My Happy Bluebird

february love...

2012-02-06T15:11:00.000-05:00

goodbye, january...

2012-01-31T10:20:00.002-05:00

~*~

musical interlude...

2012-01-24T20:16:00.002-05:00

I've changed the music...

I've been posting photos to my flickr...

I'll be back here soon...

You know...just in case you've been stopping by... J

~*~

we traded up...

2012-01-14T15:58:00.000-05:00

The birthday boy was not-so-happy with what I thought was the "awesome deal" guitar. It ended up being a bit small for him, and, had other issues. So, today...we headed up to Princeton to return that one and replace it with one of his own choosing.

Judging by his smile -- I would say this one is the "awesome deal" guitar! :-)

friday afternoon power nap...

2012-01-13T12:20:00.002-05:00

stay tuned...

2012-01-12T13:12:00.005-05:00

~ the birthday presents are wrapped ~

~ the cupcakes are frosted and waiting ~

~ for the guest of honor to arrive ~

...he's "due" in at 7:44 p.m. J

~ He arrived as scheduled ~

~ but, would not cooperate ~

~ at all ~

~ for the photos ~

~ Happy 16th birthday, Nicholas! ~

best apple crumb cake...

2012-01-10T11:38:00.001-05:00

...ever!

A longtime family friend shared this recipe with us over the holidays {thank you, Jeannette!}. The ingredients are simple -- and it is a crowd pleaser.

Cinnamon-Apple Coffee Cake

cake ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine (I melted the butter and then let

it cool to room temperature. The original recipe does not

state this.)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg (room temperature)

2 cups Aunt Jemima Self-Rising Flour

1 cup milk (room temperature)

2 medium apples, peeled, thinly sliced

cinnamon topping ingredients**:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Aunt Jemima Self-Rising Flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

For cake ~ beat together butter (cooled to room temperature*)

and sugar until creamy; blend in egg. Add flour alternately with

milk, mixing well after each addition. Spread half of batter

into greased 9 inch square pan. Top with half of apple slices and

with half of cinnamon topping. Repeat with remaining batter,

apples and topping. Bake in pre-heated moderate oven

(375F degrees) 45 to 50 minutes. Cool slightly; serve warm.

*Note(s): Do not add the egg to hot melted butter -- the heat

will cook the egg!

I have a convection oven -- and after 30 minutes, the crumb

topping was well done, so it was necessary for me to cover

the cake with a loose piece of foil and then bake 12 minutes

longer (42 minutes).

For cinnamon topping ~ combine dry ingredients. Add butter,

mixing until crumbly.

**Note: I mixed the topping ingredients first and set the bowl

aside while mixing the cake ingredients. The mixture

hardened slightly and I broke it apart with a fork into

the "crumbs".

it's your day...

2012-01-08T10:01:00.000-05:00

Hope it's great! Happy Birthday, big sis!

new couch...

2012-01-07T16:17:00.000-05:00

...freshly delivered!

busy...

2012-01-04T11:10:00.001-05:00

... :-) !

oh, what a beautiful morning...

2012-01-01T07:58:00.008-05:00

You will to turn off the music in the sidebar before viewing this video clip.

Happy 2012! :-)

working around things...

2011-12-31T11:18:00.003-05:00

Besides being a master craftsman -- Rick also knows how to work around things -- such as -- piles of "stuff"...

...and Sofia! :-)

Here is the same view at the beginning of the project...

better than holiday cookies...

2011-12-29T11:39:00.000-05:00

...a new basement floor!

Rick just starting putting the flooring down this morning, so, there's not much opportunity for the "artsy" photos. This is the view from the stairs. He started in the small closet and will continue through the foyer and down the hall. The "pink stuff" is the underlayment. We chose to go with Airguard Premium 3-in-1 -- because I don't want any nasty moldy stuff growing under my pretty floor in the basement. The flooring is Red Oak Natural . I'll show more photos as he makes progress. I'm a little bit giddy about this. Yay! :-)

holiday cookies...

2011-12-26T16:01:00.010-05:00

Those delicious looking cookies in my new background were made by my sweet neighbor. After tasting them, I had to know if she would share her recipe. When she told me they were from Martha Stewart, I remembered that I received her Christmas Cookbook as a gift last year -- and the recipe is right in there! Yay! :-)

And... if you're wondering why I have an Ortega Loaded Nacho recipe in the photo too -- it's because I finally found it -- the day after I needed the recipe. I spent quite a few hours looking for that recipe last week. Oh well... guess I'll just make those loaded nachos to eat while we're playing Pictionary ~or~ Jenga ~or~ Sorry on New Year's eve. :-)

Oh, and during my search I also found that I have two of the same Mary Engelbreit holiday cookbooks. Not sure how that happened, but I'm thinking it's time to organize my cookbook cabinet. :-)

just what I always wanted...

2011-12-25T10:16:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas! :-)

may all your christmas dreams come true...

2011-12-24T17:44:00.000-05:00

the elves made me do it...

2011-12-21T16:38:00.000-05:00

These little cuties overheard a conversation I had with "someone" today. We were talking about elves. I was a bit upset when the person I was speaking to explained to me that her elves could finish all of her gift wrapping in just a few hours. I began to think that maybe my elves have been slacking a bit...

