Twas' the Friday before Christmas....

And we've been busy! Today was the last day of school for the kiddos after a week full of late night studying, semester exams, school parties and general holiday mayhem. Now that Christmas is almost here, we can start to sort of clean settle down and start the cooking, baking and other fun holiday stuff!

I have managed to get a bit of sewing done, but again, you'll have to excuse my HORRIBLE pictures. Starting in the new year I'm going to attempt to take half acceptable pictures. I know I'm not doing myself (or the blog) any justice being all photolazified. (My new word. WORD) Till then, I present decent stuff, with turrible picture taking efforts. (I promise, I really do put more effort into sewing!)

This is a floor cushion for a friend's daughter. I hadn't properly stuffed it just yet so the piping was a bit off looking. I'll be making several more of these in the near future! I used this tutorial to make it and it was super easy!

I also made this simple dress for Aralyn. It's a vintage Butterick dress pattern which I've used for all the girls at some point or another. It has a lined bodice and zippered back. I took a bit of the bulk out of the skirt (and I slightly regret that decision) because the fabric is a little heavier than the normal dress/ cotton weight. Next time I'll just let it be bulky, because in our house, the more twirl power the better!

Next up I'll be completing customs. Once those are all shipped out I'll start on the new Chain Reaction quilt. I can't wait to get started! I'm thinking I may have to invest in some new fabrics, but who can complain about that right?

Meanwhile, I've got one more Saturday at the Market. I'm both relieved and sad all at the same time. I love the vendors, the visitors and everything about it... Yet I'm still needing a break. It's been a long busy year so a month to work on stock, chill with the kids on Saturdays and just *be* will be absolutely wonderful. 

I'm off to pack up for that last Saturday! See yall soon!

There are angels...

My heart hurts for everyone involved in the Connecticut shooting. Hug your babies. There are no promises for tomorrow, no guarantees. Every single day we have is a blessing. Use it wisely. 

Current Work in Progress!

Chugging along! Electronics are situated, camera cord in hand, modem has been replaced and new phone is on the way. We also managed to make it through a round of the stomach bug, some icky weather and a slooooow day at the market. No fun, no fun, but much better now, and Ollie now has THREE teeth to boot! (This is the kid who started rolling over front to back and back to front on the same day, later started crawling AND cruising within 24 hours, so of course he'd get three teeth instead of one. "Go big or go home" he says.)

Current work in progress

This is the current quilt I'm working on for a customer. It's a memory quilt, made from the father's clothing. He really had some fun tastes, and I'm a bit jealous of his spunk. I'm sure he would have been quite the guy to spend the day talking to over coffee and a doughnut. So this is the final layout, all ready to get sewn up (ASAP because I'm so far behind! Eeeeeep!) The other side has plaids and stripes, with gray borders. <---- as="as" be="be" before="before" christmas.="christmas." cool="cool" did="did" finish="finish" going="going" have="have" huh="huh" i="i" it="it" m="m" nbsp="nbsp" other="other" p="p" projects="projects" ready="ready" reversible="reversible" s="s" see="see" several="several" to="to" up="up" what="what">

I think the late night coffee is finally wearing off, so time for me to attempt some sleep! Don't forget, only 11 more days till Christmas!!!!!!!!!

This week was a wipeout!

What a bummer of a week! Mostly just first world problems but problems no less. The girls went back to school after the Thanksgiving holidays, so it was time to get back to work. I had planned on doing my first tutorial, sewing up some things for market and over all being busy. Then....

The modem started to bug out. Only intermittent wireless signals, no signal for the hardwired computer and the phone internet connection is expensive...
So, no blogging.

No big deal right? We can take pictures for the tutorial and get it all ready to go when the modem was ready, right? Right?? yeah... right... Then....

I couldn't find the cord for the camera. No cord, no dice. Can't charge, cant upload, nuthin. Ordered a new one, should be here any day now... so I could just take some shoddy pictures with my  phone camera right? ehhhh maybe... Then...

My phone slipped out of my pocket and Ollie the Toothless Teether discovered it before I did. Slobbering and teething ensued. My phone was/is soooooaaaaked. And gross. Smart phones are not smart, as in they should have an alarm when encountering damp/ wet environments such as teething child's mouth. After a good drying out it should be fine, hopefully by morning.

Moral of this story, It's not always easy to transfer what's in my mind into sharable content.  If it does happen to make any sense, I've still got to transfer it via computers and obviously, computers do not love me. (or my slobbery yet adorable 11 month old who still has no teeth.)

I'm not giving up, just taking a break. Lately I've been so *zonked* that I've not even wanted to get near the sewing room. THAT MUST STOP. Christmas is almost upon us, and I've got to many things to do. So tomorrow I'll be at market, Sunday is the family day and come hell or high water, Monday I WILL BE IN THE SEWING ROOM. Hopefully with a camera, a working phone and lovely babies with teeth and happy moods.

And ACK! Santa sent us Elf on the Shelf!! I can't tell you how excited I am to terrorize the children    start this new tradition! Our elf's name is Stivell (I know, I've never heard of it either. The two year old came up with it and trust me, she will NOT be having any say so on the names of any future siblings.) Pictures of the Elf and his mischief to come (assuming the camera cord gets here soon!!)

