Flower Power

I’ve resisted buying new plants this year since my brown thumb tends to kill them off

 Black-eyed Susans? Maybe? LOVE them.

but Jac and I were driving by Home Depot 

and I suddenly found myself pushing a cart through the nursery

 Tiny roses

with Jac saying, “I like this one and that one and ohhhhhh pretty!”

 Repotted this lily (?) Marie gave us 

Best of all, we planted them immediately when we got home - with lots of help from Leanne -

 Blaze something?? Celosia

instead of our usual leave-them-unplanted-until-they-die routine. 

They’re all (allegedly) drought-tolerant and planted close enough to the front door that we might remember to water them occasionally. 

So pretty. Crossing my fingers they survive a little while, at least. 

What A Weekend

Came home last week to find water running down the driveway from the closed garage. That’s never a good sign. 

Hubby set about putting holes in the garage walls - he called it ‘investigating’; I called it him having too much fun with a hammer - until he found the source. 

New-to-us plumber came today and fixed the incorrectly installed bathtub drain (thus the water leak), a toilet one of the grand-girls stopped up, 2 sloooooooow draining bathtubs, and installed a new toilet in the remodeled bathroom for less than R0t0-R00ter wanted to fix one of the problems. 

Hooray! Looks like we have a new plumber!

I found (tucked into a book) and sewed a quilt block I started back in 2012 . . . but I don’t have  (or can’t find where I stashed) more of the dark blue fabric to finish the corners. Hoping I can find something to match on this year’s shop hop. 

On Sunday, hubby answered the front door and sold a car - for the second time. He bought his Z3 shortly after he retired 17 years ago but hasn’t driven it much lately since it only fits one grandkid at a time. He’ll miss it, but doesn’t regret the decision to let it go. 

 Silly Lily found a new place to hide from the grand-darlings

We also saw Top Gun Maverick (slow at first but the 2nd half is excellent) and Dr. Strange In The Multiverse (so bad; what a waste of great actors); ordered a new recliner for my craft room since the “leather” on the old one is flaking off (lesson learned - don’t buy “bonded” leather); and started cleaning out all my crochet and knitting books and patterns - they are all getting donated or given away. It’s sad, but it’s time. If you want some, let me know . . .

Baking Day

Donovan wanted chocolate (smart boy) and to help grandma bake 

so we pulled out a recipe for Chocolate Crack that a friend gave me awhile ago. 

Donovan’s job was to line the baking pan with “cookie crackers” (honey graham’s) - and maybe nibble a few -

then play with his super heroes well away from the boiling caramel I had going on the stove. 

A little baking, 

a little melted chocolate 

and we had sweet treats ready when Jac got home from school. 

It’s not often I find a recipe that everyone loves but this one definitely qualifies.

Seriously sorry I didn’t make this sooner. So delicious. 

Movin’ Up

It’s the last day of freshman year for the Colorado teenager.

Movin’ on to summer vacation and hanging out at the lake and the mountains. 

Proud grandma here.

Easter Kitty Bunny

Jaclyn: “this is the Easter Kitty Bunny. He’s reaching his arms down to hold my name.” Also Jac: “Now I’m going to write my name here because I’m an artist.”

Jac created this on her own, while I sewed, using the odds and ends crafty stuff we keep in her “cubby”. I love it, and her explanation, so much. 

Back Side of Water

Paying homage to one of our favorite jokes from Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise ride,

here’s the back side of my partially quilted challenge project. Progress is slooooow, but I’m getting there!

Shimmer And Shine

Look what came back from the long-armer today!

We decided a traditional edge-to-edge design wouldn’t look good on this, so Debbie stitched in the ditch around the big motifs

and echo quilted the black background.

I love it so much. And my teenage quilt holder too. 

 Shimmer And Shine backing

I still need to do the binding but that’s gotta wait until I finish the challenge project that’s sooooooo close to being done. Maybe this weekend . . .

Arts and Quilts

Donovan and I spent the morning doing art -

Donovan: “My daddy is going to LOVVVVE this.” - 

and taking pics of my works in progress

while we waited (very impatiently) for Jac to get here.

“Is Jackie out of school now?” is our new “Are we there yet??” And just as maddening much fun after 5,387 repetitions. 😂

Botanical Beauties #5

Of all the quilt-alongs I’m currently working on, this is the one I most look forward to each month.

It’s also the one I’ve learned the most from, with the online lessons, monthly tips and the teeny tiny paper pieces. 

The designs look simple but there’s a lot of thought and planning needed to make all those pretty curves by sewing just straight lines. Very glad I signed up for this. 

Shimmer and Shine

Done. Ish.

This was such fun to make, I didn’t want to stop.

I made three blocks last night after the girls went home

and sewed them all together this afternoon. 

FPP is fast! Until it’s time to tear out all that paper . . . 

(For the record, it took just over 2.5 hours, while watching tv.)

Now to decide if I want to add thin borders all the way around (probably not??) and how I want to have it quilted. Decisions, decisions. 

Nada

Leanne and Jac are spending the week while their parents are on vacation,

plus Leia and Donovan are over most days (and some nights),

so not much is happening besides driving them places 

and feeding them (so much eating! 😂).

I miss my sewing machine but I’ll take sleeping toddlers for the win.