So...since I had a 30% off Kohl's coupon PLUS $10 in Kohl's cash, I decided to do a bit more shopping. I came home with three huge shopping bags full and gave them to my elves. Ready... Set...Game On elves...!

the elf supervisors are getting mean...

2011-12-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

Put on those hats and get back to wrapping!!!

Only 4 days left !! (for gift wrapping)

the sunday before...

2011-12-18T16:45:00.000-05:00

...the elves are busy with some last minute sewing, and, the first batch of cookies are waiting to be decorated.

Santa passed by before with the firetrucks -- but he didn't stop! Maybe he's busy too! :-)

wrapping gifts...

2011-12-17T12:26:00.000-05:00

Apparently, Sofia has her own ideas on how to use wrapping paper!

10 days to go...

2011-12-15T08:57:00.000-05:00

~ done ~

Not done...

Gift wrapping...

Baking...

Gift wrapping...

Last minute shopping...

Gift wrapping...

Not being done is part of the fun! :-)

holiday sugar rush...

2011-12-12T15:59:00.000-05:00

I think these guys better slow down on the holiday candy... ;-)

I noticed a few people like this while shopping in the store today too. I think it's time for me to switch into the "stay home and wrap presents" gear. It is only going to get worse out there -- and the only weapon I carry is hand sanitizer. :-)

folderol la la...

2011-12-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

a little push...

2011-12-09T10:34:00.000-05:00

This year...the elves seem to be popping up everywhere! They don't seem to be making my tasks any easier -- just in case you're wondering ;-) I'm sure you're all out and about right now -- busy with your own holiday tasks -- or, at least that is where you should be! :-)

I think that Gingerbread house in the photo is being built this weekend -- it's pre-baked, which doesn't matter because we never eat them. Do you? We have about 10+ days more before actual cookie baking takes place here -- those we do eat -- but only when they're fresh out of the oven!

Time to go run some early errands...I am feeling a "little tug" on my sleeve...maybe those elves are helping me after all! :-)

it's fa la la tuesday...

2011-12-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

...19 days to go! If you haven't found your "fa la la" -- it's time to go look for it! Mine is behind that door... in the "shhh... secret... closet..." :-)

22 days to go...

2011-12-03T18:23:00.000-05:00

...and the "real" elves have finally arrived! I thought Santa forgot about sending me helpers this year...

No time to waste! Get movin' you little cuties! :-)

put your elf hat on...

2011-12-02T12:39:00.000-05:00

...I'm off to getting some "secret" elf stuff done...before the troops come home for the weekend... Yes, the photo is from last year -- I don't think I can top that cute expression on Ozzy's face. I did change the background -- as per the request of a loyal follower...wink ...wink ... I also added some energizing music to rev you up for wrapping, or, hanging those decorations, or, elf stuff... That's where I'm headed...

Happy Friday! :-)

wake up -- it's wednesday...

2011-11-30T09:27:00.001-05:00

...November 30! That means there are 25 more days...until...you know... :-)

raking the leaves...

2011-11-29T07:22:00.001-05:00

I've never seen it done quite this way. Seems Sofia has her own idea about how to use the rake! :-)

what's wrong with this picture...

2011-11-28T10:42:00.000-05:00

As of this morning, this is the display on my fireplace mantle. For the past 2 weeks, the kids had either a half day of school, or, no school. Rick was off from work also for the (4 day) holiday weekend. Time goes so quickly while I am enjoying the company of my family. The mantle display has given me this "food for thought"...

Today I am alone. I can finally take a step back and look at what needs to be done before the jolly old man in the red suit comes crashing down the chimney. There's lots of (more important) stuff to do -- guess the mantle display will have to wait a bit longer... :-)

taking advantage of the great weather...

2011-11-26T15:52:00.001-05:00

Rick just said "I hope the weather is like this in January -- when I have to take the holiday decorations down". Actually, Rick didn't say that many words to me -- I did a bit of editing. It was difficult for him to turn around and talk to me while the tree branches were jabbing him in the face.

Hope you're enjoying the lovely weather too! :-)

budget buster...

2011-11-21T16:46:00.000-05:00

How did I forget to put closet shelving in the budget for our basement project? Wasn't it all about "the closet" when I began posting about this basement project? Tsk...tsk...

So...here we are...Rick in his white socks explaining to me that the shelving brackets in the boxes on the floor cost $10 each. There are 20 brackets in each box. There are 2 boxes. You do the math.

After grappling with this for almost 2 days, Rick mentions to me that the style of the brackets that are in my bedroom closet -- the brackets that I "hate" -- are available and cost much, MUCH less. He didn't want me to have the brackets that I "hate" in the closets he made for me. How sweet is that! :-) So, I told him -- it's okay -- forget all that mushy stuff -- I can deal with the "ugly" brackets in the basement closet. I would much rather spend those $$ on the flooring or -- his big screen TV. ;-)

where we have been...

2011-11-20T11:29:00.000-05:00

It has been an entire week since my last blog post. Yikes! But we've been busy...

...growing some facial hair...

...since it's "no-shave november"...

Good things take time... ! :-)

basement project update...

2011-11-13T13:04:00.001-05:00

...not far now! :-)

last night's sky...

2011-11-11T11:11:00.008-05:00

...quite a lovely sight to behold. Thought you might enjoy looking at the view from my front porch. :-)

high tech reading...

2011-11-10T12:53:00.000-05:00

Rick won this at work! It's an Amazon Kindle.

