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Look what I found at Goodwill for $2.80!      

If I had a quarter for every compliment I got on this charming scrub top at work yesterday, I could take you all out to dinner!  And to think I almost didn't buy it because it has a small burn hole in the front.  It's previous owner must have been a smoker and had a small accident.  I thought about covering the hole with a red ladybug button, but considering the location I thought it would look a bit tacky.  :>}

Whoosh! Another month half over already.

We have had the most glorious November weather. It's hard to come inside to sew sometimes, but it gets dark so early that I've been able to get a few things done.

My mom's birthday is just a few days after Thanksgiving, so I made her some pajamas. At least I made the pants, and then didn't have enough fabric for the top, so I bought a pink top and added a plaid heart and trim on the sleeves.

This gorgeous fabric is even prettier in real life than it shows up here. It has gold sparkles, and is going to be our Thanksgiving tablecloth this year.
I've told you that my nephew and his wife are expecting a baby in February. I thought they would enjoy the double meaning this wall hanging has when I send it to them for Christmas. I liked the way this came out so well that I am going to make another one.

I hope you have a pleasant week, and that all goes well.

Miss Molly gets her cardigan, and a gift survey

Miss Molly finally got her cardigan. She is visiting at the assisted living facility where my mom lives, and is seated in a darling chair just her size, right beside the front door. With the door opening and closing all the time, she was getting a little chilly now that it's November. She likes to be in the thick of things, and needed her cardigan to keep warm!This morning I made some apple cobbler using the useful casserole dish pictured below. It came in a set of three, nesting in graduated sizes, and Larry and I got two sets for wedding presents in 1980. It made me think of gifts we've given and received over the years. When I opened the second box I did wonder what on earth I would do with two sets. Let me tell you, a week has not gone by in the last 29 years that I have not used at least one of these dishes.

Even though they may not have been my favorite wedding gift at the time, they have served us better than many of the others. Another favorite that is still in use is the Fannie Farmer cookbook my sister, Sara, gave us. We're still using the gorgeous green glass salad bowls my brother, Peter, gave us, and the outdoor cooking utensils from my sister, Janet.

And do you see the pretty ceramic burner covers? My mother-in-law, Betty, gave us those several years ago. They're wonderful, and I don't know how we ever managed without them.


What was your favorite present, wedding or otherwise? What has lasted the longest? My favorite present has to be my sewing machine! My parents gave it to me for high school graduation in 1974, and here I am still using it nearly every day.

I used to always give towels for wedding presents because that was my favorite to receive back in 1980. You can never have too many towels. Then I realized that they wear out. After ten years of frequent use you have a lot of stringy rags to wash the car with. I do like gifts that last longer than that, so you can remember the occasion and the giver many years later.

And speaking of gifts, of course the best gifts of all are God's love for us, and a loving family, which I am very blessed to be a part of.

Blogblast for Peace 11-5-2009

I wasn't able to follow all the rules for posting, but I did want to participate in this worthwhile event. Wishing you and yours a peaceful place in the world.
Here's the latest addition to our peaceful place.

Rethinking the quilt kit.

This is the first time I've ever bought a quilt kit. I saw it made up into an adorable baby quilt last weekend, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. I love this fabric.
I like this one, too.

Cute chickens.
Not too bad.
AAK! The whole back of the quilt is supposed to be this. These pigs are not cute. In fact, they are rather scary looking. I think I better find something else to make the back out of. I don't want to scare any babies.
A fun birthday message for a friend. I read today that the word fun is not an adjective - oops, I use it that way all the time. My bad.
With the extra hour we had this weekend, I got started on some tiny projects for Christmas. I dislike everything about losing daylight savings (and summer) except for the fact that we get an extra hour on the weekend. That part I like!

I hope you have a wonderful week.

A walk through the cemetery (and some tangerine juice)

Once or twice a year Larry and I like to take a walk through the cemetery, not for sentimental reasons, but for the beauty we find there.
The leaves have been magnificent this year.
This small stone building is covered in vines.
I like the section where the stones stand up. In another section they are all flush with the grass and it's hard to read them.
Sometimes family or friends like to decorate the graves for holidays.
Half a cup of tangerine juice. . .
came from one small tangerine.
And it had about forty seeds!

Fun Mail Aussie Style

I received two fun surprises in the mail recently, and they both came from Australia. Blogging has brought me in contact with such nice people that I would never have otherwise met.
Susanne (www.reeesas.blogspot.com) is an amazing photographer, and she sent me a picture of three kangaroos that she took, as well as a beautiful card she made herself. Don't you wish you knew what these three are thinking? I decided that a kangaroo photo certainly needed a fabric frame with a kangaroo pouch to put the photo in. :>}
I put the card in the pouch in this photo. Isn't it pretty?
Jodie (www.vintagericrac.blogspot.com) designed this adorable pattern to make Monty and Pearl, hedgehogs extraordinaire. So far I've only made Pearl, and I haven't even given her the flower for her hair yet, but I will. Jodie made a kit that included everything I needed to make them - what a fun gift! Thanks, Suzanne and Jodie, and thanks to Blogger for making these long distance friendships possible.

I can hardly believe the weekend is over already. I hope you have a great week.