Thursday, March 1, 2012

Winner

Since I have no clue how to put my widget on my post, I took a picture of it to show the winner.  Congratulations to Samantha!


We've had a busy week around here, but again, the sewing has been on the back burner.  I did manage to complete a gift.  This darling little lunch tote was from a tutorial from the Pink Penguin.  I made a few changes in the way I sewed it up, but I think it turned out just great and was an easy pattern to sew up. 


We celebrated my mom's birthday this week as well.  My sister, brother and their spouses fixed dinner at her house and we had a fabulous time bringing in her next year - her 90th!!!!  Doesn't she look great?

Recently, I attended a cooking class from Carol Kotkin so I volunteered to bring a salad for the party and it was really yummy.  You start with layer of sliced and peeled oranges (I used the navals and some of the blood oranges from the garden.)


Top that with layers of sliced fennel bulb, sliced red onion. freshly shaved Parmesan cheese and Kalamata olives. Drizzle olive oil over the top and it is finished.  I used a tangerine infused olive oil which was very good, but the plain is just fabulous too.


Have you heard about Thearica's monthly swap block contest?  Don't you all have blocks that you have swapped and then never finished up into a quilt?  Well....this is for you.  It MUST be swap blocks and you must photograph your progress of assembling them.  Once it is a completed quilt - binding and all - you can submit it to Thearica's blog.  At the end of each month she will select a name and the prizes are FANTASTIC.  I won January's  contest and received a $50 gift certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop AND a $20 gift certificate to Thearica's shop.  Pretty awesome, wouldn't you say?  Why don't you join us for March.

Quilting Gallery is having a pillow contest this week for quilted pillows.  You can vote for five different ones this week and I have entered my Cathedral Windows pillow.  The work on all of them is gorgeous and you can vote here if you are interested.


We've had some cool winter weather here this week, but we are suppose to jump up into the upper 70s for the weekend.  I am looking forward to it.  I wish I could send some nice weather to the poor folks who have been hurt by the terrible tornadoes this week.  It surely seems like an early start to tornado season to me.

32 comments:

  1. That salad looks tasty. Thank you for the recipe. I have never tried blood oranges before. Are they sweeter?

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  2. Love that lunch tote! How special.

    Your mom looks great and I cannot believe she's 90! How wonderful to have her do so well at 90...

    You are a busy woman....have I ever told you that!?

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  3. Your mom looks wonderful! What a great celebration - 90 is remarkable. My Mum will be 87 this year. She is also amazing!
    I love trying new recipes and your salad look delicious. Thanks for posting it for us to try!

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  4. Congrats to your Mom, she looks so good!

    Thanks for sharing the salad dressing; it looks so yummy - and pretty too!

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  5. Congrats to Samantha! Happy birthday to your Mom. I only wish I looked as good today as she does at 90!
    Darling little lunch tote with it's fun flower :)
    It is very cool and breezy here today. We are to be in the 70's this weekend, too.
    My prayers are with those that have suffered through the tornadoes - I believe it is earlier than normal this year.

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  6. What a newsy post (is that a word)? That tote is adorable. And, the salad I may have to try as I have a small fennel bulb in the fridge. And, yes your mom looks terrific.

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  7. Your mom looks beautiful! Love your little bag and what a awesome salad! You always have neat food!

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  8. What a lovely lady your Mom is at 90yrs!
    Sweet lil lunch bag gift. You always do such nice sewing!Lucky you to win such nice gifts and getting your swap project finished up too!
    Lola

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  9. I love the tote and happy birthday to your Mum! (My granny tells me ninety is the new seventy)...

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  10. I adore the tote - I am such a "bad lady!" What an interesting salad! I am the worst at trying new salads to make.

    How did I miss that you were having a giveaway?? Probably something about quilting, so I wouldn't qualify!

    Yes, March is here already - and things are just zooming by, more than ever it seems.

    Your mom looks wonderful!

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  11. Rats!! I just looked back and saw that you were giving away something I would have loved! That's what I get for not visiting this week!

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  12. OOPS!! Me again! I just re-read my first comment (thank goodness) and that was supposed to be "BAG LADY!"

