Valentine's of Yesterday...

Valentine's Day is very different from what it used to be, for me. Heck, every day is different from what it used to be. Kids just do that. It isn't a bad thing. It isn't horrible. It just is. I saw a couple today walking through the store hand in hand. They were young and, I'm assuming, college age. It took me back to when Rick and I were first dating. I remember those days so fondly. We met in college. We would walk around the store hand in hand, all sorts of lovey dovey. Our Valentine's Days were surrounded with as much sappy sweetness as expected. Flowers, chocolates, love songs, slow dances, and on and on and on.

And while those feelings are just as strong now, as they were then, we just don't have the time to display them like we did. *If* we are in a store together, there are usually two small children with us. Instead of walking hand in hand, one of us is attempting to control the children and the other is trying to quickly throw things into a cart and get us the heck out the store, ASAP! There is no more wandering around, gazing deeply into each other's eyes, and dreaming of the day we are married with kids. That day has arrived like a thousand galloping horses!

And while it never quite turns out just like you expect, I have to say Rick and I ended up pretty lucky.

We have this sweet boy who just smiles non-stop:

This incredibly talented little girl is going to do a kick ass job decorating my nursing home room, when I'm old:



Sometimes I feel bad that Rick and I aren't still those two college kids anymore. I definitely long for the pre-kids Saturdays, where we slept in, laid in bed til noon and watched way too much MTV Room Raiders.

Friday night is our date night. Maybe I can find some Room Raiders on DVD or something and we can recreate those Saturday mornings....

NAH! I'm not turning down a kid free meal for lazy bed time.

I did get these beauties this morning:


The colors are perfect. I love purples mashed with yellow and orange. They are quilt inspiring.

And Emma and I turned this:



into this:



We used a Tasty Kitchen recipe. You can check it out here. I used semi sweet/white chocolate swirl chips and coconut creme pudding. And I refuse to admit how much has been eaten.

My Valentine's Day definitely are not the Valentine's Day of yesteryear. And I couldn't be happier about it.

Namaste
~SLBY

Bunnies and Trees

Good evening!

I wanted to stop by and leave a few pictures. In addition to quilting and baking, I have a sick husband. A sick husband that has to go back to work tomorrow night. I'm bummed, he's bummed and the children were full of tantrums tonight.

Since this is a quilting blog, I will start with a Giving Tree teaser...

I did this odd lighting and angle because I wanted the gold flecks in the material to shine. And I'm not too good at photography. I love working on this quilt. It is very similar to the quilt I made, while pregnant with my son, for my son. It stirs all sorts of happy pregnancy emotions up for me. Plus, I eat chocolate for two while working on it.

The quilt is based on a Super 9 block with appliqued trees and birds. I SITD and FMQ for this particular quilt. I have already gotten my SITDing done and hope to get the free motion done tomorrow. I haven't picked out a binding yet. I love making binding. It is so freeing to break loose from premade binding. If I have a chance, I will take you all through making your own continuous bias binding and how to finish it off, perfectly.

This quilt is backed in one of my favorite fabrics of all time. Oddly enough, I got it at Ikea. You will have to wait for those pictures, when the quilt is finished.

Besides caring for the sick and quilting, I did a little baking....

At the request of Emma, I made 18 bunny cupcakes for her school birthday celebration. Her birthday is over the summer but the school encourages celebrating summer birthdays at some other time, during the school year. I love seeing what I can create with a little cake and frosting, so there is no request I haven't tackled. For her 4th birthday, I did a 3 tier, 3-D Lightening McQueen. I have no clue how I am going to top that this year. YIKES! I have to admit, it is so much fun. I get to pretend for a moment that I am Cake Boss.

Here is my first attempt to get a picture of her with her cupcakes:

Here is my 10th attempt:

And I must say, the two less than pretty cupcakes tasted great!


Two last things, Joann shoppers and iPhone users there is now a Joann's app!! I had noticed that I didn't receive any in store coupons via email in a month. Last week, I received an email that there was an app and the app has COUPONS!! I tested it out earlier this week and my purchase went smoothly. I used a circular coupon and phone coupon with no problem.

Right now, Joann's is having their winter sale. I made out like a bandit earlier this week and plan on going again this weekend.

Get to shopping!!

Namaste
~SLBY