2 weeks just rushed by!!

I should have lots of pictures to post because I have been busy working on crafty quilty things - but have not taken any pictures. Maybe I can rectify that tonight and will post later. In the last two weeks we have had the American Legion Installation banquet which took a turn this year into a more casual and technically advanced format. Going green - we (the presidents and commanders) decided to use the new projection system in the hall and not print programs for each attendee. So I put together a powerpoint program and also put together a slide show of pictures taken during various events from all the clubs this past year and had that running all night during dinner and after the swearing in. I worked set up and did simple floral centerpieces for each table and then Mark and I helped clean up after and scooted home for a little rest. The rest of the crew stayed and karaoked with the DJ.
My SIL Diane and her family moved to Charlotte NC this past week, and though we are deeply saddened to have them so far away, we understand that sometimes you have to make tough decisions to do what's best for your family. Mark and I have often talked about retiring to that area of the US so if they stay put this may 'seal the deal' down the road. Wouldn't it be more fun to be retired and live close so we can play together more?
My SIL Sharon from Seattle is in town for work and will overnight with us tonight. She is craving some home-style italian food, so we'll be heading out tonight for dinner then get back home to hang out and chatter and maybe dig up some hand made gifties to send home with her.
I finished the binding on a huge quilt this past weekend that was meandered by Joanne Lendaro - check her blog at splittingstitches.blogspot.com I am happy with the quilting and the quilt. Joanne has two more of mine to do which I am sure will also just be great! As promised pictures later.
Evenings I have been doing some thread crochet - discovered book thongs with lovely long tassels on the end and a crocheted motif on the top, they work up quickly and are fun to do in different colors. This past weekend I actually made a doily! I thought I would go blind doing it in burgundy thread while watching TV (I didn't see much TV!) once I get it blocked and starched I think it will be great under a figuring in the china cabinet or something. The pattern was a toughie, but I am glad I worked it through and finished!
I've also been playing with some quilted table runners and getting ready for my next RHMC Crayola Challenge quilt. I have yet to quilt and finish the Scraps to Treasures quilt - better get on that - I have just two more weeks I think to have it done and submitted.
Stephen is still at home waiting for full time hours and paycheck and Thomas is safely esconced in college and doing well.
So all is good - well except for the darn skunk who has been stealing my Roma tomatoes from the garden and leaving them half eaten as if to taunt me. My basil is flourishing but I have not gone out to pick any - I have some fresh pine nuts and parmesan to make more pesto - better pick up some romano cheese and get on that task before all this rain takes it's toll on the leaves. I freeze the pesto - it lasts forever! Also make some with sun dired tomatoes - yummy easy way to dress plain pasta when there's nothing else to eat in the house!!
Ta for now - Toby

Fred's LR quilt

When I was out at my brother's new house in November last year, his LR would get a little chilly at night and silly me I only took quilts for his beds!! I came home after seeing his new couch and started collecting new fabrics to add to stash and made him this quilt for his LR. I sent it to him a few months ago, but just found the picture on my camera. Hope he gets some use out of it this coming fall and winter! It's a 'manly' combination of golds, browns cream and black. I really liked the simple layout and blocks of this one!

Last day of July!

I am sitting here just wondering where did the month go and then I realize how quickly the year is just flying by! We have had so much going on this summer we are just exhausted and no rest in sight!

The summer started with Stephen planning on moving out - he finally landed a job and is now waiting to be bumped up to full time hours and get a couple of paychecks put away so he can make his move. Timeline end of September.

We got the pool opened but have yet to get in it! The weather has been really rainy and when it is nice we are either at work or have other committments that prevent us from getting in and relaxing. This is our second year of little to no pool use - so I am thinking of taking it down - though I know Mark will balk.

Thomas came up for two weeks the beginning of July It is always good to have him in house and this summer especially as he heads off to college in the fall.

Speaking of bad weather it's been lightning and raining and tornadoes all over the midwest. We took a lightning strike near the house a few weeks ago which fried our pool pump and the clothes washer (only 3 years old top of the line....errrrr!!!) So we replaced the pump and ordered a new washing machine and then we had another storm July 2 which evidently succeeded in breaking just one of the power lines coming into the house. Unfortunately the line that broke was not the power feed, but the line that controls how much power comes through into the house. So when we got home ready for a nice holiday weekend we could not use any appliances in the house, could not run the AC, we were getting surges and drops so we called ComEd and put in a work request and of course they never showed up. So - we decided we could use just one appliance at a time - no AC but one appliance - not having had a washer for over a week I needed to do laundry - so we put the brand new washer which was delivered in the middle of this crisis on a surge protector and I started loads. Sunday I went to throw the last load into the dryer (on it's own isolated 220 line) and when I pushed the start button on the drier I had electricity flying out of the outlet next to the drier - which of course is where the washer is plugged in! It blew the surge protector - lots of smoke and smell - but luckily the washer was safe.

