Go here for giveaways (and other thoughts!)

Morning all!! I have not been up to a lot of quilting and still my new computer is a bust! (insert grumble here) I am happy to report that today is gloomy and rainy and down right cool! You know what that means... hello Brother here I come!! LOL! I am gonna play with my Brother all day long! (the machine not my Baby... you get it!! LOL my kids don't!!)
Hey look out there in blog land two great giveaways!! Check out Hilachas who is celebrating her 200th blog post!! AND her new sponsor Connecting Threads!! Check her out!! Way to go!!
The second is Lindsay over at Cottage Home! She has gift cards from Visa! Be sure to check them both out!!
Have a great day!! I hope to stitch today!!
Josie

I hope everyone had a great weekend!!

I sure did!! .

•  I broke out in tears making potato salad to take. (because my Baby Brother was leaving that day! LOL silly sappy me!!)
• We camped all weekend
• made S'mores with JUMBO marshmallows!
• Kids had water gun fights!
• Played a wicked tournament of bags (we let the Brat win for her b-day! or at least that's the story I'm stickin with!!)
• Played more games than I can count of Left, Center, Right (GREAT kids came!!!)
•  I went shopping with my MIL (although I could not find the red white and blue rope lights I wanted).
• I (wait for it) read a WHOLE book!! What happened to Cass McBride it was just OK. I checked it out from the library on my Kindle.
• got 1/4 of the way through my next John Saul book Not sure where I missed this one! I'll tell you later if I liked it! (but I always like my John Saul!!)  
• The temps crept up to 97! Thank goodness we had a breeze and shade!!
• We had cake and Ice Cream TWICE for My BIL and Daughters birthdays.

 And do you think I remembered to grab the camera and take one pic!! NOPE!!
I did finish my June blocks for one of my swaps! Took picks before I left, backed them up on my computer (you know the BRAND NEW one we got three weeks ago) tried to turn it back on when we got home... it won't turn on!! Once the 'tech support' opens I will call and see what they have to say!! Sheesh!
BUT!! I did get something I can't wait to get up!! Honeyman bought me a pool!! It is 18 x 52!!! We have to do some cleaning up in the back yard! We used to have a pond, but the dogs tore up the lining and Honeyman did not want to replace it, so now I have a huge hole in my backyard!! SO!! I will be doing a little digging and pulling out replanting flowers that were around the pond!! Then I have to figure out where in the world you get 7,700 gallons of water from!!! It would take a month to fill that thing with the garden hose!! LOL
OK!! Now that I am back... I have a LOT to do around the house!! PLUS, get ready for our vacation in two weeks!!
Glad to see everyone after the long weekend!!
Josie

Am I insane yet?

OK, so without going into to much detail Baby Brother and I are doing some MAD cleaning. I have had little sleep. And have spent more time in my car this week that I normally do in a month driving back and forth, and the week is not done.
I will not riddle you with pics, because I could not bring myself to take pics. And if a certain someone reads this and gets angry I DO NOT CARE!!! I have had to be a not so very nice person this week. It is hard to be that mean and have to put your foot down and say enough is enough. I am glad I have Sean with me so I am not an army of one!! I will just say think Hoarders!! No really!! I know this is one of those things you may or may not like to read on a blog, but I am right out there!

oops!! LOL!

I write it down as I see it. If it is my kids, quilting, life, the burned out car down the road that caused a lot of commotion on my block last night! (he he) I am brutally honest! And after all, This is all my insanity defense right!!

April 12, 1969

On the bright side I have been trying to save a lot of pics and I did bring them home so I could go through them. One at the bottom of the box as not just a snapshot, it was a photo of my Mother on her wedding day with all of her Brothers and Sisters!
top: Bob, George, Skeeter, Dick
Middle: My Mom (Becky) My Grandmother (Marie)
Botttom: Hazel, Rita, Vernita, Merilyn, Shirley
I love it!

