USHER ME IN!

It's official...I am a Silver Sneaker, Medicare Eligible
"give me my damn senior discount" mama!
Today is my 65th birthday.

In this throw back  picture, I was 5 or 6

A true brunette with a bit of curl in my hair and no bangs! 

IF I let my hair go gray (no quite ready yet)
and combed it like this...I would look like Mom!

65 is the new 45 right?  I'll buy it.
I do have a new adventure that will keep my young at heart,

Meeting new people and enjoying great entertainment, 

Serving as an USHER for the CAPA Theatres

(Central Ohio Association of Performing Arts)

Oh you didn't know CBus has theater? 

 The Ohio Theatre

 The Southern Theatre

The Palace Theater

The Lincoln Theater

The Capitol Theater

(Rife Complex - also includes 3 other studios)

  

McCoy Center of The Arts

Wish me luck as my ushering adventures take flight

and bring on some...

Dirty Dancing!

LOVE, SWEETS and GIVEAWAYS!

OK this first part is a little mushy.  

I love the holidays. 
This month also include a special day!

Dec 4, 1999  I married Phillip Gordon

Today we celebrate Our 15 Wedding Anniversary.

I do believe our union was "fate"  
The first time I met Phil...we barely talked.
We were sitting at the bar (imagine that) at a local pub 
doing a crossword puzzle together.  

He left...I never thought of him again.

Fast forward 6 months...same local pub

I sat down beside him..said "I don't remember your name"

and the rest is history. 

We dated for 5 years and then well...

Love walked me right down the isle (a second time)
Ends up... I got it right this time and 
that was the best walk I ever took.
  I'm so happy to have this man loving me everyday!

  BTW, we still do crossword puzzles together!
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I have heard from a few people that they

actually are trying my "Sweet Celebrations" recipes 
and baking  cookies, and they love 'em!

 Check them out on the "Sweet Celebrations" tab.

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Next Monday is

Sew Mama Sew's

Over 500 blogs to visit and chances to win

some great giveaway prizes.  
Of course, I'll have something fun for you!

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Have a wonderful weekend and

tell someone you love them!

100 YEARS OF BEAUTIFUL!

Today I celebrate the 100th birthday and a ba-zillion memories

 of the woman who gave me life,

taught me the value of a dollar 

and loved us unconditionally!

My Mom, the most beautiful woman I ever knew,

Cora Clayton 

would have turned 100 today!  

In this photo she was about my age now...early 60s

Love the gray hair  and her "styling" glasses!

Mom's 90th birthday party with me and my siblings.

She was "queen for the day" 

as more than 100 people attended her "open house" 

90th birthday party

Her is her last birthday party, she was 92...

Oh how she loved to get presents!

Mom had Alzheimers...

and then I lost her (again) in 2006.

Time does heal, but only the sweet memories 

help to fill the hole in my heart!

Miss you Mom and have a 

Happy Birthday in heaven!

If you see you Mom today...give her a hug from me!

50 YEARS of HAPPY!

Siblings...if you have them...I hope you cherish them.

My big sister, Ruth and me in the early 50s
Don't we look sweet and like we are having fun!  

Well, very few people have had as much fun as  

Ruth and hubby Roger have had through

50 years of marriage! 

They married when Roger was in the Navy

but traded in that ship for cruise ships that have taken 

them all over the world!

I love their sense of humor here as "White Trash" for Halloween

They are now LINE-DANCING their way around the world! 

 They took a trip of a lifetime for their 50th Anniversary.  
A 38 day cruise from the West Coast USA to Australia!
(I think she won the lottery and hasn't told me)

Ruth and Roger in front of the Sydney Opera House

I was reading blogs one day and found the perfect gift for them.  
Quilt Jane over at Want it, Need it, Quilt it had a post for the 
 BIG CITY GIRLS QAL
Her city...Sydney, Australia
 And she offered this free pattern!



and my version...their gift...
at the 50th Anniversary Surprise Party
   her daughter, Melissa, and I pulled off!
  

I seldom do any appliqué but how could I resist?
   


I used a Frixion erasable pen to drawn the bridge by hand. 
Then stitched over it by machine



On the label I used a photo they posted to their FB feed.

 It was a fabulous day filled with lots of family, friends,
anniversary memories and surprises!

Love you both!  

My BEST Kwilty Pleasure

14 YEARS AGO TODAY...

I got married...the I got it right this time marriage!

To a man who makes me laugh every day,

my best friend, Phil Gordon

He is a patient man...as we dated for 5 years. 

  Then my heart beat up my head and kicked the 

 crap out of my fear of marriage. 

The rest is history.

I could write a book on how lucky I am to

have him in my life.  

But today, I'll just share the fun side of him 

regarding my fabric obsession!

He is....

*a fabric enabler* 

*stops at kwilt shops while we travel*

*holds my kwilts for photos..til his arms ache*

*buys me LQS gift certificates*

*diets while I am on quilt retreats*

*cooks for me...delivers meals to my sewing room*

*encourages my blogging*

*paid off a kwilt shop-hop bus trip as a Christmas surprise*

and each time I make a quilt 

*he wants a photo with it*

This is just a small portion of the wonderful

photos of my sweetie and my fabric obsession that I cherish!

Of course I have made him a kwilt.

He is a grad of "The Ohio State University"

sew it had to be scarlet and gray.  

Yes, he spoils me rotten.

 but then again...I get to spoil him too! 

This is my love story!

Phil is my best Kwilty Pleasure!

LABEL IT...

Today I'm working on kwilt labels...
It's gonna take me more than a day cause 

I'm really bad about labeling kwilts I make and keep. 

SEE!!!!!

Left stack - MY KWILTS     Right stack - HEIRLOOMS

You can buy pre-made labels and write in the information with permanent ink, 
order custom labels on line, 
but I usually just make mine using "ink jet" printable fabrics.
There are many brands so just look for "ink jet" fabric packages.  
I like to set up 4 to page.  Change ink colors, relevant info. 

 I add a border to coordinate with the kwilt or backing
TIP**  "Used" fabric dryer sheets for the label back
and hand stitch them on.  




The most unique label I ever did was on a baby kwilt.
Daddy (a romantic) wanted a unique gift to give his wife, 
recently pregnant, for their 1st wedding anniversary.  
I had a brain storm and he had the perfect photo!

This kwilt label was the highlight of the 
kwilt titled "In the Beginning"
and included the sonogram image of the baby.
A picture is worth a thousand words...

Mommy cried when she received the kwilt!

If the kwilt is a gift or in my Etsy shop I include a "corner label" with wash/dry instructions, sewn to the kwilt before binding. 

A label doesn't have to be elaborate but all those stitches you put into that quilt...
deserves some history.  
At least try and include.. 

Kwilt name, year made  
(if a gift - recipient name, giver's name)
name of who pieced and kwilted it.

Hope you week is "labeled" full of Kwilty Pleasures.