Saturday, December 17, 2011

Blog Hop Giveaway Winner


Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Blog Hop Party giveaway. In retrospect, I kind of wish I had chosen a different topic for commenting. But no, I chose to ask about your favorite holiday treat. Consequently, I have been hungry all week. So last night when Mark asked what I wanted for supper, I promptly answered, "Cookies!"

The winner of the Jovial charm pack is #97 Dona, who said...


I love the Gingerbread loaf from Starbucks!
December 10, 2011 5:29 PM

When I emailed to get her contact information, I also checked out her blog. What a happy surprise in this season of giving to find that Dona is actively involved in a group that makes charity quilts.

Until the start of the new year, blogging will be really random. The elves are calling me from my sewing room. 

I sure hope they have a plate of cookies and a mug of hot cocoa waiting for me...

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Name Game: Charm About You


I love Lucy. Really. She is charming. Her blog is charming. She is from Manchester, United Kingdom. I'm a complete sucker for all my good friends in the Unified Kingdom. So of course I was thrilled when Lucy agreed to play the Name Game.

So here is the very charming Lucy.


How did you choose the name for your blog, Charm About You?

I wanted to pick a name that meant something to me and had a positive association. Although the reason is a bit cheesy, I chose Charm About You because every night since my son was born I have sung 'Cheek to Cheek' (sung by Fred Astaire) to him at bedtime. Sometimes now he even sings it to me! 'The charm about you' is one of the lyrics, I love the song and it always makes me smile. It also helped that it had a link with quilting because of those little charm squares, which also make me smile!
Were there other names you considered, and can you share any of them with us?
Originally I had set up a blog called 'Living Off Pasta and Love' but I never wrote anything!! I knew I wanted to share my quilting/sewing and wanted to blog but I felt so nervous. One day when money was tight I told my husband that for the rest of the month we'd have to live off pasta, to which he replied 'We'll be living off pasta and love'. He's such a romantic!! That sparked the name. I really liked it and it made me smile because I know as long as we're together we can get through anything. It didn't stick though because I realised it would be a better name for a food blog, which mine definitely isn't (really, pasta for a month? no one wants my cooking advice)! Also who wants to be reminded about being broke!
 If I'm honest I spent ages thinking about a name, I asked my friends, sister, husband, anyone that would listen! I came up with lots of options but Charm About You won out in the end. 
 
Now that you are recognized by Charm About You, are you happy with it, or do you wish you could change it to something else?
I love it! I'm happy that it makes me think about my family and the hobby I love. I'd also like to think that people smile when they read it, all the bloggers I've 'met' have plenty of charm (well, most of them!) and I'm charmed to have become part of such a wonderful bloggy community :)
Please stop by Charm About You, say hi to Lucy, and spend some time looking around.

If you want to enter this giveaway, I'd still like to hear about your favorite holiday treat. 

Friday, December 9, 2011

Blog Hop Party: Feeling Jovial

Blog 
Hop Party with Give-Aways

Since Farmer's Wife has decided to take a little break as she prepares for a country Christmas (at least, I assume that's what she is doing!), I thought it would be fun to join a blog hop and offer a little Christmas cheer of my own, a charm pack of "Jovial" by Basic Grey.

So if you are feeling jovial, let me know what your favorite holiday treat is. A special cookie made with an old family recipe? Fudge? Hot spiced cider? Do tell. The Random Number Generator elf will choose a winner on December 16 so you have plenty of time to give me your secret recipe tell me what treat says "Christmas" to you.

And don't forget to join the hop for a chance at some other festive treats.

ETA: Thanks for playing, everyone! Comments are now closed.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Really Random, 12/8/11


We were at the coast last weekend. I hate to keep rubbing it in may have already mentioned it. 

Day:
Night:



One of my favorite quilt shops is in this little seaside town, Quiltin' Cousins.The owner, Shawn Lombardo, is awesome and funny. I could talk to her for hours. And sometimes, if the shop is not busy, I do visit for hours. Her shop was originally a cottage. A little cottage. 900 square feet.
But she knows how to purchase the best variety of fabric in her little gem of a shop. Here she is, cutting some fabulous Tammis Keefe Christmas fabric for me.
I came home with a nice little stack of fabric:
She also made this super cool miniature of her shop. It is about a foot in size. The detail is amazing.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...I was able to purchase a whole bolt of Kona snow from Tammy at Marmalade Fabrics. Awesome.
So what are the holidays like on the Central Coast of California? 

