Last night I was back from my run, doing some laundry. Peter had worked late, and when he got home, he stuck his head in the door and said I'd better come outside. In his arms was an adorable black kitten. This kitten was up under the car and had apparently been up there the whole 40 minute commute home. He was miraculously unharmed, and judging by the (literally) nonstop purring, very grateful to be rescued.



He is incredibly friendly, starving for affection, and quite playful. Which means if we don't find a good home for him soon, we will have three cats. I really don't want three cats... I call him Boo (black, Halloween, get it?) and Peter calls him Hitch (for hitchhiker).



Although it is fun to have a sweet kitty in the house, caring for him, keeping him separated from our other animals who are not so thrilled he's here, and finding him a home, are just more things going on at a time when I'm struggling to handle what was already on my plate. So if I'm a little quiet for a while still, that's my excuse. I promise I will be back, I have a million ideas brewing and sharing them here is always something I look forward to. Back soon!

Labels: family

Life has been quite busy these days. All the normal goings-on, plus I'm training which seems to take up so much time. So often, when I get a free evening, I am not motivated enough to move into my craft room and work on my ever-growing to do list. It is much nicer to crash on the couch and pick up a little hand-stitching.



This is a little kit I picked up in Cambridge for a little crafting while in the UK. I got the westie bookmark a few days later and ended up working on that instead, so this has become my TV project. It's small, only 4x6", so after a little starch I don't even need a hoop. I have an obsession with also keeping the back neat, maybe because my grandmother always commented on it when she taught me cross stitch when I was little.



I've been wanting to branch out into other types of needlepoint, so I picked up another small kick to try new stitches. This was just too cute to pass up.



(I also used my birthday last week as an excuse to buy more fabric I've wanted for ages. Pictures when it arrives in the mail...)

Labels: needlework

The folks over at eQuilter are quite sneaky... All I had to do was answer a few survery questions and I got a coupon! Not a "spend this much, get this much off" coupon, just a straight out "get this much off!" Amy Butler fabric, here I come!



Now, does anyone think I stopped there? Of course, if I had, what a great deal! Yeah right. When have I ever passed up a reason to get fabric?



And now I finally have some of Heather Bailey's gorgeous fabric!

Labels: fabric

I think all I "need" to make right now are baby presents. Oops, I take that back, two wedding presents are on my radar as well. But mostly baby presents! For a shower I went to last weekend I seriously ran out of time (a.k.a. procrastinated) so I wanted to do something pretty quick. Enter the flannel blankie/book combo!



I love how easy these blankies go together, just two pieces of fabric right sides together, sew the edge, flip right side out, and top stitch! I love this Peter Rabbit fabric I got at equilter and I picked up two Beatrix Potter books to go with it. I had a little extra time so I made some coordinating burp cloths, too.



My mother-in-law calls these "church burpies" since they're pretty. And I've heard such rave reviews about these crinkly rattly car seat/stroller toys I had to throw one in, too:



Still on my baby list: two baby girls, two baby boys, and one boy or girl (unknown!). Maybe I'll have to stop posting all these baby presents... You're going to get bored!

Labels: sewing

Robert Charles - "Charlie"
October 3, 2007, 12:31pm
8lb 11oz, 20"

Labels: family

It seems like every weekend these days I have another baby shower to go to or a new baby to visit. Last weekend it was a second shower for my sister, and though she protested, I insisted on bringing another gift. I have to start early spoiling my new niece/nephew, after all!

I started out keeping it pretty simple - some useful things from her registry, etc. But then I saw this adorable Halloween hat/onesie at Target and couldn't resist:



Then I decided to embellish a couple onesies with leftover fabric from the baby quilt.



Finally, I decided to try out a tag blankie, since I've heard so often how much babies love them. And of course it had to match the blankie.



So I maybe ended up going a little overboard. But it's fun to have a chance to try all these baby gift ideas I've been saving! Pictures from yet another baby shower coming soon...

Labels: quilting, sewing