Oh My Stars!

Oh My Stars!  The heat index is something like 105 degrees. It is way too hot to work with lots of fabric. I turned the A/C in the craft room on full power, and armed with my rotary cutter and lots of cute scraps I started making these.

Oh My Wonky Stars! I almost forgot about the heat while making these. They are so much fun! I am surprised that I like these stars so much because I normally like everything straight and balanced and even, and not even a teeny bit wonky. I have a project in mind to use these for and will post pictures as I go.

Oh My Stars! It is my son's 25th birthday today. Happy Birthday Gavin. I cannot believe that I have a 25 year old!! When did this happen. Where did all the years go? To beat the heat, I have made a very large batch of frozen pina coladas. We are going out to dinner because it just too hot to cook. There are cupcakes in the fridge, and when Gavin opens his gifts, we are going to make ice cream. Gavin asked for one after watching too many episodes of Iron Chef. I can only imagine what flavors of ice cream he will dream up.

What A Day For A Daydream

 Daydream. Isn't the binding adorable?

I wasn't sure if I would ever finish this quilt. Last week was a no-sew zone at Happy Little Cottage due to various and sundry sewing machine malfunctions. It is amazing that a sewing machine can make a grown woman cry.

But this finished quilt makes me very happy!

I finally adjusted the good old Singer and was able to finish. I was convinced that I wanted to learn to stipple, but I think I may have gotten over that desire after dropping off my aunt's sewing machine at the repair shop AND discovering Red Pepper Quilts. Seriously, how awesome are her quilts. I love the simplicity of the straight quilting and how it really lets the fabric and patchwork shine!

Summer Morning

This is what's happening on my porch this morning. A little blog reading, coffee drinking, list making, and knitting. There is nothing better than a front porch on a hot summer morning!

Happy Mail

These were in my mailbox today! All of these incredibly cute things were handcrafted for me by the incredibly talented Trish at Notes of Sincerity as part of Pay It Forward.

This mug rug will definitely be put to daily use, as I usually have either a cup of coffee or a glass of iced coffee by my side. Isn't her handwriting awesome?! The mini bunting is too cute for words, and I am looking for the perfect spot to hang it. And the fabric!! Aqua, red and white!!!! YAY!!  And I am a huge Mary Engelbreit fan, so the card was perfect. Thank you Trish, so so much. You made my day!

Lap of Luxury

I hope all of you had a terrific long holiday weekend!
I had one of the best holiday weekends that I have had in a long time! I finished Americana Cottage

and I won second prize in the Synchronized Squares Quilt Along. A $75.00 gift certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop! Happy Dance!!

Spent some time at the park, watching the boats go by and soaking in the lovely weather.

Oh, but the 4th of July. I spent a mother/daughter getaway at a gorgeous hotel! Big squishy beds with white down comforters, air conditioning, gorgeous bathroom with granite countertops , an amazing showerhead and wonderful smelling bath potions. We spent most of our time at the gorgeous pool, and ate all of our meals on the outdoor patio by a tranquil fountain. We watched the fireworks over the city that evening. Even though we only spent one night, it seemed like we were away for a week. Loved every second of spending time with my sweet girl!

P.S. I forgot my camera, but thought I would share lots of pictures of my quilt :)

Summer Love

During the summer months I am ADDICTED to iced coffee, and have been known to stop twice a day at McDonald's (or during my full time job days) at Starbucks. Just can't get enough of the stuff. I had tried making it at home the only way I could think of. Brew a pot of coffee. Put it in the refrigerator. Pour over ice and add cream and sugar. But it was always weak and couldn't hold a candle to the elixir that is Starbucks.

A week or two ago, The Pioneer Woman posted a recipe for Iced Coffee. Hmmmm. Interesting. You pour cold water over the coffee and let it sit for hours. So I gave it a try. And I made a huge mess. But the resulting coffee was delicious. It was better than Starbucks.

I starting googling cold brew coffee and discovered that there is a french press coffee maker designed specifically for cold brew coffee. I wanted one. It was $40.00 on Amazon. Not in the budget.

This afternoon while at Target to pick up a few essentials, I passed  the clearance row, and there sat ONE lonely french press coffee maker. The same brand as on Amazon. And it was $19.00.


I am rationalizing that I will recoup my investment in about one week. No more drive thru coffee for me. I am using this recipe, tripled. If you've never tried Iced Coffee, you should make a batch to keep you going over the long holiday weekend. You might want to grab a can of sweetened condensed milk while you're at it.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!