Third Blogoversary Giveaway!!! And It Must Have Been Fate!!

Actually tomorrow is my true 3rd Blogoversary, but why not start the celebration early, right?  I can't believe that I have been blogging three years, have 600 followers, been enabled by all of you so much (my husband definitely doesn't thank you!), and met so many wonderful people (some of them in person).  It truly has been a great three years!   So I think that it's time for a giveaway, don't you?   But first a little bit of other things and if you don't want to read about that, then scroll down to the frog!  Otherwise, here's what's been happening this week.

Actually a ton of things have been going on, but if I wrote about them, we'd be here all day.  Some of them happened during the summer when I was such a slacker in posting and commenting, so I'll slowly get to those over time.  Will give me something to talk about when my life if I don't get as much done now as I hope.

After stitching more on Ann Hall, I switched gears for a little bit and worked on Mary Allen as I'm suppose to be working on this with Loraine.  As much as I love, love this piece, she hasn't been fun to work on probably due to my fabric choice, so I've picked it up here and there and this is where I am to date:

Before:

As of today:

Certainly not stellar progress, but at least it's a little bit.  I should have been much further than this by the end of August, but that month was pretty much a bust as far as me getting a lot of stitching done, so I'm hoping to have my August installment done by the end of September.  The good part is coming with some of the center portion.  I can't wait to get to that.

Now, do you believe in fate?  Well, I do and I'm becoming more of a believer the older I get.  Remember this sewing machine that I bought?

It's a vintage Singer 301A sewing machine!  And thanks to Cyndi this baby became mine.  Seems that Cyndi just loves vintage sewing machines and she had more than she needed (and is probably adding more as we speak, right Cyndi?  LOL).  Anyway, I bought this from Cyndi and it sews like an absolute dream - the most beautiful stitches I've ever seen and it's in what appears to be in a case original to the machine.  Only problem is that I didn't have a table for this baby and I hate just sitting a machine on a table and trying to sew - it doesn't work.  This is where the fate comes in.  My baby, affectionately named Samatha (actually Cyndi named the machine and to prevent the poor machine from being confused I kept the name) has a new home!!

Isn't it a beautiful table?  It's gorgeous - in just the most beautiful shape!!  But wait - that machine isn't Samatha!  What's going on here?  Samatha is two toned!!!

Gosh, are you seeing double?  No, you're not.  Samantha is now residing in her new home and Rebecca is sitting next to her.  Seems that I've acquired ANOTHER machine.  And this is where fate comes in.

One day I was contemplating how I would find a table for Samantha.  I really wanted to start using her, but it didn't feel right sewing on her if she was sitting on a table and not in one.  Craig's List didn't have any for sale and who knew how many garage sales, estate sales, etc., I would have to go to in order to find one.  Then the light bulb went off (it doesn't happen much, believe me), and it dawned on me that Terri, lover of all things antiquey and estate saley might come across one in her travels.  So I sent her a text asking her if she came across to let me know.  Now I hit my fair share of these sales myself, but Terri gets out to a lot more of them than I do, so her chances were better.

Not a half hour later, Terri is on the phone telling me that she saw one at a sale she just left and has to go back later, it was a beautiful table and did I want it?  Well, yes I do, but there is a slight caveat - the table was $120 and included a machine.  I didn't need another machine.  And I didn't want to pay that price.  Well, she went back to the sale later and called me again and told me that the table was in really good shape and the sewing machine looked to be as well, AND, the price had come down to $70.00.  Well, much better, but I was still hemming and hawing about the machine.  While I'm trying to make up my indecisive mind, the person lowered the price another $10, so now it's $60 for both.  After the briefest of hesitation, I told her SOLD!  I figure $30 for the table (bargain as it's so beautiful) and $30 for the machine (that I didn't have a clue as to what I'd do with it).  And I'm so glad that I told her yes!!!  The table is beautiful, and so is the other machine, now known as Rebecca, although she's in need of a little TLC from my friendly sewing machine repairman.  But what to do with her?  Sell her, put her in a corner??  What??

Well, that problem has worked itself out.  DD has wanted to learn how to sew so problem solved.  She will have her own vintage sewing machine - one made very well and hopefully will last her for a long time.  Now.......I need another table!  Oh Terri, can you find me another one?  Please???  Preferably without another machine this time!  LOL  I can't believe that it happened the way it did!  Thank you Terri!!!

Now the frog!  Cute little guy, isn't he?  But this isn't the frog that I'm giving away in celebration of my third blogoversary.  This is the frog:

And along with the frog, I'll include a pair of Gingher Alicia scissors:

I heard mention that these are limited edition.  I thought they all were limited edition as they seem to come out and are gone before you know it.  I know that Gingher planned to have another pair come out next month, so these were a totally unexpected find at Joanne's.  And they can be yours, along with the frog and I may have a few other goodies to throw into the mix (undetermined at this point).  So to win, just be a follower and tell me what project you're working on right now!  That's it.  Very simple.  I'll draw for the winner on Wednesday, September 14th!!

So that's it for me except that, as much as I love having the kids home during the summer, Tuesday marks the beginning of Happy Dance time for me!  DD will be back in school and I'll be able to get back to sewing and doing all the things I love.  And a lot of catching up.  Seems that during the wild summer that we've had around here, my craft room looks like a hurricane went through it.  In spending one day down there I realized that I have way too much stuff and it's time to get rid of some of it, so in a week or two I'm going to set up a sale blog and off some of this stuff.  Some you will laugh at some of the things (they're pretty old charts) and probably not want to touch any of them with a ten foot pole, but someone may want it.  You know, one man's trash is another man's treasure.  If no one wants some of what I post - at least the charts - my local library will be happy to have them for their book sales.  Might as well help out the community right?  So in a couple weeks I hope to have a sale blog up and running.

