Sunshine Happy

Wow a couple of sunny days and I feel so energized. No time in the sewing room that can be shared at this particular time.. and honestly, I haven't spent that much time sewing. I have so many ideas rolling around in my head right now, I just can't seem to focus on any one. Yesterday Elizabeth and I went out and about. It was such a nice sunny day. Sorry I can't help but say sunny 100 times because it makes me so happy.

My poor old lilac has put forth one big cluster and one smaller one. I'd yank it out but Bret and Frankie gave it to me for Mother's Day about 20 years ago and I just can't bring myself to do it. I'll just keep coaxing it along.

Ok, this is my last tree starting to bloom. It's of course my favorite, the Fuji Cherry. Honestly I could look at this tree all day. Just yesterday those flowers were small and tight, today I go away and at the end of the day look.. so beautiful. They remind me of the tulle skirts on ballet dancers.

Sorry to keep cramming spring and blue skies with you folk with snow. Believe me, it's going to be hotter than you-know-where here soon enough. I'll try not and complain. Hope it's all sunny with you guys, figuratively at the very least. xo

Blue Skies

Yeah that's right, there's been some sun on my coffee cup lately! Not a minute too soon as far as I'm concerned. I love the rain and we sure needed it.. but oh wow, sunshine.

I can't believe I actually saw the moon against all this blue sky. First thing in the morning on Monday. Yesterday I was able to go out and try and get my Kate Spain on. Yeah, I know she's had a lot of amazing photos since that one, but still. Gold standard.

I worked pulling more weeds and on general yard clean up. You can't even tell I'd started that a couple of weeks ago after all the rain. Man the weeds are killing me.

That's right, blue sky all day. It was awesome.

Tiny

Wasn't it just the end of February that I discovered a hummingbird making a nest outside my sewing room window?

Well just this past weekend I noticed a little beak sticking up out of the nest!!! That just seems fast, but the internet assures me 15-18 days is about normal. I've lightened up these photos so you can see there's two hummingbird chicks in there. Not that cute either. Can't wait to see them zooming around the back yard. This is undoubtedly the coolest thing going on out there, including all my flowering trees!

Once Around

Recently I had a chance to stop into Once Around in Mill Valley. It's a great arts and crafts store, and it's chock full of sunshine and inspiration. In the sewing section I saw all the latest cool sewing and quilting books, as well as plenty of supplies. Lots of our favorite pattern designing friends are featured there.

The knitting section had lots of cool knitting stuff to tempt.. and the classroom was the perfect place to learn to make all the cool stuff.

Of course there's plenty of things besides fabric and yarn, paper, ribbon, stamps, flowers, painting supplies. Seriously you could go nuts there.

Julie Stanton has created a wonderful crafty oasis here. Definitely stop by if you're in the neighborhood, it's at 342 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA.

Breakfast of Champions

Frankie brought me this tiny sweet little pink donut the other day. Really cute right?

Tasty too. Wish I had one this morning. I need to kick all kinds of sewing... well you know. I have a ton of stuff to do and very little self control when it comes to the computer and blogs and email.. so I might take off a day or two to get things going. But I have plenty of stuff to blog about when I come back.

That's right, my second crabapple tree is blooming.

Have a happy weekend in case I don't 'see' you tomorrow. xo

And then I bit it's head off.

So have you seen these? Chocolate Peeps dipped in chocolate. I'm on the fence, what about you? (Love their website though, but be warned, turn down your sound, IT'S LOUD. ) I'm a classic Peeps kind of gal I guess. I'll be stashing just one box, poking a hole in the cellophane and waiting till they age to Peep Perfection.

Had a nice day yesterday, went into Pleasanton for a hair appointment, then back home for some Celebrity Stunt Sewing.


What did you do?

Tour Ireland

Yikes, I'm late! For this very important date! Today's the day that Pat is revealing the winners of the Tour Ireland blog hop! Head on over to her blog and find out if you won!

If you didn't win you can still be lucky, Leisure Arts is having a sale on Pat's book. You can go here for a limited time and get a 25% discount!

Ok everybody! Have a super spring time day! xo

Spring

So it's spring now right? I know I should throw in a couple of pictures of those flowering trees but I'm going to spare you today. No promises for tomorrow though! It's been positively stormy here all weekend, so it's a good thing I have some sunshiney photos for today.

Last week I went to see Holly and we had a great time. The weather really cooperated, and we managed to have a nice coffee at Cibo.. even sat outside on their patio. Look how pretty our coffees are. I had that delicious little muffin and Holly had some very cute sugar cookies. It was such a nice day out we really had to live it up, knowing about all the rain coming this week.

For lunch we headed over to Joe's Taco Lounge. Talk about OMG good.

You can see San Francisco here from my car window. I'm not kidding, it was one of the nicest days we've had in a while. Since then we've had howling winds and pelting rain, so I guess every day like this is a gift right?

Tomorrow we're talking lucky winners over at Pat Sloans! Cross your fingers!

Do ya feel lucky? Do ya?

It's the perfect day for it right? I was up early but not early enough to catch a leprechaun. I didn't even find any gold coins when I was looking!

What I did find was a copy of Pat's new book in my mail box!!! It's filled with not only wonderful quilt projects but it's a beautiful scrapbook of the trip. The book has day by day adventures of Pat and her merry band of quilters, accompanied by some lovely photography. I particularly loved the flowering tree in Avoca... a town that I happen to know is a favorite of Elizabeth as well.

