Chapter 2: "Mom, I want to do a leaf project with you for my birthday morning.."

Do you recall months back when I got so excited about a book written by elementary children that was so inspiring for future applique projects for me?  It is called "VINCENT VAN GOGH'S CAT"...

This morning I awoke and thought...my gift to myself is to sew with Mom before she needs to start work and before I need to get to the office late :).....And then I thought....I want to make a project to mirror mom's influence while having it be my own style...Hence the above beginnings/ rough draft.  Mom is the Orange Turtule and me the purple..... Mom's leaf project and now mine :).  She sat on the bed while I was at the cutting table and every so often we would confer.  What a gift!

I think this has the potential for a fun Mother's Day gift as a memory of our visit this weekend...

And as I stepped back and took the photo the quilt took on a whole different spiritual meaning that I want to share as I think of loss and the imprint or those moments when we are reminded of loved ones and loved pets that would have been sharing that moment with us if still alive.....

Do you have a moment today where you sit and cry, sigh, giggle, or say a prayer.....?

Celebrating the moments together with loved ones in person or in our heart and memories...

Monday's Matra......Make a Wish with me!

My little dude is growing up and this is a photo that I will treasure for years...There is something about a homemade gift by your child that is priceless!  I am hoping that Noah always remembers that creating the gift for a loved one or stranger is such joy!!!!! 

He piped these little stars for 90 minutes while I was napping and to see his excitement when I awoke to it was the best part of the gift!  He gets it, That inside joy of giving to others!!!!!

As many of you know, my husband is an artist and cakes are always so fun for our birthdays!  This is my most recent addition to my Auntie family circle, Dearest Lizzy!  

MAKE A WISH!!!!

A birthday princess!  I cannot wait for her next visit to my home to get out the glue and fabric and begin a baby quilt.....I love 3 year old little girls and the joy in their eyes when I introduce quilting!!!!!

So much KINDness in my home last night and everyday!!!! Thank you friends and family!!!

Wait a minute.....How did my birthday wishes to you all show up on a gift bag?

HI from the peripheral birthday party goers!

There was fine dining....

"Oh my gosh..." so much love from Blog friends in my front yard!

and oh so much LOVE!

Today I am 38 and cannot wait for the coming year to see what adventures, friendships and miracles come our way- we are in this life roller coaster together stitching-sisters!

Love, Em

A quilting date day with my Mom and a little sprinkle of Green Fairy dust too!

LeeAnn, could you overnight your 4 leaves to mom?

....he he he...She needs just a few more and she and I giggled often today thinking about LeeAnn's comment on an earlier post this week....

How marvellous is this project turning out? Loving the marrying of Mom's fabrics she brought from  home and my stash....Mom and I had so much fun chatting and sewing today and we had the neat oppurtunity to drop in and love Ms. Green Fairy. Kevin was a wonderful support to mom when she would ask, "What do you think?"

CELEBRATING QUILTING WITH MOM!

Thank you! Saturday is Saturated with......and a hope for Oprah....

I present, present of presents, your PRESENCE.....

your presence in my life, blog, email, mailbox, and general vibes/ Godwinks are gifts that I cannot ever thank you enough for!  My gratitude meter is off the charts!!!!!

A couple of days ago dear Erin at http://vesuviusmama.blogspot.com/ started my Thursday with a phone pic on my phone of this cute WONKY "THX".... Tonyaesque, would you agree?

and with all of the love you have been sharing with me for my birthday weekend as you pedal by home in blogland....

 Love is like riding a bike, you may get rusty if you get scraped or fall, but getting back in the saddle....

Love from the Birthday Princess!

A little dream board and wrapping paper I made from Oprah's magazine CELEBRATING creativity....Your HEARTS are jewels to me! if I was a maple tree, I would have syrup everywhere!!!!!

Your birthday wishes are like "HI"s to me...Do you see the "HI" patterns in Sharon's above quilt.  It will soon be a bedspread for sweet little Babe who just a Big Boy bed....LOVE IT SIS!!!

A fussy cut kiss on mom's applique, WHIMSICAL GARDEN....and a circumpunct flower center!

Mom is the PIECE "O CAKE applique professional!!!! More leaves covered with little O's!!!!!!!!!!

"HELLO my name is"......Ms, CELEBRATING FRIENDSHIP.....would that fit on a name tag?  Love you Sharon for the wonderful gifts!!!!  I am playing with the idea of a wonky name tag quilt using this CHARM pack...HMMMMMMMMMMMMm

Roxy and I are having a wonderful time quilting/ embellishing the HAIL MARY quilt......I wish that you could see the puffy design of her Marmalade gown with the outlining of the golden designs............CELEBRATING the GLORY OF WOMEN!!!!

