More Celebrating

My little round cheeked baby in this picture turns 13 years old today.  A teenager.  I remember taking this picture of my little girls just like it was last week.  Time marches by quickly...just like everyone told me it would.  She and I have birthday's two days apart.  She says she likes it that way.  Me too! 

 Taylor's Top Ten At The Age Of 13!

1.  Skittles

2.  Zebra print anything

3.  Llamas

4.  Justin Bieber

5.  Aeropostale

6.  Her BFF Lindsay

7. Watching Cake Boss and DC Cupcakes

8.  Her mama's homemade strawberry ice cream (which we will be devouring later this evening)

9.  Baking in the kitchen

10.  Planning on becoming a famous chef someday

Happy 13th Birthday Taylor Kay!  I hope you have a wonderful birthday!
I luv you,
Mama

Oh Happy Day!

I officially turn another year older today.  And I am smiling.  :)

Z is for....

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Day!  I made it through then entire alphabet.  Yippee!!!

Fun Birthday Give Away!

Randi at i have to say is hosting a birthday party for her fabric shops 3rd birthday!  She is doing several giveaways until Saturday in celebration!  I have ordered from her several times and it has been a wonderful experience.  She is lovely!  Go put your name in the hat for some pretty stuff. :)

X and Y are for....

X-ray.  Doesn't everyone have a copy of their teeth in their computer???

Yearbooks.  My freshman class yearbook is on the left.  My freshman daughters is on the right.  She has more people in her freshman class than I did in my entire high school.  And her yearbook is all in color.  Mine is antique black and white. :)

W is for....

Windows.  Open wide.  Curtains blowing gently in the breeze.  Simple things but I love them.

V is for....

 Very good things.

Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and LOTS of sprinkles my almost 13 year old daughter created  for us all by herself. 

New fabric and pattern to create this adorable apron.
Very good things in my book.

U is for....

 

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Under.

Psalm 17:8  Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings 

When I think of this scripture, it makes me think of the umbrella for some reason.  When it is raining and the elements are coming down on us, we are safe and dry underneath the umbrella.  But, when we step outside the protection of the umbrella, we get wet.  Which is uncomfortable.  When we stay under our Heavenly Fathers wings, we are safe.  But when we try to do things on our own and go outside that protection, things get a bit uncomfortable.  I need to choose to say under His protection more.  Have a wonderful Sunday!

T is for....

 The Best Bread Recipe!

Strawberry Bread

 Ingredients:

2 cups fresh strawberries 3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups white sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil 4 eggs, beaten 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. (I used four little loaf pans so I could share with neighbors and friends)
2.	Slice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture.
3.	Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans.
4.	Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out, and cool completely.

S is for....

Simplify.
Oh are there some pretty things in here.  Sigh...so many quilt ideas in my little head.  I really need a job to support my addiction passion.  :)

R is for....

Remembering.
We have been getting a new Internet, phone and TV service the past few days.  Which has left me without Internet for a couple days.  Eeks!
When the TV gentleman was here showing me all the channels that we have and what the massive remote does, (which I think one needs a PhD to operate) I had a flashback of my earlier mommy moments.  My daughter loved the show Little Bill.  While flipping thru the remote, I saw this little show she loved so dearly.  So, I DVR'ED it.  :) 
When she got home from school I told her I had a surprise for her.  I was not sure if she would tell me how crazy I was or not.  But she laughed and loved it and we traveled down memory lane together while watching her favorite little show.

Q is for....

Quilts.
My heart just goes a flutter when I see a stack of little quilts together.  These were the Mother's Day gifts I made for four special mothers in my life.  Little runners for their tables to remember how special they are to me.

P is for....

Pink.
This was my hug from God this morning.  He knows that my favorite color is pink.  While talking with him I looked up and saw this. 

Psalm 61:2-4

From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

O is for....

