Oops I did it again...

"Josie," you say!
"Yes, Friend?" I reply.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Ummmm, nope, well, maybe... all right you caught me! I started another project!!"
Now my friends is the time to say, What in the world were you thinking!!!
I would reply something like... wait I have no excuses! NONE!! LOL!
I had the stuff!! Is that an excuse?? See all of these fabric swaps I do they have these brilliant little four inch square and even though the pattern I am kinda, sorta, but not really making, following, using as inspriation, calls for a layer cake... I decided I can improvise!! This morning however I had to admit I told EllBelle that my thinker was not working properly! She asked if she could kiss it and make it all better! Bless that little angel!!
OK, Here are a few pics to peak your interest!!

Fanned LOL

Stacked!! :)

Anyone know what I am doing??

So the DNP I do have to put one more row of sashing around. I thought about just leaving them at this odd 11 inch finished size... but I like to use my big old 12 1/2 inch ruler to square them up WAY to much!! SO! Oh, and  the center squares in the big square were a 10 inch, but since I was using quarter yard cuts that I alread had, mine were cut to 8 1/2 inch! Use what you have!!
Oh, I love this pattern!! I will tell y'all what it is when I get a little closer to done and I do so hope I have done it a little bit of justice!!


On a side note I just have to make a complaint an observation! I love the spring! I love the smells, the weather, the flowers! I alos love to have my windows open! but... HEY, next time y'all go to buy a house and you are told it is in a quiet neighborhood or that it is an elderly neighborhood, can I translate that for you if you have very small children or infants!! That translates to everyone in the neighborhood mows their lawn between the hours of 12:30 and 2:00!! No, really!! I have five neighbors who I believe to be on a five day cylce thoughout the week and have banded against me!! I have to run around my house and make a MAD dash to close the windows just to be sure that the little ones have not woke up from their naps!! Wow, why can I not live in a neighborhood where everyone works during the day!! LOL Leave me here to watch the nighborhood! OR, better yet I would LOVE to be in the country!! (but when we moved here Honeyman was on a restriction where we could live because of his job)
OK thanks for humoring me with that last little bit of conspiracy theory! LOL!
Get outside! Enjoy the day! Or stitch a little! I am back to see if my thinker is working yet to calculate those last sashings (because for the life of me I just could not do it this morning)!!
Josie

I don't always have a plan!!

Do you quilt without a plan? Sometimes there is just so much going on in my head and I can't get it out fast enough! You know those people who meditate, well I am not one of them! I cannot shut my mind off long enough to just BE!! I say if I were a kid today I would have the whole alphabet listed behind my name! You know! Josie, ADHDPQRST!! Just sayin! Well, i also cannot throw out little scraps, I don't know if I am cheap or thrifty or both! LOL I just did another 'charm square' swap and all those little scraps that are left behind, yup into a bucket they went! Well I decided to start throwing them together! Really, not without a plan of where I am heading with them! Here is what I have come up with so far...

I think I am going to take these two apart!

I was so angry with myself! I pulled out what I THOUGHT was my double sticky stuff, but alas it was my freezer paper! I guess I should have paid more attention! So Ella's name is going to end up being scrappy looking! OOPS! Oh, her favorite colour is purple and since I had all of these purple scraps.... And y'all know I am a red FREAK! What is a quilt if it has no red in it!! he he 

Wonky all the way!

I love scraps!

 lots of strings happening!!

Not sure how I am going to bring them all together! I think I might just go get some yardage, but who knows! Still working it out in my head! LOL


HEY, if you like a good giveaway pop over to Annie's Ruby Slipperz and check out her giveaway!

Hope it is a productive day out there in blogland!
Happy Stitchin,
Josie

I used to...

