Charming Girl Post for July/August

Here is my July finish...an easy peasy quilt using my scraps, a bit of ric rac for texture and hopefully there will be a baby girl who will LOVE it!!!!

Minkie on the back so those rolling over efforts are rewarded with softness!

I am working on my August project....to finish quilting and binding this UFO. It has been hanging in my closet much to long.

Back to quilting.....loving my summer. I am hoping all of the Charming Girls are doing the same!!!!

Another day with sandy toes.....

The perfect day.....cool and delicious breezes, an ocean filled with dolphin, and dreaming about what it will be like to introduce bitty grandchildren to the beauty of life on the beach.

Smiling at 4 AM.....

What could possibly make me LOVE the alarm going off at 4AM???? Well, it means we are off and running to visit our sweet bitty girl, and that makes the early morning rising not a problem at all.

Time spent with this little one is pure joy....and those cheeks need weekly kisses from Oma and Gramps.

The day goes very quickly....there are nap times,

...and bottles with Gramps. She and Gramps like to watch TV too.

Gramps thinks it is cute to try to help Clare walk....Oma is not so sure that is a good idea.

But Oma does like to make sure Clare is cozy and content in her stroller and then....

....we all take a nice long walk together.

We go to Trader Joes and pick out fresh flowers for Mommy and a sweet treat for dinner.

Sometimes we come home VERY tired and then Oma cuddles Clare and just smiles and smiles!!!

But this the part of the day that Clare loves the most.....when Mommy and Daddy are both home and can welcome their sweet baby with LOTS of kisses.

And then next week we do it all again. I am LOVING this part of my life!!!

Sew Much Fun.....

Every other month I hostess a 9am to 9pm quilt class. I fill it with my favorite girls and we spend the day laughing and sewing and I leave the class that night a bit tired, but mostly full of the memories of a very fun day!!!!

The girls all work on their own projects. This is Laurie's quilt. It is like ALL of her quilts....darling, perfect and someday I HOPE to be the quilter that she is!!!

Sweet Linda has been absent for a while. She has been caring for family and we all know family comes first. But even with a much to long absence she was right back into the swing, and this darling quilt proves she hasn't lost her touch!!!!

Kate was making multiple quilts as gifts for lots of babies. SEW adorable!!!!

Rose ( Kate's Auntie and BFF) is working on this delicious quilt....full of Nicey Jane fabrics.

Chris has an ongoing quilt project....isn't this just AMAZING????? There was lots more going on in class, but I get a bit distracted in my picture taking because.....

We feast on things like this "to die for" French Pastry.

Or multiple platters of Shrimp....have I told you that I thought I had died and gone to heaven!!!!

More fried chicken to munch on....and NO all day quilting is NOT a day for diets!!!

.....and even a Red Velvet Cake if we were missing that sugar fix. There were croissants and baguettes, dips and veggies, casseroles, fixings for sandwiches and a huge cooler full of Starbucks drinks and other things to quench our thirst.

So my thanks to ALL my girls and apologies for not getting pictures of everyone. I had such a wonderful day, and I even got to spend some quality time doing this. It was SEW much fun, and I can't wait to see you all real soon!!!

Sharing a bitty secret.....

It is so hard to keep secrets.....especially one that is THIS wonderful!!!!

Meghan and Dustin are spending lots of time with Clare.....practicing their parenthood skills!!!

Baby Hein is due in January, and we couldn't be MORE EXCITED!!!!

Last year at this time we only dreamed about being Grandparents....now we are doubly blessed.

We never knew life could be this sweet.

Shopping Surprise......

I used to LOVE shopping at the April Cornell store in Santa Barbara. It was filled with delicious and delicate clothing and housewares. Most were out of my reach financially, but a good sale always meant I could bring something home.

Then their stores closed all over the US. There was something about trade agreements, or something beyond my understanding. I was sad, and the dream of having little Granddaughters outfitted in April Cornell was dashed.

