Projects because...It's a boy!

We are patiently waiting for our newest family member to join us and the wait is just a few weeks away.  Recently, my daughter, Bridgette, and I went to the western part of the state for a shower honoring the little man and his folks.  I worked on a few projects before-hand and even posted a little hint about that HERE.

I decided that I was going to take my inspiration from a fellow blogger, Suzanne, over at Just Another Hangup.  I used her ric-rack receiving blanket tutorial to guide me.  Then, with a gift card from my friend, Margaret, I went shopping!  I browsed JoAnn, Etc., Hobby Lobby, and even a local quilting store.  I found several fabrics which would make sweet, cheerful, one-of-a-kind receiving blankets and brought my haul home.

red trucks with a black dog, black gingham, and bright red rick-rack

When Bryan was just a little fellow, he loved dogs and almost every dog he met became his friend.  We lived near a busy road, so a country dog did not last long at our house.  Still, we would visit folks and he would say, "They have a nice dog, don't they?"  Eventually, we buried an underground wire for a Radio Fence after my dad forced a homeless, unwanted mutt upon us brought us what was soon to become a welcomed friend but that is a story for another day...

I drive a red truck.  I also have a rambunctious, over-sized jump-upon-whoever-enters spirited, friendly, large Schnauzer/Terrier mix black dog who really is a nice dog.  No, really he is nice.  So, I thought this fabric was just perfect to make a gift from Grand B.

Since most of our family was farm-raised right along-side dairy cows, market lambs, etc., I thought this cute E-I-E-I-O print was appropriate.  I found a nice, soft, blue plaid to serve as one side of the reversible blanket and added rick-rack in a soft blue.

Here is a closer look at the farm print:

Notice that the letters are a small windowpane check.

Bryan was on The University of Tennessee at Martin's livestock judging team and since he graduated, he has been asked to judge several livestock exhibitions.  He seems to enjoy the task, and besides, it usually brings him in contact with one of his loves - a funnel cake!

The final set of companion fabrics I put together featured an all-over print of white-tail bucks, the woods, and turkeys - another set of Bryan's loves.

The companion print I chose for this one was a soft grey flannel with hoof and turkey tracks all over it and added some soft grey rick-rack.

Besides the selection of the fabrics being something a bit less than traditional soft blues, greens, and yellows that many boys' items are made of, I also decided I wanted to personalize each blanket just a wee bit.  So, I started by folding and cutting the fabric and using the same sort of fancy template for curved corners that Suzanne's tutorial recommended.  Then, I went ahead and stitched the rick-rack onto one side of the blanket fabric.

Next, I commissioned my daughter, Bridgette, to put her new business, Goody Stuff,  into practice and embroider a couple of designs.  (Yes, again that was a shameless plug.)  She did a marvelous job and I was so pleased to offer these blankets as a gift at the shower.

The busy wildlife print got a simple grey silhouette of a buck and the family last name.  No, I couldn't just ask for a monogram because as yet, the little man doesn't have a first name.  We have all made several suggestions but something always seems to be wrong with each...

No, the initials spell out something unacceptable.  No, he will be in third grade before he can ever write his own name.  No, I worked with a student who had that name and I sure don't want the little man to grow up to be like that!  No, I went to school with that guy and he was a big goof-ball.  No, I have a customer with that name and he is a real pain...I think you get the idea.

When it was finished, I thought this blanket would be my favorite because it looks so much like fall when the little man is due to be born.  Then, I saw this one:

Somehow, Bridgette found a cute cow that looks very similar to the fabric's print and embroidered it on the 'plain' plaid side.

Again, it is so unique and personal.  Nobody will ever have one exactly like it.  Plus, it is soft, well constructed, and large enough to really swaddle a baby or to just lay out for a pallet or nap cover.  When I saw this one, I thought it would probably be my favorite one.

Then, I got the idea to incorporate an old-fashioned technique that my mother, grandmother, and a friend from college had used years and years ago.  I cross-stitched on the gingham using the little squares as a guide for my Xs.

Isn't that pop of red juxtaposed with the black fun looking?

I just loved the shape of the truck.  So, I took a photo of the print with my iPad.  Then, I enlarged the photo some.  Next, I placed that picture into the Educreations app with a graph paper overlay.  I 'instantly' had a cross-stitch pattern to follow!

Of course, it became my favorite!

Honestly, I don't see how a favorite could be determined.  Here are some close-up shots of the two embroidered designs Bridgette added:

Wildlife/buck

Smiling Cow

Bridgette also created a burp-cloth as a companion for the truck/dog blanket using her embroidery-machine talent:

Didn't it turn out sweet?

