BABY QUILT PART 3

HERE IS THE NEWEST PICTURE OF THE BABY QUILT I AM DOING. I JUST PUT THE TWO BORDERS ON AND AM ADDING THE MIDDLE, PIECE BY PIECE. THERE IS A LOT OF APPLIQUE IN THE MIDDLE WITH THE FLOWERS AND DUCKS, SO WILL APPLIQUE THESE DOWN AND THEN ADD LEGS, EYES...MY GOAL IS TO GET THE MIDDLE PANEL ALL APPLIQUED BY SEPTEMBER 1ST SO I CAN START PUTTING FINAL BORDER ON AND THEN BACKING. I WILL THEN QUILT, DON'T KNOW IF I AM GOING TO QUILT BY HAND OR MACHINE, AS THIS HAS TO BE DONE BY SEPTEMBER 28TH!! BUT THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE THE PROGRESS SO FAR... HAVE A GREAT LABOR DAY EVERYONE,

HUGS,

MARY

AUGUST 27, 2008

I AM 50 TODAY, WOW!!!

GROWING UP BIRTHDAYS IN OUR HOME WERE ALWAYS VERY SPECIAL AND SIMPLE. MOM USUALLY MADE YOUR FAVORITE PIE OR CAKE AND MADE YOUR FAVORITE DINNER. FOR ME, IT WAS DEFINATELY, "MEATLOAF"! LOVED MY MOM'S MEATLOAF!

AS A TEENAGER, IT WAS CUSTOM TO DECORATE YOUR FRIENDS LOCKERS AND MAKE THEM A BIRTHDAY "BOW". WHICH CONSISTED OF A PAPER PLATE WITH RIBBONS AND CANDY ATTACHED, THEN PINNED ON THE PERSON SO THEY COULD WALK AROUND SCHOOL AND EVERYONE WOULD KNOW IT WAS THEIR BIRTHDAY.

UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, MY BIRTHDAY ALWAYS FELL ON BOOK DAY OR THE DAY YOU PICKED UP YOUR SCHEDULE, SO NO BIRTHDAY BOW FOR ME AND MY LOCKER WAS USUALLY NOT ASSIGNED YET...SO...AS I RECALLED ME NUMEROUS STORIES TO MY LOVELY THREE KIDS, THEY DECIDED AFTER I WENT TO BED LAST NIGHT TO DECORATE MY "LOCKER", WHICH AS A MOM IS THE "REFRIGERATOR"!!! SO...WHEN I GOT UP THIS MORNING SCHOOL, LOOK WHAT THEY TO GET MY YOUNGEST OFF ON THE BUS FOR HIGH DID!!!!THIS IS WAY BETTER THAN A LOCKER, A BIRTHDAY BOW OR ALL THE FUSS MADE BY FRIENDS, THIS WAS DONE BY MY KIDS, THE ONES THAT HOLD MY HEART! I FEEL SO GRATEFUL THAT I HAVE THESE THREE YOUNG ADULTS AND TEENAGER IN MY LIFE. THEY TEACH ME KNEW THINGS EVERYDAY. SOMETIMES I FORGET TO THANK THEM FOR ALL THE SMILES, LAUGHS AND TEARS!! THEY MAKE MY LIFE WORTH LIVING. THEY ARE ALWAYS CHANGING AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE NOT APPRECIATED...WELL, BALLOONS HAPPEN AND IT MAKES IT ALL WORTHWHILE!! THANK YOU GOD FOR MY KATE, MIKE AND EMILY, HOW REALLY BLESSED I AM. THEY HAVE GROWN UP SOOOO QUICK, THE RIDE HAS BEEN FAST, BUT I HOPE THEY KNOW I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE, TO LAUGH OUT LOUD, TO WIPE THE TEARS, TO SCREAM IN PROTESTS, TO SMILE WITH LOVE. YEP, I'M A VERY LUCKY MOM TO HAVE THESE THREE AS MY KIDS. THANK YOU GOD!

