Slightly longer video

Finally got it to upload to Blogger! The smile at the beginning of this video is worth the wait. She is growing so fast. The first two days were absolutely perfect! Thanks, Kerrington, for making me a silly, happy Grandma!

Kerrington and Grama V's second day

Believe it or not, she was just as good today as she was yesterday! Although, I hope she sleeps better tonight for her parents than she did last night. Since Kerrington slept so much for me yesterday, it may have interfered with her sleep last night. So, I tried to keep her awake longer today.
Look at this red hair! And, it even has a little wave to it. Her eyelashes are growing and are red, too.

I tried uploading a longer video, but this was the only one that would cooperate. I'll keep trying.

Wonder if I feel like working on any sewing tonight? I'm not sure. I feel like I need a break from the machine. The denim quilt really took it out of me. I didn't even do any handwork today.

First full day with Grama V.

She was the best baby, ever! Ate when she was supposed to, slept when she was supposed to, dirtied her diaper when supposed to and cooed and smiled the rest of the time. I think she knew that I was a little nervous the first day I had her all to myself.
After her noon bottle, we went over to Big Grampo's house. Dad sure lights up when he sees "Kerri". He even played the harmonica for her. After I fixed him something to eat and Auntie Judy stopped by for her Kerrington hug, we headed back home. Rob got home a little early so I let her finish her third bottle and I went on home.



Once home, I decided to make another batch of the chocolate chip bran muffins I made last night. Everyone seemed to like them well enough, so I had to make more for Jim and Joe. I took the majority of them to Rob and April this morning.

While Kerrington slept, I napped a few minutes, too. Then I mended some scrubs for April and worked on my embroidery and applique. It was just a wonderfull day! Even the overcast sky didn't dampen my bliss. I am looking forward to tomorrow. Yeah, I know, don't expect Kerrington to be so agreeable two days in a row, right? Well, ya never know. I'll report tomorrow night.

Who's got the blues? Not me!

No way! Not today! I am finished with the denim/levi quilt! And, I got to spend quality time with my sweet Kerrington. I'd say it was a great day all around. The first picture is the front of the quilt. Jim is holding it up.

The second picture is the back of the denim quilt. I didn't use any batting between the jeans fabric and the orange flannel. I weighed the quilt after finishing and was amazed that it only weighed 8.5 lbs. Jim thought it would weigh at least 25 lbs! lol He helped hold it while I finished adding the rows and the binding so he knows how heavy it is.
The third picture is a sample of something called "snap happy purse". But, I think I didn't do it right. You use a metal measuring tape but I think I used one that was too small. Ah well, now I know what to do.

So, this was a good Sunday. I didn't go to Dad's first thing, (my brother was there so he took over breakfast duties) but I did go on over after finishing the quilt. Rob, April and Kerrington were there so we decided to fix tacos. Ok, Henry fixed them and they were "muy deliciosos!" While Henry cooked, I fed and changed Kerrington and held her while she slept. It was bliss. April had brought her little niece, Maddie, for a visit so we had our share of babies today. Maddie is so cute.

Dad tolerated us all and I think he actually enjoyed seeing the little girls there. He loves to see "Terri" lol. I was so proud that he always gets Kerrington's name right, and today, he called her "Terri". Ah, well.

I brought tacos home to Jim and got the laundry started. Then I worked on the snap happy bag.

Dad and I go to Lubbock tomorrow. His right leg has healed completely and the left leg is almost there. Speaking of laundry, I need to get it out of the dryer now.

April BOMs

Only 5 more days left in the month of April and I finally finished the stitching on my sets of the April block of the month. If you click on the picture, you'll get a closer look. I still want to applique just the rabbit on a 6" square and I'm still not finished with the March applique.

After work today, I stopped by Dad's to see my brother who is here visiting Dad for the weekend. His wife was at her sister's so I'll see her tomorrow. Rob, April and Kerrington were at Dad's, too. Little K was wide awake and put on a show for all of us. From there, we went back to Rob and April's so my brother was able to see their new house and I got a little review of what I'll need to know to start my new "job" on Tuesday. I can't wait! I'm a little nervous, I have to admit. I think Kerrington and I will do fine and I hope that you, Rob and April, won't worry too much! I feel so blessed to be able to do this for you.

Umm...no, I did NOT work on the denim quilt today. Seems I have to "feel it" to work on it and it didn't happen today. Maybe tomorrow after I get paperwork out of the way. Always something, huh? I must finish it soon because I have a couple things that need doing for clients. They're not rush projects but I still want to get them done ASAP.

It's nearing midnight so I will close for now. By the way, my blood pressure seems to be under control for now. My heart rate seems to be a little more difficult to tame, but I'm working on it.

