Decisions, Decisions????

For some time now my husband and I have talked about getting a new bed. We are currently sleeping on a full size beautiful antique oak bed that has been in his family for years. We also have a matching dresser, and chest. Well we are at the point where we desperately need a new mattress and have decided to upgrade to queen size, that is as large as our bedroom will let us go. I have narrowed it down to two beds, after taking Joe to look at them today, we are no closer to deciding, he likes both equally well. One is oak and would be a great match for the furniture we already have. The other is iron and would be a totally new look for us. I really like both beds also, and don't really plan on buying another bed anytime soon. I have even started the quilt for it. (I have one block done, so there is plenty of time) Both beds are on sale so I need to make a decision soon. Which one, oak or iron???? What do you think?

Yummy

Earlier this week I went to a cooking class at Cooks Warehouse, one of out local kitchen shops. The class was on desserts, which in my opinion you can't go wrong with, the chef was from Morton's restaurant. He was instructing us on how to make their Key Lime Pie, Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake, and Sabayon with fruit. It was a great class, there were only 8 people in the class which made it very nice. We were able to ask the chef all kinds of questions, and he was able to explain a lot about the restaurant business. Of course the best part was tasting the finished product. The cake was wonderful, like a cross between a pudding and a cake. The pie was delicious also, a little heavy but very good. The sabayon was actually my favorite, it was very lite and the fruit that it was served with was extremely fresh and tasty. At the end of the class we even received a goodie bag from Morton's. There was a gift card for a free appetizer, and an apron. It was a pleasant surprise. I have never eaten at Morton's, but after this class I can definitely recommend the desserts.

New Look

After blogging for a little over a year now, I thought it was time I gave my blog a new look. Little did I know how involved I was going to get or how long it would take. I checked out several sites that have blog backgrounds, there sure are a lot of them out there. Boy, I gave myself a headache just looking for a background that I liked. I decided that I just had to walk away from the computer, and come back to it. After taking a break to go to a cooking class, (more on that later) I found a background that I liked, or thought I liked, after changing everything over, I decided that I really didn't like it and maybe this hadn't been such a great idea after all. I mean I could be sewing now instead of sitting in front of the computer. But in the back of my mind I could hear my friend Becky, talking about how much time she puts into her blog and I was determined to have a new look before midnight. When I found The Little Window Shop, I was so excited, they had some wonderful backgrounds. I was scrolling down the page looking at all of the options they offered when I found it, Red Swirl. Well, if you know me, you know that red is most definitely my favorite color. I had to have it. After I figured out how to "get it" then I had to rearrange everything on my blog, and of course try to "spiff" it up a little. I will probably make a couple of more changes, but it is 11:15 and I am to tired to think anymore. Let me know what you think of the new look? How often do most of you change the look of your blog?

Happy Anniversary to Me

I can't believe that it has been twelve years since Joe and I got married, it seems like only yesterday. Of course we dated for seven years, so we have know each other for 19 years. When he proposed to me, he had already made the arrangements for us to go to Las Vegas to get married. That is what we had always said that we would do when we got married. It was a blast. I seriously recommend it to anyone, especially if you are older as we were when we got married. We were married at the Little Chapel of the West, which is down the street from the Luxor. It is the chapel from the movie Viva Las Vegas. We spent a couple of days in Vegas then went to the Grand Canyon for our honeymoon. If you have never been to Las Vegas I think it is a trip everyone should make once in their lives, don't stay for a week, a couple of days is definitely long enough. It was a great trip, one that I am thinking fondly of today as I prepare to do yard work.

Surprise!!

Several weeks ago in one of my quilting magazines I saw some wooden needle holders. I thought they were very unusual and different. I tore the page out knowing that one of our good friends does a lot of wood working. When he was over a few weeks ago, to bring my husband a pen he had created out of an antler shed, I showed him the needle holders and asked if he could possibly make me one sometime. The only thing he asked for was the cork toppers, luckily I had some left over from some craft project. Imagine my surprise when he called and wanted to bring me my needle holders. ( as in more than one). When I opened the box, I couldn't believe the workmanship and the creativity that he had put into them. They are all beautiful. My favorite is the one on the right which looks like a bowling pin. It is made from sycamore, the others are either dogwood or bamboo. I can't wait to start using them.

Great way to end the week

Two of my favorite things are quilting and reading. I had a great time earlier this week quilting in the mountains with Pat and Becky. This morning I had an email from the library that a book I had requested was ready and waiting for me, Summer on Blossom Street, the new Debbie Macomber book. I really like her books, especially the Blossom Street series. I have read all of this series, and am trying to read the others. I need to sit down at the computer and make a list of all of the series and titles to figure out which ones I have read and which ones I need to request from my local library. If you are looking for a great summer read, this is definitely it.

Great Time in the Mountains

Boy, did Becky, Pat, and I have a great time sewing in the mountains. We left on Monday morning, made a stop at the local quilt shop in Blue Ridge, where all of us made a purchase. Then we headed to the cabin. Within 30 minutes of arrival three sewing machines were humming along. Pat was working on a king size Strawberry Pie, (one of her own designs, check it out at her website: http://silverthimblequilt.com/). Becky was working on a beautiful log cabin quilt called Autumn Ridge, and I was trying to finish Fire Crackers. Thanks to Pat for bringing her portable design wall I was able to get a layout that I liked (with assistance from both Pat and Becky, I managed to get all of the blocks together and the inner border, unfortunately I didn't have enough fabric to finish the outer border.

Sewing aside we had a great time! Becky had a copy of the new Jelly Roll book, which has some great quilts in it. Pat had wonderful stories to share from the Spring Quilt Market, (don't worry Pat what is said at the cabin stays at the cabin.) And the food was wonderful. Pat brought her spaghetti pie, Becky's husband had grilled us a chicken, and we had snacks galore. We are already talking about when we can get back up there for a few days, hopefully our schedule will allow it before next summer.

I had wanted to make a little something for both Pat and Becky to remember their trip by, so I tried my hand at pincushions. I found the pattern in a magazine during the spring, and during one of my trips to Sweet Home I found the crushed walnut shells that the pattern called for filling the cushions with. I have enough boxes left to make a couple more, that might be a project for stocking stuffers. They are very, very easy to make.