Then I found out they had an online store....so I ordered this,

...and this

....and this

...and even this!!! My dreams of bitty Clare outfitted in April Cornell was soon to be a reality.

So I waited impatiently for the mailman to bring the goodies. They came yesterday and I was SOOOO excited to open the package.

But when I did all I found were these four pieces....I was guessing someone got MY baby clothes and I got their dresses or blouses. I was shattered and a bit annoyed. I was sure when I called they would tell me that "sorry, we are out of the items you ordered". I was ready for a good argument....it is HOT after all and HOT makes me cranky!!!

Do you want to know the surprise???? The VERY polite person on the phone told me that they package all of their items in fabric gift bags!!!! WHAT??? I looked closely and YES, my items were in these delightful and LARGE fabric bags.

I told her as a quilter and fabricholic, I would make good use of the fabrics. They are LOVELY!!!

She told me to enjoy them, but not to get used to them. Apparently their generosity has NOT been rewarded. Instead people ( thinking as I did) that they got the wrong orders have been returning their items. So they will discontinue the packaging in the Fall.

As for me....I have more to shop for. Be sure to check them out. They are my new favorite online store!!!!

Charming finishes and goals....

Oops.....I shared my finished quilt earlier this month, but I was supposed to wait til our Charming hostess gave the shout out so we would all share our quilts together.

Guess I was SEW excited to finish something for a change that I got a bit toooo excited!!!!!

Hmmmm.......now part two is to share my goals for the next two months. I guess my goals have more to do with my toes in the sand, then it has to do with what I accomplish behind the sewing machine!!!!

But I will post that I want to finish a baby quilt for one of the kids friends who just had a baby girl. That may be my only quilting for awhile.

Mostly my "Girl Posse" and I are going to be hanging out here. Not to many electrical outlets, but we sure are having fun.

Summer Dreaming......

So....the weather has gone from gloomy to sunny and it just makes me so happy that Summer is here!!!!

From the front porch to the back garden, the vibe here is relax and hang out for a while.

Mostly I have been chillin' with some really great people.....

...sharing my sewing machine so Meghan can make some projects that she has been dreaming about the whole school year.

Meghan read on my blog that animal cookies make sewing go SEW much better, so I have been sharing those too!!!

My newly retired husband has been sanding and repainting garden furniture.....

....and I have sewn new pillows and cushions.

When Meghan and I aren't sewing, you can find us swinging and catching up on decorating magazines or sharing the latest gossip about the "Bachelorette".

Oh yeah....been also hanging out with this delightful miss. She doesn't sew YET, but then again she doesn't have to do much to have this Oma just fall deeper and deeper in love.

Have I mentioned how much I am loving my summer......lots of dreams come true. Hope your summer is equally joyous!!!

The Sweetness of Tradition....

Sixty years ago my Oma in Holland made this dress for her first Grandchild's Christening. I wore it for my Christening too.

The story of the gown is as touching as the memories it has created. There was great poverty after the war and the luxury of fabrics for a Christening gown was something she could only dream about.

With great determination and great sacrifice, my Oma created this gift with love and devotion.

My Mother has tenderly cared for it all of these years and was happily waiting for the day that her Great-granddaughter would share in the tradition of wearing the gown.

Clare could not have looked more angelic......

....and my Mom could not have looked more proud.

There were tender kisses from her Great Oma......

.....more kisses from her adoring Oma.

Even Auntie Meghan joined in the hugs and joy of this special day.

There was a wonderful meal that we all shared and a dessert that Clare seemed most interested in!

It was all a bit exhausting for our little girl and she later took a restful nap.

There is something so touching in family traditions. When the day was over my Mom cried a few tears and said that she wished her Mom could have been there to share this joy.

I am certain that she was.....and I know she said a sweet prayer for our bitty Clare,

her great great granddaughter who was blessed to wear this gown.

The lovely gown that even generations later has deep meaning and connects a devoted past with a joyous future.