These days feel like such a bonus. As the baby's due date inches ever closer (less than three weeks from today), we leave the house only a little bit, somehow, staying close to the phone and our suitcases, in case she arrives early. I really thought she would be six weeks early; I'm so thrille...

I went on a retreat this past weekend. It's so nice to be only an hour from home and yet it feel like you're a world away. 16 ladies from my local guild descended upon a small Texas town, locked ourselves into very comfy retreat house and stitched away. I've always been curious about the pro...

If you knew my family, you'd think that Labor Day might be one of our high holy days, up there with Christmas and Easter. The stories passed down through generations in my family are all about work. How my great-great-grandfather could have made a lot more money if he'd had a medical practi...

Tomorrow Andy and I will board a cross-country train as our adoption journey takes us to a place I never in a million light-years thought it would take us: back home, to Illinois. That we are going to Illinois now and that we came from Illinois then are total coincidences, and not even as stra...

This summer has been a little heavy on the obligations and appointments, so when I haven't been in the car (68 percent of my time), in a waiting room or lobby of some sort (37 percent), filling out paperwork (42 percent) or changing and washing sheets in anticipation of overnight guests (29 p...

I discovered, way back here, that I'm not much into figurines, or portraits for that matter. Hardly any photos around the house, even of the girls. But I love quilts, and I love to learn new things to do with fabric and quilting. I really try to be choosey on what classes that I take, not wan...

In my last post, I talked about my procrastination in getting a project done, right down to the wire. What I failed to disclose at the time, was one of my design issues. I was working on a similar quilt with the X's and O's and wanted to do the quilting in large words written in script. I wan...

A couple of years ago — or maybe it was even last spring? — I read Howards End for the first time. It blew. my. mind. I had seen the movie many times and had always loved it. The movie is fantastic. One of the best movies I've ever seen. As great as the movie is, the book is ev...

Oh, the dreamy sound of a happy sewing machine! It practically purrs. I love that hummm. Nothing irritates me more than to have to schedule an appointment for my machine at a dealership, an hour away, to "drop off" the machine and then go back two weeks later to pick it up. Several years ag...

My Mother's Day gift...titled "Ribbon Fairies" and signed by Ellen. That and a trunk full of flowers for the yard. I hope they attract some ribbon fairies. Happy Mother's Day!

I've been riding a lot the past few days and it's all still kind of just blowing my mind — can't quite find words to talk about it, really. I probably will find some words at some point, knowing me. For now, when I get home I am sooooo tired, it's actually quite hilarious. I'm speechlessly tir...

I've been spending a lot of time looking next door. Sometimes I even get out the binoculars and spy. Normally I'm not that nosy. But I can't get enough of my three new neighbors. If there's anything cuter than a baby fox ... I can't imagine what it is.

I finished my quilt for Japan on Saturday night. I am so pleased with it. I think it might be one of my very favorite things I've ever made, and it will be a privilege to donate it. As I mentioned last week, I made this quilt for the Quilts for Quake Survivors benefit being organized by Susa...

Today I fell in love. I've been delivering meals to shut-ins for a few months now. I don't have a regular route but I fill in as needed a few times a week on any of the various routes in the area. I've seen parts of town that I didn't know existed, and I've lived here 25 years. I've met a var...

If you don't like cats...or cats with earrings (and a tail ring?) and necklaces, or pink gingham and olive together, or possibly don't like seeing wrinkled linen then you might not love this tea towel as much as I do. But the stitching and applique work? Everyone has to appreciate that...un...

NEW SHOP ADDRESS FROM TUESDAY 1st March 72 Roseby Street Drummoyne NSW 2047 Phone (02) 9819 6455 Here's a map. Very handy location. Now if you are thinking I don't live in Sydney what does this mean...well it means that if you ever come to visit we will be more handy than ever. The new ...

My great-grandparents survived the Great Depression by becoming paperhangers. Nanny taught my mother how to hang wallpaper, and my mother taught me. I am genetically predisposed to hang wallpaper. I have wallpapered rooms of every kind in both of the houses that I've owned and even, in a fit ...

PATTERN: Swing Thing by Theresa Belville SIZE: 2-3 years YARN: Garnstudio DROPS Nepal in Gray-Green 7139 BUTTONS: Orange Gerberas and Leaves wooden buttons from Apples and Eggs The adorable Amy, Rob, and Dax the corgi came for dinner a few weeks ago (which reminds me that I need to remind Andy...

I didn't mean to be away from blogging for almost a week, but I have a good excuse. I was busy having a new insight into my personality. A personal epiphany, as it were. I realized I am not a middle-of-the-road kind of person. I kind of wish I were, but I'm not, and it's better to know these...

I finished my sewing nook project on my snow day last week. The paint color is from my old Martha Stewart samples and is called "snowy owl"...fitting the mood around here. I had the rub-on letters from a set I used on a train case and like how they give the cabinet a little personality. ...

Among my finds last week was the first spun-cotton figure of 2011, a pinecone snowman. He felt right at home, since Sunday was a snowy day. It's hard to beat a snowy Sunday when there's nowhere in particular you need to go. We ate pancakes and read the newspaper. I made bread and soup, and w...

The first week of 2011 is drawing to a close, and on several fronts, it was an excellent one. One of the fronts was the shopping front, because any week that brings an abundance of vintage kitchen items is excellent. I was particularly happy to find these three stainless steel canisters .....

I'm in the mountains for my birthday, looking out the window at this. It's so pretty here. They say it may snow tonight! Xoxo, a

Before I put these away, I wanted to share with you what I brought home from a handmade ornament swap. Pipe cleaner tree by Julie Upshaw, embellished wool heart by Tonya Littmann, painted inside and out-glass ball by Judy Kriehn, felt and metal snowflake by Carol Morrissey, worlds smallest tab...

The good thing about having a case at an antique mall is that when the urge to declutter strikes, as it always does in January, there's something to do with the stuff. Namely, sell it. Get it out the door, mark it thrift-store cheap and hope that somebody buys it before you have to actually t...