Me, Kathie, Mindy

Well, I don't think I am 16 anymore! Sometimes I think I am!! LOL You know how some people say 'I used to...' Well I come from a guys who 'used to' (my Dear Daddy) and to be honest I am one of those people as well! I try not to be because it really makes my Honeyman angry! OK I will start with 'I used to... be an athlete!' Yup! In High School I played Volleyball, Basketball, and I ran track! I was a distance runner! And even thought I jest about it, I actually love to run and I like to work out! I know! But I don't do it anymore!
Yesterday I RAN (part of) the 5k!! What in the name of everything holy was I thinking!!! LOL!! I started walking with my dear friend Kathie and I was bouncing around (because of course there was no Guinness in my hand) and I was kind of disheartened when we hit the 1 mile and the guy calling out time said 17 minutes. 'I used to...keep a  7 minute pace my 3600meter run in track'! Anywho... at about the 1.5 mile we hit the turn around and I could no longer walk. I HAD TO RUN!!! She told me to go ahead, because my legs are MUCH longer than hers and I think I was going a faster pace than she is used to sorry, my dearest Kathie!! I ran on from the turnaround to the 2 mile mark! And from there to the end I ran on and off about a three block run and one (or two) block walk! You know, it just feels right to me to run! Well not so much the day after! LOL!! But I got done! And my time was 43:57. That is a 14:11 pace. You know, I think I might have to start running again. We always do the Race for the Cure... I want to get my time down to under a 10 minute pace! I think I can be proud of that! So there you go! That is my goal!
Oh, and I drank ONE Guinness!! Then ended up at Incredible Pizza with my Honeyman, Kids, In-Laws (I think I told you my FIL is home from Afghanistan) My Brother IL and Sister IL and niece and Nephew were there as well! Fun, games, food, five hours later... Oh, well! Kids had a great time! Then home and off to bed for this old gal!! LOL
OH, I also forgot that as soon as I finished my race(in Iowa) I had to go across the river find out where in the parade route my Honeyman and kids were, and hop onto the RIFD (Rock Island Fire Department) float!!! We have a parade that goes across the bridge from Illinois to Iowa!! AAHHH!! I walked till we got to the bridge and then decided I was DONE walking for the day!!
And I have decided that whoever decided March 17th is National Quilting Day is NOT Irish and does NOT participate in the festivities!
What to do today... I have to go get food for the guys at the station, should be doing that now, but I have about a dozen more blogs to read! LOL and then I might just do some stitching!! RELAX and have a SLOW day!!
Have a great one!!
Josie

It just occurred to me

The green roof made it perfect for St.Pats!!

I dont' know if I spelled occurred right! (HA I will tell y'all I spelled it wrong and spell check caught it!)LOL
Anywho...

I promise I will not drone on. Today is once again March 16th  and it has been eight years. My Dad came over last night and he was a little blue. OK, off my box,  I will not dwell on this for this post.

I also realized that my one year Blogg-o-versary has come and gone! Hey, I am now one!! hehe! Oh, how this past year has flown by! I do not feel like I have been here for a whole year! I have to say thank you to my bloggy friends! You mean more to this hermit than you know!!
So St. Patty's day it Saturday!! Anyone drinking green beer??? Last year one of Honeyman's fellow firemen had a kegger with green beer!! That was a first for me and it was kind of wierd drinking green beer! To be honest I prefer my beer DARK! I am a Guinness gal!!! Yup, the thicker the better!! Well, bright and early I am going with my BFF Kathie and doing a 5K, notice I did NOT say running!! But I will give it my best! I told her it would probably be best if I had a Guinness in my hand, however it was decided since it will be very early in the morning that is probably frowned upon :(  so no beer in my hand! LOL!!

After that I am not really sure what I am doing! I have been invited to six different places! Sad story...no tats this year!! Oh, wait I did not tell anyone about that one yet!! So if y'all (yes I do like that word and use it very often) are paying attention let me tell you this... once I hit 50 followers (I am at 33) I am going to do a three truths and a lie giveaway!!! So, before then I cannot tell you the story of my tats!!! hhhmmmm!!! Have I intrigued you?? I do hope so!! If you have never played truths/lies, we used to do it at every managers meeting I went to when I was working! It is really kind of a fun way to get to know someone!! I love it!! Plus, I have already decided what I am going to do and even have a post partially writen and in the works!!
I crack up at the pic over here! I asked the Boy to hold my beer and then took a pic of him! But really I was trying to get a pic of Honeyman's hair!! LOL He was in BAD need of a cut that morning so when I cut it I left a 'Mole Hawk' (as my son calls them) and we had gotten spray in hair colour for the Brat, so we went to town on his hair, too!! The guys LOVED it!! oh, it was cold and windy last year!! Let us pray for  better weather this year!! On a side note... that spray in stuff is a pain and leaves flakes ALL over!! But I would still do it again!! hehe
Well! I think I have given everyone a lot to take in today!! Have a SAFE and fun St.Patty's day!!! I will probably see you on Sunday!!
Blessed weekend,
Josie

Did you hear the shouts of joy???

