Need Me Some Crazy Quilting....

Today I spent a few happy hours digging through stash and stitching these 2 Boho Bag front flaps. I am using the pattern from Pat Winters of  Pat Winters Gatherings blog.  It is actually a booklet with step by step pics and a lot of great information. I have no doubt I will end up with 2 very Bohemian bags with her guidance and some of my own-ness. I highly recommend spending some time looking around her blog. She is a very talented and gracious woman.
I pieced these today to take with me to Oklahoma. I will gather a slew of threads and embellishments tomorrow and pack them away in my suitcase. I have actually missed crazy quilting! I truly enjoy the creative variety that goes into a block  from embroidery, to beading, to choosing trims and lace accents. I am looking forward to making these cool bags.

Michael graduates Friday from Army boot camp! I am looking forward to seeing him. Hopefully all the bad weather stays away from tornado alley this week, wind is my least favorite element.

The Buffalo Zoo is a great place to spend the day with little ones. Sophia really loved the Carousel!

I liked this monkey...

and this alligator...

and this adorable bear....

Melissa, Dave and pretty little Sophia....

My pics are emailed to Lori for the Challenge #2 on HGTV board. This challenge entailed each participant getting a scrap bag, in the colorway of their choosing, from Lori's stash and making something from it. The kicker was that we could only add solid fabrics! No mottled, no tone on tone, no hand dyed....solids only. This was another great opportunity to come up with an answer to a specified assignment. Can't wait to see what the next challenge will be! And of course I can't show what I made yet.

I have learned:

1. Springsteen was AWESOME! I. just. love. him. 
2. Hilary and Jackie. Good movie based on a true story. 
3. I want to get to this exhibit at the Holland Land Office. Treasured Wedding Memories...wedding dresses from different era's. Maybe tomorrow.
4. Got my mother-of-the-groom attire! Lord & Taylor was the first stop and found a great black tiered chiffon skirt and a black top with ruffle at neckline and rhinestone buttons. Matched the bargain silk  shoes I already bought. I am confident I will be as comfortable as possible while not wearing jeans!

Subway Art Gift Box

A little box (formerly a child's wooden domino box), now a gift box for the sister of one of my little favorites from work. He is giving the newlyweds cash, but wanted to present it with a keepsake of some sort. This is where I came in! I began with the idea that the money could be contained in something. A bag? A box? An envelope? My mind quickly settled on the Subway art that is all over right now. I love the look of the words in different fonts and the vintage feel of it. After directing him to Google images on the subject, he agreed.
A trip to Michaels for some stickers...3 font styles, and wedding white and black paint, I was ready to carefully lay out the words.
Since I wanted the words to be black, I painted the base of the top black. When it was thoroughly dry, I had determined I needed 11 lines. Using ruler and pencil, I marked the black painted top out. It is a tricky business getting so many small letters to line up perfectly on the line! Some letters refused to cooperate.
After all stickers adhered to wood and 3 coats of wedding white paint.......I showed little favorite the pic of my progress last Monday at work.
Was that a quizzical look on his face? Did he NOT like it after all? He utters....
"Isn't there a T in Frantz?" (I have spelled Franz on the box already, 3 coats of paint over it already)
"NO...you approved this" I say.
"I am pretty sure I text you Frantz"
We pull out our phones and scroll through the exchange of text messages.......
"Uh oh" (that's me)
So I think about my plan of attack all day.
After peeling the Z sticker off, sanding to the black paint and putting down the TZ, then repainting 3 coats of wedding white over them, it was time to peel off all the stickers using a sewing needle, all was well!
A light sanding over the entire piece and a few coats of a matte finish sealer and done.
It was a fun project, he loved it.
That is all we makers-of-things need!

Today is a paid holiday...Good Friday. Many fish have died for today.

Michael continues to do well at boot camp. We actually got to see a pic of him on the Battalion Facebook page. That was really nice. Two weeks til graduation! Two months til the wedding!
Which brings me to....I need a dress!
I did find shoes already. Black silk heels, open toe, on clearance at Famous Footwear for $15!
Later today I am meeting Pam and Sarah at the mall to start the search for a dress that will be comfortable and me. I have nothing in mind. Not sure a floor length is my style, but that remains to be decided. Good luck to us!

Tomorrow I will be going to the Buffalo Zoo with Melissa, Dave, Sophia and Dave's parents. Sophia loves animals, so it should be fun to watch her. I haven't been to the zoo since the kids were small. The Buffalo Zoo made national news last month when a gorilla escaped from his habitat.

I have learned:

1. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Good movie. Oskar character is a great little actor.  911 stories have a deep emotional impact on me, as they should. It was a 12 tissue tearjerker. 
2. Mowed lawn already. Those 80 degree days were enough to make it grow.
3. Forgot how much I love "An Officer and a Gentleman" til I rented it and watched it in all it's original gritty format. Richard Gere. Very good. 
4. Schmaltzy. Great word.
5. My Fujifilm finepix s1000 digital camera was displaying a Protected Card warning. I couldn't take any pics. I googled my dilemma and within seconds I had my solution. The SD cards have a switch on the side that if pushed in the up position, locks the card. Pushed it back down and good to go!