Tickled Pink Tuesday, Through The Window Challenge

Joining with Cheryl to tell you what Tickles me Pink today....

IT LIVES!!

That's right, Sam's laptop is A-Ok - it took a bath and lived to tell the tale.  We're all very happy, but especially his brother John, who would have had to buy him a new one.  *G*

The other day we went to my aunt's house, and this pic is my entry for Patricia's Through The Window Challenge.  The window really isn't dirty, it's just the reflection from outside.  Now MY windows, that's another story.

Mum and her typical pose.   I'm also entering another two - I took Sam for x-rays today, and in the ceiling, instead of the usual florescent light cover, they had this pretty one -



Closer -



The first pic shows the truer colors.  I think every light fixture in every office ought to be as pretty as that.

The only thing not tickling me today -



The leaves were starting to turn out by my aunt's.  NOT READY.  No ma'am.  Uh-uh.  The cooler nights are lovely for sleeping, but I am NOT ready for jackets and long pants.  Just about when I get used to showing some skin when fully dressed, it's over....and I have to start putting on layers.  No fair!

How's your Christmas gift making coming along?  Are you done?  Have you linked up?  I'll be picking our winner tomorrow night at midnight....I just realized I haven't shown a pic of what the gift is, I'll have to do that soon.  Tomorrow.  Right now I have to run off to the library, then I think we're going to visit Shirley - it's been a few weeks!  I miss her!



One more thing - do you have any pet sayings for your kids?  Anything that you always said, in the way of advice or admonishment?  If so, leave a comment and tell me - no prizes, just curious.  One of my favorites and something I still say is "knock it off or I'll turn you into a crime scene".  Let me hear yours!

Oops

Yesterday, when I showed you the pics of my new chairs, I forgot to mention what else I found at that thrift shop.  A treadle machine with what looked like a Singer Red Eye in the cabinet, for $50!  Guess who I called at work.  Yep, Cathy, the sewing machine queen.  She's been looking for one!  While I was talking to her, the gentleman said he'd go down to $30.

I picked her up from work, and we went back.  She looked at it, said "hm, needs a lot of work" and after a few minutes of that, he said "tell you what, give me $10 and get it out of here".  Um, hello, SOLD!



It even came with stuff in the drawer for it.



The legs.



She even had the perfect chair for it.



But for now, until she re-arranges her sewing room, it has to live here.



Isn't that a hoot.  This is a little machine her daughter picked up for her.  We've lost count how many she has - she still has to get the rest from the old house and her mum's.



This is a quilt Cathy made for a new baby, so cute.




The back.



And this is the quilt she's working on now, for a customer.  She's using some embroidery designs from Amazing Designs for the quilting, it's just gorgeous.



So Cathy's been busy, I'm glad because all I have to show you is the same thing I've been working on.  I do, however, have some tutorials for you.

First, from Dandelion Quilts, a beautiful table runner that you can make to showcase a big print...

Second, a Vinyl Rain Bag Tutorial from Talin, what a smart idea and she makes it easy~!

And from Liz at The Quilted Turtle, a darling adjustable headband tutorial for that special little girl in your life.  I forgot to ask her permission for her pic, so you'll have to go look.

I think that's all for now - I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for a productive week, and that everyone in the flood zones are ok.  You are in my prayers.

Catching Up

So, besides being sick [almost all better now, thank you!] and quilting, we've had a little excitement around here.  Thursday, my son Sam turned 17.  Not a GREAT birthday, since family couldn't come for a party or anything, but he did get to go target shooting with dad.  And he got some cash, which is what he wanted.  Oh how hard it is to buy for teenagers.

Normally, my aunt takes us all out to dinner on our birthdays.  We couldn't do it Thursday, so we did it today.  Where did Sam want to go?  To a BAR.  But not just any bar....I grew up in this one, my grandfather and I went all the time, they have THE best pizza and THE best Italian subs you've ever tasted.  If you're in the metro Detroit area, go have lunch or dinner at the Green Lantern in Madison Heights.  The pics I took inside didn't turn out, too dark, so here's Sam and Mum after we ate.



Yesterday, I had some errands to run, so I got them done and while on the way home, saw that a thrift shop was open - I can never catch this one open, they keep odd hours - so I stopped.  The first thing I saw when I got inside was a red chair, just like Cathy had gotten me a bit ago.  The guy had TWO, for almost the same price as Cathy had paid, so I snapped them up.  They are making me very happy, in my sewing room.



Come on over, we'll have a pot of tea.  That WAS my sewing table - I moved my machine to the other table, and this is my drawing and laptop table now.  I love it.

Here's where I moved my sewing machine.



I still have more to do in here, I need to put my mini-quilts back up on the wall, but this space is cheering me up no end.  My retro table will also serve as my cutting table.

