Cello at Homeschool?

Sometimes Homeschooling can be funny. Today GP looks at me and says, "I need music." I thought, "Well that's new..." and I told him he could get his Ipod and dock it while he worked. Up he goes, down he comes, Ipod in hand. He pops it in the docking station and declares, "Classical music is good to relieve stress!" OMG! That was too funny. So he puts the Ipod in and the cello is BLASTING, think Madonna, Marky Mark, Bruce Springsteen loud. And I'm thinking, "This is relaxing?" But I say nothing about the Concierto going on at Homeschool... as he continues to work. Then, when he is done with his task, he declares, "I need a break now!", (as if he was sweating it out or somethig, LOL!). I say, "OK" and he just gets up, pulls his Ipod from the docking station and leaves (Obviously I don't need "relaxing music", LOL!)... As my ears ring to the sounds of Yo-Yo Ma's cello I think, "That was NOT relaxing!" LOL!
GP uses "scripted" language to communicate/ make conversation. Scripted language is when you memorize complete sentences and then apply them to your everyday conversations.
For example, if he comes downstairs and there is someone there he will
say to that person, "OH! (this is his approach word- this is where he will halt, extend his hand to shake in greeting) Hello, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gene Paul. What's your name?" This is scripted language that allows him to step forward and interact in a safe, non threatening way with others. He will not be anxious about the other person if he faces his fear right off the bat, so he has a script for "meeting new people" that he applies when confronted with a "social situation" that might cause him anxiety. He has many other sentences for many other situations, this is just the first one that comes to mind.
When he says "classical music is good to relieve stress" he is not referring to HIS stress, he is telling me what he has read, which is why I think it's so funny. Stress? I would explain stress but that would be too complicated so I just smile and count my blessing! Scripted Language beats Silence, any day!B=)

I Love Folk Art!

A husband and wife team make up Williraye Studios. Their folk art makes my heart happy and I thought I'd share this video I found about them. The Wee Halloween Set included in my giveaway is by Williraye Studios. You could be the lucky winner so don't forget to leave a comment, you could soon be the lucky owner of a genuine Williraye Studios Wee Collection! Woo-HOO!

It's a Giveaway!

This Giveaway is now closed. thank you to all who entered.

The winner will be anounced on Sunday! Let the fun begin! This should be the easiest giveaway ever...your chances are awesome. There are only three days to post your entry (add a link on your blog and I will give you THREE extra chances to win; seeing how it's only three days before the giveaway it just makes sense to me. Three/three...see? Ah, never mind, I've had too much Diet Coke today, I might not be thinking straight! LOL!)
OK, so Williraye fans will recognize the WEE Halloween collection. It includes a little girl/witch with her cat and a Jack O'lantern . They are tiny (Girl 3" x 1.5" x 4", Cat 2" x .5" x 2.75", Pumpkin 5" x 2.5". The one pictured is mine, the one I will ship to the lucky winner is brand spanking new, in its box! Also a lovely little candle mat that I made myself and embellished with Hillcreek Designs hand dyed buttons (Thankyouverymuch!) with a yummy Pumpkin Patch soy candle by Pilgrim's Primitives AND, a gorgeous mini Indian Corn bundle that I picked up at Lull's Farm just this afternoon. If you are not from NH, I'll have you know that Lull's Farm is one of the most wonderful farms in our area, they grow everything your Harvest Home could ever need...Indian corn in all colors and sizes...pumpkins in all sizes, sweet corn, vegetables, peaches, apples...everything (OOps, did I go off on a tangent again?, sorry...must be Mimi-time, code for bedtime, LOL!). I'd send you a pumpkin too but they're too heavy so that you'll have to get yourself, but other than that, I think this little treasure trove should make your heart happy. Leave a post, spread the word and remember with only three days to go, you're almost a winner already, woo-hoo! Oh, I did the math, this stash retails for $40 (and that's without the handmade candlemat there... that one's "priceless", LOL!) I feel so sneaky with a three day giveaway, is that wrong? Nah...it's fun! Woo-HOO!
STOP!
Before you post a comment please be sure that you have an email attached to your username, or have added your email to the comment. I will not hunt you down to give you a prize! I will email you, if you don't have an email... well, someone else might enjoy your prize and that would be a bummer, eh? ;)

It's almost October, HOORAY!

I'm giddy with anticipation so I am going to

come right out and say it...October will be Freaky Friday Fun month; yes!
I will have a GREAT giveaway every Friday during the Month of October. Yep, that's me Pumpkin Girl! I am all about Fall and October is my lucky month; it could be yours too!
Do you know that I had my Pumpkin on Friday The 13th of October? Yes I did. My Prince was born on the spookiest day of the year... and it was pretty scary there for a while, after a gazillion hours in the hospital, you gotta trust me on that. LOL! Stay tuned The first giveaway will be in two days...woo-hoo!

