Busy! Busy! Busy!

The week of Christmas was a hectic one. I took the time to document it since I was told (before Christmas) by sources that will remain anonymous that is was "Freakin' Christmas!" update your blog. So here is an update on my Christmas week.

This is the wall hanging that my mom and I started in June. We each made 2 blocks. This is our first attempt at hand applique. I plan to quilt strawberries in the border and a thistle in the center square.

I bake cookies every year for Christmas. This year I made 90 oatmeal cookies. They were so very good it was to bad that I had to share.

I had to make sugar cookies that looked like peppermints. HAD TO! They weren't bad to make but when it came time to frost them the White frosting had very strong objections. That's why there is very little white. I even dressed up like a peppermint.

I always make green Christmas tree cookies. I know my BroBro so well that I even made him an entire cookie sheet of extra crispy trees because that is how he likes all his cookies.

My favorite cookie that I make are chocolate haystacks. They are a lot of work because you have to have everything ready to go or your cookies are ruined. I love them. I don't always get around to making them but I made sure I did this year.

K'tano "I see you are one who speaks your mind, O'Neill"
O'Neill "Yes, which is why I don't say much." Stargate SG-1

Show Me A Good Time...

Shortly (for those who know me no pun intended) after BroBro's birthday I made his extra special specific birthday cake. He told me, "I want a checkerboard cake with Bronco colors with cream cheese frosting (not colored). So being the coolest sister that am, I obliged his picky tastes.

He came over and decided that it was time to take his car home. Well guess who had to steer the car that doesn't start. That's right me. The one person who doesn't drive or have a license. I heard a lot of, "turn the car left. No the other left. Okay straighten out." Did I mention the BroBro's car is not an automatic. Yeah can you picture it, me trying to figure out how to get the car in the right gear. The cake was good and well earned by the end and Bro Bro truly did show me a good time.

"Bumblebee, stop lubricating on the human!" Optimus Prim Transformers

Ohhh SCARY!!!

Okay! Okay! Soooo my Halloween wasn't in the least bit scary. Here are all the creepy, crawly, nasty, and disturbing details...

I got to see all my kids in their Halloween costumes. Little Bit came over and I put her in the Bumblebee costume I bought for her. My sister, The Glamazon, got her a Ladybug outfit (shudder) but ever since I was bitten by one (a ladybug) they give me the creeps ( I am not lying - the welt it left was huge). I couldn't stand seeing her as one.

Like Auntia Like Niece

Pieces and Dallas came over Halloween evening. Pieces is as captivated by Bumblebee (the Transformer) as much as I am. Isn't she just adorable?! Dallas was Spiderman and was very convincing about it.

NoJo was a Swamp Doctor. He is just too darn cute to look scary. Jyliebean was a pink horse. With her recently lost front tooth she looks just as sweet as sweet can be.

I donned on my Star Trek outfit and had some fun handing out candy. The cutest little kitty cat came to my door wearing cat ears over a pink and black striped beanie. I couldn't convince mom to wear her Star Trek shirt. Hers is the Science officers' and mine is the Command officers'.

"We came in one piece and we expect to leave in one ... piece." Jack O'Neill Stargate SG-1

My BroBro

Today is BroBro's 27th birthday and, though he may never read this, I still want to wish him a very happy birthday.

I will be taking a birthday cake to him later this week. He asked me several months ago to bake him a checkerboard cake. I have the pans, I just need the will to bake. I keep asking myself do I really like him that much?

Of course I do!!!

Oh Goodies!!!

This is a picture of the fat quarters, charm, and pattern that I got on the Rocky Mountain Fever Quilt Shop Hop 2009. There were 4 mountain patterns, fall, spring. summer, and winter. Mom and I decided on fall. It was just to pretty to leave behind. My next favorite was the winter mountain pattern.

This is the fabric that I bought for my Snowman quilt that I have started. You can see that the batiks are the perfect color not only for the snowflake flannel but for the colors I chose for my Snowman quilt. I started Winter Wonderland the last week of June. I have finished 2 blocks, one I finished twice because I wanted to change a color. I decide to learn how to embroider on this pattern and work on it while my mom works on her Hocuspocusville.

