Parents, Projects & a 25th Birthday

It's been a long 2 weeks. I obviously haven't posted anything recently. That's because things have been a little crazy to say the least. My parents came to visit, which was a first for them, I've been working on several projects, and I 'celebrated' my 25th bday yesterday.

Mom & Dad were were here for a long weekend about two weeks ago. They got to see the farm and of course dad tried out the scooter. No pictures to prove it, but believe me.. it was hilarious. Brian & I took them to Boone, NC one day and these are a few of the pics we took. Nothing too special except for the fact that dad wanted pictures, but didn't want to get out of the car to be in any of them.. hence the photo of him with his head out the window.

These are taken at a lookout of Watauga Lake in TN, about 20 miles from our house

We spent a few hours trolling around the Bristol Motor Speedway. Dad has always loved NASCAR, but I don't think he could ever enjoy being at a race. It's hot, overcrowded, drunken rednecks... and Im sure it's a boatload of fun. When the race comes to town here, every spring and fall... it's best to either leave town or don't leave your house.

After browsing the gift shop, dad couldn't find matching #49 Jimmy Johnson onesies for the twins, so he settled on #49 socks and something else, I'm not sure. In the world of NASCAR... you have your favorite driver and you hate everyone else. Especially little Jeffy Gordon.. as Dad calls him.

I guess they had a good trip. they didn't seem to say anything too bad about it here. Brian did everything he could to make them want to move here, which cracks me up. Dad was taking bids from us and my brother and his wife, who live in Colorado, to see who could offer the best deal. I don't think it's likely we will win that seeing as how they have babies and the scenery is much different there. On a side note, a friend of Mom's let them borrow his GPS.. which I might add is HILARIOUS!!! The fact that the machine tells them where EVERY antique/junk store is between here and Texas.. can only spell disaster... or a very long drive. In the time it took them to get here, Brian and I could have driven there and back!!


Do you see this? This took me entirely too long to complete. i had so many complications and frustrations.. But, it was finally mailed out this week and Mandy, I hope she likes it.

Diaper bag, 2 sets of car seat strap covers, 4 burp cloths, and a mini quilt.
(Duke kept following me around and wouldn't get out of my pictures)

This quilt is to be raffled off to support our nonprofit here at the farm - The Little Dudes Ranch Project.

Tickets will be $5 and the raffle will go from Saturday 9/26-Saturday 10/3. My goal is not to make a fortune, but to raise enough to where it's something I can do every year at Horse Days.

The color of it doesn't stand out in the pics. This is what it looked like two nights ago, it's currently being quilted and Im hoping will be complete for tomorrow, when the raffle begins. It's going to be a nice sized lap quilt and is done in Pashmina by Moda. If and when it's complete, there will be more pictures to share. Hopefully that is tonight.

On a LAST side note, I had my 25th bday yesterday... one in which went so very wrong. Nothing was right all day, even the day before was bad. Brian called me just before 5:00 yesterday at work to tell me he needed me to take him to the hospital as soon as I got home. Well, if it'sbad enough for him to call and ask me to do that, then I knew it was bad. I immediately left work and rushed home, only to find him curled up on the bench outside looking like CRAP. He could barely walk and complained of a head ache. After all was said and done the ER doc released him last night saying it was a severe migrane. they pumped a lot of stuff in him and I'm not convinced it was a migrane. I have my doubts and still think this all has something to do with a head injury while he was deployed to Iraq... He's home now, and should be resting.. I say should.

If you have read this far, that means you are now caught up in the last two weeks...

The End

Curtains & Post Holes

See.. I did finish the shower curtain! nothing fancy, just one that is sized to fit our shower stall. I picked out the fabric back in March. I'm considering going back and getting some more for curtains in our living room. Although, that might totally be weird. Please don't mind the green paint, it's not my particular favorite. I'd like to paint it yellow, like a golden yellow... or something like that. But seriously, it probably won't happen!!


I've been wanting matching curtains on all the windows in my kitchen since we moved in. I finally broke down and made this over a year later. I really like them and am somewhat impressed with my curtain making skills! Please don't mind my rooster clock, it never works when it's supposed to. Probably because it came from the dollar store.





and the post hole diggers. See they love it! Well I know Andrea does anyway. In Andrea's words, "4ft deep and 3ft deep are really the same, right?" This is them putting posts in for what will be the new shed for the horses to get out of the weather. I'm sure they will be appreciative, but then again we'll never really know that for sure.

