Where's the autopilot switch?

Here are Betty and Ellie all revved up and ready to work on quilt projects this morning (Betty even swallowed her pride for this picture and left her glasses on --- well, she is 66 years old and needs those glasses for threading her needle, etc.) Of course, all activity has to come to a screeching halt when I have to leave for work. I was thinking, wouldn't it be great if there was an autopilot switch on my sewing machines so that they could continue to hum along and make tons of progress on our sewing projects even while I'm not there ! Daisy (one of my little kitty-helpers sitting there in the window) would probably be willing to supervise the girls, but she does have a busy schedule of playing with kitty toys, followed by napping - - - so, she just can't squeeze anything else into her day today. Oh well...........

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Memorial Day in Jim Thorpe, Pa.

I had a brief chance to wander around our little historic town and take a few Memorial Day-ish pictures. The first picture is of the main street , Broadway. The tower is part of the court house and the sign kind of at the base of the tower is the sign for The Inn at Jim Thorpe (my husband's family's hotel -- but he' s the manager and big cheese of the place. It's about 150 years old and supposedly haunted. If you want to take a peek, click on "the inn at jim thorpe" in my list of "fun blogs to visit" over there on the right -- blogger wasn't cooperating with me today to let me link it in this post for some reason). The other 2 pictures are of the oldest cemetary in town , dating from before the Civil War. I like to wander around old cemetaries and read the headstones -- that one pictured in the 3rd picture was a Civil War guy. Last summer we were in Charleston and Savannah -- now those were really neat , interesting, old cemetaries !! (oh, and the historic houses and shops were really great , too --- just so you don't think I'm weirder than I am!) . . . . . . and, the last picture(I just had to include this on Memorial Day) is of a great book by Barb Adams and Alma Allen, "Women of Grace and Charm - A Quilting Tribute to the Women Who Served in WW II" . I love reading about all those unsung hero-gals -- an amazing bunch!

Anyhow, time to fire up the grill ........... have a safe and relaxing holiday!

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

The "Pope Room" - - - (I'm not kidding !)

Here it is -- I found the picture of " the Pope Room" . That bust of the Pope would have made a great addition to my late Italian grandmother's dining room table -- she already had many statues and vigil lights on the sideboard , so I think the Pope would have felt right at home as the focal point right smack in the middle of the table -- and I'm sure my sister, my brother , my redneck cousins and I would have felt compelled to be on our best behavior at dinner!

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

It's Boop's Birthday Hat ! ! !

So...... what was that mystery project Betty and I and the rest of my staff were working on? It was my sister Boop's birthday hat (it's a chef hat , in case you can't tell by looking at it) --- and , look! there she is wearing her birthday hat today when we went out to lunch to celebrate --- (this picture makes her look like she's been celebrating a bit too much, but really, she wasn't -- just my lousy photography skills and she happened to close her eyes.) We also made her a matching apron, modeled by Erin (Boop's youngest daughter) in the 2nd picture. The 3rd picture is Boop in front of the Italian restaurant we ate at -- a very interesting kind of place -- lots of different rooms with different themes . The best was the Pope room -- they have a bust of the Pope on a lazy susan turn table thing in the middle of the table -- I did take a picture of it but goofed when I tried to post it --instead I accidently posted that picture of a sloshed - looking Boop again -- but that's OK -- that picture is worth a 2nd look !! HA !!!! (I know she'll get me for that!!!)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare) (I'll see if I can find that "Pope Room" picture -- ya gotta see it!)

"Busy Betty" and her "helpers".....

This morning "Betty" (my trusty 1941 Featherweight machine) and I managed to squeeze in a whopping half hour of sewing before flying out the door to work. ......AND, what , you may ask were Betty and I busily working on? Well, we're not gonna tell ya -- it's a mystery (even to us -- naa -- just kidding, Betty and I know what we're TRYING to make -- don't know just how it's going to come out -- so , if we like it when it's finished , we'll show ya -- if not, just pretend you never heard about it.) In the meantime, we'll give you a little hint : 2 words; first word starts with "c" and the last word starts with "h".

As you can see from the other pictures I posted , Betty and I had our usual "helpers" . There's Shadow "helping" to cut out the pattern pieces. Sam is guarding the many piles of quilting/decorating/and craft magazines I have shoved in the corner of my sewing room; and Daisy is protecting the rest of the fabric left in that shoe box after I took the fabric out that I'm using for today's mystery project ......... and they say good help is hard to find!

