Thursday Random Thoughts

This week has felt like its been creeping along at a snails pace.  We are in the slow time of the year at work, so I have been bored out of my gourd when I'm there.  Today I got to go home early!  2 1/2 hours before the kids were due home!  It was wonderful!

Yesterday we had 8 1/2 inches of snow fall and the schools were shut down for the second time this week (the other was Monday for freezing rain)  Tuesday it was almost 50 degrees and today it is 10 to 15 below zero with the windchill!  Arrrrggg  Winter in Wisconsin!!

This afternoon and evening I did couponing and planned my shopping trips and then got sidetracked with iTunes...well more than sidetracked, I listened, bought a song, listened some more, bought another song, then listened to more songs.  It's addicting, just like Coke (the kind that comes in a red and white can) and chocolate!

I had my little buddy with me, she likes to sleep on my lap with her head in my hand.

 My mess needs to be cleaned ....the sewing room serves as my office, storage room, gathering place for the kids, sleeping room for the dogs, coupon organization, food pantry and of course sewing every now and then!

And lastly, the fabric for the next couple of quilts...These quilts will be matching ones for a new mom and baby.

Linking up with Live a Colorful Life for Really Random Thursday

A Shovel Cover?????

Yes that title is correct!  My son, who is a Boy Scout (and 16 yrs old) asked me to make him a shovel cover this afternoon.  You want a what?  Yes, a shovel cover! So after I finished his quilt I made a template and got to work...

Here is the shovel, its a compact folding one made for camping and hiking and it has a telescoping handle.

I made a template...

Then of course it had to be quilted...  Here's the front

And the back...

After I made it, I realized it matches his camping backpack!

 And here is my son with his quilt and shovel...  He is so funny!  (Sorry about his messy room!)

I wonder what other crazy ideas he'll come up with next!

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Simplicity

Sometimes I just have to make a super simple quilt, it's almost like "cleansing the soul" for me.  I have been working on my son's quilt and I needed a break from it and my friend's baby girl also needed a Jeni B Quilt, so in the midst of the chaos I took some time to "cleanse my quilting soul"...and this is what I made!

I love the backing the most!  What can I say, leopard is my favorite, it's right up there with polka dots!!!

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday
                       

Shopping Results

Wow!  This shopping trip took about 8 hours from the time we left the house till we pulled into the garage at the end of the night.  Here is the break down...

4 boxes dishwasher gel pacs              3 carmex lipcare
3 laundry soap                                  6 bic stationary
8 boxes light bulbs                             1 chicken sausage
2 12 roll toilet paper                          4 toothpaste
3 gallons milk                                     2 feminine wash
2 frozen juices                                    6 boxes cereal
4 boxes fruit snacks                            4 gnocchi
2 toilet bowl cleaners                          2 shredded cheeses
12 boxes capri sun                              6 ring bologna
1 gal miracle whip                               8 mini fruit pies
6 bottles shampoo/conditioner             3 4 pk yogurt
5 boxes tampons                                 4 boxes pasta
4 boxes oatmeal                                  1 peanut butter
4 boxes instant coffee                          3 bags soft pretzel bites
4 jars jam                                            4 mini pizza
14 spaghetti sauce                               8 tuna pouches
2 bags hershey candy                           4 summer sausage
2 bottles Coke

Total retail value  $390.91
Total saved         $191.64  (with sales and coupons)
Total spent          $200.52
Total # items        165

Here is my Jo-Ann's break down

3 yd blizzard fleece
1/2 yd heart flannel
1/2 yd polka dot flannel
1 prom dress pattern
1 no-sew fleece scarf/hat set
1 paint set
6 wooden bell ornaments
1 spool gutermann thread

Total retail value  $74.66
Total saved          $48.65  (with sales and coupons)
Total Spent          $26.01
Total # items        13

Total retail value for the whole trip  $466.82
Total saved for the whole trip         $240.29
Total spent for the whole trip          $226.29

I saved just over 50% after all is said and done...Not bad if I do say so myself!!!
So my love for coupons continues......

