And this is what I woke up to from my dear friend, Karate Quilter....

And this is what I opened first thing this morning....well after my eyes of course...

How can my day go anything but wonderful now?

May you travel down Celebration Avenue today!!!!!!

Thank you, Judi the Karate Quilter!!!!!!!!

Celebrating....WISHES!

Closed my eyes and wished that my son would be here for his 20th birthday and poof!!!

He and Mallick are on their way :)!  Going to be one wild, crazy, fabulous weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Friday, Friends!

was looking for inspiration....and Poof...Noah brought home an art project

Do ever find that you are wanting so badly to make that breathtaking quilt with new fabrics but....what pattern to use...INSPIRATION seems to be on vacation...well...that was me today...

then....

Noah was excited to show me his modern art drawing that he made in summer school...soon the light bulb lit up...photocopy a portion and whatever comes out is the template for the card....

Voila, birthday card for dad with my interp and basis inspired by his grandson...

I am so enjoying varigated thread and wanted it to stand out so used the black material.  I think that a bright binding will be fun!

Ahhhhhhh, longing for the beach this morning.....

Dreaming of the ocean, tasting the salty air, giggling as gulls play tag and jumping the waves as though they are hurdles...........someone send me a message in a bottle!

Why does this make me giggle each time?

I never tire of Spike and Cosmo rolling in the dirt to get that perfect itch! 

 

Retro twins....I always love seeing these trailers!

what a riot of a day...5 dogs, 3 horses and house full of friends celebrating Aaron's birthday and Spike's third time allowing a saddle, slowly we are getting closer to taming him for a ride. 

And my favorite, when I step outside they begin to talk to me...treats and endearments are magic!

Now Showing: Must LOVE Cats and Dogs!- A Romance Comedy

When opening Aaron's tin box for his birthday to find little scrolls of fun, He will see this grouping on the underside of the lid.  His pup currently has a similar haircut and the joke is that he obsesses all day on the household cat, Lucky.  "How Much is that Doggy in the Window" was the song that my sis would reqeust every family night when we were little.  Crazy what you can find when combing magazines and books!  Walk down reverie lane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and in the floor of the tin, Lucky in a Barbie Van.  So he constantly obsess on her when the tin is closed :)!  Glad I couldn't bring my sewing  machine, this collaging is so fun and silly!  Such a fun creative exercise to get the wheels going!!!!!

What funny/ interesting place have you discovered your cat in?

Happy Sunday!

Twins.....

Dusty and Jonas relaxing as the boys play pool for Aaron's birthday.  Fun thing about the these 2 dogs is that they are brothers but from different litters and never will there be more such interesting-looking sweeties, the father left Elmo, Utah. 

Tonight is a Utah holiday and the horses were running franticly in the corral as the fireworks lit up their world.  I had to spoil them with fresh apples to help reassure them :).

Happy Pioneer Day friends!

Matisse, Oprah, Emily the Strange, MaryJane Farmgirl...What is the common "thread"...

As my father's birthday and his retirment nears....A collage to inspire and celebrate who he was in the career world and parenthood when I was younger and who he still is and will be!

Spike and Cosmo quickly learned that "Auntie" spoils them!

I can't tell if this horse is Spike or Cosmo :)  Looking at their photo below, what do you think?

I couldn't believe that I found a quilting pattern on the long arm of horses!

This quilt will forever be a favorite of mine that I made after my first visit to Aaron's ranch a couple of years ago.  Huge pinwheels that were so simple to make and so fun to see when I come and visit.  Most memorable part of that first trip was Grandpa with us and me riding Cosmo through drifts of snow....I miss you, Grandpa!  Speaking of Grandpa, when I arrived yesterday with my fabric project and clothes in a box, Aaron said, "Grandpa would call this Polish Samsonite." How often we CELEBRATE his memory!!!!

Auntie role is the best!  I have been on the ranch for 12 hours and literally have Spike and Cosmo "eating out of my hand".  The magic treat...Apple Bites.  I cannot wait to let them out of the corral later to see them run freely and then roll around in the dirt to get the itches- GORGEOUS AND FUN!!!!

HAPPY SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A hero of mine CELEBRATED in Quilters Newletter!!!! WAHOO-Mary Lou!