OK! That's it for now! I have to take today off, Honeyman is working, so I have to be here form my kids!! I think I am going to take nap time for me and stitch! Oh, I did get one thing finished before Baby Brother called and threw my world into an upside down tornado!

May Beejeebers Block

This was my first month with Beejeebers and I tried something new! These were raw edge applique machine sewn! Ya me!

OK, I'm gone now! Everyone have a great time and enjoy your beautiful day!! :)
Josie

Did everyone hear the yelp from where you are??

I do so hope everyone had a great Mother's day! Mine... started off pretty low key! Of course it was the last day of camping, so I had to clean up the camper. Now, even though I am not a great housekeeper can I tell you I go NUTZ with the sanitation of my camper!!! So hours of cleaning it up so we could pull out to come home!

I did not work on my stitchin like I planned. Nope hold onto your big girl panties everyone I READ A WHOLE BOOK!! One weekend! Two days!! (and part of one dedicated to doing the Brats hair for Prom!!)  It wasn't even a picture book!! Well, that is only a half truth!! LOL I checked out Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children from the library for my Kindle.  It was a good fairly light hearted read! I enjoyed it and yes, it has pictures in it! And at the end of the book it tells you that all of the pics were found!! kind of cool!! Again, I pat myself because I do not read fast and this was a pretty quick read!!

OK, so I cleaned, I got home my kids gave me cards (well, the Brat txted Happy Mother's day to me and then some kind of a thing I said looked like a butt, but she said it was a hamster face! LOL)

I also went through the mail that came on Saturday and I found a GREAT package that I had won a few weeks back!!
Talk about a great day!!!


I had been up since early in the morning and at 5:30 I told Honeyman I wanted to take a quick nap. SO I went upstairs and of course then you know my room becomes central station!! One person after another needing something! The Brat came in with the phone and it was my Baby Brother!! It is pretty normal for him to call on Sundays.
so the conversation goes something like this:
BB: How was your weekend
ME: good,camping...what are you doing it is SO noisy?
BB: Driving.
ME: AHHHH
BB: So how busy is YOUR bathroom at 7 in the morning
ME: (thinking WT? odd question) I need a revolving door on the darn thing at that time in the morning 5 people one bathroom!!
BB: Well, I guess I can just get up at 5:30...

Wait, back up what did he just say??? OK if you didn't know it BB lives in TX and we are in IL!! He said he would be at my house in 4 hours or so!!! AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I was no longer in the mood for a nap!! Seems he has to work up here for two weeks!! (well, 12 days and he has to work 11 of those 12 days) And since my house is only 5 min from where he has to be!!! He is going to crash with me!! Can I tell you I was so happy I was crying! I love my Baby Brother so much! And miss him something crazy like!! What a great Mother's Day gift!!! His 4 hours turned out to be more like almost 6 he got here at 11:20 and had to be in this morning, but It was so great to see him! I know I have to share him with Dad but I know we will get some fun times together!!

Oh, no pic of him! LOL I though about one of him sleeping on my couch, but then decided he might no like that so much! Maybe I will get good pics of him with my kids!!
Have a great Monday all!!
I know I will!!
Josie

Just a few things to add :)

So, I got my Starflowers done

And BRACE YOURSELF...

Dragon fly

Flower pots

Tree

My first attemt at embroidery!!! Sorry about the wonky pis! It is still in the hoop and I did not want to have to wriggle it back in there! LOL I just started on the tree last night and I think I will take  this with me when I camp this weekend! YA! It is part of the Clover & Violet QAL I know they did the blocks and then the embroidery, But I know that my Applique blocks 'shrink' and I did not want that to happen to these! So, I did the stitchin first and will go back and sew blocks later! Plus, I have not decided on what two colours I want to use! So, I will wait for inspiration from the centers! I will take better pics once I get them done and ironed and all! But you get the idea! :)

Well, I have packages that I have to finish getting ready and they WILL go out today!

I also have laundry, packing, and I think I might get to stitch while kids sleep!
Have a great weekend! I am camping and enjoying the WONDERFUL weather!!!
Josie

I'm back!

