A Quiet Time?

...staying home should be a quiet life... as I have said before... Life has a way of getting in the way. I spend the major part of every morning reading email, job boards, job information sites, applying for positions, researching positions and postings. I really should be focusing on taking care of myself of which I have not really been doing very well of late. The stress of looking for work is starting to take a toll on me... I need to step away from it and just do some sewing/quilting/designing for the next few days... So if I am among the missing.... I must be sewing...

Ah yes... speaking of sewing...

It was great to catch up with family last night for our granddaughter's 5th birthday celebration. We went to Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA to have dinner at the Red Robin restaurant located there... Everyone is paying attention to the birthday girl...

I always give 'consolation' presents to the siblings until they are around 10 years old... Our grandson is 6, so his present was two shirts... here he is checking them out with dad...

The birthday presents for our granddaughter were stacked & numbered ...

#1 a  Abigail Adams styled dress (sorry, I did not make this one, multiple fabrics that I don't have in my stash), besides, my husband doesn't sew and he wanted to share the gifts that we put together for our granddaughter...

#2 Mom and Daughter... Checking out the doll quilt... I wrote on the side binding... 

#3 Opening the dresses... One for the doll and one for the B-day girl.

Sammy's dress (American Girl doll)

Checking both dresses to see that they are the same... down to the pocket placement...

The Cake... and now she gets very quiet and shy... the staff was singing to her...

Check out the dress that Sammy, the AG doll is wearing in the picture above...
Yes, it is the  Abigail Adams dress... she had to put it on her right away. LOL :)
This is what the dress looks like up close...

Making fun of me because I was taking so many pictures...

So dinner was a success... Birthday Girl... Mom, Dad, and Brother... Papi (what the grand kids call my husband) and all three grandmothers (I'm the 'Step')... Only pictures of our gifts as the other gifts where opened at home, before meeting up with us at the restaurant. I'm glad we all had a chance to get together and celebrate.

Now on to other projects that I want to have finished before the end of the month! I have two blocks of 5 hours of sewing with friends coming up over the next two weeks. I am so looking forward to spending the time with them and finishing up projects that I am so behind with!

Ciao for now!
J :) 

Catch Up Time...

Ah... Christmas time is a very busy time around our house. I am one of five and my husband is one of six. With no little children, we are the ones that travel all over the place to visit everyone. Christmas day I started at home, went to my mom's to open presents there, then to my SIL's (a hour drive from my mom's), to give and receive presents there, then back up to my brother's house (about a hour and a half drive from my SIL's) for dinner and more gifting, then home again (about a half hour away).

Some pictures:
At my mom's...

 The Christmas elves...

Then it was off to my SIL's (she is holding one side of the quilt) to catch up with D (my niece for whom I made the graduation quilt). This is us holding up the front...

 This is D's 1st reaction to the back of her graduation quilt...

 Yes, she was trying to wave away the tears...

Then it was off to my brother's house for dinner...

 and desserts...

A wonderful hectic time was had by all :)

Now it is back to finishing up a jacket before the 4th of January, some clothing for an American Girl that my granddaughter will be getting for her 5th birthday, and starting a few other projects... that are surprises for people who do follow my blog... hence the secrets... :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah this year. For a season of miracles, may we all be blessed with our own miracles.

Ciao for now! :)
J :)