Sharing My Birthday

Yes, today is my Birthday and I thought I would

share pics of some of my gifts :)  Sharing pics not my age!!!

The above picture is all the beautiful cards and notes I received.

Love them all, so nice to receive the cards, most of which

 had handwritten messages too :)

These beautiful flowers are from my middle

daughter and her children:)

These lovely flowers are from my

oldest daughter and her family.



I really love getting flowers for my birthday,

especially since February in Indiana isn't really

 very colorful or pretty!  The flowers really brighten my day :)



My wonderful Mother gave me these two necklaces.

The smaller one has an amethyst, which is my birthstone.

Both are very very pretty, the picture just doesn't do them justice.

My dear sister-in-law gave me these wonderful gifts.

Love all the purple fat quarters, so very pretty.

The bird candle holder is gorgeous when lit, and the M&Ms

well they were delicious!!!!!

And these pretty fat quarters came from the Birthday Swap ladies

over at the Friendship Block Group.  There's one from Canada,

(she also sent me small squares of fabric to remind of Canada) 

and two from Australia :)  Quilter's are sure a very loving and 

and caring and giving breed of people. 

And my awesome family are also loving, caring, giving people...

My children, grandchildren, cousins, and dear husband, Love them all,

 got together and gave me a very Yummy birthday dinner

on Saturday evening.  Spaghetti, Manacotti, Salad, Garlic Bread

 and a Chocolate Bundt Cake...doesn't get any better than that!!!!

"Thank You" to all my family and friends

for making this a very

Happy Birthday for me.

And Thank You Jesus for giving me another fabulous year.

Love , Hugs, Blessings,

Terry

February Secret Pal Gift

My dear, Oh so sweet Dear Jane Secret Pal sent me

a wonderful February package...Tis a combination February,

Valentine, and Birthday package this month :)

The birthday card is so cute and the Gummies, well they are gone....

They were really yummy :)

The Jennifer Chiaverini book is one that I did not have, and I had

six, but not the New Year's Quilt.  I love her digital scrapbooking...

I told her that a monthly digital card could became a habit

if she wanted it to (hehehe).

And my all time favorite quilt kits are the ones from The Quilt Company,

and what did I receive????  A new kit from them, "The Little Red Barns".

Oh My Gosh, so, so, so cute!!!!!  And not only did she send me the pattern kit,

but also the fabric and the button accessories kits.

My dear Secret Pal is truly spoiling me... and I love every minute of it!!!

I know she peeks at my blog now & then, (she told me in a letter) so...

Thank you so much for all the wonderful gifts, you are a sweetheart:)

Love & Hugs,

Terry



February Paper Works

I will start with the Valentine Candy Bar Swap...

The above picture is one of the BIG Hershey candy bars with a new over wrap to celebrate Valentine's Day. 

To the right is the card that I made to go with the candy bar:)

So much Yummy Fun!

These are the ATCs for this month.

The letter "B" is for Buttons & Bows,

The letter "Y" is for Yummy & Yellow.

Here is the Feminine Birthday card.

I really like the chocolate and pink color

combo.  Maybe, because it reminds

me of chocolate covered cherries :)

Next is the "Build -a- Sketch" card.   For this challenge we are given certain shaped and sized pieces to work with.  This is always a challenge for me...I can't quite seem to let go on this challenge, which is why I do it, to make me think a little more!

I love this card...this is the "Mystery Item" swap.

Each month the hostess sends us a mystery item to use on the card

in any way we wish.  This month it was the green paper...which I ran through

the Cricut to emboss and then used it as a background.  I am really anxious

to see what the other ladies did with their paper...

This challenge was the "New Technique" card.

We were to use glossy cardstock, spray it with a little

water, paint on some inks, no real pattern

to it, just swirl it here and there, then sprinkle some salt on it, a little spritz of water and then dry with the heat gun, brush off excess salt, and....

Voila!!! a pretty new background paper:)  Finish it the way we wanted.

And last but not least is the scrapbook elements swap...

I chose to do the border for a Valentine's page, and then for the "Scrapin Queen" page I did the poem/quote.  One of these days when I get into the scrap room to scrapbook I will have all my elements all done and I will just need to add the pictures:)

I have one more swap to do, the "Different Kind Of Card" swap....

this one is really giving me trouble, so I will have to share it later,

still a work in progress :(

Then I need to switch back to sewing...I have 3 different "quilty" swaps to get done and mailed by mid March!!!!  What was I thinking??????

Love , Hugs, and Blessings to All,

Terry

Meet Our New Grandson....

Gabriel Reed was welcomed to our family

on Wednesday, February 9, 2012 at 3:26 am. 

He weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces and was 21 inches long.

My baby and her baby are both doing just fine...

and the new Daddy...Well, he is popping a few shirt buttons!!!!

Gabriel is our 9th grandchild.