Bright and fun!! YA!!!

It came! It's here!! AAHHHHH!! hehe!
After much anticipation my name game swap came!! Oh, can I tell you I was like a kid at Christmas time!! I tore open the wrapping (and then had to piece back together the address so I can send a proper thank you! Silly me!!) I LOVE IT!! She (Christie) captured the crazy, zany, and always INSANE me!! OMG!! I am in love with the fact that she embraced my tat and went with it!! I know we were given very little info on our partners and I don't even think I remembered telling her about my love for music!! AAHHHH I took a BAJILLION pics! I will reserve myself to two! hehe so I do not over load y'all!!

my toes are in the corner...oops!

Darn it I can't rotate the pic here! had fun with colour POP!! Anyway
I have to tell you a funny! Postage was 3.14 and one of my friends said today is like PI day or something like that! And The Brat was the one who go tthe mail and said something about it cost her PI to send it... When I opened up the cute little card on the inside... there was a picture of apple pie on the front of the card! We all had a great laugh at that one as well! And then all the oohhing and aaahhhing began!! I did not think Ella (one of the three year olds I watch) was ever going to release it from her grasps!! She was enthraled with the notes like on Mama Jo's arm!! And of course she had to show off and tell me what the letters were! She is a smart one my beautiful little Ella Belle!!
OH, I am in love! I cannot wait to get something and find a proper place to hang this! I LOVE IT!!!!
Oh, happy day!!!
Josie

Spring cleaning!!

OK, no fun pics today, just a little ahhhh!! The weather has been amazing here! The next few days we are supposed to get up over 80!! Love!!

My best friend Kathie

Over the weekend my very dear friend Kathie was kind enough to cut my Lillian's hair. She used to own her own hair salon and is an amazingly talented hair dresser, but I digress!! Her hubby (Phil) was gone for the weekend (he is my birthday buddy!!) and she was cleaning out her closets!! So, I offered to help, and bring the drinks! LOL! Well Kathie did an amazing job of getting rid of stuff! We took two trips to the Salvation Army!!
I took home three bags of clothes that no longer fit her, most of them work out clothes, and when I got home I decided to be true to myself I had to get rid of at least as much as I took from her!! SO!! Off to my bedroom to clean!! Can I tell you, I got rid of 22 pairs of jeans!! I had seven bags and eight boxes of STUFF from my bedroom!! (and my room is not that big and I have little to no closet space!!) I felt so much lighter just decluttering! Well, I did not stop there!!

WOW!!!

I am really good about going through my kids' clothes and taking them to the Salvation Army (only six blocks form my house) but I am HORRIBLE about their toys!! SO!! Toys it was!! My kids were champs! They let go of SO much that they no longer play with!! This is my van with the back seat folded DOWN and there is more stuff on the two back seats! Oh, did I mention this is WITHOUT the stuff that came from my room, Kathie was kind enough to come over and help me take that stuff over!
I feel so accomplished! And I blame Kathie!! LOL!! She sent me a text, told me thank you and she loved me! I texted back and told her I hated her!! (she knew what I was saying and I did follow it up with but I always love you!! hehe)

#1 Love

OK, now that I have some cleaning done I can get back to some stitching right! I have done something!!! My local quilt guild makes doll quilts and it is all donated material and batting. At our last meeting I took three of them and decided I would try to 'help' and maybe get a little experience while I was at it! Now, I did NONE of the piecing, I only squared it up, pillowcased it, and quilted it. We just do simple pillowcaseing and then whatever quilting you feel apropriate!

#2 Puppy paws

Here we go...
 #1 I just used the fun stitches on my machine to go around each of the squares.
#2 I kind of had a hard time with this one. not the stitching so much, but the fabric on the back is this BEAUTIFUL paw print and a VERY nice piece of fabric. That red and blue on the front is very cheap and not very well constructed. But it is not my choice, I only did what I was told. I did a simple criss cross and stitch in the ditch, kind of, the lines were not very well lined up, so I kind of had to fudge it (well it would be like working on my own, because I am not so very straight either, so I guess it was great practice! LOL)

#3 I tried my hand on one of the purses in pebbling, I think I need a little lot more work on this!! Most of it I did an all over squiggly thing, but I also did the leaves we worked on in Jan FMQ Challenge along the top and bottom red borders!! I know they are not perfect, but I am getting a little better! Can I also say the fabric in this one was amazing!!
OK, so I said no pics and ended up with a few! Never know what you are going to get with me!
OH,  I think my project for today...Hexi-table runner, OMG!! I am loveing it!! I HAVE TO MAKE ONE!!! I know I am a geek! hehe!
Everyone have a great day!! I know I will!!
Josie

Soon I think I may just wither away to nothing!

