Note Card Party

This is my first attempt at joining the Note Card Party hosted on the blog A Haven for Vee. Vee hosts the party on the third Wednesday of every month. Check out the party here: 

I had originally put these pictures in a collage but I decided they would make great post cards. 

Winter Birds

This Week's Project

I have been "re-decorating" our bedroom for over a year now. Yes,  a year. It has been evolving slowly but the time it is taking is paying off. It all started when I wanted to move my daily homschooling area into my room to keep Abi focused a bit better. That involved giving up my double closet to create a reading niche. (Fortunately Abi's room also has two double closets so I took one of those for my clothing) We had an old recliner in the basement so up it came along with a floor lamp and that's as far as I got. Because we left the closet shelf for storage I wanted to make a valance of some sort to hide the "stuff". I just couldn't make up my mind on what to use. A few months ago, I was at a yard sale and saw a bag of valances for $1.00! 

The walls in the room are a light sage green and I've accented with purple (of course) touches. The quilt I have on the bed currently has a cream colored background. The valances have a lace edging that I absolutely love. After a bit of brainstorming with mom, I hung two valances at the top of each windows, as is. I took two of the valances and sewed them together to create tiers and then cut them in half to make a cafe style curtain for the bottom.  I think They turned out great!

Now what to do with closet shelf I wanted to hide. I had 3 valances left so I sewed them together too. My wonderful husband found three curtain rods in the basement that were the perfect sizes, and within a few minutes, we had everything hung up. 

I just finished this quilted wall hanging last week and it really gives the nook that little bit of cosy it needed. (you can't tell from this picture but the center block is a quote about nature and all the other blocks are flowers or birds- perfect for a CM education) I don't like the book shelf I am using right now but my plans are to put shelves along the end of the closet wall. I am in search of a more comfortable chair as well. The springs in this one are shot but it is working for now. I have always wanted a quiet place to read in my bedroom and I am so thankful I have put this together for less than ten dollars. The quilt cost me about nine of that! 

52 Weeks Book Challenge

This week for the challenge I read book two in the Newpointe 911 series by Terri Blackstock, Shadow of Doubt. This book centers around Detective Stan Shephard and his wife Celia. Late one evening Stan becomes deathly ill and Celia calls 911. At the hospital, Stan's blood tests reveal Arsenic poisoning, leaving Celia as the main suspect. Upon further research, the investigating officer finds out that Celia was married once before and her first husband died of arsenic poisoning. Is Celia really the killer? That is what the whole town is wanting to find out. Now on to start book three!

Latest Quilt-Sophia

I finished a new quilt today. I made this for my cousins baby girl. I have always wanted to do a brown and pink themed quilt. I found this pattern on Pinterest and I just had to try it out. It uses charms squares to make a 9-patch block. Then you cut the block in half length- wise and width-wise. You are left with 4 new blocks. I arranged them with the small square in the top left position when I put it together but it can really be done any way you want. Because this is a baby quilt I made it 5 blocks wide by 6 blocks long. I added a light cocoa sashing. It is quilted using free motion quilting with a meandering pattern in dark brown thread. The binding is a dark brown mottled print. The backing is an all over brown fleur de lis on a light pink background. I have named it Sophia after the beautiful little blessing that I made it for. 

Photo Practice

A few years ago I purchased a "new to me" digital camera. I have been using it regularly but I really need to figure out all the bells and whistles that it came with. What I need to do is to put the owner's manual CD in my computer so I can actually figure this out with proper direction but in the words of Scarlet O'Hara "I'll think about that another day". Today I have been playing with the sports setting. I needed to practice with fast moving subjects and since I there were no sporting events going on at my house this afternoon I decided to take to the window and watch my fast moving feathered friends. Normally our bird feeders are crowded with guests but today I was lucky to catch these three birds. Not bad for a first attempt. There is also a Slate Colored Junco but I forgot to add it to my text when I was editing my collage on Picmonkey. 

52 Weeks Book Challenge

This past week I finished the first book, Private Justice, in the Newpointe 911 series by Terri Blackstock. The book opens as the Newpointe Fire Company is preparing for the annual Mardi Gras parade in which the mayor wants all the public servants to dress as clowns. A few blocks over, an older man hears the crying of the next door neighbors baby and is alarmed because it's not like his neighbor to ignore her baby. The next thing he knows he is discovering a fire in the shed in his neighbors back yard. Upon closer examination he sees the body of this young mother amidst the flames. She just happens to be a fireman's wife. Later that evening, another fireman's wife is found murdered. It becomes apparent that someone is after the wives of the Newpointe Fire Department. But  who? This book follows true Blackstock style and will keep you guessing. Terri Blackstock is one of my favorite Christian authors. This week I am reading book #2!