More Goodies

Ok I got more goodies to share. I was running around the other day with no intention of going to the quilt store (really I didnt *wink*). I was killing time waiting for our kitty to get groomed.

I already told you I ♥ fall. When I stumbled upon this fabric I knew it had to be mine. hahaha I am seeing raggedy doll dresses. Yep! The other goodies that snuck into my basket were this halloween panel that I think I will quilt & make into a wallhanging and this Whistlepig Creek Productions tote pattern. I am really wanting to sew some totes. My daughter loves them, as do I. These just looked like all kinds of fun.

After all the excitement over my new found treasures I came home to find more yummy goodness in the mail. It's really the little things in life that get me excited. Not many people can get that excited over wool yarn. It is dreamy! I received my fall wool from one of my blog buddies Suzy from Cloth Doll Supply. I love her wool! It is fabulous. She always sends you a surprise sample of one of her other goodies that she has available. If you go visit her tell her I sent ya. The brown wool has golden & orange highlights running through it & is so gorgeous. I am thinking of using it for my Pumpkin Patty doll from Sew Many Prims. I have a lot of projects swimming in my head. I am hoping to get some done & some started before the move. I will keep ya posted to my progress. :)

Well I am off & running. They are having a quilt run here in town & I want to go visit some of the stores. I must see what other great finds they have right now. I will be back to share tomorrow. Have a wonderful day!

~Toodles

Amazing

This was the view from our front porch tonight. Just beautiful isnt it? I ♥ sunsets. They make me happy. You could be having the worse day ever & look at this & it all just melts away. I will

miss this view but look forward to new views in a different part of the country.

Not much to write about today. I am trying to get last minute things in place for moving. Ready to hit my big comfy bed & just relax. Goodnight all.

~Toodles

Yummy Fall Goodness

Yes, I am ready for fall. I am one of these weird people who HATES summer. So on my little outing yesterday to the quilt store I found these yummies. Two of the patterns are Myra Mahy of Country Faces. I have loved her stuff as far back as the early 90's. I have done several of her tole painting projects. The other pattern is from Suzanne's Art House. They had the pumpkin & pinwheel quilt hanging up. It was the cutest thing ever. It was done all in flannel & the colors were more prim than the one on the cover. I fell in love! I had to have them! I went perusing through the wools & grabbed what fall colors they had. I will be on the hunt for some more. I will keep you posted on my progress with these new projects. I am liking the fact that the tags I can carry with me. Gotta love those hand projects that go anywhere. :)

Well not much else going on today. Kind of had a dull headache all day so havent been to motivated to do much. The heat sucks & I am hating every minute of it. I am thankful our new house (in the much hotter & more humid state of Arkansas) will have a good A/C unit. Looking forward to cranking that baby! LOL

Well enjoy your day! Toodles~

Life Keeps Moving

without me keeping up! Hahaha Where does the time go? I just cant seem to keep up with all the day to day things that need to be done. A lot has happened in the last few months. I'm not even sure where to begin.

A few months back I bought a few lottery tickets. Now mind you, I dont usually do that. About my 2nd ticket in I scratched it & could'nt believe my eyes. I had won. It was so exciting! We took a trip to the lottery & what fun that was. We ended up winning a car but taking the cash value instead. We have a great car that I wouldnt trade for the world. If you cant tell....I love my car. LOL With that being said....we were able to pay off some bills & take a vacation to see our two kids that are'nt with us.

We went on a three week adventure. We travelled to Arkansas first to see our daughter & scope out the area for moving. (Yes, we are moving) We checked into housing & employment & everything looks great. Hubby is trying to get on with one of the women's prisons in the area. We found a house & it looks secure at this point. Will be heading south the end of July. While on this vacation we drove over to Memphis, TN & saw all that it had to offer. What a blast that was. So many cool things to see...Davies Plantation, Graceland, St. Judes Hospital, Beale Street, Neely's BBQ, Underground Railroad Museum & last but not least, the Gibson guitar factory. Our son Travis even got to march with the ducks at the Peabody Hotel. The Duckmaster invited him up to the roof to see their sanctuary which is usually off limits. He was on cloud 9.

After leaving Arkansas, we headed up to Oklahoma to visit the bombing memorial. WOW is all I can say. It is a beautiful memorial & just so sad to think of the tragedy that occurred there. We then headed up to Colorado to see our son Taylor. He is stationed there. It was our first time seeing his base. It is so beautiful up there. I would move there in a heartbeat. Pikes Peak still had snow on it in May. I thought that was just crazy. If you ever get the chance to go you have to visit the Garden of the Gods. Amazingly breathtaking. After our quick (too quick) visit we headed home. I think it was the best vacation we have taken by far.

So you see, we have been super busy with all of our travelling & getting ready to move. I am so excited though, at the prospect of having a craft room & finally getting to sew again. I have missed that so much.