Here's how you can be lucky, leave a comment and this weekend I'll pick two names to win a copy of Pat's book! And to up your odds, travel around to all Pat's lucky blog friends and leave a comment!

Here's the lucky list of Leprechauns:

Leisure Arts

Pat Sloan

Heather Bostic

Amy Lobsiger

Jackie Kunkel

Amanda Jean Nyberg

Monica Solorio-Snow

If all that's not enough, check out these videos about the trip! Part 1 and part 2! Ok, scram.. leave some comments and cross your fingers! Happy St. Patrick's day people!!! xo

Butt kicking

Why does the time change in spring always kick my butt? Even when I prepare for it by making sure I get plenty of sleep? The past few days I've been up in the middle of the night then can't fall asleep again. Here's the sunrise yesterday. Pretty right?

I'd been up for several hours by then and was standing out back on a chair in my pj's peering over my neighbors fence to get this. Thankfully they're early risers and were already gone why I did it.

Yup, I'm back at it with the crabapple tree. Sorry, I'm just including two pictures today. I've got HUNDREDS.. without exaggeration, but I love you guys and don't want to press my luck.

I'm sorry to have to tell you there's still two trees that haven't bloomed yet, so you have a lot of this to look forward to. Hopefully I can mix it up with something more interesting, but don't hold your breath.

Today I'm off to Sausalito to spend the day with Holly! You know there will be some delicious food and drink involved. I'm hoping to lay my hands on some of her latest Annie's Farm Stand as well.

As a little FYI... Elizabeth has been busy uploading new stuff onto her website, including some quilts and table runners. Head over here and check out what's there!

So that's all the news people. What's doing with you?

So have you?

How was the weekend my sweet bloggy friends? I know like a lot of you, I spent some time with the tv on watching the news.

I also spent a few minutes making a star for the Just One Star program. You can read about it here, get some instructions here, get a tutorial here, and then send it on it's way. All the cool kids are doing it. You could to!

A lazy blog post

I had the best time yesterday, and I didn't sew a stitch. Just sat and talked with Ann and Judy while they sewed. And at a lot of good lunch. Here's some of the sights of the day.

Pillow finished by Ann from a pattern by Elizabeth.

Judy's project .. one of Anne's cute patterns.

From Camille's new book.

I believe this was a Terry Atkinson pattern, kitted by Elizabeth back when we both worked at the shop.

The makings of a great lunch.

And there you have the recipe!

Happy Day.

No time to chat today people! I'm invited to sew with my friends Ann and Judy. Super fun, I love going to Ann's house, you might remember her pretty summer garden or her gourds. I hope I can get some fun pictures, she has a lot of great treasures.

And besides the great company, we're having the best Taco Salad ever. Honestly. I hope she will share the recipe with us. Today Elizabeth's pear tea towel was featured on Free Quilt Patterns and it reminded me how awesome that little applique pattern is. I'm hoping my bribe I mean hostess gift will work!

Have a fun day peoples! xo

Dreamer

I should totally know better by now.. starting a project without a plan. Inspired by so many wonderful Dream On quilts out there, I just dove in with only a glimmer of an idea.

Normally I draw it all out on graph paper, count the number of pieces to cut of each unit.. that kind of thing. And you know, have an idea of what it will look like. I'm finding it frustrating to keep up with this even though I love the fabric so so much. So all I have to show for Monday is the remainder of the little lattice bits sewn on. (well that and a Dream On layer cake in reserve!) I guess it's time to lay it out and see what's what.

On a lighter note, have you seen this? And did you see this over at Monica's? Weepable cute.

p.s. Hey did you know I know the Urban Chiks? Sorry I can't help myself.

Queen for a Day... or possibly a week.

So did you have a totally great weekend? Holy cow I did. It all started Friday when Free Quilt Patterns featured my little hexagon potholder on Facebook. I thought that was pretty cool. You know, everybody likes to be noticed, right? Then Saturday my good friend Alex asked me to stop by and visit her classroom over at Alden Lane.

Alden Lane is decked out in some serious spring time glory and if you're local you really really need to drop everything and get over there.

I love Alex. Seriously, she's smart and funny and generous and kind.. and I'm really really lucky to know her.

Then I came home and found out that I was the Blog of the Week Winner on AQS! Really really super cool. Thanks AQS for the honor!

It was such a nice day out Bret and I did some work out back .. more weeds.. well it keeps things in perspective that's for sure! Look at little girl Peep.. isn't she sweet? She came to sit in the weeds and watch. She's a Norwich Terrier but we have to periodically have her shaved down, she's a messy girl otherwise.

Then my hummingbird kept trying to get into the kitchen! (I really hope it wasn't for those sugar free cookies Bret eats!) I don't know what was going on with her, but we finally turned off all the lights inside and out and she just stayed clinging to the window there. (I guess I ought to put that red vase away, huh?)

She even let me pet her, it was the coolest thing ever. Pretty soon she zoomed off, thank goodness. I was a little bit afraid there for a while.

The whole day felt like a gift, you know? I guess I should think of every day like and maybe this was a reminder! Hope you had a wonderful weekend my very special friends. I treasure your friendship and thank you for all your kind comments and encouragement. xo