National Pie day & WIP Wednesdays!

 Did you know that today is National Pie Day?!! how fun is that? do we ever really need a reason to eat pie? no, but if you think you do, now you have a great reason :) Today I will be making chicken pot pie and making a apple pie, or if I decide to sew, then I will go buy a chocolate pie! ha! the guys should really love me tonight :)

I am also still sewing this block for the Riley Blake BOM...my sewing time, quite didn't happen yesterday like I thought it would..

I am going to play along with Freshly Pieced, WIP Wednesdays, I think it's my first time! I might have done it a long time ago, or thinking I wanted to but not sure if I ever did :) should be fun and help me sew more, right?

Completed projects...
none, yet!

Ongoing projects...
Riley Blake BOM
     just started it this month, there will be 9 blocks

great granny quilt along (for some reason it's taking me forever!
     started cutting only

Scrappy Trip along  (starting a bit late on this one but it's fun!)
     cutting and still gathering scraps :)

Dresden Plate block for my kitchen
     fabric is picked out

Spools quilt (using Marmalade?)
     everything is ready to go, just need to start, will be for my craft room

Big Chevron quilt
     grey and white


Upcoming projects...
Triple Zip along, with A Quilters Table
t-shirt quilt for Zach
quilt for Jim (unless I give him the great granny quilt?)
pattern from a friend quilt :)
new kitchen table runner
Buttercup quilt
new fabric coasters for living room
Dream on quilt
Strawberry fields quilt

Yikes, the list is quite overwhelming but exciting at the same time!

Now off to go peel those apples!

the swing of things

 phew! getting back in the swing of things and developing a new routine has been harder for me this month, a lot of changes for me but I will figure it out :)

as stated in my new post of the year last week mentioning my goals. I did run yesterday! I took off 7 weeks of running, my body and mind definitely feel it now! I ran 3 miles, it was a slow 3 miles but still 3 miles! lets just say I am a bit sore this morning :)

I also sewed yesterday :) I started the Riley Blake Monthly Mystery Block, should be fun, doing it with a friend! this quilt will be one of my goals of (at least) 6 quilts to do this year.  Should finish the total block today.  Today I am participating in Fabric Tuesday over at Quilt Story, gives me the push to get some sewing done since it's always pushed aside.  My other friend Dana is helping me be accountable on my sewing, she is not very subtle about it either! ;) so hopefully her guilt trips will keep me sewing!
                                                               

Finishing up an apron today and also starting the ever so famous Scrappy Trip Along that everyone is doing! wish I would have started a couple of weeks ago but that is okay :)

while drinking my coffee this morning and reading blogs, I read this. Wow! I love it when God places something in your face right when you need it. If you don't read her blog, you really should! a few words really stood out to me today

"You don’t get to make up most of your story. You get to make peace with it.

You don’t get to demand your life, like a given. You get to accept your life, like a gift.

Beginnings and middles, they are only yours to embrace, to unwrap like a gift.

But you get the endings. You always get the endings.

You get the endings and you get to make them a gift back to the Giver.

She told herself that, tucking falling strands behind her ear: Here wasn’t a glory to wrestle, but a grace to receive. Isn’t everything that is good always hard?

What if — She let herself be loved whatever way her Lord deemed best.

You’ve only accepted Christ as your Lord without reservation — as much as you have accepted your life as a gift without regret."

just go read all of it! 

it's a new year!

well it's a new year and I want to try to blog again! usually the blog is the first to go when life gets busy. Its a new year, new perspective and new life happenings right? or really its all the same and just making the changes we want to make.
I of course have made my goals...running (and losing 20 pounds), sewing/quilting, scrapbooking and home improvements and my horses, and my ASL and reading more.

as far as my running goes, I go at it good for months and then all of a sudden I get busy and stop and have a hard time getting started again. For example, this past Nov, I did 2 5k's, I ran one time in Dec and well it's Jan 20 and I still haven't ran.  I have a few reasons (don't we all?!!) but I am using Jan as a sort of recovery month for myself, just to get basically caught up in areas, then do a little towards the end of Jan and be going full force by Feb.

Sewing/Quilting...well I have told a few friends that I want this year to be the year of quilting, I want to do at least 6 quilts this year, might not seem like a lot to some of you but to me it is HUGE. I still want to focus on small project sewing, table runners, zip pouches and handmade items (for Etsy too?), but I want this year to be all about the quilts! I want my quilts all over my home. I plan and am doing a couple of quilt alongs also, or sewing with friends :) I have sewn a lot of little projects the past 2 months, I will share those soon!

Scrapbooking, I miss scrapbooking badly!  Scrapbooking was my first crafty love! I have so much stuff, I am not lacking, I just need to do it! and get more of my pictures organized :) which I think in return help with my scrapbooking. Maybe do a few challenges with friends.