Not too long ago, he also received an Adobe Kobo. Nicholas and Sofia fought over that for awhile -- and then forgot about it. Now there's one for each of them -- soooo -- you guessed it -- they're ignoring both.

Anyhow, I kind of like it -- so I put it next to my reading chair. :-)

what a lovely morning...

2011-11-07T10:01:00.001-05:00

...just perfect for a bike ride?

Hope the guy driving the truck behind those two headlights sees him!

I'm off to switch my halloween window decorations to some fall/thanksgiving. I had better hurry before those Christmas decorations start calling me...

origami love...

2011-11-06T10:04:00.000-05:00

~*~

We're off to a beautiful Sunday. Hope you are too! :-)

chicken little...update

2011-11-05T13:34:00.001-04:00

The girls are having a casual discussion about their pets. Sasha holds her parrot. Joan holds her wubbah chicken. Spectra holds her cat, "Rhuen". Suddenly, Barbie Astronaut, stands up and and drops her martian pet to the ground...

She screams ...Duuuuuccckkk!!!!

Oooops...nevermind...Click here to see where ROSAT landed.

the haul...

2011-11-03T12:50:00.000-04:00

Not as good as last year...

But...very neatly organized! :-)

happy...

2011-10-31T13:01:00.002-04:00

...halloween! :-)

sweat, tears...

2011-10-30T12:34:00.002-04:00

...and a little blood added to the details!

Whew...the "easy" costume is all finished and ready for tomorrow's halloween festivities. Yesterday's unusual October snowstorm was not the least bit inspiring -- but Ms. Lori Holt's Pink Lemonade Party certainly was! While it was snowing, and, as I was sewing, I kept thinking about how nice it would be to open the windows and have the spring breezes floating through the house while sipping on some of that lemonade... I'm going to need some of that inspiration to get me through what looks like a loooonnnnng, cooooolllld, winter ahead....

best friend(s)...

2011-10-26T12:20:00.002-04:00

them...forever...

mine...this week...

chicken little...

2011-10-22T10:22:00.003-04:00

...the sky is falling...

Oh, no! Astronaut Barbie has discovered that space junk is cascading towards the earth and will be here this weekend. Click here to read all about it...

technical issues...

2011-10-17T09:48:00.001-04:00

This...

...does not bother me (yet). Why? because now I have an outlet on the landing in my stairwell to the second floor. Yay! :-)

This is one of "those things" that took years to finally come to the "top of the list". It then took my very smart hubby-- assisted by my very smart son -- two hours to complete -- except for that little patch of sheetrock up there in the 1st photo. But, that's in the stairwell to the basement -- so I can live with it (for now...)

I was so excited to be able to plug in my halloween decorations that I even settled for the "brown" extension cord. I WILL be going to the store, later today, to purchase a white one. :-)

This...

...DOES bother me! I do not like the way the skirt looks attached to the bodice -- soooo -- Miss Alice will be wearing separate pieces. It will be much more flattering to her figure -- and, when it's done, will fit her just "right"...

caturday thoughts...

2011-10-15T14:40:00.000-04:00

brain booster friday...

2011-10-14T10:10:00.000-04:00

While we were waiting for Sofia to go into school this morning, she pulled out her weekly "brain booster" sheet. There are maybe 6 or 8 brain boosters on the sheet, and, if she guesses them all correctly, she gets an extra credit. They are fun -- and give your brain something good to think about -- you know -- instead of thinking about silly, small, annoying things that you can't change and are a waste of time...such as: Why do weathermen get paid even if their predictions are wrong? Why do the politicians argue like a bunch of 3 year old children?

Anyhow...here is one of the brain boosters that I couldn't figure out -- so now it will be stuck in my head all day, or, until I figure it out. Maybe you can help?

If you have never done a "brain booster" before -- here is an example of what it is. The word in the photo below is "BUCK". Notice that the letter "B" is at the bottom of the word, and the letters "U-C-K" are above it. The answer to this brain booster would be...let's say it together now... "Buck Up"! Very good! :-)

So, if you think you know the answer to the first photo now, then leave me a comment...or not (do I really want to go back to thinking about the silly, annoying, waste-of-time things?)

Now that your brain is boosted -- go out and have an awesome Friday!

possessed...

2011-10-13T09:45:00.000-04:00

...by the dress!

The sleeves and neckline facing are finished. My client did not want the standard "alice" peter pan collar -- which would have been fine had she told me when I created the pattern. I was able to do just a facing at the neckline -- and...my client is satisfied with how it looks.

Now I am moving on to the skirt -- but I need to measure my remaining fabric. If I don't have enough for the fullness I want -- then it may be "off with my head"... Oh, wait! That was last year...

Happy Thursday :-)

look who's in charge now...

2011-10-11T12:26:00.003-04:00

Before Sofia left for school this morning, she reminded me that I MUST work on her costume. She asked me what I need to do to get it done -- and then apparently handed over her "supervisor" position to someone else.

So, I had better get moving...those sleeves are not going to attach themselves! :-)

hop to it...

2011-10-09T15:50:00.000-04:00

What gorgeous weather! And, we definitely deserve it. We spent part of the day outside putting up some halloween decorations.

Hope you were able to take advantage of the weather too. :-)

remembering...