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  13. Saw your post about an iron that does not shut off (on another blog). I bought a Rowenta Ironmaven J420 (it has a water tank) and I love it! It doesn't shut off and I rarely have to refill it. It was expensive (about $250 on Amazon) but totally worth it. I got my money back in use already.

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  14. Happy birthday to you mom. My dad will be 93 in July and still going strong. Lucky us. I've always been intrigued by cathedral windows. Gorgeous pillow.

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  15. wow! your mom looks FANTASTIC! Happy birthday to her!!!

    Those look like some tasty dishes!!! YUMMO!:)

    I love that pillow! beautiful!!!!

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  16. First of all, Happy Birthday to your beautiful mom, she doesn't look 90 at all!! Hope I can look as good as that when I reach 90! lol

    That little lunch tote is just darling and I love the flower you made for it as well.

    Oh my, that salad looks really scrumptious. I wonder if it would taste as good without the onions...I don't like raw onions at all!! I love them cooked but not raw! lol

    Your Cathedral Windows pillow is so beautiful and I hope you win the contest...you're already a winner in my eyes:-)

    We're expecting another few inches of snow tonight...ugh! So sick of all this snow we've been getting on top of what we already had. It's 30F right now which is actually mild for this time of year. Hurry up and send some of your warm weather will ya! lol xoxo

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  17. I just went to vote for you:-) xox

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  18. Everything looks wonderful....

    Happy Birthday to your mom!!

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  19. Glad you had such a wonderful party for your mom. She certainly does not look 90! Your salad looks yummy! Glad you are keeping busy and having fun :)

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  20. Saw your name on the list at the Quilt Gallery and have already placed a vote for your lovely pillow:)

    That tote is adorable!!!

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  21. Your Mom looks lovely! Tell her Happy Birthday all the way from Maine!!! So nice that you all could get together and celebrate with her. :o)

    That pillow is just gorgeous. It looks like a hard pattern???? I am working on a Christmas wall hanging now that I have my quilt top done. It's really cute and you know how I love applique! I moved my dining room table into the sunroom as my little sewing table was just too small and we aren't using the table now as Dad needs the room to walk around. Can you imagine if we had started our remodel? Yikes! I do hope to do it sometime but now sure isn't the time.

    Congratulations on the prizes! I really think you should play the Megabucks!!!!!

    Snow here last night but not much. Soft and fluffy. J and S are home from Arizona, I am soooooooo glad! I still have the creeping crud but am doing better. My brother took Dad to the neurosurgeon today and got a good report, things are healing but may take time.

    Must go roll Mom's hair so will say goodbye!! xoxoxox

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  22. Happy birthday to your mom. She looks great!
    Your salad looks yummy and the bag you sewed up is so cute. Love the buttons on your catherdral window pillow.

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  23. Happy Birthday to your Mom! She is gorgeous! I have never saw a salad like that but it sure looks yummy. And I lOVE that tote and the pillow!!!

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  24. Hi Mary! Happy Birthday to your Mom! She looks wonderful! What a beautiful smile. I was too late to vote on your lovely pillow. :(
    Congratulations to Samantha!

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  25. Oranges from the garden, how divine.

    The tote is gorgeous and congratulations to the winner.

    Yes your Mum does look great. She would even look great for 80.

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  26. Happy birthday to you mum! Love the lay out of your blog. Oh.. nice bag too! Did you leave me any left overs, it all looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing!

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  27. Your Mum looks fabulous. How nice to have celebrated her milestone with her. I am sure Mum will have many more great birthdays. the cake looks Yummy as does the salad.

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  28. So many great things going on here!

    First, your mother is one beautiful lady! Happy birthday to her and here's to many more!

    I absolutely LOVE your cathedral windows pillow. I have a thing for cathedral windows and eventually I'm going to make one.

    And I love the little lunch tote! The colors are beautiful and what a pretty photo you put together!

    xo -E

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  29. Your quilts are so lovely! Congratulations!
    www.quiltworld2.blogspot.com
    Hugs, Ulla (from Finland)

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  30. Your Mom is beautiful! May she celebrate many more birthdays! ♥

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