tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69427793137026144692024-03-05T08:38:39.613-06:00The Running StitchWhithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-51435832406579239332020-01-02T14:35:00.001-06:002020-01-02T19:00:27.104-06:00Our Favorite Eats in the Dells When my husband and I were first married, we always said we would never become that family who vacationed in the same spot year after year. But here we are, continually finding our way back to the Wisconsin Dells. In the past 3.5 years, we have been to the Dells 5 times. But in our defense, we have thrown in a couple trips to Iceland, Disney World, & Gatlinburg so we at least are branching out and trying other places...but if it came down to our favorite and easiest spot to go to, the Dells hits the top of the list.<br />
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Since it has been a few years since I've last blogged about our trips, I thought I might take some time and update the blog about some of our adventures and things we like to do on our vacations. Starting with my favorite aspect of vacations.... the FOOD! Not having to cook or clean the kitchen is the best part of vacations, am I right?? Here are some of the places we have tried at the Dells:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">MACS</span></b><b> <a href="http://mac%20%26%20cheese/" target="_blank">Mac & Cheese </a></b></span><b> </b><br />
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Eating at <a href="http://macandcheeseshop.com/" target="_blank">MACS</a> each time we visit is a MUST in my family. After all, you are in the Cheese State. Their dishes are baked in mini cast iron skillets filled with gooey cheese goodness and an assortment of toppings for you to choose. My favorite is the cheeseburger skillet option which is mac&cheese topped with a hamburger & pickle. I also love the Philly Mac which sauteed green peppers, onions, and steak.<br />
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My husband's favorite is called The Hangover Mac which toppings include; bacon, hot dog, pepper jack, mozzarella, hash browns, sauteed green peppers, onion, mushrooms, and sriracha. It's a perfect option if you like small kick to your food. And if you're not a fan of mac&cheese, they also have grilled sandwich options.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Pizza Lab </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> If my family had to pick their absolute number one favorite restaurant in the Dells, it would hands down be the <a href="https://dellspizzalab.com/" target="_blank">Dells Pizza Lab</a>. We think about it all year long in anticipation to getting to eat there again the next time we visit. My family LOVES pizza so you can't go wrong with a create-your-own pizza place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> How I explain it, is it's basically like a "Subway" but for <i>Pizza</i>! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> There are soooo many toppings to pick from, even different options of sauces and cheeses. You can get as wild as you like as far as meats and veggie toppings. One time I mentioned I wanted to try olives but just wanted to *try it but not waste half my pizza on it and she literally put a few olives on ONE SINGLE section/slice of my pizza to try. It was awesome!!! It's a perfect chance to try new things and spice up your pizza life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Did I mention they throw it in a hot fired oven?!!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Making the crust cooked to perfection. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean, <i>PERFECTION</i>!!! I'm already craving it again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Last, but certainly not least, they have a few drizzle sauce options to finish off your pizza or to use as dip. The butter-garlic sauce is a no-brainer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Buffalo Phil's </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next up on places we like to eat,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">it's <a href="https://www.buffalophilsgrille.com/" target="_blank">Buffalo Phil's </a>or what my kids call </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Train Place." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My husband and I both agree, the food isn't anything to write home about. It's your average restaurant food but a bit pricey in our eyes. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But it's our kid's favorite restaurant because??..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A toy train delivers your food!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So fun, right? The kids get really excited when the train comes around with food or toys and it keeps them a bit entertained and happy which in turn makes me, the mother, happy too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As far as the food, it's fine. It's <i>good</i> just not stand-out amazing. We normally grab a pizza or eat the salad bar. We learned this year, if you go at Christmas, their Special Christmas Buffet serves prime rib which was amazing. But if we didn't have kids with us, we would probably be skipping this restaurant to try something new.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Hot Dog Avenue </b></span></div>
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On one of our recent trips, we went through the drive-thru of <a href="http://www.dellshotdogavenue.com/" target="_blank">Hot Dog Avenue</a> and were quite surprised how delicious our meals turned out. I have never been inside and have only tried a couple different hot dogs, but I am now a huge fan of the Chicago Dog and force my husband to take me to drive through to get one each time we are in the Dells.</div>
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You can't get any better than that bun right there. So soft.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Grateful Shed</b></span></div>
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We have such mixed reviews on the newest restaurant at the Wisconsin Dells called <a href="https://www.gratefulshedtruckyard.com/" target="_blank">The Grateful Shed Truckyard</a>. The atmosphere is unlike anything we have been to. You walk into this large building that looks like a garage and it's full of different vehicles and various food trucks to choose from. </div>
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It's definitely one of the <i>coolest </i>restaurant we have ever been to. </div>
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As you can see, even some of the vintage vans have booths inside for you to eat and the backs have the soda and condiment station. Again, it is such a <i>neat</i> and fun environment. </div>
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We were a little caught off guard by the price of food and the amount of food you get. I realize food trucks tend to cost a little more, which is fine, but I didn't expect to spend $50 and still feel like I needed to take my family to another fast food place to get more food to feel satisfied. So that was the only disappointing aspect of our lunch. It was pricey and you don't get a lot of food.</div>
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BUT, this was our first time so we are very open to trying it again and maybe trying something else off the menu. The grilled cheese & cheeseburger truck looked amazing so I think next time I will definitely be trying a cheeseburger.</div>
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We finished our meal by sharing a treat from the Sugar Stream. </div>
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This is called a Frosty Pinata and this is the Watermelon flavor. The sour trolli worms paired so deliciously with the fruity slush and was a huge hit with the kids and myself.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">If you are in the mood for some pizza and want more of a slower sit-down style of restaurant other than Pizza Lab, then <a href="https://www.dellsmoosejaw.com/" target="_blank">MooseJaw</a> is a good option. It's a great family-friendly restaurant.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_zOIZErAuxE4F8-QCC7sPEgex0OxX-dmWcw9_12CUd8poLODJy9T6E_ktBNHroQTLQXQXlXXwvGNBXjtJd5Rv-agyn_mzJx7P0PGVg1RMe2vGEOdCb4lD9C0jHJL_AoKZ1PIxuNzK9s/s1600/15977851_1187160831402279_7160694577045418534_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="720" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_zOIZErAuxE4F8-QCC7sPEgex0OxX-dmWcw9_12CUd8poLODJy9T6E_ktBNHroQTLQXQXlXXwvGNBXjtJd5Rv-agyn_mzJx7P0PGVg1RMe2vGEOdCb4lD9C0jHJL_AoKZ1PIxuNzK9s/s640/15977851_1187160831402279_7160694577045418534_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">MooseJaw and Buffalo Phil's have the same owner so if you like Buffalo Phil's pizza you will like MooseJaw and vice-versa. Moosejaw is also a brewery and although I haven't tried any of their adult specialty drinks, their homemade rootbeer is quite good! </span></div>
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It's been a couple years since we have eaten at Monks. The first year we went and we loved what we had. We actually ate there twice in one trip. But then the following year, they had changed their menu and what we loved was no longer on the menu. So in the smallest of any chances Monk's reads my review, please bring back your Philly Cheeseburger!! </div>
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We haven't been back since, so maybe it's something we try again next time. It's your typical bar & grill burger place. I do like the kids meal options for toddlers who like Dino-nuggets. Plus, the kids meals are served on a Monks Frisbee which they can then take home and keep.</div>
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Five Guys Burgers & Fries is a chain restaurant and although it isn't a unique option in the Dells, it is one of the best burgers you will ever have. So if you have a craving for a burger, Five Guys is the place to go whether you are in the Dells or just near any Five Guys restaurant in the U.S.<br />
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Same goes for HuHot Mongolian Grill. You can find HuHot in various locations probably near you, so it might not be something new you want to try in the Dells, but if you get a hankering for some stir-fry this is one of our favorite places to go.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-28542002801818220852018-01-05T05:54:00.000-06:002018-01-05T05:54:34.271-06:00Disney Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I think we can all agree December was a busy month, right? As soon as we got back from our trip to Iceland-BOOM-the Christmas hustle was on. In my large family, we draw names to decide which sibling we buy for and this year I had to give a gift to my sister Courtney. When I asked her what she wanted, all she would tell me was that she wanted a Disney Quilt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqp6r-3itIywdIO2T91Z7jd0Kud3OxwgQAx7UKxYeE3QL-tpppMzJD3cMd8noerfugIx84Kpmab1xJybcd7bqRKnKtHmtCPK8aYpanR1B-5DOPNzUx2d9-1tG52Y2pzWTJDj_9CZVbhQ/s1600/IMG_3917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqp6r-3itIywdIO2T91Z7jd0Kud3OxwgQAx7UKxYeE3QL-tpppMzJD3cMd8noerfugIx84Kpmab1xJybcd7bqRKnKtHmtCPK8aYpanR1B-5DOPNzUx2d9-1tG52Y2pzWTJDj_9CZVbhQ/s640/IMG_3917.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I always laughed at this answer because I didn't have a lot of time to make a quilt.</div>
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Between my 3 kids, <i>trying</i> to stay on top of housework, prepping for my Iceland trip, and the bitter cold just making me so darn tired, I really didn't think I would be able to get a quilt done by Christmas.</div>
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But she refused to give me any other Christmas gift ideas! </div>
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Considering she did keep all THREE of my kids for the entire week I was in Iceland, how could I say no? I totally owed her. Actually I'll be forever indebted to her for that but hopefully this Disney quilt will help her forget how my youngest woke her up at 4am every.single.day that week!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUR1K54wMT_dyLB1K0bqTYagYcuVe6inny0JIEuA0O05Pc6rRymZNIUInKy-K30d0J4dXeozZHrzyChcj03-Q71yEZablTyuZHsqpB5RnyEt8FSnQCoirtRGiQwgERGqy5vcsimMzPL8/s1600/disney9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUR1K54wMT_dyLB1K0bqTYagYcuVe6inny0JIEuA0O05Pc6rRymZNIUInKy-K30d0J4dXeozZHrzyChcj03-Q71yEZablTyuZHsqpB5RnyEt8FSnQCoirtRGiQwgERGqy5vcsimMzPL8/s640/disney9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So a Disney quilt is what the spoiled sister gets! ;) </div>
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I'm not one who normally sews with character fabric. They tend to be quite whimsical so instead of trying to fight that, I embraced it. Courtney said she would love for the quilt to have lots of different characters in it so I just bought as much different types of disney fabric I could find and cut them down to make a scrappy quilt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCflfZTBZfSkj7mxhO1ddE9NU8CNdQFCGG0GV20ceROQHFnRQtLkxS8c56-8_yivHE3s-tICW6fti8egdsIMB-bsz4tmqOGIm4b4ruVwzH9AuPtELIuemWCAccRnlJU0xJTeHzXkn0vMM/s1600/disney6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCflfZTBZfSkj7mxhO1ddE9NU8CNdQFCGG0GV20ceROQHFnRQtLkxS8c56-8_yivHE3s-tICW6fti8egdsIMB-bsz4tmqOGIm4b4ruVwzH9AuPtELIuemWCAccRnlJU0xJTeHzXkn0vMM/s640/disney6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Having so many different types and styles of characters of fabric, various colors, designs, it was darn near impossible to make it all match. I tried to pull them all together by creating a wild scrappy style quilt. As you already know, I love scrappy quilts and think this turned out pretty great.</div>
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The quilt may appear quite busy, but it's a really fun quilt in that the closer you look, the more characters you can find. I guess it could be considered an "I-Spy" style quilt in that regard.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How many different characters can you spot in each <b>small</b> section of the quilt??</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzby04kxW3PLBqnR34jM89J45HwRXf74vSy_HLtlRwb07DgeGEbf5GDf7jkDu5SfuHVMulJOZcHfstKUgA2QbhwRIvQ2DXURc53r-fdh9M6IC9r8gEQn32IbQpqUzn6VV491rh_RUPik/s1600/disney4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzby04kxW3PLBqnR34jM89J45HwRXf74vSy_HLtlRwb07DgeGEbf5GDf7jkDu5SfuHVMulJOZcHfstKUgA2QbhwRIvQ2DXURc53r-fdh9M6IC9r8gEQn32IbQpqUzn6VV491rh_RUPik/s640/disney4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisppANfqiGvxFMvEymaxFo0mtwQHIYqE-CymDvNbwU7diauxoMlpyVECZED9NEXY8Gr9IztamTvJ1zMo3tHW2Ih-yr9iBr_ydnYXo3KGG4d2tqplxQfI9c04AaWx3fCDlTZJMW6sejXhw/s1600/disney2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisppANfqiGvxFMvEymaxFo0mtwQHIYqE-CymDvNbwU7diauxoMlpyVECZED9NEXY8Gr9IztamTvJ1zMo3tHW2Ih-yr9iBr_ydnYXo3KGG4d2tqplxQfI9c04AaWx3fCDlTZJMW6sejXhw/s640/disney2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUWJCeHrkYyh567xobiuPR78RSKd13try_MXClY-SZQBEBCW332yHzZPNW9EsJpnY-U0svqGqUw42M5QH4UkhfeQNlBdDyPOa3VwjGQxawN9OGpJVL3dzi4l5W3R-k4dzHXIFm4DIZNg/s1600/disney3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUWJCeHrkYyh567xobiuPR78RSKd13try_MXClY-SZQBEBCW332yHzZPNW9EsJpnY-U0svqGqUw42M5QH4UkhfeQNlBdDyPOa3VwjGQxawN9OGpJVL3dzi4l5W3R-k4dzHXIFm4DIZNg/s640/disney3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since I was short on time, I made this quilt using the Quilt-as-you-go method. I really love this method because it makes the process go so much faster...or at least feel like it does. Quilting on my small standard machine can be intimidating so if i can break it down into smaller sections it helps a lot and helps me feel less overwhelmed about trying to maneuver a large quilt around my small machine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZP76XdqKsEgpMKaNXbGY2v1e2LnQ6MjhSVQzuGzQ43NGWSVTUtNmaH7qs8ccHPfoz7vZWakJ6BOGe71d1VXowm8jY4-enCeU0YvrigSLYh_Om98rlDuRnhbNobsEf0XyqK5vqKc5BZqc/s1600/disney5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZP76XdqKsEgpMKaNXbGY2v1e2LnQ6MjhSVQzuGzQ43NGWSVTUtNmaH7qs8ccHPfoz7vZWakJ6BOGe71d1VXowm8jY4-enCeU0YvrigSLYh_Om98rlDuRnhbNobsEf0XyqK5vqKc5BZqc/s640/disney5.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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It wrinkled up oh so nicely just as a good quilt should. </div>
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Ready for snuggles, spring picnics, summer ball games, and more! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt45wciUZFlqxvtWw9C4qGF-z7DdtWCk2QOb_2bEJ3dUrwIeMfq4Iyc5-_wvg1YNK7XWXPSy9yg0uiG_HzxHANNP9BBwrDdYzj5hPxjuBJ3SlOsjQ20ZMrhF_mw5Npj4T3XbgGD2mHOXY/s1600/disney9+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt45wciUZFlqxvtWw9C4qGF-z7DdtWCk2QOb_2bEJ3dUrwIeMfq4Iyc5-_wvg1YNK7XWXPSy9yg0uiG_HzxHANNP9BBwrDdYzj5hPxjuBJ3SlOsjQ20ZMrhF_mw5Npj4T3XbgGD2mHOXY/s640/disney9+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course I had to add in my favorite character-Stitch!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1siSJgoFxbry-4u2eltr8hudBcDTMItZhFhD_5e1DUa1wQHfNrDi0pNVydGmFh4DwFBGghAwcZNPeDBGygjZlxxXBck5v9QQiWsEMdG5Il-l_m_y2bfGF6_9iwBC8FUzVtV04c74Hcck/s1600/disney7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1siSJgoFxbry-4u2eltr8hudBcDTMItZhFhD_5e1DUa1wQHfNrDi0pNVydGmFh4DwFBGghAwcZNPeDBGygjZlxxXBck5v9QQiWsEMdG5Il-l_m_y2bfGF6_9iwBC8FUzVtV04c74Hcck/s640/disney7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope you enjoyed the pics of my Disney quilt as much as my sister seemed to enjoy unwrapping this at Christmas!! </div>
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Do you have someone who is a Disney fanatic like my sister?? </div>
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Or are you one yourself? ;) </div>
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Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-17645547016497409302017-10-17T09:12:00.000-05:002017-10-17T09:12:03.835-05:00Love of Rifle Paper Co Fabrics <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Just wanted to share a quick overview of what I've been crafting over the past few months. </div>
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Most of these items have been sold in a pop-up sale I recently hosted but I wanted to share what all I've been crafting. It's nice to have some pictures of things I've made in the past to compare to see how far my sewing has come along, as well as have a place to look back on for future inspiration. And if you're a sewer, maybe these will give you some ideas of projects you could make as well.</div>
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Probably one of my favorite projects I made were these Quilted Dresden Pillows. They were so much fun, I actually ended up making FOUR! I love all things vintage so it's no wonder I love it! So many old vintage fabrics were used to make this scrappy piece. I call it "Grandmother's Pillow" because it looks like an heirloom piece, or something you might have seen at your grandmother's house growing up. Brings good memories.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZth2-WxK9ZGOywNhJ9p1FMiXhh7woZKxcfkUVtHgkTwIBtn5z8PewAzedmH_nb980tALe2-WdCnJJtORfVCBRlMSxhpuR2yhGNY-RKonUrV66Qg58xAbW0qodi4AUp7GipjjLKrSL7E/s1600/IMG_3085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZth2-WxK9ZGOywNhJ9p1FMiXhh7woZKxcfkUVtHgkTwIBtn5z8PewAzedmH_nb980tALe2-WdCnJJtORfVCBRlMSxhpuR2yhGNY-RKonUrV66Qg58xAbW0qodi4AUp7GipjjLKrSL7E/s640/IMG_3085.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next up, I made a handful of products using Rifle Paper Co fabric by Cotton & Steel. I've been wanting to get my hands on this print for some time but could never bring myself to spend pricetag on the one yard of canvas fabric. But I finally did and I'm SO glad I did because it was worth every penny! Don't you agree?<br />
How pretty is this checkbook cover?!</div>
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& Key fobs!<br />
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I especially loved pairing the natural Rosa print with some brown leather vinyl.</div>
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ALL the heart eyes!<br />
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And you can never go wrong with an oversized square bottom zipper pouch! I'm needing one for myself for a makeup bag!<br />
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You can never have too many zipper pouches! I love making them in various sizes for various needs. This 9" zipper made for a perfect pencil pouch! It's large enough to even hold a pair of scissors or even the checkbook along with some pens! I use it everyday and keep it with my Planner & bible journal.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by! I hope this gave you some sewing inspiration! </div>
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You can find more of my creations on IG: @whitsrunningstitch </div>
