Wa-a-ay Cute!

Shouldn't EVERY quilter have one of these adorable plants growing in her house or yard??? Found this at the grocery store this morning (yes, an impulse buy but how could I resist--I'm only human). The label says, "A unique, long lasting accent, prized for its multitude of vibrantly colored small berries. Native to Central America and New Zealand." It can be grown indoors or out. Oh, my!

The Cuteness Factor

Can you believe that these are all........

CUPCAKES???? While browsing through Borders yesterday--and with a 30% coupon burning a hole in my pocket--I came across this delightful book. Are these not just the cutest things ever? And you can eat them!!! The back cover of the book promises that no baking skills or fancy equipment are required. Hmmmm...even I should be able to make at least a few of them. I can just see platters full of snowmen or penguins for the neighborhood Christmas deliveries. Or how about aliens and owls for Halloween time? And the horses are just too darn adorable. Sure looks like fun in the kitchen to me.

And speaking of cuteness, isn't this wallhanging just precious? I found it in the Better Homes and Gardens 2008 Holiday Crafts magazine.

Looks like it wouldn't take too terribly long to finish... Yepper, I am starting to think CHRISTMAS ! LOL Although, my favorite season Fall is just around the corner and it may be time to haul out those pumpkin and acorn things... Also, it may be time to stay out of Borders.

Crazy, Man, Crazy!

Our regularly scheduled speaker for the guild meeting yesterday was unable to attend. But! Three ladies from the nighttime chapter of our guild agreed to fill in! And let me tell you, they were fantastic! They are all crazy-quilters and are pretty well known in these parts. They have taught crazy quilting and one has even had work accepted into the Houston Quilt Festival. I have never seen so-o-o many lovely pieces of crazy quilting and embellished works in my life. Boy, are they prolific. It was such a nice diversion. While I have taken a couple of crazy quilting classes, I never felt very comfortable with it. I know, I know, like every other skill worthwhile, it takes practice, practice, practice. The beading particularly caught my eye on several of the pieces. It was all so well-done.

They told about their many round robins and some of their unusual techniques. It was fun to see what all they used for embellishments. And the embroidered seams were so exquisite. Kinda glad the "regularly scheduled program" didn't show!!!

Anyone else out there in Blogland addicted to watching the Olympics? Makes for some pretty late bedtimes. I was so tickled to see the two American gymnasts take gold and silver in the all-around. And it was so fun to see Mary Lou Retton out there in the crowd. Hope Michael Phelps keeps on keeping on. He is amazing. And hope your weekend is equally amazing!

Hot Salsa Nights!

Remember this starry quilt? The one I started a while back before the summer lazies hit? Well, I've worked on more blocks this week. Yay, me! I decided maybe the push I needed would come from slapping a few up on the design wall to see if there really was going to be a star pattern emerge. By golly, I see stars! This is just 30 blocks but enough to believe it will, indeed, be a star quilt. As I was throwing these up, I couldn't stop singing, "Thirty blocks up on the wall, 30 blocks on the wall, take one down and pass it around..." I crack me up!

I have named this one "Hot Salsa Nights" due to the red-oranges and dark blues but also because I have been in a salsa-making frenzy lately so this kinda fits. I still have a heap o'blockmaking to do. There's a total of 118 blocks plus 44 partial border blocks. Then, of course, the fun of shopping for border fabric! I want to have it done by Christmas so I just might make it! Ssshhh...it will be a cozy-up quilt for DH.