SO, FOR ALL THE LOCKERS THAT WENT UNDECORATED AND FOR ALL THE BIRTHDAY BOWS I DID NOT GET, LOOK WHAT I DID GET...PRICELESS LOVE FROM 3 VERY SPECIAL KIDS. LIFE IS WORTHWHILE, LIFE IS PRICELESS...I FOUND THAT OUT IN MY KITCHEN THIS MORNING!!

HAVE A HAPPY DAY AND THANK YOU DAVE FOR BEING THE FATHER YOU ARE TO OUR 3 SPECIAL KIDS!!

LOVE,

MARY (50 IS LOOKING PRETTY DARN GREAT) OH I FORGOT TO MENTION MY MAILBOX WAS EVEN DECORATED WITH BIRTHDAY BALLOONS!!!! OH MY!!!

"JERSEY BOYS", AUGUST 23, 2008

HI EVERYONE,

I SAW THE MOST WONDERFUL SHOW LAST NIGHT AT THE BANK OF AMERICA THEATRE IN CHICAGO, CALLED "JERSEY BOYS"!!! WOW IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE THIS ONE....GO! IT WAS REALLY GREAT! I TURN 50 THIS WEDNESDAY, SO HUBBY SURPRISED ME WITH DINNER AND THE JERSEY BOYS SHOW LAST NIGHT...ALL I CAN SAY IS "OH WHAT A NIGHT!!!" COULD NOT TAKE PICS IN THEATRE, BUT DID TAKE SOME OF MY HOMETOWN, CHICAGO... THIS FIRST PICTURE IS OF ME AND MY SWEETHEART, DAVE, "OUT TO DINNER".. THE NEXT ONE IS OF A STREET IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO, NEAR THE CHICAGO RIVER. THE NEXT ONE ARE BUILDING RIGHT ALONG THE CHICAGO RIVER. THE HONEYCOMB BUILDING IS ACTUALLY A PARKING GARAGE AND THE CONDO'S ARE ON THE TOP OF THE BUILDING, IT'S A BIG ONE! NOW WE ARE CLOWNING AROUND TRYING TO GET THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS IN THE BACKGROUND ALONG MICHIGAN AVENUE, CHICAGO... THEN THERE IS "BUCKINGHAM FOUNTAIN" (HAD TO GET A SHOT OF THAT ONE)...MORE FLOWERS AT GRANT PARK AND THEN ON TO THE LAKEFRONT WHICH CAN BE SEEN AS YOU DRIVE ALONG LAKE SHORE DRIVE, ALTHOUGH, WE LEFT CAR AND WALKED ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE RAIN HELD OFF, BUT BOY WAS IT MUGGY. IT WAS STILL IN THE 80 DEGREES AND IT WAS AFTER 6:00 P.M., SO A HOT NIGHT IN THE CITY...THEN WALKED BACK TO THE THEATRE TO SEE THE SHOW. TOOK A PICTURE OF THE PROGRAM AND PLAYBILL... IF ANY OF YOU GET A CHANCE, SERIOUSLY, SEE THIS PLAY IT WAS REALLY GREAT AND THE SIGNING SOUNDED JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL FRANKIE VALI! THANK YOU DAVE AND KIDS FOR A WONDERFUL TREAT!!! LOVE AND HUGS, MOM (MARY)

SHHHH...BABY QUILT, PART TWO

WORKED ON SAMANTHA AND RYAN'S BABY QUILT...HERE ARE A FEW MORE PICTURES THAT I ADDED TODAY. FINALLY MAKING PROGRESS! SEWED STRIPS TOGETHER,THEN CUT STRIPS, NOW RESEWING TO MAKE 9 PATCHES. THEN THE FUN PART, THE MIDDLE OF THE QUILT HAS APPLIQUED DUCKS!! YES, THERE ARE GOING TO BE TWO DUCKS WITH TONS OF FLOWERS AROUND THEM!!! WILL HAVE MORE PICTURES AT EACH STAGE. FOR THE APPLIQUE I AM USING THIS VINYL OVERLAY WHICH I HAVE NEVER USED BEFORE, SO WILL SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT!

