Quilt Size 61 1/2" x 79 1/2"

I think this pattern is from Country Threads.

I've got this one hanging in my hallway downstairs. It was pretty easy to make. Just strips, squares and a few appliqued hearts. I finished it back in '03. O.K. I don't know if I want to give this next information out, but I will. Janet Nelson from the Quilt Coop in Idaho quilted this for me. She is the best machine quilter I know, but I haven't used her for a while now because she has about a 4 month waiting list (last time I checked.) She is amazing. She does beautiful freehand quilting and I love her. She doesn't know me from didly squat (well we did meet up once when she was in Utah to visit her daughter and she so kindly brought my quilt back to me when she was finished) but anyways, I highly reccomend her.

Ugly Quilt

I call this my "Ugly Quilt" because while I was making it, I kept thinking "this is kind of ugly!" I was a little embarrassed about the color choices I used, but I guess when it was finally complete it kind of grew on me and now I think it's not so bad. It was really a fun quilt to make though. Every block is the same construction, but the colors are different in each one. No two blocks are the same. If you look close, you would be surprised at the color combinations, but I guess that's what adds to the whimsy/scrappyness (did I just make up that word? How would you spell that if it was a real word?) of it. I used muted colors, threw in a few pastels, but even the darks are kind of muted. This fits a twin size bed. It was quilted in a swirl pattern by the ladies at The Quilting Cottage in American Fork, UT.

This was a spur of the moment project. Sandy Bonsib was coming to speak at the Utah Valley Quilt Guild (about 250 - 300 members, I think. I haven't been going for the last 6 months or so.) So I decided to do it so I could take it to share in the "show and tell" portion of the meeting. As always I thought, I can just use scraps, but then ended up buying a bunch of fabrics to fill in for colors that I was short on. I hurried to get it done in time, but then realized that I was going to be out of town that month that Sandy Bonsib was going to be there. So it was finished about a month later. It took a couple of months to assemble the top. It was finally complete in March or April of this year.

The pattern for this quilt can be found in Sandy Bonsib's Folk Art Quilts book. She calls her quilt, Color Me Bright. Hers was made to be a baby size quilt. The block name is "friendship block" or "album patch."

Counting my many blessings...

So I've been wanting to make a list of all the things I am thankful for. I don't know how hard or easy this will be, but here goes!

1. I've got a GREAT husband. I was just thinking today - our marriage started out great and keeps getting better!

2. I've got two healthy, smart and energetic kids who are pretty darn amazing. I'm thankful for a sweet, tender-hearted, brilliant little boy who is growing up to be (thankfully) just like his dad. He loves learning, highlighting scriptures and Family Home Evening. I'm also thankful for a spunky, beautiful little girl who keeps me laughing and on my toes! She's our little song-bird, a total girly girl and can't get enough "crafting."

3. I'm thankful to be a mom in general. I remember back before I had Blake, and it took me a few years to get pregnant. I wondered if I could even have kids. I yearned for that experience of childbirth. I'm so thankful that my prayers were answered and in time I was blessed with two AWESOME kids!

4. I'm thankful for two parents who taught me much. They taught me to put 100% into everything I do. They taught me about Jesus Christ. They taught me to serve and to love. They are great examples of working hard and never giving up.

5. I'm thankful for 4 siblings with whom I have great, loving, close relationships with.

6. I'm thankful I have hands to serve with and quilt with:)

7. I'm thankful for my spunky grandma and loving grandpa who I've come to know well in my adult years. They are wonderful examples of loving unconditionally, working hard, not complaining, staying healthy, serving always - the list could go on.

8. I'm thankful for a husband who takes me as I am. Never makes me feel bad about my faults. He helps me grow spiritually and he's the best darn dad there ever could be. He's completely selfless and I love him.

9. I'm thankful to have a nice home, in a nice neighborhood with friendly neighbors (everyone knows everyone). The mountains are in my front yard. It's a wonderful place to live.

10. I'm thankful to be an American. Thankful to have freedom to choose, freedom to express oneself. Thankful for the conveniences we have.

