Quite a wake up call we had this morning. I heard it start to rain when I first woke up.... and it just kept getting harder and harder.
Then the hail. Just small nuggets.... but they sure tried to sound like they were big boys.
And the rain came down heavier and heavier.
At one point I couldn't see across the street.
The wind was blowing and it was dumping big time. And it was dark!
I tried to get a couple of pics to show how hard it was raining.... but the blowing rain put drops all over my lens.
So these were taken after it had subsided quite a lot.
The storm left behind a calm, cool, sun-shining, great smelling morning to enjoy.


Nothing like a bit of excitement to start my day.



Yesterday I finished putting the sashing strips on the rest of the blocks for Trents quilt. It turned out really cute and even tho the sashing took much much longer to do than just regular sashing, I'm sure glad I decided to do it this way.
Today the border goes on and I'll be mitering the corners. I have a new gadget so I'll show you later how it works.

Just wanted to post a quick heads up here. Hop on over to Mama Sparks World and check out her/Bunny Hill giveaway. It's great.

Our lunch Monday with Donna & Dick was sooooo nice.
It was great to see them again.
And then after we ate we just had to go to the LQS. I was looking for some 'just perfect' fabric to make the curtains for my kitchen.
Well.... I didn't find any there but I did pick up a pattern that I have been wanting to make.
I hope I can get started on this one soon.


So..... since I also stopped in at Hobby Lobby (and still no perfect fabric there) I waited until we went to Holdrege yesterday and I stopped in at my most favorite quilt store.
After looking and looking at so many of her fabrics I thought I was going to have to give up and just order online.
Then I turned around and I saw a bolt of fabric just laying on top of some others.
OMGosh!! There it was! MY FABRIC!!!
When I finally started to breath again LOL I started to search for a coordinating piece and after searching through all the golds.... greens.... then finally the reds.... I found the one I wanted.
Here they are.....


And here are my curtains on my windows in my newly painted kitchen.

Good Monday Morning!
Today we get to have lunch with Donna & Dick at Kearney and I can't wait.
And of course, we must visit the LQS while we're there!
I also plan to stop at Hobby Lobby and check out their fabrics. I sure hope I can find the fabric I want so I can make the curtains and re-cover the kitchen chairs.
But if I can't I will surely find the "just right" fabric at Quilter's Delight in Holdrege tomorrow when we go for Don's Dr appt. tomorrow. Geez!! It seems that's all we get done any more! Doctors or Dentist!!

I did get back to my sewing yesterday for a bit. Still putting sashing around the blocks on Trent's quilt. Just a couple more rows and I'll be ready to set the borders on.

And I've finished this months Guild Pizza Box (for Kayrl) Her Log Cabin type pattern has some traditional blocks and some of these heart blocks (sewn log cabin style).
It's a cute pattern and easy to put together.
It's so fun to see what each person has chosen and to see the colors they pick.

DONE!!

Well almost. I have a few small To-Do's left in each room, but I can joyfully say that the three room make-over is finished.
Monday we're going to Kearney to meet Donna & Dick for lunch (am I excited? YES!!) and while we're there I plan to look for material to make curtains. I'm hoping I can also find something special to add to one of the walls for that final touch.
It feels soooo good to have 'New Rooms' again. And I so appreciate the girls being able to come over to do this for me.

As far as quilting goes. I have managed to get a couple of rows sewn together on Trent's quilt. It's coming along nicely. I'm sashing it just a bit different and I like the way it is turning out. Although it sure takes a lot longer.
But hey.... for Trent it's worth every minute.
Don't you agree?

Good morning!! Here's a quick update on my kitchen makeover.
Let me tell you about my kitchen and why it HAS to be fixed.
We built our house in 1970 and at that time the big "IN" thing was to put wood paneling (or something trying to resemble wood) in the houses.
So, of course, I definitely wanted my new home to be up-to-date so I chose ...... paneling.
Simple paint was just too boring and wallpaper hadn't really come into vogue quite yet.
I put it in our family room.... in the Dining room and hall.... AND..... (wait for it)..... in the kitchen!!
Yep! You read right! "In The Kitchen".
White paneling no less!
Oh it was so 'in' and so cool!

Well that didn't take long to get very tired of. So I papered the walls. But first I had to fill in the grooves with spackle so they wouldn't show through the paper. Remember, back then it wasn't cool to just leave the grooves and paint over it like it is today.
I liked that paper for many, many years. But all good things must come to an end and the paper finally had to go.
After all.... how hard could it be to change it out?

Now keep in mind that this re-do is just supposed to be a simple thing. Nothing fancy or difficult. And certainly nothing that would require a professional crew to come in and rip out walls etc. (I wish)
Soooooo... after pulling off the paper I realized that the paneling needed a fix to get rid of the look of the spackled grooves that stuck out like a sore thumb.
So..... I headed to our hardware store and started asking a lot of questions. After much consideration.... I settled on the best treatment I thought.
I certainly didn't want more paper put up like one gal suggested.
I bought a bucket of wall techture stuff that we were supposed to be able to just apply with a special roller.
Sounds simple. Right?


Three hours later Gina wound up looking like this....
But the girls did a great job and this has given me the look I was after. It worked!!

Today the paint goes on.



Oh BTW..... here's another peek at Trents quilt-in-progress.

I've been catching up with some of the blogs I follow on Google Reader and just saw that this is the last day for Geta's giveaway. She does fantastic work! Check it out if you haven't already.

And so another week begins......
My bedroom painting is complete and everything moved back in and I'm sleeping comfy.
Two shades of green and the trim is painted white.
It looks and feels cool and refreshing.
Now I just have to decide what I want to put on the walls..... if anything.
I'm kinda liking it just simple and non-cluttered.

The bathroom is almost finished.
I just have one small project to do in there and it will be done. It's lookin' good!
Picture to follow after I get the project finished.

That only leaves the kitchen to do. All the paper has been stripped and the walls washed (this was the hardest room of all)
And then it was put on hold when Kay died.
This week the girls will be back and they should be able to get it finished.
I am so ready now to be done and re-organized in there.
I'm really ready to get back to my quilting.

Speaking of quilting..... here's a pic of the very beginning of Trenton's quilt. Much more to come later.
Stay tuned.

Kay's funeral is over.
All the peripheral drama has subsided and life goes on.

As promised....

And so our re-do begins!
For several years now I have been wanting to change the decor in three of the rooms but..... knew I was not physically able to do it anymore! I used to change things up a lot in my younger days. Either by moving the furniture all around or changing the paint colors of the rooms or adding wallpaper here & there etc.
Well.... it's been years since I've done any re-do's.
So.....Yesterday the girls came over and started tearing off the old wallpaper in the bath and bedroom. They primed and painted both rooms before calling it quits around 7:00pm. Quite the little speed demons those three!
They are doing such a good job. And doing it the right way!! Which is not the way I usually did things. I hated the prep-work (like priming and wallpaper preparation) so when I did anything I usually skipped most of that and would just get right to the good stuff.... the final stage. But not these gals. Gina is making them do every step and do it right.
It shows!!

A little touch up left in the bathroom to do today and then I can start putting everything back in there and get the stuff back up on the wall.
The girls will work in the bedroom today to finish painting the walls and then start on the trim work.
The real hard room will be the kitchen!!! Boy does it have issues!!
So now I better get myself moving.... The girls will be here soon.