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

He PASSED !!!!

YIKES !!! Kid #1 (Matt) is , as of today at 3:25PM a LICENSED DRIVER !!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS MATT !!! (I know he doesn't look like a real happy camper in this picture standing in front of The Golden Bullet, but in the time it took us to drive home from the DMV, he got my one millionth safety lecture AND his Dad went on and on about the cost of car insurance --- but , honest he was smiling and happy when he first walked out of the DMV holding his shiny , new junior driver's license.) --Anyhow, I am now officially stressed and resigned to the fact that I will probably never sleep again! ( I should have enjoyed that brief interlude between 2 hour feedings, and diaper changes which drifted right into crawling into our bed because of a bad dream AND the pre driving teenage years when I had to drag him out of bed by his foot at noon -- which, by the way, was only this morning.) Good bye brunette hair -- hello gray ........

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

O.K. sooooo......I bought a "few" plants today.......

As instructed by my husband, today I went to Lowe's to buy 2 bags of dirt and to pick up a few perennials. Normally I would have taken the SUV type vehicle which has loads of room in the back for whatever I need to throw in there, BUT today Matthew (kid #1) and I decided to take the Mercury Sable (4-door sedan type vehicle). The reason we took that car is tomorrow is the day Matt will be taking his driver's license test (AHHHHHH!!!!-- my hair is turning gray at warp speed!!!!!) -- anyhow, this car is going to be his car (a hand-me - down from me) and he wanted to get more practice driving it and parallel parking it at the actual DMV where he's taking the test. He has named this car "The Golden Bullet" --- funny, when the car was my car, he called it "The Old Lady Car" ---- I have a feeling the car name change has to do with average driving speed of the driver. .....................Anyhow, can you believe how many plants we shoved into this car ?!?! And, I must say , I noticed a distinct similarity to my fabric buying MO (method of operation) ---- that being, absolutely no control what-so -ever and also delusions of grandeur . I was picking out plants , shrubs and flowers according to color and texture (sound familiar? ) -- and as an after- thought, I checked to see if the poor things needed full sun, shade or whatever ( George, aka my Dad, has drilled that into my gardening-challenged head). So, anyhow, Matt and I loaded up the car and headed home (and believe me, Matt was not loving it -- I mean how totally uncool to be driving your mother in "the Golden Bullet" stuffed full with plants hanging out of all the windows! -- I caught more than one sigh and eye-roll.) When we got home and unloaded the car, it suddenly dawned on me that this is where the similarity to my fabric buying sprees ends ....... unlike all that lovely , pretty fabric that I have squirreled away in my sewing room to be used at some future, probably mythical date, all those lovely, pretty plants, shrubs, and flowers have to be dealt with RIGHT AWAY !!! Like SOON -- before they bite the dust !!!!! Like, I can't procrastinate and piddle around and dream about how lovely it will all be someday.......I need to get this stuff planted pretty darn soon !!!!! HOW THE HECK AM I GONNA DO ALL THAT ?!?! WHOSE DUMB IDEA WAS IT TO LET ME LOOSE IN LOWE'S GARDENING DEPT WITH MY HUSBAND'S CREDIT CARD ??!! HMMMMM????SURELY I CAN'T TAKE THE BLAME FOR THIS ! Just like in a quilt shop, I was blinded, BLINDED I TELL YOU by all the pretty stuff !!!!! and what I know about gardening you could fit in a thimble !!!! HELP !!!!!!!My husband is gonna have a royal canary if I don't come up with a plan for where to plant all this stuff before it all shrivels up and dies !!! So, guess what I'll be doing over the next week (and in his defense, what's his name, aka my husband Dave fully intends to do alot of the digging and planting AFTER I decide where the heck everything goes -- well, we'll see how long his patience lasts!) .

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Testing, testing.....

Just trying to see if the "comments" thing comes up on this post . Hmmm.... yep -- there it is. Wonder why it didn't show up on my previous post. I have no idea ( and I can't ask tech support because they went to bed since they have to get up early for yet another dirt bike race tomorrow) -- anyhow, if you'd like to comment on my previous post "She's - a her birth-a-day today, too!" feel free to do it on this post. Thanks !!!!!

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

She's - a her birth-a-day today, too !

