Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Ha! Ha!  Yeah, I know Thanksgiving has come and gone, BUT I've been without internet, since last week.  :-/  So you're getting my posts from last week...this week. ;)  Sooooooo this is what I wrote last Wednesday night.

Oh, my, this connection is incredibly slow! Let's see how far we get, okay? ;)
Our Thanksgiving is a little different, as I said last week.  First, all the cooking is done before hand, at home, because on Wednesday morning, we pack it all up and head for the deer woods.  Yes, the deer woods.  Now for all you city slickers out there, *read "Kansas"*. Hehehehe.... That just means where you go to hunt.  For us it happens to be a lease in Sheridan, Arkansas.  There deer don't grow huge, but they are plentiful.  When we drove up tonight, this is what we saw....

And this is where we have our Thanksgiving...

Where the boys sleep...

Where the momma sleeps...Yes, I know, I do have the better end of the deal. ;)

This is Mr. D with BettySmiles and Little Guy, showing them pictures from is trail cam...

 Earlier in the day Dad had called to say that D had cleaned the floor for us (me) to come.  Yeah, I'm not exactly laughing, just a slight giggle...I mean, have you seen the floor?  BUT...how incredibly sweet.  Although some may call him a bear, I think I'll just call him, "Teddy." ;) 

Tomorrow you'll get a tour in the "daylight." 

The "No Man Bashing" Zone

I love men.  I've been blessed to know and love some of the most precious men the Good Lord ever created.  I have loved my Daddy since the day I was born, I have been blessed with three, yes, THREE of the most wonderful Grandfathers...EVER.  On November 2, many years ago, God and my parents gave me a gift, that I call Brother...love him, beyond words.  Growing up, I had friends who happened to be boys, Men of God who taught me well(sometimes I listened, sometimes...ummmm...not so much).  Heck, I even had a high school sweetheart, that I can still think of as sweet(even if his FB profile pic, this summer, looked like a stinking Corona ad, not nice, P).  When the time came I found a man to marry who adores me...still have not figured out why.  Together we have had two beautiful boys(I'm their momma, I can call them beautiful. ;)  ).  I tell you all this so you will not think I am horrible for what I am about to share with you.

So last Thursday, I get this in my email from Archer.  It came with a note of apology...that now he understands...and will not ask to go to the grocery store with me...ever...again...

I laughed so hard that my kiddos all came to check on me and ask if I were alright.  ;)  Enjoy.....

Seasons....

The seasons are changing...this is what it looks like on our lane right now...

Nice, huh?  Just down the hill and to the right, is where we make our home, and wait for you to come on over, and sit on the porch.  :)  Your feet are welcome under our table anytime!

With the change of seasons comes.......SPECIALTY Shakes!!!  LOL!!!

And I had my first of the holiday season flavors Friday night(after a Patriot victory, of course) at Steak and Shake.  Wanna see?

What could be better than Eggnog ice cream?  Seriously, I'm glad I had laced up the running shoes earlier in the day, because I downed the whole thing!  YUMMY!! :0)

Sunday Archer brought in the Christmas trees.  Yes, I know it's not even Thanksgiving, yet, and yes, I said "trees"-plural.  Just wait.... there is a method to my madness. ;)  You see we will go away for Thanksgiving, and will not be home until the Sunday after.  I'll be exhausted and overrun with laundry, so, I like to have the trees up before we leave.  I plan to blog all through Thanksgiving, let's just say our T-day plans are a little different. Yes, I'm getting to the "trees"-plural.  I don't think it's that uncommon for people to have more than one tree, anymore.  I know a lot of people who have two, or three.... Me? Well, I have....dare I say it?  Five....

OK, I do not go overboard on any other holiday, just Christmas.  AND I used to have one tree, then we started having children, and we really NEEDED a "kid" tree. Then, we moved into this house and it has a huge entry, and two windows in the living room, and it just looked better to have a tree in each window.... Don't you think?  Hehehe....

I'll get the camera out later and get a better pic later. ;)  Oh, the other two, yes, almost forgot.  We lost Sweet Memory in October of 2007.  That first year my Dad got nothing out or down from the attic for Christmas.  The next year, I wanted a few things, so, he lovingly brought everything down for me.  Well, she had two trees, and a lifetime of decorations.... She loved Christmas... I loved her then and love her still, how could I leave these things she treasured in the boxes?  So....What did I do, but load every single thing up and bring it home with me.  Oh, my...When it's ALL out...it looks like Christmas just threw up all over my house!  BUT...it's great and the kids love it, and I love it, and when you come to visit, you will love it, too!

Today, as part of their chores, my Guys brought the decorations to the porch for me...and ...here...they... are...

