Meet Rebekah

Drop your name in the bucket (leave a comment) for Rebekah's drawing. Poor dear, she and her little dolly have been locked away in a plastic box for so long and she wants a new home! All you need to do if you want a chance to give her a new nest is leave a comment on my blog. Just put your name, town, state and the word drawing in your comment. (Thank you for the kind comments from yesterday - your names are already in the bucket.) On Sunday evening I will put all the names in a bucket and then have my blindfolded husband (totally random - plus I just want to blindfold him LOL) draw a name and then send Rebekah off to her new home on Monday. Sound fun? I think I was able to change the settings for comments so you don't have to have a blogger acct to leave a comment - at least I hope that works. I will post the winner here - first name and location and send an email to the winner along with a photo of the bucket drawing event. Maybe I can get Jake, my son, to make it a little video - not sure about that but for sure a photo of the blindfolded - BOB!
xoxx, Renée

Tag I'm It!

The Rules: Each player of this game starts with "6 weird things about you". Each person who gets tagged needs to write a blog post of their own 6 weird things as well as clearly state this rule. After you state your 6 weird things, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you're tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog for information as to what it means.

aaaahhhh - I was tagged by that cutie, Tracy and then again by darling Charlotte so I get to post SIX WEIRD THINGS about ME . . . hmmm how will I ever pick just SIX? I have been just waiting to have the opportunity to share my weirdness!?! After some pondering here are the top six.

1. I never leave home without my own pillow - I won't share a pillow with ANYONE not even BOB - sorry dear! Seems sort of like sharing a toothbrush - eewwwwww!
2. I don't like to eat at restaurants if they don't have DIET COKE! Why drink poison if it's not your favorite kind?
3. I love EGGO waffles with creamy peanut butter and lots of syrup - mmmmmmmm!
4. I am addicted to magazines and books . . . I LOVE them! ok that isn't so weird but I'm still counting it!
5. I wouldn't calculate my personal number (as figured from your birthdate) for years because I love the number 5 and was afraid it wouldn't turn out to be 5. Finally when I secretly figured it out it was 5 - YAHOO!
6. . . . and still on the numbers thing - I figure out all kinds of odd number patterns like our birthday dates are in order oldest to youngest - Bob on the 1st, Renée the 5th, Travis the 11th, Brett the 20th and Jake the 28th. Now that is WEIRD!

hmmm I tag Maija, Dawn, Lisa, Lelainia and Michelle. I hope you won't mind doing this - sort of a fun thing if you have time . . . and at least there are no hexes or voo doo pokes sent your way if you decide not to!

xoxx, Renée

Quilt Pink . . . it is on the front porch and ready for UPS to pick up today. Before I wrapped it up I took these photos to remind myself how much fun a little pink quilt with reproduction fabrics can be to decorate with.

This photo is just like one I took before it was quilted but it looks better quilted.

It looks pretty nice with my Vintage Stars quilt too

. . . and this is the label I made and put on the back . . . not very fancy but it is a good idea to put a label on all of your quilts - I think I will start doing that on all of mine.

Some of the blogs I visit regularly have been having drawings for different things - party favors or cleaning out their studios or ? what a fun idea. Tomorrow I think I will post a photo of a doll that perhaps can find a new home! There are quite a few that have had to live in plastic boxes around here for way too long - they need someone to love them. All you will have to do to join the fun is post a comment so I will know you want to be in the drawing. A few days later I will put the names in a bowl and blindfold (hmmm that sounds like fun!) my husband so he can draw a winner. Hope you will join me - I will post the photo tomorrow.
xoxx, Renée

Just a few pictures today. Some old button cards and a measuring tape
. . . the scissors are new

a cute little sewing machine . . . probably doesn't work though - who could sew and crank the wheel anyway?

I love this dress form . . . it's in my bedroom now - this is an old photo of it when it was near the front door!

xoxx, Renée

A Magnetic Board

I made this little enamel tray into a magnetic board after seeing a really cool gigantic magnetic calendar on B. Original a craft show on DIY & HGTV. I really wanted to make the giant one that she made with an automotive drip pan but didn't really think I had wall space to actually use it. So this was my little version of it for a bulletin board. The bird postcards are from the Cavallini & Co Natural History and Birds & Nests postcard sets. They have some really cool cards, papers and file folders.

My Quilt Pink quilt is quilted - thank you Sandy - the binding is on so I am going to wash it today to make it have the softer old vintage look. Then add a quilt label and it will be off to American Patchwork for their auction. Once it is ready I will take one last photo of it and post it here.

It is still sooooooo cold here . . . we covered all our exposed pipes last night since it was expected to get down into the teens. There was a great big icicle on the one water spigot that we forgot to cover. It doesn't seem to have caused a problem - thank goodness. It was the coldest temperature here in 17 years brrrrr! We are supposed to start a gradual warm up now and I am ready for that!

xoxx, Renée

hmmmm . . .

