Halloween Party

One day I want to have a Halloween party as awesome as this one…

Halloween Party board by Cherie. See more Minted custom party invitations

I love Minted, and I love that you can make inspiration boards now. Find your invitation and then, upload images to go with the theme, and you can refer back to them later.

My Halloween party would totally ghoulish, with crazy drinks, black everywhere, and of course glitter!

I wish Hawaii wasn’t so hot, otherwise I might consider having a party! I would love to have some of that cool, crisp air, and even snow to make it feel like I is somewhat fall. I know I shouldn’t complain, but sunshine and palm trees get old after looking at them for a year… Yep. I have lived here for a year already! Two left to go!

More to come this week and next on some upcoming projects! I have been super busy, and or lazy, that I haven’t done a whole lot, but that will change… hopefully!

A Fully Finished Baby Quilt

Nope, I haven’t quilted my Texas Teardrops quilt yet. I am still a bit nervous, and I am working on making my quilting space big enough and organized to do so. Plus we got our new dining room table to other day, so I had to put those projects on hold since I am no longer allowed to quilt/sew at the dining room table.

But my cousin, and best fried is due any day now. Her due date isn’t until August 23, but her belly is huge, and so is that baby. So for her sake, I hope she has it sooner than later! So I finished the baby quilt I was making for her. We picked out the fabric together when she told me she was pregnant, and then she loved what I used on the Texas Teardrops Quilt so I used my leftover fabric in it as well. Luckily they went great together.

Here is the final quilt that I am working on getting in the mail ASAP!

I kept it super simple because A – this is my first official finish. Not the first one I ever made, and B – She is waiting to find out what she is having, but teal is her favorite color… and well, green is mine! Which is why we are perfect because our favorite colors go together, and well, we are blood related, and the closest thing to a real sister I could get.

As a kid I always bragged about being two week older than her, but I know for the rest of my life she is now going to brag that she is two weeks younger! Growing up 5 miles apart from each other, but still going to school in two completely different school districts. Some people say we look alike, but she is blonde hair blue eyes, and I am brown hair green eyes. You tell me? Can you tell we are related and that our mom’s are sisters?

I’m the bunny, she is cookie monster. My brother Ian is the army guy.

At my wedding. My hair color changed over the years, but I am now back to my brunette.

And this is from her wedding.

Anyways, I hope you are all doing good, and well wishes to her on her first child that is coming any time soon! I have a lot going on here and soon and I will be back sewing once I get my room all put together.

Oh and one more of the baby quilt.

peace.love.dove.

L Letterpress Christmas Cards

Before I know it, Christmas will be here. So, I am starting early on my cards. Last year I purchased a personalized L Letterpress Template. I couldn’t wait to use it, but I got too busy last year with all of our crazy moving adventures. So I am making them this year.

I love color, so I didn’t want to do too many traditional colors. This is what I have done so far.

Right now my favorite is the blue and red. I have a ton more combinations! I should get back to it!! If you are interested in learning more about the Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress or want to get one for yourself. Check it out HERE!

peace.love.dove.

5th Anniversary!

Today is my 5th Wedding Anniversary!

We are really bad at celebrating, but this year is different. We aren’t going to celebrate today.

We are going to celebrate by taking a trip to Australia later this summer! Yep, I think we need a vacation from Hawaii.

We will be spending our time in Sydney, so let me know if you have been there, and what we should do!! We are both super excited!

To many more!

peace.love.dove.

A Day of Quilting

I had guests for a couple weeks, and I had been super busy. Yesterday I was able to pull out my sewing machine to work on a few baby blankets or baby quilts for the many pregnant woman I know.

Here is the top of the one I am going to give to my cousin. I am still figuring out if I want to add a border, trim it, or what.

I totally screwed up on this and wish I had ironed after each triangle, so the back side is a little crazy. I learned my lesson.