Love to you all!!


Kristy

Sale at Deaf Mama Designs and "I'm thankful" Series roundup

Time to have a Black Friday/ Cyber Monday sale at www.deafmama.com! Everything in the store is 25% off, so get it cleared out for me so I can make room for new stuff! Sale ends Monday night at MIDNIGHT CMT!
Now, on to the Thankful series... much catching up to do...

Day 16. I'm Thankful for my old van! She's a Ford Windstar that I've had feeereeeevvveeer and she's still going. We don't enjoy car payments or even car shopping, so I'm extremely thankful for her putting up with us all these years. She's served us well! We do have to take two vehicles out when we have the whole family together, but we make it work. 

Day 17. I'm thankful for thrift stores! I dislike spending money, but I love finding things on the cheap at the thrift store. It's so much fun to bring something home, clean it up, paint it and make it my own. 

Day 19. I'm thankful for Fajita Nachos. Silly I know, but nachos make me so *happy*. 

Day 20. I'm Thankful for all the kind, loving friends and family in my life. In a world full of judgement, they stand by me, love us as a whole family and truly support us. 

Day 21. I'm thankful for being able to be a work at home mom. It's not always easy, but with my husband's support, we make it work. It's wonderful being able to live my dream and do what I truly enjoy, yet still be able to stay home with my children. 

Day 22. It's the big finale! I'm thankful for my life. I'm here. It's all up to me how I live that life. I don't believe in fairy tales or waiting for the magic to happen. It's here, it's now. I'm thankful for LIFE and I realize I've got to give it my all.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. God bless you all!

November Series: I'm Thankful Day 13 through 15

Continuing with the "I'm Thankful" Series....

Day 13. I'm thankful that my good friend  was able to hold her preemie baby for the first time since she was born a month ago. Baby D was born at 24 weeks, 1 lb, 6 oz,  just a little more than halfway through H's  pregnancy. The beginning of this tiny baby girl's life was so touch and go, with doctors unable to predict her future at all. She's gone through surgeries, blood transfusions, good days and bad. Yet through all this she's managed to survive. I'm thankful for the doctors and nurses that do everything they can to take care of this little bean. She is now 1 lb, 9 oz, and steadily growing. She's still tiny enough that her little hands will slip through a women's wedding band with ease. Yet, at 14 inches long, she's a fighter. She knows her mama's voice, and now, after a very long month, she knows mama's heartbeat again. This little baby is nothing short of Ah-MAZ-IN. 

Day 14. I'm thankful for the small stuff. Coffee in the morning (with my favorite coffee creamer), Hugs and kisses from the babies, cuddles and cartoons, funny Facebook statuses, afternoon naps (when they happen) and chocolate. The little things make all the difference! 

Day 15. I'm thankful that today is Thursday!! One more day of school and my kids will be on break for the week. Lately they've seemed a bit burned out. Hoping they can rest up (and get their rooms in order!!) It is exactly one week till Thanksgiving. Then it will be one month till Christmas (I AM NOT READY!!!!!) But I will be ready (or not) by the time it gets here. Meanwhile, lets just pretend I'm on top of everything and Christmas is still several months away. To bad my kids won't believe me! 

Have a great day. 

November Series: I'm Thankful- Day 10-12

Day 10. I'm thankful for my Dad! There is nothing the man can't build, fix or figure out. He would never admit it, but he can even sew! As a kid he always let us "shadow" him while he worked around the house, on the family cars or in the garden. My brother and I referred to ourselves as "gofers" because we always had to "go fer this and go fer that". In the process of hunting down paint brushes, lost tools and finding dropped nuts and bolts, we learned the basics of handyman-ship. The only negative about my dad? I'm 35 years old now and he STILL won't let me use any sort of saw, staple gun or nail gun that plugs in. Every year I say "Hey Daddy, I'm xx years old now, can I use the table saw?" And every year he says "Aw kiddo, I don't think so, maybe next year." I'm the baby of the family and I guess I always will be. It's a good spot to have, despite the fact that I'll probably never get to use a table saw under his watch.

Day 11. I'm thankful for my home. It was pure luck that we were able to buy this house and I'm super thankful we did. She still needs some love but so far, she's been a great home. We really should spend more time fixing her up. Indecisive me keeps changing the game plan, do, redo and do again... someday I'll make up my mind and get'er done.


Day 12. I'm thankful for my Doggy, Pepe. We call him Pepe because he always stinks. He's my sweetheart, a little poodle something mix, who showed up in my driveway 5 years ago, dripping wet from rain. When the babies fuss, he comes to me and walks in a circle so that I'll follow him. If someone is at the door and I don't hear the doorbell he has a certain bark that says "Hey!! There's a stranger!!" Otherwise, he's always underfoot and expecting attention at any moment. He is definitely one of our babies, except he's a sweet little four legged furry little thing.  <3 p="p">
In other news, I've got to get busy in the sewing room. Procrastination has been my worst enemy of late!