And more hearts.....Sis, Sharon, is having fun and termed them "Hearts A La Marian" after my mom.....

And for a fabulous showing of HEARTS....please visist http://kwiltzbystephanie.blogspot.com/ for her wonderful heart rocks, organic LOVE, swag, pizza, and just general WONDERFULNESS!!! and did you see Victoria's heart quilt that was so adorable at http://bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com/?  If you don't get your daily dose of Victoria then you may have V-emia......can easily be remedied with little dose of her blog each day!

I was so inspired by Oprah's magazine Jan or Feb. 2011 that I decided to make a dream board using fabric from my stash and ads and ditties from the magazine.....Click on the image to find a little inspiration that speaks to you.....

I have always dreamt of  being like Oprah or Ellen or other philanthropic souls who are able to give love and hope to the world one heart at a time...I sent this with a quilt inside to Oprah to thank her and it was returned....

"Harpo does not accept unsolicited gifts..."

I am sorry, Oprah, that we live in a world where safety and terrorism took away this luxury from you or that you receive too much love from admirers like me and so it is now not a novelty...I am sorry Oprah that someone else gets to decide what love you receive and what is not received...

I hope I never have to SOLICITE love...

!Love!  Em

Thursday's Thoughts......O Captain, My Captain...Lifelong projects....ORGANIC...

Above are mom's leaves and latest applique project...can you smell the Mexico Ocean and Hibiscus wafting from the tips?

and soon ready for ROXY...yep we are going to quilt it together! 

and last night  we had so much fun playing with ideas of placement and raiding the orange fabric stash for stems....a few more to applique she decided.....

Ode to "PIECE 'O CAKE"and mom's talent...

It may seem trite to pay tribute to Walt Whitman and his LEAVES OF GRASS....but there is a beautiful reason to include him with this lovely project of mom's....

Walt Whitman was criticized for his LEAVES OF GRASS for it being "an exaltation of physical body and sexual love and also because of its innovation in verse form...." - Wikipedia

"his use of FREE VERSE with a long natural "ORGANIC" structure.."- Wikipedia

He was the ORIGINAL WONKY LIBERATED, no ruler..POET

It is said he spent his life revising this collection..

and then I wonder.....is there a project in my life that is lifelong.....

It was so wonderful reading tributes of great women in our lives from last week's giveaway!...

When I say, "O captain, my captain....."

you say.......

It's a Wonder this Wednesday...WonderFULL and Winners galore! Plus, CELEBRATING an artist I LOVE!

ALL WE NEED.....

I was in the airport and found an artist's boutique that turned me into a giddy little girl....

ROMERO BRITTO!!!

Enjoy his creative gift below as LOVE builds a bridge from my home to winners of the giveaways..YEP, there was more than 1 giveaway and you didn't know...I love being sneaky...Remember, when you leave a comment it could be a mysterious win!

"My Alphabet Playbook" by Britto is so fun.  These fun letter punch out from the book and sculptures can be created.....I was like a little kid playing in the airport with these letters...

ENJOY....How fun to continue yesterday's storyline.....Just as Gracie found her joy, I found mine in the airport with Britto!

And the winners are..........Love flying your way via US Mail......

Isn't the bag wonderful that I received from the Britto boutique? 

Britto is an artist that must have quilting in his soul...All those patchwork wonky designs....

Thank you so much for your tributes to women that were heroines in your lives and have become mine as I read and re-read the narratives.  I wish I could gift for every entry...

Gill, Diane and Kathy, you are the winners from the Wonderful Women Celebration, Prizes are a surprise....CONGRATS!  I will contact you today for your addresses.

and remember....last week's celebration of Little Pointy Things?...

Miss Caroll at West Mich quilter......You win a surprise for commenting...I will contact you for your address.

Thank you for the JOY, friends, you bring to me each day as you visit and leave comments or send me ditties via GODWINKS!  This is from Britto's book, WHERE IS FRIENDSHIP BEAR?

WAHOO TO WOMEN- It's A PARTY and I love giving away door prizes!!!!  From Britto's book, WHERE IS FRIENDSHIP BEAR

Beach yesterday and the past weekend...

Biking at the beach..........

and now for reality...THE UTAH WOODS AND WORK....

Love, Em

A storyline for our departure and arrival....

A final morning with dear family and as I packed the zippie bag of quilt supplies...