Everyone have a wonderful & safe Fourth of July! Will keep you updated on our latest adventures in life. :)

~Toodles

Altered Tag

I have always had a fondness for all the altered art out there. I decided to give it a try this last week. So here are the pics of the wooden tags I created for my daughter Tarynn & Brittney(my 2nd daughter). They have decided to do the American Diabetes Association Walk. I thought it would be cute to make these tags to pin on their shirts somewhere. After completing them I knew they would be to bulky for around the neck. Personally, it would of drove me batty to be walking & sweating & having this thing around my neck. Hahaha!! So I added the little heart clip to the end so they could hang a safety pin off of that. I think Brittney opted to hang hers on the stroller. The one thing I was going for is versatility....I figured if I left it a lil generic they could use them again if they did a breast cancer walk or any wonderful cause they choose. So come Saturday, April 25th if you are in the Little Rock, Arkansas area you may just see them walking their little hearts out. Good Luck girls....drink lots of water!

Speaking of my daughter....I am so proud of her. She has always been so committed to giving back. She has done so many wonderful things in our community. All through high school she worked Toy For Tots, Special Olympics, Roadside Trash Cleanup, Adopt A Soldier, flag placement in our local cemetary for Memorial Day as well as leading the 21 Gun Salute that went to all of the cemetaries in our valley. It was an all day event which was normally VERY hot & tiring. She also started a program at her high school to collect items for all the soldiers over in Iraq. She boxed everything up & mailed them all on her own. I am so proud of her & her BIG heart ♥. She has always been giving & thoughtful. A mom couldnt ask for anything better. Gonna share some of the pictures from some of those events. Thanks for visiting us & taking a look at my ramblings.

Have a wonderful weekend! Toodles Ü

WW White Chili

You know I mentioned Kathy being here for our quilting retreat weekend? Well her sister in law Joan made this for us for dinner. I was blown away. I have to admit, I am not a big chili person and white chili....lets just say, I wouldnt be first in line for it. Boy was I mistaken! I am so thankful that I was visiting & wouldnt consider turning down dinner after graciously being invited.

The Chicken:

This chili is oh so yummy! Believe it or not it is a Weight Watchers recipe. It is so flavorful & filling too. Dont let the jalapenos scare you away. It has a mild zip but nothing thats gonna burn your tongue off. I chose to add three instead of four & it was perfect. They were good size peppers too...about 4 inches in length. Just to let you know, this is a very thick chili so if you like more broth you may want to add more chicken stock. Also, this doesnt make a ton....I would guess about 4-6 cups. Next time I will be doubling if not tripling it. I am sure it would freeze beautifully in ziploc freezer bags. You have to try it. It is easy peasy & just so good!

The Veggies:

The White Northern Beans:

Here is the the chili recipe I used. We topped it with shredded cheese & more green onions. Yummers!

Dinner Complete:

Let me know if try it & like it.

Well I am off to work on some of those pending projects. Have a great day! Toodles Ü

Still Trying To

get caught up. :) It has been a crazy month or two.

Some of you that know me know that I have been trying to have WLS (weight loss surgery)for quite some time. I was finally approved. It all kind of took off quickly after that. HahahaThey approved me for surgery & had me scheduled in a matter of a week. It was crazy fast. So as of March 31st I am now on the path to healthier living WooHoo! The surgery went extremely well. Other than minor discomfort it was easier than having my children. ;) I am about three weeks out & am finally getting some energy back. I am so excited to get healthier & have more energy to live life to the fullest besides not having diabetes or high blood pressure now. I will keep you updated on my progress as it unfolds. So far I am about 10 pounds down. Here are the pics that my hubby took before surgery. We want to keep a month to month log of the progress. If anyone has struggled your whole life with weight & the battles that ensue with trying to lose....I highly recommend this surgery. Do your research & check your doctor out thoroughly. The actual surgery was not to bad but the wrapping your head around only being able to eat 3-4 bites of food & being so stuffed that you cant breathe takes a little adjustment. I am not complaining in any way. It is all worth it!!

As for the rest of life....it has been great! About a month before surgery I had bought a lottery ticket. I dont normally buy them. I had won on a couple of tickets I had purchased. I decided to go back & take half the amount in cash & get the other $5 in lottery tickets. Well my 2nd ticket in was a big winner. I won a trip to be on the lottery tv show. It is an all expense paid trip so it will be fun no matter what. The games have changed so much that you dont win as much as you used to but we are guaranteed a minimum amount so thats not bad at all. I think the experience alone will be a blast & a lifetime of memories. Our trip is planned for May so I will keep you posted to the outcome.

Like I said things have been crazy here. I am working on finishing my quilt top from when my BFF Kathy was here. I am also working on some scrapbook mini albums too. Tarynn is walking in the American Diabetes Association walk so I am working on another craft for her to carry along with her. I will share all my treasures with you as I finish them.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I will be back in the next day or two to bring you more news. Have a wonderful weekend. :)

Toodles Ü