Thursday Randomness

Today started out BAD!  Three of my four kids fought, argued and irritated each other from the time they got up till they left for the bus.  I started work irritated and in a bad mood!  Luckily toys came in so I got to play with TY (remember beanie babies? now they have beanie boo's)  so I soon was in a much better mood.  When I got home for lunch, the school had left a message that my youngest daughter had gone to school with no shoes only snowboots so I had to drop shoes off before going back to work.  grrrrrrrr!!! Hopefully tomorrow will be better...

This is my view most of the time I am on the laptop...

                                                          My fur baby, Marley


This is what I did tonight...

I am a one of those coupon ladies!  Tomorrow night I am doing a huge shopping trip with close to 100 coupons in three different cities.  I can't do what the couponers on Extreme couponing can do but I do pretty well I think, I usually can save 40 to 50 percent on my grocery bills.   My mom in law and daughter are helping and, yes, fabric shopping is on the list with coupons too!  I'll let you know how I did...
UPDATE!!  See the results for this shopping trip HERE 

This is what I'm doing next Saturday!  I can't wait!!!! Fiber and Fabric Arts Fest

It's in McGregor, Iowa which is just across the river from Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin.  Me and a couple of ladies I work with are going and we are having lunch at Eddie's Irish Pub (in Prairie Du Chien).  I hear the food is great there.  Then in the evening my Hubby, me and my youngest son are going to the Monster Truck Winter Nationals in Madison with our Cub Scout Pack.


Linking up with Live A Colorful Life for Really Random Thursday

Fishy, Fishy in the brook

It's done!  This one has been almost a year in the making...I so wish I could do cartwheels!  My oldest son has been on me to complete his quilt but life gets in the way, you know how it is!  Any how, here is the top...

The pattern is from a Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial on youtube.  You get a bonus block while you are making the blocks for this quilt.  You can see one HERE  The name of the pattern is "Serendipity" 'cuz you get two for one!  The feature fabric in this quilt is fishing.  My son loves to fish and has also learned how to tie flies for fly fishing.  He also plans on taking this camping with the Boy Scouts and that pains me!  I have visions of it coming home covered in mud and full of burn holes from the camp fire!  Oh well, quilts should be used and loved, right?

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a fabric addict

Oh SNAP!

Bad news at the doctor today for this one....

A broken rib!!  I will explain...On Christmas day our family went sledding at the family farm, (we have an awesome sledding hill that is really fast) and my oldest son ran into our youngest son coming down the hill.  Right in the ribs.  Well, this son of mine is dramatic and always blowing things out of proportion so I was not sure how much was real and how much was dramatics.  The pain persisted but he only slowed down for a day or two so we thought maybe just bruised ribs.  Then he went back to wrestling practice and the pain was bad so off to the doctor we went to find out what was up.  Needless to say the wrestling season is over and so is phys ed, sledding, fun at recess, and anything else he likes to do for the next 6 to 12 weeks!!!  This kid never catches a break, he had surgery for a bone tumor in September and a couple of years ago surgery for a hernia and other various injuries along the way.  Out of the four kids we have he is the one to jump off the roof (or tree), the first one to attempt what no one else will even think about trying.  Let's just say they know us very well at the doctors office!!!!!

Linking up with Live a Colorful Life-Really Random Thursday  I love her blog!

My Friday Finish

This finish has taken me over two years to complete! And it only took a minute or two to cut it off!!!

I went from this.......

To this........

My hubby was the cameraman and cutter.  I am donating my hair to Pantene to make wigs out of real hair for cancer patients and ladies with permanent hair loss from other conditions.

This New Year I did not make any New Year's resolutions, instead I am going to make this year a GIVING year, starting with my hair!!!  I have been blessed in many ways so I am going to pass on some blessings to others in need...

Here is a stack of fabric I bought to make quilts for kid's on the Wanblee Indian Reservation (you can read about them here) I have lots more fabric in the stash to add to this stack

This is my favorite and so fitting!

Linking up with crazymomquilts and confessions of a fabric addict