It's the little things that count

And, are faster to work up! June, if you're reading this, I hope you are happy with the bag I made for you last night. I've run out of bigger pieces of the fabric I used in the first b/w bag, but this one is is just as nice.
I am such a sucker for a well-made tutorial. I wanted to try my hand at making these cute, but very simple, headbands. (I tried posting the link to the tutorial, but kept getting an error. Leave me a comment or email and I'll send you the link to make these little cuties.) I ran into the dollar store yesterday afternoon, just before I had my pedicure, and bought the hair bands to do these. Sometimes a girl just needs a headband to keep things off the face and out of the eyes, ya know?
Especially when it's hot. I made one to wear last night (not in this bunch) and it works well. I got carried away, again, and made several more. I'll pass them out to friends and relatives today.
You might remember a photo album cover I made last week with Kerrington's initial on it. I wasn't really crazy about the embroidered "K" I did, so I fixed up a different one last night. This one is appliqued and the lettering is crudely embroidered by me, by hand. What can I say, it was nearly midnight when I finished! lol
Fine! I'll work on the denim quilt now. Well, when I get home from work. I've put it off long enough. I'm only about two or three nights from finishing it, but I just can't muster up the energy, or strength, to work with it. I'll say it again...it's heavy! Maybe I'll work on the matching pillow...

Time to get ready for work again. I will soon be getting up early to get to Rob and April's before 8 a.m. to take care of baby K. three days a week. Next Monday, I'll take Dad to Lubbock for his wound care checkup then Tuesday and Wednesday will be my first two full days of caring for Kerrington. I can't wait! I hope I'm up to the task. Saturday afternoon I'll go over for a while so I can have my "training session". LOL Just like any other job, I need to know what I'm going to be doing and where everything is so it's imperative that I be shown what's going on. I don't wanna mess things up! Rob and April are doing a great job and I wouldn't want to disrupt K's schedule, unless it's absolutely necessary. Just kidding, April!

Fruitful Sunday

Another day gone by without working on the denim quilt. But, I did get a few things done. The first photo album cover is for April. She asked me to make one for her little album with a "K" on it. I hope she likes it.

The second cover is for my sis-in-law, Shanon. If you're reading this Shanon, you'll be able to pick it up when you guys come for the weekend this week. Can't wait to see you guys!

Here you see the back of the third cover I worked on this weekend. I've been using ribbon and attaching velcro to the back and the ribbon. Makes for a very neat, nice closure.
This one will go to my sweet daughter-in-law, Brenda, full of pictures of her new little niece, Kerrington.
These "Runaround Bags" are made for friends. I'm not sure I should mention any names because they might be a surprise and I don't want to ruin that! lol Fun to make and only takes 30 minutes, yes, thirty minutes! to make one purse. The hardest part is deciding on the fabric.



A Dad update....He is doing very well getting around on his motorized chair. My son, Joe, who lives with him, attached wheelchair ramps to the front entrance of the house today. A very big thanks to one of my clients who graciously shared the ramps with us. Joe also rearranged their living room today and there is much more room for Dad to move around in now.

It's time for bed since I've got to get up early to go have some blood drawn. It's time for a check up especially since I've had the dizzy spells and the fact that my blood pressure has been on the rise. I've decided that I MUST change my eating habits and start back exercising. This is ridiculous. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers that my blood tests come back within normal limits. Thank you!

Three fourths of the way done

I was hoping to show you a finished picture of this quilt by now. But, I've put it off since I've not been feeling well. Tonight, I finally connected the first eight rows together. Can you imagine how heavy it is? I knew it would be, but I was actually a little surprised at how much it already weighs and I still need four more rows! Yikes. Jim had to help hold it as it was coming off the sewing machine and that made it easier. I will connect that last four rows and then put them on as one piece onto the rest of the quilt. I will be so glad to bind this thing!

Dizzy Dame

Not much to write about since Easter. Although, I did wake up with quite a bad case of vertigo on Sunday morning and it got progressively worse on Monday and Tuesday. It only hit me when I would put my head on the pillow and then again when I would get up. The room would just spin for about 15 seconds. So, I had Jim take me to the doctor on Monday afternoon because I just knew that I have a sinus and/or ear infection. They gave me an antibiotic and and anti-dizziness 'script. After only one dose of the antibiotic and a couple of the anti-dizzy pills, I woke up this morning with very little spinning. Thank You, Lord! The PA did say she wants me to take my blood pressure twice a day for 5 days then go back to see her on Monday for a full blood workup. I probably need that anyway since I haven't had a checkup in quite a while. My blood pressure was up a bit during the vertigo episodes and I hope that's all it is. I know I need to lose a lot of weight, but just a 10% loss would help a lot. I'm thinking Jim and I need to start walking in the afternoons, too.