Opal.
My daddy's mothers name was Opal.  She is the beautiful woman in this photo standing with her family (my daddy is the sweet little boy) in front of her garden.  Can you see her dress?  I guarantee she made that by hand.  She was a wonderful seamstress.  I wish I had 1/16 of her talent.  She could make anything!  She was the Martha before there was Martha.  :)  She was thrifty.  She drove a totally cool car.  She had a lovely home.  She had a sewing room that I loooooved to snoop in as a child.  She ate really yummy salad dressing.  She smelled wonderful all the time.  She loved to paint her nails.  She was a Christian.  She played bridge with her friends.  She was always dressed to the T.  She was lovely. Her name suits her just fine.  And I miss her.

N is for....

Natalie.
This is one of my favorites right now.
The lyrics are so powerful.
The enemy...he has to leave....at the sound of your great name.
WOW! Praise His Name today.  And make that enemy sho!

M is for....

Mercy Me.
This fabric is so stinking cute!!  I had to have it.  But what to do with it???  I am sure I will come up with something.  But for now, I am just going to admire it.  I got it from this sweet gals shop.  Go check her out.

L is for....

Little Finished Quilt.

K is for....

Kids.  And their mama on Mother's Day.  And our sweet neighbor doggie Oliver.  We love him.

J is for....

Just a wee bit of mulch to spread around those flowers.

I is for....

IcantbelieveIactuallymightgetthisquiltdonefinallythat
IbeganlastJuly.
(my spell check does not like me at the moment)  hee hee

H is for...

 

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Hail!  To The Queen Mum!!
Happy Mother's Day to mine.  I love you very much and miss you more than you know.

And Happy Mother's Day to all of you as well.  xoxox

G is for....

 

Grateful!

I am so thankful for the blogging friends I have made since beginning this blog adventure.  It has been so much fun for me.  I have even had the privilege of actually meeting a few in real life!  And many more that I wish I could sit down with and share a cup of coffee.  I know if miles were not an object....we would.  One of those sweet people is Trish.  She sent me the most wonderful package in the mail yesterday.  She knows my favorite color in the whole wide world is pink. I simply LOVE IT!   She also knows that May is my birthday month.  (so is hers!)
When I started writing this blog a couple years ago...it started as a way for me to connect with other women who enjoy the same things that I do like sewing, cooking and quilting.  It has opened up a wonderful world for me that I had not even planned.  But God had.  And I am grateful.  :)

F is for....

 Fantastic! Flowers!  Finally!

 

This has been a very long winter for me.  I was so excited to see if all the bulbs I had planted last fall would awaken and rise up from the earth.  And they did!!  All fifty bulbs that I planted last fall are coming up.  Isn't that amazing!  Something laid in the frozen ground all winter long and when God gives the command to arise and wake they listen and come out. Amazing!!!


Isaiah 40:8
"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

E is for....

Engelbreit!  As in THE MARY ENGELBREIT!!!!  This picture was taken in 2004 of her and I.  She used to have the most charming little shop in the Galleria Mall in St. Louis.  It had a black and white checkered floor.  And it was FILLED to the rim with Mary loveliness.  Sadly, she made the decision to close the store.  I went into deep depression.  Well, not really, but I sure was sad!  Anyway, she was at her darling, quaint, little store doing a meet and greet and I forced encouraged my friends to come along with me.  I have something Mary in every single room of my house.  I am not kidding.  I adore her.  I am a Mary Junkie and proud of it!!!  She makes me smile.  And smiles are so very good.

D is for....

Darla!  My dear, dear friend. 

C is for....

Cat!  You KNEW I would have to choose my handsome boy for today.  Right?  :)

B is for ....

 Bible.  Something that I have taken for granted in my life sadly.  How many times do I forget that it holds ALL the answers to the questions I have in life.  Yet, I continue to try things on my own?  Sigh...... Thick headed girl am I. 

And yes, that is a piece of white rick-rack being used as a bookmark.  Rick rack is multi-functional.  :)

A is for....

Sweet Trish from Notes of Sincerity asked us if we wanted to play a little alphabet game with her the month of May.  And since I am particularly fond of the month of May,  I said yes!



So today is the letter A.  I knew right away what I would use for that letter.  It is something very very special to me.  It has been in my life for over forty years.  It is something that listens to me, loves me in spite of myself, encourages me, lifts me up, advises me on tough matters and well....is just always there for me.

My letter A is......

Alison.  My sweet sister.