Lynda wistfully giggled, "She found her joy....." What a beautiful sentiment!....

Another day I will share the story behind it and a hint...

A future art piece to commemorate the heroine.

Love, Em

Monday's Mantra.....Let Your Light So Shine....

Sunset on the water...a female silhouette with a halo...Let the CELEBRATION of remarkable women continue!

As we entered a Christian skatepark yesterday with Noah....This sign was our WELCOME....First thought,  AMAZING.....this has quilt card in the future

My father-in-law's cake was so fun like seeing Ace of Cakes tv special....A golfer and each grandchild and couple was written on the chocolate golf balls....YEP...We are having a BALL!

Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! 

And POOF!!!!!!! a pic from the Stitchin' Post popped up on my phone 2 weeks late...kinda like my mysterious blog popping up every so often.....

2011 is a year of stitchin up memories and CELEBRATING family and friends. Love to you all as we CELEBRATE this Monday's Mantra...

Let you Light so SHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love, Em

Off to the beach but before I go.....A little celebration of balloons and a finish!

Which balloon are you....or are you the dog clicking your heels in delight?

Ommmmmmmmmmmmm! A moment when you sit back and say, ahhhhhh, ready for ROXY!

Great vacation for me when I can applique, cut and create while chit chatting with family...

Happy Sunday,

GLORY GLORY GLORY!

Love, Em

Hail, Hail........The gang's all here!

Little did I know that HAIL would be a beautiful GODWINK for my weekend in Florida....HAIL HAIL The gang's all here!  And what fun there is!

This is my newest little friend, HAILEY, and we fell in love while quilting, I LOVE BEING an Auntie!  Hailey and I made a blanket for her baby last night while everyone was arriving to the home for the CELEBRATION of my father-in-law's 70th birthday extravaganza....To see a little girl with big pinking shears cutting up fabric and carefully glueing and placing on a backdrop of stars...instilling the tradition in a little girl.  She calls me COWBOY GIRL....I am in love!

And the night before, I CELEBRATED being in Tonya's homeland by creating UNRULY letters for my Mother of Mothers......

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! i love the beach and may this sunny umbrella imbible some yellow in your Saturday!

Love, Em

Midas and Mary are the Wednesay Wonders! Let's play and giveaway a surprise!

Please join me in CELEBRATING WOMEN!!!!  

I have been adding to this post as my Mary progresses and I hope that you enjoy the pics.  Fabric is packed and I will work on the applique for the border as I travel....Can't wait to include you in my adventures.

ready for applique in the border....hoping to include words also

Yesterday I snuck home from work, he he he....and wanted to play with some fabric I bought in Sisters at the Stitchin' Post.....As I was cutting, Victoria writes..."we forgot to discuss Lady of Guadalupe....."....and this is my project I was starting as my phone beeped with her love...

REALLY?!!!!!!! YEP, I am not kidding.......

As I cut out my Mary fabric, I thought....I have got to run to Scrap Apple and buy some fabrics with gold....AND BOY DID THEY HAVE OPTIONS!!!!!

Midas had the Golden Touch and Scrap Apple did not let me down in selling his artistry....The quilt is in the early stage and so many ideas swimming in my little brain.....

May this Celestial celebration of a Wonderful Woman be ours for this Wednesday!

I am off to a very fun family CELEBRATION this weekend in Florida......there is POTENTIAL for some out of control quilting while I am there, wink wink wink!  I may have a fun secret to share if all works out logistically......Stay Tuned my Friends!

Just because....Let's have a giveaway....

Leave a comment of a wonderful woman you want to pay tribute to and I will choose the winner when I am back from Florida next week.  I will keep the CELEBRATION open until next Tuesday eve and remind you of it with each new post. 

CELEBRATING WOMEN!!!!

Love, Em

Little pointy things.......

I love WONKY stars!!!! Starlight, Starbright.....

A wonky friendship braid pointing here and there and everywhere...Friends is all directions!  And little miss cowgirl, don't land in the cactus!

Rooftops pointing......

Noah's sunrise of Purple Majesties has transformed into a mama's  beak with bolus of food....

Double click on this amazing lizard and enjoy the miracle of his scales...Points for Protection...I love the golden accents!

AHHHHH! angelic rays of hope and comfort.  As you quietly prepare for prayer or an OMMMM moment, look at your hands, an arrow pointing upwards...

Mosiac starburst......little pointies swirling and twirling..

POINTY things are kinda fun!  Where does your pathway point today?

Love, Em