My Garden

I just wanted to share a few flowers from my garden at this time of year. I love seeing all the beautiful flowers! There aren't too many yet but there are a whole lot more to look forward too.

A Week in My Life

(Flowers from my garden)

Hello Dear Readers!

I have missed writing posts for my blog! I’m slowly getting back into the hang of things. I’m now home again full time as a homemaker. I missed my home & it dearly missed me. I admit things suffered around here. I let things go. Family time suffered. I was too drained to do anything about anything. I know that my mom needed the help for the first tax season at her new business but I don’t think I will ever work again, especially in an accounting office during tax season. It was tough enough then toss in a little morning sickness & it was pointless. I think I’ve learned my lesson when it comes to women working outside the home. Here’s a great article which helps explain some of my thoughts: Home: The Women’s Realm

Here is what I did this week…

Monday 4/20/09

I did my Weekly Home Blessing Hour and went over my Homemakers Notebook. My Homemakers Notebook really needed updating. I updated my routines & schedules to hopefully get me better on track with staying home again. After that I worked on a scrappy quilt that has been in progress for a while. I also worked on a little crochet and a new maternity top. I missed sewing so much!

My husband and I have also been doing some work around the house. Last weekend we got my laundry area fixed up this week I stained and poly coated the woodwork. It may not look professional but it looks good to me & is so much better than it was!
Tuesday 4/21/09

Today I worked on the scrappy quilt again. I got all the blocks pieced but I still need to square them up and then sew the blocks together. I also worked on my new maternity top & nearly got it finished. I did some detailed cleaning in my room too & continued updating my Homemakers Notebook. Once my husband got home from work it was so beautiful out that he wanted to go mushroom hunting. He and my son took off for awhile and brought back a bunch of morels.

Wednesday 4/22/09

Today I worked on my menu and grocery list. One thing that has suffered while I was working is my chance to make a menu & finding the time to go grocery shopping. After that I worked on updating my Menu Notebook. This is the place I keep my menu lists and recipes that are loved. I needed to add a few sections such as for cookies, breads, etc. Once that was done I deep cleaned in my room a little more and did a few other small cleaning chores. Once all my chores we done I got to work on my sewing projects! I completed my maternity top & worked on some crochet. For the maternity top I used some left-over fabric that I had stashed in my fabric. I actually designed this top & patterned it from looking at old fashioned 50’s maternity clothes. It fits well & I’m happy with the end product! After dinner my son had t-ball practice. I signed him up for t-ball this year as he is in need of something to do this summer.

Thursday 4/23/09

Thursday is my Errand Day. I love being able to get out on a weekday to run my errands. This is another thing I missed while working. There are very little crowds and things just seem to go better. Today I dropped my cat off at our vet’s office to be shaved. He is a long haired cat & the hair is a bit unbearable for me right now since I can’t take any sort of allergy medicine. He’s supposed to look like a lion. LOL I did my grocery shopping and got home in good time to get everything unpacked and put away. Afterwards I rested and worked on my crochet project.

Friday 4/24/09

Today is my Desk Day. I paid the bills and balanced my check book. After that I patched my husband’s work jeans & worked on some other small projects. In the evening we had a friend over and we BBQed and watched a movie.

Saturday 4/25/09

Today I cut Ian’s hair. He asked me to cut it short for him so I did. I wrote a few letters today, another thing I miss doing. I also worked on my crochet project. I’ve made so much progress on it. It’s going to be a blanket for the baby. I’ve got the center blocks crocheted together and am now working on the borders. We aren’t finding out what the baby is & I didn’t intentionally make this look like a boys blanket. I’m still adding on several colors with some thick borders. I’ll keep you updated on the progress! In the evening we all decided to go to the dirt track races in Adrian, MO at the Adrian Speedway. http://www.adrianspdwy.com/ We had lots of fun watching although my back hurt from sitting on the bleachers. Afterwards we came home & watched another movie with my brother-in-law and his girlfriend.