2011-10-07T11:48:00.002-04:00

...Steve Jobs

Why am I writing this post? Because, when I was a "career girl" -- he was a big part of what I did everyday as a systems software analyst/programmer. I worked in a department of 4 people originally involved in the "computerization" of a major NY law firm. I never shook this man's hand, but, I attended his seminars. My boss at the time was intensely "jealous" of him -- which meant that he thought of him as a genius.

That was a long time ago...and now...I feel that this is the end to that chapter in my history...

Events such as this can allow us to move forward, and, surprisingly sometimes more freely than we would have expected.

So, today...I am moving forward to whatever I set for myself as a goal...and, maybe to make...a teeny dent...

the halloween transformation begins...

2011-10-05T11:01:00.000-04:00

...bwa ha ha!!!!

afternoon shadows...

2011-10-04T17:52:00.000-04:00

On my front porch...

October is looking lovely here today! Hope it is where you are too. :-)

easy peasy halloween art...

2011-10-02T14:47:00.000-04:00

Supplies:

blank canvas

1 sheet of your favorite halloween 12" x 12" scrapbook paper

ribbon

hole puncher

Instructions:

Using the hole puncher, make a hole in each of the 4 corners of the sheet of scrapbook paper. Thread ribbon through the top left corner hole and tie in a knot. Wrap ribbon around the back of the canvas and pull towards the bottom left hole. Cut this piece long enough so that you can thread it through the bottom hole and tie in a knot. Repeat this for the right side.

Display proudly in your favorite place!

Mine is displayed in that "blank spot" above the cabinet in our powder room.

:-)

weekend plans...

2011-09-30T09:24:00.000-04:00

I'll be in my sewing room this weekend...with my little assistant!

Hope you have fun weekend plans too!

thursday silliness...

2011-09-29T08:17:00.001-04:00

This is pretty much the way our week has been going...

I'm off to Thursday! :-)

(Credits for this video belong to Nicholas. He was inspired by the background music -- which he played over, and, over, and over, for hours this past weekend. )

here's looking at you...

2011-09-25T10:58:00.000-04:00

Sofia just finished drawing these...

While I was taking the photo of them, she drew two more. I think these are quite good. She thinks she can do better...

Go Sofia! :-)

friday...

2011-09-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

The rain has been non-stop since I took Sofia to school this morning. I think I will "carpe diem" me some sewing time today!

Hope you find your sunny spot too! :-)

the circle of life...

2011-09-22T08:01:00.007-04:00

So, that's what happens to him!

For those of you not familiar with my blog, and, not understanding why there is a stuffed toy in the toilet bowl

***click here to read more...

no one follows the rule...

2011-09-21T08:43:00.000-04:00

The rule is that you can't put out Halloween decorations until October 1st. Well... that's my rule anyway. While driving Sofia to school the other day, I noticed that other folks in our neighborhood have their own rule. Their porches are already decorated -- so now I am behind... But, only in the front porch area. Apparently, mother nature and some creepy spiders have taken it upon themselves to decorate the backyard...

new blog background 9/21/11

begonia plant

arbovitae

Guess I'm going to have to begin my own decorating earlier than I planned! :-)

96 days...

2011-09-19T08:14:00.000-04:00

...and, the "secret closet" has a door and will be officially locked as of today!

Whew, glad that's done :-)

family treasures...

2011-09-18T11:35:00.000-04:00

I am in the process of decorating for fall and halloween. The halloween decorating requires me to be in a specific "mood" -- you know -- just the right amount of eerie and nostalgic bundled with a bit of magic and fun. While I was searching for "the mood" today, I found the items in the photo. I know that you're feeling the nostalgic vibe from them, but asking -- what are they? The photos within the photo are from left to right: 1) A very young Larry...dancing with Santa next to a Christmas tree. There is a group of women in the background...all dressed in their 1940's Sunday best...complete with hats and gloves. The photo looks as if the scene took place in an elementary school. 2) An even younger Larry...bundled in white clothing and blanket. He is held by his mother (my grandmother). Not sure of where the photo was taken, but my grandmother is wearing everyday clothes and a white apron -- so it doesn't seem to be a special occasion.

The box beneath the photos was handcrafted...by Larry...when he was a child. Guess this is where his love of woodcraft, and, woodburning began...

I am very lucky to be the caretaker of these priceless treasures. And, I am off to a good start in my search for "the mood".

cell-asaurus...

2011-09-16T10:15:00.000-04:00

On my way home from dropping off Sofia at school this morning, I heard a radio commercial about this animal -- thought to be extinct by some -- but alive and well here -- and -- hanging off of my purse when I go about my errands. Yes -- that IS my actual cell phone in the photo. It is the very rare species with an antenna protruding from the top of it's head.

Can you top this? :-)

luvva dove..

2011-09-13T10:20:00.000-04:00

...for you... :-)

running in circles...

2011-09-11T11:46:00.000-04:00

I thought that I was the only one running in circles these past few days.

It seems that I have company...

Maybe the circles aren't so bad after all! :-)

rain...rain...

2011-09-07T09:47:00.002-04:00

...go away...

That's better! :-)

So, yesterday was a good first day back to school for both of my darlings. Sofia agreed to pose for the annual "first day back to school" photo. Nicholas did not -- so -- I have to use an older photo of him:

Nicholas - first day of kindergarten Sept. 2001

Hopefully these smiles brighten up your day! :-)

back to school...

