Look What Came in the Mail

I was so excited to find this in my mailbox:

Leanne Beasley's premiere issue and "Vignette in
Stitches"--- a 16 block mystery quilt.  Block one
is featured and there will be eight more issues each
containing a mystery block.
http://leanneshouse.typepad.com

I know I don't really need another project, but this
is too cute to pass up. One can never have too many
projects, right?  :)
Nola

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY...Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011

Outside my window...It is another crisp clear day.  The wind

has died down and temperatures are a balmy 22 F.  Up 

from -3F early  this morning.  Skies are clear as can be

and so is the air.  I can look out across the valley and

see the Oqurirh Mountains.  The bright sunshine makes

me feel energized and such a change from the dreary

gray days when I can hardly make myself do a thing.

I am thinking...I need to call my sister-in-law and help

her get more minutes for her trac phone.

I am thankful for...This beautiful day and that the

groundhog did not see his shadow.  Does this truly

mean we will have an early spring?  One can only

hope.

A thought I am sharing...

"Let us get on our knees and plead with the Lord for

direction.  Then let us stand on our feet, square our

shoulders and march forward without fear."

                         ...Gordon B. Hinckley

From the kitchen...Cinnamon Cranberry Bars

1 cube butter or margarine, melted

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 can Eagle Brand milk

1 1/4 c. coconut

1 c. cinnamon chips

1 c. white choc. chips

1/2 c. craisins

1/2 c. sliced almonds or  pecans

Layer in a 9 x 13 pan.  Gently drip eagle brand milk

over graham crackers.  Don't try to smooth it out.

Lightly pat ingredients.  Bake 350 degrees for 25-30

minutes.  Cool before cutting

(Shared by my friend who found it here:

http://www.ourbestbites.com)

I am wearing...Levi's, tan t-shirt, and long sleeved

plaid shirt, socks and slippers

I am creating...Pictures of ladies in my neighborhood

for a church project

I am going...To go on line and check out some ideas

for Valentines.  Am thinking of having a Valentine party

for the family.  Any ideas for games, activities, treats?

I am reading..."Return to  the Hundred Acre Wood"

by David Benedictus.  Love Winnie the Pooh!

I am hoping...There will be a package in the mail today.

Ordered some things on line and am anxious to see if

I like what I purchased as much as I thought I would.

I am hearing...The furnace running, the clock ticking

and NO wind.

Around the house...Basic tidying up and a little ironing.

One of my favorite things...Crisp, clean sheets on my

bed.  I remember when we used to hang our wash out

on the line and how good everything smelled when we

brought the dried wash into the house.  However,

in the winter is wasn't so pleasant without a dryer.  Wash

came in frozen stiff or it would be hung around the

house on lines strung though out the hall and kitchen  

Sometimes I wish I had a clothes line.  Do have a drying 

rack that I use at times outside.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Shopping for Valentine gift for my sister and getting

it in the mail.

FHE

Taking a few more pictures of the ladies

Tending grandchildren on Saturday

Working on projects

Here is a picture I am sharing...

My favorite son in law with the famous $1.00 bill

When our children were small mother always put a $1.00
bill in their birthday card.  This tradition was carried on
for many years and as the children grew older she
questioned whether she should put a larger bill in their
cards.  Voting was unanimous...NO.  It was fun to see
what they could find for $1.00.  Later on she also started
giving us $1.00.  A few years before she passed away,
we started putting a $1.00 bill in her cards. I'll  never forget
the first time she found her $1.00 and the look on her
face.  Now she is gone my sister and I carry on the
tradition with our families.  And yes, it still remains $1.00
and it must be a bill....not a coin.  The card is always
one of the first things opened by everyone!
My sister and I are writing a story about this fun and
treasured tradition mother started so many years ago.

Don't you just love funny little family traditions?

Nola

Cold, Blustry Day!

The weatherman told  us we were in for some extremely cold
and windy weather and he was right!  As I look out the
window the sky is a brilliant blue with nary a cloud.  The
inversion has been chased out and everything is so clear.
And you would think it was a very mild day!  Wrong!
Wrong!  Wrong!

The temperature right now is 12 F and with the wind chill
factor it is -4F.  The wind which races down the canyons
to the east is blustering at about 30--35 mph with gusts up
to 60 mph.  I've been out a couple of times today and it
is bitterly cold!  My hands feel frozen in a matter of seconds.
The wind and cold temperatures are supposed to continue
through tomorrow.  In fact, when I get up to go to work in
the morning the temperature should be hovering between 0F
and 5F.  Gratefully we have not had a power outage
which often happens when we get these east canyon
winds. (Knock on Wood)

I understand the rest of the country is or is going to
experience similar temperatures and stormy weather.
So, hang on to your hat, heat up some hot chocolate
and stay in where it is warm!