November Series: I'm Thankful day 2-9

In no particular order, I'm thankful....

Day 2. I'm thankful for this guy-

The hubby

This is Paul. He's my husband (I had to tie him down legally) but he's also my best friend. We do almost everything together, from xbox gaming to fabric shopping. Deaf Mama Designs would be nothing without his encouragement, ideas, heavy lifting and awesome daddy skills. (he is the fastest diaper changer this side of the Mississippi!) He loves the big family thing and he loves ME. He is my superhero. 

3. I'm thankful we live in a country where we are allowed to vote, to have an opinion without consequences  We can talk about how we can change our government  without worry of jail, beatings and even death. I think we get so wrapped up in what needs to be fixed that we truly forget how lucky we are to live in the USA. 

4. I'm thankful for Cochlear Implants. I am proud to be deaf, and I'm proud of being a part of the hearing world. I am amazed and thankful for the kind doctors, scientists, computer nerds and whiz kids that have grown up to focus on  us hearing impaired folks.You've made my life easier. More enjoyable. LOUDER. Without you guys, I would not have heard my babies' first cries at birth.  I would  have never experienced my first rock concert, I wouldn't have heard my husband say "I Do." (even though he said it really loud. heh. he was nervous :)) You guys have very literally rocked my world. Rock on!

5.I am thankful for My mom. Without her, of course I wouldn't be here. But even if I did manage to weasel my way in, I wouldn't be who I am. She believed in me, helped me to overcome, accomplish, achieve, mourn, fight back, laugh, love and and every other emotion I have. She taught me to sew, but the most important thing she ever taught me was to love without expectations. That would have to be a whole 'nother blog post, but yes, so true. 

6. I'm Thankful to the kind Ladies that work at the fabric stores!! So many times they've saved me headache when I couldn't find a fabric, pattern or crazy notion (because I HAD to have it that day, bc it was going to be on SALE dontcha know? ) They put up with me, and they love to flirt with Paul, which keeps him happy while I shop... which means more fabric for me, and less focusing on the receipt for him. Gotta love those ladies!

7. I'm thankful for customers, vendors (and everyone) at the market. The biggest thing that makes me love selling locally vs online is the interaction. Every Friday night I pack up the van for market. Every Saturday morning I unpack it, set up and wait. But the day is never ever boring. Many of the regular vendors have become my dearest friends, as well as several customers. I have a customer that bought a quilt from me over 3 years ago and he still stops by the booth to say hello. I *love* that. It means so much to me that people want to buy local, support our local artists and heck, take the time to talk to us. If it wasn't for them, and the awesome vendors, Saturdays could easily be a day I detest... but honestly, other than the fact that I miss my babies while I'm gone, I absolutely love it. I always learn something from someone, have a good laugh, share vendor war stories and triumphs. It's wonderful and I would be so heartbroken if I had to stop going. 

8.I'm thankful for my talent. To paraphrase Erma Bombeck- When I go before heaven and stand in front of God, I want to be able to say "God, I don't have a single talent left. I spent every bit of it, sharing with other people, teaching my children and praising you. I have nothing, and I hope that's alright."

9. I'm thankful for finally getting caught up on my "I'm Thankful Series"! It's not easy for me to blog. I want to set the right tone, the right mood.... I want my readers to walk away with a little bit of a chuckle or a "hmm, something to think on" moment. The blogging world is so big, and I am just.. me. But yes, I want to make you smile today, and I'm thankful for having my blog to provide me a way to say "Hello!" 

Thanks for reading! I would love to hear what you are thankful for! Leave a comment to share!

November Series: I'm Thankful....

Being thankful is harder than it appears. Us ladies have high expectations of ourselves, how we run our families, jobs and home. We can be overly critical of ourselves, and lose sight of the big picture. Today (a day late even) I'm kicking off the "I'm thankful" series, a list of things I'm thankful about and why. I know it isn't the most creative, and that's ok.  Life isn't perfect, deadlines aren't always met and sometimes the dinner gets burned but the big picture is    truly a blessing.

Day 1.

I'm thankful for my  kids.

All 9 of them.

Even when they're stubborn, talking back or won't go to bed.

Yes, they occasionally talk back. 

Yes, they get lazy.

Yes they have to be forced into the tub and reminded to scrub behind their ears.

Yes they are LOUD. 

But they are fun. Happy. Loving. They care for each other. They have learned sympathy, empathy. Best of all, they respect mama's spot on the couch. They sit there, but when I come along, they kindly scootch over. Thank you. I love sharing the living room with them. Sometimes, before the babies go to bed, the living room looks and sounds more like a peewee version of WWE's Royal Tumble. That's the one where all the guys try to toss each other out of the ring and the last one standing is the winner. Except in our version, the kids aren't fighting, or trying to hurt each other, just playing around. It's our NORMAL. (normal is such a silly word)

It's fun. It's loud. It's home. I'll admit, I don't look forward to the day my house is no longer home for toddler feet pitter pattering down the hall... or babies in highchairs eating their favorite foods one little bite at a time... or even teens that want to talk about "life isn't faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaair and dipping their feet into volunteer work, politics and grownup "stuff". I love the chaos. The blessings. 

