31 Days

I did it I have blogged everyday the month of January!  This is big for me because this is the second year of my blog and only the first time I have posted every day of the month.  Celebrate!  So if you have not and would like to post that often you can join others at this site for February's round.



I am not promising to keep up the posting everyday but I think I will be posting more than I was before.

I received a package in the mail today from a give-away that I won over at Flea Market Style .  They have been having countdown giveaways for the new issue of Flea Market Style.  I won this door stop that hubs quickly had me put in front of his office door.  I was thinking his den but he said he would like it in his office.  I thought this looked like a manly dog unlike my Scottie bookends and figures I like to collect for myself.  If you like to go junking and do some fun things with your finds this magazine is a must for you.

It has been a Monday all the way around and I am tired so it is going to be TV and some crocheting this evening.  Have a great evening yourselves.  Blessings!

Sunday Praise

Have a blessed Sunday!

Busy Weekend

Our weekend has been busy so far.  I went to watch my five year old grandson sing the American Anthem before the basketball game last night.  Thought I would show you a short clip of it.  These things are so important to the children, and they so appreciate it when you go to see their performances.

Our two oldest grandsons are spending the weekend with us.  Today while they were out snowmobiling and sliding with grandpa I met my friends for a all year quilt shop hop.  You visit one shop once 8 out of 12 months and they give you a free quilt square pattern and 20% off anything you buy during your visit.  The shop we went to this month gave out this pin cushion kit as a gift.

I usually buy quilt patterns, fabric for crafting or for quilts but this shop had a lot of cute kits with pattern and fabrics so I picked up a couple.

 Hubs had the grandsons pretty worn out by time I got back home so they have been kicking back and doing a little Lego building.

 Tomorrow I will be making a pancake breakfast and there will be some more playing in the snow, but for the rest of this evening we will be kicking our feet up, watching a movie and having popcorn.  I hope you are all having an eventful weekend also.  Blessings!

A Wonderful Place to Visit

I have been following Lori over at a Bee in My Bonnet for quite a while now.  She is a wonderful quilt artist and has some great patterns for you!  And right now she is celebrating her new blog look by giving away 3 of her patterns.  She has a wonderful vintage look over at Bee in My Bonnet along with some really fun vintage music to listen to.  So take a trip over for a visit and pick out your favorite patterns. 


My favorites are Quilters World, Cottage Garden, Grandmas Kitchen and Eat Cake.  Yes I know that is 4 not 3 but I just could not decide on the 3rd one. 

Picking up our two oldest grandsons this evening and going to a quilt shop with my sewing buds tomorrow.  Have a busy weekend coming up but I will try and check back in each day.  I have been trying to post everyday for a month and I have only 3 more to go.  I think I can, I think I can....Blessings!

P is for Patterns

Went to the city today to spend time with my granddaughters.   I leave from work every other Thursday and do a little shopping until my daughter gets home from work and picking the girls up from daycare.  Today I stopped at Target, one of my favorite shops where I like to pick up some house hold items and browse.  Then I stopped at a couple of fabric shops and picked up a couple of patterns that have been on my list.

Love these patterns.  The dolls are made with fleece, another has the cutest sewing apron and yet another with mom and daughter aprons.  I can think off quite a few people to make gifts for from these patterns.  Hope you all had a wonderful day.  Tomorrow is Friday!!!!!  Blessings!

Wednesday

No pictures today.  I am just going to tell you a little about my day. 
After work today I had an appointment for the last injections I could have for pain in my back and hip area for a few weeks.  This pain I have been living with for about 5 years and it had really started missing with my life the last couple of years.  I have not been able to exercise properly and it was becoming hard to remember the last time I slept through a complete night.  I was starting to get really tired and it has been a lot of the reason projects get started and not finished around here.  I always think of something new I really want to do and then I lose all my motivation after starting.
So I finally got scrappy with the doctor I had been going to (guess what, will not be going back to her either) and finally was sent for an MRI and from there on to a pain specialist.  Each time I go, I need to have a driver because they give you a sedative before the injections.  My driver up to today has been my lovely mom in law but she was not available today.  So my oldest daughter drove up from the city just to take me to my appointment.  That is a good hour and a half round trip and then from here to the doctor and back to our house another hour in the car.  While we were out she helped me drop off the trunk full to Goodwill from the closet clean out and after my appointment we went to Applebees for dinner, my treat of coarse.  They have some awesome options on their menu with Weight Watchers points so it was not hard to make a choice.  Then we watched American Idol together before she made her trip back home.
I am now suppose to go back to physical therapy since they cannot give me any more injections at this time.  So far the injections have only helped for a week or two at a time.  There is another option they could do next with at least a 7 month painless ending, but of course our insurance does not pay for that procedure.   In a few weeks I will be going back to the specialist office to let them know how this last treatment went and discuss where to go from here. 
I had a wonderful time with my oldest daughter because we do not spend time together one on one very often anymore.  So despite the reason for her help, it was a blessing for me.  Blessing to all of you also!
Did you miss the pictures?  