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<br />Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-56196258003437322022017-08-03T07:21:00.001-05:002017-08-30T13:03:37.007-05:00Kalahari Resort-Wisconsin Dells<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNrsZREenPUEIZA5f7HZZM9QTPyxwb3GcxHWsNJjhZGzQpyt8bWxN8sm2NV0jXoNvXbFRH8Qlvnw6MbrJ0rvy0o6PTyujDrpBz9jcmHbjvnQ37gSJKK6mUwtDCJ0xL8RMrpaepuECGko/s1600/iiikalahariii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNrsZREenPUEIZA5f7HZZM9QTPyxwb3GcxHWsNJjhZGzQpyt8bWxN8sm2NV0jXoNvXbFRH8Qlvnw6MbrJ0rvy0o6PTyujDrpBz9jcmHbjvnQ37gSJKK6mUwtDCJ0xL8RMrpaepuECGko/s640/iiikalahariii.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I shared yesterday our trip to the <a href="http://therunningstitchwhit.blogspot.com/2017/08/vacation-to-great-wolf-lodge.html" target="_blank">Great Wolf Lodge</a> in the Wisconsin Dells. Today I thought I would share with you about our stay at the <a href="https://www.kalahariresorts.com/wisconsin" target="_blank">Kalahari Resort.</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1OiabScLBk-v1ZvPcYXeCzPNbereutFlOT31AZS75ymldJMz3_VJuKKNT2I36HB3Z4Q4-b1I8J96qYgFhstlqOBGmtoT9_x-i4A7a0vJrKeVrv9LRA6RII-NnhJqn-MIy4GNOESmHLc/s1600/15977489_1187160768068952_7187062717328671935_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1OiabScLBk-v1ZvPcYXeCzPNbereutFlOT31AZS75ymldJMz3_VJuKKNT2I36HB3Z4Q4-b1I8J96qYgFhstlqOBGmtoT9_x-i4A7a0vJrKeVrv9LRA6RII-NnhJqn-MIy4GNOESmHLc/s640/15977489_1187160768068952_7187062717328671935_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We have stayed at Kalahari both times we have vacationed in the Wisconsin Dells. It is our most favorite place!!</div>
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The resort has a safari-African theme to it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP11KLitxce-vMd93Nmv7zacwJMitXtyc0elzQGkuXntxz6Ckkiw94HgZBeTM1H01lD4EusQS5E7jdnRmLxitKHGX-ljTwf4QsEIyW7e0BfPB7qCDuSu78pZI97mbT3-mZTnjgBS-xz8/s1600/gorilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1600" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP11KLitxce-vMd93Nmv7zacwJMitXtyc0elzQGkuXntxz6Ckkiw94HgZBeTM1H01lD4EusQS5E7jdnRmLxitKHGX-ljTwf4QsEIyW7e0BfPB7qCDuSu78pZI97mbT3-mZTnjgBS-xz8/s640/gorilla.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>HOTEL ROOM</b></span></div>
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For our first trip to Kalahari, we booked a standard room which I believe was called The Hut Room.</div>
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It had 2 full beds and a couch that pulls out into another bed. It also had a mini fridge and microwave. This was great because, once again, we just packed and ate breakfast in the hotel each morning.</div>
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The rooms were very clean and I loved the African decor.</div>
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For the second vacation, we booked the Combination Suite. It came with 2 bedrooms and a living room as well as full kitchen!!</div>
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Having a designated place to hang out was sooo nice with kids! Janessa tends to wake up early so it was nice to be able to take her into a seperate room to play and not worry about waking up everyone else. It's a great way to save on time and money to be able to cook in a kitchen too. Of course we were on vacation so I didn't want to have to cook, but we packed along a lot of snacks and easy microwavable food for quick lunches & breakfast. The kitchen was FULLY STOCKED with pots, pans, dishes, silverware, and more! It had a full size oven, refrigerator, and even a dishwasher! It was soooo convenient! </div>
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The grandparents came along on our vacation so it was really nice to have seperate rooms and yet, at the same time, be connected. </div>
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As for our bedroom with our three kids, we had 2 queen beds. Our room also came with a mini fridge & microwave.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>WATERPARK</b></span></div>
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As for the waterpark, we loved the waterpark at Kalahari a lot more than Great Wolf Lodge. Don't get me wrong, Great Wolf Lodge was great, but here are a few reasons why I LOVED Kalahari.</div>
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At Kalahari, the indoor waterpark was in ONE large room! This was nice because I knew the entire family was all in one place. The outdoor pool wasn't even accessible in the area so no worries about kids sneaking outside. So here are some other things I loved about the waterpark at Kalahari.</div>
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First off, <b>BABY SWINGS</b>!!</div>
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Kalahari has a few sections of baby swings so your little ones can dip their toes in the water and have a good time since they are too little to swim. For my girls who hated being in the water, they actually LOVED being in the swings.</div>
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It really helped transition them into water and helped them become comfortable in the water.</div>
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By the second day they were brave enough to get all the way in the water and splash around.</div>
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But another reason I LOVED the baby swings was because it gave this momma a break! My babies tend to be on the chubby side which makes them very heavy and tiring to hold . It was nice to be able to have a break from constantly carrying or holding them and it made them happy too so it was win-win. </div>
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They also had a great section just for toddlers and little ones. It had a small lazy river just for them-how cute, right? </div>
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This part was full of smaller slides they can do and little statue animals to sit on or spraying water.</div>
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We didn't spend a lot of time outside (early June is still a tad cold outdoors) but on the days it got up the 80's we ventured outside. </div>
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Again, they had a section for the small toddlers with baby swings and smaller slides to climb and slide down.</div>
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And if you have older kids or want to ride some bigger rides, they have PLENTY of huge awesome rides outside! </div>
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Be sure to try out their newest thrill slide "Smoke Thunder"!! It's a super fast ride but, wow, worth going down at least once or twice!</div>
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Back inside, another reason I loved Kalahari was the middle section for kids of all ages. It was a great section for my 5 year old who is too big for the baby section but too small for the older rides or deep ends.</div>
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It had a large jungle gym in the middle, when you climbed up it lead to various slides to go down! This picture just shows half of it! There are a ton of slides to choose from in various sizes! </div>
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Ashton's favorite was the yellow Snake Slide! He went down it countless times. It was a great slide for little ones. Adults are not allowed to ride down these slides with their kids but they are made for kids so there's not much to worry about. I saw some TINY kids going down them and loving it. </div>
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In the middle there are basketball hoops and basketballs for the kids to play with in the water.</div>
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We spent a lot of time here in the middle. It was great I could put my youngest in the swing and sit back and watch my other two climb up and go down the slides or watch them splash in the water. I love it wasn't completely open to the rest of the swimming area. </div>
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There were only 3 small narrow exits if they would escape, so I could always see if they were headed out of this area but they never did-it was too much fun to leave. </div>
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Another great thing about Kalahari is the Family Raft Rides!! I hate riding on bottomless tubes while trying to hold a small child. It's uncomfortable and I always feel like I'm going to fall off. This was not the case at Kalahri! Sure they had tube rides, but they also had some great rides you could do as a famiy on a raft that has a bottom you can sit down on! There were 2-3 like this we went on over & over again. And if you like Lazy Rivers, they have one of those too.</div>
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I will say, they only thing I didn't like about Kalahari was the wave pool. They allow tubes in this section which just makes me so nervous about kids getting stuck under one & it just adds to the chaos. I only allowed Ashton in there if he was with his dad. The lifeguards there are top of the line but this is the only section I saw a lifeguard have to go in and grab a kid because they were getting in too deep in the waves.</div>
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But as you can see, there's a small splash pad for kids to play on, a playground with a small slide, and more baby swings in this section! </div>
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Now aside from all the kid stuff, there are plenty of adult things to do.</div>
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The Wave Runner was a favorite of my husband. He took a small course that allowed him to be able to stand up and surf. </div>
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If you don't want to take a quick learning course, you can belly board on it as much as you want! They also have a swim-up bar, some huge slides with the drop-floor, a hot tub area, and so many more slides!!</div>
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There's so much to do, you could never get bored.</div>
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And if you get tired of swimming, they have a handful of other things to do. If you want some fresh air, they have chalk outside for the kids to draw or a nice easy game of Bag Toss.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNTw_jX4dwwams42KkuSptVCZf37uIhxLj-GTT1Q5VL7DlZoGQ4mYBc0qOf0yMOHnVSmkbXwrVJAM7c5wW9tqTCVFq0FMv9L4YKoP6XsCVg7RdgNHYSLQMokzYji7GsC9cFC55Oo9j9c/s1600/kalahariii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1600" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNTw_jX4dwwams42KkuSptVCZf37uIhxLj-GTT1Q5VL7DlZoGQ4mYBc0qOf0yMOHnVSmkbXwrVJAM7c5wW9tqTCVFq0FMv9L4YKoP6XsCVg7RdgNHYSLQMokzYji7GsC9cFC55Oo9j9c/s640/kalahariii.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Or you can go inside and try their indoor amusement park!</div>
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There's a large arcade portion, indoor mini golf, go carts, obstacle ropes course, merry-go-round, climbing rock wall, and more! These are an additional cost of course but you can pay one flat price for your entire stay and go and play as much as you want!! They also have family bowling and a food court and more. Too many games and activities to count but, like I said, you just CAN'T get bored at Kalahari!</div>
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Like Great Wolf Lodge, they have special times for kids to take apart of activities. Like FREE cookie decorating in the afternoons!!</div>
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They also have other activities like coloring contests, scavenger hunts, craft time, etc. Just be sure to check out the activity calendar of events on the dates you go! They even have set times they bring in baby tigers! You can pay to get your pictures taken holding them or it's just fun to see them up close!<br />
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And if you do go and your husband loves video games, be sure to have them try out their new Virtual Reality!! It's crazy!!! We did the Zombie game and it was terrifyingly real!! Seriously, pay the money to try it out-it is an experience!<br />
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Another couple perks with staying at Kalahari, you get free tickets to the Timbavati Wildlife Park & Tommy Barlet Show!! These are for a limited time so be sure to check the dates <a href="https://www.kalahariresorts.com/wisconsin/news-and-events/timbavati-wildlife-park/tommy-bartlett-show" target="_blank">HERE!</a><br />
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We didn't go to the Tommy Barlet Show because I didn't think my 2 year old and 7 month old would want to sit a couple hours to watch it. But my parents went and said it was entertaining. Especially for being free!<br />
As for the Timbavati Wildlife Park, it's nothing fancy. It was sad I felt like it was a bit run down and they were desperate for funds. They had some neat animals and you could feed the goats, birds, pet the cows, and they had a pig race. But being from Iowa, this was nothing new to me. And we live close to some amazing zoos like the St. Louis Zoo so this is nothing compared to that. But we tried it out for free! If your kids don't get the chance to see animals at the zoo or on farms then it's probably worth going to-again, it's FREE, but we went for a short while but probably wouldn't go again Mostly because my kids would rather stay and swim than walk around a hot mini zoo. This is just our preference though, I know some people who have gone here and loved it.<br />
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If you have little ones at Kalahari, I recommend taking a stroller. The resort is huge so depending on where your room is, it can be quite a jaunt to and from the waterpark! Especially if they get worn out from swimming, strollers are handy so you can carry all your stuff down anyways.<br />
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I hope this gave you a good idea of what it's like at Kalahari at the Wisconsin Dells.<br />
I have more to share but that will have to wait until tomorrow where I'll compare the Pros & Cons of Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari and even share a few tips with you of what to pack or things to do/not to do!<br />
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Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-29238460904733620962017-08-01T13:51:00.003-05:002017-08-02T06:31:11.910-05:00Vacation to Great Wolf Lodge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've been meaning to share about our trips to the Wisconsin Dells for a long time now. In fact, I had one typed up over a year ago and must have forgotten to post it. Since then, we have taken <i style="font-weight: bold;">another </i>trip to the Dells so I thought I would finally share with you WHY we love the Dells and why it makes such a great family vacation destination!</div>
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(*I'll be sharing pictures from both vacations and since our trips were a year apart, you'll be able to tell whether the picture was from our 2016 trip versus our 2017 vacation because I was hugely pregnant with Janessa in the first one and Nessa is 6 months old in the latter. Also, Alaya will be crying in all the pics of our first trip and smiling in all our pics from 2017! )</div>
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We LOVE the Dells because where we live, it wasn't too far too drive and yet far enough it felt like we were "getting away". The kids did amazing on the 5 hour trip and didn't whine or cry once which was incredibly nice!!</div>
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While we were in the Dells we couldn't decide which waterpark resort to stay at so we stayed at TWO different ones during the week. </div>
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During the first half of our vacation we stayed at the <a href="https://www.greatwolf.com/suites?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=%2Bgreat+%2Bwolf&utm_content=General&utm_campaign=NATIONAL_Brand&gclid=CJG93uuQgs4CFQyEaQod5wMFwQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CL6-6uuQgs4CFYMuaQodwlgNTQ" target="_blank">Great Wolf Lodge</a> so I thought I would share with you a little about the resort and the things we loved or didn't like about the hotel.</div>
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It was an adorable hotel themed after a log cabin. In our first stay, our room had 2 queens and a pullout couch. There was even a microwave and mini fridge in the room which was nice since they didn't have a free breakfast so we just kept milk in the fridge and packed a box of cereal & bowls and ate breakfast right in our room. It was a very clean and cozy resort!</div>
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The kids loved that there were stuffed wild animals on the wall throughout the lodge and each of the kids got a pair of wolf ears when we checked in.</div>
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On our second vacation, we only stayed there one night and they gave us a free upgrade to a room with bunkbeds!!! How fun is that? The kids thought it was the coolest!<br />
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The kid's "bunkbed room" actually had <b>3</b> beds! Two with the bunkbed and another single bed.<br />
Aside from the kid's room, we had a queen bed and a couch which folded out into ANOTHER bed!!<br />
It was huge. And I loved the fireplace! Cozy like a cabin.<br />
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Once check in, the kids were quite anxious to get right to swimming so as soon as we got there we changed into our swimsuits and went to checkout the waterpark.</div>
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It was the first week in June so we didn't play in their outdoor pool but we enjoyed their indoor pools. My boys especially loved the wave pool! The wave pool was one of the best I've been to. I love that they don't allow tubes so it felt safe and it was one of Ashton's favorite parts of Great Wolf Lodge.</div>
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And on the first trip, we discovered that Alaya HATES indoor waterparks.</div>
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Which was a lot of fun since our entire week-long vacation was planned around WATERPARKS! Jeesh.</div>
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She screamed and cried the first day whenever we were even near the pool!!</div>
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By the third day she still didn't like it but at least tolerated it.</div>
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In the morning when I would pull out her swimsuit to put on her she would start whimpering "momma, momma, momma" wishing I wouldn't put it on her. It was so sad but all I could do was laugh it off. There was nothing I could do about it and I wanted her to grow to like the water so I made her go swim at least in short spurts.</div>
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The nice thing about the waterpark being AT the hotel was I could easily take her back to the room while the boys stayed to swim. Also another perk to being at a <b style="font-style: italic;">resort, </b>there was plenty of other things to do. They were extremely family and kid friendly that way.<br />
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They scheduled different fun activities throughout the day for kids to do like a <b>coloring</b> <b>station</b>, <b>dance</b> <b>parties</b>, <b>kids</b> <b>morning</b> <b>yoga</b>, <b>cookie</b>-<b>decorating</b>, and even <b>bingo</b>. And each night at 8 o'clock they have a storytime down by the big clock! All the kids can come down in their pjs and they will read a bedtime story to all the kids! So sweet! </div>
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And if you want to throw away a few bucks they had a fun arcade next to the waterpark.</div>
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My boys love arcade games and Alaya loves to run around and watch all the flashing lights.</div>
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AND, my boys really enjoyed the MagiQuest that was joined to the resort. </div>
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At MagicQuest the boys were taken on an interactive scavenger hunt where they had to solve riddles to defeat a dragon and whatnot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOdMRJsy1hvVxccLjCAbwNDnZ2OzxUZq6ftYFfx6JQ-JieWOn3_U55ZdjyfyxB_WdUSOnNfThhpKs2Jx1D73yjIIpzEX4clJUaWI21FhbWS1ENDV4xLGpDoOqwr7CwfJf5t8ZRNsCEh0/s1600/gwl4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOdMRJsy1hvVxccLjCAbwNDnZ2OzxUZq6ftYFfx6JQ-JieWOn3_U55ZdjyfyxB_WdUSOnNfThhpKs2Jx1D73yjIIpzEX4clJUaWI21FhbWS1ENDV4xLGpDoOqwr7CwfJf5t8ZRNsCEh0/s640/gwl4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The boys really got into the story aspect of it while us girls loved running around. The setup was like a large jungle-gym so it was a nice place to take Alaya so she could run off and burn some energy....and have some fun since she hated the swimming aspect of vacation. ha!</div>
