I'm Late!

"Buttons and patches and the cold wind blowing, The days pass quickly when I am sewing."
                                                                       ~Author Unknown

Wacky and Weird Wednesday.  That is how my day started and that is why my post is later than usual.  I had just finished preparing my pictures and headed for the internet.  What?  Why can't I connect?!?!?  Stupid internet provider - grrrrrrrrr!!!!  Once again we had no internet and no phone.  I sometimes think we made a mistake when we went digital with the phone.  So, instead of sitting and staring at a screen that was telling me it couldn't connect, I moved over to the sewing machine and began sewing another SAL block.  Finally, almost 2 hours later, I am back up and running with a connection to blogland!!  Or so I thought.  Now blogger is not doing a search for pictures from my computer, so I'm having to take a different route :(  Hopefully I will get a post up some time today........

Photo of the Day:

YELLOW Sunflower

Yellow is sunshine. It is a warm color that, like red, has conflicting symbolism. On the one hand it denotes happiness and joy but on the other hand yellow is the color of cowardice and deceit.  Yellow is one of the warm colors. Because of the high visibility of bright yellow, it is often used for hazard signs and some emergency vehicles. Yellow is cheerful.  Although it can work as the primary color, yellow often works best as a companion to other colors. Use bright yellow to create excitement when red or orange may be too strong or too dark. Yellow can be perky.  These words are synonymous with yellow or represent various shades of the color yellow: lemon, yellow ocher, golden, saffron, cream, topaz, mellow yellow.

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I have been remiss - please take your turn at 100 whips with a wet noodle!  I forgot to thank you all for your votes in the Quilters Blog Fall theme quilts.  With your help I think I placed ninth!!!  Thank you all for not letting me come in last.  It was a fun exercise but I think I will only participate by voting in the future.



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Okay, I concede.  I just can't respond to all of the comments you have made to enter my Fall Into Fall Bloggers Giveaway (the cute little ducky quilt kit).  Your response has been overwhelming - last I looked there are over 700 comments for entries to this giveaway.  I have read and enjoyed each and every comment!  I just can't seem to get them answered :(  But, you can be assured, each comment has been entered.  I am doing my best to keep up with responding to the newer giveaway (2 1/2 yards of Hoffman fabric).  I've learned my lesson - multiple comments are fun to read but are impossible to respond to.  I hope you will continue to enter future giveaways where there will be less comments be required to enter.

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Today is One Flower Wednesday.  I made this hexie flower Sunday and thought it turned out cute. 

Just so the cat lovers don't think I only create flowers with dogs - lol!

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I finally finished my Paganini quilt yesterday for the Le Petite, A Year Of Small Projects.

Here it is!  The pictures a little dark because it was taken inside with a flash.  The picture I took outside really washed out the colors.

Here is a close up of the quilting so you can see how I carried the diamond shape into the border.

Here is the pieced backing.  This is the first time I have ever pieced a backing and I am rather pleased with how it turned out.  The strip across the top is the sleeve for hanging (DH's fingers in top corners - lol!)

This shows the quilting on the back side - and shows everyone how uneven some of my spacing was.

One WIP completed!  Now to start another one that has to be completed by the middle of next month

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REMINDER

Don't forget about my two giveaways.  First is the Fall Into Fall Bloggers Giveaway where you can win a darling Ducky Baby Quilt Kit.  You can enter this giveaway HERE.  Remember this ends this Friday.

The second giveaway is my 200 Followers Celebration.  If you enter this giveaway, you could win 2 1/2 yards of Hoffman fabric.  This giveaway ends Sunday evening!

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Final Thought

Well, only three hours later than normal posting time.  I have never had so much trouble creating a post before.  How frustrating!  If it were this hard every time, I wouldn't be a blogger.  I hope Blogger gets all of its bugs worked out today.  And now I'm trying to figure out Picasa for future picture loads.  Sometimes I am so technology challenged.  If anyone knows of a good tutorial for Picasa please let me know!  But so goes life - no one ever said it would be easy.  I just need to remember to close my eyes, take that deep cleansing breath (inhale........exhale), and relax.  Ahhhhhh.  Okay!  So take the day by the horns, complete something - anything - or at least attain one goal.  I can make it through today and smile - all I have to do is think about all my blogging friends and life is good!!

Who Is The Winner?

The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness.  You have to catch it yourself. 
                                                                  ~Benjamin Franklin


Today is Tuesday and time to announce the winner of the giveaway.  So, thank you to  random.org, a number was selected. 

And that number is 89.  Congratulations to CRAFTY PUG!   I will be emailing Crafty Pug to get her snail mail address.

Photo Of The Day:

Succulents on my back porch

Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climate or soil conditions.  Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots.  The storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants, a characteristic known as succulence.  The best known succulents are cacti.  Virtually all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti.  My succulents should be very happy today as our temperature is supposed to reach 102*.  I told you we weren't through with summer!

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I was able to get a little sewing in yesterday.  I finished the top for my Paganini. 

This is a sample of the some of the fabrics I used

Here is the top. 

The lighting wasn't very good for taking the picture so the different fabric prints didn't show up well, but you can at least get an idea of what it looks like.  I plan to get it sandwiched today and maybe even start quilting.

