Penn State move in day ...

Good Monday morning Blogland Neighborhood! Well, our first birdie has left the nest (sob ). This past Saturday was move in day at Penn State U and we survived it ! Things went very smoothly (thank goodness) in spite of the chaos of THOUSANDS of students trying to move in all on the same day !!!! We even finished the lugging and carrying of stuff up to Matt's 5th floor apt early enough to spend part of the afternoon walking the campus with my nephew Dan, who is a freshman there this year.









What a beautiful campus ! Lots of big old trees and then this building "Old Main" (also big and old !)

















....and here are my boys standing on the steps of "Old Main" .....Evan, Matt, and their cousin Dan . (Evan says he may join Matt and Dan here at PSU next year after he finishes high school this year ..... how can my baby be a senior in high school this year ?!?!?!? More sobbing !!!)

So, two big things accomplished ..... Matt is all moved in at college AND......









....the MBIAJ Sewing /Quilting Dept finished ..... yes FINISHED Matt's graduation quilt in the nick of time (into the wee hours of the morning as per usual) for him to take it with him on move in day !!!! (SEE !!! There it is ... folded up at the foot of his bed ..... bottom bunk with red comforter .... TA DAAAAAAA!!!!!)

Have a good Monday everybody!
Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

OK ..... BACK TO WORK !!!!!

Good morning Blogland Neighborhood ! Well, Kitty has partied herself out , gotten over her hangover and now is back to her old bossy self. But, she's right .... we need to get back to work here at MBIAJ Headquarters because ....




..... Moonbeams Boy Matt is heading out to college in 2 days !!!! (SOB!)






....look! he already has his thinking cap on ! (FYI those are clean underwear on his head .....)

Matt has commuted to a local branch campus of Penn State for the past 2 years while living at home... So, now he will be moving out to the main campus and living in an apartment with 5 other guys ...... can't even imagine the filth that will accumulate in that apartment! Anyway, since Matt is going to be living in an apartment (instead of a dorm) he'll need .....




..... EVERYTHING !!!! (note the bathroom cleaning products I bought with the optomistic thought that those boys will actually USE THEM TO CLEAN THE BATHROOM !!!! .... Matt informs me though that I am sadly mistaken .... they don't plan to clean ANYTHING .... EVER !!!) I'm sure that the aroma surrounding their apartment will be "enjoyed" for at least a 10 mile radius from the epicenter ..... we'll call it "o de boys' apartment stench" ....it may even cause nostrils to flare at a 20 mile radius !!!!

......OK ... gotta go ... Kitty is tapping her foot because not only do we have to finish the shopping and packing up of the college boy, we have to get the binding on ....






...this graduation quilt that was started by the MBIAJ Sewing/Quilting Dept 2 years ago when Matt graduated from high school !




Speaking of long over due projects (aren't we always!!) .... here's a quick peak at a another one ....





.....FINALLY finished this smock apron (which is only a year and a month late) ... we were aiming for this to be finished LAST summer for my mother's birthday .... SHEESH !!!

OK ... now we REALLY have to get going !!!! (the sewing/quilting dept is DETERMINED to get that quilt finished for Matt to take with him to school on Saturday!)


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

WE'RE STILL CELEBRATING !!!!!

Happy weekend Blogland Neighborhood ! Well, we're STILL celebrating here at MBIAJ Headquarters and still wonderiing if we'll wake up tomorrow and come to the conclusion that we just dreamt it (i.e our "Practical Magic" quilt design in the Sept/Oct Quiltmaker Magazine )

But , happily it's not a dream ! Tonight while at the mall, I went into ....



Barnes and Noble and strolled (well, practically RAN) to....









....the craft/sewing/quilting magazine section ..... and ..... THERE IT WAS !!!! (I have it circled and starred ) ..... can't see it? .... wait ....






LOOK !!!!! (right there towards the top in the middle of the picture )



......so I just HAD to open the magazine to take a picture of it there on the magazine stand !!!! and here is my design !!! "Practical Magic" !!!! FOR REAL !!!!












OK !!! Back to the celebration !!!! Kitty is about to lead the conga line, but first she has a few words to say .....
"THANK YOU to Quiltmaker Magazine for choosing this design !!!!! and THANK YOU everybody for your very nice comments !!!!"

......OK EVERYBODY CONGA .....

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