Enough of that. Since I've not felt well enough to tackle the denim quilt lately, I've enjoyed working on little projects. Here's another photo album cover I made last night. This one will cover the second set of pictures of baby Kerrington. I'll have at least 3 little albums of her first few months!
Thank you, Pat H. for the wonderful idea for these book covers.

Kerrington's Easter

Four generations.

This is not her Easter outfit. We had to change her clothes when she got to Big Grampo's house 'cause she had a tummy upset in the car. I washed out the very pretty smocked and embroidered dress so she could wear it to Gramille's house for more Easter pictures.

Does this picture just make you want to smile? It's the cutest smile, ever! Mom and dad look pretty cute, too.

I leave you this Easter night with a picture of a wallhanging I'm working on for Miss Kerrington.

Easter

Easter Sunday started out just like any other Sunday. I ran to Dad's and fixed breakfast. On my way home, I thought I'd run into WalMart to get another cake mix and other things for our dinner. I wanted to make another bunny cake for us in honor of Kerrington's first Easter. I decided this one would be a girl rabbit. I even figured out how to make pink coconut. I poured about half a cup of milk in a bowl, added a few drops of red food coloring, stirred well and added about a cup and a half of shredded coconut. I let it soak to pick up the color and it worked great. Squeeze the milk out and sprinkle on the ears. The pink bow was made by adding a few drops of red food coloring to the frosting.

I got home, fixed breakfast, ate, put the cake in the oven then finished the photo album cover I made for Judy. I thought she needed an "Auntie" book to show off pictures of Kerrington. I thought it made a nice Easter gift.
Do you recognize the face in this helmet? Yup, that's Dad wearing Joe's motorcycle helmet. Yes, Joe bought a motorcycle but that's a story for another day. We caught Dad fooling around with Joe's helmet and couldn't resist a Kodak moment.


I don't have pictures of Kerrington to show you yet, but as soon as Judy and/or Rob send me some, I'll post an Easter picture. She looked absolutely beautiful in her Easter dress. Unfortunately, she had a little stomach trouble in the car on the way to "Big Grampo's" and we had to change her clothes. I was able to wash the beautiful little smocked and embroidered dress so it would dry and she'd be able to wear it tonight at her other Grama's house. They're taking more pictures with an Easter theme.

Easter weekend

Since I work Saturdays, my Easter weekend really doesn't start until tomorrow. I tried to talk Dad into going to church with me tomorrow, but he still hesitates. He is sure getting around the house easier with his motorized chair. Although, he had a little fender bender yesterday in the bedroom. He was backing the chair into the room and it got hung up on the piece of frame that was sticking out from under the bed. Just yesterday we had discussed the fact that we really needed to do something with that frame. Anyway, he knocked the mattress and box spring clean off the risers the bed was sitting on. Never a dull moment around that house.

I am still working on the denim quilt. I am almost 3/4 of the way done. It takes all my energy to work on this now since it's getting so big and heavy. So, I always need a small project or two to break the monotony of a large project. Remember the photo album cover a friend sent me for my birthday? I finally dove into the process and made one of my own to give as a gift.

Me, bake?

Yes! Believe it or don't, I spent the evening making this bunny cake. We're having a belated birthday dinner at work tomorrow and I thought I'd take something other than deviled eggs. A long time ago, I used to make a cute little puppy cake. I made it for the boys on their birthday a time or two. They probably don't remember that. Anyway, I thought a bunny cake would be nice to take in honor of Easter.

Last night I made these three little kitchen towel dresses. Aren't they Spring-y looking? If no one decides they can't live without them, I'll have some nice little gifties.

This was the first one I made. Judy suggested I make these up for Easter so she got the first one. She threw in the fabric for the top of the dress.

While the cake was baking, Jim helped me move my Janome into the dining room and my Bernina back into the sewing room. I need more room to work on the denim quilt and the dining room table affords me just that. I put another row on tonight so you could say that about a third of the quilt is finished. It's getting awfully heavy already. But, it's going to be a great quilt, even if I do say so myself! lol

On a somber note, we learned last night that another one of my mom's brothers passed away. He'd had a heart attack the day before and just didn't come out of it. I think he was in his 80's, maybe early 90's. His wife is also very ill with pneumonia so the family has their hands full. Please pray for them.

A few more gifts

Estee Lauder's White Linen powder and lotion! Yaayy!! I have been out of lotion for several months now so I am so glad Jim decided to give me a belated birthday gift. Thanks, honey!
You are looking at a t-shirt given to me by my good, if not best, friend, Leota. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the shop after hours on Saturday to see this folded on my chair. It takes a lot to choke me up, but this nearly did it. I felt so special to know that she went to so much trouble to have this made for me. What a thoughtful gift. Thanks, Leota!

