Friday Night Sew In

This is only the second mug rug that I have ever made.

Can you guess that it has an Easter theme?
I am having fun exploring my little embroidery machine.

I have to admit to you that I am not real happy with this project.

Here it is all finished.  Looks a little wonky to me!

This is not all that I worked on

but I can't show you the other mug rug.

I joined an Easter Mug Rug swap over at Aunt Pitty Pats!

  I guess this one will be mine since I am not too happy with it.

I will show you the other one once she receives it in the mail next week.

Thank you to Heidi and Bobbi for hosting the FNSI.

I am also linking up with Peg & Kris with the OPAM (one project a month)!

All these girls encourage me to do more and learn more and I thank you all.  

Today I am thankful for......encouragers!

What Do You Do In A Hotel Room?

Sweet Hunter is working and I am in the hotel room.
I look around the room and get an idea.

Is that cardboard on the back of that little notepad?
So I cut 2 little squares out of them.

Just so happens that I always carry a few necessary items in my bag.

When I learned to make my first quilt, I was taught to make a cardboard template.
And there was no such thing as a rotary cutter!

So that is what I did in the hotel room.
I improvised.

I didn't even have a sewing machine but I had  a needle and thread.

What am I gonna do with it now that it is all sewed together?
  I have no idea but whatever it will be it will be all hand sewn when I finish it.

And of course there is always some crocheting going on in the car and the hotel!
There is just something about keeping my hands busy.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR........my hands.

Just Me & Her

"Sweet Teen" (my oldest Grand) helped me pick out the fabric for this baby quilt.
We did change one of the fabrics once we got home. We found some that we liked better.
A special friend asked me to make one for her for a  baby gift.
What an honor.

Then Sweet Teen came home with me and I got busy on the baby quilt.

I had so much fun spending the day with my Granddaughter.
Just me & her.

Sweet Teen is a great artist so when she spotted the paint
and all the card making items that Becky had sent me
she started working on an Easter card.

She amazes me how she can draw and paint.
She takes a design class at school and loves it.
I think it just comes naturally to her.
Isn't that card so cute???

Sweet Teen has been wanting to learn how to embroider on this machine.
So her next project was to figure it out.
After just a few minutes of checking the embroidery machine out
 she taught me things that I didn't know.

You can see some of her art on my wall in my sewing room.
I have kept things from when she was a little girl.

The following weekend we went to the Sparta Hilton.
I am trying to talk "Sweet Teen" in to coming to the hunting cabin but she isn't
convinced that it is her kind of fun!!!
Anyway, I finished putting the binding on the baby quilt that I had started.

I used my little featherweight to sew the binding on.
I had so much fun!

Then I sat in Granny's recliner and sewed the binding on the quilt at the Sparta Hilton.
I can't wait until turkey season starts.....I will get to sew some more!!!
I love this hunting stuff!

Here is the baby quilt finished.
It turned out so cute even if I say so myself. (lol)
I told my friend that I was not a professional but I love to sew.
It was such an honor for her to ask me to do this.
She even paid me to have all this fun!!!

Today I am thankful ............
for some special time with "Sweet Teen".
Just me & her.

Sparta Hilton Weekend Trip

Why do I always start the Sparta Hilton (hunting cabin) post with food?
This was a part of our second breakfast this weekend.

If you have these, you don't need much of anything else.
But along with the fried potatoes we had tenderloin, gravy and homemade biscuits.

I can honestly say that I truly enjoy myself when I go the Sparta Hilton.
I do whatever I want to do.  This weekend I sewed a binding on a
 baby quilt and cooked. (2 of my favorite things.)

The "honeymooners" went with us. 
 Lane (SIL) and "Sweet Hunter" worked the whole weekend.
Poor Lane. "Sweet Hunter"even had him up on the roof getting pine straw off.
That doesn't look like too much fun.

There they go to put up more tree stands.
While they were out working, me and "Big Sis" were inside
watching movies and "I Love Lucy" shows!
Notice there are no pics of "Big Sis" yet.
Everytime I wanted to take one she would tell me not to either because of
no makeup or pajamas!! She is so cute.

I should have took before pics of my shooting house!
It didn't have a roof and the ladder was shakey.
The guys did a lot of work on  it.  Lane put a tin roof
on the top.  They are gonna get some grass carpet to put in it too.
I told Lane that this shooting house is his too.
He worked so hard on it.