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I am sharing a recipe for chicken that can either be prepared in the oven or grilled on the barbecue.  As usual, this recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

Lemon Barbecued Chicken

Ingredients:

2/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (3 1/2 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up ..... I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Ingredients (minus the chicken)

Directions:

1.  Whisk together the first 10 ingredients. Add onion; set aside 1/4 cup if barbecuing. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Chicken marinating

2.  For barbecue:  Drain and discard marinade. Grill the chicken, covered, over indirect medium heat for 45 minutes or until juices run clear, turning and basting with reserved marinade every 8-10 minutes.

3.  To bake chicken:  After marinating, place chicken in a greased 15" X 10" X 1" baking pan. Pour all of the marinade over it. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 1 1/4 hours or until juices run clear, basting occasionally.

Ready to eat!

Personal Notes:

1.  I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2.  I put the chicken in a 9" X 13" baking dish. Then added the marinade, turning the chicken to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

3.  I used the same dish that I used for marinating to cook in - straight from the frig to the oven (plastic wrap removed, of course)

4.  We found the chicken to have more flavor when baked that when barbecued.

5.  Reheats very well!

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Reminders

Don't forget about the Fall-O-Ween Quilt Designer Blog Hop.   Today's host is Sandy Gervais!

Another reminder, Friday is the start of the Fall Into Fall Quilters Giveaway (the scarecrow link on the right hand side)!  If you would like your blog to be part of the giveaway, tomorrow (Wednesday) is the last day to enter.  You should see the list of blogs that are participating!!  The giveaway starts Friday, October 1!!!!!

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Final Thoughts

Even though there was only one winner today, we are all winners in the game of life.  As long as we are able to breathe, think, love, and feel we are all successful and should feel proud just to accomplish those four remarkable gifts.  Remember, the next winner could be you!!

Have a tenseless, tireless, tremendous Tuesday!!

Goals, Meanings, and a Little Christmas

"Goals are dreams with deadlines." 
                                                                      ~Diana Scharf Hunt

Another week is almost over - can you believe it?!?  The days seem to fly by - and I have so much more to do!!  It's hard to believe that Christmas is really just around the corner.  How many more shopping days?  You sure couldn't tell it's near by the weather here.  By early next week we are supposed to up near 100* again!  But, it is no surprise as it always heats up one more time for the Kern County Fair (runs for another 9 days).  Hopefully this will be Mother Nature's last heat raising hurrah.

Photo Of The Day

Another Gerbera Daisy in my yard

Throughout history, lovers have given flowers to each other as a token of their longing, devotion, and love. The language and meaning of flowers has evolved through the years.

When choosing a flower as a gift, consider how special the flower is to your lover and what message it communicates.  Here is a sampling of what some plants/flowers mean when given as gifts:

ALMOND, FLOWERING: Hope.
ALYSSUM: Worth beyond beauty.
ASPARAGUS FERN: Fascination.
BABY'S BREATH: Innocence.
BIRD OF PARADISE: Magnificence.
BUTTERFLY WEED: Let me go.
CARNATION, STRIPED: Refusal, No, sorry I can't be with you.
DAFFODIL, SINGLE: Misfortune.
but then a BUNCH of DAFFODILS, :Joy, happiness
HEATHER, WHITE: Protection, wishes will come true.
HYACINTH, YELLOW: Jealousy.
MONKSHOOD: Beware, a deadly foe is near, danger.
OLEANDER: Caution.
PUSSY WILLOW: Illness recovery.
SPIDER FLOWER: Elope with me.
TULIP, VARIEGATED: Beautiful eyes.

So be careful what you give or receive - there may be a hidden message in there somewhere!!!
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Yesterday I finally assembled all of the blocks for the Paganini.  After all there were only 16 blocks, you wouldn't have thought it would take me so long.  Well, maybe I did get a bit distracted with other things (sew along blocks, reading blogs, taking pictures)

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The other day I was visiting Sherrie's blog, A Quilting Life, and she posted pictures of some Christmas blocks she was making.  They were from The Fat Quarter Shop's 2010 Designer Mystery Block of the Month.  They were so cute, bright and cheery, that I just had to buy them too!  It actually started back in May and will run until May 2011 so I was starting out behind - but, then again, what else is new - lol!  The first Four blocks arrived today.

Isn't the fabric enticing?  I can't wait to get started but promised myself I would complete at least three of my other projects first - quilt the brown and blue (it's all pin basted and ready to go, at least finish the Chubby Stars Quilt top, and definitely finish the Paganini - it will be first on the list since it has to be finished by the end of October!  Another selling point was the description "Each block finishes at 12" and will be an easy to intermediate pieced block (no templates, applique or paper piecing), making this block of the month suitable for all quilters."  I didn't think the price of $9.99 a month (shipping included US) was a bad price at all.  The finishing kit will be on my Christmas Wish List for the hubby!
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GIVEAWAY

Here's another chance to enter a GO! giveaway. Millie's Quilting is hosting this one and it ends Oct. 2!

Patches and Pieces is having a great giveaway.  Rhonda is giving away a Super Gripper and a decorative basket with 15 coordinated FQs.  This one ends September 28th.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway.  Just go HERE to enter.  This ends Monday!
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Final Thoughts

As the days pass and little seems accomplished, just look back at the quilt top that is forming that was previously just a pile of blocks, or the blocks that were just a pile of fabric.  See, you have done quite a bit.  Especially if you are sandwiching in between work, kids, meetings, and other obligations.  Before you know it, you will have achieved the goal you were aiming for - another job completed.  Smile :)  You will get there.

Have a fantastic, frivolous, fiber Friday!