2011-09-06T10:28:00.000-04:00

I had better get going... I have alot to do before the troops come home!

summer chemistry assignment...

2011-09-04T10:45:00.000-04:00

Tuesday is the first day back to school for both Nicholas and Sofia. As usual, Nicholas is procrastinating until the very last minute to complete his summer assignments. This weekend, he should be working on a chemistry project -- which he keeps telling me will take him only a few minutes to complete. In the meantime, he has spent quite alot of time working on this video. Maybe he can submit this instead!

time to change my blog background...

2011-08-31T12:49:00.002-04:00

Yes, it is that time of the year... The kids don't go back to school until next Tuesday -- but I am beginning to organize a bit anyway. I love how the garden looks along the paver path from the driveway to the picket fence gate and beyond. It has taken many years -- but now it looks just right.

blog background 8/31/11

The "turtle plant" on the left and "coral bells" on the right are very content. We brought both of these plants from our garden in NY -- they are now the "old ladies" in the garden.

And, what was once an empty and dusty place,

is now a peaceful, shady, lovely garden.

This took much more time than I expected -- and at points was frustrating and miserable. Now I feel comfortable and can work on the little details (my favorite thing to do). I am happy. :-)

smart puppy advice...

2011-08-30T09:50:00.000-04:00

We were very lucky this time. But after seeing what is happening with the floods in Vermont, I think it's time to look over our homeowner's insurance policy -- you know -- just in case...

by the dawn's early light...

2011-08-28T08:56:00.000-04:00

I ventured outside this morning to see the extent of damage here from hurricane Irene.

I found this guy taking his morning swim in our pool. Last night during the height of the storm our pool had waves thrashing in it and looked like it was on a cruise ship during a storm.

The sunflowers did okay. The rose of sharon bush (small bush near fence) is a little droopy.

Rick's "drainage system" in Ozzy's area did very well.

As expected, the east side of the conservation area is filled almost to the brink.

And, one of my fears during the night did not come to fruition. The west side of the conservation area has less water than it did during our storms last week.

I was awake most of the night tracking the storm and watching for tornado warnings. We had a few go south of us -- and a few go north of us. We had a lull in the storm for about a good 90 minutes -- Nicholas and I sat together by an open window during that time. It was serene, and at the same time a bit eerie as we enjoyed the calmness while watching what was coming at us on the radar on weather.com. At around 2 a.m. the wind was at its strongest and the noises it made unnerved me. I woke up Nicholas and Sofia and brought them downstairs to the first floor along with their pillows and blankets. We set up camp in the front room and I continued to monitor the storm on weather.com until I fell asleep a bit after 4 a.m. The last thing I remember was that there was a tornado warning in Freeport and Hempstead, Long Island.

Even though last night was one of the worst night's I have ever had -- I am thankful that I can say -- "It could have been alot worse".

she's here already...

2011-08-27T16:01:00.000-04:00

Stay safe...

waiting for irene to arrive...

2011-08-27T12:14:00.001-04:00

The outdoor furniture has been put away. The sunflower plants have been secured. The pool has been drained slightly. I have packed the freezer with ziploc water bags to make ice -- ~~in case~~ for when the power goes out. I am doing some laundry... Paying some bills online... Nicholas is playing an Xbox game. Sofia is all ready with her parlor game for when the power goes out. I need to cook some food -- so I am hoping the power will not be going out anytime soon. Rick is doing some sheetrock spackling in the basement. I am hoping we do not get water in the basement.

I do not want a visit from Irene. I want her to go away. I want to be able to say: "that could have been alot worse"...

the calm before the storm...

2011-08-26T13:39:00.000-04:00

I needed to take some photos today -- just in case -- so I can "remember" how pretty it was before. I am nervous about this storm.

view from driveway towards side yard

east side of front yard

west side of front yard

water, water, everywhere...

2011-08-26T07:04:00.001-04:00

Here is what the downpours from Sunday, 8/21/11 produced in our normally dry conservation area.

view to the west

west - center view

east - center view

view to the east

All of this water was gone by the next morning, 8/22/11.

I am not looking forward to what will happen when hurricane Irene visits us in a few days...

hey, I told you two to stop bouncing around...

2011-08-24T12:06:00.002-04:00

Well, now wasn't that a jam packed full of excitement trip! Yes, we were right there -- smack dab in the middle of Washington D.C. when the earthquake hit. Sorry about misleading you with the photo -- I thought you might get a laugh out of that. We weren't at the Washington monument. We were in the car and driving up the ramp of an underground parking garage (where the car had been parked on the lowest level). Rick had just paid and pulled through the toll gate -- but he had to wait to get on the street because people were walking on the sidewalk in front of the car. The back half of the car was still inside the building. The front half of the car was outside of the building. The ramp we were sitting on was on a steep incline (about 25 - 30 degrees). All of a sudden the back of the car started bouncing up and down -- so Rick, impatient from having to wait for the people passing in front of the car, yelled at Sofia (who never stops bouncing...) and Nicholas. He grumbled "I told you two to stop bouncing around". As, I turned to look at him I noticed a man standing next to the car on the sidewalk. The man first looked down to the ground and seemed to be trying to steady himself -- and then he looked up towards the sky. Falsely accused, neither Nicholas, or, Sofia was bouncing -- but there was a car making it's way up the parking garage ramp behind us, so we just figured maybe that car made ours bounce.