Because it is so cold and the wind whistles around the
house, I've been hanging out downstairs in my sewing
room enjoying my cd's and getting some sewing done.

Finished my little birdies block....and just in the nick of
time as I noticed block 2 has been posted.
(http://www.littlemissshabby.com)

Worked on two more of the seasonal hot pads.  Just have
to hand sew the binding and then they'll be done.

Oh my, its suddenly become very quiet outside.  The
wind must be taking a little break. So while things are
somewhat calm, think I'll slip outside and gather up a
few things that have been blown around and make sure
everything is ok.  

Stay warm....or cool....wherever you are.

Nola

Remember This?

Remember this Pinwheel quilt from last May? In June my
friend took it with her back to Nebraska to machine quilt
it for me.
















When she returned in July it was too hot to bind it and
I put it away thinking I would get to it in the fall when
the temperatures cooled down.  Well, you know the
saying, "out of sight, out of mind?"  That's exactly what
happened until today when I was sorting through
some projects and realized this had never been finished.

Although today was not terribly cold, it seemed like a
good day to pull it out and sew the binding on.  And,
that's exactly what I did  Yeah! One more unfinished
project FINISHED!

 









When my friend came on Wednesday she brought me a
a wonderful surprise..actually more than one.  But this I just
had to share.  (The picture does not do it justice.
There is no blue, just black and white)

And when  I opened it...she had stitched this...
Karen's  Huswif Needlecase from her First Friday
Freebie Patterns.  I LOVE it!

It has sat next to me today as I have sewed on the
quilt binding and done a little stitching. 

Now I think I'll give my little fingers a much needed
rest.
Nola

Show and Tell!

Yesterday was a disappointing day.  My friend and I had
planned a trip to our favorite quilt shop, but it turned out to
be a snowy day.  We received about 4 inches of fresh snow
and as a result very icy and slick roads.  So, our outing was
put off until today.

When I awoke to a blanket of fog, I thought "No, it can't
be. We can't put this off again!"  Luckily by the time I
arrived home from work it had lifted enough to be safe to
travel and for her to drive down the canyon.  Although she
did get into some areas of thick fog, for the most part it was
good.  And once we headed out, there was no problem.
In fact, on our way home we were favored with sunshine
and partially clear blue skies.

We were so happy to find Moda's "Sunkissed" for our
Birdie BOM stitchery ( http://littlemissshabby.blogspot.com )

and fell in love with all the beautiful fabrics and colors in this
line and knew immediately that we wanted our quilt out of
this fabric.  The gray for the background is just perfect!
Now to get that first block sewn and stitched.

Of course, one cannot just walk in there and not come
away with more projects:

Found this stitchery for a St. Patrick's Day Pillow and
some awesome green fabric...

...And some pink fabric to use in a stitchery for my
Granddaughter's special  birthday coming up in May.
(Sorry  pictures do not do justice to the  greens and
pinks)

And last of all two Valentine Stitchery patterns
that may or may not get done this year:

Guess it's a good thing I just completed a couple of
projects so I could replace the empty spots in  my sewing
room!

Nola

Getting Excited for Valentines!

I'm Thinking Valentines!  Love the festive look the pinks and
reds give my home.  So nice to have fun cheery colors around
as everything looked pretty dismal when Christmas was taken
down.

Today I was able to complete this little "Lonely Hearts Club"
table topper by Sandy Gervais.  Had purchased the pattern
and charm pack last year and never got it made up. I like how
it turned out and it was so easy using the charm pack.

Now I can cross one more purchased and unfinished
project off my list.  Does this mean when I go visit my
favorite quilt shop tomorrow with my friend that I can
buy another project to replace this one?  Need I answer
that!

Getting excited about Valentines!

Nola

Sunday Sewing

I do not normally sew with my sewing machine on Sunday, but
this morning I did as I wanted to finish a little project so I could
do some hand stitching on it this evening.

Because I was in a hurry, I sewed two rows together upside
down and had to unpick them.  Thought to myself, "this is what
I get for sewing on Sunday."  As I sat there with my sharp
little blue seam ripper plucking out stitches, into my head
popped a saying of my mother's.  When we were little we
were not allowed to sew on Sunday.  Mother always told us
that if we sewed on Sunday that "when we got to Heaven we
would have to unpick all our stitches with our nose." 

Now how that was possible I do not know, but it stuck with
me and I always worried about having to unpick stitches
with my nose when I could hardly get them out with a seam
ripper, pin, or whatever.

Through the years mother became less rigid and we were
allowed to do handwork, but could not use the sewing
machine.  To this day I can sit and do handwork, but using
my machine brings on the guilt.

If the saying holds true, I best get my nose "sharpened" before
I leave this mortal existence.  Just wish I could chat with
mother for a short time and see if she is finding it difficult
to "unpick her stitches with her nose!"

Being careful what I sew....

Nola