Life Lately

I've been told it's time to update the ol' blog!  I really don't have anything too newsworthy to update, but I'll put up some of the projects I've been working on lately and want to do more work on!!  

I'm trying to update the look in my living room - from browns and reds to yellow's and blue's to match the painting that Ayla did for me..............

 So I've started with the simple stuff - like cushions on the couch.

This one I made from a pattern that Ayla sent me - it was actually supposed to be a doll blanket - I just made it a pillow instead.  It was very fun to make - this is what the pieces looked like:

Zig Zags

 This one I actually purchased at Fabricland - it's made of felt, would be easy to copy.  Nice textures.




And the ruffly one I just saw one like it at Pier 1 and thought I could copy it.  It was very fun to make, but it's not my favourite, I am just not a "ruffly" kind of person.  It might get sent somewhere else.  I am working on another blue one, maybe a round one?  Not sure yet.

Front

This one I made from little 2 1/2 " squares - lots of scraps I've been keeping in a little box in my sewing drawers.  It was very fun to do.

Back

 

Then I went through all my material and found that I actually have a lot of yellow material, so I made a quilt top and back with all yellows.  It is just 42" x 46", a lap quilt.  I haven't put it together yet, but this is the top and back:

Top of quilt

Back of quilt

I'm enjoying the yellow - and obviously it is a colour I like since I seem to have a lot of it!  I've been searching  in thrift stores for an old wooden coffee table  that I want to paint a pale yellow along with the cheap Ikea end tables I already have that are brown.  That should make a difference!  Maybe I'll post that in my next blog!? 

I have found a few treasures in my thrift shopping lately - this little red chair will be Wren's - I'm working on a little seat cushion for it too - $4 at MCC Thrift, my new favourite thrift store.

And finally I've been out in the yard - it took me awhile, but I finally got the plant "bug" again.  I'm not much for flower gardens, but I do love pots.  my colour scheme this year was red and purple together - I love it!! 

We've had so much rain that they really haven't done much, but if the sun every stays out longer than a few minutes, these will take off and fill up the pot.  I can't wait!

Here's a garage sale find - the old white basin

looking pretty water logged, poor things!

I found this little welcome pot at a selling out store downtown - $4 - the nicotiana plant cost more!!

I saw this idea of tiered pots in Pinterest - I got this set of pots from my Aunt a couple years ago, had been storing them in the garage - I love this one - and again, if the sun every shines, it will fill up nicely!!

And some from the front garden - chives and columbine:

Here's hoping that summer shows up soon!!

Becoming Grandma

The moment finally arrived - Wren Penelope Anderson arrived October 21, 2011 - beautiful dark haired 7 pound, 15 ounce bouncing baby girl.  I left home on October 22nd for the initial inspection and to visit my children too of course.  Turned out to be a big day for Ayla too - she and Ron got engaged that afternoon!! So we had lots of celebrating to do!!  Here's a few photo's of the time spent there, kind of a mish-mash - all taken with my new android phone, which has a very good camera but the colors are all really bright; I need to play with it some more I'm thinking.  



Mommy cuddles




Daddy cuddles







Auntie Cuddles



First bath at home

She scrunches right up like a little ball

The beautiful flowers from Gramms and Gramps

Jack Calverley and Wren at the baby shower

I was also there for halloween, so we spent the evening at Brad and Soleta's and watched as waves of halloweeners came to the door - it was the coolest halloween ever!  This is Marko and his twin cousins.

and "The Pirate" that never left his corner all night!! :)

Even Wren dressed up!!

I made a quilt and bird mobile for the baby's room:

And then (not to be left out!) here's the happy engaged couple!!

Look at those smiles!!

This is how she asked Sonya and Jocelyn to be her bridesmaids - I thought it was so cool!

                                                   The drive home was beautiful - first part was beautiful green with golds and reds interspersed and then suddenly it was all white topped trees, a real contrast. 

Hard to come home to cold and snow, but maybe it won't be for too long???

Eager Grandma

I had a few hours in Cross Iron Mills mall this afternoon and just "happened" to stop in at the Carters/Osh Kosh store and found this outfit and could not leave it there!!  Yes, I think my first grandchild is going to be a boy!! 

April Snow

Saturday morning we woke up to about 4 inches of beautiful wet white snow covering everything.  It snowed all day and by the end of the day we had about 7 inches - probably more, because it packed down quickly because it was so wet.  It was a bit depressing because it is April and winter is supposed to be over, but it was just so beautiful.  I thought it was funny when I came across these advertisements when I was browsing the newspaper flyers..........

and I looked outside and saw this:

By 4:30 we had 6 inches - here's proof:

Sunday morning we woke up to beautiful sunshine and blue sky - I measured again, almost 7 inches!

It really was beautiful with the blue, blue sky in the background - here's how it looked around my house:

And with the sun shining, it soon started dripping making some cool icicles........