We've Found a House!

We've found a house! I am trying to wait until we actually close on it to post pictures. We should close on either Friday or Monday, depending on when some work is completed. 
The house is in the Texas hill country, which is an area we have loved for a long time.

The house is on a hill and has a nice view of the hill country from just about any window. (The pictures on this post were taken last year and are not from the house. ) You will also see deer grazing freely on anything they find! I love watching them, but will have to confine my flower beds to a fenced area! (I'm going from bad to worse. So many people thought I meant "horse", I switched the pictures around. Now it looks like I think the horses are deer! I'm going to quit while I'm ahead!)
Best of all......I will have a large sewing/quilting room! It will probably be one of the last rooms we work on, but it will be wonderful having a big space! 

We are going to take our time updating the house. I'll show before and after pictures of our work. I plan on spending most of the budget on really quality purchases, then filling in by finding second hand furniture and sewing my own drapes, etc. I'll share this with you, too. Perhaps my successes and failures (and I'm sure there will be some!) will help some of you out in some small way. For example, I've already purchased a really quality leather sectional. It was on clearance at Ethan Allen because someone ordered it and then changed their color scheme. It was EXACTLY what I had in mind and although it had just come in and was in perfect condition, it was marked half price! Even at that, it was expensive, so I will need to search Craig's List for some side chairs that I can upholster. (I've never done that! Do you think I can?) I hope you'll stick around and share in my adventure! Can you tell I'm excited?
                                                 
P.S. - Please join me in the Don't Let the Door Stop you blog hop that is going on now. I will be posting my contribution on February 5. You can follow the entire hop, in conjunction with the She Who Sews hop, by going to Sew We Quilt.


                                                 

Wake Up to Kona ! My Day!

Today is my day to "Shine" in the Wake Up to Kona Blog Hop! Actually, there are many of us shining in this hop and I think you will be inspired by all the pretty quilts and projects made from Kona Solids. 
                        

I used the fat quarter bundle of Sunrise solids. These colors are so beautiful and cheerful, how could I do anything but enjoy working with them! They are such good quality and so pretty! I used Aurafil threads to do my quilting, of course!

These colors reminded me of the Cinco de Mayo roses I used to have. (I actually still have one that I will take with me to a new house!) They start out bright orange and go through reds and pinks as the flower opens and fades.

If you've followed me for very long, you know I love to add words and verses to my quilts. I embroidered a verse on the bottom and right side border on this quilt: "The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy." Psalm 65:8. (I balanced the design by placing prairie points at the top and left side borders.) Here is my "sunrise" quilt in the golden light of the setting sun. 

I had so much fabric left over, I also made a "puff" or "biscuit" quilt using some of my leftovers. I embellished it with a few stuffed flowers.

I also received Amanda Murphy's book Color Essentials, Crisp and Vibrant Quilts. Although I didn't make a pattern from the book, there are many in it that I'm sure I will make in the future. The book is very inspirational.  
                                                   
 I now have two new colorful quilts I can use somewhere in my new house! Update: For those of you wondering where we are in the "getting back on our feet" process after the fire, we have a contract on a house. I will be posting about it after we close, which will be very soon.)
 My thanks to Mdm. Samm of Sew We Quilt and to Carol of Just Let Me Quilt for putting this great hop together! In my mind, you can't go wrong when you're dealing with cheerful colors! 
            Be sure you visit the other blogs in the hop today! 

                 

January 20

More Stars in Comanche

You are here! - Buzzing and Bumbling

Quilting Quietly

Grammie Q’s

The Quilted Cat

The Quilting Queen Online

Lauraluvsloons

                                      Sew Incredibly Crazy


                                  

Lessons I've Learned Over the Years!

To My Family and Friends, here are a few lessons I have learned over the years. The new year seems like a good time to review them!

A little makeup can make a girl feel a little better, but a lot of makeup doesn't necessarily make her feel a lot better!

Sometimes it takes teamwork to get uphill, even when you're "having fun!"

Learn to enjoy the simple things!

Don't judge a book by its cover! Sometimes, there's dynamite packed into just three pounds, four ounces!

Learn to see the miracles in nature as though you are seeing them for the very first time! Let yourself be thrilled!

 You can't have your pudding until you eat your supper, but occasionally it might be okay to make an exception!

Sometimes our eyes deceive us. Take a second look!

Your dreams rarely just land in your lap! You have to chase after them like bubbles in the wind!

 

Life is messy, but you'll feel better if you clean up as you go along!

 Some things in life are wonderful surprises!

Find a way to make the little ones in your life succeed and feel useful! They will not remember the words you tell them as much as the way you made them feel!

If you want a "white Christmas", go find your own snow! 

Scientific investigation begins early! Be prepared!

As one of my second graders once quoted, "The grass is always greener where the buffalo roam!" ......and you know what that means! There is usually an "up" side to every "down"!

Life is full of funny little coincidences. Enjoy them!

Learn to laugh at yourself! (Just be sure you have good bladder protection!)

Never let a day pass without telling your loved ones that you love them. Yes, they may know it, but there's something special about hearing the words!

Always remember that "stuff" is here today, gone tomorrow. What remains are relationships and memories. Work more on those than on your "stuff"!

 If you can't go to Hawaii, bring Hawaii to your back yard! 

There will be mountain top experiences....

 ...as well as a few low points, but never give up! God is in control!

Here's to a wonderful new year! I'm excited and ready to tackle it!

 

Making Progress!

Christmas tree at Rosario's Mexican Restaurant, San Antonio, Texas

We're making progress after the fire! We have turned in our initial contents list and hopefully we are finished with that. If not, we will need to add to it from the lists we didn't put on the spread sheet. SHEESH!.....43 years of marriage and so many blessings we had trouble counting them! Our oldest son has been here this week helping us. 
Yesterday, we sent the list off and then headed into town to enjoy the festivities. 
 I had never been to the Holiday River Parade before,although I grew up in San Antonio, so this was really a nice start to the season!