We finally left the parking garage area, and were making our way through the crowded streets of downtown D.C. We were at a standstill at one point, and, I commented quite a few times on how odd it was that crowds of people were just standing outside the office buildings at around 2:00 in the afternoon. I kept thinking that it was Tuesday -- so there should be nothing going on. A few times I noticed people looking up and pointing, but I couldn't see what they were pointing at. There wasn't any "excitement" in the crowds of people. They were just standing, talking to each other, or, using their cellphones.

We finally made our way out of downtown D.C. and found ourselves stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the highway. Again, we thought that it was odd to be stuck in that kind of traffic on the highway at around 2:00 in the afternoon on a Tuesday. There was also bumper to bumper traffic going in the opposite direction.

As we were driving, the car phone rang. Rick sighed -- thinking it was his work calling -- again (they called us as we were travelling to D.C.) But, it was Grandma. She cleared up our mystery for the day -- informing us about the earthquake.

Someone was definitely watching over us yesterday -- if we had known about "the earthquake" while it was happening -- or if all those people just standing around had known about it and panicked -- I would not be sitting here posting a funny photo and calmly typing.

You want to hear something weird? As we were walking away from the car after we parked it in the underground garage, I pictured the hood of the car smashed flat and thought to myself -- "Gee, if there was an earthquake... {insert spooky music here}

Oh, wait... Nicholas just read this post and reminded me that the day before this happened, while we were walking in the parking garage of the hotel, he commented to me that if felt like the ground was moving beneath him... Was this a premonition? {insert screetchy sounds from Ghost Adventures here }

and, we're off...

2011-08-22T07:26:00.000-04:00

Hope those politicians in our nation's capital are ready for us!

Just kidding... :-) We're going for the casual visit. Just some sightseeing...and hopefully good food.

See ya soon!

out my front door...

2011-08-21T11:06:00.000-04:00

Who's that over there looking at us?

I guess he's afraid of heights -- this is as far up in the sky as he was willing to go.

I'm not really sure of what was going on over there. Sofia wanted to investigate -- and was curious about maybe hitching a ride -- but, we decided to go shopping instead... :-)

August is running away from us...

2011-08-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

We have been running...running...running... around in circles mostly :-) That's just how it is for us in August.

I finished this FWQ block last Sunday -- and forgot to post it! I finally figured out how to match up my seams a bit better -- and for that reason, I feel quite satisfied with the time I spent on this block. I've been looking at alot of blocks in the flickr pool that use the red/aqua combination -- so I thought I would give it a try. I like it -- and Sofia even complimented it -- but I'm not sure if I will be using this block in "the quilt". I am getting a "kitchen" vibe from it. But, as I go along maybe I will make a few more blocks with that kind of vibe and it will "belong".

I used Lori Holt's easy square in a square tutorial. I don't know what I would do without her help. She has a few more tutorials that I haven't followed -- so I'm still in the "safe zone". I'm hoping she'll do a few more -- hint hint... The one I would like to see is: Block #59 Night & Day. That block is totally made from triangles and other odd shapes. I'm leaving that one for way later...you know, just in case she's listening and doesn't want me to suffer through it all by myself. :-)

And, now, we're running off to Friday... :-)

a break from the rain...

2011-08-15T14:14:00.000-04:00

We're finally getting a little break from the rain. Not sure if it's coming back later on today -- so I took advantage and went outside for a bit. There's some creepy stuff going on out there. Ick! I found a toad at the bottom of the pool (sorry, no photo), and these guys floating on top...

And, I don't even know what to make of this stuff. I usually call them "the fingers of death" -- but today they are just disgusting...

Maybe I should just stay inside... :-)

only 77 days until...

2011-08-14T13:32:00.000-04:00

~*~

happy wednesday...

2011-08-10T11:19:00.002-04:00

I finally planted some hollyhock seeds! It only took me 4 years ;-) The seed package says that they should germinate in 2 weeks -- it took them 1 week. It also says they will flower within 365 days. Yup, that's right. I am hoping that is correct, because I want to see their happy flowers in August of next year -- when all the other flowers are fading (like the lily plant in the photo). What's with all that mulchy mulch in the rock garden area? That is from the thunderstorms we had these past two days. Hmmm... I kind of remember that Rick fixed that problem. Guess Ma Nature outsmarted him. Hey, did you notice my happy portulaca in the photo? We didn't plant those guys either. The backyard seems to be a safe harbor for little seeds...

And, big seeds too! While I was taking the photo of the wannabee hollyhocks, I felt something watching me. I turned around and saw these guys...

They remind me of happy, smiling faces...

happy

bashful

dopey

And, a sad face too...

sleepy

I'm off to a gorgeous happy day! Hope you are too. :-)

random...

2011-08-09T10:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a pretty neat summery thing to do kind of day. We were a little bored and decided to take a ride over to our local shopping plaza to browse in a toy store that recently opened. Sofia wasn't feeling "the fun" in that, so I mentioned that we could go to another store for her located in the same shopping plaza. "What store?" she said with little enthusiasm. "How about Claire's?" I replied.

She's been asking to go to Claire's for weeks -- so as you can see -- she was very happy. Then she mentioned that they do ear piercing at Claire's. So I took a deep breath and went online to their website to get some info. It looked quite reputable -- so I told her that we would talk to the person in the store about it.