 Maybe we should invite some of the WWE guys over for thanksgiving. I think my kids could show them a few wrestling moves. I'm sure the kids would trick them into "their spot" being on the floor

 I'm thankful that my home is full. My hands are full.  My heart is full. Yet somehow there is always room for one more. 

Playing Catch Up

So last night dh was using the laptop... and left it on the coffee table. (BIG DIRTY SCORNFUL LOOK INSERTED HERE) and as fate would have it, a glass of tea was spilled, subjecting the dear laptop to it's first spill. EEEK! However, it (and I) survived, and we are back on duty today. HALLALUYER!

So this week I'm overbooked, overwhelmed and determined to finish up all on said to do list. Since I tend to be the worst procrastinator EVER, I'm going to post my to do list for the sake of accountability.

Finish Mod quilt (front, quilting, pictures, binding, all of it. Currently we're about 3/4 the way done, but this quilt has been my distress since MARCH. Just, insane. I've never had a quilt take this long to finish itself. Really.)

15 Sunbonnet Sue Pillows - deets on this later.

2 Autumn Table Runners- one custom, one for the shop.

Ok so it's only 3 things to do, but that's a good bit of sewing hours, in between school work, cooking, cleaning and baby holdin'. It's "only" Tuesday, so lets see what I can get done this week. I've also been listing a ton of vintage patterns, so take a looky loo, because they're CHEAP. Some are even FREE for shipping. Seriously. Can't beat free!!

Have a great day!

Friday Recap!

It's been super busy around here..

Nine weeks just ended for us... that means report cards.... All good there! A's and B's across the board. The girls are enrolled in a gifted program so academics are a bit harder. They enjoy the challenge, and I love the extra care the teachers put into their students. They are also enrolled in Study of the Arts, which is two hours a day studying dance, music, art, theater etc. The second oldest (Oldest is in college) is the Arts program, the third is my ballerina and fourth is my little actress in training, taking Theater. We are so lucky to have these programs within our public schools. I feel like each one has been able to follow their dreams (so far) and truly challenge themselves. The teachers are *amazing*. Seriously. They know their stuff.

On the home front, Ollie is crawling everywhere, climbing everywhere and getting into everything. Of course that means he's had his share of bumps and falls... in this picture he's got a bruise on his head from one of his explorations.  He loves pouncing on his sisters and brother, just like a puppy. Just today he tried to stand upright without holding onto anything. We may be on the way to walking sooner than later. I'll take later thank you very much! I'm in no hurry to see baby boy grow up. *boo hoo*

On the Business front, Shop for SIDS was great! I met so many new people, and the Event host went above and beyond their call of duty. I'm telling you.... they FED us. Sausage egg biscuits for breakfast,  pizza for lunch, bottled water, soda, you name it.

What I really love is that every penny of the vendor fees went to buy a safe crib for a baby in need. These folks are just FULL of good deeds. After seeing so many tragedies in the news this week, it really warms my heart to know there are good people, fighting for an unselfish cause. If you'd like to learn more about SIDS check out this link: MS SIDS Alliance. My babies are my world. We need to do everything we can to protect them, love them and give them the best start possible.


I'll be back at the MS Farmer's Market on High St this Saturday, with several new items (BABY items. hint hint) so stop on in and sit a spell! I always have an extra chair at my booth for friends to visit. See yall there!

Merry Go Rounds and Funnel Cake Oh MY!

Today is not just any old ordinary day. Today was "state fair day" for me and the crue! This has been a tradition since the kids were babies, one that I look forward to almost as much as Christmas holidays. The MS State Fair is in my blood. I don't think I've missed more than 2 years since I was a baby myself, and barring extreme weather or hospitalization, I don't think anything else could keep me from going.  The crowds, the food, the rides, petting the alpeca, camels, pygmy goats, donkeys and baby BISON. OH. My. Cute. Just... nothing but love for the fair. 

This year, we had a lot of "firsts" at the fair. I let the kids split up, the younger four with me and the older 3 were allowed to venture off as their own group. This way no one would be bored and while I absolutely love the fair, the little ones can only handle that much fun for a little while. After a while they get overwhelmed and then it's no fun for any of us. So we split up, and off we went to the rides (and FOOD)

For the kids, every ride they see is like opening a huge gift, even though they only get to keep it for  a  few minutes. "Mama! Did you SEE ME!!?? I was WAY UP THERE!" says my 5 year old.. with his face covered in chocolate ice cream and powdered sugar. "Mama! I want to ride the rollercoaster, am I tall enough??" 

Dragon roller coasters...
Topsy Turvy Teddy Bears...

High Flyers...

Merry Go Round...

and on and on and on....

Aralyn (2.5) and Brett (4) were super brave. Paul insisted on riding the kiddy rollercoaster with Aralyn, but I think he really wanted to ride anyway. Nevermind he barely fit in the thing. I wanted to ride too, but the kids were so "I'm not scared!" I sat back and watched them have fun. Seeing how secure they are really makes me proud. Next year ollie will probably get to enjoy a ride or two, so I look forward to that!

Then there was....