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But once again, it was so nice everything was right on site so Alaya and I could go back to the room whenever we wanted while the boys went off to do their fun. </div>
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Each afternoon us girls would go back to the hotel room to take a nap while the boys either played MagiQuest or went swimming.<br />
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The waterpark was in one main area but was split into 3 different sections (not including the outdoor waterpark).</div>
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The first section included a couple waterslides, lazy river, a few kiddie slides, and a hot tub.</div>
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Alaya's least favorite section was the most fun looking.</div>
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But she hated all the falling water-it was quite loud and I think overwhelming for her.</div>
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There was a baby pool right next to this part but she still hated that.</div>
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And the other part of the waterpark included the wave pool, couple big slides, and a kiddie pool with these fun "jet skis".</div>
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Believe it or not, by the third day Alaya was actually somewhat enjoying this kiddie pool and loved sitting on the jet skis!! </div>
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Despite Alaya hating the water, we had a good time nonetheless. And thankfully our second vacation to the Dells, she warmed up to the water much faster!! She still hated it the first day, but LOVED it once she got in and realized its fun!! There was definitely plenty of fun to be had and if you were crazy enough to be bored there was a Tanger Outlet Mall across the parking lot!!!</div>
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I was quite excited about that!!!</div>
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One afternoon we walked over to the mall and came across a Build-a-Bear shop.</div>
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We decided to let Alaya get a bunny to cheer her up since apparently we were torturing her with all the swimming we were doing. She loved the mall and loved getting her bunny Nibbles. </div>
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Overall, we loved Great Wolf Lodge especially for the price. They have deals going on quite a bit so if I remember correctly we got a 30%off discount for booking so far ahead. It ended up being around $100/night which <b>included</b> our waterpark passes so I think that's a VERY reasonable price for how much you can do! I went ahead and broke it down with a simple list of pros & cons of the Great Wolf Lodge Resort...</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">PROS:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*reasonably priced!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*provides lifejackets for kids </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*highly-trained lifeguards</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*activities for kids</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*next door to Tanger outlet</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*fridge and microwave</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*bands open doors</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*lots of discounts available</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*only hotel residents have access to waterpark</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cons:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*pool doesn't open until 9am</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*additional costs for things</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*no breakfast</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">*no family raft rides (everything was large tubes!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Stay tuned, tomorrow I'll share about our stay at Kalahari Resort!</span></div>
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Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-14687647005877720422017-07-13T16:00:00.004-05:002017-07-13T18:53:07.349-05:00The Charlie Dress<div style="text-align: center;">
I've recently dove into the sewing world of dress-making.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU90K5I38iH7jSxCN4fGCWZTBBvGK-Y-3zEBUhZbiamWFP8d-AUih2PbbRqVNa3i4K7no5v-mG7I767bjwqYr3C21PzbLBZvitowYQgy9-RBA4dk77ZBBgMKGFAPZ8iW70H_vs0lA1MSU/s1600/19702526_1397621586999303_1681329717200505050_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU90K5I38iH7jSxCN4fGCWZTBBvGK-Y-3zEBUhZbiamWFP8d-AUih2PbbRqVNa3i4K7no5v-mG7I767bjwqYr3C21PzbLBZvitowYQgy9-RBA4dk77ZBBgMKGFAPZ8iW70H_vs0lA1MSU/s400/19702526_1397621586999303_1681329717200505050_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I haven't braved making myself a dress yet but I'm having a lot of fun sewing up small girl's dresses for my 2 year old.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtHzr09ovkZOVlWj7Zc-kIQ9eR61g7B7Ynhw0DT5xhqIWMAWtNPlsi1gWa2aOBtTWCfhHbuKiem61jQyGhVqZSwNX52IFfxGJNAhxT8VerICYWvDPSucATnxXLT_j0e1jP8zjVYGuWxg/s1600/charliedress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtHzr09ovkZOVlWj7Zc-kIQ9eR61g7B7Ynhw0DT5xhqIWMAWtNPlsi1gWa2aOBtTWCfhHbuKiem61jQyGhVqZSwNX52IFfxGJNAhxT8VerICYWvDPSucATnxXLT_j0e1jP8zjVYGuWxg/s400/charliedress.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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She is really into princesses, jewelry, and playing dress up so she loves when I make her a new dress!</div>
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I've actually made nearly a dozen tops and dresses for her and have yet to share them all so I thought I would start. My favorite make so far is called The Charlie Dress.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dnJjCCPuRq4S4QH7egOrEaLB4W92Bvftl9lgNxdNbUukweoZLozFE4XzxfI8ILi3wnV1ZhOCq7KP5qgPiQZNHE9b-DmSDH0xnblM9sA5mrLJaBQ7WdtipAFftxqw2iDle_rY4naq-Dw/s1600/chrarliedress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dnJjCCPuRq4S4QH7egOrEaLB4W92Bvftl9lgNxdNbUukweoZLozFE4XzxfI8ILi3wnV1ZhOCq7KP5qgPiQZNHE9b-DmSDH0xnblM9sA5mrLJaBQ7WdtipAFftxqw2iDle_rY4naq-Dw/s640/chrarliedress.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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The pattern is by <a href="https://violettefieldthreads.com/products/charlie-dress-and-top" target="_blank">Violette Field Threads</a> and is very beginner friendly. I learned so many new skills I had never known before! The pattern description is quite extensive and has a lot of pictures to help along the way.</div>
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One of the new skills I learned was how to sew buttons & make a placket!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaZ9CTceXCXffBeDCQ1BIgqMRulqU96qQz1-_j1rHH9VTH0LW2WRiOOwy5kNZb1TKqxLCZLP8I7Sx3N5pwcI5t00646Pj4_Cct4NkZucil26WU8pzTsDjz9vmJZQdG8sqSODQsIN5CWw/s1600/charlier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaZ9CTceXCXffBeDCQ1BIgqMRulqU96qQz1-_j1rHH9VTH0LW2WRiOOwy5kNZb1TKqxLCZLP8I7Sx3N5pwcI5t00646Pj4_Cct4NkZucil26WU8pzTsDjz9vmJZQdG8sqSODQsIN5CWw/s640/charlier.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I am fortunate my sewing machine comes with an automatic button hole foot attachment so it was a fairly simple task. The trickiest part is lining everything up and making sure everything was threaded correctly with the right tension.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMfUR-sv9M3YSWMbr3-orlMecL3c4D3bFmd4RoqayKSQdy5CPjjHfavTVGv7DTyV4qFu7Qprm7b3fq4_YLc_BPwpY2VKpmiKv6LEp0N-oQuPurT3zlIPCRJtf0muYn7aqJKCC1H_hvHE/s1600/c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMfUR-sv9M3YSWMbr3-orlMecL3c4D3bFmd4RoqayKSQdy5CPjjHfavTVGv7DTyV4qFu7Qprm7b3fq4_YLc_BPwpY2VKpmiKv6LEp0N-oQuPurT3zlIPCRJtf0muYn7aqJKCC1H_hvHE/s640/c.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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I love the Charlie dress because of the cute knot tie accents in the front and on the capped sleeves.</div>
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The pattern is quite versatile so I think the next time I make one I make it into a sleeveless dress for the summer. There's an option to add capped sleeved without the ties as well. But as I mentioned before, I love the knot-ties! I can even make it into a cute top instead of a dress. How cute would that be for fall with some leggings & cardigan?? Adding that to my wishlist to make!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mjaPnWQTlnR1-3oUCDDLgMytzEc6lMJwK-9X1WX28JmYXVsQfVRRKYasguWHr9j1JA5FaPTHj5fpzBfLYxszdKv2ZuY4r37suxmZaC8EC-C1rjbDfdTLlbfrTYEXZ9ncbVGJ4XadCXk/s1600/lalay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mjaPnWQTlnR1-3oUCDDLgMytzEc6lMJwK-9X1WX28JmYXVsQfVRRKYasguWHr9j1JA5FaPTHj5fpzBfLYxszdKv2ZuY4r37suxmZaC8EC-C1rjbDfdTLlbfrTYEXZ9ncbVGJ4XadCXk/s640/lalay.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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But I have to say, what I loved most about this pattern & company was the accurate sizing!!! </div>
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I've tried a handful of patterns already and not all of them are accurate in their sizing. A lot of times they are way too big or a bit too small or just fits funny. This pattern and company seems to have perfected the sizing chart from what I've done so far! Can't wait to show you more soon!</div>
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Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-48892413834810432542017-03-14T08:27:00.000-05:002017-03-14T09:44:21.784-05:00Life FlightYou know what is worse than being sick, even worse than being diagnosed a <a href="http://therunningstitchwhit.blogspot.com/2017/03/ambulance-needles.html" target="_blank">chronic illness</a>..what's worse is seeing your child sick. Even just temporarily. I recently shared about the week I spend in the hospital as I was diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis. That week was nothing compared to the week I spent in the hospital with my 5 month old baby girl.<br />
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The crazy thing is, I wasn't even there that night. I wasn't there when Janessa stopped breathing and became unresponsive. I wasn't there when my Dad had to make the 911 call for an ambulence to come get a pale blueish baby. I didn't hear her 4 year old brother yelling for her to breathe. I wasn't there when the EMT's rushed in and scooped up baby Nessa and said "Oh she doesn't look good" and rushed her out to the ambulence. I didn't see when they couldn't get an IV and had to put it in her shin bone. This nightmare, it's a burden my parents had to bear.</div>
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But I <i><b>was</b></i> at the hospital waiting for her. Praying that the moment I got a glimpse of my baby girl that they <i>wouldn't</i> be performing cpr. Praying that she would be breathing, crying because if she was crying that means she was breathing! We had gotten a call from my dad that Janessa was coming in to the ER and I didn't think much of it because she had already been to the Emergency Room a couple days earlier.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A FEW DAYS EARLIER....</span><br />
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As I shared recently, just a week earlier I had spent a week in the hospital and had been diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis. Even when I was released home, I spent most of my time in bed recovering, struggling with extreme exhaustion, headaches, fevers, and catching whatever virus' that kept coming into my home. All 3 of kids were fighting congestion and coughs. I was too weak and sick to care for them so my husband was holding down the fort and my sister and mom were helping out as well! My two girl's cough kept getting worse so when Janessa started a fever we thought it was best they go see a doctor. I didn't have the strength to take them so my sister and mom took both Alaya and Janessa and it was confirmed they both have RSV.<br />
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Alaya is two and said she would fight the virus off herself and wouldn't need medication but Janessa would need to have some breathing treatments to help with her labored breathing. At the clinic, when they put her in her carseat to go her O2 levels kept dropping. They were concerned how low it would drop so they wanted her to go to the Emergency Room for further and better monitoring. Since she couldn't be in her carseat, they called an ambulence to take her. My poor husband (local firefighter) was working the day they called for first responders to take a 5 month old baby to be transported to the emergency due to labored breathing and low O2. He knew right away it had to be Janessa and was then able to be with her in the hospital alongside my sister and mom.<br />
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At this time I had no idea Janessa's O2 was low and was being taken by ambulence to the E.R.! I was home sick in bed. I remember when my parents came in and told me the news. They told me I didn't need to worry, instantly I started to worry, and then explained that Janessa was in the E.R with RSV. It was a bit overwhelming for me after the weeks we had just had. I was still trying to cope with my recent diagnosis and still recovering from my time in the hospital. I had caught an upper respiratory virus as well and fevering on and off. It's already hard to be sick as a mom! And to be sick and have sick kids is even harder! And to be sick and UNABLE to care for sick kids, it's hard. I felt hopeless and hated I couldn't be there for Janessa. And yet so soooo thankful for family nearby and the care and help they gave!<br />
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Janessa was given a steroid shot and sent home that day because her O2 levels seemed stable. At home she continued to receive breathing treatments. As I mentioned, I was still awfully sick myself and spent a lot of time in bed so my husband took care of the kids and even stayed up in the night with Janessa since she wasn't sleeping well because of her cough and labored breathing. Being we were both being stretched to our limits those weeks even with help, my parents offered to take all 3 kids for a sleepover Sunday night to give Ryan and I a break and a chance to get some good rest.<br />
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That Sunday evening my Dad called Ryan and said they were bringing Janessa back into the E.R. We didn't ask for details we just said we would meet them there! Again, I didn't get too worked up because she had just been to the E.R. a couple days earlier and thought maybe she just needed another shot and continued monitoring. It wasn't until I got to the hospital I found out she would be coming in on the ambulence and that my parents had call 911 because she had stopped breathing and had stopped responding to them.<br />
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When I discovered these details, I knew it would become very easy for me to become emotionally and physically distressed. Being I was already extremely sick and had not been out of the hospital long and still struggling with high blood pressure, I knew I physically couldn't let myself get too worked up or else I would end up back in the hospital as well. It had to have been God's grace that came over me that night and carried me through. I remember feeling almost numb, like I was in shock from everything that was happening!<br />
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I was so weak. I coudn't hardly stand. I remember not even having the strength to pray. All I could manage to say was His Name. I just cried to Him, "Jesus! Please Jesus. Jesus" That's all. And that was enough. I knew He heard my hearts cry and plea even if I couldn't say the words. And soon word would be out and the prayer warriors in life would pray on my behalf for my baby girl and prayer chains were started.<br />
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Being numb to it all, I can't hardly remember everything they did at the Emergency Room. Her O2 levels were obviously too low and she was becoming distressed. They needed to get her O2 levels back up right away and so they put her on forced oxygen as well as another steroid shot and fluids and pain meds because she was obviously uncomfortable. The doctors and staff at our local E.R. were absolutely great but Janessa needing more intensive care and monitoring and so they called for her to be taken by helicopter to the Iowa City Pediatrics ICU.<br />
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That was a sobering moment. Watching your baby girl being taking away from you in a helicopter.<br />
Her flying <i><b>away</b>.</i><br />
It was such a helpless feeling.<br />
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We were not allowed in the helicopter but we knew she was in good hands. The helicopter was incredible and the team on it even better. They called it the "limo of all helicopters" because it was fancy looking and beastly. I guess nothing but the best for Princess Nessa. She arrived safely and without any issues. My husband rushed up to meet her there and the rest of my family and I packed up and headed to Iowa City. With me being sick and needing rest, we stayed in a hotel room for a few nights so I could get plenty of rest to try to get better and fight off my sickness. It was SO hard to be away from her!! And for my parents as well, it was all so traumatic!!<br />
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The next day was another rough day for Janessa. Her color was still awful and breathing still labored as well as just cranky from being uncomfortable. You couldn't blame her though with being so sick and having to have so many tubes hooked up, she had to have o2, feeding tube, iv, and chest monitors all hooked up. I hated seeing her so miserable. The nurses were incredible of course and so helpful and great at calming and caring for her. By Tuesday we finally started to see some improvement and a little color starting to return!<br />
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<i> </i>Prayers were being answered!!<br />
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And by golly, once she turned that corner, she improved at a significant rate! Tuesday night she was able to eat from a bottle. By Wednesday she was smiling and acting more like herself! We were able to start to see our Janessa come back!!<br />
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Wednesday we were able to move from the ICU into the normal Pedatrics floor. We hated to leave are amazing nurses in the ICU but the nurses in pediatrics were top of the line as well and took great care of her.<br />
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As I mentioned, once she started recovering, she did so at an incredible rate! We were so blessed by amount of people praying for our baby girl, people we didn't even know, prayer chains all over the country were started on her behalf and we were seeing all those prayers being answered right before our eyes!<br />
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By Thursday, she was completely off oxygen and the doctors said she could go home! She still had some labored breathing so we made sure to follow up with her local doctor the next day but we were all so excited to be able to head home!<br />
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As Janessa was recovering and getting better, I was starting to feel a bit better myself so we were anxious to get home and to our own beds! Not to mention how much we missed the rest of the family!!<br />
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Janessa got home and continued to be on breathing treatments and had a steroid added to her treatments for a few days but she recovered wonderfully and is a healthy happy girl now! She decided since being sick she no longer wants to sleep through the night anymore, I think she got completely spoiled being held by her Papa all those nights she was sick, but I don't mind. I love having my happy healthy Nessa back! We feel so blessed and thankful for help, love, and prayers from our family, friends, and more that got us through that week!<br />
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<br />Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-1347408646468649882017-03-03T06:53:00.001-06:002017-03-04T07:52:59.215-06:00Ambulance & NeedlesIt's been a whirlwind.<br />
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Honestly I'm not even sure where to begin. It's already been 1 month since my diagnosis, a month. Honestly, it feels like so much longer than that. February was the longest month that dragged on and on. But to start from the beginning, I should probably go back farther into January.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTNXmSbSOtHTZ2eo-YbO4UxnzBKMIzV-6asJqDbIbZiQuqknZ_y3XpkMdl4SAaeceMGNx_Bm9SRx9L_FdwD-NLd2fOeNvgC4QuBT4SUJv0x2Aipcg8ESnPxCFnatRx3vQkQXx93Kiy0A/s1600/17021354_1236001279851567_7186557562122019867_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTNXmSbSOtHTZ2eo-YbO4UxnzBKMIzV-6asJqDbIbZiQuqknZ_y3XpkMdl4SAaeceMGNx_Bm9SRx9L_FdwD-NLd2fOeNvgC4QuBT4SUJv0x2Aipcg8ESnPxCFnatRx3vQkQXx93Kiy0A/s400/17021354_1236001279851567_7186557562122019867_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>January Symptoms</u></b></span><br />