OK this is just a blathering about this and that day. So if you have come fro my normal cheery stuff I don't have it today, come back tomorrow! LOL If you want to sit and chat with me... carry on!

First EVER trip outside the US!!

So I make it no secret that I am a big girl. I have always been. Well, I thought in High School when I was 130 lbs (5'7") that I was a big girl and I think that is because I have a very athletic shape. I take after my Mother and have broad shoulder and the girls... well they take up a whole zip code of their own if you know what I mean! LOL I always joke and say I kept 15 lbs from each pregnancy! But since my youngest is 10 I can't blame it on that! To tell you the truth I am just a big foodie! All kinds of food! So for the last five years or so I have held pretty steady between 197-202. I don't hide it as it is what it is! I am very active. I do 5k's. I play outside in the summer. I know if I would exercise regularly I could probably drop 10 or 15 lbs. But I don't! Have I ever told y'all I am brutally honest? Even to myself!

Can someone say Margaritaville??

Well the last several months I have not felt well. I have a pain in my chest under my right breast (lower rib cage area) that has gone undiagnosed. They have done blood work, an EEG, a chest x-ray, and a CT. They can find nothing. But I tell you, I have a very high threshold for pain (had three out of my four children with NO DRUGS the other was c-section, boo) and there are days I am couch ridden. I do try to keep everything running as it should in my house.  I am the CEO around here!!
Well, I am not sure what has gone on, but I have began to lose weight. Normally I would celebrate and cheer! But the problem is I am doing nothing different! I am now down to 182. Don't get me wrong I love that that dreaded 2 is not in front of my weight, but some days it really kind of scares me. I told Honeyman we will wait till the summer and see what the next few months bring. I just don't know. 

Side of the road! To cool had to stop!!

I know this is not a bight and cheery post but I just had to gripe for a moment! If you made it this far, I thank you for listening to me! Sometimes we just have to moan! I am normally the one people call to let it out and some days I have guess I have to be that person as well!
OK Done! I do so hope that everyone has a great day and an amazing weekend!!
Tomorrow will be better!!
Josie

Small Blog Meet and where to go from here!

Have you ever been over to Lily's Quilts?? She has fresh beautiful ideas! She also has a little linky guy for small and large blogs alike.


I know the linky is supposed to be a recap of what you finished in Feb, but if y'all recall I just did that!!  So to those of you who are regulars here I won't show you what I just did! Silly me!!
I think instead I am going to bore you with what I THINK I might do in March!! hehe

So you already know I have finished my obligations for March! Plus I have already finished up my swoon! I think I will have to go to a quilt retreat this month because I realized I do not have ANYWHERE in my house to even begin to try to sandwhich that mamouth beast!! LOL Our guild has getaway weekends at the Deere-Wiman House and it just so happens to be only three blocks from my house! Very convenient!! LOL So that will be my task for the getaway!
Now I cannot decide what I am going to do! I have all of those lovely 30's prints and I think I know what I want to do with them, but I am not quite sure! And since this will be for ME I really want to make sure it is what I REALLY, REALLY want! phooey!
         OK Amanda, and Amanda are both pregnant! (one is a Mommy of a kiddo I watch and the other is a fellow Firewife!) And can I tell you I am SSSOOOO thrilled NEITHER of them is going to find out what they are having! I LOVE IT!! I think that is the way it should be! OK so I have to come up with two unisex quilts! I did however think about making one boy and one girl and praying... What are you thoughts? Any great patterns you want to direct me to?? One is due in late July the other in early Sept!!

         I am also toying with the whole New York Beauty thing. But I have to tell you and please don't hate on me, I don't like the look of them! I do however think this would be a GREAT way to get better/learn paper piecing and curved seams! So in that aspect I think I might just join in the fun! Oh, my other thing... I DO NOT LIKE BATICS! I know I'm a hater!! LOL
       Done babbling! Give me insights on what I should do now! It is kind of like making dinner, I love to do it, I just don't want to be the one to make the menu!! LOL is that wrong of me?? I am certainly one of a kind! Love it or hate it, it is me!!
Josie