It has been a while - just sort of lazy I guess and couldn't think of what to photograph. So here are some random pictures just for fun. This is my smallest cloché with quail eggs in a little nest. I love the reflection of it in the mirror!

and this is in the same bathroom . . . a collection of old class photos

more class photos in a bedroom along with a cute stitchery from
Marshalls Home Goods (last year) . . . and some little vintage dresses

Will try to be a little more energetic about posting but brrrrrrr . . . for the next few days it is freezing cold here in Phoenix - a high of about 43 today - so that makes me want to cozy up by the fire and stitch. (We are pretty whimpy here.) A little doggie on each side of me sleeping and keeping me warm! Sounds pretty inviting don't you think? I will try to remember this cold weather along about July when it is close to 110 degrees!

xoxx, Renée

Quilt Pink Decorating . . .

Yeah the top is done and ready to go to Sandy for quilting . . . but here is a little decorating fun first!

Who knew what fun a little pink quilt could be to decorate with?

I am not such a pink girl but with a cause in hand and a little reproduction pink fabric - it looks pretty cute in all three vignettes! I couldn't decide which picture was the best so I decided why not post all three photos! Not sure when AP&Q will have the Quilt Pink Auction but the quilts are due in Des Moines by Feb. 1. That should work out pretty well.

xoxx, Renée

Ready, Set, Sew Quilt Pink . . .

This is my little quilt in progress for the Quilt Pink auction. I decided to use this pattern from my Back in Time booklet . . . I love sewing little four patches. The quilt needs to arrive at American Patchwork & Quilting magazine offices by Feb. 1. I think I can, I think I can . . . see the steam coming from my sewing machine. Back to stitching!
xoxx, Renée

Happy New Year's Eve ~ Ring in 2007!

I decided to leave a little bit of holiday glitter out to ring in the new year . . . the bird is from my pattern No 136 Sweet Redbird and the glass glitter star ornament is some Wendy Addison bling! Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve.
xoxx, Renée

Workshops at The Country Loft
February 23 & 24, 2007


Stars & Stripes on Friday evening
This little quilt was in the 2006 American Patchwork & Quilting Calendar for July



Patriotic Beulah on Saturday

I am really looking forward to seeing some of my darling friends that have joined me before for workshops at the Country Loft. It is a treat to visit with all the wonderful ladies that make this shop so special and definitely at the top of my very favorite shops list. Make sure to plan a visit to the Country Loft whenever you are in the San Diego area.
xoxx, Renée

Almost everything back in place . . . .

Christmas is over and most of the decorations are neatly packed away in their red & green storage bins. I spent all day yesterday taking down, sorting and packing my Christmas treasures. Some of the bins are neatly stacked right next to the garage door so each time I leave or come home I get a glimpse of Christmas treasures. I did find time for a quick trip to Frances to get a few decorations at 50% off including this SOOOO CUTE Cody Foster house.

Here are my new kitchen chairs - they were unfinished school house chairs. First I painted them dark brown. Next I painted over the brown with a mustard color and the last step was to sand them for a distressed look. My friend put numbers on hers, 1 - 6, they looked way cool so I decided to stencil our birth dates that way there would be lots of numbers on each chair. I was a little apprehensive to stencil the numbers but it was so easy - I was pleasantly surprised.



Now it is back to work . . . my Quilt Pink top is almost all cut and ready to sew together. Next the Cotton and Chocolate Quilt Shop projects - Sally if you are reading this I promise to call you this week.

I will also be teaching at the Country Loft in La Mesa, CA February 23 & 24. A little pieced and appliquéd quilt on Friday evening and on Saturday a doll, Martha celebrates Flag Day - I will post photos of them here in the next few days. I hope some of you can join me.

xoxx, Renée

Cookie Exchange . . .

mmmm delicious . . . I made peppermint chocolate wafers and gooey butter cookies for Sandee's cookie exchange today. This was my third year to attend and it was really fun. There were so many different kinds of cookies. Not as many ladies as last year which made it easier to maneuver as we filled our trays with goodies. Bob and my sons will certainly enjoy them. I am going to try to resist . . . so far not very well!

Finally I have stopped decorating . . . and will start wrapping the gifts. Maybe I will try to make that sort of a decorating thing. Usually it is the eleventh hour once I determine that each one has an equal number of gifts and too much has been spent. hmmm . . . I think I'm there!

I hope you are enjoying Christmas . . . only one more day and then it will be here. So much anticipation . . . so much fun . . . so many decorations. Merry Christmas!
xoxx, Renée

Twelve Drummers druming . . .

the last day of of my twelve days of Christmas decorating - YAY finally I was able to upload a photo . . . not sure what the problem was but here is an adorable Cody Foster snowman - isn't he cute? This "Bethany Lowe" Santa is new this year and he already had a bottle brush tree - very nice since I have been so complusive about the trees. He fits right in! Yahoo I made it - 12 Days of blogging all in a row - a record for me.

xoxx, Renée

Eleven Pipers piping . . .