It's really hard to to describe how much I value all the comments and friendships that I've made over the three years of blogging.  Your comments have lifted me up when I've been down, encouraged me when I needed encouraging on a project (like Ann Medd), and made me smile over your posts and I've Ooooh and Aaaah over all your beautiful projects and you've enabled me to no end. I really feel blessed to have "met" so many wonderful people and I hope to hear from you for years to come.

Hope that everyone has a wonderful Labor Day!!

Stress Relief and Framing (Lots of Pics)

It's been another couple crazy weeks around the old homestead - drama, stress, you name it!  But in times like that, I seem to get things done.  Why is that?  There are times when I don't feel like sleeping as my brain is going 100 mph and having your mind focus on something that you enjoy doing really helps you not think about the stress and drama!   So,  I started two new pieces.  Yes, I know that I should continue with the January Challenge, but after knocking out Sarah (and I did want to knock her out, remember - or burn her?), I pulled out two that I've been wanting to stitch.  Not a lot of progress, but some:

Mary Allen Sampler - Samplers Remembered

32 count French Vanilla

NPI Silk Thread

I've been wanting to start this piece for a long time.  I am having a lot of fun with it being on 32 count.  I wanted it to fit into a specific space on a wall so 32 ct. fabric fit the bill.  Finally, after some back and forth about what sampler to stitch together, my dear friend Loraine and I decided to start on it.  We're going for a page of month (think I'll make it - me who never finishes a SAL?).  Loraine and I met last year at the Shepherd's Bush retreat and she has become a very, very dear friend to me.

Then, when I got tired of playing around with words, I started another A&E (always need to have one of those in the fire):

Sun & Moon Sampler - The Scarlett Letter

36 ct. Edinborough Sand

DMC Threads

This one is working up so quickly - except those pesky frogs came again.  The border is a little bit of a PITA as it's in two colors.  Where my needle is - well, I have to "frog" out all of what I already stitched below because it's one stitch off!  AUGHHH!!  But, as I've said before - I can't stitch a small sampler without those frogs coming to visit.

Then for those nights when I couldn't sleep, I did some slicing and dicing (luckily I stopped before I sliced and diced myself with the rotary cutter):

Oh, those little pieces in the Farmer's Wife quilt are going to be the death of me!!!  But, out of the 15 blocks that I needed to cut out so that I was closer to the Grande Finale, I only have two more to go! Woo Hoo!!  Then I can start putting this baby together.  It's been a fun 18 month journey with this quilt, but I think that I'll be doing a happy dance when I'm finally finished.  I still have the sashing to cut out, but the blocks are what takes so long with all the template cutting.

And I managed to pick up some framing and Mr. Tom the Framer didn't disappoint:

Elizabeth Clayton

I was hesitant about this frame, but Framer Tom assured me that I'd love it - and he was right - I do!!  And I also picked up Sarah:

Sarah Esh

I think the frame is perfect!  

So, why all the stress and drama?  Well, I won't bore you with the drama.  And I guess it wasn't really stress - maybe more apprehension.  I was just being a typical mom and realizing that my son is grown up - my first born.  My baby!  Not such a baby anymore.  He graduated from high school with Honors:

The baby picture is one of my favorites because that huge smile (actually looks like a lion roaring to me) is how I have seen him throughout his life.  Always with a big smile and a great sense of humor.  

I'm so proud of this young man!  He has worked so hard, taken so many AP classes (although the AP Bio about killed him), and he never flinched.  Just kept going and never complained even with all the late nights of homework (but teens are definitely used to late nights - right?  Although I think he'd rather have been playing Xbox).   He set goals and achieved them!  And he has barely given me a bit of trouble over all his 17 years (well...there was that one time........LOL).  As you can imagine, it was one of those emotional days seeing him walk across the stage to receive his diploma.  Then not two weeks later, it was time to put him on a plane to Spain:

All of the students seemed so excited to go - and who can blame them?  Me?  I was so anxious for him, but I survived (obviously if I'm writing this!).  It was hard making sure he had everything he needed especially when he assures me that he only needed to take a t-shirt and shorts - oh, and a change of underwear and deordrant.  For two weeks?  I know that men tend to be minimalists, but that was taking it a little far!  First reports from Spain -  the plane ride was way too long and all the buildings in Madrid are so close to each other!  That's all I got out of him - he's a minimalist when he talks too.  He didn't sleep on the plane and had been up for quite a while and he was ready for a shower and to hit the hay.  He's got a busy couple of weeks ahead of him visiting museums and cathedrals and a five day stay with a family there.  Such a chance in a lifetime!  But all of this is just a precursor to be sending him off to college!  I guess it's time for mom to realize that he's not a baby any more!

Well, I think that's all the news that's fit to report today.  With all the ups and downs of the past coulple weeks, I've also had some exciting news, but I'll share that with you next time!  I think I've posted enough today!  Oh, and before I forget - I'm still having some problems with Blogger and commenting and my wireless cutting out.  Now that all the end of the year stuff and getting my son off to Spain is over with, I guess I'll have to hunt down a new wireless. It only happens when I go into blogs, but this router is getting on in years, so it's time.  It's the only thing I can think of that could be causing my issues - beside the occasional Blogger blips that we all seem to be encountering.  So just so that you know, I have been reading, just unable to comment at times.

Hope that everyone has a great week.  And thank you again for all your wonderful comments and emails!!