After Christmas Cleaning has Commenced!

The tree has started to come down, Christmas dishes are going up, Concetta is cleaning for me. Concetta is amazing. She doesn't require money for the bus, she isn't unionized, she doesn't require smoke breaks, she doesn't sass back, she's wonderful!! Her English is minimal, so she keeps quite. Concetta may not have a green card, but what we don't know won't hurt us!! I don't have to worry about her flirting with my husband!! (he does have a taste for tan, tight bodies!) Concetta is my new Roomba!! I love it, I'm blogging and she's cleaning!! Yeah!! Bogie is not jealous of her any more and has stopped barking at her. Starbucks gets up on a piece of furniture but is able to stay in the same room now as Concetta!! We had a lovely Christmas, hope you all did too!! Lots of family and good times by all. Happy New Year!!!

Concetta at work!!

Poor Lili, worn out from all her work!!

Beautiful Blown Glass Dish from Suzie & Austin in Calif!!

Synthetic Medication and Puppies

Thank you for the reason for the season!!

My family thanks you for synthetic medications, I'm almost back to my usually self!! (sarcastic and I'm the biggest fan of my humor, one of those that laughs the loudest at my own statements and jokes!!) My sweet Bogie apologizes for barfing on our bed (a rare shade of green) this morning!! Like two days before Christmas I have nothing to do but wash comforters and sheets also!!

Post Barfing Pic!!! Too much goose do and red southern clay that might have Lake Murray Clams in it!! Such a gross little dog, but he's soooo darn cute!!

Reindeer Catering Organization Skills

Not only do they cook, are computer savvy to the point of genius, are very generous with gifts, time and care, they are organized!! They had the entire menu (ingredients, extra dishes, the works) planed out on a spreadsheet!

something to ponder:: why do I never type these entries as if I have a brain in my head. Sometimes, you have to decipher my codes!! Maybe in a previous life I was a code breaker!!! Yeah that explains the like of grammar check in my head!!

The Other Allens Christmas

We did the other half of the Allens Christmas yesterday. We enjoy this day so much, not just for the food, but the company and the great influences they try to instill on us!! They outdid themselves yesterday!! All of the food is provided by Reindeer Catering. We gave them this name as they cook for us on Christmas as their gift to us!! They relay their love of organic, free range, farmer's market products to us. Yesterday's turkey was perhaps the best turkey I've ever had, and my Mom and Grandmother do and did great turkeys!! It was just so moist with no effort from the cooks!! Or at least they didn't reveal it!! Carrot souffle, if you know me at all you no I hate most any orange veggies, yams (yuk, carrots, double yuk) will not even try them in any fashion. But, as a courtesy to Morgan and a show of my utmost gratitude for their cooking, I put a dime size spot of Eric's dads secret carrot souffle on my plate. Morgan caught me and had me increase my portion to QUARTER size!! I put it off to the last item on my plate was cleared, including the corn kernel ice cream (they have no fear) and put the carrots on my fork, secretly pinched my nose, and swallowed. WOW, you couldn't taste the carrots, I went back for a large second helping, they were great. Only thing is we can't get the recipe, so I don't have to eat carrots still, unless the carrot souffle shows up a family gatherings again. This year, Reindeer Catering not only provided suburb food, but they expanded the repertoire to include entertainment!! They are both unbelievably proficient in the computer gadget fields, Eric making a nice living at it infact. They brought their WiII (spelling ??) We all had a smashing good time with that!! Bowling, Tennis, right in the cozy atmosphere of the living room!! I majorly can't play tennis, but the bowling I could do!! Also found out the Reindeer Catering has competitive streaks!! They played tennis so fast, I never even could keep up with the ball!! Needless to say fun times were had by all!!

Christmas gifts were amazing, I have a speaker system for my I-pod, watch people Bon Jovi is available for everybody's listening pleasure now!!!! Marty painted the most amazing ornaments for each of us!! All of our kids were present, which doesn't happen for often for us!! Fun, superb family memories. Thanks to everyone!!

Julie with her new man-friend, Jamie Oliver (her naked chef)

Reindeer Catering, getting very vicious with WiII game (again spelling ???)

The star of the show, the best - moist turkey I've ever had!!

My needs!

