My chair of bowlies....

Good morning!

It's an absolutely lovely Sunday morning here in Bonetown, with temperatures promised into the 80s in the next day or so!!  I was so busy sewing yesterday that I didn't get any laundry done, but today my DH and I will tackle it since it's the perfect day to hang it all out on the clothesline!  And then, perhaps a nice bike ride is in order!  I wished for some colder weather this past winter as I'm originally from Montana and prefer 'true' winter instead of what we usually get here in South Carolina and I definitely got my wish AND my fill of cold!  I'm loving that I live in the South right now!!!

Right now, I'm just sitting here with my little brother, Frankie, reading blogs and enjoying a cup of coffee.

I am so behind on my blogs, as I have close to 400 unread, but I can remedy that with a lazy Sunday!

Things have been extremely busy in so many ways....especially with my Etsy shop.  It's only February and I have already sewn more pinafore sets than I did in all of 2010!!!

On top of that, the quillow and nap mat orders started picking up.  All this sewing in addition to the work going on at the construction project, which, by the way is officially under contract (amen).

We're in the trim stage at the project and my husband is quite the craftsman and wanted to do some fancy trimwork on this one - employing ideas he's seen in magazines and such.

The headers over the doors and windows are put together piece by piece - not one large piece (although

they probably make them that way, but I'm sure they're extremely pricey)  We'll probably finish up the trim work in the next few days and then dive into prepping and painting....it's going to take a lot of caulk and putty to cover all these cracks and nail holes!

So, I decided I didn't need the stress which typically causes me to slack in my sewing quality so I made an executive decision and closed the shop for a week.  I figured also since it was my birthday on Wednesday that this could be a nice birthday treat for me - a break!!  Although, I really won't be taking a break because I have at least 15 - 20 pinafore sets to sew, approximately 10 quillows, one napmat and some alterations for a friend!   Phew!  I'm not complaining, though....I prayed for some relief from financial burdens and this is what I got!!!

I've felt free to purchase some more fabrics lately and can't wait to 'dig into' them!  It feels like forever since I did any quilting!  My life has been all about bloomers lately.

Have you ever shopped at Quilt Home?  I really love that website - it's super easy to navigate, user friendly and the sales are fabulous.  Right now all Tanya Whelan fabrics are 25% off!!!  I got me a nice big stack ready to cut into!!

Lovely, right!!?

Some of it went into a special gift for a dear friend.

It's all done, and just waiting for a good press, a few decent pictures and then shipped off to it's new home.

Well, I must go now....my coffee cup is empty!  Have a lovely Sunday wherever you are!  :)

 

A glimpse of my day...

Have I mentioned before that I truly have a fabulous husband?  Probably.  Well, let me re-iterate...he is FABULOUS!

 

 

Ribbon caddy he made for me last week

 

I am literally swamped with dress orders and have been sewing in the mornings for a couple of hours before heading to the construction site, working with him until about 4 or 5 and then returning home, cooking dinner, and returning to my sewing room for another 2 - 3 hours of sewing.

 

 stacking up orders

He mentioned he felt badly that I had to do this, but I kept assuring him this was my choice and I was enjoying myself (all except the construction, of course!)

 

baby bonnets that need some hand sewing - my latest addition to the shop coming soon

Anyway, he told me last night that he had a bunch of one-man-job projects to work on at the house so I should take the day off and get some sewing done!

 

pinafores awaiting buttonholes and buttons

 

So, here I am amidst all this loveliness!

 

 

Ain't it the truth???  :)

 

 

 

Dinner and dresses

Fresh asparagus for dinner tonight!!!  Delish!!!  It's one of my favorite-est vegetables!

They say the best way to get all the woody stems off is to gently grasp the stem, bend easily and where it snaps is most likely the place where woody becomes tender.

I lieu of just whacking off the bottoms, this definitely cuts out the woody stems.

Unfortunately, I always feel like I lose half the batch by doing that and often wonder if there's still some good tender bites in those 'trash' pieces....hmmmmm.

Anyway, I'm going to enjoy it, regardless.

Fresh asparagus is one of those things I rarely get to have because I'm too cheap to buy it and, honestly, down South here, it usually looks pretty yucky and who wants to spend $3+ on yucky-looking asparagus?!

The hubs has been real curious about Wal-mart's proposal to give you the competitor's price, and he decided he would check into it today.  So, while we were at Wal-mart we stopped at the customer service desk and got all the details.

Wal-mart's price on asparagus was $2.84/lb.  We cashed in Kroger's price for $1.98/lb.  I'm liking my asparagus even more with that price!!

