Birthday Cupcakes

I had a birthday a few weeks ago and my daughter, the family baker, was in charge of cake. I asked for cupcakes and expected plain old cupcakes but this is what she did.Aren't they spectacular. She made them into sunflowers and daisies, put them on the pretty, vintage, pink plates I gave her for Christmas and displayed them on her stand she got at Home Goods.
She has a flair for display I think. I loved them and especially enjoyed being with family that day along with my first grandchild who will be smearing cupcakes on his face before we know it. By the way my son took these pictures. He is also a very good cook and I have been the lucky recipient of many of his creations. Now why didn't these two cook like this when they lived in my house?

New Beginnings

I have been an absent blogger mainly because work has been getting in the way of everything else. Work has a way of crowding things out. Normally that would be a bad thing but I like my job, although this year has been especially busy. I work at a college and I am working in a different department this year so that makes for a learning curve. Plus it is a much busier office so the day flies by. Just like quilting-too many quilts not enough time. Now it's too much work, not enough hours.

Anyway, one of the reasons I like working at a college is the sense every year of new beginnings that takes over. Tomorrow is the start of Freshman orientation and it is always exciting to see those fresh new faces arriving. By the end of the year they will have grown and changed so much and watching various students over four years is very gratifying. Then years later they pop up on campus with a family in tow so it's fun to watch the cycle. Every year there's a beginning, a middle and an end and then we start all over again come August. I like the cycle.

The flowers have nothing much to do with anything except that they came from our opening staff dinner last night. Perhaps in May I'll be able to post another bunch of flowers from the end of the year party. Another cycle to complete.

Eye Candy

I am trying to step out of my usual quilting fabric box and try something new so I have this fabulous fabric on hand and no idea what to do with it.

I am really inspired by some of the fabric designers out there like Anna Maria Horner, Heather Bailey and the creator of this bunch, Amy Butler. Such beautiful designs and with the wonderful colors, it sometimes seems a shame to cut them up.

I remember the very first quilt I made. I was newly married and took a class at a local school in the evening. I bought a bunch of fabric we couldn't afford and, horror of horrors, proceeded to cut up perfectly good fabric into little pieces! I finished it but never like it and it wasn't until a few years later when I took another class with a really great teacher that I fell in love with the process and didn't look at cutting up the fabric as a crime. Maybe I should just play with these a while longer and admire them on my cutting table before I cut them up.

I've Been A.W.O.L.

Sorry for the lack of posts but we've been busy around here. I am back to work and we were furiously installing a bamboo floor, which I love, so not much computer time. Anyways, the floor is done thanks to some very good help.

Isn't great that I have a daughter who loves power tools! And don't worry-despite the wrong footwear no toes injuries were incurred. She is a handy young woman. She does a fair amount of repairs and installations in her own old home. Her husband was there helping too. The floor went in easily but these old backs are sore from bending over that nailer. Just when you think it's time to rest I made my husband move some furniture into the room.

We bought the chairs when we were in Maine and the table we bought quite a while ago in a local antique store. It matches the one in our kitchen. The china cabinet we have had for years and the rug under the table used to be my Mom and Dad's.The coffee table I found at a consignment store, the striped rocking chair in the forground used to be my grandfather's and I am going to attempt to make a slip cover with the blue fabric. The great black phone, which I call Big Bertha because it is very heavy, used to be my mother in law's who decided not to take it with her when she moved. It's very difficult to dail a number with those old rotary dails!This craftsman style desk has been cut down so we got it for a good price and are going to use it for a large television. The little table and chairs are for my grandson.

The hearth here is two inch slate tiles which will get installed and grouted at a later date. There will also be the same tiles surrounding the fireplace and some sort of wood trim. We haven't thought that through completely yet.

And here is my sideboard which I have been loading up with some of my many dishes.
I hope you enjoyed this little tour. We are thrilled to have a room that more than a few people can fit in without being on top of each other as they were before in our tiny living room. We are looking forward to many happy celebrations here. Wish you all were here!

A Bad Day Made Good

I had a couple of bad days this week mostly dealing with sub-contractors and such. On an especially bad day Wednesday when I was about to pull out my hair trying to get the gas company to finish hooking everything up for our gas fireplace, not that we need it right now in the hazy, hot and humid weather, the postman brought me a pleasant diversion. Libby was celebrating her one year blog anniversary with a drawing and I won! Please check out this prolific quilter's blog for some beautiful quilts.

The package arrived and I ripped into it. It was put together so nicely with her beautiful handmade card.

There is not much a quilter enjoys more than getting fabric in the mail unless it is fabric, a pattern and chocolate! Quilters and chocolate just seem to go together for some reason. My husband and I have been enjoying the See's candy so much. Thanks Libby!

In the meantime I've been doing a lot of sewing trying to get my mind off the summer full of workers in the house but I am ready for all the work to be done which it seems like it may be. The rest is up to us to finish which will probably take years! If you're looking for me I'll be right here.