I need a full night of sleep in my own bed!!! (Without the orchestra noises from my husband)!) (His snoring, yawning while sleeping (?), his soft scratching of his left shoulder and the burping can drive a woman to drink!) Bless his heart, he's been overly stressed, due to previous wife and the things she thinks she deserves. Then his middle child had a ruptured gall bladder, after infection was down far enough, the dr got that mess out, removed another stone that had lodged into her Pancreas, just a mess!! She's ok now, trying to do better with food choices and less soft drinks. Then with our Christmas Party invitation list is growing by the minute, we have to keep getting out the good clothes and the fancy undergarments that keep everything tucked in. Some of the stuff just doesn't stay tucked on it's own anymore!! (some doesn't stay up where it used to be either!) The makeup session takes longer also, darker colors, to cover the darker bags, don't ja just wish we could airbrush in real life too (not just on photos!)
I'm half way done with Christmas decorating and may start the cards tomorrow!! The box that goes to Calif is ready for tomorrow, plus I have to renew my Driver's license this week!! Yuk!
Yesterday, did go to Asheville to the Grove Park Inn for their Annual Gingerbread Contest. Unbelievable what people think of to use as cake supplies!! The kids this year, amazing!!! We had a great pre show drink on the back porch in rockers looking at the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Then was saw the show, then we had lunch, after a bottle of Chardonnay from the Russian River (ooooh, the childhood memories there!!) we finally decided to head back down the mountain to Chapin. We went to the best party ever on Friday! Wealthy Gay People that have friends in the Ballet companies can throw the best parties. The house was amazing (amazing pronounced with lots of jazz fingers during the zzzz part) This is a link to the Charleston house which is bigger and grander, Wow! check the link out! http://www.charlottestcarriagehouse.com/index.html !!!! We hope we are on the invitation list to the 2008 Halloween party, the stories and pictures from 2007, are again wow with lots of Jazz fingers!! I'll have some pics tomorrow!!

Blogging for dummies!

I hit the wrong button and my post went on my blog, before I grammar checked, spell checked and "made sense" checked. Here are my corrections:

Ken rigged the drain pipe with a wire coat hanger. That's better!

I think the wish bone segment is ok, except for grammar! But it wouldn't be mine if wasn't incorrect grammar!!

Tommy's pillow is incredibly cute!! I can't imagine how long those took, does the woman ever sleep??

More

Sometimes I have nothing to blog about for days, then other days, it's like wow, I could put that, that, and that on my blog. Today is one of those days.
Item #1, Genius for a Husband. We have one shower that drips, we've pulled the shower (all tile) apart, we've changed washers, we've done everything but replace the thing and it still drips. It's not the shower head, it's down in the pipes. Our house is on a hill and that bathroom is way far way from the ground, thus the longer than normal pipes. So, this morning Ken is pacing the house, in, out up and down the wall. He finally tells me I've solved the shower drip. This from out of the blue. I rigged (and I do mean rigged) that he cut and made one long piece of wire down the drain, now that water trickle runs down the hanger and doesn't fall so far down the pipe, thus the echoing drip noise is gone. Genius!!

Item #2, My parents are all a twiddle - no wish bone in this years turkey. Mom is pulling the tiny pieces off the carcus to make one more sandwich, no wish bone, what to do!!

Dancing with the Stars

They are sooooooo good and both have great chemistry!! They deserve to win. She is amazingly talented and he's just too cute (even for a race car driver!) I'm painting on fabric and loving it, some of it belongs to Santa, so can't show it!!

Bogie just reminded it's Pet Wednesday, ok I guess he can send you all a message.

Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, who knew smoked turkey was soooo good. I've managed to get my fair share and yes people it so makes you sleepy, I've taken extra naps. Speaking of naps, Starbucks stole my chair. He rotates around the house for his nap places, these places he so carefully chooses, last about a week, then he selects another spot. Well, right now he's in my chair, I can't very easily say "move", as he weighs more than me and he could sit on me, plus he's pretty handy with that right paw!! Mom's putting up and all these red and green things all over the house, hope it means presents for me!!?? Oh, yeah, Starbucks too!! Mom read us an article in the newspaper that the coffee company Starbucks is opening some kind of production plant in SC!!! Maybe Mom could take Starbucks to Starbucks, I kill myself!! heee, heee

Gamecock Blues

Our Gamecocks lost our state rivalry! Clemson won, they have bragging rights for one year, and one year only!! Right now my throat has bragging rights over my body!! Didn't feel good yesterday, and that thing in the back of my throat got swollen again, now I have a frog in my throat!! Lived off of NyQuil yesterday, maybe today I can quilt and watch old Simply Quilts (I have my favorites in dvd format, from tivo!) I love Liz's quilt, an autumn wedding ring, maybe I could try that!! If I finish half of what I've started in my very short quilting career, I will never have to paint my house again, just hang quilts!! Hey, what an idea!! I guess now, the countdown to Christmas begins, shopping, decorating, cards, cleaning (ickky poo!) and eating. I've got the eating part down!! I'm going to take some my NyQuil. Bye, as I walk off in my foggy state!

Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from Bogie and Starbucks!

A little grey hair (hare)

One day your hair is the color you pay for the next it has 4 inch grey roots. How does that happen??

I'm working on some painted cloth stuff. Love this!!

Veterans

Happy Veterans Day to all those who fought for a REAL cause. Sorry for all those that are currently fighting for an egomaniac! (with way too much power)

photo from Beachbungalow8

Good Things

Ok, the best thing I've bought in a LONG time - something like $5.99 at Toys R US, it fits into my I-Pod and is moderate sound quality. This is a mini speaker that allows you to listen to your i-pod like a stereo, no ear phones. AMAZING!

Second, I must be channeling my inner Kaffe:

Bad Days Night

The animals in our house are in deep trouble!! Somehow Starbucks got into Bogie's room last night, therefore Bogie sees fit to scratch on his door until somebody opens it and gets the cat out. I (being the smartest one here) knew there was no way the cat was in there, so I kept on ignoring Bogie, hoping he'd give up and go to sleep. Every hour, scratch, scratch, then scratch scratch, bark. Finally, around 3:30, I let him out, brought him to our room and on to our bed, of course he has to go through the routine of kissing both of us, and his 27 spots he has to lick on himself before he settles down to sleep. Then the cat is crying in the hallway and knocking things over, he sounded like a grizzly bear bumping around in the house. THEN I kid you not, my cell phone starts in on the "battery low" chirp it makes. I had to get back up and turn the darn thing off. Needless to say, it's a two coffee morning around here. Oh, and then we get up and get in the living room, and Starbucks has decided to help me decorate for Halloween by bringing in a dead vole and leaving right in the middle of the floor!! How did that cat get into Bogie's room?? Of course, now both animals are napping, Bogie for an hour or so, Starbucks for his usual 9+ hours!!! ANIMALS ugh!!!

I'm back!!

Cemetary in Front Flower Bed
Laboratory, scary stuff!!
My helper, which we couldn't had done without!! aka Julie my sister!
Lili's room, were non essentials were stuffed!!
It took me forever to recover from the Halloween Party!! We had a great time and I think Ken was really surprised. I did a toast, roast type and then we went on with just a drop in type party. Food was very good! and we had just enough, too much roast beef and cheese. The deli really oversold themselves!! My decorations were appreciated too! A fun time for all. Now I'm working on sewing projects (all those I was dying to do while I was in the party mode!!)

The Wizard

Oh my gosh!! Kaffe Fassett is amazing in person too!! His lecture was a highlight of my quilting life!! He spoke off the cuff, no notes, just about his inspirations for his colors!! He mixed his knitting and quilting (patchwork as he calls it). He'd show a picture of something then how that picture evolved into a sweater and a quilt, a needlepoint pillow or tapestry or even a mosaic. He sees color in everything!! He had his new book, which I got autographed along with one of my others!! My Mom (she came with me) had a light jacket on that had stripes of all his colors (complete coincident, since she didn't know him at all) and he commented on it and touched it. She said she may never wash the jacket again. Even she was mesmerized by him, she's not a quilter or needle art person at all, but she found him very interesting and wonderful to listen to him get excited by the color!!

The wizard (way in the center with silver hair)

My second tribute to Kaffe (all his fabrics in the center of the blocks, his quilt like this one is on his next book coming out - now)

A quilt at the welcome center into North Carolina, I've always wanted to take a picture of it, now I have it. It's awesome!!

We are on our way to see the Gamecocks play (#6 in the nation people!!, thank you Steve Spurrier whom I don't like by the way!) then tomorrow a SIS BBQ fundraiser, then next Saturday our Halloween Party!

Pet Wednesday

Bogie here. Mom has tote bags in the hallway and clothes hanging on the door handle, I think she's going somewhere!! We, Starbucks and I hate it when she's gone. Although, Starbucks hasn't a clue as to what is going on, he's still napping on Mom's bed!! I think he even has his paws covering his ears, so he sleeps longer and deeper!! Me, I haven't had my nap, I've been following Mom, she's keeps walking up and down the hallway. getting stuff together for her trip. Right now she's doing the chargers, phone, camera, ipod. Why do humans need all that stuff?? She just told me she's off to a quilt lecture in Asheville, going to see some guy who she says is a genius, Kaffe Fassett, or something like that!!

Yes, folks I'm off to see the Wizard, the Fabric/Quilter Wizard that is!! I'm so excited!! Staying the night, because going over that mountain grade in the dark is so not fun!! Be back tomorrow!! Ok, Bogie you can have the keyboard back!!

Ok, so what are we to do while she's gone?? ummm.... I know dig in the lake bed, there's all kinds of dead fish smells down there, dead clams too, ummm... good smells. I've already been down there this morning, got mud all over my face and paws, or so Mom says. I don't feel dirty to me!!

More from the Fury People next week!

Farm Auction

Went to a farm auction yesterday, where they auctioned off 35 1920's & 1930's handmade quilts!! Went for big bucks!!

We have a Winner

My quilt wont 2nd place at the state fair!!! I'm so excited!! This is the first time I've ever entered anything like this and I won!! Wow, what a big head I have now!!! I'm a winner, got to go folks and quilt!!

A word from the wise

Mom says we can help on her blog!!! This is Bogie typing, Starbucks' paws are too fat! She said we can contribute to her blog on Wednesday, so Wednesday is Fury People Day from now on!! Starbuck says good morning, even though he's outside on the deck. It finally rained last night, so when Starbucks takes his nap on the corner of the railing his fur gets wet from the damp wood. Then he sits there a licks himself for hours!! Me, I get dirty, and once a week Dad takes me in the shower and I get a bath, which I just hate. Mainly, because Dad somehow manages to get water up my nose every time!! I do go to the groomers too to get a bath and a hair cut about once a month. Mom & Dad say I'm high maintenance because I'm all white, I think they should let me be the hound dog I want to be. Oh, oh, here comes Mom, she's going to see what I wrote and get mad!! Umm,,,, she said I could leave it and suggested I tell you how Starbucks and I got our names. Me,, well I'm a Maltese and my real name is Bogart for Humphrey Bogart in the Maltese Falcon, Bogie for short. Starbucks....well, when he was a tiny baby (before my time) he was the color of coffee with creme, thus the Starbucks. But as a full grown 14 lb cat, he's almost solid black now, but the Starbucks stayed. I'll tell you some more funnies about us next week. Starbucks and I are best friends even though the cat is bigger than me and sometimes gets irritated with my excited moods, he tolerates me. During the day if Mom is gone, we often nap together, we keep each other warm!! Bye for now from the boys, Bogie and Starbucks

All straight lines

My first try at a Nancy Crow style. I used mostly all my own hand dyes, I tried to use all straight geographical shapes. I was going to put a waving shape right in the middle but chickened out. I'm going to quilt it use straight lines within the separate colors, using tone on tone colors.

SC State Fair Update: didn't win, but I'm not discouraged, I like my stuff, so maybe somewhere someone else does.

Halloween Quilt 2007

Pieced this whole Art Quilt while Ken was one the phone with technical support switching our outlook account over to the new computer!! And I'm not a fast piecer!! This is just a quickie with some of my cross stitch as the center for my house. Really like how it turned out, maybe I'll be a great quilter someday!!

Tommy's Bella has nothing on our sweet Bogie. He's starting to do better in the car seat, I love it!! We did some errands just around Chapin, and he relaxed by the end of our journey.

Here's one scene from Halloween Central. These are one of the two bookcases on either side of the fireplace. I have all my Dept 56 on cake plates and/or domes. I love it like this. Come to our Halloween party to get the full effect!!

Today is the day I hear about my results from the submission to the State Fair! My first art quilt. We shall see. Plus I'm going to see Kaffe in 11 days, oh my gosh, so much pleasure for one person, how lucky am I!!

Hairspray vs. Quilting

I got my hair cut!! Watch out Tommy and Victoria Beckham!! I was so inspired by Posh Spice, but alas; I have three double chins and really fat cheeks and no chin bone to speak of, so.... I have to be very careful on my length so my face doesn't look even fatter or more bloated!! It really looks like Katie Holmes but a tad longer!! Plus I am a year or two older than those girls!!

I turned in my first ever art quilt to the State Fair!! I feel so very cool, sort of like all the ladies I stalk out there in blog land, now I am officially a quilt contest participant (maybe not a winner, but at least a participant!)