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January was a month mixed with awful headaches, extreme fatigue, hairloss, weight-gain, and my appetite acting weird. I was 4 month postpartum so I didn't think much of how I was feeling because being a mom of 3, I thought it was normal to always be tired and perhaps just low on iron.What makes these feelings odd, even though they may sound like normal postpartum issues, I was actually getting plenty of sleep but still always tired, my hair was coming out in handfuls leaving thin balding spots on my head, and even though I had started dieting and exercising I was <i>gaining</i> weight. A few days before going to the clinic I started having a little chest tightness and would lay awake at night trying to catch my breath a bit. And I already mentioned the weight gain but I was beginning to get quite puffy. Ultimately it was the swelling and trouble breathing is what got me to where I knew something was wrong and I needed to get a check-up. You can see the swelling starting in the pics below.<br />
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I figured I just had something wrong with my thyroid so I decided to into a clinic and at least see what they had to say. The nurse took my blood pressure and asked if I normally struggle with high blood pressure or had any complications with my pregnancies. I said no, I've always had <i>low</i> bp and my pregnancies went smoothly. She wouldn't even tell me the bp numbers and went straight to the doctor who didn't even come see me and advised that I head directly to the Emergency Room because they were afraid of heart failure with a bp of <b>205/113</b>. Those words were paralyzing. <span style="font-size: large;">Heart-heart failure??</span> I'm only 25!!!<br />
I was fortunate to have family nearby to take my kids right away and my husband was off work so he took me directly to the emergency room where they started a million tests to see what was going on.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><i>Needles, Needles & An Ambulance Ride</i></u></b></span><br />
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That afternoon, I had so many tests ran I can't even remember them all. Multiple Ekgs, xrays, chest scans, ultrasounds, bloodwork...oh my, the blood work. That was an experience in itself. Apparently my veins were not cooperating and wouldn't allow any IVs to stay put. It took 4 different nurses and ultimately they called in an anetheisiologist and an ultrasound to finally get an iv in me. I was in so much pain from be poked and prodded and them moving the needles around trying to keep a vein. Once they got the iv, they wanted to get my blood pressure down so they started me on nitroglycerin drops through the iv and called for an ambulence to take me to yet another hospital better suited for my situation.<br />
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A bumpy 20 minutes later, by now it was 8pm, I was being wheeled into another E.R. They were still worried about risk of heart failure so I was informed to lay as still as possibly and not to get up for any reason. The nitroglycerin has started to make me feel pretty rough, an awful headache had set, chest pain still, as well as my tummy was beginning to not be happy after a full day of my body being poked at and having no food. Tylenol wasn't cutting it so they pumped some morphine into my iv...and let me tell you, I'll be just fine if I <u>never</u> have to have <b>morphine again</b>!!! They wheeled me to the Cardiac Care Unit for the night to wait for an ultrasound of my heart in the morning.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><u>The Next Day</u></b></i></span><br />
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Tuesday morning was the worst! The absolute worst I have ever felt in my entire life. The nitrgylcerin caused the most painful headache and the morphine made it even worse and now I was beginning to feel nauseous from all the medication on an empty stomach, which of course I still couldn't eat because I was waiting on the echocardiogram. My entire body ached. I was so miserable I couldn't even open my eyes. I remember thinking, "oh great, I might have Cardiomyopathy and I've caught the flu!" They wheeled me to the echocardiogram and we finally heard some reassuring news, my heart looks strong and I do not have Cardiomyopathy! Such great relief!! So on to the next tests, they wheeled me to get another ultrasound of my kidneys as well as a CatScan. Let's not forget a <b>gazillion </b>more blood labs drawn. 15 MORE to be exact. In the same arm. I was sooooo sore. I just wanted to cry each time they came in to take more blood! When it was discovered I would be needing chemo treatments, they decided I needed a different and new Iv. I wanted to cry, actually I probably did cry. Poke, wiggle, poke they couldn't get a vein and called in a specialist to put in a PICC Line. Even THAT took 3 tries! My body still feels beaten and is most certainly bruised from all the needles. If I were to count, between ivs, shots, lab work, etc I had over <b>35</b> needles poking me that week!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-jjTK4Q3v3iFgIGHRzPiVQWSegtrbCHKOUBbc9o8snEzUbVdV3RM_yFhkuqevwFZ8ei_bjcm3nWYtGC8DSM6hqjKVFOiSebyVq78p-tSgkrcPAI2ZaV32D4Q1jvRgQB3ue8KzIiEqcs/s1600/17098169_1236891189762576_5055186079621904318_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-jjTK4Q3v3iFgIGHRzPiVQWSegtrbCHKOUBbc9o8snEzUbVdV3RM_yFhkuqevwFZ8ei_bjcm3nWYtGC8DSM6hqjKVFOiSebyVq78p-tSgkrcPAI2ZaV32D4Q1jvRgQB3ue8KzIiEqcs/s320/17098169_1236891189762576_5055186079621904318_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Kidneys & Protein</u></i></b></span><br />
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With my heart no longer the main concern, they started narrowing in on my kidneys. Because of all my swelling and test results they discovered there was an excess amount of protein spillage from my kidneys. Apparently it's normal to have some spillage but most people have less than 80mg spillage...mine was in the 8,000mg!!!! They wheeled me off again for another kidney ultrasound and ultimately a Kidney Biopsy that was then sent off to Mayo Clinic. My doctors were SOOOO good at keeping me updated and informed on all the tests they were running, what they were looking for, and possible diagnosis'. 24 hours later a diagnosis was confirmed...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>The Diagnosis: Lupus Nephritis Stage lV</u></i></b></span><br />
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If you're unfamiliar with what Lupus is, I can relate. And even when I wanted to find out more of what it is, the diagnosis is so broad it can still be confusing. And even I am still learning about is so bare with me. Simply put, it's an auto-immune disease which means my own immune system fights against itself. There are varying forms and degrees of Lupus. Some people may develop a skin rash, others have pain-crippling rhuematoid arthritis, extreme fatigue, and other life complicating and even life-threatening symptoms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesl2mY1OZHpnoNwt7J9SIiho_61hHWWeRvWrMuwrV4TwMbmqIWgU2FEC6WfEcTEhMUFjyi1iokQUDkJ8UuJSfx0zE-Hw_LBcvyN5BSMu9fL3C787IqpmOEGe8m15423g-rGlFRyRKQJs/s1600/e581c22c5d3e98b26b6a0c6f7225ca64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesl2mY1OZHpnoNwt7J9SIiho_61hHWWeRvWrMuwrV4TwMbmqIWgU2FEC6WfEcTEhMUFjyi1iokQUDkJ8UuJSfx0zE-Hw_LBcvyN5BSMu9fL3C787IqpmOEGe8m15423g-rGlFRyRKQJs/s320/e581c22c5d3e98b26b6a0c6f7225ca64.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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Mine being Lupus <i>Nephritis, </i>my<i> </i>immune system attacks my kidneys which in turn also puts my other organs in danger. This would be why they were so concerned with my heart and reason for hypertension. At stage lV I am at high risk of kidney failure. The "good news" we got from biopsy, is so far no damage and scarring has not taken place so they started on medication and treatment right away to hopefully prevent damage. They immediately started me on iv steroids and the following day chemo treatments began. Stage IV is the more serious forms of Lupus being that is trying to destroy my kidney functions. The hard thing about this is it is hard to know what damage is being done until it has already been done.<br />
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A week in the hospital without my kids was so hard!! I'm forever grateful to live close to family who so willingly loved and cared for them while I couldn't! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><i>Treatment & Medications</i></u></b></span><br />
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At the moment, my daily medication list seems to be a mile long. I'm on strong steroids to suppress my immune system, meds to lower blood pressure, meds to lower high cholesterol, water pill, OS/Cal D, iron pills, and plaquenil. I also will be going to get iv Chemo treatments (Cytoxan to be exact) every 2 weeks for 6 rounds. On top of my medications, the strong steroids I'm on make me what they call <i>Steroid-Induced Hypoglycemic. </i>Technically I'm not diabetic but my meds make it as if I am so I have to check my glucose levels a couple times a day and am on a low sugar diabetic diet as well as low sodium diet to help try and regulate and control my blood pressure. The doctors say my medication might permanently make me diabetic the rest of my life but we are hoping not. Which leads me to my diet...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqsLjgLq1X4HhVFFlkiik-CzQdXN9QJCaoWH6TyYUjVTnNwHa3wB2fWABMMDNn8gPeNBka4YdaGe4FaGvGLXibSVhtj3tWEZUUm2XAckMwkSEzUv12pLX3pOGkdIQ2WNNAkRDA_bV7Mw/s1600/16939366_1229776350474060_8906308406215835789_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqsLjgLq1X4HhVFFlkiik-CzQdXN9QJCaoWH6TyYUjVTnNwHa3wB2fWABMMDNn8gPeNBka4YdaGe4FaGvGLXibSVhtj3tWEZUUm2XAckMwkSEzUv12pLX3pOGkdIQ2WNNAkRDA_bV7Mw/s400/16939366_1229776350474060_8906308406215835789_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Diet</u></i></b></span><br />
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Due to my high blood pressure I am on an extremely LOW sodium diet and as mentioned above, a diabetic diet as well. Even things you would think would be considered or might even say "low sodium" is still high for me. I'm fortunate to have married a health nut and if you know Ryan you know he is extremely knowledgeable in nutrition and how food effects the body so he has been amazing in the area of cooking and finding food I can eat. If you are curious what I eat, think vegetables! Lots and lots of vegetables (no salt added of course!) My carbs are WHOLE wheat whole grain and I try to stick with lean meats like fish and chicken. I don't entirely deprive myself of anything, but if I do eat something unhealthy it's a very small limited amount. For someone who's favorite food is pickles and mac&cheese a low sodium diet is not the easiest but I'm doing my best. Aside from the protein spillage numbers, the doctors were quite impressed with my lab numbers and how low my swelling has gone down and they said it's all kudos to my diet so that makes it easier to stick to. The last thing I want is to end up back in the hospital for a week again so if I can somehow help avoid that by eating healthier than by golly I'll try!<br />
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<b><i><u>LIFE LATELY</u></i></b><br />
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We are still adjusting from the month. I've only shared the FIRST week in February and as you all already know, so much more happened! But that's for another day. As you can imagine, our schedule these days are full of doctors appointments, more doctor appointments, and naps. Oh, and cuddles, lots of good cuddles.<br />
Making up for the lost time we spent apart in hospital.<br />
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Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-10763521910832197492016-06-27T07:23:00.000-05:002016-06-27T07:23:02.523-05:00Summer Sundress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I mentioned in my <a href="http://therunningstitchwhit.blogspot.com/2016/06/life-lately.html" target="_blank">last post</a> that I haven't been sewing much and it's true. </div>
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I had already started this dress a number of weeks ago and put it to the side because I didn't think I would like how it would turn out. I don't have a lot of experience in making clothes and so I tend to be intimidated by it. </div>
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But with 4th of July coming up I really wanted her to have a cute dress for the holiday so I thought I would pull out the dress and actually finish it and I'm pretty happy I did because I love how it turned out!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZg1cknG9C7Y1IGpkkfvSV0iCjCL2S_6XZw8CQHMLuIzx4V1WHRI7MidfsvbKxLcqTfW0w2xrlSrEqDaUyLzHiySrSPpo0ylAeq-I3-lhRrb7_R2t9tu7QViYyx4pQyGs_IwcPCLu9POc/s1600/IMG_1297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZg1cknG9C7Y1IGpkkfvSV0iCjCL2S_6XZw8CQHMLuIzx4V1WHRI7MidfsvbKxLcqTfW0w2xrlSrEqDaUyLzHiySrSPpo0ylAeq-I3-lhRrb7_R2t9tu7QViYyx4pQyGs_IwcPCLu9POc/s640/IMG_1297.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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To make this dress I followed a tutorial on the <a href="http://www.lilblueboo.com/2009/06/border-fabric-sundress-tutorial.html" target="_blank">Lil Blue Boo</a> blog.</div>
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It's a great tutorial and perfect for beginners!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilwMurZKoH9V0u115t70ZT_CXtikmo9Jf7GJsr_HF36J7pqvBekJIXFqqEK4uVKTvM3g2ZkY87LcFxDiEuQbthV86sNmiPFdWHRMoHNyBC4cwL4Ifl2mt4yB_6pbYzQB-xacb6eftbak/s1600/IMG_1302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilwMurZKoH9V0u115t70ZT_CXtikmo9Jf7GJsr_HF36J7pqvBekJIXFqqEK4uVKTvM3g2ZkY87LcFxDiEuQbthV86sNmiPFdWHRMoHNyBC4cwL4Ifl2mt4yB_6pbYzQB-xacb6eftbak/s640/IMG_1302.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The pattern didn't have pockets but I decided to add a couple to see how I like it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDIZKuXXPUUws3Wf66QBx29T9WvD34ocbH3sBR3yzS9MT7dOymKS1YpLIoap8vblc1dnUVxOGHlCmKRwv1eIdOj4pFwQQw7_tKi78BR8WWIT3f1Hs8BvxUfXrgs-Bwfd_gIybgIq2jik/s1600/IMG_1295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDIZKuXXPUUws3Wf66QBx29T9WvD34ocbH3sBR3yzS9MT7dOymKS1YpLIoap8vblc1dnUVxOGHlCmKRwv1eIdOj4pFwQQw7_tKi78BR8WWIT3f1Hs8BvxUfXrgs-Bwfd_gIybgIq2jik/s640/IMG_1295.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Since it was my first time making this pattern, this first dress is like a trial run. </div>
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It's far from perfect but now that I've done it once I know what adjustment and changes to make for the next dress!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRJ8fxQah_74cJVu6fOkTUiAr-wkUy0_TWd_rK_BugGL3Yn3x4QaxPTcqgefx-X9m1kS-LIFektZNu-Z6zExkxa_vQqgQ_2BagmNEffIpfDVMc6W8l7rU7IklfsbT1dhwrPAg3_eReIc/s1600/dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRJ8fxQah_74cJVu6fOkTUiAr-wkUy0_TWd_rK_BugGL3Yn3x4QaxPTcqgefx-X9m1kS-LIFektZNu-Z6zExkxa_vQqgQ_2BagmNEffIpfDVMc6W8l7rU7IklfsbT1dhwrPAg3_eReIc/s640/dress.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think the next time I make a dress I want one that doesn't have the tie straps.</div>
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The tie straps are great for beginners because they are simple and easy to do!</div>
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But Alaya didn't quite love me trying to tie them nor does she hold still very long!</div>
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But I still think they are cute! And since they tie, you can easily adjust the height of the dress which is nice.</div>
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Now that I have officially finished a dress for her I think I might have the itch to make another one! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWg9XHCOwwyTNR-DzA3IxGCJLTrUd7zM10QqT8d-ThbYdZPfzCXoghh_6meoWCQLVa4MuecoZX4U4CVK7rJqiR6m-iQ_UEkMbFSKtpqIuC3k9UQyMMGIyIJhURw2QMFgy1pD8Zw95vF4g/s1600/IMG_1312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWg9XHCOwwyTNR-DzA3IxGCJLTrUd7zM10QqT8d-ThbYdZPfzCXoghh_6meoWCQLVa4MuecoZX4U4CVK7rJqiR6m-iQ_UEkMbFSKtpqIuC3k9UQyMMGIyIJhURw2QMFgy1pD8Zw95vF4g/s640/IMG_1312.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Maybe even try my hand at a little more challenging pattern...maybe!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOMvMDmw5lyvWPjHEhUxEDDhS9uFrkDKOcTM4zsUlCvnuhQYuWAFCr6FmAwahaNbEnFys2WAjQkCaYLWmsySQs2Ux9a58NZG7wj2yTGE1NCdwali6DCaM_NIdyo9Bput3SQDAlBfOFKM/s1600/alaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOMvMDmw5lyvWPjHEhUxEDDhS9uFrkDKOcTM4zsUlCvnuhQYuWAFCr6FmAwahaNbEnFys2WAjQkCaYLWmsySQs2Ux9a58NZG7wj2yTGE1NCdwali6DCaM_NIdyo9Bput3SQDAlBfOFKM/s640/alaya.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Until then, we will be outside enjoying these last few days of June and getting things ready to celebrate the Fourth of July! What fun holiday traditions do you do to celebrate The Fourth? </div>
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Thanks for stopping by!</div>
Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-6328221322118433992016-06-24T16:05:00.000-05:002016-06-24T16:17:06.160-05:00Life Lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Can I have a redo of June please? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLvd-ztRGXWWeNVXE8yMr1H9KRp6-0XoVadTgX_g6Lt4yDL6el6W4x0tWljQRw6YgRtiNL_1Tod_Ub578m85Pe5_dt0H-j-piyriLyAU1xghUaaH6wFEyKz96TYWMupyHUlxvxAa-pOc/s1600/13458562_994827757302255_9180789753806493542_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLvd-ztRGXWWeNVXE8yMr1H9KRp6-0XoVadTgX_g6Lt4yDL6el6W4x0tWljQRw6YgRtiNL_1Tod_Ub578m85Pe5_dt0H-j-piyriLyAU1xghUaaH6wFEyKz96TYWMupyHUlxvxAa-pOc/s640/13458562_994827757302255_9180789753806493542_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This past month flew by with a whirlwind of fun.</div>
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Between celebrating Ashton's 4th birthday, a week of vacation, home renovations, and summer fun I already feel this glorious season slipping by fast.</div>
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I am currently 28 weeks pregnant with baby girl-yay we've reached third trimester!! I feel huge of course but feeling good other than that! I'm dealing with the heat quite well so far even though I know the humidity is just going to get worse as we move into July. Thankfully we have invested in a family pool pass so if you need me, you know where to find me!</div>
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As for baby prep, we are almost ready for her! I think?! I should probably start washing baby clothes and figuring out where to store them in our tiny house... instead I'm going to keep putting that off and get outside with my loves.</div>
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These kids are loving summer and all the fun that goes with it. Alaya would LIVE outside if I let her. </div>
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Our days consist mostly of swim lessons, picnics at the park, bike rides, trips to the library, and swimming at the pool!</div>
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If only they knew how good they've got it...</div>
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If you've been wondering why the lack of sewing pictures lately it's because I haven't been sewing. </div>
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My two rugrats keep me pretty busy and with the beautiful weather we spend most of our time outside. </div>
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I used to sew when they napped or went to be but being pregnant (along with anemia) I normally find myself napping or sleeping when they do too. Which leaves little to no time to sew!</div>
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It's bitter-sweet. I know it's just a season of time and someday I'll be able to sew a lot more. For now I'm just happy mothering my babies...and sleep makes me happy too! Bring on the naps!</div>
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You won't find me giving up on sewing entirely of course!! I'd be crazy to do that. I have a few hand sewing projects going or sometimes when I get the *need to create I'll pull out the machine for a quick project like this pillow I made last week!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fCdV-RpWxFxeZvzvd4Ocf0i1jd3nnDADPdBpCqq0xt9hsm5nN4JGtp15KhyphenhyphenJaGgF9Uhq6jE8aoYr2_Ria-RYbdCFPDUUImFW5829656LFWHrqVYML6SyF6T5PQoLZvX3Q_f-f6sf65g/s1600/IMG_0818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fCdV-RpWxFxeZvzvd4Ocf0i1jd3nnDADPdBpCqq0xt9hsm5nN4JGtp15KhyphenhyphenJaGgF9Uhq6jE8aoYr2_Ria-RYbdCFPDUUImFW5829656LFWHrqVYML6SyF6T5PQoLZvX3Q_f-f6sf65g/s640/IMG_0818.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But other than the hand-sewing and other small quick projects you may not see a lot of quilts popping out in the near future. I can imagine I'll be getting even less sewing done once a newborn is in the house. </div>
