Chalkboard Placement Tutorial

Another great find!!!  Little Birdie Secrets is just the cutest blog and they have all kinds of tutorials and giveaways. I have been combing through old posts and I'm going to have to tear myself away soon and get some work down. But there are so many things I want to make. Like these adorable chalkboard placements. Easy and cute....my favorite kind of project!

Check out Little Birdie Secrets for yourself!

(photo owned by and borrowed from Little Birdie Secrets)

Easter Stickers

I got an e-mail today from Mrs. Grossman's stickers announcing this special value pack of Easter stickers available for $10. Of course, I had to snag one right away. Easter is right around the corner!!! I'm starting to look through my favorite blogs for Easter crafty project ideas.  I feel like I kind of missed out on Valentine's due to illness. I dearly love Easter. It always announces the arrival for Spring for me!

If you'd like your own value sticker pack, go here.

Weekend Plans

Hello Friends.

The weekend is here again and I'm trying not to be too disappointed that I won't have a four-day weekend this time. My brother- and sister-in-law are coming into town tonight from Santa Fe.  My brother-in-law has been fighting prostate cancer for several years and his PSA number is up so they are coming to the Bay Area to try some alternative treatment. The good news is that it will offer Noodlebug some time to spend with his aunt and uncle.  My husband has three brothers and none of them have or will ever have children.  So, Noodlebug is the sole heir to the empire.  (although the empire really has yet to be built)  I kind of felt like some queen of old when my son was born and I could jokingly turn to my husband and say, "I have presented you with a male heir to carry on the family name!"  At Christmas, two of Noodlebug's uncles were here and he was beside himself with all of the fun and attention. I think he was a little shell-shocked when all his playmates left after the holidays.

I'd like to break out the rotary cutter and continue cutting quilt squares. (only 96 to go!)  And maybe I'll stop by the fabric store and pick up some more fat quarters/remnants for making tie shirts. I'm so into those! My craft club will be meeting on March 6 and we'll be making little animals out of socks and gloves.  I joined my church bazaar committee and I have been trying to think of ideas for good quick projects I could do and donate to the bazaar. One of the ladies on the committee will be doing a red-work embroidery class soon so maybe I'll finally get around to taking up embroidery! 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Petaluma Hits it Big Again!

First it was this month's issues of COUNTRY LIVING magazine.  Now, my little town has shown up on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index as the FIFTH happiest, healthiest place to live in the United States. How about that?  We are right on a river.  We are in the middle of California wine country. We have lots of cows and chickens and organic produce. And we have beautiful iron-front buildings downtown and Victorian homes sprinkled throughout the community.

So, I'd like to invite you all to visit or move to Petaluma and we'll start our own crafty commune.  What do you think?

(photos borrowed from and owned by the Petaluma Visitor Center)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yes, it's true. I dressed my little one as a Frenchman.  Because.....Oh, L'amour!!!

My days off have been good. The quilt is going to take much longer than expected.  I am very slow at cutting out 48 squares.  But I did make this...

I'm so happy with how it turned out! I want to make a whole bunch for every occasion. 

Hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day and tell everyone in your life how much they mean to you!

Boys Tie Shirt Tutorial

You all know how much I love finding new blogs and new tutorials. I have been wanting to make one of those cute t-shirts for boys with a fake tie on them and now I can thanks to Saltwater Kids!!!  There are lots of other great crafty ideas for kids here as well but I will definitely be making a tie shirt for Noodlebug ASAP!

Find the tutorial here.

Main Fabric

I am so excited! I stopped by Joann's on the way home from work yesterday and picked some fabric for the rag quilt I hope to make Noodlebug this weekend. And I found this:

Isn't that cute?  It is so perfect because Noodlebug's room is in creamy yellow and soft green.  This fabric will be the main fabric and then I got some blue and red fabric for one coordinating pattern and then some green fabric with stars for the other coordinating fabric.  I hope it comes together!!!

Cough! Cough! (pardon me)

Well, I have been sick for over a week now.  I tried to pretend that I was going to be the only family member who didn't get sick. It didn't work. I'm on the mend, though.  It looks like I won't be getting my house decorated for Valentine's but I did sit down this weekend and make a few valentines for Noodlebug to send out. We had an impromptu photo session and he wasn't really in the mood.  I got one fairly good photo, though, and I think the cards turned out all right. I'll post the winning shot later on this week.  I have a four-day weekend next weekend and I'm going to treat myself to a trip to the fabric store sometime this week.  I have my heart set on making one of these and maybe one or two of these.  It may be a little ambitious with an active toddler underfoot but we'll see.

Hope you are all having a happy and healthy Monday!

Nobody Here But Us Chickens!

I opened up my March issues of COUNTRY LIVING magazine this week and was so excited to find a spread on the little town where I live!!!

Petaluma is a small town of about 54,000 in Sonoma County about 40 miles north of San Francisco. It is an interesting blend of upscale antique and clothing stores and farms.  It used to be known as the nation's "Egg Basket" and "Chicken Capital of the World" due to its emphasis on chickens and eggs. Movies such as "American Graffiti" and "Peggy Sue Got Married" were filmed here because we have so many original Victorian buildings still standing downtown that give it a small-town America feel. Every year in April, we have a fun parade called the Butter and Egg Days Parade. The following day, there is always an Antique Fair.

Here a few photos I recently took downtown:

(this water fountain makes me laugh every time I see it)

This is one of the original Carnegie libraries that is now our local history museum.

It's a nice little town and it's even nicer to see it in Country Living magazine. Hope you'll come for a visit!!!

Nine Months Until Halloween!

My husband missed the Sesame Street window. When it debuted back in 1969, he was too old for it.  I think that is so sad because Sesame Street has always been one of my favorite things. It was even part of my Master's project. We allow Noodlebug to watch about 15 minutes of Sesame Street every day before bedtime as part of our wind-down routine. Gary is getting educated about Sesame Street by watching it with Noodlebug. His favorite characters are the Aliens. A few days ago, he sent me this:

(This image comes from Craftser and was posted by faded_dress)

Now, Gary is determined that our little family dress as the Sesame Street aliens for Halloween. So, I guess I better start searching for this fabric.  There is a tutorial for these costumes at Instructables. Hope I can figure it out!!!