We also cashed in competitor's prices on Duncan Hines cake mixes and Folger's coffee....Cha-CHING!!!

 

I was tickled beyond measure yesterday when one of my customer's turned out to be quite good at photography and offered to take some pictures of her daughter wearing a peasant dress she purchased from my Etsy shop.

I'm hoping we can work an exchange with clothes for pictures!!!  Feels so good to meet someone you feel you can trust almost instantly!  Now, I just have to figure out what to do!

Isn't she just adorable?  Fabulous photography, too, doncha think??

Help! Ohio State Fabric anyone??

I was wondering if anyone up in the Ohio area knows if Ohio State cotton fabric (not fleece) is available at the local Wal-mart or other fabric shops.  I have a customer that wants an Ohio State quillow, but I can't find the fabric online anywhere!!!

   

Apron Winner

Well, I only had 7 friends come to my aid with tips for overcoming my fruit-eating-phobia, so the drawing was pretty easy to prepare for.

 

 

I haven't really had a chance to employ those great tips you all have shared, but I have printed them out and will start using them as soon as I can!

 

 

[I had to sit on the logs while my husband cut them - guess my fat is good for something after all!]

 

It's just been so busy juggling two jobs, if you can call it that, and I haven't had a chance to plan a grocery list surrounded around fruit, much less get to a larger shopping center where I can get some decent fresh fruit.  That's one of the downfalls of living out in the sticks - the local grocery store is truly pitiful when it comes to providing fresh fruits and veggies.

 

[my most recently-completed patchwork quillow, City Blocks in Bloom]

 

Enough said,  the winner of the Fruit Basket apron is

 

Mariliz from Mariliz's Musings

 

 

Thanks for your wonderful idea with melons and I hope you enjoy the apron.  If half aprons are not your style, tuck it away and use if for a lovely gift for a friend!!

 

Happy Saturday!!

  

It's raining in Bonetown...

I've been reading thru the book of Job for my devotions lately.  At first, I was skeptical about this book, because I thought it would be somewhat boring....verse upon verse of poetic justice and crying out due to suffering.  It didn't seem like a desirable book at the time for me.  I assumed it would just depress me - reading about Job's misfortune and the aftereffects, etc...

But, I have been pleasantly surprised!  I have been blessed over and over by the words I have read, digging deep to find meaning and apply it to my life ~ not depressing at all!

Today's reading was very fitting for my day.  Here is an excerpt:

          "How great is God - beyond our understanding!....

           He draws up the drops of water,

           which distill from the mist as rain;

           the clouds pour down their moisture

           and abundant showers fall on mankind.

           Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,

           how he thunders from his pavilion?"

                                                                         ~ Job 36: 26-29

It was a very comforting and soothing passage for me to read - simply what I needed for today.  Every day I struggle with pain, whether it be from working with  my husband at the house project or even sitting at my sewing machine for hours.  Today I head back to the project and part of me was so resistant to it, causing the sour mood to start creeping back in.  I don't want to be a slave to a negative attitude...I want the joy that comes from working hard and helping where I'm needed.  I allowed the rain to soothe and wash away all those negative feelings and put my trust in God!  Reminding myself of something I already know:

God is in control...

                                       He nourishes and provides...

                                                                                               He cares for me ~  I've seen it!

It never ceases to amaze me how the timing of God's Word is perfect.  You can think you are behind in your reading because you have been lazy in your devotion time, but when you pick back up again, the words you read are perfect for exactly what you need at that moment.  That's not an excuse for me to be lazy, but simply a reminder of God's love, no matter what.

Yes, it really is raining in Bonetown.....and it's refreshing!!

 

 

My Birthday Boy

Today is my husband's 53rd birthday and I'm taking him fishin' for his celebration!  His idea of goin' fishin' is heading to the Seafood Hut and devouring a plate of perch and/or fried oysters!  It's a whole lot easier and tons less messy!!  I'm not a big seafood fan so he doesn't often get the chance to eat seafood, so I thought this was a nice treat.

 

 

He's such a hard-working man and he's so very good to me!

 

 

I love him dearly and I wish him 53 more years on this earth!!! (Longevity does run in his family - his grandmother is 95 and two of her sisters lived into their 90s!)

 

 

Happy Birthday, BueBear!!

 

 

P.S...There's still time to get your name in the hat for the fruit apron giveaway!  Please stop by and leave me a comment!!!  I so appreciate the advice I've already received and I need lots more ideas, and besides, I love hearing from y'all!!