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Oh gosh, THREE kiddos. </div>
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I can't hardly believe it. </div>
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I feel both a mix of terror and excitement!!</div>
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Mostly excitement, but I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for how crazy this coming fall is going to be.</div>
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So here's to one wild and crazy summer...which will actually be the calm before the storm.</div>
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Thanks to Alaya, we are quite used to wild and crazy around here so I think we will manage. </div>
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<br />Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-44209975745853801722016-03-31T12:29:00.003-05:002016-04-07T14:06:36.944-05:00Scrappy & Plush<div style="text-align: center;">
Sometimes it seems I have so many quilt ideas and yet so little time. </div>
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I definitely haven't been able to sew as much as I would like to lately. </div>
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As you already know, we are expecting baby #3 and the biggest side effect to each of my pregnancies has been how much SLEEP my body requires! I'm so tired all the time it seems. Since I already have a 3 year old and a 1 year old who keep me pretty busy, I used to do most of my sewing while they napped or went to bed. Now that I am pregnant you can usually find me sleeping whenever they are sleeping as well. Yay for naps!! Boo for the lack of sewing time. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1RoaWv7Txcjj8pLKq5VdUQlOeBjUfIHKtsqIgl30orI7ehH6ZTiK2XAFd7Rm7pVECbNmC2Tnx-Leb9jNmgTLIqOH7YFB6b0Vns84EC-7TMtu6jDvtyRGsx8cvFtTJ2auZsFzxDVS0io/s1600/IMG_0484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1RoaWv7Txcjj8pLKq5VdUQlOeBjUfIHKtsqIgl30orI7ehH6ZTiK2XAFd7Rm7pVECbNmC2Tnx-Leb9jNmgTLIqOH7YFB6b0Vns84EC-7TMtu6jDvtyRGsx8cvFtTJ2auZsFzxDVS0io/s640/IMG_0484.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thankfully I have been able to finish my 2nd quilt finish for this year and it's probably my most favorite finish yet!! Not because of it's design or look, but it's my favorite because of how it <i>feels!! </i>But if you know me, you also know I love a scrappy quilt with lots of little pieces and this my friend was made from <b>A LOT</b> of little squares.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEikv-6LGfj3ysAYKtP-GNHj9DHZJzFN7_AG_TNBbg2UJ5noCC6Ngt16Wrkrzdc9DATk_sNPIFi0gORPhFNjEU-GI0iDHKIo0R43CVdU54G8nCZUGx1kB2HqBmU822tG8mIuqzCpVzKFU/s1600/IMG_0479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEikv-6LGfj3ysAYKtP-GNHj9DHZJzFN7_AG_TNBbg2UJ5noCC6Ngt16Wrkrzdc9DATk_sNPIFi0gORPhFNjEU-GI0iDHKIo0R43CVdU54G8nCZUGx1kB2HqBmU822tG8mIuqzCpVzKFU/s640/IMG_0479.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The reason this quilt stands out from my other quilts is because of the batting. I know you can't see the batting-that's why I wish so badly you could <i>feel </i>this quilt!<br />
There are so many types of batting to choose from and a majority of my quilts are made from cotton batting since it's a higher quality of batting and I <i><b>love</b></i> the way quilts wrinkle up after a wash with cotton. But I love the puffiness polyester batting gives a quilt but it's a little harder to work with and is slightly lower quality. I seemed to have found the best of both worlds in this new batting I found! On this quilt, I tried a new batting called Warm & Plush and I'm absolutely smitten!!!!!</div>
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Can you see how <i>plush </i>and cozy it is?!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZ4i3-D1VapYpdftK59OFE4pn025xB7ZQ6IfvqyuPrWhyphenhypheneJ6AHwXtS7EVbshivHTPW1bMHMTz0K2w0-NICxEYV0s8TiYdT0ayvH_kibqZG_yX6nRRV-ZPaW4lMr5NxVWw6-wK5KEZjBg/s1600/IMG_0480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZ4i3-D1VapYpdftK59OFE4pn025xB7ZQ6IfvqyuPrWhyphenhypheneJ6AHwXtS7EVbshivHTPW1bMHMTz0K2w0-NICxEYV0s8TiYdT0ayvH_kibqZG_yX6nRRV-ZPaW4lMr5NxVWw6-wK5KEZjBg/s640/IMG_0480.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's a cotton batting so it's great to work with as far as quilting goes, but it's a thicker cotton so it gives the quilt a bit more of puffiness than regular cotton batting. Since it's thicker, it also adds a little weight to the quilt which I LOVE!!! </div>
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I love a nice warm quilt to snuggle under on the couch. And yet, it's not too heavy to the point you can't hardly move around it or take it to a football game or picnic. It's the perfect mid-weight quilt and feels so great. I wish you could feel it through these pictures!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkzNcj7a7Bv0O1nQhAwduq2TziuqGPNZz4bfj5IedDIZlWKjPMh4-gtq0vsu5lmR4ckHMWKe9Vo9XY6dOIHeaRl9leyPJ1VjjKC3mP7fa6IWfpHY5ULJKdsnm6vVrPlI4FHsI7lmb5XU/s1600/IMG_0496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkzNcj7a7Bv0O1nQhAwduq2TziuqGPNZz4bfj5IedDIZlWKjPMh4-gtq0vsu5lmR4ckHMWKe9Vo9XY6dOIHeaRl9leyPJ1VjjKC3mP7fa6IWfpHY5ULJKdsnm6vVrPlI4FHsI7lmb5XU/s640/IMG_0496.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The patchwork finished makes around a 2.5" square. I'd hate to know how many hours I have invested in this quilt, but every minute was worth it. Is there anything better than a scrappy patchwork quilt? My sister calls it a "grandma quilt" because it has that old traditional mis-matched patchwork quilt look that maybe a grandmother might have made. </div>
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This probably sounds rude that she would say that, but I take it as a huge compliment! I love scrappy vintage quilts so to think my quilt looks like something a grandmother quilter would have made is a compliment. The only difference in my quilt versus your grandmother's quilt is mine is made with new high quality premium fabrics, cotton batting, and is brand new just waiting for a new home and for someone to love on it.<br />
(If you're interested in purchasing & giving this quilt a loving home then feel free to message me on facebook!) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAHZsEwyjvHUY3iLBt1I0I2p2XxZcJZuFY3CZK-_jtHbYkjRyZ33bhjAzMJDyTtbszYEvAtHHDruIo3MU713zXWCxQG6RelgbEzLkfU4rNNDyba6Ns38Io-3J2A641f3_X9R8Bv3itIg/s1600/IMG_0510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAHZsEwyjvHUY3iLBt1I0I2p2XxZcJZuFY3CZK-_jtHbYkjRyZ33bhjAzMJDyTtbszYEvAtHHDruIo3MU713zXWCxQG6RelgbEzLkfU4rNNDyba6Ns38Io-3J2A641f3_X9R8Bv3itIg/s640/IMG_0510.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Do you recognize some of the Cotton & Steel fabrics from my past <a href="http://therunningstitchwhit.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-moonlit-sunset.html" target="_blank">Moonlit Quilt??</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdbQSPjpH_Uv_XSRklVFY5Jpo412qo-VdUDL75zqQX9KjdATogyvYm83ide1uaDky4oJDpm255lEvJ9PzFkVd8nJELyXIeOfvf-kw7ZgnKfxUqhD3SExCT7MTgpHolOOgv2Pjh_nngPY/s1600/IMG_0505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdbQSPjpH_Uv_XSRklVFY5Jpo412qo-VdUDL75zqQX9KjdATogyvYm83ide1uaDky4oJDpm255lEvJ9PzFkVd8nJELyXIeOfvf-kw7ZgnKfxUqhD3SExCT7MTgpHolOOgv2Pjh_nngPY/s640/IMG_0505.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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The size ended up being bigger than I expected as well! I had about 40 fat quarters of Cotton & Steel fabric and I used every single piece of it! In fact, i used them for the backing of the quilt as well...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLrV20HKeHxk-_Ck4S0HvenVOZLswndarMAlofQ4eQoepg0pjDHFB7aCzcJ-5GAB7QK3-T2Xup965dKwK3q1qjvoX5Mabh3xYLt1bkffOfzlprUOoBHurDJ0oi8ZWQgnyyWLtA5-aExY/s1600/IMG_0508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLrV20HKeHxk-_Ck4S0HvenVOZLswndarMAlofQ4eQoepg0pjDHFB7aCzcJ-5GAB7QK3-T2Xup965dKwK3q1qjvoX5Mabh3xYLt1bkffOfzlprUOoBHurDJ0oi8ZWQgnyyWLtA5-aExY/s640/IMG_0508.jpg" width="522" /></a></div>
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So not only is the front patchwork and pieced, so is the back!! </div>
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The perfect addition to a scrappy quilt!!</div>
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Thanks for stopping by!!</div>
Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-89913681508359727452016-03-25T10:17:00.000-05:002016-03-25T10:18:50.011-05:00Vintage Pink Baby Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm excited to share with you today the newest baby quilt I recently finished for a friend of mine having a baby girl. She asked that the quilt be pink & vintage!</div>
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I'm a vintage-loving girl myself so I had a fun time piecing this beauty together! </div>
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I feel like the pictures just don't do justice for this quilt. The sun wasn't cooperating with me but these will at least give you a glimpse of it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzB12_caWGUH_9YCzbpNZ5m3x1YWYC1eJVm7QDcBbFJ8Jzg44bm4m9ElbvSLy7XG5LE08IaruXK_zYCDeeq8QmX74A2pd22n27yd8HKULHkAESK_HdWxiHqiwVJnPPdHbO0aIm7b-Eb4/s1600/payton2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzB12_caWGUH_9YCzbpNZ5m3x1YWYC1eJVm7QDcBbFJ8Jzg44bm4m9ElbvSLy7XG5LE08IaruXK_zYCDeeq8QmX74A2pd22n27yd8HKULHkAESK_HdWxiHqiwVJnPPdHbO0aIm7b-Eb4/s640/payton2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I feel like pictures just don't do justice for how pretty this quilt really is!</div>
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The sun wasn't cooperating with me but these will at least give you a glimpse of it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeu7HDAlRjnRyZ_yiao1XnE9KBXLbjk6zj6G0UIEYMet1ejd1dMUJdQ3VPUuHQCRuEstRkiegYgd1PT4sgK1W82an1knGm2lqVym6UMrj4v8OJ2Lv_LYQN2NC319H5GOkdlkGPswLdHY/s1600/IMG_0247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeu7HDAlRjnRyZ_yiao1XnE9KBXLbjk6zj6G0UIEYMet1ejd1dMUJdQ3VPUuHQCRuEstRkiegYgd1PT4sgK1W82an1knGm2lqVym6UMrj4v8OJ2Lv_LYQN2NC319H5GOkdlkGPswLdHY/s640/IMG_0247.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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I decided to do half square triangles for the design because triangles are awesome in any quilt. It really gives it a more scrappy look like you see in most vintage quilts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFl-EbfAOSKBLWyDbIy8I80zHooVL80XSBBS8pEnKSEdjpT6zPS4XyMRYOp03rqBXP6sadBdLkR4r8-uBVB5FIUTo2447c0jhQEUeWsIXXoFZJ0D1GXB5p4PgH-NPf1z15o_QmNgRuBE/s1600/IMG_0281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFl-EbfAOSKBLWyDbIy8I80zHooVL80XSBBS8pEnKSEdjpT6zPS4XyMRYOp03rqBXP6sadBdLkR4r8-uBVB5FIUTo2447c0jhQEUeWsIXXoFZJ0D1GXB5p4PgH-NPf1z15o_QmNgRuBE/s640/IMG_0281.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And for a little special touch, I embroidered the baby girl's name at the bottom of the quilt.</div>
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Truly a keepsake.</div>
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I don't personally have an embroidery machine but my best friend Rachel at <a href="http://stitchesnsnippets.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Stitches N Snippets</a> recently got one for Christmas so when I traveled up to visit her she let me borrow it for few projects! It was so much FUN! I want one now! </div>
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If only they were cheaper... </div>
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Oh well, perk to having a cool best friend who also loves to sew.</div>
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If you ask Rachel, she could attest to how nervous I was about this quilt!!!</div>
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When I took the order I was asked to do swirls and designs in the quilt pattern rather than my typical straight-line quilting. I don't claim to be a professional free motion quilter, and in fact, this was my first quilt to do entirely of FMQ but I'm SO glad I went out of my comfort zone and did it. It's far from perfect, but for my first entire quilt of fmq, I'm pretty darn proud of it and think it turned out great!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzSLAuBzwPN1tEMb38BVvi0_rsEiGO36A9K2bn9VC_Yx6YWr088pha3AAu6iiEMkjNX7dVPZxPtBD9IVZtfgjdchVMcpiEUtOURXHItlAhreJxmXSzS6pSJhlQdWGAmz3GDbJD-Nc5x4/s1600/payton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzSLAuBzwPN1tEMb38BVvi0_rsEiGO36A9K2bn9VC_Yx6YWr088pha3AAu6iiEMkjNX7dVPZxPtBD9IVZtfgjdchVMcpiEUtOURXHItlAhreJxmXSzS6pSJhlQdWGAmz3GDbJD-Nc5x4/s640/payton.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm pleased with how it turned out and glad she asked me to do it because it went with the character of the quilt. With fmq, it wrinkled up ever so perfectly giving it that perfect vintage wrinkly quilt look. </div>
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I mean doesn't it look so cuddly ?!</div>
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I hope the new Momma & baby love it and all of the special touches I added to it to make it a truly one of a kind quilt.</div>
Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-92200800846133299332016-02-06T07:28:00.000-06:002016-02-06T07:48:52.733-06:00Tiny House Bedroom<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: center;">
It's been almost a year since we've moved into our tiny home. </div>
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We have made quite a few changes and continue to do so to make living as a family in a tiny home more convenient and comfortable. </div>
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The one bedroom we have has seen the most changes so far. We've tried various sleeping arrangements over the past year and I'm pretty pleased with our latest changes.</div>
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You remember when we first moved in the bedroom was completely filled up by a queen size bed.</div>
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Alaya slept in a pack n' play next to the bed so between those two beds you couldn't hardly move around the room let alone store any toys in there. </div>
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Next we had two twin mattresses on the floor that we would spread out on the floor at night and the three of us would spread out and sleep together on the 2 mattresses (Alaya still in her pack n' play).</div>
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A few toys could be stored in there with this setup as well as a dresser.</div>
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And NOW...</div>
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Alaya has graduated to a toddler bed and her brother sleeps on a foldout bed which works perfectly because it can be stored away during the day leaving plenty of room for them to play and ALL of their toys are stored in the corner of the room. </div>
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Also notice we tore out the old carpet and put in new flooring!</div>
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If you're wondering where I sleep, my husband and I have overstuffed futon in the living room we share.</div>
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I love this set up so much better than our previous sleeping arrangements because I no longer have to store all of their toys in the living room and there's much more room for them to play!<br />
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So when we start to feel cramped or need a little space from one another, I can just send them to play in their room!<br />
It's working out perfectly so far.</div>
Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-50100092883567498142016-02-04T14:48:00.001-06:002017-08-25T10:43:50.836-05:00Why You Should Stay At A Disney Resort<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What better family-friendly vacation is there than Disney World!!?</div>
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We went this past December and had the best of time!! </div>
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You can read more about it <a href="http://therunningstitchwhit.blogspot.com/2015/12/disney-vacation-first.html" target="_blank">Here!!</a></div>
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We went back on forth with so many decisions regarding our vacations ..do we fly or drive? Do we stay at Disney Resort or cheap hotel? Do we rent a car or no? Keep in mind we wanted to do our family vacation on a budget and in the end we discovered that staying at a Disney Resort actually saved us money in the long run so I thought I would share with you how and why <b>you</b> should consider staying at a Disney Resort too!</div>
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By staying in a Disney Resort we were able to NOT have to worry about the cost of shuttle services, nor did we have to buy individual magic bands, skipped parking costs, gas, and more!! Not to mention the CONVENIENCE of staying at a resort and all the perks it has. You're about to hear the word <i><b>convenience</b></i> used a ridiculous amount of times in this book-long blog post. </div>
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Don't say I didn't warn you!</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">WHY WE FLEW</span></b></div>
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Since we live in Iowa, it was a huge deal for us to travel that far for a vacation.</div>
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We went back and forth whether we wanted to drive or fly and I am SO glad we decided to fly. </div>
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It would've been at least a 20 hour drive nonstop to Florida, and with 2 toddlers, driving nonstop wasn't possible the 20 hours would've turned into 2 days of traveling down and another 2 days back. We decided flying would be better for our sanity and actually cheaper (yes cheaper!!) because we didn't have to stay in hotels & buy extra food those 4 days of traveling . We preferred to have those 4 days actually in Florida so we opted for a 2 hour flight verses the endless hours of driving. And depending on when you buy your airline tickets, sometimes they have really good deals. I saw roundtrip tickets from St. Louis, MO to Orlando, Fl for as low as $99/person. You can't drive that far for that cheap!! Unfortunately I missed this deal but we paid around $150/each which was still very reasonable! It also helped that our youngest was 1 and could sit in our lap and ride free so we only had to buy 3 tickets. </div>
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Since we weren't driving, we then had to decide whether we wanted to rent a car or not. Since it was December and our kids are so young we didn't feel the need to go to the beach or venture far from Disney World so we decided we didn't need to spend an extra $300 on a vehicle (plus rent carseats!). This is what ultimately led us our decision to stay at a Disney World Resort. </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">CHOOSING A HOTEL</span></b></div>
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There are other hotels near Disney World that are relatively cheap! You can stay at a nice Wyndham Hotel close by for around $85/night with free shuttle to the Disney parks! Cheap, right? So why wouldn't we stay there to save money?? They won't pick us up from the airport. If we decided to stay at a hotel near Disney World that wasnt' a Disney Resort we would've had to find an additional shuttle service to take us from the airport to our hotel and back again (Disney World is abt a 30 min drive from the airport)... a shuttle from the airport to a hotel was an additional cost and I really didn't want to have to mess with carseats and the cost of carseats. When we realized Disney Resorts provide FREE shuttle to their hotel we knew right away we wanted to stay at a Disney Resort and the perks we discovered afterwards were just icing on the cake!</div>
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There are a handful of Disney Resorts to choose from and since we were on a budget we looked into what they call the "Value Resorts". We were originally going to stay at the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/all-star-movies-resort/rates-rooms/" target="_blank">Disney All-Star Resort</a> which was around $98/night but decided to go with the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/pop-century-resort/rates-rooms/" target="_blank">Pop Century Resort</a> because we heard it had recently been renovated and was the nicest of the value resorts. Not to mention, unlike the other value resorts that share the same buses to the parks, Pop Century has their very own buses that take you directly to the parks without stopping to pick up people from other resorts. We didn't want to risk not being able to get on a bus that's too full when we wanted to go to the park. And did I mention Pop Century Resort only cost us $108/night?! </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>GETTING TO THE HOTEL-Disney Magical Express</b></span></div>
