Break the Cycle

It's been awhile since I had something new on my design wall/table. Each Monday - Judy from Patchwork Times hosts a Design Wall Monday - check out all the other design walls - inspirational. This weekend I worked on a Bento Block swap that I'm doing with my cyber friends. We are doing it in 2 different colorways - one is pink and brown, the other blue and brown. I finished 7 of the pink and brown before I ran out of the pink I was using, so while searching for another pink - it hit me that there was an easier way to do these blocks then by cutting them out one by one. One couldn't I make a cottage block - and cut it in 4's? Took a little math to figure out what size the first cuts should be - but I figured it out - and ended up with 8 inch mini-blocks which can be put together for 15.5 inch blocks, which will finish at 15" - just what I wanted! Anyway - here is the first blocks And here is how I cut my second set of blocks which was much easier - From the pi...

The first week of Ramadan is always the hardest for me. I know going in it's going to be 30 days of no eating/drinking during the daylight hours. I know going in that since it's getting closer and closer to the summer months - the days of fasting are going to be longer. I know going in that the nights will be long and the kids will be grumpy from lack of sleep. BUT, after that first week - I start looking forward to each day - spending more time then usual with friends and family. I do really, really miss my coffee each day. Usually I can get through about 2 pots of coffee in a day - now I get maybe one cup in. Sometimes a second late at night when we eat - but then you know what that does to my sleep patterns ??? SO - what do I do between the hours of 5 and 8 a.m. or so when the kids get up again for the second time? Find some great online deals. Some of the ones I recently came up with was an order for Vitamuffins (my normal, everyday breakfast), a Tom-Tom GPS for d...

After a great swim at Penn State, we decided to camp on the way home, breaking that 5 hour drive up into 2 sections. We stopped at a wonderful campground - Spring Gulch. Now - we've been backyard camping all summer - but with a toilet within 20 feet, and a full kitchen for meals - well, some would say we weren't really camping. This weekend, however, check out our tent - no bathrooms nearby ! Of course, upon closer investigations you will see 2 queen size blow up beds .... roughing it does have it's limits when you're over 40 ;) Even though the campground itself offered lots of activies for the kids, we went over to Kitchen Kettle - simply because I love the place ! Of course, the kids didn't allow me to quilt shop AT ALL - and that's just WRONG ! We did meet a very friendly llama who was quite insistent to be fed - We also took the touristy horse and buggy ride (they let Adam sit up front with the driver !) and then let Adam take a spin on a pony - It was ...

We're back ! DD #2 had a wonderful swim meeet - she dropped 2 seconds in her 100, which at that level is a very fine job ! Well worth the 5 hour drive ! So Leenah - I'm very proud of you ! We also spent some time showing dd #1 the beautiful campus at Penn State - they had their photo taken with the most winningest coach in football - Of of course, we had to visit the Lion's Lair - But I think my most favorite moment of the trip was when I caught this photo - this doesn't ever, ever, ever happen .... More photos tomorrow of our trip to Amish country and our first time "really camping"

Time for one last swim meet to end out summer. I can't say enough how proud I am of dd#2. She has tried so very hard to do her best this past year, and even though she didn't get any top spots when she went to Junior Olympics - she used the experience and enjoyed herself, and will use all of what she learned next time! This coming meet she does not swim with her team - she'll be representing the Mid-Atlantic states - and the best swimmers all swim together as one giant team. She's excited, and I'm taking her siblings along with us to cheer her on! We're going camping too - another adventure - better charge the cameras!

If you scroll down (maybe last week?) - Hungry Girl posted a recipe that combined Corn Muffins and Hot Dogs - I saved it - cause it looked like ingredients I already had in my cupboards. Today - the hotdogs were calling my name. Of course, I didn't have corn meal - I had Jiffy Cornmuffin mix ... so I dumped 2 boxes, a couple eggs, a couple bananas that were going bad (they were slated for banana bread - that may happen tomorrow with the rest of the bananans) and threw the entire mix into the muffin tins. 16 minutes later - pretty decent tasting muffins. Of course, probably not as healthy as the Hungry Girl ones - but quick and easy !

This was my year of hanging tomatoes. I wasn't going to spend $20 on one of those green cylinders you see hanging on everyone's porch - so I made my own. Using regular pots, I asked dh to drill a 5" hole in the bottom, planted my tomatoes, and viola. Of course, if I put them on the porch - where to put my hanging flower baskets? And it would bring bees too close to my house for me - so dh constructed a "hanger" for them this year - next year it'll look more professional - I'll do it myself LOL And the good part - I can use the top of the pots for growing herbs - something you couldn't do in those "green" hanging planters - check out my basil - Of course, with all the rain the basil's been growing like crazy - so I can just pop it out of the pot tops (say that 5 times fast) and put it in a "bucket" (that's dh's idea of "farming" - we call him the bucket man .... OK - today's funny story - you'll not...

I haven't purchased a new car since right before I met my darling spouse. When we met, I was driving a brand new Nissan Pathfinder. I loved it. But, the children came along, and when the Pathfinder went - along came Bessie ( a 95 Suburban which had 50K miles on her when we bought her). Bessie has served me well, and still does. If I need a vehicle to take me, my 4 dc, and all our beach stuff for a day lazing near the water - I take Bessie - she never minds the sand. But - some of our swim meets are up to 2 hours away. I usually only take 1 or 2 kids when we go. Since the government was giving away money - I decided to take the jump. I can fit all 4 kids in here - but all 6 of us cannot travel together in this - but that rarely happens anyway. We haven't named this new one yet - it'll come eventually - she should get 21 mpg city and 26 highway - so that'll certainly save - whatdaya think?

It's been awhile since I posted my design wall "table" - but when I was doing it - I seemed to find more thyme to sew since I wanted to show progress each week. I've been working still on SIL's quilt - it would go much, much faster if I actually liked the fabric I was working with. Also had to stop and make a baby quilt - top is done - need to scrub the kitchen floor so I can sandwich it and get it quilted and delivered (baby was born last Wednesday). Anyway - thanks Judy at Patchwork Times for inspiring me to post a picture of my "wall" - And since it's the beginning of August - we are back to school - so the design "wall" turns into a school table - note the books which are taking up more than their share of space I keep telling myself "before I know it, they'll all be grown and gone, and I'll have 4 empty bedrooms to spread out in, maybe even own a longarm !" But I'm sure when that time comes, I'll be sad to...

Finally - swim season mostly over - 4 weeks upcoming of lazy days - right? Nope! Silly me, still taking college classes - still not sure why, but I'll get my degree one day and make myself proud. So - current class - Foundations of American Education - not exactly a book I want to dive into. Been planning better meals - stocking the fridge with better foods, eating healthier, feeling better. Now to pass that on to my family. Need to get everyone moving more. Junior Olympics at Penn State was AWESOME. DD had some good swims, and we had a good time together, just the two of us. Probably spent a little too much money on gifts - but its all good. Here's a pic of us at the Lion's Lair Another thing we did - Penn State Creamery - known for the fantastic ice cream - your options are with or without sprinkles (blue and white sprinkles of course) and in a cup or cone. No fancy fruit, fudge or nuts - but no need. The line was always long - but the wait definately worth it. D...