Crow's Autumn Frost Kit, Done!

I've been waiting for weeks for a new stash of Country Lore Designs patterns. They finally came in this week. I had some kits for the little Crow's Autumn Frost that I needed to make up and of course I thought that they would look great in the new Fall fabrics... so, I made a sample to see if it would look as good as I thought...and I really love it. the border is more golden yellow than beige but you know me, I can't take a good pic if my life depended on it...so just imagine it to be golden yellow, LOL! I swear, it's yellow! I used the Haunted Hallow fabrics for the background, borders, backing and binding. I used Maywood Woolies and Buggy Barn Flannel Essentials for the applique. Oh, the pumpkin is flannel too from Benartex. It is so cute. OK,. so I did add some hand dyed buttons just because I love buttons! All in all , a good job at revamping this cutie... I think there are going to be some happy quilters making this one next week. Woo-HOO! What did you do this week???? Anything FUN? No, raking leaves and Fall cleanup does not qualify as fun....I mean crafty stuff...huhhhh???? Well, you still have the weekend if you haven't managed to fit anything in... better work fast~!

My Baby Has A New Home!

Remember the little Haunted House I made back here?

Well, she has a new home. She now lives in a cube in TX.

See her there in the pic next to the Bunch O'Pumpkins quilt? See how tiny she really is? I told you !

Oh, I painted that pumpkin pic in the back there too... No close ups, this pic is tiny it's a cell phone pic. =(

Now this is a pic I asked TChoco to send me of my baby in its new home. Mind you, I have the other three sides of this cube and any quilter would be happy to work there, sorrounded by cute little quilts. What struck me as odd in this picture is that big empty space next to the new adition. Allow me to give you another view of the cube.... See how there's just a little space here and there???HMMM. I'm thinking she is sending me a hint...you know I'm thinking that she needs something in that space. She could have put the little house next to the Jack O'Lantern quilt...I think it would look just spiffy there; but noooo. She's teasing me! LOL! I'll be thinking of that blank canvas(I mean "space") for weeks! Better check the Halloween quilt stash for a filler. Yes, I do have a Halloween quilt stash, I'm bad like that. One year I counted eleven quilts in my bathroom. And if you have ever been to my house you know that means that there was one hanging under the toilet roll, LOL!

"I Want To Be The Next Micheal Jackson!"

My heart dances with joy every time I hear my Prince sing. Words fail me as I try to explain how my world goes silent and I can hear him as the sole sound in an otherwise noisy room. I can hear him from two rooms away; I can hear him in the shower even if the dishwasher and the washing machine are both running in the room that separates the office and the bathroom. The sound of his voice in song is just my absolute favorite music.
I suppose the years of silence have everything to do with this feeling of unabashed giddiness that overcomes me when I hear him singing. It seems like yesterday that he was "silent", yet today he is a songbird. A new phase that is THE funniest we've ever been through.The other day he gets in the car and as we are driving along, rushing around, running errands, he turns to me and says, (as if this were the most natural thing in the world), "I want to be the next Micheal Jackson!" Just like that...OMG! I could not stop laughing! I said, "You want to be LIKE Micheal Jackson?". And he replies, "No, I want to be the NEXT Micheal Jackson". LOL! Now we are both laughing and I ask him what his favorite Micheal Jackson song is, and he says, "Beat it!". But it was the way he said it that was funny; as in, "Isn't that everyone's favorite?" To this I say ...HMMM...I don't know that one. What does it sound like?" and yes~! GP burst out in song and sings, "Beat it, Beat it, Beat it, Beat it!" OMG! It was soooo funny! After that I just agreed, "I think that's a great idea!". I think they even look alike, don't you think? LOL!

Harvest Moon Homespun

Just wanted to share a pic to the Harvest Moon Homespuns by Buggy Barn. I did cut some fat qtrs before I was "distracted" by the little quilt (that is on its way to a new home already...hee-hee). I managed to post them already. Woo-Hoo! I'm so good...gotta go. My Prince is hoping I forget about him so he can "entertain" himself in Non Homeschool activities! Fat Chance, hahaha! I've got his number! TTYL!