"No ! No! She's - a really IS -a her birth-a-day" (that is a line from , you guessed it , an "I Love Lucy" episode when they were in Italy) -- and today really IS -a my sister Boop's (real name Karen) birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOOP !!! ........and, here's a little peek at a birthday surprise I'm working on ...... well, maybe don't hold your breath for it to be finished on this particular birthday ........ Anyhow those 2 little pictures in the cake picture are pictures of Boop taken a loooooonnnnnnng time ago ( I was trying to find the really geeky 3rd grade school picture to post, but lucky for you, Boop, I don't know where I put it.) OK, time for me to go and eat that cake and work on the surprise !

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Addendum to the "Weird " pictures

I forgot I had this picture until Amanda reminded me about it. This picture was taken last August in Jamestown , NY at the Lucy Birthday celebration.(it goes with "weird fact #2 " listed in the previous post.) That's me on the left, then Ethel, then my sister Karen(aka Boop) then Lucy (wearing her birthday crown).We're blowing you all a kiss! See.... we really were there!!

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare, Miss Guy's Flowers, and Quiet Fawn)

OK -- so I'm weird ....

OK -- so here it (finally ) is .... my list of 7 weird things/facts about myself. I was tagged by Jenny about 2 weeks ago to list 7 weird things about myself, then tag 7 more people to do the same. I was also tagged by Diana to tell all about my weird self.

So....... SEVEN WEIRD THINGS/ FACTS about yours truly:

!)My senior year in high school, I was "Miss Guy's Flowers" in the Tamaqua Bicentennial Princess contest --- I even have the sash to prove it !!! -- got to ride on a float down Broad Street ,have lunch with the judges (and here's a tip for all of you future beauty pagent participants -- don't order fried chicken when you're all dressed up and trying to impress local officials -- ), parade down the runway in an evening gown at the local armory , and attempt to dance with my dad at the festivities following the crowning of the Queen --- who, as my brother loves to point out all the time, -- was not me.

2) I am a total "I Love Lucy" fan. I'm pretty sure I've seen every show at least 4 times. My sister and I and her 2 daughters made the 6 hour drive to Lucy's hometown of Jamestown , NY to go to the Lucy's Birthday celebration last August.

3) I tried out for the "Liberty Belles" -- (the Philadelphia Eagles football team cheerleaders) -- the very first year they held tryouts back in the early 1980's) -- I felt my 3 years as a varsity cheerleader for the Tamaqua Blue Raiders High School Football and Basketball teams gave me plenty of experience and training to try out for a professional cheerleading squad who wears next to nothing ----- NOT !!!! (picture Little Bo Peep trying out for FlashDance) --- (OK -- so this is just plain embarrassing) -- and, as if you couldn't figure this out, I got "cut " after the first round.......sheesh, another great career up in smoke!

4) In the summer after 5th grade, and as a finale to my 3 year long stint at YMCA Day Camp at the Bungalow Pool in Tamaqua, Pa, my pal Suzy and I earned the distinguished honor of High and Exhaulted Ruler. Each summer at Day Camp you had the opportunity to earn a feather per week for completing certain tasks (eg, bobbing up and down in the pool 50 times, learning a Bible verse, making a terrarium, etc ) Each feather was harder and harder to earn. By the time you reached the High and Exhaulted Ruler feather you had to swim the length of the pool , make a meal from stuff you found in the woods which was hopefully edible and not poisonous, AND the hardest thing, at least for me, was to not talk for an entire day! Me ? NOT TALK? But, yes, Suzy and I (with the help of a little duct tape ) kept our mouths shut all day -- and that night at the camp fire after all the other kids got their feathers and did their group dance, Suzy and I were awarded our special purple feather with the white tip, did our High and Exhaulted Ruler Dance and were given our names --- Suzy is "Laughing Brook" and I'm " Quiet Fawn" --- I know -- ridiculous isn't it !!! What a hoot !

5) I was playing "Barbies" when I was asked out on my first date. It was the summer after 8th grade and Suzy and I were playing Barbies in our basement when the doorbell rang. I ran up to answer it, still holding my Barbie in my hand. (what can I say, I was a VERY late bloomer). Anyway, it was this guy who lives down the street from us -- he was a couple of years older than me and apparantly thought I was dating material. I thought he was sent by his mother to borrow something from my mother, so when he said "I was wondering what you're doing tonight?", I hid my Barbie behind my back and said the first thing I could think of "Ummmmm.......I think I have to wash my hair." (which is something I picked up from either Gidget or Patty Duke).

