Thursday, October 20, 2011

Randomness

Random thoughts and movements - that's all that is happening around here.  I feel like it is a constant game of catch up after a delightful month away from real life.  I am not complaining about it, but it is amazing how long it takes to get back to being "in the groove" of life.  Of course it would help if I didn't have to spend hours on the phone with customer support figuring out printer problems and figuring out why I have had nothing other than a blue screen on the television since we got home.  All is settled now and we are now able to watch more than DVDs!!!  Great news! 

Speaking of DVDs....is everyone out there enjoying Down*ton Abbey?  We are loving it.  Surprisingly, we only heard about it when we visited Ireland.  We have since caught up on Season One.  It is similar to Up*stairs, Downstairs, but a bit more modern.

I am hopelessly behind in my Civil War blocks.  I think I need to make five to catch up.  I am finishing my September Birdie Stitches block and it is almost time for November's to come out.  Sigh!!  But......I have been doing some sewing since returning.  Halloween is approaching and I have finished a couple of costume for the little ones.  This family consists of a flower and a watering can.  The parents will someday have to take the wrath for coming up with this idea.




A couple of mug rugs also made their way into my sewing machine.  I loved the witches undies fabric.




My quiet time stitching has been a cross stitch Christmas stocking.  I started it on our trip and have the backstitching left to do.  I love to see the features come alive with the backstitching. 




 While our British guests were here we did spend a lot of time in the studio.  The guys were golfing so the gals kept busy piecing and quilting.  We managed to complete four quilts (except for hand sewing the binding down), but somehow I only managed to photograph three of them.  We put them all in a Space*Saver bag, sucked all the air out and she managed to carry them on board with her. 





We took four little ones to the pumpkin patch this week.  It is an amazing place on a farm near us.  The children had as much fun as we did.






A pumpkin house!!!

We then picked up lunch and went to the park to eat, play and feed the ducks.  I hope they slept well for their parents afterwards.




This week while watering my pots I noticed two seed pods on my plumeria.  I have raised these for years and have never had even one seed pod.  Needless to say I was thrilled to see it.  This is a plant that was my father's so it is even more special to see it.


They look like little helicopter blades.

I wanted to share a couple of fun pictures from San Diego.  We were on the 25th floor and each morning the fog would roll in.  We loved looking down on it.



The morning we left - looking the opposite direction with the moon shining on the bay.
The last random photo is one I snapped after church last Sunday.  The children were fascinated by this dead snake that was in the parking lot. 

22 comments:

  1. Cute mug rugs! I love those costumes too! And that pumpkin house is cool! :0)

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  2. So many pumpkins! I must find one here - I haven't seen a great many around so far, though.
    Yes, we love Downton Abbey - the first series was such a huge hit and we couldn't wait for this season to start. LOVE it!
    I am doing some sewing projects for Christmas presents - little aprons because Missy loves cooking, and matching ones for the Mums too. Bunting - lots of that because everyone has asked for it! And trying to finish repairing a friend's old quilt too. Not enough hours in the day or flexibility in the fingers! But I am loving it too.

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  3. Those costumes are fabulous! Such a fun variety of projects & photos to see!

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  4. you sound like you are back in the "groove"....lots of fun stuff to share! Those costumes are so cute...love the mug rugs and the cup...stocking is super....and great photos of all your fun!!

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  5. Haha, I was rolling along just fine until the last picture. Yikes--my biggest fear! anyway, as you know, I love all things of a random nature.

    Those costumes are adorable! And so are the mug rugs. I have some of the undies fabric and it is my most favorite Halloween fabric!! Those are very cute.

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  6. There is nothing easy about costumes! All of my grands are too old to need me to make any more, thank goodness, and no great-grands on the way, so I'll coast for a few years.

    Beautiful photos from high up!

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  7. Love the pumpkin house--never seen one before! Looks like you had a great time with your grandchildren.

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  8. Those are going to be some very sweet trick or treaters in those costumes. Love the witches undies. I'm hoarding a few yards for one day...

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  9. What a great Halloween costume :-) I love it! Thanks for sharing the picture of the pumpkin house. I can't wait to show it to my kids!

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  10. Wow! You have been busy! Love the mug rugs~ such cute fabric! And the quilts~ wow! Looks like the kids had a great time at the pumpkin patch. Have a happy weekend!

