The Northern Lights Quilt

Finally, the little’s quilt is done. While we were in Alaska, she was infatuated with the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, we weren’t there at the right time to see them. The ideal is mid-August through April. We were there at the end of July… so bummer. I told her we’d have to go back sometime in winter. I want to see a REAL snow! Although… recently I heard about looking at it in an icehouse in Finland. Maybe that’s where/how we should see the Northern Lights.

We immediately started working on the quilts when we got home because the little was so excited. We only bought a panel and one piece of material for her quilt while we were there. The rest was either bought locally or was stuff my grandma had stashed in her sewing room. (more…)

The Moose Quilt

Back to quilts for a minute. I swear, 2020 has just brought out a whole different side of life. One where we pick up things that we either A) wanted to learn how to do, B) used to do but never have time anymore, C) very homebody type skills, or D) all the above.

Now, I’ve made quilts before. Not a bunch, but a few. So that’s to say this isn’t anything new to me… But this particular quilt was a fun quilt to master!

We went on vacation to Alaska this year. While we were in Talkeetna, Alaska, we came across a fabric (material) store called The Patchwork Moose. Initially my mom went into the shop to pick up some fabric from Alaska for my grandma. I was in a store next door when she sent someone to find me. The girls and I then went to see what she was up to. She wanted our opinion on fabric for grandma. Little did my mom know that we would walk out with material for both girls a quilt and one for the hubby and me.

When we got home, the little and I took the material down to show grandma. The little then told grandma that she wanted to work on her quilt right then. Grandma had a few free minutes, so off to the sewing room we headed. (more…)

The Fall Quilt

When we went to Alaska, we went to the cutest quilt shop. Our plans were to make the girls quilts to help commemorate our trip. Well, we bought material for the quilts there that you could only get there… with the plans of getting more “filler” material once we got home. Less to try and pack to get back home. 

Once my grandma and I got the quilt tops done, it was time to find backing. I went online searching for extra wide backing. I found what I wanted for the older’s quilt in Rogers, AR. So since we were already going camping the weekend that I found it, it was a hop, skip, and a jump away to go material shopping. 

In the process, I found this quilt panel.

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Solstice quilt – Block 9

Hi, did you notice it’s been a while since you’ve seen a post? Did you notice that there are new digs around here? Please bear with me as I try to get everything sorted back out. Now what did I do? Well, I switched housing basically. The old blog was written on a website called blogger. Now I’m self-hosting my blog. Don’t ask me what any of that means, I’m not sure I could do it justice on explaining. I spent most of last month researching and switching over. I’ve also started a couple side businesses and been working on derriere off on them as well.

It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve been able to work on this quilt. We are so far behind… haha! The first of those two weeks my grandma had to go to voting school. What?!?! She works the polls (wow, that could be read incorrectly… mind out of gutter please, this is my grandma after all!). They apparently have to go to class to learn how to help at the voting polls, even though she’s done this for years. I used to love to go to the polls to vote when I was younger because she’d usually give me a cookie or something. Anyway, that week I worked with my {step}daughter and tried teaching her to sew. She did an excellent job I may add. I should share her blocks. Now I’m trying to decide, since she’s with us so little, do I continue making hers after I get this one done, or do I just MAKE time in our hectic schedule to work on hers… decisions, decisions.

The second week, my grandma was out of town. One of my aunts lives in South Carolina and grandma went down to spend a week and a half or so with her. Typing that, I just realized none of my aunts live close. Like I always knew that, but never really thought about it. Not that it really matters. Just sharing useless information.

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RSV Paint {Joplin, MO}

A blog that I’ve followed for years, Jill’s World, up in Canada started discussing how she and her friends were attending a paint night. I wondered what that was. Basically, she and a group of friends go to a place, learn to paint, and have fun. How awesome is that I thought. I figured something like that had to exist here in Southwest Missouri, right? I mean we’re not always the most cultural people but….

Not long after I read one of Jill’s posts, my friend Danielle asked if I’d be interested in doing that. I said sure but I’m not artistic at all! That’s no joke! Well nothing came about from that conversation. I didn’t know where to find it and she never said anything about it again so the dream kind of died… until…

My friend Jody posted something on Facebook one day that had something to do with a paint night. I shot her a message and asked if she knew anything about it and had done it. She said no, but she wanted to, so again, we started pursuing it, but this time she knew of a place in Joplin called RSV Paint.

So basically you go on line, sign up for a class, show up, and it’s a date! Now it stands for:

Relax. They say don’t get too uptight about your painting. Easier said than done….