Soooo -- we came home with some square cut cz earrings -- in her earlobes. :-)

You want to hear the weirdest part? When Rick got home from work last night he said to me -- did Sofia tell you that this morning, before I left for work, she told me that she had a dream she got her ears pierced ??? What ??? [...insert spooky music here...]

Nope... I woke up late yesterday morning -- after Rick had gone to work -- and she never mentioned this to me -- not even a hint. Are you feeling the psychic vibe... ??? [...insert more spooky music here...]

not so easy...

2011-08-08T07:14:00.001-04:00

I finally finished my first block for August. I am not sure why I couldn't get this to work right the first time I did it. I followed Lori Holt's tutorial -- but for some reason I couldn't get the diagonal seams to match the center piece correctly. I took it apart twice and then finally decided to make the unfinished height of the center piece 2 1/4", and I left the unfinished width at 2 1/2". What you're seeing in the photo is my third attempt at this block.

The block is named "spool" -- and I just realized that I have it positioned the wrong way in the photo. I'm off to take another photo. Sigh...

Okay, I'm back. This is how it's supposed to look...

I am beginning to feel like this block has something against me. I think it's time to move onto the next block...

a behind the scenes peek...

2011-08-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

Hey, what are you guys doing over there?

Is that Steven Spielberg sitting in our activity area?

And, who's that actress rehearsing her lines?

??? Coming soon...

the lovely gateway...

2011-08-03T15:09:00.000-04:00

Along with the tomato plants mentioned in yesterday's post -- these morning glories come back every year.

They can get out of control -- and require maintenance -- but they do make me happy!

it's not summer if...

2011-08-02T11:27:00.002-04:00

You don't have the backyard photo with some blooming sunflowers...Update 8/6/11 -- Rick mentioned to me that he did not plant these sunflowers either -- they are "leftovers" from last year too! :-)

You don't have some tomatoes ripening on the vine... FYI -- we did not plant these tomatoes -- they grew from the seeds of last year's tomatoes that fell off the plants.

You don't have a super huge leaf on your sunflower plant! Sofia wanted me to take a photo of her hand in front of the leaf -- but a really huge bee flew by and she ran into the house. The leaf is about 2 feet across.

last block for July...

2011-07-31T15:54:00.000-04:00

Here it is! My cheery block made with Lori Holt's Sew Cherry fabric. This fabric is manufactured by Riley Blake and it handles beautifully. This was my easiest block so far.

I made a total of ~ 7 ~ blocks for July. Onto August -- and -- only 104 blocks more to do! :-)

the cherries make me happy...

2011-07-30T07:15:00.000-04:00

Remember yesterday when I was wishing for some of Lori Holt's Sew Cherry fabric?

Look what showed up in my mailbox! Yay!

I need to go flip through "the book" and find a block that is worthy...! :-)

indecision wastes time...

2011-07-29T14:27:00.001-04:00

So, here is my hot off the ironing board block. It is called Buzzard's Roost. Both the name, and, the color of the fabrics used in the book seem so dreary to me. This block contains "flying geese" pieces. I have never done these, so I wanted to stay true to the sample in the book as far as the colors -- just to make it less confusing while I was learning how to make the "flying geese". On Wednesday, I cut out my fabric -- and I wasn't happy -- so I set the pieces aside. Last night, I searched through my fabric bin for a specific piece of fabric to use in the center square -- but I couldn't find it. Then, this morning, as I was reading Lori Holt's flying geese tutorial -- and wanting a piece of her cute Sew Cherry fabric -- it struck me that I had some "vintage" cherry fabric in my stash! So I used that, and this is the result.

Here is the way the block would have looked if I had remained true to the sample in the book.

The cherries make me happy! :-)

they're back...

2011-07-27T10:19:00.000-04:00

Remember these guys ?

Yesterday, they finally came back to work on the main street in front of our house.

Today, they are working on the side streets -- so everyone is parked on the main street. I took this photo because this is one of the extremely rare occasions where there are cars parked at the curb all the way down the street.

Pretty, pretty, shiny, shiny... :-)

a belated birthday tribute...

2011-07-26T07:48:00.020-04:00

I have been working on this block for 3 days. The name of it is "Butterfly at the Crossroads" and I wanted to complete it on July 22 as a tribute to my father's birthday. That did not happen, so here it is...a little late. This block is the most challenging one that I have done so far. Because of the triangles, it took quite a bit of focus -- even so -- it was relaxing to work on and also the most fun.

I really didn't go flipping through "the book" looking for a butterfly block. It is the first block I found while I was looking for a block that has 5 rows. Why did I need a block with 5 rows? I received an email from someone who had a question about a comment on had left on someone else's blog. After I replied, she sent me another email asking how would I use Lori Holt's no template tutorial with a block that has 5 rows. Since I am new to many of the traditional quilt blocks shown in "the book", I wanted to see if the no template tutorial would work for this block.

I looked at the block and decided the two center rectangles and square would be my starting point. Since my finished block size is 6 inches, the width across the 2 rectangles + 1 square should equal 6 inches. The finished width across each rectangle equals 2 1/2 inches. The finished width across the center square equals 1 inch.

The other rectangles, squares and HSTs fit in around this. Since the finished width of the center square equals 1 inch, then the finished width for each of the 2 connected vertical rectangles equals 1 inch. The width of the remaining area on each side of a vertical rectangle equals 2 1/2 inches, so the finished width of each square piece or HST piece equals 1 1/4".