I had barely bought enough fabric for the other two blankets, so there was no left-over to make a companion burp-cloth for them.  To present them at the shower, I folded all four to best show off their personalization features and stacked them into Bryan's well-loved yellow Tonka truck.  Remember those big yellow metal things (now called vintage) that would hold half a driveway full of rocks and dirt?  Then, I wrapped some clear basket wrap around it and tied it up with a green chevron and burlap bow.  It was so cute.  No, I forgot all about getting a photo of it.  Rats!

Now we are just waiting for the little man to make his appearance and we will be cuddling soon!  Sometimes my projects turn out so wonderfully that I cannot wait to share - but this one just had to wait a little bit to keep the surprise for the shower.

Did I mention...?

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before.  I may have and I might not have...

I looked back through past posts and never saw one utterance about it...

I did see a hint or two...

I cannot believe I haven't mentioned this before.  I think that folks who see me on a regular basis may already be tired of hearing about it.  I cannot imagine why because it is just such exciting news...

We are going to be grandparents!!!

(Do you see us squealing and jumping around and acting like fools?  Well, nobody else did either because we hold it together and pretend to be adults and don't let anybody see us being all giddy and silly and goofy acting.)

What?

What's that you say?

...Well, yes, we are ALREADY grandparents.  I mean, yes, we do already have four granddaughters.  It is true that Mike's daughter, Laura, has a child in kindergarten and a child in pre-K.  It is also true that my daughter, Bridgette, has a child in first grade and a child in pre-K.

So, technically, I guess we already are grandparents if you are going to be strict and go by the book and all that persnickety mumbo-jumbo.

The thing is, you see...

...this time we are going to be grandparents to a baby boy!

Yep.  Bryan and Jessica are expecting a boy this fall and our whole family is over-the-moon crazy over the thought of having another baby in the family.

Do I look any more grandmothery to you?

Tweaking

How many times have I gotten a genius idea for a project and when finished, I just didn't feel quite satisfied?  I wish I had a nickel...

The monogram decoration that I made for the front door earlier in the summer is just one of those projects.  You see, Bridgette had made me these cute little burlap and applique and embroidered flags for my back doors.  So, I thought I would continue with that concept and create something for the front door.

I started with a piece of foam board.  You know, that heavy foam poster board stuff?  I got mine at Hobby Lobby and while I was there, I went over to the stretched canvas section and drew traced an oval one onto the board.  Then, I got another smaller oval canvas and traced it as well.  Then, my outline of the letter O was ready for me to cut it out.

I brought it home and used a utility knife to cut out the outline.  It wasn't really pretty but, knowing that I planned to cover it, I thought it would work out just fine.

Jessica picked me up a spool of brown jute twine.  So, one rainy Sunday afternoon I wound the twine around my cut out outline of the letter O.

I took some burlap ribbon that was painted/screen-printed with a chevron stripe and tied a simple bow and hung it on the door.

Bleh!

So, closed the door and tried not to think about that lackluster project.  Yet, each time I opened the door to go water the plants on the front porch, there it was...staring at me with a dejected, pitiful look.

Yesterday I was inspired and decided to try a little tweaking.  I took a left-over strip of scrapbook paper and a Sharpie marker and did a little doodling.  Then, I used some raffia and clear tape to hold it all together.  Finally, I tied my little banner onto the O.  Tweak!

My heart isn't thumping.  My knees aren't weak.  But I think I can live with this for just a little while.

Maybe it is just to simplistic and I am more of a fluff girl.  It will have to do for now.  At least till I get another genius idea...

Interesting Configuration

A couple of Saturdays ago Bridgette, Lillie, Lydia, and I trekked half-way across the state to attend a baby shower honoring my daughter-in-law, Jessica.  It was quite a trip.  We made good time and decided to stop and eat lunch.  We were greeted by a buffalo.  It was quite a scary site.  You can see what I'm talking about HERE.

Then, we hopped back on the interstate and traversed a short way only to come to a dead stop a mere seven miles from our exit.  There had been some sort of accident and a tractor-trailer-rig had turned over on the side of the road.  So, we waited a good forty-five minutes or so there.

