Friday Blog hopping...and VERSATILE BLOGGER!!

It's Friday and I'm hopping!  Also,  The How To Mommy has given me my 2nd "Versatile Blogger" award.....which means....time to spread the love!!!!

The rules of the Versatile Blogger Award are as follows:

• Leave a comment to thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
• Tell us seven things about yourself
• Award fifteen recently discovered new bloggers

SO...time to follow the RULES!

1.  I'm currently TRYING to do a Couch to 5k program
2.  I'm celebrating because my 5year old is READING words!
3.  I have a deaf/Albino Great Dane named "Der Hund", but we call him "Hunder"
4.  I took German in School....but mostly only Remember how to sing "Jingle Bells"!
5.  I have MAJOR redneck tendancies....and I LIKE em!
6.  I can't go into a store without taking pictures with my cell of things that "I could make cheaper and better" !!!!!
7.  I love hunting and guns....(more redneck stuff!) and am a better shot than my hubby!(SHHHH!!!)

The 15 AWESOME bloggers I've Chosen:

 1.Design it Chic
 2.My Silly Life
 3.My Lil Cadebug
 4.My Tot Learning Time
 5.Sew Happiness
 6.Shanimals Crackers
 7.Dear Q Love Mrs.
 8.Mom's Bookshelf & More
 9.Dishes and Socks
10.Mommy 2 two Girls
11.The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug
12.Confessions of a Frugal Mind
13.Wentzell's Creative Designs
14.Food Floozie
15.Scraps and Scribbles

I'll have to send out my "awards" to the peeps in person later!

Review: The Quilter's Apprentice

I'm not sure if I've mentioned, but I LOVE to read.  There just doesn't seem to have been enough time the past, oh, I don't know....FIFTEEN years!  This last year, however, some changes have happened which have allowed me to feel free to take up this beloved hobby again......

That being said....I AM cheap....so...I borrow my books from the library!  I live in Michigan, so I have this wonderful program called MEL-CAT (a STATE wide lending library!), so, if I can't find a book at MY library, I have almost all of Michigan's librarys to choose from....FOR FREE!!!!  SO....Without further Adieu....



The Quilter's Apprentice
A Novel
By:  Jennifer Chiaverini

This is the First in the Elm Creek Quilts Series.  In this book, we are introduced to the Characters: Sarah McClure, A young married woman, previously employed as an accountant, but now unemployed and searching for work in a new town, Matt McClure, Sarah's husband, a previously unemployed Landscape Architect, now employed in a college town called Waterford, Pennsylvania., and Sylvia Comstock, a wealthy, elderly widow who has returned to Waterford to settle the estate of her recently deceased, estranged sister.

As the story begins, we find Matt taking his wife, Sarah out to the grounds of Elm Creek Estates, where he has been contracted to do some major landscaping/repairs for Sylvia Comstock.  After a not-so-lovely first meeting with Mrs. Comstock, Sarah is asked back to the estate and offered employment with the somewhat harsh woman.  She accepts the job helping to clean/organize the beautiful estate and the story unfolds.

The story uses the talents of local quilters as well as the most talented quilter, Sylvia Comstock to tell the story of the Bergstrom family from it's roots in Germany till present time. The quilts/quilt blocks themselves tell stories as well.   The personalities of each of the characters are destinct and very picturable, as are the descriptions of the quilts and Elm Creek Manor.

 I couldn't stop reading this book, from beginning to end it was amazing!  Each character was believable, each story very viable.  The end of the book was CLEARLY just the beginning of more.... I can't wait to read the next book!

If you're interested in these books, you can go right to the source, the Jennifer Chiaverini's webpage!  You can become part of her "World" by joining the Reader's Circle.....She even has patterns for making the actual quilts made in some of the stories!

Thrifty Thursday!!!!

Saved By Love Creations Is having a Thursday blog hop, and , seeing how I still can't figure out how to fix my LOVELY serger......I thought I'd  hop around too!

Wordless Wednesdays

It's Time for "Wordless Wednesdays!"

There are just 2 simple rules:
1. Follow the host (God's Perfect Promises) and I  on GoogleFollow widget in the sidebar.
If you're a new follower please comment so I can follow back.
2. Grab & post the hop button on your blog so we can spread the word! (Found at God's perfect Promises)




Here's the linky!

Time to Crochet, swap and WIN!!!!

I have good news and bad news.....the bad news first.....If you haven't already signed up for the swap and giveaway, you're too late...SORRY!!!

