Look What Laura Made: A Quilt for Brooks

With one quilt already under my belt I couldn't wait to get started on the next one and I knew just who the recipient would be!   My cousin (in law)/best friend Krystal is currently expecting her second baby boy and I was eager to get a head start on the quilt for him.  I found the cutest fabric set and got to work! 

I learned the hard way that you shouldn't just start sewing because you are really excited and can't wait to see how it turns out and sure it'll all come together... you know that saying "measure twice, cut once?"  Ya, I think the same can be said for quilts.  I mapped out blocking for the portion of the quilt below and went ahead and sewed it all together before I figured out what I would do for the rest of the quilt.  Yes, it looks cool, and yes in the end it all did work out but if I had mapped it out ahead of time it would have been a little easier!  Oh well, you live, learn, and then blog about it so you won't make the same mistakes next time!! 

After I sewed the middle portion together and mapped out the remaining squares I sewed team all together. This part was a little tricky because of all of the various corners and intersections (punny.. get it, bc its a car quilt...) but I was able to make it work and logged this down as a lessons learned for the next go round! 

Instead of stitching the ditch this time, I used the "swirly" stitch (number 63 on my Singer Stylist) to quilt the three pieces together. I really liked this better because I didn't have to worry about coloring sewing outside the line and it looked super cute! Double points. 

Photo found here

I found a tutorial on Cluck Cluck Sew on how to machine bind your quilt and I LOVE it!  It is very easy to follow and I think that this binding actually looks much nicer than the first quilt I did.  (And so you know, I did ask Tiphany if she'd let me take back the quilt and "fix" the binding, but being the wonderful woman she is, she said she loved it the way it is!) 

Here's the final product! Can't wait until Brooks is here to snuggle up in it! 

Happiness Is...

Happiness is...

• The leaves changing color and reminding me that nothing is permanent and to live each day to the fullest
• Checking off items that I have completed on my to do list ... even better ignoring the things that can wait until later on my to do list
• Spending quality time with my family
• The sound of my children laughing

Look What Laura Made: A Quilt for Penelope

When my best friend told me she was expecting her second baby I immediately knew I wanted to make her a quilt and I knew just the fabric that I would be using for it.  A few years ago I found a set of these fabric samples and fell in love with them but had never come across a reason to use them... nothing felt right, nothing that is until now! The fabric has somewhat of a "hippy farm" feel (that's how I describe it anyway) and it was perfect for this baby.  As the due date got closer I began realize that I hadn't ever actually made a quilt before so I enlisted the help of my Grandmother, Pat and my friend, Vivid to help guide me on my quilting journey and since neither of them are local to me I probably bothered them too frequently with questions!  So this is my shout out to those two lovely ladies, thank you a thousand times over for being patient with me and my late night questions... and thanks to y'all I now have a new hobby!  So without further ado, here are some photos of the quilt progression... enjoy!

Here is the quilt laid out and ready to be sewn. 

The quilt top has been all sewn together and "quilted" to the inside layer and flannel backing.

Here is a look at the back of the quilt.  Since this was a smaller sized quilt I was able to do the quilting myself by "stitching in the ditch" with my sewing machine. 

Here is the completed quilt! Ready to be wrapped up around a sweet little baby! :)  I am so happy with how cute it turned out and that my first quilt didn't end up a total mess!

I was so excited to give this quilt to Tiphany at her baby shower and even more excited for the baby to have it once he or she made his/her appearance!

And here SHE is! Little Miss Penelope laying on her quilt!  

Chatting with Everett (2 years old)

Since kids really do say the cutest things I have been keeping a note on my phone all of the cute things Everett has been saying. Here's a list of the most memorable and things (that I remembered to write down at the time) he said when he was 2!  Hope you enjoy this little compilation as much as I do! 

Me: Everett, who is your best friend?
Everett: Ummmm Toke-Oh (Tyler's friend)

Me: What are you gonna do tomorrow?
Everett: Me play with my friends. Micah, Tee Tee, Pig Paw, Rae Rae, Colt.
Me: What are yall going to do?
Everett: We play trains.

Everett: Me go to PigPaw's house.
Tyler: How are you gonna get there?
Everett: Me ride my bike.
Tyler: Oh, well we are about to go there- you wanna hitch a ride?
Everett: Uhhhh ok.

Everett: PigPaw has a little lamb.

Everett: Daddy, we go in dere.
Tyler: Sorry buddy, we can't go in there.
Everett: Yes me do!

Everett: Me call mommy.
Me: What are you gonna call me?
Everett: Ummm Woah-wa (Laura)
Me: How about mommy?
Everett: No. Woah-wa

Rebecca: Will you be in Patty and I's wedding?
Everett: Ummm sure.
Rebecca: oh great! Will you wear a cute little tuxedo?
Everett: No CaCa, me a Viking. Me Hiccup. (From How to Train Your Dragon)

Everett: There a monster in the closet.
Me: Oh no! What are we gonna do?

Everett: I get my gun, it on the porch.
Me: Your gun?
Everett: Ya! It go "pow pow!"

Everett: (After over hearing Ty and I talking) Mommy what's the issue?
Me: What's the issue?
Everett: Ya, what the issue?
Me: Oh, well daddy I were saying we weren't going to order you your own meal because you won't eat it.
Everett: Oh, that be fine.

Everett: Where's Reo? (A car he named Reo)
Me: Your car? Why do you call him Reo?
Everett: Weeee ohhhhh weeee ohhhhh!

Everett: Guess what?!
Me: What buddy?
Everett: IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! (It was not his birthday!)

Grandpa: How old are you?
Everett: I be 17, its not my birthday!

Everett: That man and me, he my best friend.
Me: Who is that man?
Everett: Jimbo! He my friend.

Everett: I love you and mommy and Nolan and you and mommy and Nolan. You my family.

Me: What do you want to name our new puppy?
Everett: Pink
Me: Pink?
Everett: Oh, I fuh-got. Jon.
Me: You want to name the puppy Jon?

Everett: YA!

Everett: I want to watch bwee-dos (videos) on your pweeder (computer).

While watching Spiderman Everett saw Martin Sheen and who plays Uncle Ben and repeatedly asked who it was. Tyler and I kept telling him it was POTUS or the President (because he also plays President Bartlet in the West Wing).  Then about ten minutes later Everett says "Oh! That West Wing guy!"

Fhing-en = Anything that he doesn't know the name of

Everett: That girl, she text me.
Me: A girl sent you a text?
Everett: Ya, she say "yaaaaa baby!"
Me: What?! Who is that girl?
Everett: Oh, it Lilly Bean.

Everett: That man, he told me the car go fast!

Me: Where are you driving to?
Everett: Oh, I here. I in Jean-na.
Me: What?
Everett: I live here. You know, Jean-na.
Me: Oh! Virginia!

Me: Hey Everett, wanna help me unload the dishwasher?
Everett: Um actually, no.

Everett: (While wearing sunglasses and walking outside at 8pm) It sure is dark out here.

Me: Do you want fries or rice?
Everett: BEANS! No beans!

Everett: Hey daddy
Tyler: Hey Everett
Everett: What?!

Midnight Thoughts

With all the tragedy, loss, violence, hatred, and tears that we experience here on earth we must have faith and cling to the knowledge that God is who he says he is, that Christ died and rose again to cover our sins, and that the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf. There is hope through Christ, that our life here on earth will not even begin to compare to the glory that we will experience in heaven.