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I am now on Facebook!!! Or at least I think I am. I'm still figuring things out over there, so please let me know if it isn't working for you.

I'm having a CONTEST on Facebook, so go check it out.

Pictures of Angel

I have been meaning to post photos of Angel, our puppy that passed away. We are now convinced that she was a Chi-weenie... Chihuahua and Dachshund mix. We got her from a rescue facility when she was 8 weeks old.



I gave her an old Barbie doll that was laying around my daughter's room. She loved it and spent a lot of time dragging that thing around until her head popped off.



This is Angel driving us to grandma and grandpa's house.



And THIS is poor Kitty a few days after we got Angel. Kitty had a humongous kidney stone causing a blockage, so she had to have surgery. We were supposed to keep this cone on her head for 2 weeks. I think we made it 10 days. It was driving her nuts and making us crazy. Being the good mommy that I am, I let Kitty lay on my Edward fleece blankie. I think it made her feel better.

Super-Duper Mini Vacation

Can you still consider it a vacation if you are only gone for 52 hours? The kids talked us into going to Branson for 2 days. They just wanted to get away from home for a little while. 'Little while' being the important thing here, since they really don't like being away from home for too long. They do love staying in hotels though. I guess just because it's different than their home.

Here is how our 2 days went:

Did some gift shopping for the friend, the not-my-girlfriend, and the neighbor who fed our cat while we were gone. We shopped while waiting for a rain storm to end. Then we played miniature golf.






Swam in the hotel pool. This was in the back of the hotel. The hotel also has a really nice and new indoor/outdoor pool and play area across from the front door. We spent some time there also.



Watched these 2 crazy young men on motorcycles inside a 12 foot globe. That was crazy. We saw them do their routine twice. It was dark at 10:30 pm, so they had these spotlights shining, and it looked even crazier than it did when it was still light out.



The kids talked us into seeing this show. We saw the same group of people when we were in Branson 2 years ago. They've changed up their routine since then, and the kids enjoyed it. It's hard finding a show that the adults can enjoy that the kids will go to without complaining. They are obviously doing YMCA here. They change costumes a LOT!!



Go carts!!!



Why does the drive home always seem to take longer than the drive there?

I Want To Quilt Again

I sooooo need to get back into quilting. That's how I first got into sewing. I spent quality time at the mom & pop sewing/vacuum center where we used to live. My mom and dad bought a vacuum from there when they got married. They would let me come in and try the machines whenever I wanted. I finally purchased a Janome and they taught me the basics of how to use it. Then I went to the book store and bought 3 or 4 books that were on clearance and learned how to get started quilting. The first thing I made was a small quilt for my daughter, and a tiny matching quilt for her dolls. They both turned out really cute. I made my dad a throw quilt with fishing lure fabric for his birthday. I made my mom a matching set for Christmas: throw quilt, bedside table topper, and runner type thing that she uses on her dresser.

Then I started getting into baby quilts. Which soon turned into all I made - baby quilts for the 300 babies being born into the family. Okay, it wasn't really 300, but still... I was expected to make a baby quilt for every baby shower I was invited to. It turned into a chore instead of a creative outlet for me. That's not how I wanted to spend my time. So I got away from quilting and more into purses and accessories.

I don't use patterns either. I get out paper and pen and doodle my own designs and work out the dimensions. It's been quite fun, and I enjoy having a creative outlet.

But lately I have been fondling my fabric (I have TONS of fabric) and thinking of the quilts I could make using my stash. And I really need to start using my stash. My sewing room is overflowing, and I can't bring myself to get rid of any fabrics, so I need to start using them. What better way than to make quilts?

THIS is the last quilt I made. I actually pieced 2 tops, but only quilted one, so I still have the other top that needs to be finished.

I Can't Believe It's Already July

Where did June go? It seems like it went by so fast, but if I really think about it, I can account for the time passing. I think maybe I just need more time in my day to get things done and feel like I accomplished something. I can't imagine having less sleep, so maybe if there were 2 of me? Or maybe even 3. That would work.

I try to set goals for myself regarding my sewing. I can usually reach those goals if I announce my plans to my family ahead of time, so I can work around whatever they have going on. I'm pretty much free to do what I want now that it is summertime. But during the school year I usually only get to sew on the weekends. Which makes it hard to have family time when I have orders to finish or just want to be creative. Being creative on someone else's schedule is really difficult.

I saw this planner on Etsy's front page recently. I love these! You can even upgrade to a bigger size, and add another 3 months to your planner.