Now, the GOOD news....for those of you who DID sign up....Its SWAP and GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

I'll post who your partner is and then you can go to the comments from the "RULES" post to find out their likes/ dislikes  and find out how to contact them for their address to send off their goodies when you're done!  Won't this be a FUN mothers day gift for our E-friends????

Ok, here are your pair-ups:

Tiffany with  Sew Happy Stacy

Couture Cat with Volleysoft (ME!)

MusingMom6 with Ellie Mae

365 Bags  with  redhead

Ok girls, have at it!  You can do just about anything...as long as it's a dishcloth!  You're making two, so you can make one with what THEY like and one with what YOU like.....you can make one with what they like and one that molds the two of you together.....you can make a surprise one......whatever you do is up to you! 

HINT:  Try to leave a note explaining WHY you made each one.  It'll make it more awesome for your partner!

Dishcloth swap and Giveaway EXTENSION!

I've had enough interest in the dishcloth swap that I've decided to extend entry till the 10th!  Those of  you who've already entered, I'll be matching you up on the 11th!!!  For those of you who haven't seen the giveaway, go HERE to find the rules and to sign up!

Dress making update - Sew NOT cheap!

So, the making of the plethera of dresses has been stalled because my SERGER BROKE!  More specifically, my lower looper thingymabober (technical term!).  To make matters worse, after checking around the internet, I find a ton of these parts at between 11 and 23 dollars, however, the part for MY particular model is, at its LOWEST....$33 dollars!  Sew NOT cheap!

I'm SEW bummed that part of the side cash I'm going to make for these dressis is going to be used to cover for the money I had to spend on this part!  However......(glass half full approach....)  It COULD have been a part that wasn't replacable without replacing the whole machine.....coule be worse!

So, as far as the dresses are concerned.....to be continued!

"God will take care of me....."

Friday Blog hop time!

It's Friday and I wanna HOP!!! I'm gonna hop all over the place this week! I'm gonna visit a TON of new lilly pads!

*NOTE* While you're here, check out my "Dishcloth Swap and GIVEAWAY!"

Wanna hop too? Link up and get hopping! Like me?  FOLLOW ME!! hehe



Here are some lilly pads I'm hoppin around on:

Crochet Dishcloth Swap "Rules"! AND...SURPRISE...a GIVEAWAY!!!

The goal of this swap is to produce and receive little pieces of crocheted art.

Use beautiful yarns, color combinations, and patterns. Don't feel pressured to be perfect

, the fun is in the cute little gems that show up in the mail, like little surprise gifts from blogville friends!

If you want to be in the swap, the rules are simple....First.....reply to this post with your numbered answers to these questions: (helps your fellow swapper know what you like)

1) Your google name/or other contact name?

2) What are your favourite color combinations (more than one combo if possible!)?

3) What are your favorite shapes?
4) When you are not crocheting, what is it that you love to do?
5) Name three things that you like.

After y'all post,you'll be given another blogger to "make for". You can then get their info,  Use the answers from the questionaire post to make two dishcloths for them! You're swap is complete when 1. You have sent and received your dishcloths and 2. you've either posted pics on your blog with a link back to this site or, if you don't have a blog, email the pics of your received dishcloths to me so I can post them FOR you!

Then, when you've completed your swap, ONE of you will receive this "Giveaway":

Two skeins of crochet yarn, one crochet hook, and a crochet pattern booklet!

 *NOTE* Winner is chosen by writing all names on a  scrap of paper, placing them into a bowl, and having my 3yr old or 5yr old pick one! (Technical, I know, but I wouldn't have it any other way!)



Not sure what you want to do?  I'll help ya out with some links at the end of this post...sky's the limit!  Those of you who don't crochet much, or never have, dishcloths are the PERFECT starter project!

Material choices:  Cotton yarn is the most frequently used material, however, many people mix it with felted wool for a scrubbier cloth, and/or tulle(netting) cut into strips for a scrubbie!

Most of the time you don't have to worry about guage size or crochet hook size with these little beauties, it's usually more about getting the right sized finished product!

Links for FREE dishcloth patterns:

Crochet Pattern Central has a TON of them in a basic directory, I love this one!

Tipnut has some nice ones with picture thumbnails.

Shh...I'm Counting! has tawashi patterns..(love these!)

This one is  from Crochet Pattern Central for "scrubbies"

Hope these help!

I'm on READ MY FEED!

I'm a guest host on Read My Feed at Coupons are Great !  Wanna join the "Read My Feed" blog hop?  It's a great way to get to know other great blogs!  If so, check it out HERE: