Chasing Spring....

We have been looking forward to a mini get away....looking for Spring in all the pretty places!

Our stay began at the Apple Farm. It is a frequent place to visit, and it never disappoints. They have been redoing some of the rooms and we were lucky enough to get to call this room home.....very Anthropologie inspired with soft floral walls and crisp white linens. We discovered that dreaming of flowers brings on a good nights rest!

We couldn't wait to get to our next destination....Filoli is a Public Trust House in the Bay area. The home is majestic and the gardens at this time of year are beyond description. I like to say it is like visiting England, without the jet lag.

Everywhere you look there are flowering trees, masses of tulips in every color, daffodils just beaming in the sunlight, and many spots to sit and reflect on the beauty.

There is great shopping too....lovely things for the home, and NO surprise, many things for the garden.

How is this for a perfect place to sit and contemplate the gift of Spring?

Even the local quilt shops were in Spring mode...and I came away from my visit with cute things to create and a mind full of inspiration!

The next day we were on our way to Napa....more flowers, a bit of wine collecting and a lovely picnic amongst the beauty of the countryside.

We walked under arbors of Wisteria.....

....and treated ourselves to something yummy at the Spring decorated pastry shop.

Our trip home was equally delightful. Back to the Apple Farm and the darling Easter decorations that fill every nook and corner.

A wonderful nights rest in yet another delightful room...this one had a quilter in mind. I loved it!!!!

But the best part of chasing Spring was when I met my favorite flower......

....and got to cuddle my "Sweet Pea". She is just cuter than cute, and so sweet that my heart bursts just to hold her.

We are all looking forward to this little ones first Easter...and it will be quite a celebration!

Our home will be filled with family sharing in God's gift, and the blessing of this sweet little girl. I am working hard to find a menu worthy of this special occasion. I wish everyone a Spring filled with flowers, family and most importantly a sense of renewal and a joyful spirit.

Charming Club Finishes.....

I can't believe I am finally posting some finishes....must be the new SPRING in my step!!!!

QIAD provided the fabrics, I provided the sewing. The quilt will hang in Paducah!

The quilting was done by Amie Potter...another QIAD girl. She is amazing, and together I think we made one lovely quilt!

There is a darling shop in Oceanside...so local girls, please go visit. It is called Maisonette, and I am in LOVE!!! Even more so when I saw they had my pattern for sale and even MORE in love when they asked me to make a sample. Yes Please!!!!

The pattern ( done here in Nicey Jane... my newest favorite line) makes three quilts from ONE jelly roll!!!!

Here is quilt number two....not a smidgin of fabric goes to waste. I don't know if that makes me clever, or just CHEAP, but it is lots of fun to make.

Sweet Bev, if you are reading this, I have your pattern to mail. I have been a BIT distracted by cuddling new babies (G) and a new found obsession with my sewing room.

SEW here is to more finishes in the months to come. How lovely to feel like I have my MOJO back!!!!

The Luck of the Irish.....

There are many things you can say about being Irish....and many celebrations to enjoy.

My favorite is celebrating the birth of our own "Leprechaun".

You certainly made St. Patrick s day one of great and enduring joy!!!!

You have had a great year!!! The blessing of your's and Dustin's first home.

You learned that DIY was something both fun and rewarding.

What joy it was for me to see that you enjoyed what I enjoy.....

....and your quilt was incredibly beautiful, just like YOU!!!!

You are a blessing as a daughter, a sister and a granddaughter.

God blessed you with a wonderful husband and together you are the most wonderful team.

And now you have added Auntie to your list of titles!!!

I will never forget the moment I first held you. My heart was so full...and it has been abundant ever since.

I loved the child you were and love so much the woman you have become. I wish you much happiness in this year to come. Happy birthday my sweet girl.

Finding my Mojo.....

Wow....it is BACK!!! My Mojo has been missing for quite awhile. I guess because I was busy and very preoccupied (G)!!!!

I am back to finishing some quilts and I love it. This one is marked and ready to work on.....

....and this one I finished this morning!!!

Away went the Valentine's quilts ( about time) and our home is "bunnified".

Bunny quilts are filling the house and there

are baskets of Easter candy to snack on ( YUM).