"I like that guy. He says 'Okey-dokey.'"
"Looks like mister Okey-dokey is okey-dokey." Dean Winchester Supernatural

Quilt Shop Hop Day 2

Day 2 of the Rocky Mountain Fever Quilt Shop Hop started out at The Quilter's Studio. They weren't a part of the shop hop, but we were there at the crack of dawn for our Saturday Sampler meeting. Boxy and Mingo became fast friends and were extremely hard to separate when we had to leave.

Yes, that is me holding Boxy. He isn't too steady on his feet that early in the morning.

The first real shop we visited on Day 2 was Fabric Expressions. Boxy is as much of a ham as his owner, NoJo. The shop was not nearly as stressful inside as it was to find. I was, unfortunately, the navigator on the trip. I can't follow a map to save my life. We ended up on a road out of no where. I still don't know how it happened. We made it, eventually, safe and sound. I bought a charm pack and a blue batik to go with my Snowman embroidery quilt that I am stitching.

It was someone's birthday and there was cake there. It looked quite good.

The next stop was The Creative Needle. This was not nearly as hard to find as Fabric Expressions. Their shop hop quilt was by far the best. It was also the most cramped shop. I bought a purple batik to go with my Snowman embroidery quilt. Mom got a fat quarter of the specialty fabric.

You can imagine the looks I got carrying Boxy through the shop, but neither one of us really cared.

The next stop was Holly's Quilt Cabin. This is a shop that both my mom and I were looking forward to visiting. The fabric here is the exact replica of our personalities and tastes. I got three Christmas fat quarters and a Halloween fat quarter.

Now, the next stop was one we planned to do on Day 3. But since it wasn't yet noon we decided to just suck it up and visit the last two shops, get done, and stitch on Day 3 instead. I hadn't gotten directions to The Great American Quilt Factory from Holly's Quilt Cabin. So we sat in the parking lot and figured it out. We spent a lot of money last year so we went in very wary. We made it out with out spending a dime and we were really proud.

Our last stop of the Rocky Mountain Quilt Fever Shop Hop was High Prairie Quilts. Here again my very lacking skills of following a map or reading street signs failed me. We had to turn around at least twice because I missed the street or read the directions wrong. Here mom found several things to buy. I was excited to receive my pin for finishing the journey.

We were back in our home town by 4 so we decided to go back up to The Patch Works to buy the flannel that I wanted. Boxy had other ideas in mind when he laid his beady eyes on the flannel I was going to buy. He clearly said to mom and I, "It's Mine!!!"

Man, does that turtle have a mean streak.

"General, without meaning, this time, to sound like a smartass, are you cracked?" Jack O'Neill Stargate SG-1

Quilt Shop Hop Day 1

Every year my mom and I try to go on the Rocky Mountain Fever Quilt Shop Hop. This year we did go. We got in the car to start and I found a stowaway. Boxy is my nephew NoJo's stuffed pet turtle. Well alright we said there is always room for one more on the road. Especially since Boxy doesn't talk or eat ... so he was excellent company.

We made our way through the north shops on Friday. We started at the shop where I first learned how to quilt, Tomorrow's Heirlooms. Boxy was more than excited to join us on our little trip. I could almost hear my nephee-poo on the road with us. "Are we there yet?" "Two more shops?" "Can we get something to eat?" "Do I get to buy anything?" "Do we have to go in there?" Yes he is like all kids. I love him in spite of that.

Next stop was The Patch Works. Boxy enjoyed the scenery out side more than the shop itself. I did find some flannel that I thought might work for my Snowman embroidery quilt that I have started. So I bought a fat quarter to bring home to see. And it's perfect. As it turns out it happens to be at the shop that has the dark green batik that is one of the fabrics specially made for this shop hop. I know where we will be heading up to in a couple weeks.

Our last stop on Day 1 was Harriet's Treadle Arts. Boxy was overwhelmed by the traffic and had to sit down to get his photo taken. I love this shop. It was a bit crowded for my taste but still fun. I bought my grandma a birthday card there. Her birthday is Sunday and I wanted to get her an exceptional card found on our annual journey.

"I think I cracked a rib, too." Jack O'Neill
"Why didn't you say something?" Samantha Carter
"I was afraid you'd try to put a splint on it." Jack O'Neill Stargate SG-1