Back in the swing of things

My life has continued to be a
crazy
busy
whirlwind
of everyday life since we got home 10 days ago! (Wow! Has it only been that long? I feel like we have been home a lifetime with all I have been up to!!)

The wedding was wonderful!!! I soooooo hope that Penni wants to use me again! I had an amazing time and loved every moment of it! (I was exhausted-but sooooo happy after my long and busy weekend!!)

The week has

flown by

with work as usual and getting back to my blog reading!! I missed reading all these great blogs while I was on our vacation. Whenever I had internet access, I had to make good use of my time trying to upload some pictures to share, and check my email to be sure I didn't have a million messages in my inbox when I got home!

I also got to visit with my one of my neighbors (and fellow blogger) Rachel on Tuesday when I helped her with a project she was working on. I loved catching up with her and being able to work on the sewing machine-two great things together!!

I think I was feeling a little too excited about being back
because....
I have gone and signed up for a few projects...
on top of all my other

regular

everyday

busy self

stuff!

I signed up to send some love to a fellow blogger (who is so talented and amazing in what she accomplishes all the time-she must be great at time management!). Another blogger (who I read regularly) suggested it, and I thought it sounded like a great idea! That should only take a few moments out of my weekend (and the hard part will be finding the time to make it to a post office and mail it!!)

I also saw an adorable "addition" a super talented blogger did to some Halloween towels she had purchased at Target. (I had just bought the same exact towels for the boo baskets I am working on!!) So now I just HAVE to do it as well! I ran by Walmart & picked up some Halloween fabric on Wednesday night...so that is added to my "To Do List" for the weekend!

Next, still feeling excited and alive and ready to sew since I have been away for so long, I signed up for the latest project from Craft Hope. I found them awhile back and have wanted to participate, but I didn't want to sign up unless I felt I could really get it done. So this one won me over with the fact that I can just make the quilt top and then mail it (and the supplies to finish it) to the wonderful people at Margaret's Hope Chest to quilt. That is so awesome...hand quilting takes sooooo long and I would never get it done if I had to completely finish it! It is due on November 15th so I need to get on that right away as well!

Not yet in my right mind...I also signed up for a Christmas Swap through Aunt Pitty Pat's blog (who I found thru this blog)! I am so excited!!

This is my

first

swap

ever

and I am really interested to see how I handle the challenge.

I signed up to do a Christmas Tree (w/presents) block. (I found it online-got to love those free quilt block sites!!) I have to make twelve tree blocks and twelve nine patch blocks and then ship it all the her to distribute to everyone in my group. In the end we will all have 12 different 9 patch blocks and 12 different "special" blocks for a great Christmas themed quilt. I am jumping out of my skin with excitement!! Now lets just hope I haven't over-extended myself here!! (Although, I think it will be fine because this isn't due until January...so it gives me a bit more time-then I will be able to work on getting it all together for a great Christmas quilt for next year!!)

This weekend I will also be busy getting all the details together for our neighborhood Halloween event (which is next Friday), putting out the rest of our Halloween decor (I feel so behind schedule-it is already October 16th!!), working on organizing our vacation pictures (and hopefully creating and ordering a photo book!), changing out my summer clothes for apparel that actually covers my arms, legs & toes!! (It has been quite chilly here the last couple of days...I hope it lasts, I am so ready for layering season!! Fall is my fave!!)

We are also meeting up with Kevin's mom and grandma for dinner on Sunday at Olive Garden. Since we have been home Kevin has been slowly but surely eating all the wonderful American foods he missed while we were out of the country...I find it quite funny that he chose to meet there since we so recently spent

8
nights
in
Italy!!

I am sure there are a million other things I am forgetting about, so as much as I hope to post some updates on everything over the weekend (and maybe some more pictures!!) there is a good chance I won't be back again until next week. The weekends always go by way to fast!!