What a GODWINK!!!!  I am up with the roosters this morning at my brother's ranch and look who is featured in the AUGUST/SEPTEMBER Quilter Newsletter and with one of my fav quilts (of course because of the boots and hat)- MARY LOU WEIDMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATS MARY LOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The August September Quilters Newletter is exciting!!!!  A Barbie quilt and a article CELEBRATING my hero, Mary Lou Weidman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  If you are not familiar with her, pls buy the magazine and fall in love with her then buy every book, a must for the creative juices!!!!  And...she is such a fabulous peer who has been so supportive of me as I embarked on the Story Quilt path.  I was so disappointed when I was unable to go to her retreat this past May and then....A fabulous friend emailed me that she would love to go to a retreat of hers someday....That was a GODWINK for sure!  I have told my husband that 2011's goal is to go a retreat of hers.  Anyone else want to make it a goal and we can finally hug one another in person?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How blessed we are that Mary Lou traded her paints in for fabric for her textile inspirations!!!!

Mixed Media is energizing!

These teeny little scrolls of wisdom are a hoot as the box top warns!!

Thought this was fun to put on the bottom of the box.  It comes from the comic book, "Emily the Strange"...Had to buy it of course!!!

Birthdays are in the air......My first attempt at decopage after hours of studying and pouring over books and mags at Barnes and Noble...."Life's a hoot!"

CELEBRATING....A village that begins to come to life with some cheeky fun...

I am so excited with this project beacause it has so much potential for cheeky meanings and also because I now know how to use this wonky village as a fresh palette.  I bought a stack of magazines and am excited to get crazy this weekend!!!!  I hope you enjoy this creative process with me.....

The subheading of this magazine title is fabulous:

"WHERE THE CAPABILITY OF A WOMAN"S HANDS IS CELEBRATED!"

                                                  "And a bubbly with your cupcake, Miss?"

Cannot get home quick enough to add some Dali and Matisse.

come back soon to see what transforms this little girlie village....

My amazing mom's talent...ENJOY!!!!!

What a treat to receive this photo last night of my mom's latest applique project!  She is amazing!!!! It is all done by hand....

Celebrating the quickie....

Binding tomorrow then to a new little babe.  A fun little project if you are short on time.  It is a little stiff from the quilting and I hope it will loosen with washing.  Receiving blanket size.  Cutting out the monsters was a great way to use the stash and so much fun!!!!

A simple little receiving blanket begun...Happy Sunday!

Little Taven arrived and I didn't like his quilt i created so today I make a little home for these monsters....

I love hidden meanings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a blessed Saturday....

A dear friend, Erin,  created this amazing art quilt for me and I could not be more touched.  I saw it on her blog and loved it immediately unbeknownst that it was being created for me.  Thank you, ERIN!!!  I love that her name can be spelled using the middle 4 letters in "friend".  Mail is so fun!!!!

Village is bound and ready to find a new home at Rick and Tracey's!  So fun to create!!  And...the eyes and some of the skeletons glow in the dark...

Roxy had a habit of being independent on this quilt and wanted to have the bride announcing, "I do."

The sexy men's magazine, DETAILS...CELEBRATES quilts, "Artisanal America"...

Sorry for this being so much writing but I have to CELEBRATE!!!!!

I am amazed as I read a magazine, Details August 2010, that Sean brought to me for the lettering that could be used in my collages.  Flipping through ads of sexy men wearing Calvin Klein and the cologne that will secretly woo the woman...AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THEN,

I found and poured over a fabulous article written by Adam Sachs with the cover illustration of a map of United States made of linen and the article title stitched with needle and yarn dangling...CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS! I am going to have to send this to Trevor to reinforce that quilting is SEXY :).

....Exalting the handmade, the painstakingly crafted, the authentic...How the artisanl movement became our national consumer religion....

"When everything is falling apart (economy), it helps to know how to put things together....That when everything goes to hell, we'll all become potters and learn to make bread....This is anti-bling- status objects that fetishize sweat equity over equity funds....you''ll find expertise, discriminating selection of materials, time-consuming craftmanship.  The return of the artisanal is like a return to the gold standard....

Timeline hightlighting  crafting through the ages.....

1776 a widowed upholsterer named Betsy Ross hand-stitched the first American Flag

1991 A Civil War-era handmade quilt sells for $264,000 at Sotheby's

May 3, 2010 GreenFairy wins first place in the HMQS category of Novelty Custom for her gorgeous quilt design and long arm artistry

June 25, 2010 Penny at Sew-Take-A-Hike showcases her Dresden pillow on her blog

July 8, 2010 Mary Lou Weidman showcases her darling tote bags for retreat participants on her blog

July 12, 2010 Tara Haddock posts a gorgeous quilt she finishes and the Facebook fans go wild

July 16, 2010 Victoria at Bumble Beans announces the resurgence of crocheting and what a darling bracelet she has created!

July 18, 2010 Em celebrates the ARTIST!

Barbie.....I can't resist. Excited to continue mingling paper and fabric for wall art fun!

