Sugar Shop

Curious George Gets a "Cuddles"

Such a cute idea. In my sons kindergarten class a Curious George backpack travels home for a few days with each student and they are to write down their adventure with George in a bound book that stays in the back pack. Well the little guy asked if I would make George a blanket since he didn't have one. (I have made blankets for his transformers and dinosaurs so this was sad to him that George didn't have a cuddles. This is what little guy started calling blankets when he first started talking. I went to my scrap basket and I had small scraps of the sock monkey fabric...perfect for a monkey! So off this little cuddles goes with George back to school.

Steve broke our coffee pot Saturday, we dropped everything and headed to the store. Heaven forbid we wake up on Sunday unable to make coffee! We got this one. Love it!

With the thermal carafe the coffee stays warm for hours with out cooking it to death. We made a pot when we brought it home at 4:30 in the afternoon and that night it was still hot enough to drink at 10:30 pm. (not that I drank it that late...I was tempted though. Did I mention I love coffee?

Call me a country girl...

So the little one and I headed out to The Ranch this morning to take some pictures of the promised blanket that was requested of me to go with this pink & tan tote. It was an overcast morning which is welcomed here because let me tell you it's been hot. I've got the halloween bug and it's not as much fun when it's 100 outside..so the high 70's makes it feel like fall is truley around the corner. So here it is. Here's the blanket that Amanda has been waiting for.

I know what you're thinking...it's just a simple chenille backed blanket, yes, but I couldn't leave it at just that. I starting thinking that I wanted to put Claire's name on it...oh and with a special border around it that would be nice. so I hopped on my mac designed something up in photoshop, printed it on transfer paper, ironed it on some fabric and Uck..it looked plasticky and not at all what I wanted. That got me thinking that it would be perfect if I could embroider it. Problem is I was still sewing on my $199 machine that I bought when LG (little guy) was born and it doesn't do any fancy stitching let alone embroidery. So the blanket was put on hold while I went on a mission to find a machine that would allow me to create my own design on my computer and then embroider it on a machine. Thaaat's a whole 'nother post. Here is the result of my new machine

This was my first try and there are some things I'll do differently next time for sure but I like how it turned out.

Everytime I drive through the gate and onto the dirt road that leads to my dads house I feel at peace and thankful. Not for the material things, those seem a little less important out there. There is something about the wide open-ness that makes you feel small..that happiness and health really and truly are the things we should care about. I know it sounds silly but there is something about the country that does that to me. What does it for you? Perhaps for some it's the ocean or mountains? Where are you when you when you stop, look around and say this is what life is about? I really want to know so put your fingures on your keyboard and tell me. All the day to day responsibilities seem to get checked at the gate. Suddenly it's nothing but gold fields,cows, old trees, old barns, old trucks, old tractors and a sprinkling of the new stuff. The smell of mustard weed reminds me of being a kid and growing up and playing at the ranch. Although it's not so nostalgic when you stop at Target on the way home wondering if anyone else can smell the stuff that seems to be stuck all over the bottom of your jeans. Lol! I took a lot of pictures today and thought I'd share some with you.

When we started up the road this guy was looking at us

And these babies that the LG and I named cinnamon and sugar

I will have to do an entire post someday on my dad. Such an amazing, funny, dynamic and strong man who loves life and loves his children and grandchildren endlessley.

The little guy and I helped or rather hung out with my dad while he washed his solar panels. LG wanted to ride down the road with grandpa in the big truck. I love the contrast of Vintage and Mondern in this photo. My dad has gone solar. There are three of these panels and they power his 3800 sq home plus two large metal barns. He pulled up his old red truck so he could stand on the bed and scrub them with a window brush that he attached to the end of a swimming pool net pole thingy.

Then LG helped pick tomatos from the garden

LG is always excited to check on Grandpa's pumpkins. He grows them every year for our family pumpkin night which is a night when me, my brother and sister and all our kids go to grandpa and Marcy's for pumpkin picking, carving and grandpas hay ride around the property. I think he's counted over 30 pumpkins this year. I'm soooo excited for fall aren't you?

Here's Jack barking at the pumpkins. He's such a goofy loveable dog. If you sneeze he runs in a circle three times. :)

Amandaaaaa...Claire's blanket is ready

Just a sneak peak though. Hopefully I can take some pix on Sunday! :)

Freshcut Cuddles

I love this fabric line. I need to have a baby girl JUST to make her stuff from this line.
I made this blanket for a friend who just had a baby girl named Olivia.