My Bestie's Famous...

Well, famous in the quilting world.  But HEY, it's a BIG deal!  Congrats Kim on your first ever Moda Bakeshop post!  I'm sure, with your talent, it won't be your last post for Moda!
Check her out HERE people....

Tuesday Time Out...

This Tuesday Rhonda joined us for our regular Tuesday Time Out!  Kim found a wonderful pattern called Swoon.  Now, while this pattern is beautiful when completed, IT IS A MONSTER to complete!  From the cutting to all of the piecing, this project requires some serious concentration.  Concentration = not one of my best skills.  Well, I got pieces cut to complete 4 blocks in total, but in reality, I only got one sewn!  What I love about this pattern is that it can be done with any fabric combo and look like a completely new block each time.  Thank you ladies for a fun day!  Rhonda brought Starbucks, Kim made muffins, the rain poured down and it was the perfect way to spend a day!
Oh, and fyi....EACH block contains 83 pieces of fabric.  83!!!


First Up...Picking the Fabric (you'd think this would be the easy part.  Not so, my friends)

Cutting and organizing...

The Room was a hummin'...

Rhonda's Block (LOVE her fabric line!):

Kim's Block (LOVE her colour choices and contrast!):

I still smell like garlic...

Well, I posted about this last year, but here we are again!  I reminded/nagged Christa earlier in the summer, that I definitely wanted to make salsa with her again this year.  This weekend we put Saturday aside and made salsa. All. Day.  Phew, it was a long day, but we have lots to show for it!  We each made 35(ish) jars of salsa to show for it!  Christa was on veggie/spice duty, and I was on tomato duty.  It was a 'fruitful' day in many ways.

I almost cried when my hubby brought me 2 huge buckets of plums home yesterday.  Guess I know what I"ll be doing this weekend...

The peelings....

Gone Fishin'...

The kids have been bugging Rob 'forever' to take them fishing.  Rob enjoys fishing, but it was an activity he only did with his Dad, and since his Dad passed away he just hasn't had the heart to do it again. 
A couple of weeks ago it was a Monday evening and Uncle Ken was over.  The kids were bugging him to fish in the pond and he said, 'ok, let's do it'.  So, the boys grabbed the fishing gear out of the storage room and went out to the pond.  They were all shocked when they actually caught a trout!  He was just a little guy, and we put him back in, but the kids were thrilled.  It was fun to sit up on the patio and watch and listen to them having fun together. 

Give her wings and she'll fly...

For Abby's birthday (back in March) her Uncle Ken gave her a gift certificate for a flight with him.  Olivia's been up a couple of times but this was Abby's first time!  Abby was SO excited!  She didn't let Uncle Ken forget.  Every Monday Abby would tell him...'don't forget my flight, Uncle Ken'.  Well, Uncle Ken is pretty cool, and he came through with his promise a few weeks ago.  We took advantage of a beautiful summer day and they took to the skies.  It's always a weird feeling when the kids go up in the plane...I always have this fleeting thought that this is dangerous and risky.  The reality is, Ken is an amazing pilot and we trust him completely.  My fear is purely a 'mommy' thing.
They had a great flight and we took the time to walk aroundt the airport and enjoy the evening.  There are some beautiful old buildings there and I love taking pictures of them.  Here's a few snapshots of the evening:

Fall Market...

Well, I am LONG overdue for a blog post!  The last month really has been a blur of busy-ness around here.  Kids getting back into school routine, me getting back into routine, and me spending hours on end in my sewing room preparing for the Campbell Valley Farmers Market.  I had every hour of every day time budgeted so that I could get everything done!  Because I work 2 days a week, the other days of the week are a balancing act between time with the kids, housework, programs and 'me' time.  The last few weeks have been full of late nights and early mornings. 
I was really happy with the amount of projects I was able to bring to market.  On their own, they wouldn't be enough to fill a booth, but combined with Kim's talents it works just perfect for me. 
Campbell Valley Market is a great venue!  There's lots for the kids to do, and it's really a great community event.  We were entertained with a variety of performers, there were games and kite making for the kids, lots of fresh bread, plant and fruit/veggie vendors, all your favourite fair food, (which I somehow managed to abstain from) and the weather cooperated!  It was a great weekend, and I was able to take home a tidy sum of money for my efforts.
Thank you to all our family and friends for coming out and showing support...it really means a lot!  And, thank you to all of you who purchased our wares. We put a lot of time and effort into our projects and we hope they find a special place in your homes!
Keep watching here for updates on our upcoming Christmas Open Houses!

A few of my projects all ready to go to market...

We were very happy with the way our booth space turned out...although the wind really did try to give us a run for our money!

Happy Birthday Beans...

That's what we call her!  Olivia's nickname has always been 'bean'.  It started out as Livi-Bean, sometimes it's Beanie, and sometimes just plain 'Beans'.  We love this darlin'.  She's a sweetie by nature.  Gentle like her Daddy, quick to love, slow to anger.  She's creative and generous, has a love for magic tricks and crafts.  She's entering that pre-teen phase already.  I see her maturing in so many ways.  She's getting just a 'little' more stubborn;)
Today we celebrate her 11th Birthday.  We're still on holidays, but she's still being celebrated.  Beansie..you're the best!  We luv ya!