This cake was designed by Sean after Noah asked to buy this Barbie for my birthday a couple of years ago.  The oxymoron of the cake is that when younger I was a academic nerd and would have never thought to try out for cheerleading....and now....I occasionally sneak in a peek of Dallas Cheerleader tryouts :).  Sean commented that it represents me as the cheerleader for the household....

I was playing at Barnes and Noble yesterday surrounding myself with piles of books for inspiration....then POOF!

Found art books of Matisse and Dali and 50th Celebration of Barbie and Lego discussions and before I knew it I got a little excited to make an art piece. 

Something silly.....Here I go....

What are you creating today?

Your interp...may it touch your heart and soul if needing salve...

CELEBRATING.....a sweetheart who has brought me a Godwink!

I titled this photo, TOUCHED, for saving on my desktop. 

All I will write today to keep you in suspense of the story behind this wonderful piece of art....Chapter 2 coming in next couple of days!

and...if you are the type of reader who peeks at the final chapter of a mystery novel..then...

a hint....visit....

http://www.vesuviusmama.blogspot.com/ for a treat to one of the sweetest ladies I know!!!

CELEBRATING advertisments...Are you MAKING love today?

Some nights I just get too excited to start my day...Roxy and I played before dawn to create this suprise love card for Sean for when he awakens....

Happy Valentine's Day! 

(February seems so far away....)

The advertisements on this care are from the SUNSET magazine and turned out really fun.  Below are closeups.

 

Are you making love today?

 

 

I love this line, "A handful of your hearts desire." next to a very large bowl of nuts. 

But remember, size doesn't matter....

 

Love to you on this Thursday!  Thank you for visiting my post today.  Now spread the love!!!!!

(And to think that Trevor said that quilting is "anything but sexy!")

 

Springdale, Utah was our destination last night...CELEBRATING a night on the porch at Bit and Spur

Start the day with a map and it can't help but happen to inspire a trip for dinner....SPRINGDALE, UTAH is fabulous!!!  A favorite restaurant of ours is BIT AND SPUR and sitting on the porch....Arden and Becky, thought of you both as we sat at the table we had eaten at with you both last dinner there.

CELEBRATING hummingbirds drinking- live entertainment!  Sean has taken to photography!  Karate quilter, thought of you as I loved the hummingbirds!

Noah's photo as we drove to Springdale...such a gorgeous drive!

Lanterns reminding me of the many weddings that they have lighted at this restaurant...

Expansive green space outside of the porch at the BIT....apples getting more juicy...Simple moments with Noah are the cherished ones.

Noah enjoying the porch to himself before the dinner rush....

Raiden did not sleep a wink, he knows when a good time is happening!!!!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Do you know where you're going to?".....A favorite song of mine from choir years ago.....

May your travels through today be safe and have a fun destination!  If this was your map, what would be the magic place he is pointing to?

Speaking of leaving the nest....Want to clip his wings selfishly but know it's not about me...

Never gets easier.....Saying Good-bye until the next visit....What a joy to have 2 children in such different age categories yet the closest I could ever dream of!!! Pic is perfect of their relationship.

Up with SP at 4:30 AM and grateful to take care of Malleck while he showered. 

Ever scared by what you see in the mirror?....Malleck discovered a friend or foe in the reflection of the sliding glass door and needed some calming....What a sweetie and a whole new world seen through puppy eyes. 

And now for the next parenting role in another hour when Noah awakens...... listening to Noah and loving him as he talks of sadness with his bro and the pup gone back home.....Wouldn't trade how I did the spacing but definitely a heartbreaker as we all struggle with good-byes each visit. 

Today is that "SOMEDAY".....Knight and Day, you are the one!

What a lovely finale to the weekend, Malleck and SP falling to sleep on the couch with Sean and me finishing the top for Halloween Village after a fabulous date night with Sean at the movie.  He golfed at a spectacular golf course in 105 degree heat today while I took the twins and fam to dog park, boy can the little heads get sweaty!!!!!!!!!

My favorite line from the movie tonight was today is "SOMEDAY". So....If you have said that "someday I will do that for myself or a special loved one or a secret wonderful person..." The time has come to have fun!!!

I love to push the limits when my work is quiet and I am returning to the office in  a few hours SO....I looked at Roxy tonight and said, R u in- Let's Quilt this thang!!!!

Left side of Halloween village

Right side of Halloween village...

and when Roxy has done her job I'll be excited to CELEBRATE the finished item with you all.  The look on my friends' face when they get this will be very fun!!!!

Splash of color!

Splash of color for your Sunday!  the single strand of leaves and flowers are the color amidst the "beige".  I am so grateful for the people in my life who know when I need a little splash of spice!  Going to have to make another one of these, so much fun!