Can't Take the Credit

I had to take a break from the remodel craziness. So......Does fabric ever just make you smile and invoke a feeling of happiness? 

Exhibit #1

Now doesn’t that just make you SMILE???!!!

I’m not really into making garments...so my friend Donna sews any of my clothes for me....neat friend huh? That’s why I can’t take the credit for these cute pajama bottoms but I can sure wear the heck out of these little puppies (ha, ha....no pun intended). This pattern is called “Slumber Buns” designed by The Paisley Pincushion. I just had to show them to you all.

Exhibit #2

Super cute....if I must say so myself!!! Donna even made me some scrubs as well. Thanks my friend, Donna, you really put a big smile on my face and a happiness in my heart!!! I’m even watching the 1966 Disney movie, “The Ugly Dachshund” (Doxie lovers...if you’ve not seen this movie...you just gotta). It’s about a Great Dane who thinks he’s a Dachshund. Even though the movie is about a Great Dane, you will see lots of cute footage of dachshunds. Watch the whole movie trailer below if you have time....Of course, it’s too adorable for words. I have my very own DVD courtesy of Amazon.

OK...one more doxie to mention....Can you believe we live in Arizona and this is my sweet little Gidget under the covers. She burrows herself under the covers regardless of the temperatures....what a little nut case.  A little nut case that’s too cute for words. XOXOXO

IF YOU HAVEN’T KISSED YOUR DOGGIE OR KITTY TODAY...GO RIGHT NOW AND DO IT...GO ON, RIGHT NOW!!!!

Work and Play

My house remodel is still going on...and on...and on...So my blog time has been pretty nonexistent. I can’t believe it’s already been almost a month since I was in Long Beach. Oh well, I’ll still go ahead and tell you about our trip.

Well if you know me very well, I work hard but like to play whenever possible. This is easy to do when there is a quilt show in Long Beach California. As many of you probably know, the 2010 Long Beach International Quilt Festival started on July 22nd with a preview night and the actual show running from July 23rd - July 25th. 

My Mom and I setup our booth on the July 21st and were dripping sweat...I’d call this “WORK”. Then we went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and ate until our bellies were filled up...I’d call this “PLAY”! You gotta go to Bubbs’s if you haven’t been...if you like shrimp and casual dining...you’ll be a happy camper. We love “Bubba’s”! Mom and I both love the shrimp tacos...Mom likes her shrimp grilled and I like mine fried.

The next day my Mom and I went down to Shoreline Village and took in the sights and ate again, before we had to go back to the convention center for preview night. Holy Cow....we had alot of really good meals and it felt like we were eating all the time...it’s gonna be diet time pretty soon!

Unfortunately, I kept forgetting my camera at the hotel room, so I don’t have a picture of our booth...darn it! But I can show you a quilt that I fell in love with and bought the pattern while my Mommy ran our booth. The quilt is called “Muchas Poochas” and is a block of the month, designed by Karen Brow of “Java House Quilts”. This quilt is so adorable and I couldn’t pass up the pattern...well I can’t pass up any pattern that has a Dachshund on it...I mean really! (Side Note: after I got home, I ordered just the fabric kit from “Quilting by the Bay” - if you want to purchase the pattern or the kit that includes the pattern - just type in the words “Muchas Poochas” in the “search” area of Quilting by the Bay’s web site)

While in Long Beach we also loved hanging out with our friends from Quilts Illustrated, Penny, Darci (Penny’s daughter), and Carol (Penny’s good friend). After a long days work, we like hanging out at Sgt. Pepper’s Dueling Piano Cafe. Very fun and high energy establishment where you give the dueling piano players/singers a song request....the more quirky the song, the better. They have a very fun and silly staff and get the whole audience involved.

We also spent some time with our wonderful friends Tina and Robin from Bird Brain Designs. This sister duo is a total blast!!! I didn’t have my camera again, so I don’t have a photo of all of us...dang it! I’m really falling down in the picture taking arena.

Mom and I had a wonderful time together even though we worked alot...we still always manage to work in the fun! On the way back to Arizona we stopped off at Palm Springs and did some outlet shopping in Cabazon.  

Well that’s our trip in a nutshell...we had a blast and I LOVE my Mom....she’s the BEST!!!

Now it’s back to the house remodel...hope we get done pretty soon...the mess is making me CRAZY!!!

Pattern Correction for "Darci's Dress Up"

No matter how hard I try not to...I do make mistakes. We have made “Darci’s Dress Up” at our shop 5 times and did not catch this error. Since its release in the Fall of 2008, we have had many a customer make up this quilt and have not had anyone express their concern...well until today...

