Beach Outing

Today Mr. Sweetie Pie being on vacation, we decided to take our girls for a little beach outing.  It was such a beautiful day.  You can see the sea gulls enjoying the water and the beach.

We and our daughters enjoyed the day as well.  We only have our baby girl with us for a couple more days.  It's going to be hard to let her go back home.

On a much sadder note:  we made a horrible discovery yesterday.  One of the new chicks - the little black up there standing by herself on the left - is blind.  I've never had that happen before.  I have no idea why or how.  She looks perfectly normal, but she cannot see at all.  The other chicks are shunning her, and I'm pretty sure that once they all get bigger, they will all attack her.  Chickens always go for the weak and sickly.  Survival of the fittest, I guess.  It just mades me want to cry.  I know what I should do, but I don't want to do it.  Life is unfair sometimes, isn't it?

I do hope you've had a great day, and that tomorrow is even better!

Hugs and kisses,

                                             

They Grow So Fast!

On Wednesday morning this batch of chicks was hatched.  On Thursday morning they arrived here in Houston.  This afternoon I noticed that they already are starting to get real wing feathers!  They're only two days old.  And I thought children grew fast!

I have to admit that I've spent a fair amount of time out in the garage, just watching these little chicks doing their little chicks things.  They are so busy, and they seem so happy, and then they suddenly just lay down and take a nap.  A lot like little children.

I have to admit that I was teasing Chloe with a video of the chicks that I was playing on the computer.  She was fascinated with the sounds of them chirping.

She was pretty sure she could get them out of there.

Finally, she decided she'd just bite the thing and get them out.  And I decided I'd better quit playing with her that way. LOL!

Chloe is NOT to be trifled with.

Meanwhile, Baby Girl is busy building an Owl Army courtesy of a very nice "tutowlrial" from Moonstitches.

She's made a pretty good start, don't you think?

Hope your weekend is delightful!  We have good things planned here.

Hugs and kisses,

                                                 

We've Got Chicks!

Bright and early this morning (WAY tooooo early since Baby Girl's flight did not get in until almost midnight, and even after we got home - there's talking to be done) I had a phone call that the Mail Lady was outside our front door with a box of baby chicks.

Fortunately I already had their habitat ready and waiting for them in the garage.  They are nicely settled in and having a wonderful time, thank you very much.  Both daughters and I have picked up each and every one and told it how wonderful it is.  It's amazing to me how cute and active they are already.  They were hatched yesterday, and here they are - many miles away from their starting point and happily starting their new life.

I really like chickens.  Just in case you didn't know.

I truly hope you have something that gives you as much pleasure as I'm having right now.

Hugs and kisses,

                                        

Some of Us Just Work SO Hard!

Really, it's hard work overseeing all the sewing that goes on in this room.  I sure am glad my mom put a bed in here for me.  I'm a little worried, though.  I heard her saying that she was going to wash my quilt and put fresh sheets on the bed for the one who used to live here.  She's coming tonight for a visit.  I hope I don't have to go back to the floor. 

What are you complaining about?  I even have to oversee the laundry!  There is nothing in this house that is not under my direct control.  And most of it is not being done properly.

Sheesh!  Do you think I've spent a little too much time alone here with those two?

Me, too!  So I rewarded myself with these cute shoes which the man in the brown van just dropped off.

Excitement is building around here.  Our baby girl will be home for a visit late tonight.  I can hardly wait!

Hope there are good things going on where you are!

Hugs and kisses,

Ezra

There is a young couple at our church who are expecting a little boy baby to arrive sometime in the not too distant future.  His name is to be Ezra.

I know that he will be much loved by his parents and their whole family.

I hear that his room will be a jungle theme in browns and tans and greens, so I tried to incorporate some of those things in this little quilt I made for him.  I hope he likes it when he's old enough to know what he might like.

Karen from Nana Girl Quilts had a post on Stash Manicure today that was really interesting to me.  I've never made any bow tie blocks before and she had a unique way to make them.  In all honesty it took me a couple of tries to get my mind wrapped around it, but I did succeed, finally.  I like them!  I can see these multiplying into a quilt, can't you?

Chloe is still helping Bruno keep watch in the sewing room, except that right now the light is disturbing her nap.