Home improvements, well the list has been made for all the rooms in the house and outside.  The major cleanups I want to do and the improvements, and hopefully buy a few new items for the house (flooring, flat screen, something for the new flat screen to sit on or just be below it!)

my horses, my sweet and oh so stubborn horse! I want to be riding more! I want to be more confident! I still want to try and play around with barrel racing, nothing too crazy, just have fun!

my signing (ASL) ever since I stopped taking my lessons and going to school, like the saying goes.."you don't use it, you lose it" I am afraid that is happening,  I did talk to my past teacher that I have done lessons with and maybe I can do some more. I also have been trying to practice by myself a minimum 2-3 times a week.

As far as reading, I want to take the time to read more, I notice I get somewhat cranky when I don't get to dive into a book. Also to be involved in a new Bible Study :) We are back with our old church (it's been 6 years!)  and meeting new people, God is good and He works wonders.

Its all exciting! I think I always feel like a fresh start is good, a time to do better and always to rely on God. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4-13

BYH - September

 
                                    


Stephanie over at Just me, my soldier and our 4 little chicks has been doing a Blog your Heart (BYH) posts, since my blogging has been so sporadic, AND I just told Jim and Zach and a few friends that I really miss blogging, I figured I would do a post like this  to get a jump start on blogging, might as well keep it real right off the bat, right?!! thanks Stephanie!!!
remember the rules! Stephanie has a nice set of rules if you comment  after reading these kinds of posts :)

1.  first off, I am sooo blessed, I have a wonderful husband and son,  couldn't ask for better! I have a little peice of land and I have lots of animals, yes I do want more but one acre doesn't hold a whole lot! hubby has a great job and we both like me still being home even though our kid is 18 and just started college, hubby likes me off when he is off, so it just works for us :) of course I get all the questions of what I am going to do with my life and what job I am going to get get since I must be bored to death, ummm NO, I am so super busy and wish I had a few more free hours! :) love my life :)

 2.  I am not liking how I am not keeping up on things, mainly my house and yard, I feel things are out of order, if people came over they would think my place is clean but open up the laundry room, the cabinets and the closets, they would know the disarray...

3.  I do not like that I haven't been exercising regulary, first I need to for my panic/anxiety atttacks, the running helps me tremendously, so why have I  slacked? also the weight...ugh, these 15-20 pounds feel horrible on me

4.  being a bit bitter at times since having another family member and a baby (love them both so much!) move in with us in our very small home,  I want my craftroom back! I am usually never bitter, I feel selfish at times wanting my old schedule and freedom

5. my worrying....it's getting out of control, from worrying about Zach trying to do school/work/coaching, and money, worrying about my health, and worrying to make sure I have things done, having family move in with us (which is a blessing, I know God is using us). I am relying on God, I guess just not enough...

6.  my level of procrastination is bad right now, I mean I know I have a new baby in the house and another adult and that has been the procrastination reason as of the last month, but what about before that? whats my excuses? running, house projects, practicing my signing (asl), scrapbooking, sewing, etsy shop, blog and  organization projects all NEED and WANT to be done :)

7. I love my 3 horses but ever since I had a near collision, that ugly fear really settled in, it's been holding me back, I can't stand that I am fearful when I try to do new things on the horse I mostly ride, riding my horses is my passion, I pray that God will help me get over these fears, besides that, I am freaking out my horse! ha!

8.  I want and need a church for us, we need to stop church hopping and then not going, I just pray God leads us to one,  I wish Zach's college didn't get in the way of his youth group, praying that can change in January

9.  I have lots and I mean LOTS of new fabric and scrapbooking goodies to use up and play with, I am almost embarrased how much I have and haven't used up anything lately. :O

well those are  the biggy, stressful and not so pretty things going on right now but I know I am truly blessing in so many ways! God is good.

hopefully by Tues I will have a post with sewing or scrapbooking on it!

things...

  things are getting in the way of me sewing and blogging! they are lovely things and I am blessed with those things but I miss my sewing and I miss my blog

Since May...
my son went to a 2nd prom, with a girl we love and that he has known since 6th grade

there were several award ceremonies to attend for Zach

track/cross country

Scholarship awards (go Zach!!!)

                                                       
                   and then of course high school graduation (and attended some friends graduation also)
                                                                    Zach walking in!

              I don't know what he is smiling about in this picture but I am happy that he is so happy!

we had a nice big graduation party with lots of friends and family (I will leave all those pics out!)
Zach and I have been doing soo many college things that have to be done, ugh! it stresses me out!

We added another horse to the family, meet Rip...

