It's my birthday!!!

I've spent a good deal of time this morning editing and posting pictures for the blog.  Now I have over one week's worth sitting there waiting for some amazing stories for you to enjoy!

Today's post got a few of the leftover things! 

First off - yes - it's my birthday. Yeah me!  Already had yummy cake with the other birthday people at work.  Happy Birthday to Aunt Yvonne who shares the same birthday as me or should I say that I share the same birthday as her!  Not planning to do anything special today, but on this date, I always reflect back on the few birthdays that I remember. My 13th - don't ask me why I remember that one. The birthday I spent at a company event in Arizona years ago and the couple of birthdays I celebrated on cycle trips and had cake with the group. The rest of them?  Nope - I don't remember them!  I'm not a big birthday celebrator and that's OK. 

The girls have been to the dog park - talk about excited. You would think they have won the lottery and were going to have unlimited kibble for the rest of their lives. Don't even think about missing a dog park date!

While I was away on vacation, I took a few small embroidery projects with me and I finished TWO of them. This one has some vines around the base of the bird house and then since I was on a roll, I did a buttonhole stitch around all the appliques. All that it needs now is a bit of quilting to hold it together and it's done!

Embroidery project - DONE!

 It appears that I did NOT take a picture of the second project so will make that happen later today. I had one more project with me and I had used blue wash out marker to mark the embroidery lines.  NEVER use blue wash out marker unless you plan to do the project within a couple of months.  The lines will disappear over time because of humidity in the air. While I was at my parents, I washed all the blue away and remarked the lines with a Frixion pen (the ONLY time I will use one of those), but at least the lines will stay on.  I'm going to try and keep that block with me so when I have some down town, I can do some embroidery.  

It's funny because we used to have a LOT of down time in the past. A LOT of down time and I like to read so I would always take those moments to read a book or a magazine. Smart phones have killed a lot of that dead time!!!   But I still get my reading in!   I found a book on my shelf about TRUE MURDER stories in Canada. While the subject matter is gory, it's interesting to read. Go figure!

I couldn't help myself with this next item.  Just shoot me as it appears I have a disease. When I was in Saskatchewan, I found this tractor fabric and I bought some. ACK!  I don't need any more tractor fabric, but this jumped into my bag before I could say NO!

More tractor fabric

I'm not sure how much I have sitting there, but it's time to do something with it and say goodbye forever to tractor fabric!!!

I also found this little gem when I was out with Ronda and Laura when we went Row by Rowing in the US weeks ago.  It's a cute little homemade ironing board.  With Debra Gabel's fabric on it.  It's super cute and I was using it for my paper piecing the other day. Of course, I used a protective cloth (as I always do when paper piecing!)

Little ironing board

Well, it's going to be an exciting week (I hope) and lots to share with you including upcoming classes that I'm teaching so be sure to stay tuned for that and I hope to have a HUGE surprise for tomorrow.

On that note, I'm out of here!  And if it's your birthday today as well - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!


And if you've been missing the adventures of Lexi and Murphy, I do believe Miss Lexi posted something this morning.