6) I went to college (Temple University) thinking that everyone gets the Monday after Thanksgiving off from school for the first day of buck season ( for you city folk, that's deer hunting season ). My college friends have yet to let me live that one down.

7) I LOVE flowered bathing caps! (see picture of my bathing cap model below -- also wearing swim goggles). A few years ago my sister and I decided to start a new tradition -- the Annual Fourth of July Synchronized Swim Extravaganza at the Bungalow Pool in Tamaqua. (we had synchronized swimming in high school for a few weeks -- so we barely remember a thing -- but that doesn't stop us !) My sister's 2 daughters gladly participate, but her 2 teenage boys and my 2 teenage boys run for cover and try their best to pretend they don't know those weird women in the flowered bathing caps making arses out of themselves trying to float ! This year we're pulling out all the stops and plan to do synchronized cannonballs off the 2 low diving boards while somebody stands on the high diving board holding a sparkler and singing some patriotic song. (Eat your heart out Esther Williams !)

So, there you have it --- 7 weird (and mostly embarrassing ) facts about yours truly. Now, lets see....... who should I tag.......how about Vallen, Revka, Amanda, Doe, Pam, Elizabeth, and Darlene . So, come on girls, lets hear about all your weirdnesses ! ( purely optional and all in fun -- participate if you want to).

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare, Miss Guy's Flowers, and Quiet Fawn)

Mother's Day - - Keeping it real.......

Well, for today's post, I was going to set up a pretty table setting complete with a lovely tea pot, tea cups, flowers and lemon bars (which I was so sure I'd have time to make yesterday -- that didn't happen and the lemons that havent' gotten moldy have been made into "pink" lemonade by Evan -- the red food coloring is still staining the sink...) Anyhow, I decided to "keep it real" here at MBIAJ (Moonbeams in a Jar) and show you how Mother's Day is done here in the Drury household.

I was going to treat myself to a little sleeping in -- oh say at least until 8 AM today, but I was "gently" awakened by a plate of scrambled eggs and raisin toast stuck under my snoring nose by Evan at 7:15. He started this Mother's Day tradition with the help of Dad and big brother Matt a few years ago , but now he gets up and makes me breakfast all by himself (now that he's had 2 years of Junior High Consumer Science under his belt -- back in my junior high days this class was known as Home Ec ---anyhow, he's a very good breakfast maker and a very thoughtful kid-- humble , too -- he said " I made this for you and Matt didn't help at all -- he's still sleeping" )
Anyhow, I enjoyed my breakfast in bed , eating with my numb right hand -- slept on it wrong ...

After my breakfast, I stumbled down the steps to the kitchen, still half asleep, in search of something caffeinated and was greeted with the mess left in the sink and on the stove -- well, he did clean up some of the mess, but had to leave the rest because they (boys and dad ) were packing up the pickup truck for yet another dirtbike race. (There they are, Matt and Evan holding my Mother's Day flowers -- that's Evan -- and my dark chocolate Mother's Day Milky Way bar -- that's Matt -- standing in front of the truck loaded with their dirt bikes before they left for their race this morning ). The kids wanted me to come and tried to really sell me on it by telling me that since it's Mother's Day, all moms get to race for free today !!!!Ummmmmmmm............ a real dream come true and a tough offer to pass up and I know that the deafening sound of hundreds of dirt bike engines revving, dust in your face and exhaust fumes filling your lungs just screams HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY --- I'll just sit this one out ! ( I have never gotten on a dirt bike in my life, and certainly don't intend to race one on Mother's Day -- that would definatley be the gift that keeps on giving for many years to come as I nurse all my injuries!) -- besides I have a fun - filled day planned -- NOT -- see that picture of my desk with the pile of paperwork sitting on it? That has to be finished today and dropped off at the Homecare office -- today --- oh yippee -- so, about 3 hours of mind numbing, life sucking paper work ahead of me yet today -- I'll have to take a break every half hour and do a little sewing on Maura' s quilt -- see , I even took a few stitches on one of the letters that I'm appliqueing (sp?) so that I have to go back and at least finish that one teensy letter -- that and that dark chocolate Milky Way bar (held by Matt in the picture) are the only things that help me slog through all that endless paperwork --- that and a match.........(now that's a very tempting thought !!!)

Anyhow -- I did get lots of hugs , cuddles, and kisses from both of my "babies" -- Matt and Evan -- and that's definatley "keeping it real" on Mother's Day !!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !!!!!!!!