I am very happy with the way this block turned out! I think my father would have liked it. Am I learnin'? :-)

and, the ugly award goes to...

2011-07-25T13:15:00.000-04:00

...these guys...

...especially this one...

We found these hanging on our arbovitae -- the bushes in my background photo. They make little cocoons for themselves that look like pinecones. Pretty sneaky, right? I noticed them while we were floating around in the 90 degree pool water last week. I asked Rick -- are those pinecones moving? He thought so too. And, then I remembered someone mentioned them a few years back while I was doing "sign out" duty in Sofia's school. We have tons of people around here who have alot of agricultural knowledge. If they're in the cocoon, pesticide doesn't kill them -- soooooo --- you have to pick them off the tree individually. Since Rick was on "staycation" and doing nothing else, I gave him that job. I have to keep him busy or he gets into trouble ;-)

This is what they look like hanging on the tree -- not my photo -- Rick picked them off the tree before I finished floating around the pool. I figured since there was something to keep me entertained, I should stay in the pool awhile longer ;-)

If you don't get them off your tree, they eat it until it dies. If you want to read up on them, they are called "bag worms". Click here for more info.

oh, the weather outside is frightful...

2011-07-22T07:39:00.001-04:00

Right now the temperature is 97 degrees -- but the heat index is 107 degrees. You can't even breathe outside -- so -- I had an excuse to stay inside and work on another FWQAL block! Since this is my "fun time", I have to justify it -- otherwise I feel guilty. I know I am not alone in this, so I won't elaborate on it. Anyhoo, I did run errands this morning, and then I came home and did my chores -- so I deserve the fun! Yay! Here is my first block with HST (half square triangles). They were so easy to do because of Lori Holt's tutorial. I did make a mistake and cut out the first group of squares too small -- note to self -- look at your notes! :-) But, I found another piece of fabric that was similar to what I originally planned for those squares and recut them, so no harm done. I also realized after I was all done that my stitch length setting was too long. Other than that, this block was fun -- and I have gained a teeny bit of confidence -- so I am moving on to find the next block in the book that has HST!

pretty, pretty...

2011-07-21T12:07:00.000-04:00

...shiny, shiny...

In case you don't know what you are looking at in the photo -- we just had our driveway sealed this morning. This is the first time we have had this done -- and I am very happy with the way it looks. Rick was supposed to call and schedule someone to do this while he was "on vacation" this week -- but never did. But, I guess someone (else) was listening to me -- because the "driveway sealer" guy was working next door at "the crack of dawn" this morning -- and asked Rick to shut off our sprinklers so he could do his job. So, Rick invited him over to do ours too! Yay! :-)

I changed my colors...

2011-07-20T16:16:00.001-04:00

I love the colors of this block in the book, so, I wanted my block to look similar. I got as close as I could get with my fabric stash. This fabric handled a bit better than was I used for the postage stamp block -- so this collection is a possibility for redoing that one. I am also getting a bit better at matching up my seam lines. I think I am going to try a HST (half square triangle) for my next block. I haven't done a HST yet, so I will be using another tutorial from Lori Holt to guide me along.

FWQAL - my block 2

2011-07-19T09:09:00.000-04:00

I spent quite a few hours ~~today~~ yesterday working in the garden. Yes, it was very hot. Really hot -- but -- I was in snipper overdrive and just kept going. Around 3 p.m. I thought it was time to quit -- and joined the troops in the pool. After all that you would think I should be exhausted -- but I wasn't -- so I went upstairs and worked on my 2nd block for the FWQAL. This block has a postage stamp pattern -- so it's very easy to cut -- but a bit tedious to stitch together. It's looking a bit wobbly there in the 2nd photo -- but I'm sure it will be just fine after a few quilting stitches. :-)

family fun sunday...

2011-07-17T19:04:00.001-04:00

Morning: the troops went to the golf driving range = a bit of a break for me.

Afternoon: a trip to the fabric store = therapy for me.

Late afternoon: the troops + me floating around the swimming pool = ~~family~~ Linda fun sunday!

doin' my homework...

2011-07-17T10:35:00.002-04:00

Work in progress...

First block completed!

I am so happy to show you my first completed block for the FWQAL! I followed Lori Holt's tutorial -- and I love the result! The fabric I am using for my first group of blocks is Moda Picket Fence by Chloe's Closet. This fabric is from a few years ago. I only have one charm pack -- so even though I love it, I will need to switch to another fabric after I make a few blocks. I'll make a decision about the next fabric at that point. Right now I'm off to work on my second block! :-)

EDIT: Oh, NO! I just realized when I looked at a closeup of the 2nd photo that I sewed my squares together the wrong way! I think I need to make one of Lori's Mini Design Boards before I do my 2nd block!

whew...(w)hew...

2011-07-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

{catches breath while gathering supplies, scoffing down blueberry bagel, and guzzling morning coffee} Alrighty, I have most of the supplies required for Lori Holt's awesome tutorials for the FWQAL. I am now happy that I was a bit delayed in starting my blocks -- because I would have been pulling out my hair trying to use the templates for every single block -- and --- probably would have missed the blogger updates about these tutorials. My only dilemma now is that I can't decide what fabric to use -- but that will work itself out once I get going.

I'm off to a lovely weekend -- and hopefully completing a few blocks... Hope you have a lovely weekend too! :-)