A Feeling of Complete Bliss...

Okay, really the title is a little misleading but there have been some blissful things going on these past couple of weeks. 

First off, we started the homeschool year with a new curriculum and style that we (both my daughter and myself) could not be happier with!!  This year we decided to put aside the "books" and go with a more modern (and way more organized) approach.  The Switched-On Schoolhouse (SOS) program does all of the schoolwork on the computer as well as the grading and scheduling for the day.  Let me tell ya, that makes it easier for ALL of us.  I was a little skeptical of the program beforehand but after using it this for the past few weeks...I am LOVING it and my daughter does, too!  Even more awesome is that she is really retaining everything she is learning more than before because there are side videos, games and spelling bees throughout the lesson which also make it so much more fun for her!  Yes, I know I've gone a little overboard on the subject of homeschooling here but really, I am just so thrilled with it...

Another reason for my Blissfullness would have to be my newest rag quilt and cordinating rag quilt loveys in the new Bliss fabric collection by Bonnie and Camille.  I am so loving this line of fabric and will definitely be creating some items for my living room with it.  It's so fantastic.  Really, everything this mother and daughter designing team do makes me smile but the Bliss collection makes me giggle grin...it's that good!

And with that being said, let me intoduce you to my newest rag quilt and rag quilts loveys:

The Blissful Dreams Baby Rag Quilt ~

The Blissful Moments Baby Rag Quilt Lovey ~

The Blissful Days Baby Rag Quilt Lovey 

The Blissful Joy Baby Rag Quilt Lovey ~

And yes, you can find all of these in my store!

I'm pretty sure this fabric line was made just for me but I'm willing to share it with you...hehehe!  Really though, I couldn't begin to imagine a better collection of fabrics than Bliss.  Obviously, it is my most favorite fabric line EVER!  Keep up the great work Bonnie and Camille!!

Mmmm...(-: SMILE :-)

Hope y'all have a very BLESSED (and Bliss filled) Week!

~ Mary Carole

Just Call Me Slacker ~

Yes, I am feeling like the biggest blog slacker ever!  There is so much that has happened since I last posted anything that I don't even know where to begin so I will just go with it and we'll all see what I have to say.  So here it goes to winging it~

First off, our summer vacation:

We spent almost 5 weeks visiting family and friends in Northern Nevada and California.  Yes, that's a LONG time but there were lots of people to see and I couldn't think of a better way to not have to deal with the Vegas summer heat than to just go away from this hot desert.  And, this year was record setting heat here at home.  My poor fellow Vegas people. 

For any of you who have little ones or for those of you who remember all too well vacationing with your little ones...you know it's not alway a "vacation" to go somewhere else for that long with young children who rely on the comforts of home and don't quite get why we are not home for that long.  I felt like I needed a vacation from our vacation when I got home and it really made me realize how much I love my home even if it's so far from all of my extended family and in a town I don't really like.  Our house really is our home!

I also realized that I really missed creating things and was craving my sewing machine by the end of our trip.  I guess that's why I've been a little busy bee sewing away some new rag quilts and cutting lots of fabric for even more quilts!  Which leads to...

What I've Been Creating:

I have two new rag quilts in my store! 

First, I created a stroller/carry around size rag quilt I've named A Little Whimsy made with the Whimsy fabric collection by Fig Tree and Co. 

That got me motivated to make a crib size rag quilt that I've been dreaming of for a while but just never seemed to have the time to put together until we got back.  The Bright and Playful Baby Rag Quilt is made with one of my favorite lines by Amy Butler and I love how it came out.  Of course, trying to get a good picture of it proved to be more difficult due to the crazy wind this afternoon.  I added a picture just so you could view a little of what I experienced today while photographing it.  I have way more pictures of the quilt tossing back and forth in the wind than I do of it just looking pretty! :-)

The Bright and Playful Baby Rag Quilt

A Close Up

A Crazy Windy Mess

and of course...