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When we got off our flight we headed straight to the designated Disney Resort pickup area. There, they scanned our Magic Bands for the first time and it automatically checked us in for a shuttle to our resort-it doesn't get much easier than that people! The <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/magical-express/" target="_blank">Disney Magical Express</a> was great and I'll say it again...convenient!! You can even register ahead of time for their luggage delivery service and they will pick up your luggage from the baggage claim and take it to your hotel room so you don't even have to think or mess with baggage! How awesome is that? We only had one suitcase so we decided we would just keep it with us but we would definitely take advantage of that perk if we went again.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>PARK SHUTTLES-Disney Motorcoaches</b></span></div>
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Let me take a moment and talk a little bit about their shuttles to the parks for a moment. The Disney Motorcoaches go to every park in Disney World, Disney Springs, and even the Boardwalk! A new bus comes every 20 minutes so you don't have to wait too long before a bus shows up. They are like a large city bus so all you have to do is fold up your stroller and climb aboard. </div>
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So if you're thinking you wanted the convenience of being able to go/leave the parks when you wanted then I actually think the resort shuttle buses are extremely convenient because you don't have to worry about waiting in traffic lines, paying for parking, NOR do you have to worry about directions. You just get on and ride and within minutes you are at your destination.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>MAGIC BANDS!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you stay at a Disney Resort you will receive your Magic Bands for FREE (*or </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">complimentary</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> rather since technically you are paying to stay there.) If you didn't stay at a Disney Resort you would have to buy your <a href="http://www.disneystore.com/magicband/mn/1024701/?CMP=KNC-DSPParksAndResortsGoogle&mkwid=sJwxvJK3F_dc%7cpcrid%7c74372907312%7cpkw%7cdisney%2520magic%2520bands%7cpmt%7ce" target="_blank">Magic Band</a> </span>separately from your park tickets which would be an addition cost of $13/person. For my family that would of cost another $52 just for bracelets...So there is yet another way staying at a resort actually saved us money!! </div>
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And can I just say how AWESOME magic bands are?!! It makes hotel check-in so easy, and whenever we had questions about our trip they would just scan our bracelet and our itinerary information would show up so they could help us quickly and efficiently. Not to mention how quickly you can get on rides at the park with the fast passes linked to your band. AND they are waterproof so I just stuck them on my kids and didn't have to worry about them getting lost or them taking them off to swim. We just kept them on all week!! My FAVORITE part, seems silly, but they opened our hotel door?!! No more losing our hotel key or waiting to dig it out of my purse, or losing it at the parks...nope! We just scan our bracelet (that we never took off) and Ta-Da!! Our door opened. Quick and easy. Seems like such a minor thing but it was awesome to not have to one more thing like a hotel key card to keep track of. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The resorts are huge of course so the buildings of the hotel are broken up into sections. There is one large main pool of the hotel that can be found in the middle and main part of the hotel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But I loved that there are also smaller pools in each section of the hotel. If you stay at the Disney Art of Animation Resort they have an entire area devoted to looking like you're in Radiator Springs from the movie Cars. And, as i mentioned each section has, it's got an adorable little pool in the "Cozy Cone Hotel"!! How fun is that?!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8HngUqlNIEC6u7h4B2vqtSEXuY7ruDrAFNyiRHXUJaV-3vo98RNkxdiVna6YhI3MdlHPHNbsogMRH99lVcjGi4gYpsRPQghWT0UdjKB5VPN2-Cbq3keUFE3G_AfVQNI6T6_YS60LdwU/s1600/cozycone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8HngUqlNIEC6u7h4B2vqtSEXuY7ruDrAFNyiRHXUJaV-3vo98RNkxdiVna6YhI3MdlHPHNbsogMRH99lVcjGi4gYpsRPQghWT0UdjKB5VPN2-Cbq3keUFE3G_AfVQNI6T6_YS60LdwU/s320/cozycone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Smaller individual pools are nice for when you don't want to have to walk and take your kids allllll the way to the main pool or when you want to swim somewhere with less people, you can swim in a pool right out your front door in the section you hotel room is in!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And yet another perk, they provide complimentary life jackets for your kids!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You don't have to sign up for them or rent one. They are available at each pool and are hanging up ready to grab and put on when you're ready to swim! I swear Disney thinks of everything!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And if you're wondering if there's a place for small toddlers and baby's to play they even have a splash and baby area for young kids to play in water to keep cool! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it's important to have some downtime on vacation. With young kids, we didn't want to be rushing around everywhere trying to cram everything in to the point of exhaustion. I think we did a nice job of having rest but also a lot of fun. We didn't go to a Disney Park everyday and spent quite a bit of time just hanging around the resort. The resort has so much to do in itself that I think you should plan a day or two on your vacation to just spend at your resort! A few nights a week they have an outdoor <b>Movie Under the Stars </b>where you can go watch a Disney movie outside on the lawn. My husband took our oldest to a movie a couple nights while I put our youngest to bed early.</span></div>
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I love they have <b>playgrounds</b> on site at each hotel. I took my 1 year old there a lot while her dad and older brother were swimming or playing at the <b>arcade</b>! She absolutely loved it and it was the perfect pastime for a small toddler! </div>
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They even do special events and dance parties down at scheduled times down at the main pool! We didn't make it to this event but we passed it and it looked like a lot of fun! They were playing fun music and they had lifeguards teaching games and fun dances for the kids to do at the pool! They even had ping pong table by the pool and volleyball court and so much more around the resort. There was always something to do!!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Value Disney Resorts do not have workout and exercise equipment available but they do have jogging trails. The one at Pop Century and Art of Animation was beautiful and wrapped around a small lake. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The scenery was so lovely and the weather was phenomenal in December! It was mid-seventies all week and as perfect as can be!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You're a a Disney Resort for goodness sake! You can expect it to be a magical and happy place! The ambiance and surroundings are top notch! The workers are extremely helpful and always-ALWAYS have a smile on their face! There are Disney character pictures everywhere and the statues just add to the fun of going to Disney World!! It just made our trip that much more magical. Event though we stayed at Pop Century, the Art of Animation was close by, just on the opposite side of the lake so we walked over and toured the resort one day and dare I say that was nearly as much fun as going to Magic Kingdom!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Both resorts had awesome sights and art to see! Touring the resorts is an event in itself and so worth taking the time to do so!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We had a blast just walking through the resorts seeing all the statues, trying out the playgrounds, and taking pictures with our favorite characters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some might view this as a downfall, but I loved that I didn't have to worry about going to a grocery store to get food or going to eat out everytime we were hungry. It was nice there is a large food court at your resort for you to eat whenever you want! It's convenient. But not cheap of course. You can expect to pay around $10/meal OR you can go the cheap route and do what we did! They have these homemade lunchboxes called a "PowerPack" in the fridge section of the food court. They were around $5 each and came with a apple granola bar, package of goldfish crackers, yogurt, grapes, carrots, and your choice of milk/water/juice box. That's a lot of food for a small child to eat!! We would plan to eat a light lunch and buy 3 boxes ($15 total!) and the four of us would share the three boxes of food and be quite content! It was so much more filling than we ever imagined. Plus, it saved us money and worked out perfectly for us. We are used to eating a light lunch anyways and a larger meal for dinner so we decided to do the same on vacation and had a light lunch and then planned to eat a large dinner later at a nicer restaurant when we were at Magic Kingdom or Disney Springs. The Power Packs were great too when we just wanted a snack (my kids love to snack!!) so we would buy one box and each have a snack from it. Makes for a cheap snack for four people for just five bucks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you want to save even more money, you can mail snacks down ahead of time to your hotel and they will hold onto your package until you arrive. Or you can even pack food in your luggage if you have specific snacks you want or if you're just wanting to save money and make pb sandwitches for lunch. We sent food down ahead of time and unfortunately there was a problem with the postal service because we didn't get our package until the last day we were there so that was a bummer. But we were pretty excited when we found the Power Pack lunchables for so cheap. Keep in mind, you can take food into the Disney Parks so sometimes if we had leftovers we would throw the fish crackers in a bag for my toddlers to have later in the park! </span></div>
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What about souvenirs you ask?! There is a Disney Store on site right along with the cafe. There are Disney souvenirs as well as some essentials like tylenol, diapers, wipes, tums, etc! If they don't have what you need, just ask and they will help you find a way to get it. **</div>
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Another cool perk about staying at a resort is the merchandise delivery system they have! If you're at a Disney Park and wanting to buy some merchandise, instead of buying and having to carry it with you all day at the park, you can arrange for Disney to have it delivered to your resort. All you have to do is tell the clerk at the register and they will make arrangements to have it delivered to the resort you are staying at. I know I say this a lot, but how CONVENIENT!!! </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If for some reason you do want to go off of the Disney premises, whether you want to go to the beach or Universal Studios, there is a car rental available. The Disney Hotel will provide a shuttle for you that will take you to the Disney Car Rental lot for you to pick up your car. (Hello Convenience!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">**Keep in mind there are plenty of other services around that will deliver various things you may need so I wouldn't recommend renting a car if you're just wanting to go to the store for groceries or medicine. There are grocery stores in the area that will deliver to Disney Resorts and even DrugStores that deliver as well! My son broke out in a rash while we were down there and they didn't have Benedryl available in the resort shopping area so we called a DrugStore that PopCentury recommended and the DrugStore delivered the medicine to our hotel and left it with the front desk who then called us to pick it up! The hotel just added it to our bill and we didn't have to worry about money exchange or anything. Holy convenience! That's right, I said convenient again!!! Disney Resorts are the masters of convenience.</span></div>
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So there you have it. My thoughts on why you should consider staying at a Disney Resort and how it saved us money! I realize depending on where you live or the fluctuating pricing of things sometimes a resort might not be the cheapest route, but even if it's just slightly more money, it's TOTALLY worth it for all the perks and services Disney Resorts have to offer! Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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<br />Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-26311226107255410082015-12-13T16:20:00.000-06:002015-12-13T16:20:03.664-06:00Disney Vacation-A First!<div style="text-align: center;">
As most of you know, this past week my family and I flew down to Florida for our first ever family vacation!!! And let me tell you, Disney World did not disappoint!!!</div>
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We had the best of time and it couldn't have been more perfect!! It's hard to wrap up everything in one blog post so in the next few weeks I'll share a few bits and pieces as well as my advice for if you are thinking about taking a family vacation to Disney World in the near future!</div>
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For our vacation, we flew in on Monday morning and arrived to our Disney resort around noon. The flight went so smoothly and I'm so glad we decided to fly (which took under 2 hours from St. Louis) rather than drive which would've taken 20 hours. Flying is definitely the way to go! But even flying, traveling is always exhausting with kids so we grabbed lunched and all took a nice afternoon nap and relaxed. That evening we grabbed a bus and went to Disney Springs. </div>
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For those of you not familiar with Disney Springs, it's a fun Disney shopping and dining area full of different types of Disney Shops and fun restaurants. We decided to go to the Trex Restaurant. We had been to a Rainforest Cafe before and loved the food so we knew the Dinasour theme would be fun for my son Ashton and the food was great too. </div>
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It was nice the wait wasn't long and every 20 minutes the lights would dim and there would be a meteorite shower and the dinasours would "come to life" and start moving! It was awesome! </div>
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The next day we had tickets to Mickey's Christmas Party in the evening. </div>
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It was nice to sleep in and have a nice slow morning doing whatever we wanted. We stayed in the Pop Century Disney Resort which happened to be located near the Art of Animation Resort which I had on my list to tour! Touring the other Disney resorts was an event in themself! They are INCREDIBLE!</div>
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Our resort, Pop Century, had sections of the hotel themed after various past decades. </div>
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Like one part of the hotel was disney in the 50's, or another was 60's, 70's and so on.</div>
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It was really neat and one of the more affordable Disney Resorts!</div>
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Art of Animation was a little more expensive so we didn't stay there but we spent the morning looking at all of the decorations and parks they had. If we were to go again, I would pay a little more to spend a couple days there. It was AWESOME. I loved that the entire hotel was DISNEY!!</div>
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You could stay in a section of the hotel that was themed after The Little Mermaid..</div>
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Or The Lion King....</div>
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And our favorite... CARS!!!</div>
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It felt like you were right in the movie!! We took pictures with ALL of the characters!</div>
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And the main pool of the hotel was themed after Nemo! Seriously, walking around Art of Animation was almost as fun as Disney World itself.</div>
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After seeing Art of Animation, we grabbed lunch at the resort and went back to our room to relax and have the kids take a nap before Mickey's Christmas Party. (MCP)</div>
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What's great about MCP is even though the party doesn't start until 7, you can get into the part as early at 4pm. So we took a good nap and go ready to head to the park!</div>
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Magic Kingdom is so beautiful at Christmas time! There are Christmas decorations everywhere and Christmas music all around! It just added to the magic of it all.</div>
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For weeks, Ashton had been talking about the hot cocoa and cookies that were going to be at Mickey's Christmas Party! Finally his dreams came true.</div>
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The boys rode some rides, we grabbed our snack and headed to find a seat to watch the Castle show and Christmas Parade. And let me just say, I have never seen so many people in my life. The crowd was insane in front of the castle!! We luckily went early enough we got a decent spot! Alaya fell alseep literally 15 minutes before the show started. She missed the entire thing!! But thats ok, she one so I didn't expect her to stay awake and no way was I going to wake her up and make her miserable and grumpy. </div>
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I enjoyed the show more than any of us I think. It was spectacular.</div>
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The castle was amazing. So beautiful.</div>
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And Santa made an appearance of course.</div>
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I could show you a million pictures but they don't do it justice. </div>
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After the show, the boys went on the Mine Train roller-coaster and I grabbed some ice cream and continued to watch the rest of the shows on the castle and the fireworks.</div>
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The Fireworks. Were. Amazing. </div>
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I'm not normally a "fireworks type of person". I feel like you see one firework you've seen them all.</div>
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This was not the case at Disney World. I'm not sure how they do it, but they make the music, lighting on the castle, and the fireworks all match. They bring such magic and feeling you can't help but be giddy and smile while the show's going on. The fireworks are a MUST SEE!</div>
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We left the park around 10:30 because the kids were exhausted (Alaya was still sleeping).</div>
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We had another full day at Magic Kingdom the following day.</div>
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Need I say it was awesome?!</div>
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Because it was.</div>
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The great thing about Disney World is they have something for everyone!</div>
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My boys love the rides and amusement park aspect of Disney, where Alaya and I loved all the shows and parades. The afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade was, again, a MUST SEE! Their floats are amazing..if you can even call them floats?!</div>
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And I happened to catch some of the Disney Dance Party they put on and it was a blast!!!</div>
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It brought the kid out in me and I was out there dancing with the characters along with all the small kids.</div>
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Woody even danced with Alaya. It was fun to be up and close to the character!</div>
