I don't have any elves helping me

Growing up I always liked the story of the shoemaker's elves that helped him magically get everything accomplished.

I have come to the realization that I don't have any!

(And if I did have any elf friends I am guessing they would be more like Ellie the Elf from the song my sister did a dance to when we were little. She was full of mischief...which sounds more like what I would have "helping" me!!)

Here is what gave me the clue:

My hubby and I went to a birthday party for my boss' wife sometime over the summer and I, being the sister of "captian planet" and the official "go green cheerleader" of the office, took home the bottles from the evening with me to recycle.

However, I never wanted to just throw them in the glass container at the local recycling drop off. I think these bottles are adorable and I want to use them for something. So instead I have my husband unload them from my car (where they had been for awhile) and put them in the garage...until I could get around to cleaning them and finding a place to store them until I decided what I wanted to do with them.

So there they sat, collecting dust and taking up space in our already overly stuffed garage until my hubby declared that I needed to do something with these bottles or he was going to throw them all in the trash! I promptly moved them from the garage ("his space") to the kitchen counter "my space" so that I would remember to wash them one evening when I got home from work.

However, in all the hustle and bustle of planning, packing and then leaving, this never got accomplished. So for the long wonderful vacation, and a couple weeks after we got back, there the dirty, smelly, dusty bottles sat on my kitchen counter. That is until last weekend, when I was in super-woman mode, I stuffed them (like a specialist) into our dishwasher and got them all cleaned & sanitized & ready for the next step. (Also hubby had declared again he was taking them out to the trash if something wasn't done since he had needed kitchen counter space earlier in the week to prepare something to eat and it wasn't avaiable to him with all those bottles taking up the preciouse counter space real estate in our kitchen!) After carefully pulling them back out of the dishwasher (which at one point I wondered if this step was ever going to be accomplished I had stuffed them so well inside, I thought I might have a stuck-closed dishwasher with fantastic, tall and clean bottles inside of it forever) I sat them all back out on the counter to finish drying.

Exactly where they had been for over a month.

Which is where they now still sit.

Waiting patiently for a new home.

Now the question is what should I do with them? (Before hubby dares to threaten the trash again-I must find a good solution for these wonderful bottles or I fear the worst for them!!) I am sure they would make some sort of perfect gift, if I could just figure out what to put in them I would be set for Christmas!! (Plus I will really need to find a place to store them until Christmas where they won't be in the way-that is the really hard part!!)

New Post below

I tried writing a post on Sunday and then posting it yesterday so that I didn't have two posts at once, but instead it just went up with the original time that I had started writing it, which was before my post about the weekend! I am so NOT technically savvy!! CLICK HERE to read my post about my trip to Joann's last Thursday!!

My forever long Friday...and the rest of my very full weekend

After getting to bed fairly late on Thursday (Well, it was actually earlier than normal, just not early enough considering I had to work the early shift on Friday!) I was up at 5:45AM so I could get out the door and get to work early. I had to work the early shift on Friday because I needed to get off early so I could get everything set up for our neighborhood event which was to start at 7PM Friday night.

After a long day at work (in which I called and rescheduled our Neighborhood movie night because it was raining most of the day and calling for rain for all night!!) I got off around 4:30 and ran to Wal-mart so I could get some poster board to make a sign down at our commons area to let everyone know we had rescheduled the event to next weekend. I got to chat with one of my good friends while heading home and it turns out next Friday is going to be a long one as well, because I will need to work early again (since we are having the event then now, and then my friends birthday party is down in Atlanta Friday night-so after I get everything going I will leave the clean up in my dear neighbor's hands (Thanks Rachel you are a lifesaver!!) and run down to Atlanta to hang out with Mary C. for her 29th birthday celebration! (Which means it will be a late night!!)

Back to my long day...When I got home (and put up the sign) I found that I had a package at my front door! I got a package!! How exciting!! Oh dear...I know what it is and I didn't expect that to come so quickly!! I am going to be a bit overwhelmed this next week or two!! It was the fabric package from Quilts for Kids!

Since I was home before dark, and feeling like I could actually get something done, I decided to be Miss Suzy Homemaker, put one of my favorite aprons (which is made from an old 1981 fabric calendar) and bake some homemade Zuchinni Bread, (from my Grandma's recipe-which it says she got out of the Indianapolis Star in 1977) and clean the bathrooms!! I also started some laundry. (I had some more fabric I needed to wash and iron-will talk about in another post.)

This is just a shot of my cute shoes that I wore on Friday-I love these adorable flats-My sisters got them for me for my birthday one year-forever ago-when I had a "Dress for Less" birthday party!

Around 9, Kevin was home and hungry and I was ready for a break so we ate some dinner and watched Monk. (Too bad this is the last season, I think it is such a cute show!)

After our "dinner and a show" I got back to work in my sewing room and ironed, cut and sewed until after 4 AM!!! I was in the zone!! I got a ton accomplished!!

This is the quilt I designed last weekend-the "seeing squares" (still not in love with that name) I got all the cut peices sewn into blocks and put into a quilt top. (I actually cut and sewed enough blocks for two quilt tops but only got one of them sewn together-the other is still just the blocks.)