Now we have a whole herd :)

(horses grazing on our front yard pasture)

on the sewing area of my life...the list of *want to do's* in the previous post, out of 23 items on my list to complete, I completed 10, not great but not soo bad with all I had going on, I always set my goals too high :) I have so many quilts to finish and several smaller projects.

in the running area of my life, the podiatrist put me in a boot to wear but it actually made my foot way worse, I babied my foot for about a month, then I started going to the gym and sitting in the jacuzzi and it did wonders for my foot, I have ran 2 times each week for the past 3 weeks and today I ran 4 miles! hope my foot feels good tomorrow!

Last night when I couldn't sleep, I read some of the book of Proverbs, on my Kindle Fire of all places! I have read verses in there before, but wowzers, a few verses hit me hard at this time in my life. I really need to start a new Bible Study, I am thinking of another Beth Moore (LOVE Beth Moore!) anways, thinking of doing this one

James:Mercy Triumphs

 

overy my head in projects

  seriously!  do you ever say "if I wouldn't of committed to this"  or "if I wouldn't of wasted my time" (on Pinterest and words with friends hee!)  so on and so on... that you would have half those projects done? especially when you really want to make time for Randi's May sew along (which I LOVE each month) and now possibly this small projects sew along and have totally slacked on better my home challenge, which would have really helped me tons if I would have kept up!

I have attended a good friends adoption ceremony, which was beautiful, I have done some training with the horses but not ridden enough,  gone to A LOT of track meets and I stopped being a recluse and finally made time for a couple of dates with a few different friends AND have had to do too many college forms and scholarship applications with Zach, can you believe he graduates high school this month?!! a lot mixed feelings about that.

Basically, I want to sew, and I mean sew a lot this month, I also have a few home projects I want to accomplish and I am using the date of May  24-26 as an inspiration deadline since we are having Zachs graduation party!!!

have you checked out Randi's sew along this month? a super cute lap sized quilt!  can't decide if I am using white background with possibly oranges, blues and greens? if you know me, I will probably change my mind :)

                          

as for crazy mom quilts small projects sew along here is my list, I am sure I won't get everything done, but it's a list and I am good at making lists and not getting all things done :)

                                                                 

1. frame pouch #1
2. frame pouch #2
3. kitchen towells
4. fabric coasters
5. kitchen curtain (simple cafe style)
6. table runner for dining room table
7. bunting/garland #1
8. bunting/garland #2
9. dish drying pad (my dishwasher broke 2 months ago!)
10. finish up rest of sofa pillows
11. burp cloths #1
12. burp cloths #2
13. pillows for bedroom?
14. start quilt for Zach (this is big, not small!)
15. zip pouch office aid #1
16. zip pouch office aid # 2
17. zip pouch office aid #3
18. zip pouch #4
19. zip pouch #5
20. kitchen rug?
21. mothers day gift
22. kindle case #1
23. kindle case #2

also, when I became addicted to Pinterest, I told some friends if I want to spend (waste) time on pinning, I need to actually do a 3-5 projects a month that I pin. I have made 2 meals from recipes I found and then I did this the other night, I love how it turned it, I may need to go find more rocks that we have brought home from various camping/hunting/picnic trips and stamp words on them now!
                      

lets get busy sewing!

very grateful...

         now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see Hebrews 11:1 

very grateful that I have gotten some of my heaing back after going deaf again in my right ear (this is the 3rd time, has this every happened to any of you out there?) very grateful that I know some ASL, I need to be practicing more, I really believe God puts things in our lives over time and this is proof! I am really grateful that I know some people in the deaf community that I know will help me also, what a blessing huh?!!

very grateful for these two guys (and my mom)

Jim has had to be out of town for work a lot this year so far, he can't stand traveling but I am grateful for him being such a great provider and always doing what he can for our family.

Zach is an amazing son, he helps me all the time, he is a super good kid, he is funny and smart and I have had it sooo easy being a mom to him.

grateful for road trips with Zach, a 3 hour trip home turned into a 9 hour trip! lots of fun music, chocolate and jerky :) fun times for sure!

Also very grateful that I am able to have (okay, these are material things, but I am grateful for them)

I have been super spoiled lately, but I have a new iphone and Jim surprised me with a new Kindle Fire 2 weeks ago (I love it!) and so I get to use my super nice Bernina to sew a case for the new Kindle,

and also been able to sew along with friends, thanks Randi!

also be able to do a few custom orders (hi JaJuan!)

also grateful for getting a special gift from a friendin the mail on a day I really needed it!

 I have so much more that I am grateful for the family that chooses to be in my life, my 2 horses, 4 dogs, 1 cat and fish :) running and the flowers on my porch :)


                                       linking up to amylouwhosews and crazymomquilts