I Don't Need Anymore Projects But That Never Stops Me

 Hello friends.  What's up?  Been keeping busy?  I have, maybe a bit too busy.

I finished a whole block of my Wishes quilt.  The next section is super big and complicated.  So, I'm procrastinating.  I'm still loving it but it's getting to be a bit much.

My friend Vicki just added on to her house this year, which included her very own sewing room.  So I made her a button monogram for her new room.

Pinterest Update:  My homemade air fresheners are a complete waste of time.  They only smell good while you're making them.  Then they fade.  And, I gave one away as a gift....

The latest and greatest: I made a cake stand for my kitchen sink.  I saw someone say it was a good way to keep the sink area clean.  I thought it turned out really cute.  It's made from a $1 candle stick and $1 plate.  The picture makes it look a little crooked but I don't think it actually is.

I finally finished my Henrietta Whiskers quilt!  It's been piled on my banister for the last year and since fall is right around the corner, I decided I'd waited long enough.  Turns out that I hadn't done all the embroidery, either.  Then I had to do the embellishing with buttons and what not.  Now I've got it signed up to appear in the Edwardsville quilt show.

The girl at work who provided me with apples for the apple butter a couple weeks ago brought more.  So I made a custard apple pie.  My crusts are super ugly...but the pie was yum.  Last night I finally finished off the last of the apples and made apple crisp.  Double yum but it was gone before I could photograph.

So, I've been following Lori Holt's blog (Bee In My Bonnet) and Pinterest page.  And she's awesome.  I absolutely do not need another project but I started one with her anyway.  It's a row along.  Every 2 weeks we do another row.  We started with the 1" square checkerboard.  You should check out her tutorial on it.  It was really easy and quick.  Then this last week we did the butterflies.  I'm using all scraps with solid white.  She also had a tutorial on how to make this design board.  I decided that I will probably make a larger one for the quilt show but without the ric rac.  Oh, yeah.  My other project is ribbons for our quilt show and a board to display them on.

Then, I finished Bethany's infinity scarf.  This is Sierra modeling it.  Bethany's arm is photo bombing the picture because she couldn't stand the idea of her sister modeling the scarf she so patiently watched me finish.  Then I gave it to someone else.  And it was killing her.

And now she has it.  And she likes it.

Why Do I Do These Things?

Me:  "Why do I do these things?"
Bethany:  "Because you're crazy.  Crazy people do these things, Mom.  Crazy People."
I guess that explains a lot.

I've been on a canning kick lately.  It's because of my Kitchen Ninja.  It can do anything.  First, my co-worker brought in apples from her tree.  So, I made Apple Butter.  It turned out great, everyone loved it.

Then strawberries were on sale at Aldi for $1 a carton.  So, I made Strawberry Jam.  It turned out great, everyone loved it.

So I decided to do salsa!  My Ninja can chop those tomatoes and chilies, no problem.  What a total pain in my butt!  It was good though, everyone loved it.

When we got back from Chicago, Sierra made Chinese Five Spice cupcakes with brown butter frosting.  I didn't get a photo but they were great.  Then during the Labor Day weekend, she made butterscotch.  Very good.  Then she made a chocolate cake with no frosting.  Also, very good.  We now all weigh 600 lbs.
I spent one entire day un-quilting a quilt.  My Pride and Prejudice quilt had an afro on the bottom.  I've been meaning to undo it for months now and I finally got to it.  Thank goodness I had a lot of tv to catch up on.  I watched Copper, Hell on Wheels, Lost Girl, Dr. Who, Water For Elephants, Gross Pointe Blank (love it), and Chicago...

The girls and I spent the day at the Mills Mall today.  It was my first time there and I really liked it.  The girls got their Homecoming dresses.

After that, I pieced another Christmas Wish block.

 

I re-did this necklace.  I didn't like the first version (without ribbon) of mine and fell in love with this version. 

I won these items on the French General blog!  Very exciting.  It's mostly scrapbooking stuff and I have no idea what to do with it but they were free:)

And, because I'm a indeed crazy, I started an infinity scarf for Bethany.

Confucius Say: Wear noodle on face, have good luck all year long!

 We went to Chicago last week on a three day weekend that Rich and I happened to have together.  I don't even know when the last time that happened!
Hunter chose not to come with us.  He didn't want to drive there in the back seat of the Lincoln with his sisters.  The Lincoln, by the way, was not meant for driving in the city now that he has that giant motor in it.  That bored out motor took the Town out of the Town and Country car.

My nephew Gib and his wife Ruth and kids Zosia and Avi live there and were kind enough to offer their home to us.  We had a great time seeing them.

 The first night we went out for Chicago style pizza at Connie's.  YUM.  It's funny how we forget what it's like having small children.  My heart bled for Gib and Ruth having to keep the kids (3 and 1) happy in the restaurant.  I completely take it for granted that my children aren't going to throw their food on the floor and scream at me for not being quick enough with the lemonade.

Lincoln Park Zoo was our second day.  Ethan was apparently sick of me at this point...

Zosia was in total command of my kids the whole weekend.  She chased Ethan around calling him her treasure!  So adorable!  And now I'm really upset that I didn't get a decent picture of Avi.  Ugh, I'm a terrible Great-Aunt.

 Just hangin' with Bill Shakespeare.

Molly's Cupcakes.  We walked from the zoo to here.  Ethan was pissed!  Not pleasant.  Gib and Ruth got an idea of how not perfect my children are at that point.  Yikes.




I decided I was going to make a trip to the only quilt store in Chicago.  I believe this is where the daughter of one of Fons and Porter tapes her online show Quilty.  It was not worth the trip.  By far the smallest store I have ever seen.  They carry contemporary and 30s fabrics, and I'm not a big fan of either.  And it was a big deal getting there.  I felt terrible because everyone was already crabby and hot from the zoo and cupcakes.  Really bad idea...

I'll tell you what was a good idea, Chinatown!  We went to the best Chinese Food! I think it was called The Triple Crown.  Double YUM!

Confucius Say:  Wear noodle on face, have good luck all year long!