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I was also really surprised at how many rides Alaya could ride on!</div>
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It felt like nearly half of the rides at Magic Kingdom allowed Alaya to sit and ride on our laps.</div>
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It was fun to be able to do rides together as a family and she loved getting out of our stroller and riding the fun rides as well. The Little Mermaid ride was one of our favorites!</div>
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And the Jungle Cruise was a nice ride we took in the afternoon. It was calm and relaxing. A great break from walking. The driver of the ride/boat told corny jokes that were cracking me up! It really added to the ride believe it or not!</div>
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And you can't go to Disney without meeting some characters!!</div>
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So that's just a short recap of our time at Magic Kingdom. There's so much more I could tell you about and hope to share a little more here in the near future. Especially because this is just a part of our trip, we also ventured over to Universal Studios and had a "magical" experience at Harry Potter World.</div>
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I know for a first family vacation, this was pretty extravagant. Some people ask how will we ever have a better vacation than this?! And I'm not sure! Maybe this will be the best vacation we ever take. But I don't think that's so. We love love LOVED Disney but we aren't the type of family to go every year. We want to see the world. See the beautiful country of America! We hope to go hiking in Colorado someday, see Yellowstone Park, or go scubadiving in the beautiful oceans...someday. We couldn't really do some of those things with our kids being so young. So for us, this seemed like the perfect time for us to make a trip to Disney. I don't think our kids were "too young" for such a trip. The kids loved it-I loved it-we all loved it!! We will definitely be back again someday.</div>
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Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-20885087117243776802015-11-19T17:36:00.000-06:002015-11-19T17:36:59.597-06:00Scrap Happy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello. My name is Whitney. And I'm a fabric hoarder.</div>
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I live in a tiny home, which means I don't have a lot of stuff. </div>
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In order to keep my house from becoming cluttered I'm constantly removing items from the house and throwing things out. It's easy for me to throw out a pair of shoes I never wear or toss out toys my kids rarely play with. But when it comes to fabric-I'm a hoarder. </div>
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If you look at my sewing desk any given day it's normally a mess with piles of fabric and scraps. </div>
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As much as I should throw most of the scraps away, I don't. I can't. </div>
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I must save them...just in case.</div>
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And I'm SO glad I've been saving them because </div>
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I finally put my scraps to good use and turned them into a quilt!! </div>
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As you know, we are going on vacation to Florida in a few weeks and it will be our very first family vacation! Woot woot!</div>
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And no wonder it's our first because-wow-vacations are expensive. It doesn't help that we decided to take the kids to DisneyWorld (tickets are how much?!!).</div>
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But it will be totally worth it...right?</div>
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Anyways, so every extra penny we have right now is being put towards vacation. Which means, no money in my fabric budget. As sad as that makes me, it's been good for me to get creative and use what I have.</div>
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With my scraps I decided to make a scrappy Log Cabin quilt using the quilt-as-you-go method (qayg).</div>
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I loved the process!</div>
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It was so awesome to piece and quilt my blocks at the same time! </div>
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I used the pattern of a Log Cabin block but they are perfectly symmetrical because I used different widths and such since I was using up scraps.</div>
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I absolutely love how it turned out!! </div>
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Scrap quilts are my absolute favorite!!!</div>
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They have so much character.</div>
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And get this, I even had enough fabric in my stash to cover the entire quilt as backing!! Score!</div>
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And as much as I wanted to do my typical striped binding, I'm stuck to my initial goal of not spending more money and even used my scraps for binding! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIGfDaOZKBKLdxv2SUO67lVhDcy6okirzmp8nttqisA2FeDX305eGnaMLCDlNro0OLmJ2vPIoK598gToTQvJt55LrGXwVZERroh0Y-oDIpg2wAN39PQPgt87EyDCtVdWZiY_3ivK4yUE/s1600/scrapy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIGfDaOZKBKLdxv2SUO67lVhDcy6okirzmp8nttqisA2FeDX305eGnaMLCDlNro0OLmJ2vPIoK598gToTQvJt55LrGXwVZERroh0Y-oDIpg2wAN39PQPgt87EyDCtVdWZiY_3ivK4yUE/s640/scrapy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pretty neat, eh?! I wish I could get a better picture of the binding but it's tricky. </div>
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I'd love to say this used up my entire scrap bin, but that would be a lie. It's still completely full.</div>
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Perhaps I'll be making another scrappy quilt in the future! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQbYd7r8deDkwOj6jY2cy4LoFy7URo6JJqglXXZLYW6zjQuhdTfI5uSU-IsWTQKtpeNannbqEfMNHdsdp6mtxtv4AHU1nizVBzErQrThQmDpvhjWmNjYxEO4MOE75CtbrElEwOd7_ttA/s1600/scrapbinding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQbYd7r8deDkwOj6jY2cy4LoFy7URo6JJqglXXZLYW6zjQuhdTfI5uSU-IsWTQKtpeNannbqEfMNHdsdp6mtxtv4AHU1nizVBzErQrThQmDpvhjWmNjYxEO4MOE75CtbrElEwOd7_ttA/s640/scrapbinding.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-79636677173548125392015-10-29T15:12:00.000-05:002015-10-29T15:12:12.190-05:00Folk Song Quilts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let's take a moment and talk about how beautiful designer Anna Marie Horner fabrics are.</div>
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I mean, come on. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1eJaeHm5dxHAsPUct6vDhGdf2RHD-4ewD4qPKAn3vm8b5UT2ygAL-W7jRuYZynIfpnWXuow077ZRQ-HDKUxCrk25Iz6zb4bQscEOqGGh2xpiouYKCLkbvJzj4jdIH6gpOau-9ktWiV8/s1600/1896987_850285575066243_7146182284784508324_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1eJaeHm5dxHAsPUct6vDhGdf2RHD-4ewD4qPKAn3vm8b5UT2ygAL-W7jRuYZynIfpnWXuow077ZRQ-HDKUxCrk25Iz6zb4bQscEOqGGh2xpiouYKCLkbvJzj4jdIH6gpOau-9ktWiV8/s640/1896987_850285575066243_7146182284784508324_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Her colors are so rich and all of her fabrics compliment one another perfectly.</div>
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It's crazy how each of her fabrics look so differently from one another, and yet when they are all put together they match beautifully.</div>
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The fabrics I used in the past few quilts I've made were from her collection Folk Song. </div>
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I made 2 matching baby quilts and one large throw quilt.</div>
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In the baby quilts, I wanted to do patchwork with some random wonky stars and I absolutely LOVE how it turned out.</div>
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The white stars really brought out the rich colors of the AMH fabrics.</div>
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One fat quarter bundle made 2 matching baby quilts.</div>
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Both have already sold and are off to new homes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoI6sR6iydHAn-3CLi5lPnbyB1Lt-2mN6Ki21aw0gYQrg4EKCLq38CikELaVbabcbeEtbGJd7IAhk08qUkr7mAjt326OJb_s1ZTJSyM0IflqKxIUD8RiH8ftKc5-_Er7tXrG2OgxLFGms/s1600/IMG_6091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoI6sR6iydHAn-3CLi5lPnbyB1Lt-2mN6Ki21aw0gYQrg4EKCLq38CikELaVbabcbeEtbGJd7IAhk08qUkr7mAjt326OJb_s1ZTJSyM0IflqKxIUD8RiH8ftKc5-_Er7tXrG2OgxLFGms/s640/IMG_6091.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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They will be missed but I'm sure I'll be buying more of this fabric soon to make more! </div>
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With another fat quarter bundle of AMH Folk Song I made a simple patchwork throw quilt.</div>
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I love the fabrics so much-I didn't want to chop the fabrics up too much.</div>
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I really wanted to show off the beautiful fabrics and designs so I made large block patchwork squares and love how it turned out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsJzcpT7OINLqPT_L7RYXGXd5Sq6qm59aac41Sjmr770uwiPLjdeHRUi8qUYp9N_j-jQwF69iyV2A7mAWDHRvxrlTPT_q7EC3P-xgWZPVf7Hq64T-n1LilH9nmmwkWlt1wn78vpMdLK0/s1600/IMG_6090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsJzcpT7OINLqPT_L7RYXGXd5Sq6qm59aac41Sjmr770uwiPLjdeHRUi8qUYp9N_j-jQwF69iyV2A7mAWDHRvxrlTPT_q7EC3P-xgWZPVf7Hq64T-n1LilH9nmmwkWlt1wn78vpMdLK0/s640/IMG_6090.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This one also sold right away and has made it safely to its new home and is already getting lots of love!</div>
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It's no surprise they sold so fast, the fabrics are mesmerizingly beautiful.</div>
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I love all fabrics designed by Anna Marie Horner. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUo5qT_lF_Rk1o_SLsEl7Di5-h3vOKdT68zmOJjWbJQO89F6GesUhe2vwVVb4OXElnE0XzYc8eJt8Cw4dRcSJhV1GDrwTJsxhJBS5iB8rKpDDuEUgqPAtRxl2GJg5qce0ox6JSx2fv0Y/s1600/IMG_6089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUo5qT_lF_Rk1o_SLsEl7Di5-h3vOKdT68zmOJjWbJQO89F6GesUhe2vwVVb4OXElnE0XzYc8eJt8Cw4dRcSJhV1GDrwTJsxhJBS5iB8rKpDDuEUgqPAtRxl2GJg5qce0ox6JSx2fv0Y/s640/IMG_6089.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've already placed an order for more of her fabric from a different collection of hers. </div>
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I can't wait to get them and start playing with them!</div>
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Until then, I'm off to chase this toddler &/or clean up her messes!</div>
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Thanks for stopping by!</div>
Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-53397673121667129442015-10-05T07:58:00.004-05:002015-10-05T07:58:57.537-05:00Sierra Fiesta Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A couple years ago I came across a fabric collection called Sierra by Bren Talavera for Robert Kaufman fabrics. I loved the Fiesta version of the fabrics and knew I just had to have some!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9gb05h8WPcKH4v3n64g5xYY7Co2XjhjzaRY17tXJayT39TPFAzSWl0fwlydjAuyDTKNoTDm5GgDhU6zSXzcZrrrBEdZ9JoMe7nQqof4zrwLABKfx_Gk7OGxildCvgtrRcTXhU4ND6ZY/s1600/IMG_5447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9gb05h8WPcKH4v3n64g5xYY7Co2XjhjzaRY17tXJayT39TPFAzSWl0fwlydjAuyDTKNoTDm5GgDhU6zSXzcZrrrBEdZ9JoMe7nQqof4zrwLABKfx_Gk7OGxildCvgtrRcTXhU4ND6ZY/s640/IMG_5447.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I fell in love with the bright bold pattern and colors. </div>
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It's not your typical quilt colors and I love that about it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvrDqG-ozpOj92Wta5SpMAsHqo3Tfvfilpe0mbYlvlIenMWHcJVi4OQXSK1_adZBY9oDbNJTbh4Q54HCGGpHVhH2tb6igb-fiA7LTTwzHOfDh5CLHy19yDl3c4rmxeqiz98jIc3oo_Jw/s1600/IMG_5435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvrDqG-ozpOj92Wta5SpMAsHqo3Tfvfilpe0mbYlvlIenMWHcJVi4OQXSK1_adZBY9oDbNJTbh4Q54HCGGpHVhH2tb6igb-fiA7LTTwzHOfDh5CLHy19yDl3c4rmxeqiz98jIc3oo_Jw/s640/IMG_5435.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's definitely unique and not everyone's style. But I think it's awesome.</div>
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The uniqueness is what makes it stand out.</div>
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If you've been following me this past year you probably saw a first look at the fabrics in a hot pad I made using these exact fabrics:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Tg4ley62XtKYSj5CFLfdd4_ai3dmn3_2WmZbGExDcotJ99JN7rdQmATY_9dJsS3FcGHvIIx3kOJ-zI0JD2u8puYMb2W7O5Idsj_gs095eVGWFIzUcHtd3vLCyytaR5_efZvjq9XgbKU/s1600/IMG_4945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Tg4ley62XtKYSj5CFLfdd4_ai3dmn3_2WmZbGExDcotJ99JN7rdQmATY_9dJsS3FcGHvIIx3kOJ-zI0JD2u8puYMb2W7O5Idsj_gs095eVGWFIzUcHtd3vLCyytaR5_efZvjq9XgbKU/s400/IMG_4945.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love that little bird (or chicken?) mixed in the fabrics.</div>
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It's adorable. I'm smitten over the teals and reds together! </div>
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And I've said it before, I'm going to say it again, but look at that color!!</div>
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Even after a washing there was absolutely no fading! </div>
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It's still so rich in color! You just can't go wrong with high quality premium fabrics!</div>
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Well done Robert Kaufman Fabrics. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCLZFbK4swcw9iZIBgxgB8R9b9fAGVkfXPQNKK8vJTfKO8sHV8-TItDALQ3S53hzmgZ3SXvEt_VnfKNSvJN9DPUl7FKPQrwLG1QeFPngo1ZdfnYdUWnF1BM-gD7mpNKOVSfSck56Q7vY/s1600/IMG_5441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCLZFbK4swcw9iZIBgxgB8R9b9fAGVkfXPQNKK8vJTfKO8sHV8-TItDALQ3S53hzmgZ3SXvEt_VnfKNSvJN9DPUl7FKPQrwLG1QeFPngo1ZdfnYdUWnF1BM-gD7mpNKOVSfSck56Q7vY/s640/IMG_5441.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When it came time to bind, I was at a loss of what fabric to use.</div>
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I struggle the most deciding on binding. As little as you might see the binding, I think it plays a huge role in the overall look of a quilt. As you know, I have the tendency to use a lot of striped binding in my quilts because I love that look. But I felt this quilt needed something different. Something with less pattern since the quilt already had so much color and pattern already.</div>
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Instead of buying more fabric, I decided to use what I had on hand and used a mustard yellow cross fabric from Cotton & Steel.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7yHm6YH1KzlF2IY0K5T8Nni9I9lNopyjFRQbOvjJrJ6XVTvVZk-X6BEfWuL-gwcTWjDsN-AKT3NcVM3VNn0P5VYMZIK4JQ6jINg5sZEwr18gML8hGjbQNRwtdFN-8B_fz22qWS2QIIw/s1600/IMG_5444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7yHm6YH1KzlF2IY0K5T8Nni9I9lNopyjFRQbOvjJrJ6XVTvVZk-X6BEfWuL-gwcTWjDsN-AKT3NcVM3VNn0P5VYMZIK4JQ6jINg5sZEwr18gML8hGjbQNRwtdFN-8B_fz22qWS2QIIw/s640/IMG_5444.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm quite pleased with how it turned out and glad I branched out with new binding.</div>
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Perhaps I'll start branching out in my quilt bindings and use more bold and brighter bindings.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by! </div>
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Let me know what you think of the quilt and your thoughts on the Sierra Fiesta fabrics!?</div>
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Keep your eyes tuned for couple new quilts I'll be sharing with you soon! </div>
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My quilt inventory is growing! Yay for an armful of quilts!!</div>
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<br />Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-23037391348975080922015-09-24T12:14:00.004-05:002015-09-24T12:31:04.332-05:00Birthday Girl & Quilt Photobombs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is a quite special day....</div>
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A year ago my sweet little Alaya came into the world. </div>
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This was a first picture taken as a family of four. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ3EGyEgoqcThSKlxKR4StUDFe6ozEUpa03leFW06r7jLHQMJXrCcu7sBVTc3TGTrmg-FbBmwJnOA7Za23xPSpvpmU9AuCbDXbtlG91mBu2gwMcTq_uNanmQP7Ub2Vau_e7ad7AMlwGs/s1600/clarkfamily.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ3EGyEgoqcThSKlxKR4StUDFe6ozEUpa03leFW06r7jLHQMJXrCcu7sBVTc3TGTrmg-FbBmwJnOA7Za23xPSpvpmU9AuCbDXbtlG91mBu2gwMcTq_uNanmQP7Ub2Vau_e7ad7AMlwGs/s640/clarkfamily.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like many of this pictures I have to share today, it's not a glamorous photo (in fact, you can't hardly even see Alaya) but our lives changed from that moment on and it changed in the best possible way and all of these photos hold special memories.<br />
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Alaya is the sweetest and happiest baby I ever did see! As I was looking through all her baby pictures I realized there was something extra special in so many of the pictures and snapshots I have of her.</div>
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Her <a href="http://therunningstitchwhit.blogspot.com/2015/01/alayas-nursery.html" target="_blank">quilt</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiof_4Gb2S5pdS7U6JSN5AGIIyqxsrcXMXICYbCYjlodcAtvGyZsM8kpUGcp3I_0Q7XLMS03lcfz7-A88rHkQ1Ejf6WIW7RcyzreSCODIJhrpOlFsGeKvQnLT6Pwvb8Nlht0HCLNhKn6ho/s1600/10429399_716805311771169_1332951955447823956_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiof_4Gb2S5pdS7U6JSN5AGIIyqxsrcXMXICYbCYjlodcAtvGyZsM8kpUGcp3I_0Q7XLMS03lcfz7-A88rHkQ1Ejf6WIW7RcyzreSCODIJhrpOlFsGeKvQnLT6Pwvb8Nlht0HCLNhKn6ho/s400/10429399_716805311771169_1332951955447823956_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Her quilt has been with her from the day she was born!</div>
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She used it the day she was born and still uses it up to this day.</div>
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It's truly a treasure and keepsake.</div>
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From when she was itty bitty, we made great use of her quilt for</div>
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her newborn photoshoot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaWzj1Yc-ke8tlOB7USW758QaLOGIrUyoqWK6leRehiiqhibsKW6m4FgqsXgMKiu7E_DikRdSUZ4okCg3EoUjb7j5bbG8Ld8gOXH7PxjpGew8LROZM3B8mw8S5hv_VODAt-lCSSPtzLA/s1600/10659303_657394967712204_3403376900085274730_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaWzj1Yc-ke8tlOB7USW758QaLOGIrUyoqWK6leRehiiqhibsKW6m4FgqsXgMKiu7E_DikRdSUZ4okCg3EoUjb7j5bbG8Ld8gOXH7PxjpGew8LROZM3B8mw8S5hv_VODAt-lCSSPtzLA/s640/10659303_657394967712204_3403376900085274730_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It seems I have pictures of her and her quilt through every month and stage of her life!</div>
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From when she was itty bitty..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg31FxL0DvHp_xlto21FxBrRU1fk6dwNVRU6rEKK60KCvUgo-ap1wRLwSNBUCD1Pc-nzKDRvqB9egkb0zj3QtV-KlYI02TyBfS56s-9cSCxlJch8PxcyIOD5eTadITSswbkeNj27WmEo/s1600/1379665_651390481645986_4115853437309792202_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg31FxL0DvHp_xlto21FxBrRU1fk6dwNVRU6rEKK60KCvUgo-ap1wRLwSNBUCD1Pc-nzKDRvqB9egkb0zj3QtV-KlYI02TyBfS56s-9cSCxlJch8PxcyIOD5eTadITSswbkeNj27WmEo/s640/1379665_651390481645986_4115853437309792202_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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To when she started to become more mobile and her personality started to really shine through. </div>
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Her quilt is quite the photobomber! You can see glimpses of her quilt in all of these pictures where she was acting silly trying to eat her baby doll's pacifier, learning roll and crawl, and even when brother was being annoying bothering her.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VjF5YsJTIYllCmcqJA7t2CPh2rC2BmDTn0Jw_lOuGuJU1zCATOtiogX9lHZVIBTuXKZoG3-3euk7nA_PUUEw_WRsGQONxXzg4GmpXUWw9M3KtVRhICdyjfslTJtwt_dQQxcOX4UlG68/s1600/alayabday3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VjF5YsJTIYllCmcqJA7t2CPh2rC2BmDTn0Jw_lOuGuJU1zCATOtiogX9lHZVIBTuXKZoG3-3euk7nA_PUUEw_WRsGQONxXzg4GmpXUWw9M3KtVRhICdyjfslTJtwt_dQQxcOX4UlG68/s400/alayabday3.jpg" width="393" /></a></div>