Two More Lite Recipes

I picked up this magazine a couple of weeks ago to help me stick with my diet over the weekends. 

Hubs flipped through it and picked out this Smothered Steak.

PointsPlus if you are doing Weight Watchers, I'm not, is 11 per serving.  Calories 291.
Smothered Steak
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teas salt
1/4 teas freshly ground black pepper
4 (4 ounce) cubed steak pieces
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth (I just got the low sodium)
2 teaspoons canola oil (I used Wildtree Grape-seed oil)
Cooking Spray
3/4 cup thinly vertically sliced onion (1 small onion)

1 Combine first 3 ingredients.  Dredge steak in flour mixture, shaking off excess.  Reserve excess flour mixture.  Combine reserved flour mixture and broth in a 1-cup glass measure, stirring with a small whisk; set aside.
2  Heat Oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add steak to pan.  Cook 3 minutes on each side or until brown.  Remove from pan.
3 Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in broth mixture, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Return steak to pan.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes or until gravy thickens and steak is tender.  Serve sauce over steak.  4 servings. 3 ounces steak 1/4 cup sauce each serving.

Since we had two of the grands this weekend  I decided to try this pudding.

 Triple Chocolate Pudding
Points Plus value 5  Calories 169 Serving size 1/2 cup  Makes 8 servings
1 (5 ounce) package chocolate cook and serve pudding mix
1 large egg yolk
4 cups 1 % low fat chocolate milk
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teas vanilla extract
Frozen reduced calorie whipped topping, thawed (optional)  (Not really my thing)
Semisweet chocolate shavings (optional) (None of this either, it was for me and the grand kids)
1 Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add chopped chocolate and vanilla, stirring with a whisk until chocolate melts.  Cool 5 minutes.
2 Spoon 1/2 cup pudding into each of 8 individual serving bowls.  Serve warm , or cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap, and chill thoroughly.   Top each serving with whipped topping, if desired; sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if desired.
Place plastic wrap on the surface of the hot pudding to prevent a skin from forming during chilling.

It was yummy!  Have a great evening!  Blessings.

That Quilt Top Is Finished

How has your week started off?  I hope you have all had a good Monday.  We had a couple of grand children stay half of the weekend but most of the weekend I was watching movies on my little travel DVD player that hubs got me for Christmas.  Movies like this:

But while I was watching the movies, I finished the quilt top that I had worked on all week not picking up anything else that was calling me like my knitting or crocheting.  So here is the great reveal.

This is 100 x 100 for a King size bed.  I stood on a chair and lifted the camera up above my head and snapped pictures until I could get something that had most of the quilt in it.  The 1st picture standing back in the doorway looks longer than wide but it is square.  My middle daughter, who the quilt is for, will be coming up Saturday after next to go to the quilt shop and pick out how she would like it quilted.  When I get it back I am going to bind it myself with the same fabric that is in the first border.  The quilt shop will machine bind and I do not want the backing they use to wrap to the front.  I actually do not mind making binding and finishing it off that will only take me a couple of evenings.
Linking up to One Thing, One Week Challenge over at Amy's Creative Side.
Have a great evening and I hope you are all working on your UFO's!  Blessings!

Sunday Praise

Still working on the finish of me and things around me.

James 1:4  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Friday Night Sew-In Part 2

Finally:

Both boys ready for bed with gramps reading a bedtime book.  We did not have them in bed until around 8:30 and by time I got myself situated I did not start sewing until 9 P.M.  I did get the first border sewn on but for some reason, maybe because I was tired, I did not remember to take a picture.  I also started piecing the second border.

 Hopefully I will finish that border today and maybe the quilt top by tomorrow afternoon.  Boys are still visiting and not going home until a little later this afternoon.  Still no finish to show you today but soon friends, soon.  I did forget to let those who are encouraging me on my weight loss that I was down another 1 1/2 pounds this week.  Have a wonderful weekend!  Blessings!