This cloche has a paper maché house that I painted and then added glitter glass. A little wreath would be nice above the door . . . I will have to find one and add that. Usually I am not too much of a glitter girl but I quite like all the glitter on vintage Christmas decorations. I now have five jars of glitter glass for anything that looks like it might need a little sparkle. The snowman and trees are reproductions and the sheep is vintage.

This little red and green quilt was in the American Patchwork & Quilting Calendar for December 2005 and this was the perfect spot for it. Hailey is wondering why I am taking so many photos lately. She would rather that I just sat down and played with her.
xoxx, Renée

Ten Lords a leaping! or day TEN . . . wow this is a blogging record for me.

These are two little vintage houses - I LOVE the sponge tree with the red one. How cute is that? I wonder if it is some sort of floral sponge.

I got this terrarium yesterday on sale (making it irresistible) at Smith & Hawken - the house (an ornament with a music box) is from Target this year, the snowman is a Backporch Friends ornament & the trees are reproduction ones. I think this might be the last terrarium this year though I find them quite addictive because they are soooooooooo adorable.

We are going to see the new Will Smith movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness" this afternoon - great reviews . . . hope it isn't too crowded.
xoxx, Renée

Nine Ladies Dancing . . .

We had our Circle of Friends Christmas party on Thursday night - what a wonderful time! I am sooooo lucky to enjoy the company of these darling ladies. Everyone in the group either taught or worked at the Quilted Apple in Phoenix when Laurene Sinema owned it. Actually there are a few that just plain begged their way in to the group. We play a Christmas gift exchange game picking or stealing a wrapped gift - way lots of fun. After the last gift is picked then we open them one at a time. So many fabulous gifts! I was so lucky and delighted to get this little Noel quilt from Tonee White - she had made it from my pattern and was a bit worried when I kept trading to get it. It was wrapped in Honey & Me Candy Cane fabric (darling!) with an adorable mitten and a stitchery pattern tied on. SOOOOOO CUTE! I kept saying it was "sooo me!" Anyway I loved getting it - mine is always traveling for trunk shows so I am flattered Tonee made it and very happy to have it! Thank you Mz Tonee!


I bought this little chest of drawers today for a nightstand . . . not sure what I will put in the drawers but it will be nice to have some more storage space. Yay never too much storage and it will be very accessible! xoxx, Renée

The Eighth Day of Christmas . . .

This is my first amaryllis plant - my sweet friend Janice brought it to me. Thank you Janice! It must be a very hardy plant since it managed to bloom even without a green thumb. It's beautiful don't you think?

This is my guest bedroom . . . I think it needs an antique quilt on the wall. Maybe a really nice red and white quilt. xoxx, Renée

On The Seventh Day of Christmas Decorations . . .
















This two tiered plate thing is another fun new decoration this year . . . the snow really made it and I love the way the oversized reindeer make it very folksy. It is one of my favorites.



















Here are some more favorites as in my three sons, Jake, Travis & Brett . . . posing for a Christmas photo op. They couldn't keep from laughing when I pointed out some portrait tips:
tilt your head slightly, hold your head up high, lift your chin up and out
. . . Axel & Hailey thought it was a game of sorts too - all of this didn't equal a perfect Christmas photo but it did provide some Sunday Family Dinner fun.
xoxx, Renée

Day SIX for Christmas Vignettes . . . .
This is the Santa Terrarium - I had Bob cut the little ball feet off this one (it came from Target a few years ago) - I like it soooo much better now that it sits flat on the tray.

The Christmas Tree looks better at night when the white wire isn't as apparent. In my opinion it certainly isn't worth taking off all the Shiny Brite ornaments to change the lights. Especially since they don't seem to show as much in person as they do in this photo.



This faux feather tree (from The Apple Tree) has one of the upside down metal funnels to cover the base. I love the way it looks and if I ever decide to do some canning there are four funnels to use. I would even know where to find them in one of the Christmas decorations boxes. Until tomorrow . . . xoxx, Renée

Five Golden Rings
or the 5th day for my Christmas Vignettes. The icicle lights on the Christmas Tree worked out very well except that the wire is white . . . it would be much better if it was green. So be on the look out for green wire icicle lights - very hard to come by here. There will be a photo of the tree in tomorrow's post.

The base of this silver tree is an upside down milk strainer that I cut the wire mesh out of. I have several upside down metal funnels used to cover tree bases too - find them at flea markets or antique malls. I will take some pictures of them tomorrow to show how cute they are.

This is one of three little glass cases - this is the snowman case in the kitchen . . . they are so much fun to make. If you have an old terrarium, some little bottle brush trees and a little house try it!

HO HO HO . . . see you tomorrow!
xoxx, Renée