Royal Fun for All.....

My love of all things Royal began when my Mom was in London at the time of Charles and Diana's marriage.

It began my collection of Royalty memorabilia, and my fascination with Diana was over the top.

Being a young mother at that time meant that I had total interest in Diana's pregnancy and the nursery she would create for her first child.

It seems incredible that the years have flown by...and now that young child is all grown up.

Celebrating his marriage was something that I have been looking forward to.

Some of us got the memo to wear a hat....

....so we gathered as a family,

...along with dear friends.

To enjoy a very special day together.

There were tea sandwiches, scones, clotted cream and lemon curd....

....of course there had to be pastries too!!!

We were mesmerized by the pageantry and the beauty of the ceremony.....

....but our bitty Prince found it all a bit to long and took a lovely snooze.

I think we will always remember this fun and joyous day.

Our celebration may not equal what was put on by the Royal family.....but we will cherish it all the same!!!!

You are invited.....

There has been so much excitement at our home.

In fact so much ( on my part) that Jim left to go to Yosemite. He was pretty sure he could not participate in one more moment of Royal hysteria!!!!

But the rest of us girls are going to have a Royal party in honor of William and Kate!!!!

This recipe for scones will be on our party menu...along with chicken salad sandwiches ( cut into cute tea shapes), cake, pink lemonade and of course some wonderful tea to toast the happy couple.

Our royal miss will not be in attendance....she is having her own party with her MUM.

But...our Royal Prince will be here to represent for the men in the family!!!!

I hope you are going to enjoy a Royal Party too!!!!

Thirty years ago I woke up in the middle of the night to nurse Meghan and watch Charles and Diana.

Now thirty years later my Meghan will be up and nursing her own little prince. The years have gone by much to quickly.

Here is to hoping this fairy tale wedding will have a happy ending. I know we will toast them ( with our tea cups) wishing them joy and much love in the years to come.

On This Easter....

I wish all of you.....

An abundance of Spring Flowers....

Bunnies that lift your spirits ....

....and memories that bring you smiles for a lifetime.

Happy Easter !!!!

Sew Lucky.....

It has been sooooo long since I won a blog contest....but I finally did. This is my very cute prize!!!!

A darling PDF from a company named Lily Bird Studio. I was SEW excited!!!!

Not SEW lucky....I PAID for this PDF from a company called "I Think Sew".

Well, it was a nightmare of confusing instructions, took reams of paper to download squiggly lined pattern pieces ( which was a HUGE puzzle to put together because there was not ONE number on any of the pattern pieces), and then it got even worse!!!

NO written instructions, but only photos of the steps. I have a lot of sewing experience, so I struggled thru ( very stubbornly).

The FINAL straw for me was when the pattern said to add 1/4" to the pattern pieces. In their words "this is so easy. Just tape two pencils together and use one to draw the line and the other will add the 1/4"".

REALLY....if it is SEW easy, why didn't THEY add the 1/4". Oh well....one day I was SEW lucky and other NOT so much!!!!

I know a very cute baby who will soon be wearing a darling new dress thanks to Lily Bird.

Whether I put the dress in the "it looks cute , but what a pain to make" purse is a big question mark right now!!!

Little Things....

Yes....the small things are always BEST!!!!

Like this little fellow who came to visit after Church.

He sure loves his Mommy....

....and we do too!!!!

Donovan performed a bitty version of "Lord of the Dance"

....with legs and arms kicking in unison.

We love our bitty Grandson....who is growing much to fast. What a blessing to spend Sunday giving hugs and kisses.

Maybe just a small thing, but a very large part of what fills our hearts.

Vacation in Quilt Land.....

It is always fun to visit quilt shops....

Lots of inspiration....

What a cute way to "grow" a panel !!!!

This is one of my all time favorite quilts....

It always welcomed me when I visited "Treasure Hunt" quilt shop in Carpinteria....but very sadly they are closing their doors ( sigh).

I did get to spend some quality shopping time at some of my favorites.

Hmmmm......can it really be time to start thinking Christmas quilts????

I am more in a SPRING mode myself!!!!

Flowers and bunnies.....that is where my quilting direction is pointing.

Saving the BEST for last. I ADORE this shop. They get me at the front door....

...with adorable window displays that make me just want to burst right in!!!!

How cute is this toddler canopy bed filled with delectable fabrics and quilts????

This quilt sprang right into my shopping basket....and now I know why I have been hoarding my Bliss Layer Cake!!!!

Everyone's favorite quilt designer was well represented.

Anne and her Bunnyhill designs were everywhere!!!

Yes.....even Anne's BOM quilt was hanging there reminding me to GET INTO MY SEWING room and finish my blocks!!!!

A vacation is a lovely thing....even more so when it includes quilt shop hopping. And speaking of hopping, I had better finish some projects soonest.

I hear the Easter Bunny will be here very soon!!!!

The Vacation that WAS a Vacation!!!!

When our Tennessee vacation ended so abruptly ( Donovan is doing GREAT and all is well in my world), we had Marriott points that would expire if we didn't use them NOW.

So we planned an impromptu vacation ( again....but this time close to home) and hopped into the Prius for a trip along the California Coast.

One of the most lovely spots in California is FILOLI.....an estate from the turn of the century that rivals anything you could find in England.

The gardens are a bit of Heaven and in the Springtime even more so.

We spent hours walking the many gardens, all bringing to life my favorite childhood book "The Secret Garden".

Great shopping too!!!!!

I was filled with a peace that spending quality time in nature brings....but there were more lovely places to visit.

Next stop.....the Napa Valley.

Home to wonderful vistas, wonderful wines and lovely

estates that provided a perfect place for a picnic lunch.

Our drive on the way home was equally restful. There is nothing more majestic than the winding roads of Big Sur.

The ocean views are breathtaking and we even spotted a whale!!!!

Wildflowers were in abundance....

....which got my gardener juices flowing.

So a stop at a favorite garden shop in Cambria, and later a stop in a local garden center provided me with plants and seeds to help me remember all of the loveliness in my own garden!

Of course you knew we had to spend some time at the Apple Farm...always welcoming, always restful.

While leaving to go home is always a mix of joy and sadness....more lovely views like this

provided for a lovely drive home.

....and when the kids called us with a surprise gift of Angel tickets, we had a very perfect last day of vacation!!!! The littlest fan seemed to enjoy the game very much.

But of course NO vacation is complete without lots of stops at Quilt Shops ( sorry Jim) and I will be sure to share those tomorrow!!!!

It felt like the perfect vacation to help us re-coop from the OTHER vacation. Now to get into the garden and plant some of the loveliness I got to bring home!!!