Hugs & Blessings,

Terry

Then the little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.     ~ Matthew 19:13-15

 

This Week's Accomplishments

Remember awhile back I was in a Snowpeople block swap...

Well I needed 3 more blocks to make the quilt the size I wanted,

This week I made the first of the three..

I figure I have snowmen, snowladies, and melted snowpeople..

So I made a snowflake :)  Only 2 more blocks to go,

 and then I can get my top together. 

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February's Mug Rug is of course...

A Heart!!!!!

I have signed up for 2 Mug Rug Swaps,

Spring & Summer.  I am looking forward to that:)

These are really fun & quick:)

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Next I thought I would try making Hexagon Flowers...

Never made these before, I have always loved the look of them,

just never brave enough to give them a try.....

I chose to sew mine together by hand...

can't imagine doing these little jewels on the machine.

I have decided that this is an excellent way to use up smaller

scraps, and I can carry these with me when going here & there

with my husband.  Eventually I might have enough to make a quilt:)

But these first two will become coasters or maybe candle mats:

Now, for this weekend and upcoming week I will

be switching to paper crafting....new month - new swaps:)

Fun, Fun, Fun!!!!

Hugs & Blessings,

Terry

And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

                                                                                             2Thessalonians 3:5

When Things Aren't Going According to "Our Plan"...

I received the following in an email from a friend today, and thought it was well worth sharing:)
Something to think about....

Me:  (in a bit of a tizzy)  God, can I ask you something?

God:  Sure

Me:  Promise you won't get mad?

God:  I promise.

Me: (frustrated)  Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?

God:  What do you mean?

Me:  Well, I woke up late,

God:  Yes

Me: My car took forever to start,

God:  Okay...

Me: (growling)  At lunch, they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait!

God:  Hmmmm...

Me:  On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call.

God:  All Right

Me:  (loudly)  And to top it all off, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet
        in my foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work.  Nothing went right today!
        Why did you do that?

God:  Well let me see... the death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to
          send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. 
          I let you sleep through that.

Me: (humbled)  Oh...

God:  I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that 
          might have hit you if you had been on that road at that time.

Me:  (ashamed)  .........

God:  The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you 
          to catch what they had, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.

Me:  (embarrassed)  Oh.....

God:  Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give a 
          false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't let  you talk to them
          so you would be covered.

Me:  (softly)  I see, God

God:  Oh and the foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all the 
          power in your house.  I didn't think you wanted to be in dark.

Me:  I'm sorry, God.

God:  Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me....in all things, the good and the bad.

Me:  I WILL trust you, God.

God:  And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan.

Me:  I won't God.  And let me just tell you, "Thank you God, for everything today."

God:  You're welcome, My child.  It was just another day being your God, and I love 
          looking after my children. 


Hugs & Blessings,
Terry

As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust Him.
                                                                                                            ~ II Samuel 22:31

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;   ~ Proverbs 3:5

And again:  "I will put my trust in Him."   ~ Hebrews 2:13

This & That

-Nancy Earnheart photo

Had to share this with you...

Borrowed from a Facebook friend.

I think this will be my new motto:)

Pretty much describes me!!!

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Here are the four different Disappearing 9 Patch blocks

I made for a swap.  Made 6 of each - sent 5 to swap out,

kept one for myself.  They are now on their way to Florida.

Can't wait to see the ones that will soon be coming my way:)

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And here are the fabrics I have chosen for the next quilt block swap.

This swap is a Red & White Block Swap, the blocks will be 

of the maker's choice.  I plan to make four sets of these also.

Still choosing blocks, well actually I've chosen some blocks,

now I need to narrow it down to just four :)

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-Thomas McCalmont photo

 

And one last Facebook photo share..

This is just too cute!!!

 

 

 

Have a blessed week.

 

Love & Hugs,

Terry

New Year...New Dear Jane Secret Pal :)

I think it's so exciting to receive the first gift from a new

Secret Pal... and this year is no exception.
Look at the beautiful wrapping she did... I didn't open my packages for quite 

awhile, I just admired the wrapping and bows.  I think she made the bows, too.

The green one is made from some type of ribbon I have never seen.  It reminds me of the "Chinese Finger Puzzles" I use to get as a child.  You know the kind that you stick your fingers into then pull and your fingers won't come out!!!! Too Funny:)

She also sent me a beautifully hand written letter...you don't see many of those anymore.  Seems that actual hand written letters are becoming a lost art form:(

She told me that she was using an actual fountain pen.  I haven't used a fountain pen in years, but I'm going to be on the outlook for one now.

I can use it in my journal writing.

Fountain pen writing has such a wonderful smooth even flow.

Well, after admiring the packages and the the letter, I did finally open my packages...

Such beautiful gifts!  The kitchen towels she machine embroidered, love them.

The other brocade look towel is going to be a table topper for my dining room table.