Remember when I went to Mackinac?  Well, Liz brought me a gift that I hadn't taken pics of til today.  These are market bags, and I'm telling you I'm the most stylish shopper around now.  Thank you Liz, I really love them and how much they hold!



And then, Jenny did something so very sweet - she sent me this fat quarter bundle.  It's Tea Garden by Dena Fishbein - I'd never heard of her before, but I am totally in love with these fabrics.



Thank you darling Jenny - you are such a blessing!

Well, now I have to run - Sam told me that John just spilled an entire bottle of water on his [Sam's] laptop.  It's completely dead, not sure if we can bring it back.  I'm going to set up my old computer for him while we wait for his to dry up.  Egads.  I hope you're all having a better weekend than Sam is, lol.

August Strut Your Stuff, Christmas Through The Year

First let me say I am praying for ALL of you in Hurricane Irene's path.  She is a scary storm, please be safe and heed the warnings.

It's August 27 [barely] and it's time to start linking up.  I did make my Christmas gift yesterday, I used Karen Wilson's tutorial for a carry out menu holder for the fridge - I'll be making many more of these, I am in love with it!




Isn't that the neatest thing?  I didn't have a magnetic sheet for the back, so I used the magnetic strip that adheres on.  LOVE THIS.

So how are your projects coming?  I hope you're all doing better than I am.  I have the excuse of being sick all week, but also I've been working very hard on Kaaren's quilts.  What a joy it is to put that together.

Don't forget to link up here, and add your pics to our flickr group.  Remember, if you don't want to do a post about your gift because the recipient reads your blog, you can always email me the pic and I'll post it here.  Our give-away for the folks linking up will be on Wednesday night at midnight....so you have a few days yet!

I have lots more to tell you, but it will wait until at least tomorrow.  Yesterday was my baby's birthday, he's 17 and he didn't get a very good party, with us all being sick.  But he did get to go target shooting at the range with dad [first time], and he really enjoyed that.  I even let them take my camera - and do you believe they got NO PICS???  I could cry.  See if they ever get my camera again.

Ok, link up folks, let's see what brilliant creations you've made this month!!!

Still Here...

Nothing to show but a pile of used kleenexes, I'll spare you that.  I'm sleeping about 20 hours a day [not really, but it feels like it].  Hopefully there will be some kind of quilty content soon in these here parts...take some time to smell the flowers for me, my sense of smell is compromised at the moment.  See you soon!



Closing comments for this post - so you have more time to browse blogs with actually interesting content, lol!

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Broadcast...

to bring you the prelude to the 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise.  If you're here looking for quilty content, you may want to look away now.  But I don't recommend it.



After all, you may see some of these vehicles on quilts someday.


 

Sam is sick, so mum and I headed down to Woodward Ave, the first stretch of concrete roadway in the world.  And the scene of many a teenage drama, including mum's.  She used to cruise here. 



Tomorrow is the official cruise, but they've been at it all week.  For miles and miles, nothing but people from all over the country and their classic cars.  Duggan's Irish Pub is a hot spot, our local news broadcasts the cruise from here.


People are incredibly courteous, letting each other into traffic, giving thumbs up to the cars, and car owners are more than happy to tell you all about their rides.



Not only are the cars cruising, they're parked all along the road, anywhere they can fit.  Folding chairs near the curb for comfort, and someone handed us free bottles of Faygo pop.


I had a hard time finding a parking space, but that didn't stop me from taking pictures along the route.


But never fear - I was in the slow lane, it was stop, go, stop, go, stop stop stop.  I clicked at stops.  Mostly.


These ladies were a hoot - they were rating the rides.


I love it when the hot rods squeal their tires and take off.  Lots of rubber gets left behind on Woodward during cruise week.


Love this one.


Mum remembers riding in something like this.


Very cool.


A personal favorite.





So, tomorrow is the real cruise, and I want to go for it.  I'll have you know I only took and uploaded 245 pics to my flickr and no, I didn't put them all on my blog.  I also have a couple of movies for you.  Might want to turn your volume down a bit.  The first is the cars...



And here, a band started up, and this guy was dancing all by himself.  He really made my toes start tapping, if I'd been braver I would have gotten out there with him.  But then we wouldn't have the cool movie of him.


Hope you enjoyed that as much as we did.  Not sure I'm going tomorrow, Sam was good enough to give me his awful cold.  My throat is killing me and my nose is leaking like a sieve.  But tomorrow will be even better - wall to wall classic cars - noise and fumes and crowds, how I love it!  The only way it would be better is if it was held on a beach somewhere.  Think I'll go to bed now with a half-gallon of Nyquil.  I bet gas fumes are good for your sinuses....clear them right up, right?  I'm going to fall asleep with the old "see the USA in your Chevrolet" commercial ringing in my ears....