Halloween 101

It's beginning to look a little spooky here on Lake Murray, SC. I've been putting Halloween up all day!! I put my whole spooky village (dept 56) in my glass plates with domes, it looks really cool. I saw someone on the web somewhere do that last year and have had it in my head to do ever since. Of course, one never has enough power plugs and adapters, so off to the store tomorrow, yet again for more Halloween necessities, yah right!! Bogie is all excited to see things turn black and orange here, he loves decorating too! Martha Stewart had some good images in her Halloween Issue this year, I've used a couple of them!! Of course, to placate the husband, I have to keep up some art work and "lakey" stuff, none of which matches Halloween... at all!! But a happy husband is a happy home!! Starbucks sort of freaks out at Halloween, he gets very nervous, him being almost solid black, but he fits the decor!! Can't come up with a costume for Bogie for the Pet Smart costume contest. Last year is was Bogie's Anatomy and the year before that it was Desperate Housedog! He's won crowd favorite both years, but the dogs can't get prizes, because it would show favoritism and we don't want the pets to have fragile egos!! They give all pets a little chew toy and then have a parade!! Of course, my dog tries to pee on every display the store has (you know he has to do the alpha male thing, him being all of 9 lbs!!)

Halloween 2006

Halloween 2005

Fireman Quilt

It's finished and here it is.

The top picture is it done, without the 9 on the yellow emblem, and the bottom picture is a closeup of how I quilted the whole thing. It is binded in my red hand dyed fabric, and the firemen's emblem (cross like object) is embroidered on a solid sheet of red on the back. I have my label on the back explaining the symbolism. This is my label: (Hand dyed and commercial fabric, hand sewing, machine quilted. The White background symbolizes sympathy for the families left behind, quilted shapes represent the chaos of flames, the helmet is embellished with soot. The Chin Strap of the Helmet has the names of all 9 Firemen who perished that day, providing strength, courage and most of all protection for all firemen in all future fires.)

Finee!!

I have finished the quilting on my Fireman Project, made the label for the back, have made the binding, have to do the wording in the Chin Strap, and put the back onto the front. The back will have the firemen's symbol sewn into the back, very subtle. I have to take it to the Fair on Tuesday. I feel a sense of accomplishment!! I sewed the borders on my Kaffe project too!! Maybe Ken can eat dinner on the table without a sewing machine in his face!! (My sewing room table is overloaded, I can't sew on it right now!! It's a mess!!) I think I might clean it in the near future!!

State Fair

I'm working hard on my Firemen Tribute Quilt for the State Fair!! Pics to come at completion! I'm on a deadline!

Kaffe Day Results

Here is step 1 - complete with my Kaffe Quilt. It is a take off of his Tapestry Quilt, but I didn't want mine as big as his, so I altered the size of the blocks and left out his largest block. I just love his colors!! Oh, I said that last night, well, still love them!! Of course, this project interrupted the State Fair Quilt (a tribute to the Charleston Firemen who died) which interrupted my Scrap Quilt, which interrupted my House Quilt which interrupted an Inchie Project. Speaking of interrupting, my Starbucks is trying his hardest to get me to pet him while I'm typing this! He wants to cuddle RIGHT NOW!

Kaffe Step 1 Done

Cousin Pfeebee christening my Kaffe!

Kaffe Affair

Went down to Charleston to visit Lili on Friday night. We took her out to dinner and did a little shopping with her, showed her where the dealership for her car is so she can get it serviced, showed her where Trident Tech was (on the map) so she could take her defensive driving class, (thus reduce her latest speeding ticket) on Saturday. We really enjoyed her. Fun part was on Saturday a.m. on the return trip home, stopped in my new favorite place - People Places and Quilts. Oh, a tiny shop but great fabric selections, they love the fabric genies Kaffe Fassett too. I bought a few (hee, hee) fat quarters and started my version of one of his quilts. It's gorgeous, I love his colors and his patterns. I can't wait to wrap up in the colors, brings a smile to my face!

No, no, bad dog!

This is what the Bogie, (cute white Bogie) looks like when he's covered in flea spray and sneaks off the deck to rub in the pine straw and dirt. It takes three cycles of showers to get him white again!!

Just Too Cute

This pic requires this second blog for the day!! Came from a friend of my Mom's. How cute, a roomful of Bogie and Rileys. How come I can't ever get Bogie this still?

Normal Afterall!

I'm normal, yes I'm in pre-meno..... thank goodness, I thought I was going crazy. Thank goodness for Ken, he's the best! The dr put me on soy isoflavones, rather not do hormones yet. After two days, I'm sewing, might even feel like cleaning!! I've been decorating baby clothes for my sister-in-law's new grand baby. It's a boy, and Daddy's in the Special Forces, thus the camo one. I put my little tags (poppies and palms) on the back, there's no threads on the inside, so baby won't itch. Get well Austin, and peace to Diana's boys.