Even my bitty flower seeds are growing happily in my kitchen window. I see lots of blooms for the summer and lots of quilts to decorate with. So glad to feel "Back"!!!!

Charming Girl Club.....

Now that our sweet Clare is here...and I am breathing again (G), I am finally finding my way back to the sewing room. So I will post a few of my projects for the "Charming Girls Club".

A bit of cheating ( confession time) because I posted the one above before, but never got a chance to share the finished project.

So pretend you haven't seen it and act surprised when you see the completed quilt!

I always love when "Pam Kitty Morning" and "Late Bloomer Quilts" share that they are stunt sewing. I guess I am too, because the next two projects are NOT for me. The top one will be on display at the QIAD booth at Paducah.

This collection of GOODNESS is a project I am working on for a VERY cute shop called "Maisonnette". Oh how I love the creativity in that shop and I love that each visit becomes a fun chat fest as we share our ideas.

SEW back to the sewing room to get some things completed. I might just add some cute things I am making for the baby too....but you probably already guessed that!!!!

The Gift....

This has been a time of celebration. Life has felt like one huge party, and the gifts continue to bless me.

I have received so many lovely cards. I have gotten helpful Grandmother gifts from neighbors and lovely bouquets of flowers.

My sweet students have brought gifts for our sweet baby ( THANKS Lori) and they have continued to gift me too.

I still feel overwhelmed, but I remember a dear friend telling me that I should be as gracious in the receiving as I am in the giving. I am getting a LOT of practice!

Last night I hostessed a PINK PARTY....a thank you to my students who have been so loving to our family. Just when I thought it was MY turn to spoil my students, I found another gift to open. What sweet ladies I have....what generous hearts they possess.

Thank you Julie for this beautiful angel....she will grace my home. I am so appreciative.

Speaking of angels...this is Elaine. Two weeks ago ( pre-baby) she was making this project in class. I was very interested in what she was making, which happens a lot if there is anything baby related.

Sadly, she cut her finger with her rotary cutter in the middle of sewing....off to the ER for a few stitches. Guess what? She was making this "Taggy Blanket" for Clare!!! How sweet is that, and at such a cost ( sorry about that Elaine)!!!

My gift to the students was humble compared to their generosity. Pink cupcakes, pink lemonade to wash it down, served with pink cups, pink plates and pink napkins. Do you think that is a TAD to much PINK????

And there was a little gift that my Mom made too....sweet chocolate booties to take home and enjoy. It was a very fun party, and it was so lovely to share my joy ( and pictures) with the girls I love so much.

So I have thought a lot about presents....and something has become very clear to me. The years I waited to be a Grandmother were years of listening to dear friends explain to me what I couldn't understand until I held my own Grand-baby. I have always adored my children, but holding a Grand-baby is sweet beyond words.

I am sure because in this season of my life I understand how quickly life passes us by. It makes holding and cuddling even more precious to fully understand how quickly they will grow.

I have been given many gifts in my life....but this time I feel like every birthday party and every Christmas has been combined into one joyous event. My feet still have not touched the ground. It is heavenly.

Life as it should be....

Things are settling in nicely at Clare's house. In fact so much so that Clare invited all of us over for an "Academy Awards Party". Clare was into styling...and wasn't sure what to wear to such an important occasion.

So she choose to wear one hat for the pre-awards show and the other for later....not an easy decision when you are one week old!!!

First she needed a very cozy bath.....

....with her great Oma supervising.

Then we all snuggled close and took turns holding our super star baby.

Auntie Meg got MOST of the snuggling time, but that was ok. Auntie Meghan wishes she could snuggle each and every day. Clare is a very snuggable baby.

It is lovely that things are getting back to normal for our sweet family. There are lots of deliveries of lovely flowers and meals too. What a thoughtful and useful gift.

Mommy is getting so strong that the walker is used less and holding baby more is getting to be the norm.

Our young family is finding that dinner time consists of some quick bites of food, and a whole lot of rocking and cuddling.

They wouldn't trade that for a quiet dinner alone....except for Friday when Clare will spend time with her Grandfather and ME while Mommy and Daddy celebrate their anniversary.

I would say that life is moving toward what Jill calls "our new normal". I love that....in fact I love that very much!