And the winner is!

Sorry. I promised yesterday and got to it this morning.  The winner of my 500th post giveaway is....

Annie!  From Annie's Quilting Adventure!  Congratulations Annie!!  I will send you an email to get your snail mail address.

Thank you to everyone else for the nice comments.  I am well on my way to another 500 posts.  This is number 512.  :)

On the sewing front, you can finally see the top of my newest purchase.  I got my new Swoon block all cut out and I got a couple of gathered clutches cut out and waiting.  Just need my machine...(tapping my foot).  I will be patient.  As soon as my machine is home, I will snap a picture for the full effect.

Have a great day!
Jen  :)

Christmas Through the Year - January

I made it just in time!  I hustled to get these little zippy wallets finished (there is still one waiting to be completed).  Tutorial is courtesy of Noodlehead here.  But I'm happy to have my first gifts done for Christmas Through the Year.  I've even started my February gifts!  Well, I made a sample.  Just to see how the pattern was going to work out.  Came out great.  Now I will continue and make a couple of more.

But sewing is coming to SCREECHING halt over here.  I am tearing my room apart.  Why you ask?  Wellllll, I'm getting a special delivery on Thursday!  Remember?  I'm holding a secret in?  It's not much of a secret because I cracked and announced it out on Facebook and told some of my bloggy friends who asked ever so sweetly to share my secret.  :)  If you want to know what my secret is, come back on Friday.  I will share it all with you. 

If you're interested in my giveaway, click here.  Winner will be announced on 1/29.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Some exciting times here at home.  The Tooth Fairy came to visit for the very first time on Saturday night!  Amelia was talking to me and she abruptly stopped and got a very wide-eyed look.  She proceeds to tell me that her loose tooth was stuck behind her other tooth.  She pushed it out with her tongue and it fell out of her mouth.  LOL.  Let's just say I had a happy kid on my hands.  We called Daddy at work to tell him the good news and found an envelope to stick the tooth in for the Tooth Fairy.  I, during all this, was having a mild internal panic attack!  I don't normally have cash on hand.  I am very much tied to my debit card.  That is my life line.  I don't think Amelia would have liked an "IOU" from the Tooth Fairy since I was on my own until Chris came home from work the following morning!

The Gods smiled on me and I had $10.00 in my wallet.  A lone 10.  I didn't want to be cheezy and give her just 4 quarters (I always have change in the house).  I wanted it to be a special morning for her.  So her first tooth cost the Tooth Fairy 10 bucks. 

Lessoned learned: go to the bank and get a bunch of singles to have on hand for the next couple of years!!

I did explain to Punkie that while the Tooth Fairy was VERY generous with her first loose tooth, I didn't think that the trend would continue with the rest of her teeth.  The first loose tooth was special.  After that, the Tooth Fairy would probably be more practical and give only a couple of dollars for the rest of them.  She seemed to have accepted my explanation.

So I have an empty wallet but a very happy little girl.  I can live with that.  :)

Don't forget if you are interested and haven't commented yet... 500th post giveaway happening here.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

500th Post Giveaway

I did a little shopping from my stash and a little shopping in the store and I got a little creative and made something for this giveaway.

Up for grabs.... a charm pack of "Hello Betty" (bought a few years ago from FQS but never used it), a mini charm pattern (also from my endless pattern supply), a quilted needle book (made by me using this tutorial), and a "I heart 2 quilt" decal for your car window.  I have one and I love it.

Apologies are needed for the quilted needle book.  My machine sewing of the binding got a little off-kilter in spots. I debated about taking it off and doing it again but... that's what gives it "character".  LOL!  And my husband doesn't know his own strength and gave the pearl snap one whack too many.  It's not broken on the top; seems to be on the inside.  Again, think CHARACTER.  I'm sorry. I was so upset this morning with him.  UGH.  I should have just done it myself.

So if you're interested in my slightly flawed giveaway, just leave me a nice comment telling me it's going to be okay.  :)  Giveaway will be open for a week.  Winner will be announced on 1/29.  If you are a "no-reply" commenter, either leave me your email in your comment or you will not be counted towards the giveaway.  I need to have a way to get a hold of you.

see the wee cracked button  :(

1/29 - Comments are closed.  I will be drawing a winner sometime today.  Good luck!
Enjoy your day!
Jen

Swoonin'

Snowy day out there today.  I had commented last week (I think) on Anna's blog that I didn't want any snow.  She told me that I needed to "embrace my inner snow" and my husband pretty much told me the same thing.  He got a commercial plowing job for the season and told me that he needs only 4 good snow storms and that will pay for our trip to Disney.  So... C'MON SNOW!

Speaking of Disney, we met with a travel agent yesterday to learn the ins and outs of our potential trip and we're getting close to booking!  WOOHOO!  I thought for sure the prices would bug my husband's eyes out but he was really mellow about it.  After some discussion on the way home and a bit more looking online at the different resorts the travel agent priced out for us, I think we've made a decision as to where we're going to stay when we're there.  More on that later.  I will just say that I am SUPER EXCITED and having a hard time holding my secret in around Amelia.

On to Swoon.  Block 3 is complete.  Block 4 fabrics have been pulled out of the pile and ready for cutting but I'm not feeling it.  They will have to wait.

Some other finishes.  I finished the first round of gifts for Christmas Through the Year that Darlene and Cheryl are co-hosting.  I'm not ready to show you yet though.  See, MY part is done but I need the husband's muscles for the last bit.  If I get on him before he leaves for work tonight, I should be able to show you tomorrow.  I also finished my accessory bag for the swap that Kris is hosting.  Again, I need the husband's muscles for one last part.  I'll explain when I show you what I made.

I know a few weeks ago I promised  a 500 post celebration giveaway and I haven't forgotten.  I just need to snap a picture and post.  Stay tuned!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Candy Sleighs. Who knew??

Man.  Those are generating some BIG interest out on my Pinterest account!  To refresh... Ellyn posted about some VERY cute candy sleighs that she and her friend made.  I spotted them and pinned them to my Pinterest accout to remind myself to make them for Christmas 2012.  I found the time and made them for this past Christmas; which were a huge hit!

The pin out on Pinterest?  Over 200 "likes" and over 1000 "repins"!  My email account is over-run with emails about people repinning that picture.  Even my BFF in TX made a couple dozen for her girls to bring to preschool.

Ellyn - I think you've started a candy sleigh craze!  LOL!!  Because I know I'll be making them again for this year and more of them.  Some of the adults in my family were disappointed that I didn't have enough for everybody.

I've almost decided what I'll be giving away for my 500th posting.  Stay tuned!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Do you wanna swap?

Kris over at Dandelion Quilts is hosting an accessory bag swap.  Sign-ups are closing on the 12th.  Join in the fun!  You need to email Kris directly if you want to join.  Read this post.  She sums up all the instructions there.

And I would like to point out... this is my 500th post!  WOW!  I didn't think when I started blogging that I would have that much to say that would warrant 100 posts, never mind 500!  You know how we LOVE to celebrate on blog land soooooo... a giveaway will be coming SOON!  I didn't put any thought into the giveaway since I just saw today that this is my 500th post.  LOL!  Give me a few days to collect my thoughts as to what I would like to do and I'll let you know.  :)

Enjoy your weekend!
Jen