 I didn't include pictures of all the floats, but I have shown you a "taste" of the atmosphere. It was perfect weather for this. Although we had a "cold front" come through, it was clear and about 60 degrees on the Riverwalk. 
And take a look at this! My husband gave me an early Christmas present!!! A Handi-Quilter Sweet Sixteen! It's a "sit down" long arm. This was a demo model being sold at a local quilt shop. It is strictly for quilting. So.....

for sewing....my parents gave me my grandmother's old Singer Slantamatic! It sews beautiful stitches! This is the model 401. My grandmother was an expert seamstress. She is 105 now and doesn't do much sewing.

 That's my week! I still feel optimistic and calm. We have the check in hand from the house, we've already sold the lot the house was on, and the contents list is hopefully finished.

 Even Sugarplum is happy that things are going so well. She climbed up in my lap and cuddled up against my chest to sleep. I couldn't resist snapping a photo of her. It was this time last year that she was abandoned as a tiny kitten.
      It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Thankfulness

This time last year I was helping my grandkids set up my Christmas village and preparing for a large crowd of family to celebrate Thanksgiving at my house. This year the house is gone, but the family is not! My village pieces are gone, but the memories are still with me. What a wonderful time to be alive! I realize that even after losing my home and most of my possessions, I still am left with more blessings than many people in the world have or ever hope to have in their lifetimes.

• I have clean water to drink. 
• I have a roof over my head.
• I have a warm, soft place to sleep.
• I have a kind, loving husband and a caring family around me.
• I have enough money in my bank account to pay my bills.
• I have plenty to eat.
• I live where the weather is not bitter cold in the winter.
• I live in a modern time where family members are only a phone call or air flight away!
• I have friends like you (most of whom I've never met face to face) who are amazingly kind-hearted and generous!
• I have parents who raised me to know what is REALLY important in life!

Those are only the things I have thought of this morning. I'm sure that during this Thanksgiving weekend,  I will think of many, many more! I hope you will remember during the next few days what are really the blessings in your life, too. 
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving if you are in the United States. If you live elsewhere, have a wonderful weekend!
NOTE: I'm getting closer to being able to get back to my blogging and Blog hopping. We are almost ready to turn in the "LIST"! Then we will be ready to start on the site clean-up. That will not involve as much as my presence as the list did. I might dig up a few prized plants before the bulldozers destroy them. 
My sister and I have rented a spot in a juried craft sale on December 7th. I had a lot of quilts, wallhangings, etc. that I had made for it that I lost in the fire. I have made a few more things, but not even enough to recoup the cost of the space rental. I will be furiously working to make a few more items for that during this next week. I am on the decorating committee for a quilt guild Christmas dinner next Wednesday, and I have also started on my Kona solids project for the January hop. We have decided to have Christmas at my son's California home, but I haven't even thought about Christmas gifts yet.  (Feeling a little stressed, but that seems to go along with this time of year!) I guess that means things are feeling more normal!
             Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! (We're off to buy tamales to have along with our turkey tomorrow!)

Still Hanging in There!

 I'm looking forward to starting on this hop! My fabric is gorgeous!!!
To begin, I want everyone to know how extremely grateful I am to all of you who have sent words of encouragement, cards, and even packages to brighten my days. I have found so much enjoyment in them all! (And to whoever tried to send me a package from Tennessee, I send my apologies from UPS. They received the package here on October 28, sent it back to you on November 4, and sent me a notice to come pick it up on November 8! (Of course, that was after it had been returned!) They couldn't give me your name, so I couldn't let you know that I did not reject your package or anything like that. They to pay for a second try, but I had no way of letting you know that. I'm SO SORRY! The problem was that I must have hit the 3 key instead of the 4 key in my address. It was sent to 2035 instead of 2045. You would think they would have at least gotten close because we're out in the country and that should have been close enough to get it to us. Again, I'm so sorry! 
I am still filling out contents lists and trying to find values for things. It is quite a job. We are about to leave for an appointment with a real estate agent. We will discuss our options - selling our land, buying new land and building, or finding an existing house. 
We're still doing fine and feel so blessed in so many ways! 
( I'll find time to post soon with photos.)

Progress and a Cute Little Sewing Machine!

My dad, who is an extraordinarily creative and skillful artist, is making a few of these little sewing machines for an upcoming crafts fair! This is his own design.(He has also made little tractors, cars, etc.) What you can't see from the photo is that if you turn the wheel, the "needle" (also wood and not too sharp) goes up and down. What little girl wouldn't be thrilled with a machine like this! It is about 10" or 11" wide - a perfect size for a wantabe seamstress! I think it would be a cute addition to some of our sewing rooms!
As far as progress after the fire,I am still filling out contents lists for the insurance company. This is probably the most difficult task so far. Could you remember every item in your house, when and where you bought it, and how much you paid for it? 
 I'm still doing fine emotionally and I still feel that everything will be fine in the end. Doug and I are safely tucked away right in the heart of family and the people around us have been amazing! My sincere thanks and appreciation goes out to all of you who have written encouraging emails and cards. Some of you have sent packages and I have had so much fun opening them up and discovering the contents! Early Christmas! I plan on putting all your cards in a scrapbook so that if I find myself bogged down in discouragement, I can pull out the scrapbook and see what an amazing group of people God put in my life! Thank you so much!!
Hopefully, I will have more to show you when all this insurance business gets behind me, but I wanted to give you an update.

 Since I showed my house after the fire, I wanted to show some pictures of it before.