This blurry picture is what arrived in the mail for me today. My Spring Swap partner is Deb in New Zealand. The picture below shows what was in the packages. I am so excited to be the recipient of Deb's beautiful hand stitched projects.
She was also thoughtful enough to include two pair of little socks for Kerrington and a book for me to read to her. She also sent a copy of a New Zealand Quilter magazine. It's so new, it's still in it's plastic wrapping! I have the wallhanging on the wall directly above my dove thread holder. I love everything she sent, but the wallhanging is my favorite with it's pretty little heart hanger.

All of this, except for the t-shirt, was waiting for me when I got back from Lubbock with Dad. His appointment went well. They think his wounds should clear up completely in about 4 weeks. Please pray that is so. Even sooner would be better, but I don't want to be greedy. The trip was nice...no wind! Thank You, Lord.

Time to take out the contacts and work a bit on the denim quilt. I'm sewing the rows together so it's getting harder to work with. It looks great, though!

Dad's new wheels and other things

You can't really see the wheels on Dad's chair, but here he is sitting in it. I made him a little caddy to hang on the arm of the chair to hold the phone and other little things he needs to carry with him.

He has his glasses on in this picture. He looks much better and more like himself when he wears them. He's tired tonight since he's been spending a lot more time sitting up that he used to. But, he's getting around the house so much easier that I think he's enjoying not spending his time in bed.

Check out these basketball shoes!
They're tiny although you can't really tell that in the picture. One of my clients brought them to me for Kerrington. Thanks, Terri!

The beautiful flower arrangement was sent to me for my birthday from my brother, Henry and his wife, Shanon. The picture does not do the flowers justice. They are absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for thinking of me, guys! Love ya!

April BOM

Here it is. Good thing these are simple. I can hang it at work tomorrow. I would still like to add a butterfly in the white space above the rabbit. I'll embroider the others I will make.

I've spent the rest of the evening getting my Spring Swap items ready to mail. I hope to get it in the mail by tomorrow or Saturday. It's going to...oops, I can't say yet!

Jim took me to dinner at Applebees tonight. It's always nice when we can get out together. We ran some errands before we ate to take care of income tax preparation. We'll get that in the mail soon, too. Thanks for dinner, honey!

Time for bed. I would've liked to have prepared the other bunny embroideries tonight, but that will have to wait. Oh, Dad is lovin' his power chair! I forgot to take my camera today, but I will remember tomorrow.

The day after...

I have to say, it was a different way to spend my birthday. But, I loved every minute of it. The trip to Lubbock went well, except for the fact that Rob didn't get his prescribed steroid shot because of insurance delays. He'll have to go back to Lubbock as soon as that's taken care of. Again, pop on over to April and Rob's blog to read more on his condition. I'm so sorry, sweetie, that you didn't get any relief from your pain yesterday. Hang in there.

Take a look at this cute little set.
One of my favorite clients (I have many :-)gave me a birthday gift last week and I told her I would wait until my birthday to open it. As I was getting ready for bed last night, I realized I had not opened the gift bag. Isn't it the most exquisite looking little tea set? I love it! Thank you, Helen.

I received many, many phone calls and texts yesterday. Thank you to all of you who thought of me on April 1st.

I went to dinner with Joe and Judy. We went to Red Lobster. Jim would've gone, but I had brought him a hamburger when I came home thinking he probably had not eaten since breakfast (I know you, Honey) and he'd been over to get Dad's lunch since I was out of town. So, I blew that one. In the beautiful card he had for me he had included a little note inviting me to dinner. I won't tell you where I found it. Suffice it to say that I almost went to dinner without finding it until I went in to "freshen up". He can think of the most unusual places to leave cards and little gifties. Thanks, Honey. Maybe we can go to dinner tonight? hmmm??

I was so sad to read in April's blog that her grandmother did not get a good prognosis. Dorothy, you will be in my thoughts and prayers in the days and weeks to come.

Along with sadness, there's always a little sunshine. One of April's friends, Erin, found out yesterday that they are expecting a little girl! How exciting for them! I don't know Erin personally, but I have had the pleasure of meeting her mom and dad and they are fantastic people. I am so happy for them all.

It's almost 7:30 this morning. The new BOM is out and I think I'll prepare it for stitching. I like to hang a new month's wallhanging as soon as possible. If I'm lucky, I can get it finished tonight and hang it tomorrow.

My collection of goodies for my spring swap partner is nearly all together. A few more little things to add and it will be mailed tomorrow. Plus, I've got a box of Easter goodies to send to my number one granddaughter, Brittany. Thank you, Leota for making that box even heavier! lol

Last, but not least, Dad is "hell on wheels!" now! LOL Just kidding. But, he did get his motorized chair yesterday. He thinks he will need to practice a little more, getting in and out of doorways, but all in all, he loves that thing. I'll get some pictures of him on his new toy to let ya'll see.

Have a good day, everyone!