Now to just get it all out... I better go, I've got some work to do! ;)

Brown Baggin' It....(almost done;) )

Here we go.....one...more...time.   Hate to tell you, but it won't be the last.  ;)  The back of my Brown Bag quilt is done!  But......I don't have a picture of it, completed.  I will show you what I do have pictures of. :)

I saved this as blue and green make neutral. ;)  See I found some black with leaves(the pic refused to upload :-/ ), and saved it as "closebutno", you understand. So to make my back the size it needed to be, I simply added this allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the way around.  It's not too bad, if I do say  so myself.

 This is what  it looked like before I added the "blueandgreenmakeneutral." 

 And....if it's not lying perfectly flat, *ahem-clears throat*, it must be because my youngest, decided it was a great spot to take a rest. ;)  She would be the reason I HAVE to use a cutting table.  Like her momma, she loves fabric, in fact, it must call to her, as it does me, because if a piece is spread out or put down, she is gonna be on it! :0)  Her name is Ella, and she is my cuddle buddy, nap partner and co-fabric hound.  Hehehe

My First Quilt

I started quilting in the summer of 1999, the quilting bug bit me good.  At that time I was VERY into rubberstamping.  I have a dear sister friend, Ms. Sarah Kate, who at the time was interested in my hobby.  So, one afternoon, she and her two littles, at the time, came on over and we set to stamping!  It was fun on overdrive.  When it was time for her to go home and get supper started, she invited me over for a quilting lesson the next week.  Well, I thought I'd never be able to figure it out, but we'd had such a good time that afternoon, what could it hurt?  Hehehe.... little did I know!!!  Seriously, stop and laugh here!  The next week I took my two littles, at the time(the one in the oven, too ;)  ), and headed on over not knowing what to expect.  I was in wonder at her quilts, and at that time she was even selling to a gallery in Chicago.  HOW would I ever learn to DO that?  Weirdest thing happened...she pulled out a piece of paper.  Then she told me I was going to sew the fabric to the paper, and that would make a quilt block? Really?  I had seen my grandmothers and great-grandmothers quilt, and that was NOT how they did it.  But since I knew nothing, and it looked like she did, I decided to trust her. :)  Ever so glad I did.

Paper piecing was a perfect way for a young mom to learn to quilt.  It required no math, even though I thoroughly enjoy that aspect of the process now, when your about brain dead from pregnancy and preschoolers, it's kind of nice to just enjoy the creative process, without too much critical thinking. ;)

She kindly sent me home with patterns and fabric.  Sarah Kate, have I ever said, "Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart."? 

Well, it wasn't long(read *within the next two days) before I was out buying fabric, and I haven't stopped yet!  Hehehehe.....

And, so, within a couple of weeks, I had made my first quilt... and it is entirely paper pieced, borders included. Lol  This quilt has been loved, washed, dried, thrown up on and I don't even want to know what else...  So, the colors are a little faded, and my color choices certainly have changed, but here it is...

And the girl I made it for "then"...

And "now"....

My sweet Bonnie Love!  Who just happened to turn 13 last week.  Oh, how time goes by...

And the Winner is.....

Well I went to random.org, and got the winner!  The winner is 2!  That would be Mary Lou!!!
AND......it's her BiRtHdAy!!!  How ironic is that?!?!   Happy Birthday, Mary Lou, and I hope you're feeling better!  Everybody hop on over to Cheaper Than Therapy Quilting, and tell her congrats, Happy Birthday, and Get Well Soon!  If you're not a follower of her blog, you should be! ;)  She is delightful.

Mary Lou, let me know if you want your name or initials...

For the rest of you, thanks for taking time to comment. ;)  AND....don't worry, we'll do it again, real soon!

Design Wall Monday

Ok, here we are.  It's Monday, and if you need  a good laugh, I've got one for ya. ;)  So, I've been updating you on my Brown Bag Quilt, if you haven't seen it it's here.   Well, the thing needs a back, and since I am determined to use ALL the fabric sent in the swap, and I had already cut it up.... This is what I've got so far...

I actually saved it under "laugh", cause I know that's what you're doing. Hehehe..... me, too. ;)


And I'm working on a pieced bias binding, wondering if all the work is going to be worth it, since the three fabrics all read black....

AND.... praying I have enough of these three to finish out this back!

Hoping this thing is done soon!  I've got to get back to my Stashbuster quilt, and a Farmer's Wife Sampler that I am on the edge of my seat to start! ;)   (not to mention Christmas dresses to make, but that's another post  ;)  )

If you haven't entered the giveaway, yet, you've still got time.  Just go here.  Giveaway time is 7 p.m., CST.  :)