Fried potatoes (sort of like potato chips, but... not)

Funnel cake!!!! (super yum)

Root Beer Floats

Sugar Cookies

Pork Rinds (cajun and BBQ)

Soft Serve Ice Cream

Homemade biscuits and syrup 

Yuuuuuuummmmy

When the money was spent and it was time to go, Aralyn was fast asleep, Brett had to ride on Paul's shoulders a good ways and the girls were walking slower than molasses uphill in a snowstorm. The walk back to the car seemed like forever. I was exhausted as we were leaving  but took one last look to say goodbye till next year. Thank you to the MS State Fair Commission and the State of Mississippi for giving  us a fun family tradition. 

"Are you really deaf?"

Hi everyone! It's THURSDAY! Thats... one day before FRIDAY! Which for me means I start freaking out about everything I haven't gotten done this week and get bizzz-zay. Am I the only one that looks at Friday as a deadline instead of the beginning of the weekend? Probably doesn't help that I have market on Saturdays, so that would make Saturday my Monday, and Thursday would be my Sunday and... nevermind. To confusing. But, weekends are rarely for relaxing around here (at least for mom) so on occasion I DO look forward to Monday.

And speaking of market, that brings me to my post title today. Being a vendor at the market means having a somewhat personal relationship with customers. Since my biz is called "Deaf Mama Designs"  I get asked some pretty personal questions. I don't mind. I'd rather answer personal questions and possibly leave a positive impact, rather than negative assumptions. 

So the first question is usually.... "Are you really deaf?" YES! (big smile here!) I am really deaf. I do have a cochlear implant. It makes my hearing much better, but not perfect. So I'm very, totally, almost no residual hearing, can't wake up to alarm sounds, can't hear the baby cry at night deaf. I do not know how to sign. All my children have perfect hearing. The drs and specialists have theories of why I'm deaf, but no absolute answers. Deafness in some people (like me) has always been somewhat of a mystery. I'm ok with that. I kind of like being deaf.

1. I can adjust to my surroundings. If something is to loud, I can turn down the sound on my processor, like a stereo. Or, I can just take them off completely. This bothers other people more than it does me ;)

2. Since I have to take my processor off at night, I sleep really, really well. I have an awesome hubby that will wake up to investigate the scary noises, fight off the boogieman and even tend to fussy babies during the night. Sometimes he wakes me up to get them and that's fine with me. I really appreciate what a big help he is, as long as he handles the boogieman and noises. (his weapon of choice is a broken table leg... scary huh?)

3. I get to skip out on lots of drama. I'm not sure how this happens, but honestly, I don't like drama, bad mouthing people, gossip etc, so I'm not sure if I just don't hear it or they just don't bother to talk to me about it because they think I won't hear them anyway. Either way, I'm down with that.

4. Talk doesn't mean much to me. There is much more to be said about body language and just REAL action to "read" a person. What they say and what they do are two totally different things. I think I focus on the later, just because I'm to lazy to listen sometimes. 

Things I don't love about being deaf...

1. I have a really hard time hearing on the phone. Before everyone had internet, email and texting, I felt really left out. At one point I tried using TTY, but my family just didn't understand it at all. And the idea of carrying on a "fun" conversation with a 3rd person was so awkward I gave up. So I did lose a lot that way. Now I can text, which keeps me more involved. My oldest sister even started texting, which is AWESOME. love love love it.
2. If you have a hearing aid or Cochlear implant (CI from here on out) people sometimes expect your hearing to be perfect.. not always so. Mine is way better, but like with the phone issues, it's not perfect. Noisy environments wear me out, just from trying to focus and listen. I do it anyway because it's absolutely worth it! Talking to friends and customers at the market, church  even the grocery store. (Yep- I'm one of those crazy ladies that likes to compliment you on your kids, or wave to the babies.. just be happy I don't buy them candy and squish their cheeks. I'm holding back!!)

The funny things about being deaf... I talk a LOT. like, more than most people. To the point that I annoy the mess out of my husband. I am also constantly telling my kids to stop yelling! (I know right?) And.. last but not least, I can read lips really well. My kids don't get away with much. :)

So that's it for today! If you need a boogieman exterminator, feel free to call my husband. Don't worry about the table leg, I'm sure he'll be as humane as possible. 

Lean Mean Quilting Machine

This year, I inherited my mother's long arm quilter. If I did my math correctly, the long arm is about 23 years old! So she's not fancy, no computerized stitches or buttons to push. Just a lever to make her go, and a switch to turn the light on and off. Quite simple, until you need to thread from scratch. I thank the genius that came up with picture diagrams!

So this is the quilt I'm working on. The quilt top has been finished for so long I've forgotten where I got the pattern or what it is called! Essentially it's hst's with a star-ish layout. I'm quilting with a freehand curly-q design. I do use other quilting techniques, but I always end up going back to the curly-q design, just because I love the look of it. 

Yeah. That's my lovely view of the "other" (aka hubby's) side of the sewing room. But, this is just to show you that A) I'm a hot mess. B) I still have a lot of work to do (that table needs to be refinished asap! Sadly, there's actually two tables in that picture) and C) I need to have some accountability so that I get this mess done. Sewing is fun. Cleaning is NOT. Guess which one I'll be doing today! 