Whew! That was a long week without a computer! LOL What did we ever do without?? No in all reality I did have my little notebook, but I cannot put pics on that not a lot of memory and I don't want to fill it all up! I really need to get a memory stick to put all my pics on!
I have finished a few things!

Remember all those HST I was working on??  Well, I got the top all together! Now I have to decide if I want more of a border on it! Oh, I did add a 2 inch white border after this pic was taken, But I have to say one of my biggest flaws so far is NOT knowing what to add to 'fiinish' it off! You know! Honeyman likes this with just the white on the edge! I think I might have to agree with him and When I get a chance to pick up some backing for this I might just do some straight line quilting and purple for the binding! i was happy to use some of my squares from the swaps I have done! I love all those different fabrics!

                                                       I am a month behind in my Blogger BOM. So this one is my March Block(s). I have to get the April done yet, too and then I will be caught up! (I do so hate being behind).

I got my May swap done for We Bee learning! It will go in the mail in the morning when Honeyman gets home and can make my run to the post office!

May To Do List:





Catch up on Blogger BOM! Only one month behind!!
Decide what I am doing for the Red White and Blue Blog Hop!!
Swaps:
   We Bee Learning: DONE
   Bee Creative 2012: Star Flower
   Beejeebers: Beachy Applique (Yes this is a new swap! I was recently invited to fill in for someone who sadly had to drop out! I hope I can do these AMAZING ladies proud!!)
   Comfort Quilts: My Month!! Wait for stuff to arrive and stitch together!! :)
Celebrate my oldest Daughter's SEVENTEENTH birthday!! (that just does NOT seem possible!!)

I think I got it all! :) Back with more!
Have a beautiful day!!
Josie

Oh, are y'all ready for this?? I started an embroidery thingy!! AAHHH!! Wish me luck!! :)

Winner Winner...

Sorry guys! I am still without computer so I will try my best to make this look as spectacular as I can!! Well I got the little guy on here, but do you think I can make him pretty??? NOPE! hehe! Well # 4 is

Delete Comment From: Insanity Defense

Grammasheri said...

Oh Josie I just have to enter this one! I love love love pincushions! You did a great job on these and, well, I think the pink one is my favorite. Who can resist the fun, fuzzy edges of the leaves? Thanks for hosting this giveaway...

She gets the pattern and one of my pineapples

Next winner

~

~Kelie~ said...

Aww those are adorable!!!! I'm so glad I'm not the only beginner around that has "issues" with certain things!!! LOL! Anyways, thanks for the chance to win such a cute prize!!!

Kelie you get one of my pineapples!!

I will be sending out e-mails to you ladies! Thanks again to those of you who come back to see me!! :)

I have more finished projects, but alas till I get my new computer I cannot get them up on here!! Gonna stitch away the day!
have a splendid Saturday!!
Josie

I have realized that I do not know how to use Mr. Random Number generator! He really did show #'s on my screen, but when I went to put him on here they went away! POOOO! Plus, I cannot turn off the Italics! LOL Is this just me or is it Blogger in all its wonderful glitchiness???

techno terror and another of my rants!

Well, when I say no fun pics this time I really have to mean it! :( My computer finally bit the dust! I cannot get it to keep a browser up!! So, My beloved Honeyman ordered a new one :) and I got a bonus out of the deal!! See, he ordered it off Amazon (I love that place) because it was cheaper than going to the box store, plus six months same as cash! A phone call to Baby Brother to give the thumbs up for the one we chose (he is after all the expert) and it seams the last time I was shopping there I was looking at a 1/4 inch foot for my machine but did not want to pay shipping for one item, well! Did I say I love him?? It was in the cart so he went ahead and ordered it for me! The update said it should be here by Monday and I can't wait! Oh, for the computer, too!! LOL In the mean time I have to put up with life on the notepad! At least it is my window to the outside world! I would be lost if I did not have this little guy (private moment to hug my Notepad)!