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

I need a great big bottle of this stuff !!

"Hello Friends. I'm your Vitameatavegamin girl. Are you tired, rundown, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular? The answer to all your pr0blems is in this little bottle. Vitameatavegamin contains vitamins, meat, vegetables , and minerals. Yes, with vitameatavegamin you can spoon your way to health. All you have to do is take a big tablespoon full after every meal..... It's so tasty too! Just like candy. So, join the thousands of happy, peppy people and get a great big bottle of Vitameatavegamin today!"

Order me a case -- I'm POOPED ! (in case you're not an "I Love Lucy" fan -- shudder the thought! -- that blurb was from one of my very favorite episodes when Lucy does a live commercial on TV and gets sloshed because the "tonic" has a hefty percentage of alcohol in it -- the director has her keep rehearsing the commercial, which involves taking a taste , and she winds up totally plastered. )

OK - - I know I'm weird --- HEY ! that's one weird thing about me -- I'm a total "I LOVE LUCY" junkie! I can pretty much recite most episodes almost word for word. ( is that as bad as being a "Treckie"? is that how you spell that? you know -- Star Treck) -- whatever -- I'm pooped this week and in desperate need of some Vitameatavegamin -- or a vacation -- or both !

Anyhow, the rest of my weird facts, traits (since I was tagged by Jenny to list 7 weird things about myself) coming soon !! PROMISE ! (as soon as the Vitameatavegamin kicks in and I have more energy!)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Look ! Look! a new header design !!!!

Hey everybody -- look at my new header !! I just LOVE it !! Revka of RS Designs installed it for me (I took the picture, and emailed it to her and she did all the rest ). I've been wanting to put this picture on my blog for the past month or so, but couldn't figure out how to do it. I came across Revka's service on Tina's blog (Cherryhill cottage) . I saw her new header and she said how it was designed/installed by Revka --- and I thought "BINGO" -- why continue to tax my computer challenged brain to try and figure this out when Revka can do it !!! YEAH !!! Thanks Revka ! I LOVE IT !! (to find out more about Revka's header design business, just click on her logo up there in the top right corner of my blog page.) ---- and , yes, by the way, that is a picture of 4 year old me in the jar -- crooked pig tails and goofy sneakers ---- kind of the way I still look.......

Anyhow, I just wanted to take a minute and thank everybody who stops by my blog and reads all my silliness -- thanks for all your nice comments !! I really enjoy reading them!

Well, better get back to the paperwork pile (busy work day /week) and the laundry pile (dirtbike race yesterday -- I'm still trying to get the dirt and dust out of my nostrils and hair! )

Coming Attractions : 7 Weird Things About Yours Truly (about a week ago I was tagged by that
old bag Jenny to list 7 weird things/facts about myself - - and I just couldn't come up with any --- HA! ARE YOU KIDDING !!!! Just haven't had a chance to do it yet, that's all.)

Be back soon -- I hope!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

New old stuff .......

A couple of days ago I finished work a little early, so I had the chance to wander around town for a half hour -- and I think I originally had a specific purpose for being there , like buying a birthday card, or using the copier in my husband's office -- but I don't remember and apparantly it wasn't important -- anyhow, I wandered up and down the main street of Jim Thorpe and went into some of the little shops -- pretty many of the shops have antiques and shabby chic type stuff . Well, I came across that little faded green stool and thought it would go perfectly in our bathroom. (so I stuck it there by the tub and fully expected my husband to ask what that old, chipped stool is doing in the bathroom and why is it necessary -- but so far not a peep out of him. I guess as long as he's not tripping over it when he gets in the shower , which is to the left of the tub , he doesn't care --- GOOD !!! because I LIKE it right where it is !)

I also found those cute aprons in the other picture. Actually the one in the middle with the red dots is the one I just bought this week. The other 2 I bought about a year ago, but from the same shop. They also have tons of vintage clothes, jewelry and HATS -- LOVE THE HATS!! We're talking Lucy and Ethel hats and Jackie Kennedy and my mother on Sunday hats -- little pillbox hats, big picture hats, cocktail hats with feathers sticking off the top and a little veil that comes down over your eyes only -- very fun ! There also was a dress -- 1950's pink prom dress !!! Mid calf length, strapless and floofy tulle skirt that must have rustled like crazy every time the prom queen moved. I was thinking how fun it would be to get that dress just to have it hanging in my pink sewing room as a decoration ---- or to wear -- maybe to go bowling in...... of course you'd have to have a tiara to go with that outfit !

