Hello out there.

Sorry, I've been MIA for awhile.  No excuses really.  Just haven't had much too blog about. 

I haven't been crafting too much lately.  Although, there is one project that I'm dying to share with you-- I receive the Martha Stewart magazine and they had this neat article on creating a cross stitch portrait of your family.  I used to cross stitch all the time and thought a family portrait would make an adorable wall hanging.  So, I got out the graph paper and started drawing our family. . .  


Here is the finished product--

Oh, yes, you've noticed the little addition in yellow-- he/she will be here sometime in April!  I shall call him/her Baby L2.  I guess that little one may have prevented me from crafting and blogging recently.  We will have to do better Baby L2 if we want any readers!

Definitely more crafting to come!

Special Baby Quilt

Although, I've taken a small break from quilting I was able to create a very special quilt for a friend recently.  I used fabric from two of her baby blankets to produce a new quilt for her little girl.  I will admit that I was nervous taking someone's special treasures and cutting them apart, but I knew I could do it and create something really special in the process.

The finished product. 

Her little girl's name surrounded by applique flowers from her baby blankets.

 The center piece was an applique elephant that was the primary focus of one of her baby blankets.  I made it the center of this quilt as well.

I used pink gingham and the light pink bunny fabric from her original baby blankets and filled in with other coordinating fabric.  I did get some help from the ladies at the quilt shop and found them to be very helpful.  If you ever have questions about scale and color, ask the workers.  They know what they are talking about and it was very reassuring to get their advice.

I love the back print because it incorporates all the colors of the quilt.  The mom-to-be's designing the nursery in pink and brown and her baby blankets had light pink, yellow and turquoise colors.  I wanted to make sure all the colors were represented. 

 I also got new tags from here.  Super reasonable and very nice quality!

What do you all think?

Hello

Uh, yeah, so it's been awhile since I've updated.  Let's see, not a whole lot has happened lately except I ran the 10K MS Mud Run this past Saturday.  It was a blast!!  I think we were all super nervous the whole time because we just didn't know what to expect, but it was a blast and I would definitely do it again. 

Here we are all clean and shiny.  Our team was the "Muddy Mamas . . . It's Our Turn to Make a Mess."  Note the bows!

I'm wearing the orange bow and sliding down the mud hill.

Jumping off a 10 foot platform into muddy water. . . fun!

One of the obstacles.

6.2 miles and around 40 obstacles later . . . Here we come (I'm the one in the back waving)!  We made it!

 

People are still uploading pictures, so I'm sure there will be a few more to show.

Sorry for the long lapse.  I'm alive and I'll do better!

Our First Protest

Coraline and I experienced our first protest last month.  Without getting into too many details, my beloved Alma Mater, Peace College, which has a 154 year history of being a women's school has decided to change the name of the school and become co-educational.  I am very disappointed in the direction the college will be taking and feel very misled by the Board of Trustees. 

About 150 alumna decided to "peacefully protest" the changes by circling around the fountain, singing the Alma Mater and throwing a red rose into the fountain (a very old graduation tradition).  Tame enough for a 15 month old to attend!

She's got her red rose ready.

 Here is a picture from the N&O- I'm in there, but my head is turned away.

 Here we are singing the Alma Mater around the broken fountain and throwing in the roses. 

So beautiful!

 Got my Peace gear on and ready to throw the rose in.

 My little protester!

 Me and my friend, Susan, around the fountain.

Then it started pouring down rain.  She was totally into it!

It was so bittersweet to be on the campus and to know that it will never be the same again.  Sounds dramatic, I know, but it's hard to understand unless you went there.

Preserve Peace College's Legacy!!!

Laird's Quilt

Here is another quilt for Mr. Laird.  He's a very lucky boy to get two quilts!  One for summer/fall and one for winter/spring.  Remember this one?

Alex, Laird's mom, picked out the fabric.  I think she's got great taste!  Super modern, great colors and very boy-like.  This one had cars, surfboards, ducks and ukulele's.  Most of the fabric is from the Monaluna Circa 60 Beach Mod for Birch Fabric line and a little Joel Dewberry and Timeless Treasures.

We kept the back of the quilt very simple with a single strip of 8 x 8 fabric squares running through the back.

Some of the fabric up close.

It's another big quilt (51 x 51) so he'll be able to use it for a long time!

I have no idea what I've been doing lately that prevents me from blogging, but I sure am keeping busy around here.  I've joined a playdate meetup group and Coraline and I have been busy several times a week walking around the lake, meeting new friends, swimming and going to gymnastics!  It's been a fun summer.

(on the balance beam)

(in the foam pit)

(this was her favorite- the trampoline)

(at the pool)

I have been sewing some too.  I finished two quilts and some baby treats for a friend's baby girl, so I will post pictures in another post.

Hope I still have some readers left!!

New Outfit

I wanted to tackle a few of the cute tops that I have collected on my Pinterest site for Coraline.  There are so many cute ones to choose from! I found this material at Joann's and thought it was perfect for her.

Here is the link to the top.  I found it very easy to construct.  I followed her pattern which is for a 12-18 month size, but it was a little snug on my 15 month old, so I tried it again and added 1/4 inch all the way around the pattern and it came out to be a much better fit for her.  I made it a top, but you could easily add some length and make it a dress.

I've gotten some compliments on it, so I think it's a winner!

The bloomers are my own pattern- hopefully, I can make a tutorial for you on that soon.  However, you could do a search for bloomers or diaper covers and come up with lots of tutorials.

Happy sewing everyone!

10K Mud Run

Call me crazy, but I'm doing something totally out of my comfort zone- a 10K Mud Run!  A 6.2 mile run + mud + military style obstacles = crazy me.  It's a wonderful fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis and a great challenge for me!  What am I thinking!

A group of mommies are forming the group "Muddy Mamas-Its our turn to make a mess."   We will be doing some training together and will participate on September 24, 2011.  Not much time to train, but we are in the mere mortals division which is not a timed competition- the goal is to just finish!

I think this will be hilarious and challenging!

We, as individuals, need to raise at least $100 for the cause.  I'm putting my personal page information here- if you would like to donate anything, it would be greatly appreciated!  No donation is too small or insignificant!

Wish me luck!

Coraline's Jungle Gym

Gymnast perhaps? 

Oh, and yes, it is 2011 and I've just discovered the awesomness of Youtube. 

If I Should Fall Behind

Sometimes, I don't know what to think of myself!  I have never been able to pinpoit my music style.  There are very few things I actually like to listen too and much prefer to listen to books on tape when I'm in my car.  I never know what to pick on the music on demand channels because most of the stuff I don't like.  It's frustrating to say the least!  I have a strange, eclectic assortment of songs on my mp3 player (which, sadly, doesn't get used as much as it should).

With that said . . . there is one person/band that I love and have always loved and will always love since I was 5 years old.


Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.   I have my dad to thank for that.  He would blast Born in the USA while he had me and my sister in the back of his jeep (with all the windows down) driving to Waimea.  I will never forget how "big" I felt listening to his music.  Rhea and I only remembered the line "Born in the USA" but we sang it proudly!  I have that CD and occasionally roll all the windows down in my jeep and blast the CD- it's great! 

Here is a song that my dad found--  I LOVE the message and the lyrics.