Making Granny Squares

So many quilting blogs are making granny squares in blogland.  I decided to jump on board.

I grabbed a bundle of fabrics that look vintage and colorful and began to cut and sew.  I have plenty of scraps but I wanted to use these fabrics.  I may make a scrap quilt later. In a short time I had two blocks completed.  I can see why everyone is making them!

This block has lots of purple.  It's fun playing with all the colors and arranging them to look like a colorful granny square.

I said color ... didn't I? lol  I love the bright colors.  All the granny square afghans I remember were always very colorful and cheerful.

I have several more blocks arranged for sewing.  I really enjoyed making these blocks and they were very easy.

If you want to read more about the Great Granny Along or instructions go here.

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I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who sent emails or left a comment this past week. I treasure each one and you all have touched my heart more than you will ever know :)

Here is a picture of Amber's purple balloons we released on the 24th.  They floated up into the gorgeous blue clouds :)

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Donna

Three Years in Heaven ...

It has taken me forever to think of what I wanted to say.  I don't want this to be a sad post.  I just want the memory of Amber to be a celebration of her life.  Several of you have emailed me or left messages in the last few days rememberimg Amber.  Bloggers that I have never met say they think of her when they see a sunflower or the color purple and that makes me happy :)

Amber was an inspiration to so many in her nearly 30 years on this earth.  She loved life.

I can't believe it has been three years since I had a hug or an "I love you" from her sweet voice.  I always wondered how mothers who have buried their children go on with life.  We have to just get up out of bed each morning and put one foot in front of the other.  

The only thing that gets me through the days is knowing that we will see her again one day in Heaven.  I can only imagine the day that we will all be reunited again one day.  To see her walk again!  And I think will she be taller than me?  

This picture was taken on my 50th birthday five months earlier.  She was so happy!

Tomorrow Jennifer and Amber's best friend will be with my husband and I as we release purple balloons and watch them fly up into the clouds.  I know Amber is going to catch each one ...

God Bless

Donna

Backyard Hodgepodge

With the weather so warm I normally spend late evenings in my backyard.  It's nothing fancy just a hodepodge of  "stuff".  We have been tearing out our screen porch to put windows in for the sunroom.  The carpenters will be here next week to do the work.  While I was out last evening I took a few pictures.

My wagon I fill every summer with pots of flowers.  My coleus are growing out of control since we had rain ... gonna have to pinch them back!  The caladiums and impatiens are thriving with the humidity. 

I use the wagon in the Fall for pumpkins.  I am about ready for Fall after the hot weather.

A huge pot of mixed flowers with a sunflower stake.  The pot of ivy in the background has been there for years.  There is a really pretty iron base hidden in that madness somewhere.  I should cut it back and find it!

The steps leading up to our deck which attaches to the porch where the "tearing out" is going on.

 Another sunflower stake in a pot. ( I was sitting in a chair petting Honey our dog when I took this pic)  I told you it was a hodgepodge.   There is a little bicycle where the red pot of white impatiens is positioned.  The liriope (monkey grass) is blooming it's little purple blooms.  

We just had a rain shower so now I won't have to water this evening!

Thanks for visiting!

Hugs

Donna

Sunflowers

I have a passion for sunflowers.  I love to watch them growing out my window as big as dinner plates.

Amber adored them and so they are very special to me.  The bees are loving them too!

The first ones Amber grew were planted in a whiskey barrel that we purchased from Lowe's.  It was easy for her to plant seeds from the wheelchair.  We loved watching them sprout and grow into beautiful huge yellow flowers!  Love seeing the seeds and all their beauty so perfectly lined up.  One of God's creations :)

Huge bees on them as I took the photos. 

They are finally growing in height and the flowers are not quite as big this year probably due to the lack of rain.  Now that we have had rain the smaller ones should grow and reach toward the sky

I had to include a zinnia or as some people call them oldmaids.  Most of mine are all purple for some strange reason :)

This purple crepe myrtle in our back yard is filled with gorgeous blooms.

We have had lots of rain in our area finally!  The flowers are coming back to life.  I don't care how much I water there is nothing like rain water for plants.  My grass is turning green again and the veggie garden is producing all kinds of goods.  I made homemade vegetable soup this week and it was yummy!

I have been busy around my house trying to clean and sew before we  begin our sunporch project.  I can't wait to have all the windows installed and get this project going and finished so I can decorate it!

Thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Donna

Pure Bliss

I hope everyone had a wonderful July4th.  We spent the day with good friends enjoying barbecue and the fixings.

 We finally had rain the last couple of days.  I went outside for a minute and stood in it and it smelled and felt  so good!  Hey it's the little things in life that make me happy :)  Made my flowers happy too!

I have been doing a little sewing while it has been so hot outside.  I've been working on "Best Friends".   I posted about it here.  I do so much machine applique that I had forgotten how quickly a simple quilt top can be sewn together.  I laid out the blocks to think about placement.  (They still need to be trimmed up.)  I will rearrange them numerous times before I get them placed the way I like!  I took them down to my husband's "man room" and laid them out on the carpet so I wouldn't have "help" by the kitties :)

I am going to name the quilt top Pure Bliss.  The fabric is Bliss by Moda.  I placed an order last night for Vintage Modern the "sister" fabric to Bliss.  Love the pinks, reds, greens and blues in this line of fabric.

Well I am off to start rearranging the blocks.  Have a good weekend.

Thanks for visiting!

Hugs

Donna

Happy 4th of July

Have a wonderful and safe holiday!  

Hugs

Donna

Puttering ...

It is has been so HOT here and still no rain for us ... yet. Hopefully sometime this week we will have rain showers. I am so tired of dragging the hose around my backyard to keep my flowers alive. The plants just need a little rain water! Nothing like good ole rain.

I have mostly been in the house sewing trying to stay cool and breathe.  I wanted to change things up on the table at my front door so I began puttering.  I found the white pitcher for half price at a local antique store recently so I shopped the house and plopped some flowers into it.

I love stacked books so I gathered three generations of Bibles and tied a ribbon around them.  One Bible is my mother's dated 1947.  She was 15 years old when she received the Bible.  The other two are my grandmother's and my great-grandmother's.  There are notes written on the pages probably written during a sermon.  I love the worn edges of the Blbles.

So now to the other end of the table and see what I can come up with around the house to place there.

I am off to putter some more and visit my blogging friends.

Thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Donna

I am joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for TTT.