Bits of the Holiday Week

This morning as I shuffle around in my orange aeropastale tee, green sweats and merrill clogs (the shoes have to be comfortable, don't they?) I think, "gosh, we clean up good" Perhaps a shower later...And what kind of mother lets her daughter go out in this blizzard? Now I must go collect her.

Actually, our dear friends invited us to a turkey dinner, so I'm going out in the blizzard, either way.
And my cottage has made progress. Now it has windows and shingles, as of today. I love construction! Smell that fresh cut plywood!
My best surprise gift ever! Husband flew my mother in for a week! Of cooking! Tamales! Gumbo! Pancakes! Enchiladas! Lots of TLC for everyone. We love us some Patsy!


I learned how to make triangle

squares from the block party quilting tut and made lots of them! I thought about doing a zigzag pattern for my husband's quilt, but in the end, I made patches of the girls artwork and poems and scattered them in. Nope. No picture of the finished quilt. Now it's gone off to work, of course.

My teen uploaded (downloaded?) her ipod stuff into my iphoto cache and I got a sneak peek into her quirky humor...And remember those rolls I made for art and whatnot? I made LoAdS of them. Loads.
And A fabric cube from Anna Marie Horner's Seams to Me book, for teacher.
I participated in a giveaway from Imagingermonkey. She named a lucky winner recipient of a gift certificate to my shop. That was fun. Wish I could just give people things all the time!
Today we will have more snow, so I'm contemplating some lovely indoor crafty projects. And since I mentioned all that yummy goodness, I 'm thinking I'll waddle over and reacquaint myself with the treadmill.

Hope your holidays are wonderful!

Parthenons, punch and such

It's a cliche, you know: "Rome wasn't built in a day."

My daughter had a three part homework assignment due today (!), one part of it was to build a parthenon model structure. That ancient Doric temple made for Athena around 432 BC, with the 9:4 ratio, friezes and west pediment depicting the competition between Poseidon and Athena for patron of the city, remember? Go ahead, ask me infinitesimal details about ...parthenons and such. I'm your go to girl. Well, it will stick around thru the rest of the day, probably. And it will slowly be replaced by more practical information, like the ratio of butter to flour in my earl grey cookie recipe.

But that little cliche got me to thinking. We are all having the same week, aren't we?

Sunday, band recital, volunteer for reception and serving punch, Monday, an abundance of rehearsals, gymnastics, a sick kid, Tuesday a whirlwind of baking and punch making for that night's orchestra concert, did I mention I was punch lady again for the reception? (sometimes I joke I carry a hair net and plastic gloves in my purse, just in case) and of course we get back at 9:30 and tackle the Acropolis, a time line, a bit of algebra and a chapter of the Penderwyck's.

But I'm not complaining...I'm just catching my breath. That was just the last 72 hours! We are at the half way point of the last week before kids are out for the holidays and it's always such a hectic mad dash.

Did I mention I've gotten Little Folks voiles in? They are gorgeous! And Love just arrived! And a shipment of Timeless Treasures with alphabets and music sheets and owls and trees! You can find them in my shop.

I am aching to sew. But, first things first.

And first I've got to clean up this ancient Grecian mess of plaster, paint, nails, and bits of dried glue.

Maybe just one cup of tea before I start. Rome wasn't built in a day, they say.

How's your week going?

On a Roll

Oh cute! I found a pattern I could follow without cussing! This is the traveling art show roll by Mr. Monkeysuit, tute on the right--->. I made the compartments and then went online to Oriental Trading Co. and bought crayons, activity books, cards shaped like penguins (!) and those papers with the gummy ends for making chains. So it all doesn't fit perfectly, but, it is super easy and really cute. I put these together, four in all, in about an hour, with a good bit of help from my daughter. And we have four more ready to go for the boys.
Oh! And then, at Target, I saw these really cute make up brushes and glosses and nail polish kits for $1.00 to $3.00 by Elf and I grabbed some for the older girls' friends.

How sassy would that be, to grab your little roll of cosmetics out of your purse for a touch up, or to make a little hand sewing to go kit for your hexies, or how about a mini toolset, or an emergency bottle opener or tea caddy?

Oh, and my friends who make jewelry! little scissors and filament and pliers...

Oh! and embroider the recipients name on it!

And the fabric can be themed with the use!

So if you were wondering what I'm getting you for Christmas, um, I think I'm on a roll.

More Thanksgiving on the Bayou

I took my quilt to grandma mc's to finish the binding...I came by to work on it and I found my quilt busy taking a nap with her. Well, first things first. I can wait.
Yes, they really live on bayous in Louisiana. ... and they fight alligators in their overalls. (that's for you, K.)

Oldest and dearest came to see Dad for his birthday. Oldest friends, of course.
Yes we really roast pigs, cochon de lait style. It's under there, isn't it Zach and Kyle?
and we sing on the back porch.

and make bread pudding. I'm very animated aren't I?

And a good time was had by all. Y'all come back now, you here?