Um, Whoops!

So I started a day late.


FAIL.

But... Mondays are just.. blah around here. I have no excuses really, other than being busy (doing what I don't remember, I know it wasn't important other than being those things we all do to survive) and I had some serious allergy issues going on. Normally I can take my regular seasonal allergy meds and I'm fine. Lately, it's not been working so well, so I'm having to take Benadryl also. Not fun.

In other news, I've got a new quilt on the quilting frame! I've done two rows (8 inches wide) so only... 6 more rows to go. Gosh that sounds so EASY. In reality it's not so simple. More like a few hours worth of work but the end result will be worth it.

I found out today that I'm going to "Shop for SIDS" which is a local craft show that raises money to buy cribs and baby items for low income families. As a mama who has lost a baby to SIDS, I'm thrilled about the opportunity. So not only will I be attempting to blog every day for Blogtoberfest, I'll also be sewing like a mad woman for the upcoming show. I do sell at the farmer's market every Saturday, but I'm tired of looking at (some) of the same stuff every week. I want to add Toooooooooooooons of new items. Not just quilts. LOTS o' Things. The Shop for SIDS show has me motivated again. And it's on Oct 20th.. so by the time you read this, I'll probably only have 17 days to get anything done. I'll be in the sewing room if you need me!!!

BLOGTOBERFEST

                                                         



Oh yes! It's BLOGTOBERFEST YALL! Thanks to Kat @ I Saw You Dancing for the invite! 31 days of blogging madness... I'm up for the challenge! If you'd like to join us, click the link above and sign up!

In other news, Sept 22 was my birthday. I don't mind being a year older. In fact, I spent about 6 months of last year thinking I had turned 35, when actually I was only  34! I feel like I sort of gained an extra year. And... 30s aren't bad. Not bad at all. I'm finally turning into a real grownup. I'm thankful. My 20's were rocky. My teens... yikes, you couldn't bribe me with all the money and chocolate in the world. 30's are good. Settled. Calmer. Thoughtful. I feel like that perfect pair of jeans.. not brand new but gently worn and comfy in all the right places.

For my birthday I got a digital camera. I'm still learning how to use it! It has a wide angle, which is exactly what I needed to improve my quilt pictures. (If you've never taken a picture of a king size quilt, lucky you!) Previously I was using my phone cam. Seriously. Great for sharing pics on instagram. Not so great for sales.

So back to BLOGTOBERFEST! If you haven't signed up, get over there!!! It's gonna be FUN!

Meeting Aralyn...

Meet Aralyn, aka, Super Ninja Toddler.

The toddler years....

Introducing, Aralyn. She's 2.5 short, blonde, cute and "SupahDupah" sweet. No really, she is totally a doll.Well, dolls don't say "NO!"and "NUH UH!" and "WHY?" But, that's ok. They don't usually break things like laptop screens, cochlear implant batteries or pour ten pounds worth of sugar on the floor (I know, I'm still trying to figure out that one too). But they also don't give super "I love you mama" kisses, or say "Thank you mama" or sing "Tinwkle tinwkle widdle staw-wah" like she does either. So, I'd call it a fair trade.

Favorite snack- fresh strawberries at the market

 Speaking of dolls, she loves them. She refers to them all as her "babies"... even the stuffed dinosaur. She puts them to bed, feeds them, gives them a stern talking to when they are bad.  Cutest. Thing. Ever. 

Checking out the sunflowers

Poor thing. Out of 8 kids, she was the only girl stuck with an older and younger brother, though she gets along with her older sisters really well. (Except when she gets in their stuff. She's a makeup/ hair accessory diva, and loves to sneak off to get into the big girls stuff. She also demands to change clothes every chance she gets, her favorite being her pink batman shirt.

Gotta love the two year olds... sweet and sassy. That's my girl.   

Roses and the Naked Ladies

So the fall flowers aren't overflowing just yet since the flowerbed is only a few weeks old... but here's a snippit of what I get to see every day... and hopefully my neighbors get to enjoy them also .


These are Spider Lilies, aka Naked Ladies... I dug these bulbs up from my mom's house years ago and they've been blooming and multiplying ever since. The bulbs seem to just sit there... and sit there... nothing... then suddenly they start shooting up left and right, almost overnight. It takes about 3 days to go from sprouting out of the ground to full bloom.


Not a good shot but this is my Scentinial rose.. smells like a sweet perfume. I love the combination of red and white.. the color (in real life!) is so beautiful! I've planted this rose close to the front door, in hopes that this rose gets much, much bigger as the nursery owner promised. Natural air freshener!



This the Pinata Rose... another lovely. I'm so crazy about orange. This rose starts off with a yellow bud, then opens to more orange and before the bloom fades it goes to red. Finally it fades to red and whites, just lovely!! There isn't much to the scent, but it truly makes up for it in tons of flowers and color. Amazing to watch the colors change over the course of a day.



As you can see I need to spend some time weeding and mulching. I'm ready to get through the winter with lots of quilting and home renovations, then it will be on to spring. One day at a time!