A customer contacted me today and very upset...so of course I’m beside myself. If you have my “Darci’s Dress Up” pattern, please take note of the following changes. 

*Sashing strip width should be cut at 1 3/4” instead of 2”

*1st Border/Sashing should be cut at 1 3/4” instead of 2

*Cornerstones should be cut at 1 3/4” squares

*3rd Border strip width - suggestion but does not have to be done - is to cut strips at 1 3/4” instead of 2”

I design most of my quilts using Electric Quilt and usually double check my math against EQ but must have missed this step for this quilt. It’s not EQ’s fault but I failed to do a step in EQ...had I done my manual calculation, I would have caught this. 

I am so sorry for the inconvenience and for any grief that this has caused any of my customers!! I am posting the pattern correction on my web site and also I will add an addendum to any quilt patterns that go out in the future. 

Please accept my apologies!! I am so very sorry!!

Remodel/Facelift (Part 1)

OK...I debated whether or not to share our house remodel/update...frankly it is embarrassing how we have been living the past 17 years. Well, I’m excited that we are finally doing our remodel/facelift and it is consuming most of my time right now...so I decided to share it with you. This will never be my dream home but until we leave this community...it is what it is.

We live in San Manuel Arizona which was a copper mining community built by Del Webb in 1953. All the houses were built with “slump block” and all looked almost exactly alike except that some houses are side entrance and some are front entrance and all had carports and no garages. Magma Copper owned the houses and then got completely out of the reality business in the mid 1990’s. Since the company sold off all the houses, people have been trying ever since to change the look of their homes inside and out. All the rooms and bathrooms are small. We purchased our house in 1994 as a “fixer upper” intending on a remodel shortly after we bought it. Well, three boys and the expenses of children don’t always let you do what you’d like to do. The mine was shutdown in 1999 and we were job hunting and decided it wasn’t the right time to spend money. Then the money was there but no time to do it...something always got in the way. Well, I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!! I’m making the time and using the money!!!

My husband was born and raised here and worked in the copper mine until 1999 when the mine was shutdown. I’m originally from southern California and didn’t move to San Manuel until 1992 and went to work at Magma Copper (BHP Copper). So that’s how we ended up here. Nobody in their right mind would live here unless they worked here...well that’s my story. I’m sure a lot of people who live here wouldn’t be happy with me saying that but they don’t read my blog...well hopefully. This will never be my dream home but we are in San Manuel for a while so it is what it is and I will work with what I have. 

I forgot to mention that my husband and I have done some stuff to the house in the last 17 years...I do need to give us some credit. We had siding put on the outside of the house because I’m not a “slump block” kind of girl. Also we put in all new windows that are “colonial” style. We updated our kitchen and one of our bathrooms. We have also managed to do landscaping in the front and back but have a little more to do but these areas look a million times better. OK...so this is what we have so far...first, we have a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house. We are starting in our living room and dining room...again small and we are not going to down any walls here. We did open up the kitchen wall and added a bar when we did our kitchen remodel sometime ago. We have decided not to knock down any walls anywhere in the house because we think that the more rooms we have the better off we’ll be if we decide to sell. So, as we remodel/facelift each area in our house...I’ll share what we started with and what we are gonna do at the time we do it. Otherwise I’ll bore you to tears.

OK...here we go...this is really gross...so don’t freak out. Some work has started and ugly furniture has been moved out. Furniture will be ordered this Thursday but it won’t be delivered for 8 to 10 weeks...so ugly furniture will have to be moved back into the room until new furniture gets here.

The above photo is a view from the front door looking into the dining room. So for this room...we have covered the “slump block” with dry wall and will put up dry wall where you see the window. That window used to look out onto a patio but before we purchased this house; the previous owner built on a big master suite. However, when our boys all moved out, my husband and I moved to the front part of the house in a small bedroom and I took over the master suite so I could have a big sewing room/office. Phase two of our remodel will be that the master suite will become our “media room” (my husband calls it the “man cave”). Anyway, our contractor is currently mudding the walls and will then texture the walls in both the living room, dining room, kitchen, and hallway. He will then paint and add bead-board to the dining room area and then at the bottom part of the kitchen bar. He has already added recessed lighting (canned lighting) to the kitchen, dining room and living room all on dimmers! Yippee...I’ll be able to see...our lighting was horrible.

This view is from the dining room looking at the living room. This will be painted and a new window treatment added as well as new flooring.