Hope your weekend is going well, and that you've found lots to do that's made you happy.

Hugs and kisses,

Summer and Quilts

Summer is still hanging on here.  We're still having temps in the nineties most days, though we have had a little respite in the form of rain lately, which gives us slightly lower temperatures.

I have to admit that I totally love seeing the flowers still blooming their hearts out.

And you know I love seeing the chickens strolling around in the heat scratching at whatever catches their fancy.  Big news, by the way, I have a new batch of baby chicks due in next week.  I can hardly wait!!!  I was going to wait until spring, but decided to get them now since our daughter is coming down for a visit next week also.  She may be a grown up young lady, but she loves her some baby chicks!  (And of course her visit is much bigger news than even baby chicks.)

I've got the "groovy" quilt all pinned up and ready to quilt,

and I sneaked this little baby boy quilt in while you weren't looking.  I've started quilting it, and I'll show you the whole thing when it's finished.  Maybe tonight, who knows?

I got some quilting books from the library the other day.  I was reading one of them and the author was saying how offended she was that some of us lesser mortals did a meandering stitch all over our quilts.  I closed that book and it went back to the library.  I am so glad I did not spend any of my money on it.  I enjoy quilting.  I am well aware that I do not do a perfect job of it, but I have fun and the people to whom I give the quilts love them.  That's what it's all about to me.  I do want to improve, and I think that I do with every quilt I make.  Maybe I'm just a little touchy sometimes.  What do you think?

Anyway, until the quilt police come and take me away, I'll be here doing what I enjoy!

Hope you're finding plenty to enjoy doing, too.

Hugs and kisses,

Wash, Iron, Cut, Store. Sew.

So, I've been busy re-ironing some of my already washed and ironed fabrics.  I don't like to cut wrinkled fabric - it never works out well. 

I've started by cutting LOTS of 10 inch squares.  That's a size that I can easily use and store, and having them cut already makes it a lot more likely that I will use them.  The squares in the foreground are 5 inch ones.  This particular batch is destined for a baby boy quilt for a nursery with a jungle theme.  I'll show you how it turned out once I actually get it made.

Then, after cutting 5 inch and 10 inch squares, I cut the rest of the piece of fabric into whatever size strips I can.  I figure I'll be able to use these, as well, when I need them.  I usually use 2 1/2 inch strips for binding my quilts, so it will help to have those already cut.  My storage system is not nearly as pretty as lots of those I see out there, but it is containers I already had.  (Yes, I REALLY like ice cream, but I'm not the only one here who does.  What can I say?  It's hot here.)  These containers are all still out in the cutting room (dining room) because I'm on a cutting roll right now.  I had a pretty good stash of fabric before that bonanza I got from my sister in law.  I don't want it to completely overwhelm me, and I do want to use it.  Hopefully this will help me.

On my sewing machine, patiently waiting for me to get back to it is this groovy little quilt.  The fabric line, coincidentally, is named Psychedelic by Sue Penn for Camelot Cottons.  I've had these and more from the same line for several years now without a project for them.  Now, I think I've got it.  We'll see.  That is one very liberating thing about having so much fabric.  I'm more free to experiment.  It won't be the end of the world if I mess up.

Hope you're having a free and productive day!

Hugs and kisses,

Seeing Double

Yep, that's two of them all right.

And double yep, they're pretty much the same.  I finally finished the two little boy quilts I've been working on for a while.

The backings are  different, though, just so at some point little boys will be able to tell which is theirs.  One of the brothers is only a couple of weeks old and the other is a year and a half, so there should be plenty of play-on-the-floor time ahead for these two quilts.

Their dad is a volunteer firefighter, so I think this one will be especially enjoyed.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't bugs always a big hit with little boys?  And who could resist personality-laden bugs like these?

I just did get these photos taken before the rain started.  Again.  It's a nice break from the extreme heat we've been having and our yard needs the watering.

This is the view from our back door last night just at dusk.  I love that time just before dark, after the harsh light of day has faded. 

Look how the white four o'clocks just glow in the twilight.  Almost like stars.

For those of you in the United States, I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend.  There's outdoor grilling planned around here.  Yummy!

Hugs and kisses,