They say this is a great shooting house.
I am not sold on this hunting thing yet but I am gonna give it another year.
If we didn't have the Sparta, I would not be hunting. 
I love being able to walk out the back door and hunt.
So far, my favorite thing is to relax, crochet, sew and cook when I am here.
If I am gonna hunt though this is where I want to be.
I cannot climb in one of those tree stands.
I just don't feel safe so if I am gonna hunt this is great for me.
Thank you Lane & Sweet Hunter!
You can use it anytime you want to.

The guys were so tired and sore after all the work they did.
Next time it will be more relaxing and hunting for them.
It is turkey season next.

We have cameras set out everywhere on our land at the Sparta.
We got lots of pics this time. 
I just loved this one!

And this one!

I don't like coyotes, foxes or bobcats and we got pics of them all!
See why I want to be either inside the Sparta or up in that tall shooting house!

"Big Sis" finally let me take a picture.
On our way back home I crocheted dish cloths.
So she was happy when I gave her this yellow & white one.
Lane looks pretty tired, doesn't he?
Thanks Lane! Your the bestest!
*****************
Snippets From My Heart
We had a wonderful time at the Sparta Hilton. 
We didn't even get out and build a fire this time.
We had one in our wood heater inside though.
Its funny. It doesn't take much to keep me and "Big Sis" happy.
I actually wouldn't trade this for any vacation I could go on.
I love it because I get to sleep in my own bed and not a hotel bed. 
 I love having clothes already there and getting to do nothing if I want to.
This weekend I did a little rearranging.  I am good at that.
I will show pictures next time.
   I never have finished the deer quilt for our king size bed.  I hope to have it done next time we go.  Remember it was suppose to be "Sweet Hunters" Christmas present????
March, you say??? Oh well.
Anyway, I just love it there.
******************
Today I am thankful for...........our home away from home.

Can You Feel it?

Today I am thankful for............ Spring.

The Simple Womans Daybook for March

I am joining The Simple Woman's Daybook as I share my journal for today.

FOR TODAY: (actually tonight)


Outside my window... It is pouring rain.


I am thinking...I need to be asleep right now.  It is about 11:30 P.M and I am just now posting this.


I am thankful for...for my best friend Vicki. 


From the kitchen...We had potato soup and homemade bread tonight.  Tomorrow night we are having barbecue ribs, potato salad and baked beans. 


I am wearing...Pink Pajamas!!!


I am creating... a baby quilt, and an Easter Mug Rug


I am going...to sleep I hope.


I am reading...blogs!!!


I am hoping...that a prayer that I have prayed for 23 years will be answered soon.

I am praying for....a loved one to make the right choices.


I am hearing...rain hitting the gutters and a snoring "Sweet Hunter"!


Around the house...just work and quiet nights at home.


One of my favorite things...date night with my "Sweet Hunter".


A few plans for the rest of the week: Work


Here is a picture for thought that I am sharing... (actually 2 pictures).

Everytime I see these vanilla wafers I think of one thing.



My Grandma Cochran's cookie jar full of these cookies.

We never went to her house without getting into this cookie jar.

Great memory.

****************

Today I am thankful for...........my best friend that I love like a sister & I know that she loves me back.

Chicken Scratch & Special Gifts

Have you heard of "Chicken Scratch"?
My best friend Vicki told me about a friend of hers
that does this and makes quilts out of them.
She was so intrigued that she wanted to try it.
This is Vicki's first attempt at Chicken Scratch.
I think it looks like she's a pro!
Oh my goodness!
It is beautiful.

She told me that the pictures do not do it justice. 
I am in love with it.
I had never heard of it.
I even looked it up and couldn't find anything on it until Vicki
told me that it is sometimes called Amish embroidery.
She said that she has had so much fun doing this.
And guess what ? Vicki is gonna teach me how!
I am so excited.

I had to show you all of my surprise gifts that I got in the mail!
Becky is a great blogging friend and makes beautiful cards.
I had told her that I loved them and wanted to learn how to make them.
So she sent me a starter kit.
I have tags, ribbons, paper and lots more goodies.
I am gonna have a lot of fun with this!

She sent me examples of how she makes cards from tags!
Aren't they the cutest?

And she sent me a bonus!
She crocheted me a dish cloth.
She knows how I love them!
Thank you so much Becky!!
********************
Today I am thankful for......special women in my life.