Some Assembly Required

Secrets secrets

Seriously I don't think I have ever had this many secrets all stopped up inside at one time.  We're having a big Sanderson family (my mother's side) reunion here, in California, starting next week.  As the only family member who actually lives in California -- you guessed it -- I have had the pleasure of planning this event.  And I've got quite a few little things up my sleeve for my prone-to-pranks, fun loving family.  Its so hard not to talk about it just yet.

Then there is another huge "project" I've been working on for months now.  Building momentum and putting things into place.  I think I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and I hope to be able to share it in the next month or so.

And finally, proving that all things happen for a reason, I have yet another secret.  I'll be able to reveal this one very soon, but in the meantime I want to share a tiny something that a little birdie sent my way.  Doesn't this look tempting??  Stay tuned for more news and information soon . . .

Elephants in the house

This project has been waiting in the wings for a few months.  I've raved before about the book Last Minute Patchwork by Joelle Hoverson and I've made several of Joelle's projects here and here.  I got it in my head that I wanted to make the adorable stuffed elephants as Christmas presents for my niece and nephew, so off to the fabric store I went with the boys in tow.  They were immediately in to this project and before long I was no longer making stuffed elephants for their cousins, I was making stuffed elephants for them.  They picked out the fabric for their own elephants and home we came.  There the fabric sat throughout the holiday rush until soon it was forgotten by all of us. 

Fast forward four months to April's spring break.  The bag of elephant fabric was rediscovered and a spring break project was soon underway.  Before long, two whimsical elephants were "born" to two excited boys. 

I enjoyed this project.  I think it would be challenging for a beginner but certainly not impossible.  I did mail order the cotton stuffing recommended in the book and I'm glad I did.  The cotton smells wonderful and gives the elephants a nice weight that a polyfill or even wool would not. 

A fond farewell

I can't believe its been nearly four years since I signed up for a little card kit club called Self-Addressed.  Or that for nearly two years, I've been privileged to be a member of the Self-Addressed Design Team. The endless bounty of Jenn's kits has nurtured my creativity, just as the warm and friendly message board has been a place to nurture friendships.  June is Self-Addressed's last month and I am truly sorry to see it go. I will Jenn and her family all the best as they move on to new adventures in their lives.  Thank you, Jenn and Self-Addressed, for four wonderful years! 

Here are my last designs from the March and April Self-Addressed kits. 

 

 

Hey there

Yeah.  So.  Here I am.  What the heck have I been up to in the past two months?  Way too much for one post, but I will say that life has been a whirlwind here.  My grandmother's funeral.  The end of school.  My ever consuming obsession with photography.  Planning a family reunion.  Yadda yadda yadda. 

I do have a lot to catch up on and I promise that I will be posting often in the coming days and weeks.  In the meantime, here are a few tasty morsels.

A tribute

My Grammy passed away this weekend.  She was 101 and one of the most incredible women I will ever know.  Nothing I could write here could possibly do justice to the long and rich life she had.  She was strong willed, opinionated, feisty and independent her entire life, but only in the best possible way.  She could tell you exactly what she thought about you and your crazy ideas one minute and give you a huge hug the next.  You knew absolutely that she loved you, even when you were being stupid.  She lived in her own apartment and walked down to dinner every single night right up until last week.  She kept her sharp mind (and her sharp tongue) until the very last.  She will be missed very much and we are so thankful that she was with us for so long. 

Here are a few pictures from her 100th birthday party in September of 2006.  If you asked her for her secret to a long and healthy life, she would answer, in all seriousness, her nightly Scotch.  See what she's holding in the first picture?

Spring break

Elements of a vacation-at-home:

sleeping in
pancakes
bare feet
Lego Star Wars
manga
dog park
endless laughter

This one

Mr. Easygoing with the long hair, the big blue eyes and the killer dimple. 

When I opened this photo I could totally see the teenager he is going to be.   

Happy Birthday Dad!

Love you!

Delicious

This is my friend's 10 month-old.  Just wanted to nibble on him!

He rocks

In more ways than I have words to describe.  Thank goodness I have pictures.