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Belated Happy May Day !!

Ok -- so pretend these tulips are in a pretty basket on your doorstep -- a May Day surprise from me !!(oh, and pretend that ground around the tulips doesn't look quite so parched....) Happy (belated) May Day ! Yesterday I was so busy blabbing about my new carpet and how I wish it was a magic flying carpet that I completely forgot it was May Day until I was surfing other blogs and came across cherry hill cottage --- isn't that a sweet May Day basket? Anyhow, I had to take a picture of my flowers before the deer finish them off as their midnight snack - (as you can see, we're just getting our garden started -- we just built this house 2 and a half years ago, and just got the brick sidewalk in, the grass planted, and the spring bulbs planted last summer and fall -- so still quite a bit to do this summer) . Ok , it's a nice day and I have some purple Coneflowers to plant (compliments of my personal gardener -- aka George/ my dad -- who raises tons of flowers and veggies that he starts from seed in my sisters' and my old bedroom -- has zillions of little seedlings spread out all over our old homework desk -- my mother refers to it as "the farm") . OK -- enough blabbing -- I better go plant those Coneflowers before they whither and die sitting in their containers on my side porch -- (currently, they're looking beautifully healthy --that's because George just delivered them to me on Monday night -- so, at least if I get them in the ground SOON and then they whither and die --- at least I know it's not because I forgot to plant them as directed by George. He's determined to make an at least mediocre gardener out of me yet !)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Wish it was a flying carpet !!!

This past Saturday, my husband (what's his name) , the kids , and I went shopping for some furniture. We're looking for an entertainment center for the living room and a book case of some sort for the bedroom. Well, as usual, no final decisions were made on the furniture -- so no progress there..... but, next door to the furniture store was an Ollies' (you know -- "Good stuff CHEAP !") -- so, I went in there -- mainly to use the bathroom. At this point both kids , being way beyond bored, had been sitting out in the car with the music blasting (teenagers --ages 16 and 14) and had consumed about 4 Pop Tarts each - which they bought at Ollies in an attempt to alleviate their boredom and "starvation" while waiting for the furniture shopping to be finished and the eating out at "Chilis" or "Olive Garden" to begin as promised by their old man. Anyway, knowing that the kids were reaching the saturation point of their patience, I wasn't planning on doing any shopping in Ollie's -- just needed to use the "hopper" (as the nuns at St. Peter and Paul's school in Tamaqua , Pa used to call the toilet.) But, what's his name spotted a huge mountain of rugs/carpets of all shapes and sizes -- and he has been pestering me to get an area rug of some sort for our bedroom to absorb some of the sound due to the hard wood floor (he's a VERY light sleeper and goes to bed before me, so every teensy little noise wakes him up -- funny, though how a kid puking at 3 AM doesn't make him stir at all..........I guess that's what you'd call "selective light sleeping".) Anyhow, I came across this carpet that I just loved -- thought it looked kind of old fashioned and "cottagey" -- is that a word? -- So, we bought it! and I think it looks pretty spiffy in our bedroom (don't look too closely at that picture or you'll see all the clutter and dust). Anyhow, of course I immediately had to go to my fabric stash to pick out some fabrics to make a quilt to go with the new carpet ( like that will get finished before the fabric dry rots! -- oh..... delusions of grandeur .....) Anyhow, if and when I ever get around to actually making a quilt for our bed, I have to come up with a pattern . Here's one possibility -- on that silly lil doe's blog. I think that 's such a fun pattern -- and it might show off the floral fabrics pretty well. This must be the current popular quilt pattern because here are instructions posted by another quilter (sorry , I don't know her name ) --and I've seen this pattern and instructions show up an a few other blogs --- so , I just may jump on that bandwagon too! - - - - or....... if I happen to spot a comforter at Kmart or Target that just happens to go with the new carpet, I could easily be persuaded to go that route (i.e. the easy way out!) Oh --if only the new carpet was a flying carpet complete with a genie , I could be whisked away on a lovely , relaxing vacation on the flying carpet. Then, when I return, all stress free from my lovely vacation, the genie would be there to grant my 3 wishes -- one being some uninterrupted time to actually finish a sewing project for a change !!!!!! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK !!!!!! (oh -- sorry , didn't mean to shout! I just need a vacation.......................)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)