(Here is another one I started-I think this one may end up being the Craft Hope quilt-or to send along with the one for Quilts for Kids?)

Saturday morning I was up by 9 and after my devotional, some email checking and a quick breakfast I was in the shower and getting ready for another big day. I ran by the post office and got all my packages sent out. I got by Michaels and picked up my paintings I had custom framed. (I will have to get a picture of these later...maybe once I get them on the wall, they are the paintings I bought in January when I was in Brazil with mom.) I made a deposit, and headed into town to meet up with Kelsey for an afternoon of shopping!!! I was great just hanging out with Kels all afternoon, braving the crowds (Saturday mall traffic is REDICULOUS!!) and finding some great sales. I came away from the afternoon around $65 poorer, but it was worth it for all the fun I had, and all the great stuff I got!

(This is my new adorable wallet I got on sale!!)

Saturday night Kevin and I drove over to the Netherworld Haunted House and met up with some friends of our for a "scary" night of fun! I am not sure how those things still scare me when you know it is all fake, but it still gives me a good fright! We didn't get home until around midnight, so I was exhausted!

Today I was up again around 9ish and I was able to get some more sewing done today. I put together the quilt top for the Quilts for Kids project and also another one (I am not sure if it is big enough yet or not!)

Here is the one from Friday-quilt top finished-maybe-I might be adding another border.

Here is the finished quilt top for Quilts for Kids...from the kit they sent me.

JOANN'S ETC.

I was out running earrands on my way home from work last Thursday evening when I decided to "run in" to Joann's Etc.

Not one of my smartest ideas!

They were having a huge sale and after around 2 hours (time I didn't have to spend there!!) I left with a large pile of fabric quarters & a big smile on my face thinking of all the fun projects I want to do with them!

Here is a closer look at what all I got.

(I actually got them all washed and ironed over my crazy busy weekend as well, so I am ready to dive in and try something fun with them...that is once I have finished all my other projects I have volunteered myself to do!)

I was Boo'd!! (and the pictures from my office "Welcome Home")

I hadn't had a chance yet to post these pictures from the "Welcome Home" that was waiting for me in my office when we got back from our vacation!
It was a nice little surprise and made me feel loved!!This is our office birthday balloon that we just keep on recycling-so they taped a welcome back paper on it...and the recycling continues!! (My try-to-be-green heart is sooooo happy!!)

They couldn't find a welcome home banner-so they bought this happy birthday tape and posted on my door-with a paper that read: Happy Birthday=Welcome Back!

Looks like they invested in a new balloon as well-boy do I feel special!!

And I also got some beautiful flowers!! I am such a lucky gal!!


In other news: We got boo'd last night!! (I guess I need to get mine out now!!)


Some yummy candy, an adorable boo sign and bucket, some tea light candles, two cute Halloween lantern kits and a $10 blockbuster gift card-I think this must be a neighbor who knows me to a T!!

More giveaways!

Wow! The week has been flying by. I am keeping busy at work, trying to get some errands done and pictures uploaded etc. in the evenings as I try to get caught up on everything here at home and try to get things ready for our neighborhood Halloween Event tomorrow. (Which looks like there is a high chance will be rained out and moved to next week!! It has been so pretty all week and of course, now that I have outdoor plans, here comes the rain!!)

I did get the chance to a least browse around a bit on blog world and found a few more giveaways, so I thought I would pass along the info to you!

First: On Knitty Bitties (which I found through Pleasant Home) there is a giveaway for some ADORABLE hand made coffee cup sleeves! Too cute and a great gift idea!! This giveaway runs through the weekend.Second: On Detail (which I found because she had left a comment on Knitty Bitties for an entry to win the cool coffee cup sleeves!) she is giving away a hand made grab bag of all sorts of scraps! I think today is the deadline to enter this one so hurry on over and leave a comment if you want the chance to win!!Third: On Chickpea Sewing Studio, there is a giveaway for a cute little pattern book that you can sign up. The drawing for this one will be on Thursday next week!
Fourth: On Quilt Taffy there a delicious giveaway going on for a fabric turnover. (Your choice-from 4 different fabric groups!!) The giveaway is actually called "Share the Love" so I am passing along the info to you and sharing the love so you can have a chance at getting some fabric yumminess!! I am not sure when this giveaway is running through, so if you want a chance I would head on over there right away!!

A link to a fabric giveaway

Oh how I love thee blogworld!!

There are such wonderful giveaways you can find in this blogging world that I adore!!! (And what time I would have to do other things if I wasn't so addicted to reading said blogs as often as possible!!!)

I came across this wonderful blog giveaway yesterday and decided I must have a chance to win!!

The giveaway is through Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe

You do not even know how proud I am of myself for figuring out how to get this picture from her page to mine...(which is said because it really wasn't that hard!!) I am so NOT a technically savvy. In fact, most of the time I am surprised that I am even able keep my blog updated with the basics! Needless to say...super proud moment right now!

I digress...