A Little Whimsy Baby Rag Quilt

So, while I've been a slacker blogger...I have been busy! ;-)

Not to mention we are starting up the new year of homeschooling!!  Oh, I already feel my brain feeling very heavy.  I think I need to go lie down now...

I hope you all have a very BLESSED Week!

~ MC

HUGE Giveaway Thanks to Alamodefabric! Check it out!!

Okay, this one may be the mega motherload of giveaways!  Check out Heather's giveaway at her blog...AWESOME!

A La Mode Fabric

Here's A Link To An AWESOME Fabric Giveaway...check it out!!

Check out this amazing fabric giveaway with lots of hard to find goodness going on!! 

Happy Blogiversary to the Lucy and Norman Blog!!

Lucy and Norman Blogiversary Giveaway

We Got A Winner...

Well, I just have to say thank you to all of you who entered my Fun Little Giveaway!  I know it's something little but these sewing pins really do put a smile on my face every time I look at them.  For those of you who asked where I purchased them, I found a few stores on Etsy that sold them but only one that sold all 5 sets.  You can find the listing HERE!

And the winner of the assembled set of each pin in each design and color is....

 entry #62 ~ Rachel Locke!! 

Congratulations, Rachel!  Please send me the address you would like me to mail them to.

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On another note, I will be M.I.A. for the next month.  It's summertime and I really need to spend some quality time with my kiddos and husband.  Much like last year I am going to take a break from crafting as much and really limiting my computer time so that I can have some quality time with my family.  I'll be back the end of August! 

I hope that you are all having a FANTASTIC Summer! :-)

A Fun Little Giveaway!!

Do you ever see something that is so cute that you just have to have but you can't decide which design or color you like best so after much thought and consideration, (like a whole 2 minutes worth) you just buy them all?  Normally I don't have the luxury of saying "I'll take 'em all!" but when that item doesn't cost "an arm and a leg", it does make it a little easier.  I found these sewing pins that seem to only be sold in the UK and I couldn't choose my favorite so I bought one set of each.  Hey, if they're going to take a ride across The Pond, you might as well get all of them, right? (Yes, that was one of the many excuses I made for buying them all!) 

 Aren't they lovely?

Being that 30 pins come in a set and I don't think I will ever need 150 sewing pins at one time, I thought this would be a great little Giveaway for my blogger friends.  Plus, I wanted to give each of you the chance to have the set that would have made it much easier for me...one of each design in each color.  In other words, you can't find this set assembled in stores...clever, eh? 

This one could be yours! :-)

I know it's something little but after my ordeal of trying to decide, I thought I'd make it much easier for one of you to just have 'em all! 

You have up to 3 ways you can enter (make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry)~

1. Leave a comment telling me which design and color of the sewing pins is your favorite of the collection.

2. Follow my blog.

3. Blog or Twitter about the giveaway.

The winner will be picked by random selection via Random.org on Wednesday, July 14th @ 9pm PST!

Good Luck! :-)

Back to my Crafting Roots...

So, some of you may know that I didn't know I had a crafting bone in my body until I moved far away from all of my family and friends and become a "Stay at Home Mom".  After the first year of my new job title I realized that I needed something more and almost over night I became completely obsessed with creating thing.  One of the first things that really grabbed my attention (maybe because I had just had a baby at the time) was creating diaper cakes.  Diaper cakes are diapers arranged to look like a layered cake and decorated with ribbon.  I soon started selling them and for a while it became my part time job that took more time than a full time job.  With 3 of my own stores as well as selling wholesale I lost that desire I initially had for creating them. 

But, the other day a dear friend of mine contacted me interested in getting one for her friend's baby shower.  There something about making things for your friends that gets you excited to create.  So here is the Square "It's a Boy" Diaper Cake...

These aren't the best pictures but I had to add them to my blog for the memories of the experience.  The charms in the center of each bow say "It's a Boy".  Cute, huh!

Anywho Laurie, I hope that you and your friend like it!

And to all my blogger friends, I will be adding a little giveaway later tonight or early tomorrow!  Just a little something to let you all know I appreciate you! :-)

~ MC