Next is a quilt that I had been wanting to do for a long time. I had purchased 6 mini charms from Simply Color by Moda, and I wanted to do a simple colorful baby quilt with it.

I will be adding a border to this one. I am thinking gray. I do have more squares and could do a square border around it, but I am all out of the pinks. But I have some of the fabrics to do a double border. We will see what I end up with, I could always do white too. Any suggestions?

This one is not perfect at all. I was working on trying to match up the squares. I am not the best, but I got better with practice. If I love this so much I might keep it as a wall hanging. Do you see Lucie hanging out under the table? She has to be near me all the time.

Next week I am hoping to get my L Letterpress out and work on some cards! I have been neglecting it while I got the house together, but I have some new templates I want to play with. I would also love to get my Christmas Cards done early!

peace.love.dove.

My First Visitors to Hawaii

I have been MIA these past weeks. My first visitors to my house came! We had so much fun, and I was super busy. Mostly busy hanging out at the beach or the pool, but I will fully admit, I got nothing done, and it felt great.

You would think since I lived here, that I actually done most of the stuff to do, but I haven’t.

I visited my first Waterfall.

Stopped by the Dole Plantation (which was not worth the trip). My husband and I have driven past it so many times, but this time we stopped, and it was just a giant pineapple gift shop. Save yourself some money and get a pineapple at the grocery store. Its cheaper, and the exact same thing. We took some fun pictures and got dole whip though!

I went to my first Luau, and Lisa and I got on stage to do the hula. It was so much fun. The drinks were great (but I only had one since I was the driver --- and I finished it before the luau began).

Do you see me on the right side in the blue dress? My friend is to the left of me in the light dress.

I even went snorkeling! But, I am not a snorkeler I found out. I had troubles breathing and I think I may have had a panic attack so I let my friends continue to snorkel as I watched from the shore. I did see a ton of fish, and was so afraid something was going to eat me. I do want to try it again, but I think I will have to practice in the pool.

Well, now off to start some things, finish some things, and probably do some laundry. I hope to be back soon to craft, sew, and throw what I know onto my blog! Have a great weekend!

peace.love.dove.

Oh and a couple months back I went and saw Toby Keith. This is my and my friend Patricia who had her baby a few weeks ago at the concert.

Texas Teardrops Quilt Along Finished Top!

I can’t believe I finally finished the top to my Texas Teardrops QAL I participated in!

This is my FIRST quilt, and my FIRST QAL, and I am so glad I did it!! To find out more about it, you can visit The Quilting Lodge QAL page, or the Flickr group! There are a bunch more quilts posted in the Flickr group. The talent is amazing in there.

Here is what the top looks like.

I love the fabric I picked out! I think it turned out great! I got it from Jody at FabricShoppe,Modern Fabrics on Etsy. She is awesome, and I have to support my home of Minnesota, which makes me love her even more! I can put a post together of the fabrics I used in case anyone is interested in knowing what they all are. Unfortunately she is almost out of a most of these fabrics (and why wouldn’t she be, they are amazing) but she got some new stuff in, and I am in love with all of it! Now to decide what to make next!

I know my quilt is not perfect, but I kind of like that, since it is my first one. I still have a lot to learn, and now I need to learn how to actually quilt it! Let me know if you have any good websites to visit on how to do this, or online classes to take to learn the actual quilting process, or any tips or tricks I should know!

Thank you so much for all the love I have got along the way! You crafters are the best online community, and thank you for letting me be part of it with you all!

Next on my list to is prepare my house for my very first visitors to Hawaii!!

peace.love.dove.

Don’t trip over your husband

note to self. don’t trip over your husband.

This might happen.

And you might get it on the quilt you are working on…

You  might try baking soda and water, but what you really need is a tide to go pen… seriously…

I freaked out.

hopefully I fixed it! I was trying to get my husbands opinion on what fabric I should back the quilt with…

and yes, I tripped over him. He thought he was more injured than me, but then he saw my blood trail and felt bad very quickly!  But the quilt is saved!

peace.love.dove.