I found the link to this fabulous giveaway through this blog that I recently stumbled upon through this blog. It is funny to me how you end up finding things online. In the www it truly is a small world after all, and there are so many connections all around the world!!

So according to the rules, if you want a chance to win, all you have to do is blog about the giveaway on your little piece of blogging world heaven. (Oh and please be sure to mention you heard about it through my blog because this gives me another entry!!)

Author's note: I realize this blog entry has the tendency to appear as if I am idolizing blog world. Please do not take it that way. I know where the boundries are and have not fallen into a slippery slope down to worshiping blog-land and it's wonderful distractions! I am just very good friends with blog world. I was away from home for awhile and unable to partake of all the blogging world goodness for awhile and I am getting my fill again. I will not become a blogging addict...I repeat, I WILL NOT become a blogging addict! (Oh dear, I am already the president of DVD buyers annonymous, hopefully I will not have to join all things blogger world annoymous as well!)

A pretty successful weekend

So my weekend flew by, as usual, but I feel like I was able to get a good amount of things checked off my to do list...or least that is what I thought until I looked at my to do list and realized I hardly made a dent in it! Oh well. That is just how it goes!! My to do list is always about 6 thousand times the size reality gives me time to complete!! I still have a good amount of pictures to post of what I was up to this weekend.

I wish I had my camera ready this morning (but I was already running late so I had to rush) because there was frost all over the ground and my car! (Ugh! I had to scrape my windows!!) Frost, in GA in OCTOBER!!! Who would have imagined that one!! I actually wore gloves and had my heat going on the way into work because it was in the low 30s!!! They say it is going to warm up as the week goes on, but still that was quite a fun winter surprise!! But, thankfully fall is still reigning here and it is hopefully going to warm up a bit, but not too much so that our leaves will start to change color and the full Autumn effect will take over and I will be one happy lady!! I LOVE all the beautiful colors that come along with the fall season!!

This weekend I also read about another project called "Quilts for Kids" that Downy is a sponsor for. They actually send you a kit with the fabric and you just provide the batting and the cutting/sewing part. You do have to actually machine quilt this one (because of all the washing they have to do since it is going to a hospital) so that will be a good challenge for me! So...I signed up for that as well!! (Looks like I will be spending a TON of time in my sewing room!! Good thing after I made a mess of it working this weekend I cleaned it up again!!)

For my weekend projects I got the dusting done and put out some Halloween decorations (and my wonderful hubby took over the vacuum duty for me...I sure do love him!!)

(I realized I didn't get any pictures of my outdoor decor which is so cute! I will try to remember to get that sometime this week...but lets face it, that is highly doubtful that this will actually happen, so just know I do have some cute outdoor decor as well!!)

I also wrote out the thank you notes to all our family in Germany for letting us stay with them while we were there. We had such an amazing time and feel so blessed to have such wonderful family!! (And after Kevin was looking over all the final bills he is EXTREMELY happy to have family in Europe, because it was expensive enough just getting there and getting around on the trains and paying for the B&B's in Italy. It will be awhile before Kevin agrees to a European vacation again!!)

In the sewing room I kept busy with washing, ironing, cutting and sewing a ton of fabric. I completed the towel projects I had found here. Some of the towels I made were for the "Boo Baskets" that our neighborhood does every year. Now I just need to get them delivered. (I wonder if I missed it because it looks like nearly everyone on the main street has a "Boo" sign already! Although, I haven't been boo'd yet so I guess there has got to be some others like me out there!! I think I will deliver one and then save the other for when I get boo'd!)I got the blocks sewn up for AmandaJean that I signed up to sew and send her way. I love them!! I think they turned out great, hope they work for her!! Now I just need to get by the post office...Why is it that projects checked off the to do list, are always added back on the to do list?! Made...check, now I have to add Mailed to the list!! The neverending story of to do lists!! Why do I love them so-they are like an ever present reminder of all that I can't accomplish!! Oh well!!
I pulled out all my Christmas fabric (and washed and ironed some) so I can get ready for this project.

I also designed two quilts with some fabric that I found in my stash.
First is this one: (which I got the basic cuts done on this one and the design written out and colored)

"I heart stars and stripes"(This isn't really that great of a sketch..o.k. it is horrible-but I think you can get the basic idea! The name comes from the fabric you see in this next picture-the hearts-it is very country and most likely from the 90's that I got from someone-but really cute too!!)

and then this one: (I only did the design and colored it-no cutting done yet)

"Seeing Squares"
(not really sure if that is that right name for this...any suggestions?)(The litte parts left white in the blue squares would be blue, I just needed to see the measurements!! The next picture shows the fabrics I designed this quilt around)

I am thinking about using one of these for the Craft Hope project. But, may go with the more simple pattern they had posted online. We will see!

I saw this project tutorial on this blog today and it sure looks like fun, but I might already be on overload here!! Therefore, I think this will have to go in the "want to do someday" pile...along with this project which I found on this blog today!! My dreamland dreams keep getting stacked higher and higher!! I really will be in the clouds if I ever get to complete all these wonderful projects!!