0nce again my blog is suffering, I have neglected my postings but I do have a reason.  My husband has been in and out of the hospital this past month.  He is back home now, but his recovery is a slow process.  So for now my blog will take a back seat to him. We have doctor appointments and appointments for tests almost daily.

I had wanted to write a post about my favorite artist's passing, but I didn't get to it.  Thomas Kinkade passed away at a very young age. His work was collected and loved by many who found inspiration in the beautiful scenes that came from his paint brush.  I am sadden to hear how he had fallen into the bottle again and how his life was in such turmoil. I hope he will be remembered for the beauty he created rather then the trouble he had in his life. 

Lizzy's Fund Raiser

my favorites, the Easter Eggs cakes

I am sure you all know that my grand daughter Lizzy met her goal with 1,000 cranes, she was able to present a check for $ 1,000 to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at their kick off.  Saturday she had a bake sale which I made some items for.  I worked this week on making cake, cupcakes and candy for her sale.  This was a real family project as hubby helped me in the decorating. Jen made cupcakes, candy and cookies.  Another Success for Lizzy, she sold almost every item on her table...
We took the items I made to the school yesterday and the minute I unloaded the car the volunteers working on the sale swamped the table and were asking Jen for prices... She sold almost all the Egg shaped cakes while setting up... I was amazed that things went so fast, they also made a announcement to the teachers about the cakes for sale. 

Here are some of the items I made and took in to the school...

dozens & dozens of cupcakes

A few cookie shaped cakes

they look like a giant Oreo Cookie with a lovely cream filling

a Easter cake

more Easter cakes

and even more Easter cakes

 Our SIL came over and installed new faucets in the master bath so we didn't get to go to the sale, school was having a Relay for Life rummage sale too. 
What I just realized was that I did lots of baking this week, even baked and worked all day on the cakes on my birthday and I didn't even make ME a cake.. Oh well, guess you could say my birthday cake went to a good cause.... have a look at some of the items I made for the sale... You won't gain a pound by just looking....

and I had to make some peanut butter eggs, a favorite in this family

Happy Birthday to ME

Today is my ?? birthday and I decided that I would celebrate my birthday this year with a special Quilter's Request Quilt challange for my Charity Group  The World of Charity Stitching.  I found a delightful series called French Country by JBW Designs.  One of the groups members had stitched a Scotty Dog for our dog themed quilt and I just fell in love with it, so I went searching and found the JBW Designs web site.  I contacted the designer and owner of JBW Designs and asked her permission to use her French Country Designs in a quilt.  She agreed, so I checked in with the WOCS owners and recieved their permission for the quilt.  I picked out patterns and sent off for them.  I selected some of the animals and birds from the French country line..  Plus I also bought a high heel shoe and a purse pattern for another quilt. I have been teasing the members of the group with the coming quilt design and today I open the database, I just know the members will sign up for all the slots in record time.   I thougth your might like to have a look at what they will be stitching...

and for the fashion quilt if all the animals are chosen they will have the option of stitching
either

don't you think these will make wonderful quilts for the Seniors at the nursing home?

I also talked with Judy Whitman, the designer and owner of JBW Designs and here is what she had to say on her designs


                            My Interview with Judy Whitman designer and owner of JBW Designs

ME:  Judy thank you for allowing WOCS to stitch a quilt using only your French Country Designs. When finished the quilt will go to a Senior at the Century Care Center in Alabama.

Judy: I'm just delighted that you have fallen in love with the French Country designs, and would be proud to have them used in some of your quilts for charity. I'm so impressed with what you and your fellow stitchers and quilters are doing. Thank you for asking permission to use the designs.  This is so exciting and meaningful on several counts. Especially since my mom is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's and her birthday is in April also! Quite a co-incidence.

ME:  Judy, How did you get started in designing patterns.

Judy:  I have been involved in stitching for 40 years, I have been designing for over 25 years. I started out with Needlepoint, I took classes and decided I would love to share what I learned. I started teaching needlepoint and designing for my classes, I then converted my patterns for Counted Cross Stitch and JBW Designs was born. I love designing as I get to work from home.

ME:  Of all the wonderful patterns you have to offer, which ones are your favorites?

Judy:  I love all the designs, but I must say that the Country French Line is my favorite. I select a shape or outline of a item or animal, lets say a squirrel. I then think of things that remind me of a squirrel and add those little motifs to the design. If you look close you will find a S for Squirrel, hearts, squirrels, birds, nuts and whatever I think of when I think of a squirrel, then swirls and lines to fill in the rest of the pattern. French Country are just so much fun to design... I have a large selection of patterns in the French Country Line.

Some of my other favorites are the Alphabet of design, Homeward Bound and To The Sea.

ME: Thank You Judy for all your wonderful designs. We at WOCS look forward to a beautiful quilt made with your French Country Designs.

 

 

 

JBW Designs can be purchased at your local needle work shop or online at any of the online needle work sites. Check out all the beautiful designs by Judy Whitman, she has something for every style of stitching.

 

If you are interested in joining in on the stitching fun, you can go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WOCS/ and join the World of Charity Stitching  group. 

Been busy lately

I have been really busy lately and my poor blog again is left on its own.  I have been working like crazy to get the flower beds and gardens ready for spring. Cleaning out the beds, turning the soil, pulling up those pesty vines with thorns, and the wild blackberries that are everywhere.  I planted the beds out front and the porch pots, added mulch and it looks so nice... I also cleaned out the ponds, scrubbed them down and filled with fresh water and separated the pond plants. I got the ponds down just in time as we had a rainy weekend and that always bring out the toads and frogs looking for their mates. I even spotted eggs in the pond so it won't be long and the tadpoles will be enjoying their temporary home.

Hubby hadn't been feeling all that great and two weekends ago he got so short of breath that he spent the entire day Sunday sitting in his chair.  Monday he said he wanted to see the doctor as he knew something just wasn't right... so I called the ambulance and off he went. Jen and I spent the entire day with him in the ER as they ran test after test... he was admitted and he ended up spending the entire week there... Lots of tests, lots of medicine changes,  lots of injections, poor guy is black and blue all over from their needle stabs..  But he is home, on new meds, and we have lots of follow up tests and doctor appointments. We were told it might take him two or three months to regain his strength.

This coupled with the fact that DD had her own medical emergency's, two major surgeries and a month of recuperating for her, she is now back at work. 

Then my son called and his wife also had major surgery, hers was gall bladder, but she had problems, seems she had a leak and she is again in the hospital on a pain med drip.. she may have to have either one or two more surgeries.

Lizzy's 1,000 cranes

Our Grand daughter Lizzy, who did the cranes for a cure, she made 1,000 cranes for those who paid a dollar to have their name on the crane..  The cranes hung in the art room at her school and last week she presented a check for $ 1,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at their kick off.  Buy Lizzy didn't stop, she is still collecting for JDRF and she is selling the green tennis shoe cards for $ 1.00 and this weekend at her school's rummage sale she will be having a bake sale.. Which I am making cakes for this week...   This little girl is only 10 years old and she is such a go getter... We are so proud of her and her fund raising, we are also proud of her Mother and Father who are taking the time to help her in her endeavors...


                                             Lizzy presenting a check for $ 1,000

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Lizzy got a big thank you card and a bouquet of flowers