Texas Teardrop Quilt Top (minus border)

I am caught up! I borrowed my friends sewing machine to add the last couple pieces to this top! But now my sewing machine is dead, and I don’t know what to do about it.

Anyways, here is the top!

And for size reference, here it is on the bed.

I am so excited I have gotten so far on it! Next week I add the border!

peace.love.dove.

Texas Teardrop QAL update

I am trying my best, and I am almost caught up…

except I think my sewing machine hates me. For a little while I was doing great. I could feel my grandma’s presence, as I sewed. She was an amazing sewer. But as I almost finished the quilt top, I put the two corners on the wrong side, and then my sewing machine fully stopped. Nothing. So I have two corners to put on, which I will do tomorrow, at my friends house. Then off to find a sewing machine repair place on the island… if it costs more than $50, its probably best I get a new machine… so let me know what I should get… I want something for everyday sewing and good for quilting. Comment away, because I need some help. Right now I have a Singer Esteem that I got for my wedding 5 years ago.

Quilt Along… Here are some pictures

Squared up!

laid all out

rows done!

Attaching the rows!

Later this weekend I will show you the finished quilt top… minus the border, which hopefully I can get done if I fix my machine, or get a new one… I am so close.

Way too close. I love doing a quilt along, because I feel like I am actually going to finish something. I think it is the best way to do my first quilt. I am working on another quilt too, but I am going to finish this one, before I finish the other!

Now back to my vodka limeade… yeah, it was one of those kind of days. The sewing machine is still in pieces on the table…

peace.love.dove.

My Bella Blvd Warehouse Sale Box got here!

I was so excited to get my box! I actually missed the mailman and had to pick it up the next day at the post office. I wanted to open it the second I got in the car, but I decided to wait and take some pictures of it so I could show what I got.

So here we go!

Do you see how thick that stack is?? The top 9 pieces are labels, sticker and alpha sheets. But the others are paper!

The stickers and such.

The collections I got. Tail Waggers & Cat Naps, Midterm, Mr. Boy, Family Dynamix, Finally Fall, Sophisticates, Hello Beautiful, Camped Out, Spring Flings & Easter Things, Making the Team, Lovey Dovey, and Plastino.

80 sheets of paper!! I am so excited to get my UPS shipment today too! I ordered a paper cart/storage rack from Joanns.com. The worst thing about living in Hawaii is that we are so limited on selections… and what we can get costs and arm and a leg. Fingers crossed it gets here soon so I can get my craft room organized!!

Let me know if you ordered a box and what was in it! I am excited to see if they are all the same or different. I would say most of my papers were from Sophisticates and Midterm. But overall I like what I got and would totally do it again next year! Let me know if you hear of any other Warehouse boxes, because I love a good surprise!

Hope you have a crafty day! I am back at working on my QAL.

peace.love.dove.

Amy Tangerine Workshop!

I was lucky enough to get into the Amy Tangerine workshop at one of the Ben Franklin craft stores here in a Hawaii a couple weeks ago.

I will admit this was my very first workshop I have ever attended. I am so glad I went! We used her new line Yes Please to make a Happy Journal.

I wish I could say I finished the journal, but I have been super busy lately, and haven’t even had a chance to print off pictures to put in it. But I did get to meet Amy Tan!!

How cute his her baby bump! I got the front of my journal done! (and learned some new techniques!)

I also got Amy to sign my copy of her magazine that I actually won from Northridge publishing when it came out!

Oh I was so excited! I have never met a crafting “celebrity” before. I also met some new scrapbooking friends, which was so nice since most of my friends do no understand my obsession with paper. I hope I get to see them again! I really need to finish this journal soon too! I have hopes in the next upcoming weeks to do so. I just need to get settled a little more, and hope I can share with you the finished project very soon!

peace.love.dove.