Com Ed finally came out on Monday acknowledged their broken line and fixed it in 20 minutes. I was irritated no end - because I not only have replaced about $1,000 worth of appliances, there is more that I have not yet replaced and worst of all my three day weekend was ruined! All in all the storms this year have cost us the pool pump, the washer, 2 mother boards, 1 hard drive in a laptop, a hub unit, 2 surge protectors (up in smoke), and the air filter from the bedroom.

Oh well Life goes on! Last week I did a quick trip to Cleveland for work - always interesting and this past weekend Mark and I volunteered at the Lions Club Annual Senior Picnic - held at the American Legion we had lots of seniors, good food, good fun. Bingo and prizes for everyone.

This weekend - starting today I will be volunteering at the Taste of Roselle - the American Legion booth will have Dove bars as usual, and the Auxiliary will be selling quilt raffle tickets on the quilt that was donated to us by Meliss - Nancy Vrba's sister. It's a beautiful queen size - I'll try to get a pic in the sunshine and post it next week with details.

Tuesday night August 4 we will be at Turner Pond in Roselle handing out hotdogs and sodas again for the National Night Out. This is always fun as we work side by side with Harris Bank staff. Harris is a very generous underwriter for this event and many other community events and organizations - I highly recommend their banking services. That's it for today ! Hope you have a happy and safe weekend ! Ciao!!

Colors are off - but here's a new quilt/pic- Surf's Up!!

I took this picture with the cell phone in my office - which has limited light - so you can't see the beautiful turquoise and green frond border fabric or the great colors in the coins - but this is what I have - so imagine!!

This quilt started with the gift of a set of coins that are cut from the fabrics that hawaiian shirts are made of. The gift giver went on vacation to Hawaii last year and knows me so well, that when bringing back gifties instead of chocolate covered macadamia nuts I received quilt coins!! I purchased some additional hawaiian shirt print fabrics at a quilt shop in Woodstock, IL and the wonderful palm frond border fabric. It sat for a couple months while I decided on a layout and when I came up with this one I didn't have enough of the border fabric - so off to the internet I went to find more (of course I bought extra!! It's Turquoise!!!)

The back is an all over palm tree print (with coconuts!) on a turquoise background and the quilt is stitched all over in turquoise thread in a meandering pattern. The curves of the stitching bring a different texture to all the straight lines of the coins and borders.

I really loved this quilt, all the bright colors and prints kept me thinking of warm tropical beaches and luscious views but I decided to gift the quilt back to the friend who gave me the coins. She had a birthday coming up and it was perfect timing and I knew it would be a surprise. She was surprised and I was so glad she liked it. It's 72 x 72 finished so it's the perfect size for napping or snuggling on the couch with that wonderful man she went to Hawaii with!!

Taking the weekend off!!

It has been a really hectic two weeks. Busy at work, busy on the weekend in between, too much daily stress. So this weekend I have nothing planned other than relaxing and resting. I will fit in a little grocery shopping and a little house cleaning but mostly this is a weekend of self indulgence.

Last weekend was the Roselle Rose Fest - an annual event the Roselle Lions Club has been bring to the town for decades. It's a 4 day carnival with live music every night, a beer tent, a parade on Sunday and even a Rose Queen. I worked 5 shifts volunteering at the carnival and walked in the parade on Sunday for the American Legion throwing candy to the kids along the parade route. That was fun! I teared up a couple of times as we passed some old soldiers sitting in their lawn chairs beside the road and they solemnly saluted the uniformed soldiers we had riding the float. We had quite a Legion presence with the color guard leading the parade, the Legion Riders on their motorcycles, a truck for the Patriot Guard with candy throwers and the Legion float recognizing all of the Legion clubs. The Lion club float was right behind us and they also had a huge flag that about a dozen people carried stretched flat - it was neat in the aerial photos. I've posted one above of our float - I am the little candy thrower near the Southeast corner of the float!

Well - that's about it - I am ready for the weekend! Hope you all have a good one too!!

Last one is a graduate!!

This weekend Mark and I flew to Texas to see my son Thomas graduate from HS. That's him with his GF Sarah in the picture above! It was a quick trip but we spent some time together at a movie on Saturday afternoon, at birthday dinner saturday night (Mark's birthday) and then the graduation on Sunday.

This was our second trip to Texas in the past month - about 4 weeks ago we were there for a 4 day weekend and did lots of stuff together! Thomas will be heading off to Southwestern University in Georgetown Texas in the fall. (Go Pirates!!)

Sharon's Quilt

I finally unloaded my camera of pictures so have the shots of my SILs quilt to post. The colors are not very true - too much sunlight on my terrace I guess so am posting the second picture which is a closeup of the fabrics and really shows the swirly inspiration fabric. Hope you like it! It is a queen size and the colors all match her new paint scheme of warm gold walls and lilac and sage accents, mid tone brown furniture and a pop of color with one magenta wall behind the bookcases! I popped the magenta on the binding of the quilt also to give it great definition when it is on the bed. I sent along a couple of pillowcases with a matching border to use with the quilt.

This week has been busy - more in my next post!