11. I'm thankful for the service men and women who help to protect our country.

12. Although I didn't vote for Obama, I am thankful that we have made great strides in our country and have elected the first Black President. I think that is a good thing.

13. I am grateful to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I'm thankful to have a living prophet to guide me in my life. I'm thankful for the freedom of religion I enjoy and for those who helped fight for that freedom.

14. I'm thankful for a Father in heaven who I know listens to my prayers and answers them in his own time and way.

15. I'm thankful for scriptures that help me to learn of my Savior and teach me the things I should do. I'm thankful for the peace I receive through prayer, reading scriptures and attending church. I'm thankful that I can make mistakes and that I can also be forgiven.

16. On the lighter side, I'm thankful for a refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer (to do several loads of laundry with per week), indoor plumbing, electricity, a garage, heater and a/c and cars.

17. I'm thankful to live in a place where I get to enjoy each season to it's fullest. Winter is definately Winter here - snow piled up to the mailbox's . Fall is full of crisp, cool days with reds, oranges and yellows all around. Spring is wonderful and Summer is so dang hot, it's pool time all season long.

18. I'm thankful for wonderful friends and examples in my life. I'm thankful to have found that once-in-a-lifetime kind of friend. She's practically a sister. You know that person? The one you have so much in common with, tell everything to, do everything together, would do anything for. It's a priceless gift to have found that kind of friend and it doesn't happen very often. I'm thankful that I know what that is and have felt that kind of friendship. It does something to your heart to have a friend like that. You know who you are:)

19. I'm thankful for digital cameras and scrapbooking.

20. Homemade bread, cookies, chocolate, rice krispie treats, etc., etc.

21. Fabric stores and my sewing machine (which is hands down the best material gift I've ever been given.)

22. I'm thankful for airplains and sometimes road trips.

23. I'm thankful for birth control and sometimes not.

24. I'm thankful for the good and the bad. Thankful to beable to make choices.

25. Thankful that I didn't stay at Ricks College and came to Provo and met Ryan.

It's all good and I'm thankful to have been pondering this topic for the last few days! So... What are you thankful for?

Free quilt giveaway

A fun giveaway is happening on Camille Roskelley's "Simplify" blog. Just click here to leave a comment on her blog and you could be entered into the contest. If you win she will either let you choose one of her Thimble Blossom patterns and she will make a quilt for you, or, you can get the kit and make it yourself! Fun! You should check it out!

Utah - The best snow on earth!

I think that's what they say anyways. Well, I am not a skier, but I couldn't believe it when last week I woke up to this beautiful blanket of fresh white snow. It snowed almost all day. I have grown to love the snow since I moved from the wet Northwest to the dry state of Utah about 11 years ago. It is so festive and gets me in the mood for the holidays. Now, it wouldn't be Christmas without it!

Here are Blake and Maya before heading off to school that morning. Hey, didn't school get cancelled back in the day when we had this much snow? Oh, those "Snow Days" were some good times though...

Later that night - sledding! Well, it wasn't suppose to happen at night, but by the time I had a free minute to fulfill the promise I made to them to go, it was 5:30 p.m. Hence the moon. My kids were loving it. They were going down backwards and flying off jumps. I even tried to go off a jump too - but that wasn't a good experience. I was the biggest baby of us all. Complaining to myself about the cold and secretly wanting to go home. I was tempted to just wait for them in the car, but didn't want to miss out on the family time. Luckily the hill was just down the street from us, so making the quick outing was not too big of an ordeal. Then when we went back to the house, we finished off the night with a little hot cocoa and (for some reason) the kids pulled out twister and tried to play it with just themselves. Fun times!

I hope this gets you in the mood for Christmas. It's just around the corner you know!

Rumaki

I got this appetizer recipe from my friend Lisa Marriott. Carol: you asked for it, you got it! So here it is:

Rumaki
1 pkg. bacon
2 - 3 cans whole water chestnuts (cut large chestnuts in half)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 c. red chili sauce

Cut each strip of bacon into thirds. Wrap each water chestnut with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Mix together brown sugar, mayo & chili sauce; pour over bacon. Bake in a 9x13 pan at 350 for 30 minutes. Then drain most of the sauce off and bake for another 30 minutes. Yum!