Well, this past weekend was semi-productive.  We went to Tempe Town Lake to check out the new pedestrian bridge to find that it was STILL not open.  Talk about being behind schedule!

I did get some quilting done.  First I tried putting sections of the quilt into my largest embroidery hoop and found that it was very tedious as I was needed to move it often.  Next I tried this set up, push pinning the sides of the quilt to some scrap boards and then setting it up on the chairs (like a make shift quilt frame).  This didn’t work out so well either.  Currently I have it pinned really well and am just bunching it up in my lap to hand quilt.

I quilted kind of an ornamental circle thing in the center and then cross hatch designs in the center of each plate.  I am quilting about a 1/2″ around each plate as well.  I am not sure what design to quilt onto the border?  I was thinking maybe scallops?  or 4″ spaced lines a at 45degree angle?  Any suggestions?

Taken about 5:30pm TODAY.  Please send snow cones, ice cream, icicles and anything else extremely cold.

That’s how I roll.  Somethings I plan and take my time on, but really, I like to just wing it and figure it out.  Monday night after we finished our delish fish tacos I decided I wanted to go take pictures of the sunset.

Still learning how to use this uber powerful camera, I did a quick google search and an even quicker skimming of this article.  Grabbed the camera, tripod and hopped in the car.

I put the camera on Shutter Priority and just started shooting.  In my mind, I thought the canals would be a great unobstructed view of the sunset.  Stupid electric lines and towers!

Actually I like the way they turned out.  I think the wires and poles give it and urban sunset feel.

I tell ya though, this camera is giving me a run for my money!  My pictures are still turning out darker than I would like, despite me getting the light reader spot on.  Or worse, when I have plenty of light streaming into the room, but the camera says its not enough, but I can’t go lower than 150 if I am shooting a moving kid, and then the lens won’t go lower than 4.5.  Grrr I have learned though, that I would rather have a photograph under exposed, rather than overexposed (see below).

Thank heavens for Photoshop!  (although I did almost no editing of the sunset shots).

It was a good day yesterday.  We took the kids to Montezuma’s well for a picnic, water play and cooler temps (although it was only 98 compared to phx’s 105).  After picnicking and playing we headed to the NORTH side of Tempe Town Lake where we had a great view of the fireworks and none of the crowd ( I don’t like crowds).

Hope your celebrations were good too!

storyboard template from Gingerpixel

When the forecaster mentioned that you were going to reach 115 today, I knew I was beat before the day really began.

Finished all the dresden plates, bought the sashing print today….the goal is to complete the quilt (for baby) this week!  I also added a bib to the shop today

There are only 2 things you can really do when it gets this hot.  Find a pool and hit Sonic Happy Hour.

After the pool, I had no desire to cook dinner.  So I took two squirrely kids and one 18 month old to Denny’s…BY MYSELF.  Anyone who dines in public with a toddler deserves a medal of honor I tell you!

Alright Tuesday, give me your best!

These summer days…its a love and hate going on over here.  The days are so full, trips to the library, summer school, afternoons by the pool, weekly movies and lots of popsicles!  At the same time, its so blasted hot!  I’ve been here 10 years now and every year when the heat begins it hits me like a ton of bricks, I forget how bad it is.  By the end of the summer I’m celebrating and doing outdoor stuff as soon as the temps lower back to the low 100′s.  Insane is really the only way to describe Arizona summers.

I stitched this while sitting on the pool deck watching the kids swim.  It’s inspired by this sweet Sarah Jane pattern and the “Families Are Forever” stitching that my aunt made that hung in my house growing up.  Something about satin stitched letters…that’s what got me!  I wanted to try some new stitches, so I whipped out my Encyclopedia of Stitchery and ended up choosing 2 new stitches.  I learned the Coral Stitch and the Cable Chain stitch (click over to flickr to see the notes about the stitches).  It is going to end up in the shop, soonish.

I whipped these up this morning while the kids were in summer school.  One of the mom’s in our little group is set to have a baby here very soon…I thought he might need a pair of shoes!

Yesterday I finished the Sunsuit that I started last year, it was waiting on straps and button holes (see how much I hate them!).  The style is based on a vintage McCalls pattern from the late 1930′s.  I absolutely love how it turned out!  Check out all the pics here.

We had planned to take a family camping trip to the Rim, but my husbands work schedule kept changing and we weren’t able to go.  The kids were so disappointed, so we offered the next best thing.  Urban camping!  The baby has a cold which meant she and I slept in the house.

Despite the frequent reminders throughout the day from my son, I forgot to turn off the sprinkler system.  About 11pm Aaron had to trudge through the yard to shut them off!  At 4:30am they all trooped back into the house, something about being cold.  I just rolled over and went back to sleep.

Yesterday the kids and I woke up feeling crummy.  It seems we’ve been swapping colds back and forth all week and we all just felt blah come Saturday morning.  Daddy had to be to work early which left me with many many hours to entertain them before relief arrived.

We went in search of the desert.  To be precise, we drove up South Mountain to see the TV Towers.  Without consulting a map (’cause I’m a local and don’t need a map- ha!) I decided I would drive up the SOUTH side of South Mountain, as I had already been up the North side, a gazillion times.  Guess what, I drove 34 miles to the END of Chandler Blvd before I called my husband to find out that there is no south access to the mountain.  sigh. At least the baby took a needed nap in the car.  We retraced our steps and made it back around to the North side and drove to the top.  Thankfully no one threw up (the roads have lots of sharp curves).

My project this year has been to find beauty in the desert.  Its easy to see this place as dry, brown, and dead.  Its harder to see and appreciate the beauty of the landscape, and anything worthwhile takes effort-right?!  I’ll admit that most of the drive was less than appealing but I learned that Saguaro Cacti bloom, they have beautiful white flowers on them in the spring (sadly I wasn’t able to photograph them).  I have always thought the yellow blooms on the palo verde were beautiful and I did capture that!

I am now the proud mother of a 9 (!!!!) year old boy.  We were talking a few weeks ago about his birthday and it occurred to me that 9….is half way to 18.  HALF WAY!!!  Too fast if you ask me.

We celebrated on Saturday with LOTS of family (what a lucky boy!).  Today will be filled with- birthday pancakes, special lunch with mom & dad, and post dinner rocket launching!

I love the weather here in March!

dinner was Baked Lemon Pasta, second time I’ve made it and the WHOLE family likes it (but the husband keeps suggesting I add chicken to it).