Lack of Photos

This past weekend I managed to completely finish the new shower curtain I planned for our bathroom. I would have a picture of the finished product, but you see... I can't find the camera. It's probably somewhere between here and Texas. The last place I saw it was Lake Charles, Louisiana. Some housekeeper at the Isle of Capri Hotel and Casino is probably taking pictures as we speak with it. and viewing all of our random ones from our wedding trip. Either way, I can't show you anything I've been working on, completed, or whatever. We are however in the process of buying a new camera, a spiffy new Nikon (or Canon) SLR.

But, back to the shower curtain. I picked the fabric out about 3 months ago, with the intentions of making a shower curtain to fit our tiny shower stall. It only took until late June to start/finish it. I will say this, I learned something new while making it. I learned to make a button hole.. holy crap. That's right, I'd never done one until Sunday and well it was so easy, I'm embarrassed. I'm pretty impressed that I was able to completely make the whole thing without one single hiccup!! So, when I can either locate my camera, or the new one finds its way to our house.. I will show it to you. Along with the set of curtains i made for the window over the sink in the kitchen. Oh, and the red, aqua, and white fabric I ordered to make this as well as the Darla fabric I ordered too.

I don't have any new pics of the twins.. because my brother hasn't sent me any.. go figure! Read it bubba, I need pictures.. I'm seriously dieing over here because you won't send me any. I guess I can forgive you because you are moving to Fort Carson, CO tomorrow.. but still. Help your seester out! I miss those little twerps, and your not so bad yourself.

Sewing List

I've been racking my brain for a long time with all the 'projects' I'd like to do. Most of the time I forget them and never go back to them. I decided that now is as good of a time as any to do them, or at least get them on paper/blog. This way I have to do them!
Now...I'd like to give my self a deadline, like the end of this year, but if you know me, then you know it's not likely. So I will shoot for the end of the year, and hope i make it. If not, that's fine too. Oh and some of these may be squeezed into the same project... And I promise to post pictures once I cross each item off my list!

in no particular order:

-curtains for the kitchen (3 sets) 1 set down
-Zig Zag quilt pattern
-use only aqua, red, white in a quilt
-a quilt for Bethany's baby (due Jan something or other) sex not known yet
-a quilt for Kelly's 4th! :) baby (due Dec18, i think) sex not known yet
-quilt with white sashing
-wall hanging in kitchen with fabric I already bought
-learn to applique, use it on something in the house
-make this ring toy by Heather Bailey
-actually get around to making Kelly's shopping cart cover (sorry Kel, really I am!!! baby #4's gonna need one)
-use the Darla Collection from Tanya Whelan
-make pillows for living room, instead of buying them
-shower curtain for our bathroom Curtain almost finished, needs holes for hooks
-spiderweb quilt pattern
-subscribe to a quilt/craft magazine
-visit other quilt shops in the area, even if it means crossing state lines
-replace the apron I mailed to Bethany, but never made it to her in FL


*I may/may not add to this. But will try to keep it as up to date as possible. If you have an idea for an addition or revision, let me know what you think!

Oh.. and of course what's a post without pics of these two turds!!!

Riley

Nathan
He looks so 'happy'.

Going 'Green'

Do you use re-usable shopping bags?? We do. Now, I know what you're thinking. YOU use re-usable bags???!! Yes, I know, it's a shock that Brian would be ok with this. He is of course totally against the tree-huggin hippy types, which there are quite a fair share of them around here. Actually, to be quite honest, we don't do our Sunday morning weekly grocery shopping without them. Do you realize how much you can pack into them?? We have a stash of mainly Walmart's, a Lowe's, and a couple Wal-Greens.

We aren't completely going all Green and what not. He does however have an obsession with changing out all the light bulbs with the good ones. I know nothing about this. More so because I choose not to listen.


So I participated in a swap recently. I decided on a re-usable shopping bag. The point of this swap was to use at least 2 fat quarters and add something we don't normally use. I added ric-rac, although I haven't used it 'recently', does that count?? Anyway, this bag came together WAY to easy, and then I realized that the stripes were'nt lining up on the sides.. of course! It's not too terribly off, that's why I didn't show you the flaw in it, I'll let you imagine how bad it was.


You're looking at a picture I snapped of Shiner last Sunday. It seems as though My trusted little colt has decided he loves no one else but his little buddy Cipi (who knows how to spell that horses name, I swear!) It has become more and more difficult to work with Shiner, much less attempt to catch him in the first place!! SO, to break him of this, he will be spending a huge chunk of his time in 'solitary confinement' away from Cipi! This is what our little caged baby looks like! He's a cryer man... you can hear him all the way up at the house. But, it's gotta be done.

Doesn't he look so big!! He'll be a whole year old May 5. I've got a Cinco de Mayo horse!