Here's two of the crew that are keeping me busy today-

Have a happy Saturday!

Daffa Daffa Daffa Dils!

Happy Friday everyone!

We made it through the week with minimal damage. No missed buses, no ER visits, fires, 911 calls or anything dramatic.I'd even go so far as to call it somewhat a boring week. No complaints here, boring is always good and I hope it stays that way.

 *knock on wood*

The summer roses are still blooming, which I love. My Scentinial Rose is giving me about one or two blooms at a time, while the Pinata roses look like they are ready to explode. The buds are just showing, but I'll get a picture soon. I LOVE flower gardening! Right now I'm loving it more than sewing even, though I'm just a newb learning all the ropes. I guess my "specialty" should be roses, since I keep collecting new rose bushes every time I am at the market. There is a local vendor there that really knows his roses and gives me an awesome hookup on new plants. At this rate, we're going to have to get a bigger house so I can have a bigger yard... but for now this will do! I reallllllly love my roses.... but...

Roses only bloom in spring and summer... so I've got to have something pretty in the yard year round... for very early spring I've ordered some bulbs to plant... and I can't WAIT till they get here. I've been checking the mail daily, just waiting for them to come in the mail.

Pink Daffodils! Aren't they ADORABLE??? Seriously... I love the good ole yellow kind, and if these don't work out I'll go back to the old fashioned... but I LOVE these. I loved them so much I ordered 50 of them. *sigh* I don't think I do anything on a small scale, like, ever. Anyone who has seen me in the same room with chocolate or cheesecake or kids or quilts or fabric can attest to this. "Go big or go home!!!" That's my story and I'm sticking to it!


I hope you have a great weekend, I'll be stalking my mail lady in hopes that my daffodils are in her care!

*Update- After speaking with the seller it turns out that my daffodils won't be here until sometime next week. What a bummer! But... they're pink daffodils so that makes it entirely worth it right?

Family days and a side of quilting

August was... WOW.

Birthdays

... My oldest turned 18 or... HOLY COW! I'm the mama to an ADULT! I'm still not claiming my old lady badge... yet.... But so grown, smart and beautiful. I have no idea where the time went. Seems like just yesterday she was 2 and planting daffodils in the yard with my mom. Or 5 and riding her bike all over the place. *sigh* I'm thankful. I'm thankful she's turned into such a wonderful young lady. I hope her adult life treats her well. She deserves it!

Lexi turned 9! Such a big girl now. But this age... so hard to find the "right" gift.  Most toys are to young, girly stuff is to "old" and everything in between is... commercialized boy band, boy crazy JUNK. Next year I'll just give her a  gift certificate for junk food since that seems to be all she really loves to spend her money on lately. 

Paul! Haha Mr. Batman turned 27. There's an 8  year difference between us but it works. We did cake and ice cream, just the family. He's my rock and my opposite. I couldn't love anyone more than THIS guy. 

We also celebrated our 3 year anniversary. Two babies in 3 years... and so, so much more. I'm looking forward to many, many more anniversaries with Mr. Batman. We make an awesome team. 

Not only did we celebrate a plethora of family holidays, we also started back to school. Homeschooling for the little ones and "regular" school for the older kiddos. Not an easy combo but we manage to make it work. This year I'll be homeschooling 4th, K and preschool. FUN!!! We're looking forward to lots of science experiments and writing. Lots and LOTS of writing. Now that Ollie is a bit bigger we're also hoping to get out more for field trips. We'll see!

In the sewing world, I've completed several quilts, including this one that I finished quilting this morning:

Don't you LOVE my camera phone?? It's a wonder the thing still works. Anyway, terrible lighting, fuzzy photo and overall bad photography aside, you get the idea. This quilt still needs binding... I'm thinking a small black and white stripe, but haven't decided just yet. This one will be in my Deaf Mama Designs Shop. I've been slowly adding more quilts to the shop and working on the overall look, so check it out! Don't forget to check out the gallery for quilts I've made in the past. Let me know what you think, I'm always up for suggestions.

That's all for today!

Gawsh! Today went by so fast I barely felt it! Right now we're in the process of rearranging rooms and attempting to declutter the house. Easily said but not so much done, since I went to goodwill and scored a buncha fun things. whoops! More on that later. As of now, we're going to paint some bunk beds, small end table, wooden school desk and refinish a large desk. We as in me. S'all good though, since one of my favorite things to do when I'm not sewing is to redo furniture. I don't get to do it to often, but looks like I've got plenty in line now. 

This week I finished this quilt....

and finished this quilt top...

I'll get the second quilt quilted up this week. All the strips were from scraps and the most shamefully ugly fabric I own(ed). Amazing what chopping up fabric into 2.5 inch strips and resewing them can do. It's still pretty funky up close, but I'm kinda liking it. I'll definitely be making another version of this design in the near future. For now I can't wait to see it all finished up! Unfortunately, even after all that sewing, my scrap bins are still overflowing. 

Before I make any more scrappies I'm finishing up a mod quilt for a custom order. I've been taking pictures here and there through the process so I can show how I go about making a memorial quilt. I love making these quilts because they are so special and sentimental.