Sip. Yes, you can sip wine, alcohol, do a shot, whatever. If you bring your own, there is a $5 cork fee for a bottle of wine or every 6 pack of beer you bring.

Visit. You’re amongst friends. We even had our instructor visiting with us about Kayaking, Canoeing, Fishing, SCUBA diving, and Riding horses.

and lastly Paint. Because well that’s the reason you’re there….

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Payton’s Creations

After this weekend, I’m not sure how I will recover. Wow! I’m exhausted! What was I up to this weekend? Well it was the 40th Annual Ride for Life to benefit St. Jude’s Research Hospital. One of the key things that they have at this fundraiser is an auction. My friend Jody donated a wreath to be included in the auction.

Guys, is this not a gorgeous wreath? Oh my! Is she talented or what? So I thought I would pick a few other of her creations (there are many gorgeous ones!) and share them with you.

Now, Did I pick this one…. Nope, she did. We might have gone to rival high schools. Can you guess whose school this was? (hint: Not mine….) But it’s so cute. If you were a teacher, wouldn’t you want a wreath like this in your classroom? Seriously! It just screams cutesie and back to school!

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Frame Family Recipes/Home Decor

Do you have that recipe that is near and dear to your heart? How about that recipe that your grandma or your great grandma wrote and you don’t want to lose…

Well have I got an idea for you… At our house that recipe is my grandma’s corn casserole. Truth be told, this grandma passed away in 2007, but I lucked out and she wrote the recipe down in her handwriting. That recipe is so dear to my heart because of that.

Since then we’ve made sure to incorporate it into a lot of family meals, because well it’s a way to keep grandma’s spirit alive. But how about another really cool way to keep grandma’s spirit alive… Why not frame it?

So for my birthday I asked for a photo frame. Initially when I did, I figured a 5×7 or maybe a 4×6, but my mom got me an 8×10. Well the recipe paper wasn’t that large so I started thinking, what to do, what to do?? Then it hit me. Why not use my photoshop skills…

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How to: Make a Photo Wall

There has been a lot of uncertainty in our life in the last couple of years. Truthfully more than I even want to admit to… I know that God has great plans for everything and everything will work out in the end. I know that all the trials and tribulations help us grow into the people he wants us to develop in to. But I also know sometimes I just want to scream, pack up the bare minimum, move to a place no one knows me (far far away) and start a new life. Whew… uncertainty is very scary to say the least :). But that last part is an extreme.

So with that out of the way… If you know me at all, I take pictures of EVERYTHING. Think I’m kidding, just check my camera/phone/computer/external hard drive. No joke! For a long while I’ve wanted a photo wall, and I had one for a bit, then we took it down, and now we’re putting it back up. It goes with some of that uncertainty….

The initial photo wall was hung up with the Command Strips so that it wouldn’t put holes in the walls or do damage to the wall paper, etc… yeah that didn’t work. Sad but true. I don’t know if my sticky part of the command strips was too old or the wall paper was the wrong texture or what, but after I put them up, they came back down, some quickly (like a few days). It was extremely frustrating! So this time around there are holes in the wall. It was just easier that way…

Now here’s how to do it:

What you’ll need:
Photo frames/Photos (sizes up to you!!)
Paper
Pen
Scissors (just for cutting… ha. see below.)
Tape
Command Strips or Screws
if screws, then you need a drill
A Wall for photos

1. You’ll want to trace your photo frames on to paper. The first time around I used newspaper, this time around I used regular notebook paper, except for my 8×10 frames. Then I went into Tbug’s room and stole some used poster sized paper. Trace the size of your photo frames out onto the paper.

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How to: Make a Korker Bow

Every now and then I get a crafty bone in my body… and this summer I thought it would be really fun to make Peanut a bow to wear in her hair. I decided I wanted to make her a multi colored Korker Bow. So I thought I’d take pictures along the way to show you how I did it. Super simple!!

Ok so you’ll need to get:

  • 3/8″ Grosgrain ribbon. I went with multi colored but you can do it all as one if you’d like.
  • Wooden clothes pins or something to secure the ribbon when it goes in the oven
  • Alligator Clips (or barrettes, whatever you plan on securing the bow to)
  • Scissors
  • Dowel Rods
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Fray Stop (optional)
  • Poptart Box (optional)
  • Oven
  • Water
  • Spray Starch (optional)
  • Yarn, elastic cord or embroidery thread.

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