There is a felt kit to make a cup cozy and matching coaster, really looking forward to getting started on that project.  I have just recently began working with some felt and wool, so this fits right in my plans for now.  And then, there are the 2 FQs...love the wintery look of those, and they fit in my collection of fabrics for a story quilt that I want to do "Sometime in the Future".  My new Secret Pal also scrapbooks and makes cards, although she now does the digital ones, so she sent me a sample of one of her digital works.  It is very, very pretty...but for now I need to stay with the paper version...I need to use up what I have before I would start another new crafting genre...  In other words my dear husband would probably have me committed if I take up something else  LOL

I am really looking forward to this year with my new Pal.

She has admitted that she visits my blog, which explains how well those kitchen towels match my kitchen:).  And it seems we have several things in common.  She says she has plans for me for the year????  I find this all very intriguing and exciting.

It is such a long time until December to find out who this person is!!!!

And since she checks my Blog:   Thank you again so very much for everything.

I love it all and appreciate very much all the time & thought you put into my gift.

Hugs & Blessings,

Terry

My Baby's, Baby Shower

Last Saturday was the Baby Shower for my youngest.

Miss Emma-lee's baby is due February 5th...

so the shower came just in time:)

The cake was made by her older sister Jennifer,

with a little help from her other older sister Angela.

An over-flowing bubble bath,

complete with rubber duckies. 

The bubbles are gumballs & small candies.

I think it is an awesome cake!!!

Her sister-in-law, Sunshine, made her a Diaper Cake...

Lots of baby goodies decorating this cake.

Sooo very cute:)  Love it!!!

And Yes, I did get the quilt done.

(There is another finish for January!)

And here is my youngest child, Emma-lee...

Opening all her gifts, with some help from one of

her younger guests.  Seems Emma-lee wasn't opening the gifts

 quite fast enough to suit this little sweetheart:)

Emma-lee was very blessed to have 26 family & friends

attend her shower, even though we had freezing rain and ice

the night before.  And she received so many wonderful gifts, 

for which she is so very thankful. 

Oh...we are expecting a little BOY!!!

God's Blessings to All,

Terry

Disappearing 4 Patch Blocks

Here is my first Disappearing 4 Patch block.

I had never made this block before...I Love it!

It is so easy to make and I really like the way it looks.

I'm participating in a block swap over at

Friendship Block Swap Group

and this is the block we are using.

All blocks will be blue & white, I'm thinking

this will be a very pretty set of blocks.

I'm making 4 different sets (four different blue fabrics),

 and I will make 6 for each set - swap 5, keep 1.  

That will give me 24 different blocks when the swap is complete.

Here is how easy the block is to make...

Start with two 5" white blocks & two 5" blue blocks.

Sew into a basic 4 patch block.

Cut 1" out from the center seam line on both sides

and both vertically & horizontally.

Give those long center stripe pieces a 180 degree spin.

Sew the block back together...

Here is my first set of 6.

Three more sets to go!!!

Hopefully I will get them done over the next

week, and then get them off to a much warmer

climate (Florida) for swapping:)

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs & Blessings,

Terry

She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.

                                                                                        ~Proverbs 31:27

Mug Rug...

Oh Good Grief!!!!!

No, No, No,

Not the little rug from my kitchen and

my newest, favorite coffee mug...

that's not what I mean!!!!

I'm talking about the Mug Rugs I made today:)

I thought I would start making a mug rug or two each

month, just to see what all the mug rug hoopla is about.

So I went stash diving and found these fabrics.

I thought, "Self these will work for January, yes they will."

Okay, so now I have the fabric...

Next make a design plan.....

Let's see, snowflake fabric, swirly fabric, ummm

it is snowing outside...Yep, you guessed it...

A Snowflake!!!!

So now I applique, and sandwich, and machine quilt.

And this is what I get...



A cute little January Mug Rug :)

Six inches by 9 inches, just the right size for

a mug of my favorite hot drink and a cookie or two!

And about the "Mug Rug Hoopla"... Well, I

understand it now...

They are just way too much Fun to make!!!!

That's why I made two  LOL

And I WILL be making a set for each month;

 and any other reason I can think of. 

There's also a bonus to making Mug Rugs,

it helps to clear out the scrap box:)

Now let's see, 

This little project gives me 

a start & a finish for 2012.

Love & Hugs,

Terry

  

January Card Swaps...Ahhh, All Finished

These are my ATCs for this month...

We are doing the ABC's this year.

"A" is for Asian

"Z" is for Zebra

January Recipe Swap-

Appetizers :)

The Embellishment Swap for this month is

SNOWFLAKES!!!

I made the Journal Boxes for the Scrapbook Element swap.

The theme is "Winter Wonderland"

The other Scrapbook Element swap is

"Winter Fun"

I chose the paper piecing option

and made these 2 snow people:)

I love my Cricut:)

Well that's it for this month...

the rest of January I will turn to my sewing area:)

Hopefully, I will have something to share

 from that room very soon:)

Hugs & Blessings,

Terry