But it's all good for now. Going to snuggle with the hubs and get some sleep! Last night in my dreams I was designing quilts left and right on EQ7. I'm just that excited!!!! Maybe tonight I'll dream about finishing all these tops I have, because I sure do need the inspiration! 

Sweet dreams yall!

Summertime Market Saturdays and a friend

Hello there! It is a HOT week here in Mississippi, but apparently that's not keeping many at home! The MS  Farmer's Market in Jackson was PACKED! I think it was the largest turnout so far this year, fingers crossed we have many more weekends like this one. People were socializing, buying and just overall HAPPY! It was the perfect weekend to debut my new Neck Rags, which are gel filled neck wraps. Let me tell ya, these things WORK!! They sold really well for a first day, so I'm excited to add more to the line. Whew, I never have a problem finding something to do, do I?

This Week I managed to get two queen sized quilts on the long arm machine and finished the binding on one last night. This week I'll be working on a custom, plus finishing up a few other items, like more Neck Rags, and a baby quilt or two. Maybe I can get some better pictures of quilts up on my website also. I keep putting it off because local folks keep me so busy, but I really should keep things more up to date.

Speaking of pictures, websites and blogs staying up to date... Let me tell you why I love the Farmer's Market, even on those 100 degree days when I don't sell a thing.

Friends.

Not just customers, but those folks that come by and know the time and effort that goes into each item. The folks that talk. And come back, just to talk some more.

Like Ms. Dot. This lady is a something something else! I can't tell you how much I appreciate her thoughts. Her emails. Her words of encouragement.  She "fussed" (in a sweet, loving, southern mama sort of way) at me about updating my blog more often. And my website. Not because she thinks I should do more, but because well, darn it, she's right. And I think she knows I'm a little lazy when it comes to ME. I work really hard for my husband and my kids, but the quilting is ME. It's all mine. I know good and well it will grow as fast and as far as I let it, and I just might be a little afraid of that. Maybe I'll get chained to the sewing machine. Maybe I'll get sick of it all and just quit. Maybe people will come to expect way more from me than I am able to produce... and it's all LIES. That little part of my brain way in the back is steadily ticking off excuses, reasons to procrastinate, reasons to keep myself from reaching my dreams and pushing myself just a little more each day.  But Ms. Dot sees right through that. She is a "straight up tell it like it is" kind of lady (and she is SUCH a lady!) and she told me to update my blog. And my website. She sees success, she sees that I can grow. WOW. I love that. And I love her for that.

So this blog is for you Ms. Dot. Thank you for encouraging me. And visiting, and emails, and all the sweet things you do. You are AWESOME!!!!!! And we (the whole family) love you!

Mess part two!

Yikes. I'm about as organized as it gets.. Mentally at least. In my mind's eye there's a place for everything, all sorted, orderly and easy to access.

Yeah right.

There are piles upon piles on the cutting table, the floor, in laundry baskets, chairs abd just ugh. It's hair pulling annoying stuff. We got rid of the old eewwy-gross fridge, brought the dining room table back in (it used to be my cutting table), folded a couple of laundry baskets of fabric, etc. a good 4 hours of work. Now it looks worse than we started. No kidding! I'll be back in there as much as I can until it is done, but the process is unnerving!

Meanwhile, I managed to put this sweet quilt together.

Sorry about the picture quality, I don't have a digital camera at the moment.

The Biggest Mess Eeeeeevvvvvvvvver

Talk about massive sewing crisis! Two years ago my sewing room was a "spare" bedroom. Hardly a spare with six kiddos at the time but no one wanted their own room, so it wasn't used. At 10'x10' it was the smallest room in the house. Two kids later, we needed that room, so my sewing room moved to the garage.

It's not a grand Martha Stuart craft room, but for me, it works. At least it did, till my sewing crisis hit. Most of the tables and other sewing furniture has been thrifted or cast offs from friends and family. It's not matchy matchy but free is better than matchy right?

So I inherited much of my mom's sewing things... Tons of fabric, notions etc. The crisis happened when I realized I had to move the entire room around so that everything has a home and be accessible. So far we've moved the sewing machines and tables around, added shelves, ruler folded a whole lotta stash (with still more to do) trashed the old garage fridge (ewwwwww) and finally moved many things to the shed for storage.

Next I want to make a new craft table by frankenstein'ing my old 36" shelves and a hobby table I purchased at hancock's years ago. Now I'm not exactly sure how it's going to work, but the hobby table folds and it's just not safe with little ones running around. Plus, the z shape the legs do when it's open creates so much wasted space.

Oh yeah, the best part! The whole reason for putting myself through all this trauma.....

I'm getting my mom's old long arm quilter! Squeee! This sucker is big, heavy and 100% in your face... But now I won't have to arrange babysitting, answer the phone every 5 minutes (can we have ice cream? When are you coming home? Do I have to wash my hair tonight? What's for supper?), drive 15 miles one way just to quilt. I'll be able to quilt my quilts at home!!!!

And that my peeps, makes me wanna do jazz hands!