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  11. Oh, gosh...I was with you and really enjoying the show until the snake photo!!! LOL (At least it was a DEAD one.......to me, that is the way a snake should be!!!) Anyway....LOVE the costumes. And I was amazed at the pumpkins. In our area, a rainy September really did a lot of damage to the pumpkin crop....lots of places are very short on them. It looks like the place by you is really nice and has tons of them this year! GREAT photos from your hotel in San Diego and the quilt tops are really nice ones.

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  12. Those costumes are just adorable...and your mug rugs...wonderful. Enjoyed the family pictures.

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  13. O.K. I must say that I am a slug compared to all you do! I think it's quite fascinating that you are able to do all that you do! Sigh.....

    Everything is beautiful and I think the flower and water can are precious!

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  14. Love the custumes. How lucky are those kids that Grandma can sew.
    LOL the witches pants fabric is cute.
    Lovely quilts your friend was able to take home.
    Thanks for the photos of San Dieago. My SIL is there right now.He is going to buy some fabris for my DD and me.

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  15. WOW! You have been busy!!! I enjoye seeing all your projects! :)

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  16. Wow. I think you have got a lot done. We are home this afternoon after several days away. I think we have been home 1 day in 10 so I know what you mean about catching up. We are also having open house next Sunday and leaving on Friday so I have a lot to do. Thank goodness we don't have to be here for the open house!!!

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  17. You have been a busy beaver, as usual. The costumes are amazing! You are really something.

    You and your British friend certainly accomplished a lot. That must have been a lot of golfing going on!

    The pumpkin patch looks great - we haven't ever done that with the girls.

    I'm playing catch-up again, and finally finished a post. It was fu catching up with you!

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  18. Wow! I just finished reading and enjoying the pictures from your Ireland trip! Just spectacular sights to see, I would love to go there sometime. I can't believe we gave up two Ireland trips with a couple of the companies but the way you did it was the best having a hometown driver and all. Loved the tart with a cart, must be a story behind that one! ha!

    The flower costume is adorable! And how did you ever come up with a pattern for the watering can!! You always amaze me with your talents!

    What a great time at the pumpkin patch. That is one thing we didn't get to do this year with being away in October. We have had problems with our pumpkins for a couple of years and the picking hasn't been as good as it usually is. We have been getting 'imported' pumpkins probably from CA and they are great.

    I love San Diego but don't think I would have liked the 25th floor! Yikes! Interesting how you were above the fog!!!!!!

    I bet you are glad to be home and now can catch up on things. I am just getting back to normal after my summer of construction and being in Florida. Don't go again until November! ha! I keep thinking that song, On The Road Again.

    The quilts you guys made are beautiful! What fun!!! I'm going to bind my Christmas quilt today hopefully and start getting my sewing nook set up in the sunroom. Have ordered a beautiful kit from Keepsake Quilting that I can't wait to start. Will scan the picture when it gets here or you may have seen it on the cover of their latest catalog with all the flowers.

    Finally got a post up, I just haven't had time to do much on my computer since I got home. Things should settle down a bit now,,,,,,,,,,do I even dare say that????!!! xoxoxoxox

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  19. Having to spend time on the phone with customer support is definitely not one of my favourite pastimes either! lol Glad you were able to get everything worked out.

    I've never even heard of Downton Abbey so I'll have to Google it and see what it's all about.

    Oh, Mary, those costumes are so adorable...a flower and a water can...too cute! I hope you'll get pictures of the kids wearing them:)

    I'm loving my mug rug you sent me for my birthday and use it every time I have a cup of coffee or tea in my Halloween mug. I need to take pictures and post them on my blog. Thank you again so much for sending one to me:-)

    I love seeing children in a pumpkin patch, it's so colourful isn't it!! They sure looked like they were having tons of fun and how cute is that pumpkin house? Never seen anything like it!

    Stunning pictures taken from your 25th floor room in San Diego. I don't care for heights but I sure do like the views you get from them:-)

    As for the snake...I'm glad it was dead! lol xoxo

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  20. Thanks for stopping by. Love all the pictures that you shared with us. The children are having fun. Still wet and dreary here. Try and send some sun our way.

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  21. loved the pumpkin house!!!

    you are soooo amazing at all you do!!! wow! to have such talent:) those costumes and quilts!!! WOWEEEE!!!

    Ireland looks like a neat place! enjoyed the photos so much!

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  22. Children certainly look like they are having fun.

    It certainly can be hard settling back into routine after such a trip.

    My daughter stays right on the harbour when she goes to San Diego. She if off to San Franscisco tomorrow.

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