ALSO, COULDN'T RESIST A DAY WITHOUT A PICTURE OF "COOPER" ! HE GOT THIS NEW TOY TODAY AND WILL NOT PUT IT DOWN, YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF!

HAPPY SEWING,

MARY

THE BEGINNINGS OF A BABY QUILT...SHHHHH

HAVE ALL THE PIECES OF THE BABY QUILT I AM MAKING FOR DAVE'S NEPHEW, RYAN AND SAMANTHA, CUT OUT. NOW PIECING THEM TOGETHER IN STRIPS, THEN RECUTTING THEM....THEN COMES THE APPLIQUE WORK AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...QUILTING!!! WILL SHOW PROGRESS THUS FAR..

ALSO, COULD NOT RESIST TO TAKE PICTURES OF MY LITTLE (DEVIL) DOG, "COOPER"
HERE IS ONE, ENTITLED "YOU LOOKING AT ME"??? OH AND THIS ONE..."I HAVE MY EYE ON YOU!!!" AND HERE ARE SOME MORE PICTURES THAT TELL YOU, "YES, I AM HUMAN AND YES, I DO BELONG AT THE DINNER TABLE!!!"

AND THEN FOR THE HECK OF IT, YOU FIND A PICTURE OF MY NEWLY PEDICURED TOES!! I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING ALL DAY FOR THOSE! ENJOY!!(DIDN'T REALIZE HOW BONEY MY FEET LOOK...I HATE FEET!!)

AND THE LAST PICTURE, WELL, I WILL JUST LEAVE YOU WITH...

MORE MISSOURI STAR BLOCKS!!!

JUST FINISHED THREE MORE MISSOURI STAR BLOCKS! YEAH!!! OK, BACK ON TRACK NOW...TOOK A LITTLE VACATION AND THEN TOOK ANOTHER WEEK TO GET BACK TO NORMAL AROUND YEAR, SO WHAT DO I NEED TO DO NEXT WEEK? FINISH CUTTING OUT BLOCKS FOR A BABY QUILT WHICH I HAVE TO GET DONE IN THE NEXT MONTH FOR A VERY SPECIAL NEPHEW AND HIS ADORABLE WIFE!!! WILL BE POSTING PICS OF THAT AS I PROGRESS IN THE NEXT WEEK, HAVE ABOUT HALF OF IT CUT OUT BUT NEED TO CUT OUT BORDERS.

HERE ARE PICS OF THE NEWEST MISSOURI STARS...AND HERE IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE SO FAR TOGETHER...

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE WEEKEND!

HUGS,

MARY

AUGUST 8, 2008 BACK ON....

COMPUTER IS BACK!!!! REALLY BAD STORM HIT 3 DAYS AGO AND WITH IT WENT MY COMPUTER! NOW I AM BACK... HERE IS ANOTHER PICTURE FROM VACATION. BODY IS BACK BUT THE MIND, OH, THE MIND IS STILL ON VACATION.

HOW DO YOU REMEDY THAT? NOT SURE I WANT TO...

HOPE EVERYONE IS ENJOYING THEIR WEEK,

HUGS

MARY

CAN IT BE AUGUST ALREADY?!?!?!?!?

Back from vacation (a week now) and am already planning for next year!! Can't believe we are in to August ALREADY!! Were did June and July go to?!?!?? Today it is raining and a Monday, so have been traveling around in blogland checking out all my fav's and found some new ones! All you ladies keep coming up with THE MOST CREATIVE AND BEAUTIFUL IDEAS!! I feel guilty just sitting here looking at everyone's work...I SHOULD be in my sewing room working on my Missouri Daisies, but here I sit with tea in hand playing on this computer!

Have any of you heard about the Doll Quilt Swap? I really want to join the swap group, they have some unique and original designs going on in that swap...have to join!!

Don't you just love blog land?

Well, off to get some laundry and housework(YUCK) done and then I am going to lock myself in my sewing room, will have some pics later!!
Happy Monday and keep those pictures coming in,

Hugs,

Mary