Driven To Distraction

Have you ever heard the one that begins, "A funny thing happened on the way to..."? Well,I was going to post some fabrics...
I had a plan. I was to fill the orders, make some kits and then post the kits along with the new fabrics that came in last week while I was wrapping up the Pumpkins and Spice backorders.
I filled the orders and cut the kits but somehow, I was caught up in the Buggy Barn- Harvest Moon- Homespun "mesh", and next thing you know...WHAM! I'm making this! LOL!
OMG, how bad is that? I tell you, one minute I was right on track and next thing you know I fell off the wagon, LOL! It was like the kit pattern and the Homespuns were just meant to go together...and I just couldn't help myself.
And the worst part? This took me all day, LOL! I got the Bernina home and the light was out (OK, so how do you stay calm when the machine that was just tuned up, for the "Bargain Basement" price of $85 is taken out of the bag to reveal a damaged cord and a dead lightbulb? HELLO!) and a trip to Home Depot was required... along with an hour of tinkering (let's leave this for a later post) and next thing you know, the posting of the fabrics???? Never happened!
Now it's Monday and I am up at 4am trying to RedBull myself into consciousness so I can get the fabrics uploaded before Homeschool, LOL! Do you think I need professional help? Riddlin? Maybe I should post s sign in front of the cutting table, "FOCUS!" LOL! OK, now I have to go and get those cute homespuns uploaded... lest I be driven to distraction, yet again! LOL!

The Great Pumpkin

I Love, Love, LOVE this quilt! Someone emailed me yesterday asking for it and I dug it up and uploaded it. I have two left, so I thought I'd let you all know, JIC someone is looking for it. It really is a cutie! You can order it here, The Great Pumpkin. There are only two left so don't procrastinate! =) All patterns ship free within the USA; shipping is adjusted when your order is processed. More Fall patterns coming soon...
On another note I'm still cutting Pumpkins and Spice kits and filling the last of the orders, how exciting could that be? Not very, my thoughts exactly, LOL! It's always fun to cut the first few fabrics; but after lifting and cutting ten or twelve bolts it's like, can I just do a little sewing instead? Man, and what's up with the tiny, itsy-bitsy-teeny-weenie little numbers on the bolts? Am I the only one that needs a magnifier to see them? I'm so old I need a magnifier to read the cereal box, LOL! I love this quilt too...but it's all pieced. Piecing, YUK! I'd like a cheater panel, thankyouverymuch! LOL!
... Stay tuned for a P&S Giveaway. Oh, yeah...a real good one too, woo-HOO! More details to follow!
I posted a slideshow of the wonderful Pumpkin and Spice fabrics, which really do not do them justice. they are sooo cute. The pumpkin stripe, pumpkins on beige and panel are all sold out but there are still plenty of wonderful prints to choose from... and they are on sale, $7.99 yd. Hello?! just thought you'd want to know.=)
Hope everyone is having a great weekend. this is my last day "OFF" before Homeschool begins so I am going to make the most of it. I can't believe Summer is coming to a close. Does that mean that I have to empty the pool? Bummer!

It's like Christmas!

The Tylenol and Red Bull have kicked in an I am unpacking the boxes. It turns out that I had other boxes of stuff mixed in with the fabrics. OMG! Who knew I had ordered so much cool stuff!?
I love cotton ribbon but it is so hard to find. I swear the shoppe owners hoard them as soon as they are release. It seems as if every time I come across them and want to order some I get the same message:

"This items is out of stock! " It's January and the Fall ribbon is sold out? Hello!? Anyway, I did manage to score some Xmas ribbons and they are gorgeous! The colors in the pic are off, it is like a rust homespun color. it looks bright red on my monitor, maybe yours looks different. In reality it does look like a piece of red homespun that has been bleached out by the sun. It's gorgeous!

Just had to share my excitement. Now why the heck did I order just four? HMMM. Another one of life's mysteries, LOL! Well, it's back to work... I have some great quilting related wood signs too. AGHHHH. I can't wait to load those too.

Pumpkin Spice Fabrics Have Arrived!

No need to get too excited though, after the day at Funtown I was just barely able to drag them in.
So here's how it went down, I am pulling in at exactly 7:09PM (I was meaning to break my own record of 1:49 min to Maine and I made it back in 1:40 min, thankyouverymuch. Must have been the two Red Bulls at the rest stop, LOL! GP was snoring all the way home. More on that tomorrow, after I recover! Anyway, I pull in and see this stack of boxes and my heart goes "WEE!" and then my brain says,"Crap!" As if I can lift those things after 6 straight hours on my feet in scorching sun and four hours of driving, hello! Don't most folks work just eight hours? And I still have to wash the swimsuits and towels. Where's Zoila when I need her? (Do you watch Flipping out? HAHAHA!) Anyway, I managed to drag these babies in but trust me I am not touching them tonight.
I'll start filling the orders tomorrow, tonight I have a date with Mr Tylenol PM! LOL!

Funtown USA, Here We Come!

I promised my Prince that I would take him to this Amusement Park, Funtown USA. It's in Saco, MAINE!
As with every single field trip I plan, I wonder, "WHY?"

Well, I'm still trying to figure that one out but the day has come to bite the bullet and take that walk on the wild side. He is sooo excited, and I am sooo nervous...