Sunday 4/26/09

Today I haven’t done too much work. I’ve enjoyed the time by relaxing and surfing the internet. I spent a few minutes in my basement cleaning up. We’re trying to clean up so I can move my sewing room down there. Other than that I’ve just enjoyed the day. My husband left mid-afternoon for a work/military related trip. He'll be gone until Tuesday. He's full time National Guard and he always seems to travel a lot during the summer time. Life will go on as normal for us here at home!

And that is my week. How was your week? I hope you all are doing well!

~Heather

My Pregnancy Log- Week 17

Date: April 23, 2009

I’m 17 weeks along.

My belly measures 36.5” around.

Physically, I feel good! I’m having some allergy headaches which zap a lot of my energy. I try to stay inside but it’s just so beautiful outside that I can’t resist! Other than that my belly button has popped out. This was a surprise to me because it never did that when I was pregnant with my son.

I’m craving fresh fruits & salads. I’m really trying to eat healthier & it has been hard but I think I’m doing pretty well.

This past week I am officially back home as a homemaker. Tax season is over & I’m so glad I’m home again!

My Future Sewing Space

With the coming addition to my family my current sewing room is going to be turned into the baby’s room. So that means I have the huge task of rearranging all my stuff and creating 2 new rooms. My sewing room currently looks like this…

It looks a little “stuffed” in there probably because I have way too much stuff for the space. This room will be turned into the baby’s room. I’ve bought the fabric I’m going to use in a non-gender jungle theme. It’s so cute and I’m excited to get started. Anyways, I will talk more about the baby’s room later. Now I want to talk about my sewing room. My future sewing room will be moved into a corner in my basement. Well actually I should say I will have 1/4th of the basement to transform into whatever I wish. Currently it looks like this…

Nothing exciting to look at! I have tons of cleaning to do before I can even get started on decorating. My DH is helping me as he can and once I’m home again full time I’ll be able to focus strictly on this area. We’ve already moved our additional pantry/food storage shelves to the other side of the stair case. I’ve also got tons of books boxed up for donation. I inherited many boxes full of paperback books from my grandmother when she passed away. I’ve finally decided that there is no way I’ll ever read them all so it’s time to let them go. The next goal is to pick an area in the mess and de-clutter it as best as possible. I’ve decided the best thing to do is donate as much as I can. I don’t want to deal with a garage sale or attempt to sell thing online like I’ve done in the past. I want this done quickly with as little effort as possible.

The area is about 20’X30’, a big step up from the current 13’X13’ room! We’ll need to put up some better lighting (hopefully). I don’t know if a ceiling will be put it. Maybe it will look good or good-enough if it gets painted. The walls are concrete, which have been painted with a sealant. I’ve asked (read: begged) my husband to have drywall but he still hasn’t given in. The walls may get painted to a more decent color without drywall. If I want to hang pictures or anything I will have to hang them by a cord from the ceiling. I think I might be able to deal with that. The floors… I’d love to get those carpet tiles to put down. My parents have them in their basement and they are wonderful. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle bare feet on the cold concrete floor. Then once all that stuff is done I’ll be able to move my sewing room furniture down there and I will probably decorate as I go. I have no theme picked out. I’d just like functional and comfortable. This will probably be the beginning of finishing our basement. My husband has been talking about doing it forever and, well, the time has come. I am excited to get started and I will keep you up to date as time and progress goes on!

Talk to you soon!

~Heather

My Pregnancy Log- 16 Weeks/ 4 Months

Date: April 16, 2009


I’m 16 weeks along.


My belly measures 36.5” around.


Physically, I feel pretty good. My lower back hurts occasionally when I’m tired and I like to sit on my heating pad whenever I can.


I’m not craving anything specific but I do seem to be eating more. I’m having trouble eating healthy but I haven’t really had a chance to think about it either.


This past week I’ve started to feel little flutters! It hasn’t been very consistent but I seem to feel it more after dinner when I’m able to relax and have a full stomach. This week has been super stressful. Yesterday was the last day of tax season and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me.


Future plans are to go out Friday night and have a nice dinner party with my mom’s accounting office. Yay! Other then that I have 2 more weeks left of working and I have so many projects to do that I can’t decide where I should begin!

April's Featured Esty Blogger!

This month’s featured Etsy Artist & Blogger is TwoZanyZebras!

