready because I'm not wearing green - at least not where it shows!  Neither my DH nor I are Irish.  Our only bit of celebration is usually my making corned beef and cabbage - gag me with a spoon.  I dutifully make this each year as my DH likes LOVES it.  How can you like boiled meat?  The cabbage is passable and I do like the carrots and the new potatoes.  And who can stand that smell?  DH says it is the perfume of the Irish.  (Again - gag me).  This year will be a little different.  My sweet DH is taking me out to dinner (happy dance).  He can order his corned beef and cabbage and I can have whatever my little heart desires.  And, best of all, we can come to a house that doesn't reek of boiled meat!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Kissing the Blarney Stone

Five miles north west of the small city of Cork is the village of Blarney. Near the village, standing almost 90 feet in height is the castle of Blarney with its world-famous Blarney Stone. More than 300,000 people come to kiss the Blarney Stone each year, in the hopes of gaining more eloquent speech.  While the Blarney Castle that visitors see today was constructed in 1446, the history of the place goes back two centuries before that time. The story begins with a magical stone, its origins shrouded in mystery. One legend says it was the rock that Moses struck with his staff to produce water for the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Another legend relates that it had once been Jacob’s Pillow and that the prophet Jeremiah had brought it to Ireland. According to this telling it became the Lia Fail, or ‘Fatal Stone’ and was used as an oracular throne of the Irish kings. 

It is known, however, when and how the word Blarney entered the English language and the dictionary. During the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Dermot McCarthy, the ruler of the castle, was required to surrender his fortress to the Queen as proof of his loyalty. He said he would be delighted to do so, but something always happened at the last moment to prevent his surrender. His excuses became so frequent and indeed so plausible that the official who had been demanding the castle in the name of the Queen became a joke at the Court. Once, when the eloquent excuses of McCarthy were repeated to the Queen, she said "Odds bodikins, more Blarney talk!" The term Blarney has thus come to mean 'the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without giving offense'.

 

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JUST ONE STAR

Moda staff and designers would like to invite you to join their newest challenge:  Just One Star can comfort a soldier.  The challenge is to piece, quilt and bind 100 quilts in 100 days using the Flag of Valor pattern by Minick and Simpson.  As the saying goes "many hands make light work".  They need 1800 star blocks to reach their goal.  You can be involved too!  You simply need to make a quilt block(s) to support moda and Semper Fi's efforts. 

Please take a few minutes to piece Just One Star block (click here for pattern) using a medium red or blue and a cream background.  Sign each block with your name and state.  Moda will coordinate the donation of the 100 quilts thru the Semper Fi Fund.  The deadline for blocks is May 1, 2011 so that moda can meet their quilt deadline by Flag Day, June 14, 2011.

Yesterday I made two of the stars.....

and my brown pigma pen arrived in the mail so I could sign the blocks with my name and state.  They are on the road to moda today!

Won't you help this very worthy cause?  Support our troops!  Let's help moda make more than 100 quilts!

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SPRING IS COMING

Today the gold finches arrived at my thistle feeder.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera nearby when there were over 15 of these precious little birds on the feeder.  They are such flighty birds that it is hard to catch them in a good shot.  This is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner.

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WOOL CANDLE MAT

Yesterday I prepped and cut the wool for the Chicks Candle mat that I want made before April.  It is a darling pattern by Bareroots.

Doesn't this remind you of a rotten broken egg with little chick embryos floating in it?  Gross - I know.  Don't ask me why my mind went there.  It just did.  I will be stitching the little chicks in the proper places over the weekend so next time you see them, they should look a whole lot better.

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ANOTHER START

Yesterday I also started working on my second Baltimore Album block.

Not much to see yet.  I found making inside curves much easier to make smooth than the outside curves.  The next four pieces have both inside and outside curves.

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TODAY'S GOAL

A while back I signed up for a hot pad swap.  I plan to start working on it today - at least get the pieces cut out.

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GIVEAWAYS

Such a Sew and Sew is having a giveaway.  Elizabeth is helping her friend, Wanda, get organized by is giving away 10 1/2 yards of Civil War Reproduction fabrics and a copy of the book, The Civil War Diary Quilt.  This giveaway ends on Friday, March 18, at 11:30 pm MST.

Amy's Creative Side is having a giveaway.  She is giving away a collection of 6 Indygo Junction Patterns.  This giveaway ends Monday, March 21st.

Bee In My Bonnet is having a fabric giveaway.  Lori is giving away 2 sets of 1930's repro fat quarters - 22 fat quarters in each set.  This giveaway ends Saturday, March 19.

Stitched In Color is having a batting giveaway!  Rachel is giving away a package of Warm & Natural batting, 90" X 96" (full size).  She will draw a random winner on Saturday, March 19.

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FINAL THOUGHT

There are so many charities and wonderful organizations out there, how do you know which one(s) to get involved with.  I say to pick by what feels closest to your heart.  I crochet afghans for Project Linus, an organization whose mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers".  I am also involved with the Golden West Chapter of the ALS Association.  This is a much more personal reason as I have the disease.  I give monthly to our local homeless shelter that provides meals to those who live on the street no matter what caused them to end up there.  There are other charities that I participate in yearly either by donations or attending walks.  With so many it is often hard to decide where to spend my time and money.  Do you get involved?  What charities and/or organizations to you participate in?

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
~Mark Twain

'Tis St. Patrick's Day! May the luck of the Irish be with ya!