When we finally made it to our exit, I asked Bridgette, our driver, to stop so that I could take a potty break.  As soon as she stopped in the parking lot of Dottie's Marine, I zipped inside to take care of business.  This was what greeted me when I opened the door to the women's restroom:

Now, I have a question for you.  Just say that you were in a rush and you zipped in to take care of business and you didn't bring a friend along.  Just say that you quickly chose the first throne you came to.  Explain what you would do when the time came that you needed a length of toilet paper...

Don't you think this is sort of an interesting configuration for a bathroom?

Shaggy no more

Toby got a haircut and he is no longer shaggy.

Mike and I always love it right after he has been groomed.  He smells fresh and clean.  His coat is shiny and soft.

Plus, he looks so much more distinguished.  Mike always calls him Sebastian on the day that he comes home from the groomer because he looks so much more distinguished.

You can tell it really makes a difference to Toby, too.

I mean, he changes his routine so much.

I wish I was freshly-shorn and looked more distinguished and polished like him!

New Site!

My daughter has changed her business name and expanded its offerings!  There is truly something for everyone there.  If you like individualized, unique, and personalized items, this place is for you...

This is her new logo.  Isn't that just too cute?

Her listing on FaceBook can be found HERE. I personally like the flags she made for me.  You can see one HERE and more HERE.  Of course, I like the unique property and the fact that it lies flat on my French doors where we come in and out all the time.  Plus, the flags can be seasonal or fit in any season like the monogrammed one I have pictured.

I've also enjoyed the personalized napkins...,

embroidered monogram

or

appliqued monogram

table runners...,

dish towels...

appliqued

or

embroidered

and crocheted dish cloths (All of these looked too 'used' for me to photograph.)  she hand crafted for me, too.  Having something one-of-a-kind is wonderful and something that is created specifically for our home and our life-style makes it doubly special.

For (soon-to-be) loads of photos and to see her creativity posted online, check out her infant blog.  You can find her HERE.  (I also think you will enjoy and appreciate the story behind her business name.)

Let me encourage you to contact her.  Watch for give-aways as well!  She is sometimes generous and always really, really industrious and busy.

She must have a really wonderful mother!

Lillie's Days

Almost since birth, my granddaughter, Lillie, has come to spend a few Days.  It is a special treat for me to be able to have an extended time with her when I don't have a hustle/bustle to be at work.  It gives me a wonderful opportunity to get to know her better and love her even more.  

At some point, when she was quite young, she informed her mother that she needed to "go to Grand B's to spend some Days."  (It was probably shortly after the birth of her younger sister and she needed some extra attention, but I don't recall exactly when she prompted us to start calling these extended visits Days.)  It has sort of become a tradition and we simply refer to her extended visits as... Lillie's Days.  (We are original and unique and creative like that!)

A couple of weeks ago marked Lillie's Days.  We were lucky enough to share about four days - all of them quite hot days.  It was quite wonderful for me and I think she enjoyed the time as well.  What did we do?

Well, visited the local library.  The one way that girl is like her grandmother is that she has ALWAYS loved books.  

Even as a baby she was intrigued by them.  That is one thing that thrills my heart.  She picked out a couple of books at the local library.  It seemed that the criterion for what a wonderful book is to her is that it must involve a horse in some way.  Her selections were Everything but the Horse by Hollie Hobby (Who knew she was an author?  Not me!  I thought she was just a doll who wore a bonnet.) and Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi.  

The teacher in me tried to steer her toward a couple more of the books I love but she had none of that.  She is a girl who makes up her mind and sticks to it.  As it turned out, the books were quite wonderful and we both enjoyed them tremendously, reading them every single day that she was here.  We also had to read our traditional favorites, The Alley Cat's Meow by Kathi Appelt and What About Emma? by Ken Rush.  

The conversations are always interesting and mature when we sit down to read and discuss our books.  The comments from this less-than-fifty-pound, shorter-than-five-feet, seven-year-old scrawny little thing are always enlightening.  As I would read, Lillie would ask me questions like this, "Grand B, remember when I was a little girl and you would..."  

Another activity we both enjoyed each and every day was to go to "Nan's pool" (My sister and brother-in-law who live here on the 'family compound' have a backyard pool.)  

She loves to splash and jump and imagine and experiment.  She started off quite cautious and wearing water wings and a ring floaty.  

Then, she discovered that she could touch the bottom and not risk the danger of getting her face underwater (truly a catastrophe if that were to happen!) and she was a free and flippery little fish.  (Of course, I sat a little bit closer to the edge and was a mite more alert.)

Our days were full of fun and we both wish they could happen more often.  Wouldn't it be nice if we had no responsibility and could just take a few Days to spend wherever we like whenever we wish?