Everyday

It has been an busy week filled with everyday little events. Have you been inspired to start a lot of new projects yet? I had hurt my wrist last week so I was limited to what I could sew. I finished this little card holder. I picked up this kit last fall in Houston at Quilt Market and made most of it but I had to finish up the circles. I love the colors.

Then, I dug out my wool stash. I haven't decided what I'm going to make but I think that the colors reflect a Valentine's sort of color scheme, don't you think?

Then, this week, Big A had a violin recital. How did he grow up so fast? One day, he's my little baby.

And, the next, he's all grown up and so excited to wear a tie! Great job!

Awww, so handsome! xo, L

Quaint Christmas Charm

Last week I went to Bethlehem, PA to attend the Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem. Bethlehem itself is a cool little town. So quaint. It's also a photographer's delight. There are a lot of remnants of the old booming steel towns of the past.

The old homes and buildings are lovely and have so much character. The roads are a bit hilly and there's a little bit of winding around just to add more to the town's charm.

The one place that you have to visit is The Moravian Book Shop. It is an almost endless shop of inspiration.

I've mentionned my admiration for glass ornaments.  Well, the store offers a lot of gorgeous ornaments. Oh so tempting. I did get a couple of little ones. The large ones were somewhat pricey. At $80 -$175, I couldn't afford to have one of my little guys knock them over.

Flocked trees. Feather trees. They had practically any tree that you could imagine.

Curly toed stockings! Bright colors! Love it!

I love these white dishes with the little bumps around the outside edge.

I so want a terrarium. Aren't they adorable? They were shaped like ornaments.

Speaking of round. Look at this lovely topiary. I think that I'd love one of these outside my door!

Oh yes, back to the market. Lovely vendors. I think that I should keep an eye out for a nutcracker. I love the rodent one at the bottom.

Do you remember when I fell in love with these last year when I was in Philadelphia? I didn't see any of the cute ones that I saw at the booth in Philadelphia but these were so gorgeous.

After the show, I took some more photos of the buildings. I posted a few in my journal. Check them out here.

I love the holidays! Enjoy yours. xo, L

This And That

Lots of little things going on. Many of us are preparing for Quilt Market in Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks. Work hard, no sleep. It's good to keep the creative juices going right?

I have been working on creative little things such as that knitting project above. It's a freebie pattern to make a little man out of Rowan's Purelife yarn. I love the feel of this yarn.

I've been plugging away at my dresdan plate quilt. It's taking a while because I'm doing hand applique around the outside edge. Pretty isn't it? I'm so happy with it. Anyone need a tutorial on how to do dresdan plates? Let me know.

Meanwhile, look at what I purchased yesterday! My friend, Roopa, and I headed out for a day of fun. We headed south towards New Hope. There was a rummage sale that I knew of. Do I need furniture? No! Do I love a good sale? Absolutely! I got this chair for $20! I love it and it's solid wood. Here's Roopa outside her garage after we unloaded the goods. [Be warned. If you're my friend, get used to modeling the goods for me. Hey, even if we've just met, get ready to have the camera pointed in your direction!]

Can you believe that her table only cost $4?  It came perfectly matched to the paint color in her front entrance. Coincidence? I think not!

I've always loved this house. It's located right across the street from the rummage sale. Most houses in NJ have siding and you don't get to see much else like stonework or stucco. I grew up in a house that had stucco on the outside. I love the look of it. 

On the way to lunch, we got a little lost. However, being lost can be a great thing. We were going down this curvy road when this appeared in front of us. How beautiful! Oh yeah, get used to me stopping the car suddenly to take photos, friends.

Have a great weekend.

xo, L

Here Birdie, Birdie

In the spirit of my obsession with this little birdie who graces my tree, I'll have a couple of really easy projects for those of you who are just dying to make something handmade but are crunched for time. Come back tonight. Here's a sneak peek:

You'll be able to whip up this cute bulletin board in 1-2 hours. Come back for some fun. xo, L

Strawberry Lemonade

Today's the last day of school! Yahoo! I'm feeling a bit sad too because it was a good year and I don't really want it to end. There will be a "moving on" ceremony and a school picnic today. Crazy me decided to stay up and cut three 1/2 yard pieces of fabric as gifts for each kid in the class. Only difficulty, Big A is in a multiage class and there are 42 kids in the class. It was done and I'm a bit tired but I know they'll love it. I donated some leftovers and remnants this year and the kids had a ball with the stack. They made these funky headbands with beads and they cut up the fabric to make other goodies. How cool is that?

Fabric Trends [Summer 2008]did a wonderful job of showcasing my Gardenia fabric [www.henryglassfabrics.com]. I designed and made this quilt a while back but when I look at the quilt now makes me smile. It's so happy and vibrant. Perfect for a picnic I think. xo, L