See not a lot of space to work with...but my husband and I are watching lots of episodes on HGTV and DIY networks to give us inspiration when working with small areas.

So the next update for Phase 1 will probably be after I get back from the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach. If you are going to this show, please be sure to stop by our booth (Booth # 808, 10A).

Thanks for stopping by and kisses from Gidget.

P.S.

Phase 1 - Living Room, Dining Room, Master Bedroom & Bathroom.

Phase 2 - Laundry Room, new Sewing Room/Office, & Media Room.

Phase 3 - Patio 

Happy Birthday to the Red, White & Blue

A birthday wish...I pray for the safety of the men and women serving our country!! A HUGE THANK YOU for keeping us safe.

Everyone have a safe but fun holiday!!! Happy 4th of July!

On the Mend...We Think!

Thanks everyone for wishing Gidget well...I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!! When my baby is sick...MAMA’s NOT HAPPY. Well, we think Gidget is on the mend...her “potty” could look a little better...so we may have to go back to the vet...but little girl is doing so much better. She couldn’t wait to get home to her back own backyard...she’s been at the babysitter while my husband and I were at my Aunt and Uncle’s 50th Wedding Anniversary this past weekend. Anyway, Gidget is playing with her toys, has a healthy appetite, and is running around and barking at anything that moves.

The anniversary party was a blast and like a family reunion. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera to the party...duh. So I’m hoping that one of my cousins, who say they hate getting on their computers, will send me a photo someday. 

I’m can say that as much fun as the weekend was...I’m glad to be home. As my husband and I headed home from San Diego, our car temperature light came on in Yuma Arizona...YES YUMA. If you don’t know anything about Yuma, can I just say it’s hotter than...well you know where. We had to let the car cool off and then added water. We did this the rest of the way home and finally made it. Guess you can figure out what my husband’s next “honey do” is. 

Well, Gidget and I are off to walk the property and see how our garden grows. 

P.S. Received an email from “Keepsake Quilting” and saw this wonderful recipe for “Punch Bowl Cake”...looks fantastic for next weekend festivities. ENJOY!!

A Little Under the Weather

Well...Mommy (Me) has been a bit stressed out...this was my little sweetheart not feeling very well a couple of days ago.

Little Gidget Marie loves to chase lizards and may have tagged one the other night. She woke up on Sunday and I could tell she wasn’t her normal little self. Daddy was outside working in the yard and Gidget usually goes between Mommy and Daddy until Mommy gets up and joins Daddy outside. Well...I slept longer on Sunday because I didn’t have my little girl kissing my face until I woke up. I finally got up and went to see what Gidget was up to and to see what was more interesting than waking me up. I found her on her side on a chair in our living room that she hardly ever frequents. I gave her a kiss and she didn’t even respond...well, I knew something was up. Of course, I went and found my husband to see if he knew what was wrong with Gidget. As much as I love my husband...I got a “MAN” response. I went and looked around the yard to see if I could see a half eatin’ something but to no avail. Then, I checked out her favorite chair outside and that’s when I found a regurgitated something.

Well...I tended to Gidget all day and at times she seemed better and then not so good. I read some things on the internet and decided I would go get her a little Pepto Bismol to see if that might help a bit. It did...so I made Gidget some chicken and rice and she ate it up right away. So I thought we were home free. Noooooooooope...she woke up at 1 AM on Monday morning and had to go potty...so I followed her. OMGosh...there was blood in her stool!!!! I freaked out!!! She went back to bed and was shaking and of course I was in tears. I fired up my computer and back to the internet I went. I found some information that settled me down a bit...it said not to freak out...that real red blood usually means that there is some lower intestine issues and is not necessarily an emergency. I got back in bed with Gidge and set my alarm for 5:30 AM. Into the shower and off to the vet we went. Gidget has done this kind of thing before but I had not seen blood before.

Long story shorter...the vet gave Gidget what they call “fluid therapy” (some type of liquid injected just under the skin that rehydrates the animal). Gidget looked like she was the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Looks funny but it works really well!! We also got some antibiotics and were on our way.

Well...I’m happy to report that my baby is soooooo much better today...thank goodness!! She’ll be ready to say “hi” pretty soon to Penny, Maisy, Max, Buster, Bailey and all her other blog doggie friends very soon.

Also on the horizon, I’ll share some of my son’s wedding pics but we are waiting on the photographer. We had a blast and I don’t think my husband and I stopped smiling the entire time. We are going to San Diego this weekend for my Aunt and Uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary. Looking forward to this...it will be like a family reunion.

Tootles,
Jere’e