Please say a little prayer for us. I need all the backup I can get! It's a long way from home and I'm going all alone with GP.

It's so scary! New places... I really don't like taking him to new places. I don't know where the nearest exits are, what measures are in place for Special Needs Children. How loud it is (his sensory system could go nto hyperdrive if its too loud), how smelly it is (if there are food carts the smell will make him irritable), will they have food that he will eat or will we have to exit the park to find him food and come back to find all the handicap spots taken (which will mean immediate meltdown...). It's all uncertain. I need some St. John's Wort, and some prayers! HELP!

Scary Buddies

I hope you can open this image...ugh, I don't know why this new glitch. I am not "mucking" with it. Was it Tracy who said I had to just paste and leave it alone? I think so. If it was you T, I swear, I'm not mucking with it! LOL!

This was my first time using metallic fabrics. Being into Primitives I can think of a hundred reasons why NOT to use metallics but this quilt has just little bits of background peeking out and I thought that with the stars in the borders and all the button stars this would be a great way to make the little background that we do see, POP! The fabric I used in the border is from Meme's Quilts, I just love that print.

The ghosts are wool felt, the bats are flannel, along with the tie dye bow ties. The buttons are all handmade, polymer clay buttons from Just Another Button Company. They are sooo cute. They are not cheap but they are worth every penny. Honestly, they look like candy when you see them...and they are sooo tiny. The first time I saw them I though, "How'd they do that?" Amazing!

I don't have any patterns left but I have a kit available. Only one though, it has the same exact "everything" as mine.

The one pictured is the one I made and it has left the Pumpkin Patch to live out its retirement in an Investment Office cubicle, in TX... where it can be a gentle reminder to the cubicle occupant to hurry home because the Trick or Treaters are coming! =) Well, someone has to hand out the candy...did you really think the honor system would work with a bowl full of chocolate? Hello?!

Moving On!

When I tell people that I am still dealing with the Flood issues I feel as if it no one really understands how this crap that happend way back in APRIL, could possibly be dragging on into September! Well , it just has...it's like a recurring nightmare! But today this happened: Yes, the Pod that was housing what little could be salvaged from the flood was hauled away. I am sooo grateful not to have that reminder staring at me every time I look out the window. It looks small in the picture but trust me, that thing was huge. The truck is humungus so the Pod looks tiny but that was no tiny container! I am so ready to put this behind me. Just some insurance forms to fill and then I am moving on. I am so ready! =)

Fall Mini Quilt

Isn't this the cutest little quilt? I love it? It's one of my first quilts too. I think it was my first venture into wool on quilts. All the applique is wool and wool felt. The little tag comes with the pattern and of course, I love the tag so I stitched it on there too (my idea of embellishing, mind you, hee-hee).

I kit this one up in flannels but I do like it in wool too. Mine is also on display all year long...you can't really see it but it's here, right above the little sunflower quilt on the left...

Oh, you just all need to come over for Show and Tell! Wouldn't that be fun??? YIKES! I think it would be awesome. HMMMM....can we do that???? Do you live within driving distance of Nashua, NH???

Ever have one of those DUH moments?

Remember when I changed my settings to monitor comments? Then I changed them back? OK, so that was a while ago but you know me, I'm a genius! LOL! SO today I decided to try to find out why the dashboard reads "17 comments waiting for ..." ; I'm thinking, "What comments?", but I just ignore the thing and write my post. But today I said, "That's enough already!" and I went and did the techie (sp?) thing and wouldn't you know it, there were 17 comments in Limbo Land. Oh, man. I had to give myself a "DUH!"...y'know, sometimes even I overestimate my technical skills. Good thing I changed it back or I would have thought I was all alone and no one cared, LOL!

Crow's Autumn Frost Kit

Isn't this the cutest pumpkin? I just love this one. It reminds me

of the boxes of Sugar Pumpkins at the Walmart Superstore. The pumpkins are always so small and so darn cute. I don't bake and I never leave without buying at least one.

I acually have a Longaberger Candle holder on each windowsill and in the midle I have a charming light with a flicker bulb and come Fall, I put two pumpkins where the side candles would go. Just two of the many places where those little pumpkins are displayed in my home. The pumpkins stay there until they die...usually in the Spring. I do have pumpkin ornaments on my Christmas Tree so they blend in very nicely, thankyouverymuch! LOL!

I have this little quilt on display in the Pumpkin Patch. If you look closely you can see it here. it truly is one of my favorite little quilts.
I had two kits in my upload pile and put them on the site last night. All the applique fabrics are flannels. the background and all other fabrics are flat cottons. Oh, and the tag comes with the pattern; I liked it so much I put it on my quilt. =)