Let's see...they have to import the snow from somewhere else (see the little kid in the santa hat and shorts?)
They decorate the fish:
And sunbathing means a bikini, a jacket and a stocking cap!


The end.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

WIP Wednesday: 12/7/11

The good news: sewing progress was made this week.

The bad news: none of it involved Christmas sewing.

The good news: this was my view:
The bad news: we weren't there nearly long enough!

Now for the sewing pictures. I'm cranking away at my Crazy Traditions donation quilt because I want to get it off to Mark's cousin for machine quilting by the beginning of January. Twelve blocks completed. Only four more to go!

Shimmering Star:

Hole in the Wheel:
My friend, Carla, sent me a lovely little gift for my birthday, and it arrived at the exact time I started on this block. It was the perfect color and you can see it right in the center of this triangle. Thanks, Carla!

Celtic Boxes:
Big Bang:

When I got to this luscious orange block, I thought it would be my favorite. But instead I wish I had changed some things around. And I still might. The center kinda bugs me.
Garden Maze:

When I started on this drab olive green block, I was anxious to be done with it. Turns out it is one of my favorites of the whole group!
And Gabriel turns two months today. Man, I hope I don't scar my grandchildren with the poetry rhyming lines on these fabric postcards.
See what I mean?

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Really Random, 12/1/11

It's December! Wow...already having trouble catching my breath, thinking about what I want to do in 24 short days and still be able to slow down and enjoy the season.

First of all, remember this picture?
Our friends, Derek and Lisa, got married on 11/11/11 (um....obvious).  I had added the picture to the Flickr 11/11/11 group. Last week I got this flickr mail:

"My name is Danielle and the reason I am contacting you is because Marie Claire Magazine is publishing an article about the 11Eleven Project (www.11elevenproject.com). People worldwide participated in the largest collaborative storytelling event in human history...The 11Eleven Project is quintessentially “a day in the life of the world” told by the people of earth. The reason I am contacting you is I have wonderful news; we would love to use your image to contribute to the article! "


Eeek! She wanted my picture in the highest resolution possible. I sent her what I had. Not sure if the resolution will be good enough or not. But, wow. What a fun opportunity!

Best burp rags ever. Easy peasy to make. Some fun fabric, a little chenille and minkie on the back. Anyone interested in the dimensions? Did I mention that my son is an Oregon Ducks fan? (Again...obvious.)
Is it true things happen in threes? Then we still have one more thing to break. Our built-in microwave quit the other day.
We have a small spare microwave that we used up at the rental cabins, but at least two times a day I go to the built-in, open the door, stare at a little bowl in there with some screws (for the faceframe--so we don't lose them), wonder why there is a bowl with screws in the microwave, and then remember, oh yeah, it's broken, and then walk over to the spare microwave.

The other thing? The battery was so dead in my car yesterday that the remote portion of my key wouldn't work to unlock the door.

My two favorite pictures from Thanksgiving day:
This year, my dad has been making everyone in the family a pen and pencil set from wood for their birthday present. Seriously. He makes them on his lathe. I think I got the most beautiful set for my birthday. Thanks, Dad.

My magnetic snowman always makes me smile. I leave him up through the end of January.

Do you like Christmas music? I sure do. We have collected a lot of Christmas CDs over the years.
We probably don't need another one. Especially one by Justin Bieber. But then I read this Associated Press review. "Parents are likely to buy Justin Bieber's Christmas album for their kids and pray that their young ones will only play it through their headphones. But the elders would be missing out...Even if you don't have kids, 'Under the Mistletoe' should be under your Christmas tree."

Really? Do you have this CD? Would you recommend it? In the interest of full disclosure, maybe I should mention that we are owners of the following Christmas CDs: A Toolbox Christmas (everything performed with hand and power tools) and A Wild Christmas ("all animals and ambient sounds recorded by Bernie Krause with the exception of the fish--courtesy of the U.S. Navy).  Kinda makes you wonder why I would even question if JB would be a good addition or not...

And finally, just a little peak at the progress so far on Crazy Traditions. Half of the blocks are completed! 
Until January, things will be a little sporadic around here. The Name Game may or may not make an appearance, and the Farmer's Wife has said she is taking a break until after Christmas and I'm not arguing with her.

I hope you take some random moments to savor the lights and music of the season.