TwoZanyZebras has a little bit of everything in her shop. She mostly has baby and toddler items, which is perfect for me as I am expecting. Anyways, here are a few of my favorite things...

CIRCLES SO CHIC Onesie or toddler t-shirt

ALIEN INVASION Zany Cuddle Blankie and onesie or toddler t-shirt combo

You can find out more about her in her blog here.

A Little Update!

Hello Friends!

Oh so smart me (sarcasm) has finally figured out that you can schedule posts to be published at a later date. Well, actually it would be more accurate of me to say that I’ve finally taken the time to figure out what I need to do to schedule posts. LOL For anyone else out there who might be interested here is a link from Blogger explaining the process.

Things have been so crazy for me lately. I’m trying to enjoy my second pregnancy in the midst of this high stress tax season. Work will be ending soon for me and I’m counting down the days! Although I’m just the receptionist I do get the brunt end of peoples rude and mean attitudes. I have nothing to do with the outcome but they act like everything is all my fault. *Sigh* I can’t wait to be back in the comfort of my home full time again. In the future I refuse to ever work in an accounting office and I’ve already told my boss/mom that.

Anyways, that is my quick update for now! I will try to work on some of those scheduled posts! :)

Love and Light,

~Heather

Garden Bouquet Quilt- Month 5: Wild Rose

Wild Rose

As the members of the Nancy Page Quilt Club came to attention for this, the eight meeting of the club they heard the strains of MacDowell’s ‘To a Wild Rose.’ One quick-witted member exclaimed, “I know what flower we are making today. It’s the wild rose.” And sure enough it was. Nancy had made hers of a fast colored sprigged print with a white ground and pale pink flowers. But she might just as well have chosen pale pink in a solid color. In either case the center is made of large French knots done in fast colored embroidery cotton.

The leaves are done in green and the stem is either cut from a piece of the same green material or is made from bias tape. Nancy advises the use of bias tape, for then the stem is always even in width.

Of course the whole flower may be done in outline stitch. Or the colors may be put on by using crayons in the correct colors. To do this the design is faintly traced onto the white triangle and then the outlines are filled in with crayon. Next the material is pressed with a hot iron. This melts and sets the color from the crayon.

The flower may be appliqués in either one of two ways.

If the pieces are cut the exact size given they may be placed on the cloth according to the small inset pattern and then fastened with fine butthole stitch done in fast color embroidery cotton, the color of the material.

Or they may be cut one quarter inch larger all around than the pattern. Then the raw edges are turned under, basted ad pressed. After laying in place on the white triangle the pieces are fastened by using a slanting, fine or invisible hemming stitch.

When the members came to the club they has already pieced the urn which makes the lower half of the diamond block, seamed on to its upper edge the triangle of white, the piece 12 ½ by 12 ½ by 17 ½ inches.

The birds may or may not have been appliquéd before the flower is put on. The patterns for the birds and for the pieces of the urn have already been given in this series. A wise quilt maker has stored them away for future use in her Nancy Page quilt scrap book.

By tracing the outline faintly on the white, one has a pattern to go by. Then by tracing the pattern onto a piece of light weight cardboard one has a pattern which may be cut and used as a guide. And this still allows one to keep the original with its attached directions in the scrap book.

Here is the pattern for the Lily of the Valley. You can copy and save it to your computer. When you print out your pattern make sure the 1 inch square is the correct size.

Here is my completed Wild Rose block!

Do you have any Garden Bouquet Quilt blocks to show off? Leave a link to your blog post about it in the comment section or email me a photo so I can share with everyone!

I hope you are enjoying this series! I'm sorry this is 2 weeks late! I've had a lot on my plate lately! I hope to update my blog soon. :)

~Heather

Quick Links to:

Month 1: Beginning Instructions, Urn, and Basket Instructions

Month 2, Part 1: The Tulip

Month 2, Part 2: The Saucy Bird

Month 2, Part 3: The Meek Bird

Month 3: The Cactus

Month 4: Lily of the Valley

Hand Appliqué

Machine Appliqué

Alternate Method of Appliqué Tutorial

Biased Binding Tutorial