OK rant time! This is the part where I moan about just any old thing that has come to mind and can I tell you right now it is the bank!!! So, one of the guys that Honeyman works with just did some mortgage modifications on his rental properties. This is not something your bank will advertise to you but right now because loan rates are so low you can modify and it costs little to no money to do so! Well, we called and got the process started, but because we have an FHA loan we have to do what is called a streamline. So, after a week of filling out papers and faxing back and forth they tell us that in order to meet the terms we have to decrease our payment by 5%. OK not a big deal. Here is what made me MAD... when the re-offer came the reason marked for the 'new terms' was not 'does not meet qualification's or 'needs to meet certain terms' it was , wait for it, NO BENEFIT TO BUYER!!!!! OK, so we were going to go from 23 years left in our loan to a 15 year loan, from 6.375% interest to 3.5% interest and payment would go down by $23. By their standards it had to go down by $34! So we were talking we missed the boat by $11 a month!!! I was beside myself when I read that!!!  And the big kick in the pants of all of it was all we had to 'pay down' on the loan is $1200! What the, they WILL allow us to pay that down and then we will meet the qualifications, but my words to them are, so in 15 years from now (or really if we continue to pay what we are paying right now which is the plan only 11 1/2 years) if I just stop paying you then you tell me there was no benefit to me!! Right! Please tell me I am not the only one who thinks that a line drawn that far in the line is just NUTZ! Sheesh!

OK rant done! Thanks for listening to me! Hey, if you have not already make sure you go over and check out my giveaway!!

Have a great day!!
Josie

Who Lives in a Pineapple under the sea (Giveaway)

So, I could not get that song out of my head! Well it might have had something to do with the fact that that show is on our TV every day! True story I am a Patrick Star (or as Lil used to call him Patpat) fan!! But that really has not that much to do with my post today! Did I say giveaway??

stitching on the side!

Rena, asked me if I wanted to do up a pattern and review for her for her Pineapple Crush pincushion !! After I made sure to say 'Ya do know I am a beginner' she assured me that I would be just fine! Guess what... when a pattern is laid out for you and you have clear direction (and you remember to read ALL of those directions) She is right! I was just fine! Sometimes, I do have to read things a few times and other times I do have a tenancy of missing something altogether! See...
Let us take a look at the pink and teal pineapple... so you see the stitching, well somehow I missed the fact on the first one that you were supposed to twist the embroidery thread around it! Guess what, it was there in black and white! Clear as day in the directions! Lets all laugh at me now! The first one I did was the pink one and I reread the pattern when I made the other three and kicked myself for not seeing that! Lesson learned because can I tell you how long it took to do that after this bad boy was already stuffed! (But, I secretly like the way it looked! sshhh)

I did correct my error on the other three and I LOVE the way these little pineapples look! I did get a little carried away with the two tone look! And I was so crazy psyched to have fun coloured embroidery thread that I had to use some fun colours! I also, as a new sewer, have to thank her for the clear directions on the satin stitch! Some of the things on my new machine are still very new to me and I learned something new (ummm that would be stitch length and width hehe)

 Rena has kindly offered a free pattern to one of my lucky followers! And I am going to offer one two of these little guys to you! So The first winner will get a pattern and a pincushion, and the second lucky duck will get a pincushion!

                                                                                                    I don't claim to be the queen of the pincushion ...yet, but hey I had such a great time with these little guys!!                          So, to win it is easy... leave a comment!! You do not have to be a follower, but it would be nice! I like to see your faces here :) Please make sure you are not a no-reply blogger! If I can't get ahold of you, you can't win :(    I will draw a winner on Friday @ 5:00! (If I can figure out how to use Mr. Random Number Generator I will use him otherwise my kids will get to draw from a hat! LOL)

Good luck!! Thank you SO much to Rena for hosting!!! Be sure to check out her blog and her shop!!

Thanks for visiting with me today! Good luck in the drawing!!

Josie