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Her quilt stayed loyal even when she started sliding off of it and somehow get stuck under the couch.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_98nb29TOGmcccOiV14OYnCgRRost4egUo6ln1ZByHfiKjNSuS_SEGRjFx3ToK2CCFf9DylHJwtyf4AyIc5Ps4n_Rk6f41ZVMhDIWnXzxeLRfemeem2Awc7EfuF4fV7fBRsYkkdrSZE/s1600/alayabday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_98nb29TOGmcccOiV14OYnCgRRost4egUo6ln1ZByHfiKjNSuS_SEGRjFx3ToK2CCFf9DylHJwtyf4AyIc5Ps4n_Rk6f41ZVMhDIWnXzxeLRfemeem2Awc7EfuF4fV7fBRsYkkdrSZE/s400/alayabday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It went with us everywhere. Inside & outside.<br />
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Her quilts were definitely well loved like a good quilt should be.</div>
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It came with us to parks on cool spring evenings. </div>
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(It was the perfect buffer for those wide baby swings at the park.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9wGO_7cKLXTDsUctfE4JBpA9negccX1K81kb9Y5xTf5tVpNczt4FBsIdq3PoMFz7coZpM9Ds02eEVpAun6Zpl_mgmbednfHGknffiZYNhhpAr2182GIpte3VpmLTmcH6RXKJc4TAHW4/s1600/12003334_846971675421198_2208294303963426898_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9wGO_7cKLXTDsUctfE4JBpA9negccX1K81kb9Y5xTf5tVpNczt4FBsIdq3PoMFz7coZpM9Ds02eEVpAun6Zpl_mgmbednfHGknffiZYNhhpAr2182GIpte3VpmLTmcH6RXKJc4TAHW4/s400/12003334_846971675421198_2208294303963426898_n.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
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It even traveled with us to unwanted overnight visits to the Emergency Room we had to take last December.</div>
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It was the perfect piece to make the E.R. feel more like home.</div>
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And typical Alaya, she was still so happy and smiley even being so so sick.</div>
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My goodness she's just so sweet!!</div>
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And like a good mom, I have a million pictures of her sleeping.</div>
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And yep, you guessed it, her quilt was right by her side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggJU_0jQKozmmZitP9ZoTDRGKQLABK07fhOH-PwpGKMZ6tXwO1YT7uW9g6qnH6Q7vDHrNyH786zRB7gRe6OlQTk2rDuoPDxhQe_B2PZPUOshx73tQ99Pb_-seRPoJZlzxHzDOPJFY-8A/s1600/alayabday2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggJU_0jQKozmmZitP9ZoTDRGKQLABK07fhOH-PwpGKMZ6tXwO1YT7uW9g6qnH6Q7vDHrNyH786zRB7gRe6OlQTk2rDuoPDxhQe_B2PZPUOshx73tQ99Pb_-seRPoJZlzxHzDOPJFY-8A/s400/alayabday2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I could go on and on showing you pictures of little Alaya and even her quilt.</div>
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But I better stop so I can get ready to celebrate her birthday.</div>
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So let me end by saying Happy Birthday Alaya!!</div>
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You are so loved.</div>
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Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-27215098363365983822015-09-23T07:42:00.002-05:002015-09-23T08:09:03.211-05:00Persimmons Delight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If you follow me on <a href="https://instagram.com/whitsrunningstitch/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Whits-Running-Stitch-420909358003869/timeline/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> then you know</div>
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I've been busy working on items for an upcoming craft show. </div>
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I recently finished up a quilt from a layer cake by Moda fabrics called Persimmon by BasicGray.</div>
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I fell absolutely in love with it! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aJbpcQH8MbT55mlEY1v13mLN6bHaA-f2D3Cm5efeJDFRnLMVXwER2ZQxocXgwzrLOM7-a8KrgG3qKZ2trOpzZQYK7LCjtUL6Vvfp0qCQMzVAEBZlgy1_zDGMWhUOwsZqzL-6Q4B86S0/s1600/persimmon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aJbpcQH8MbT55mlEY1v13mLN6bHaA-f2D3Cm5efeJDFRnLMVXwER2ZQxocXgwzrLOM7-a8KrgG3qKZ2trOpzZQYK7LCjtUL6Vvfp0qCQMzVAEBZlgy1_zDGMWhUOwsZqzL-6Q4B86S0/s640/persimmon2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's got the most perfect neutral colors but still just enough color.</div>
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I feel like it's the perfect quilt for fall, but also perfect for spring! And then summer too!</div>
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So it's a great quilt you can have out nearly all year long!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm5oiUdA_olXMdqFVcVWKu2wcpvYKUYhzCTDA60V0WdSkOP5M4EAkE74bJymgkSkMMdnifpzorO3beW0xoSs4DzQ6gEphZovEfOjWd51eyvgg6Kx4trEZeYkCGp_kw1Fd0gVEvZcy_sA/s1600/IMG_5310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm5oiUdA_olXMdqFVcVWKu2wcpvYKUYhzCTDA60V0WdSkOP5M4EAkE74bJymgkSkMMdnifpzorO3beW0xoSs4DzQ6gEphZovEfOjWd51eyvgg6Kx4trEZeYkCGp_kw1Fd0gVEvZcy_sA/s640/IMG_5310.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't feel pictures do it justice for how lovely the fabrics are!</div>
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It's a great quilt to have sprawled out on the couch for movie watching or thrown over a bench as a decoration. You can't beat something that is both useful and gorgeous!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju__hVDEqnLmEy_3VZQY0Ou30t1wTH2NQFS_mvcu2zRwIP7vWmTxl25Iuy_0oW79DF6TPUdPNDGkhp-yVFNpMnk8Dry8B9geAFSqkvreJa7xnYexvtxlMjYcJJ86MO1NbjkfE2OqpyN1I/s1600/IMG_5315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju__hVDEqnLmEy_3VZQY0Ou30t1wTH2NQFS_mvcu2zRwIP7vWmTxl25Iuy_0oW79DF6TPUdPNDGkhp-yVFNpMnk8Dry8B9geAFSqkvreJa7xnYexvtxlMjYcJJ86MO1NbjkfE2OqpyN1I/s640/IMG_5315.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I originally bought this fabric I knew my sister would love it because it matches her house! </div>
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I didn't think she would love it enough to want to buy it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRxQao09UFawmWvY_AiRh5UaTEooYeeKJfmwqDlODfC1sKoemXw8ZMPL4ebN2Pybi3v8euLQ-kMsiFoSSy3mQmwz5PIcVNInsiKdhcibb9-TzA1u9VeIwtTX6trvwKulIY2jc7rIW008/s1600/nofilter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRxQao09UFawmWvY_AiRh5UaTEooYeeKJfmwqDlODfC1sKoemXw8ZMPL4ebN2Pybi3v8euLQ-kMsiFoSSy3mQmwz5PIcVNInsiKdhcibb9-TzA1u9VeIwtTX6trvwKulIY2jc7rIW008/s640/nofilter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I told her I had a quilt I wanted to show her she came right over and claimed it the moment she saw it!</div>
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And I'm so glad she did because I was going to have a hard time parting this one because I love it so much. </div>
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It's easier to say goodbye when I know it's going to get lots of love from people I love.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM4JhEcXZ8nv1iPhwEOhSuAgoDQfy0z9ffdl1eW-CHtL4i-fpnXlkmEwMNZDPG58n9qR3rpelnwzug6JoEwQzyRZ_bsO3ZqAn0XvbvxwoPeF1jqOT8dzCkyJUK7zhna_lPAOv2LRpPtA/s1600/laya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM4JhEcXZ8nv1iPhwEOhSuAgoDQfy0z9ffdl1eW-CHtL4i-fpnXlkmEwMNZDPG58n9qR3rpelnwzug6JoEwQzyRZ_bsO3ZqAn0XvbvxwoPeF1jqOT8dzCkyJUK7zhna_lPAOv2LRpPtA/s640/laya.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That, and the fact I have 3 more charm packs to make another quilt with this fabric makes it a little easier too. And yet, I feel like I could have an endless supply of these fabrics and still feel like it's not enough for how much I love it.</div>
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<br />Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-24782104373543364222015-08-13T07:04:00.002-05:002015-08-13T07:07:08.151-05:00Boys Will Be Boys<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm not sure how the age of 2 became known as the "terrible twos"</div>
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because now that son is three, the <i>terrible twos </i>feels like it was a piece of cake compared to three so far.</div>
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Is three the age of mood swings? </div>
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Whoa.</div>
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Sometimes if people see he's having a bad day and ask what's wrong with him, the only thing I have to say is, "He turned three." </div>
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People who have young boys or who have raised boys tell me that it's typical and reassure me that it's just a stage he's going through. And I cling to the hope that it will pass quickly.</div>
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If not, I'm in for a looooong year! </div>
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As they say, "boys will be boys" and my son is the perfect example. </div>
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A typical high energy little boy who likes to run around in his underwear, stick his tongue out, and laughs if you say "stinky face" or "fart head".</div>
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As much as he drives me crazy, I absolutely LOVE him and love having a little boy!! </div>
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Boys are wild but so much fun. </div>
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I've had it on my mind lately to make a boy quilt since I've sewn a lot of baby girl quilts recently.</div>
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I absolutely love blue & green together and happened to have quite a few of those colors in my stash so I started cutting and sewing what I already had in my stash. </div>
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This is what I came up with. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvU29JGNwq37tSUpC54MmRu9ciKMQP2WkfarFLLHsSn6_CQ-OLrXfYcrlHaAEWNEkbPqggenMmXoW78D4QbLfTCx8kc_9VH9MjQNybPXr17_z3UxrbTuf7Sro6DIYxeR0lGXp3_DrtQA/s1600/green5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvU29JGNwq37tSUpC54MmRu9ciKMQP2WkfarFLLHsSn6_CQ-OLrXfYcrlHaAEWNEkbPqggenMmXoW78D4QbLfTCx8kc_9VH9MjQNybPXr17_z3UxrbTuf7Sro6DIYxeR0lGXp3_DrtQA/s640/green5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love a simple patchwork quilt with striped binding.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-nmgkMdIBGfgn7d2xio0XXgB02OX4Bxr2Hr1J0dt1AxywnSFCYpDNrkelKU8DRwHx0vyrHzLdkdRVlyCpOlfF8Z9so-qqBXTpV66PaFG04sQBq5_dUplM1YlgwO9_7HUxaEWijwj8ao/s1600/greenquilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-nmgkMdIBGfgn7d2xio0XXgB02OX4Bxr2Hr1J0dt1AxywnSFCYpDNrkelKU8DRwHx0vyrHzLdkdRVlyCpOlfF8Z9so-qqBXTpV66PaFG04sQBq5_dUplM1YlgwO9_7HUxaEWijwj8ao/s640/greenquilt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was so much fun taking pictures of this boy quilt!</div>
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I took shots where l know little boys love to play and near things they love.</div>
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For instance, little boys and their love of tractors...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8mnEy1n-ecn7E_OFezpnY-KzVvts1MS_iuC9yidlovE3MFO8PBkcFI4AuAyP3w3abqT7z7a6ek1_A8GAzJBXN48nzIEEM-uc_KALOEOWOGFcTlNzNFBSVXYYK4jktbztJvVJUWNzGBE/s1600/green4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8mnEy1n-ecn7E_OFezpnY-KzVvts1MS_iuC9yidlovE3MFO8PBkcFI4AuAyP3w3abqT7z7a6ek1_A8GAzJBXN48nzIEEM-uc_KALOEOWOGFcTlNzNFBSVXYYK4jktbztJvVJUWNzGBE/s640/green4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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...and swings...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbUnWWybvj5xVUNnG6clgdWrtA5AWSxMo_4W6CGHCPhmEAVcJn9NDaMecefudPAljb-bmRj29PdTw1A0OydUSl47JWxzCDcNEaEeGsCH2LzQlvk0k_XfzPHPjyURmvhFE6ekqyK-n7LM/s1600/green3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbUnWWybvj5xVUNnG6clgdWrtA5AWSxMo_4W6CGHCPhmEAVcJn9NDaMecefudPAljb-bmRj29PdTw1A0OydUSl47JWxzCDcNEaEeGsCH2LzQlvk0k_XfzPHPjyURmvhFE6ekqyK-n7LM/s640/green3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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...and fields to run around in and get dirt and tics.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoa13hNORMiSqwa-3Pew3pGPt26ecspRUrjwvftDIEDz_vyH410OUxnFa7sZ3pvE8U51C4k6HOyuy8zHzGWb2X7sApCWIgGM8rSIVlf3muFyJiUg2XFvbp7UW8A8f89bqpTct8HEDG-A/s1600/green6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoa13hNORMiSqwa-3Pew3pGPt26ecspRUrjwvftDIEDz_vyH410OUxnFa7sZ3pvE8U51C4k6HOyuy8zHzGWb2X7sApCWIgGM8rSIVlf3muFyJiUg2XFvbp7UW8A8f89bqpTct8HEDG-A/s640/green6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I look forward to listing this in my etsy shop that will be opening SOON!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduBDd7s6U9xoTkb9dNZMDHNZ4u1GvowFtzs3xbahJNAxJUfiC7_1ElU77gzc6brYtcYNZSm0R1XAF3QPI6FRpZJNauhEIRypfl4NgveHRIUena-VvFZ0qigQHYo58OtGFpiTE38dP6_w/s1600/green8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduBDd7s6U9xoTkb9dNZMDHNZ4u1GvowFtzs3xbahJNAxJUfiC7_1ElU77gzc6brYtcYNZSm0R1XAF3QPI6FRpZJNauhEIRypfl4NgveHRIUena-VvFZ0qigQHYo58OtGFpiTE38dP6_w/s640/green8.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I'm counting down the days!!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4svUIPjaHYPFe4e-eA3MVlZDzWsAQwSpPSSArbiBiC5wzcAvakWK-sF_t0Mxo4H0GT0U0DGFHlRPKyLVJYM5Oiv7pPMDpRu4ByYtpGmX2XKD7K8kYeaWxVGXtrLPyI3E2TNB99tDd04/s1600/green7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4svUIPjaHYPFe4e-eA3MVlZDzWsAQwSpPSSArbiBiC5wzcAvakWK-sF_t0Mxo4H0GT0U0DGFHlRPKyLVJYM5Oiv7pPMDpRu4ByYtpGmX2XKD7K8kYeaWxVGXtrLPyI3E2TNB99tDd04/s640/green7.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I'll release my opening date soon!<br />
So stay tuned and thanks for following along!<br />
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**And HUGE thanks for all your kind words of support and encouragement when I announced I'm opening shop this past week! You all are so sweet and bless me immensely!<br />
THANK YOU!!***</div>
Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-81013555519544518492015-08-11T11:50:00.004-05:002015-08-11T11:55:44.329-05:00A Moonlit Sunset<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdZoOa-XZKYDLSjRIHDk7xGqBGxvNUX0_1cHySV_E2wuCp19u4pKqGg1nxmjAIGJd4vyMR3cipMs-JlQAWA3IfPDpg33LlUULK1NoF19ob3RAFTG76El2Cpz5D7Rn8qkqz5ehk0wmkB4/s1600/moonlit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdZoOa-XZKYDLSjRIHDk7xGqBGxvNUX0_1cHySV_E2wuCp19u4pKqGg1nxmjAIGJd4vyMR3cipMs-JlQAWA3IfPDpg33LlUULK1NoF19ob3RAFTG76El2Cpz5D7Rn8qkqz5ehk0wmkB4/s640/moonlit1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I recently had my first sewing endeavour with Cotton&Steel fabrics, and can I just say, </div>
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I'm completely smitten.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhApJ3_-pwQT_0ru4BngBbKsKN_y3KQLzN2m4iYbskib_RJ1br1LaN8NYVXGmphcbeULRqFFXEaCBkGiS0aHHhSASfq42Bmj8F9wdPmzzTnzRg5Pop_CV4eyeVgpgqVwNFM4KwDl-Kvo/s1600/moonlit6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhApJ3_-pwQT_0ru4BngBbKsKN_y3KQLzN2m4iYbskib_RJ1br1LaN8NYVXGmphcbeULRqFFXEaCBkGiS0aHHhSASfq42Bmj8F9wdPmzzTnzRg5Pop_CV4eyeVgpgqVwNFM4KwDl-Kvo/s640/moonlit6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I ordered a fat quarter bundle of Moonlit fabric by Rashida Coleman-Hale.</div>
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I knew I wanted simple lines with this quilt since there are so many geometric prints in the fabric that needed shown off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMe1ZYZtxZAyGyFvRGPk_-bvveTrR6rUK99hmWNt_OVLVGfHZYj7yyLiniN77oVdRJkVNTTEntkJB-jyblaGZrWSxyTw7CJtxLxvdK6Por2-JjHxlGw8D0vw-rGdUSuFSA9RbGYDdal-8/s1600/moonlit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMe1ZYZtxZAyGyFvRGPk_-bvveTrR6rUK99hmWNt_OVLVGfHZYj7yyLiniN77oVdRJkVNTTEntkJB-jyblaGZrWSxyTw7CJtxLxvdK6Por2-JjHxlGw8D0vw-rGdUSuFSA9RbGYDdal-8/s640/moonlit2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's the perfect quilt to snuggle under, to take on a picnic, or cozy on when counting the stars. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuD47UulblZunxWX-XbWQLaTW97aF57kxy93FKo5OZCq-dNC2NWgVKmHAZVOGI8Z3M7B_XRmkKTxcLHkGAdgFPDf_nU6hRzUqOgmfR-KcS3S-kRCBNYPwzvICiDcA2d7VeGPSBqK30r_I/s1600/moonlit5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuD47UulblZunxWX-XbWQLaTW97aF57kxy93FKo5OZCq-dNC2NWgVKmHAZVOGI8Z3M7B_XRmkKTxcLHkGAdgFPDf_nU6hRzUqOgmfR-KcS3S-kRCBNYPwzvICiDcA2d7VeGPSBqK30r_I/s640/moonlit5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After all, the fabric is called <i>Moonlit.</i></div>
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I'm kicking myself for not taking pictures of it with the blue moon last week, but oh well. Instead I snapped shots of it at sunset.</div>
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Doesn't it just make you want to sit outside on your back porch and listen to the crickets sing or watch the flashing lights of lightning bugs?!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5qASx9zRVkj4Kn0pbSxnNWV3JezsOECIpnCIabBe0DN-vaFgpn4MXk9N2IE4Cr9UULBZubwStVMt8t13UWwJLEQAK-E4uecDEXDTNnelolIYekhfWiQ8KsMbo6CFLh0u8oAqPaewrKA/s1600/11880521_824367714348261_89260401201666297_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5qASx9zRVkj4Kn0pbSxnNWV3JezsOECIpnCIabBe0DN-vaFgpn4MXk9N2IE4Cr9UULBZubwStVMt8t13UWwJLEQAK-E4uecDEXDTNnelolIYekhfWiQ8KsMbo6CFLh0u8oAqPaewrKA/s640/11880521_824367714348261_89260401201666297_n.jpg" width="468" /></a></div>
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You can't go wrong with a beautiful sunset under a comfy crinkly quilt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkneM8xEMXD9RLyJIvsa7kbsoflZ51bcD-hQRdC4AXmkPDd_2U3vBA0MnIOX3pd5ZxIyi2jCg6SUFv_MtTDH_szFRU0LVx4HBA6THcfSpHGrX4G2XD-iaTdcpIDz5IlkXpegDNi5NkpHg/s1600/11822454_824646697653696_8024673771094456012_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkneM8xEMXD9RLyJIvsa7kbsoflZ51bcD-hQRdC4AXmkPDd_2U3vBA0MnIOX3pd5ZxIyi2jCg6SUFv_MtTDH_szFRU0LVx4HBA6THcfSpHGrX4G2XD-iaTdcpIDz5IlkXpegDNi5NkpHg/s640/11822454_824646697653696_8024673771094456012_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Mmm...it wrinkled up so nicely just like a newly washed quilt should.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSd8aceByQ8FC5mRoEBQnBM44Q-Y59rzQC3S2JE90kILqJxQrS_BAhZt7RrlhnGcuOUrceCj0uhSV8ksz2XUr-8Jfuw8ulGi_eSznYwaR29f_YMJF7o7sXHwXTiRjmH-hm4shSE5OMaA/s1600/11825564_824646694320363_2682724577264471171_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSd8aceByQ8FC5mRoEBQnBM44Q-Y59rzQC3S2JE90kILqJxQrS_BAhZt7RrlhnGcuOUrceCj0uhSV8ksz2XUr-8Jfuw8ulGi_eSznYwaR29f_YMJF7o7sXHwXTiRjmH-hm4shSE5OMaA/s640/11825564_824646694320363_2682724577264471171_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope you love it as much as I do.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrbOVoU9P7oDB6E8RtQk9s4efy9KAcnZ9oHoBlfDoo2b460OuwzjUJStBFETdvF22oWES-G7pSpWCwB8uEgLOkkBVZY6adIAs16XNL5u8py7nnwL8muDwU9iVUfrvJYhZMvMLTvaVH0I/s1600/11836874_824645950987104_5669279918544553748_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrbOVoU9P7oDB6E8RtQk9s4efy9KAcnZ9oHoBlfDoo2b460OuwzjUJStBFETdvF22oWES-G7pSpWCwB8uEgLOkkBVZY6adIAs16XNL5u8py7nnwL8muDwU9iVUfrvJYhZMvMLTvaVH0I/s640/11836874_824645950987104_5669279918544553748_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQ4D6Ilv0jeyI78gSWfeNDU0VhE9Yng0SCkyGECy9d-Lnml0ZnvHlvQgWopyv3I2vMSuDWUweAGtgraRpxigRXcGnYKrw7OpZucjB16fK0kQTzWbxn3IDoqU7MPGs0hRdqt-sWcMDCIU/s1600/11873439_824645957653770_1025121982739862139_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQ4D6Ilv0jeyI78gSWfeNDU0VhE9Yng0SCkyGECy9d-Lnml0ZnvHlvQgWopyv3I2vMSuDWUweAGtgraRpxigRXcGnYKrw7OpZucjB16fK0kQTzWbxn3IDoqU7MPGs0hRdqt-sWcMDCIU/s640/11873439_824645957653770_1025121982739862139_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It will be for available and up for sale soon because....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GwVaAdnTrxCLDYHKk8tOivXFAluBGqYg6c6_dgu9vISIUMkMMqfp2867DEHzfalOQPCSnd2Wo47qxq-7VY4evsdC0xSgkd1a2rGQksEopCaUQrMUwtNLeDeWOiHjTPLMOlpvzS-3_mw/s1600/11880361_824646690987030_4712027062185404644_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GwVaAdnTrxCLDYHKk8tOivXFAluBGqYg6c6_dgu9vISIUMkMMqfp2867DEHzfalOQPCSnd2Wo47qxq-7VY4evsdC0xSgkd1a2rGQksEopCaUQrMUwtNLeDeWOiHjTPLMOlpvzS-3_mw/s640/11880361_824646690987030_4712027062185404644_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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...big news...<br />
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I'm opening shop!!!</div>
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That's right...I'm opening a shop over on Etsy! </div>
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I'm thrilled, nervous, anxious, but so <b>excited</b>!!!!!!!<br />
I've been working so hard and can't wait to share with you the details!! </div>
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Stay tuned!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyLHYwG55gN9gmeiJ8CzKgjiFjPqwXoIUoWJhESyg2rFxNRyJP_77aPBuxbmpjq8uBlAftt3s9qcfp52vQzDexT-x_19D_KGQt_WHziuHISdd-UGv4dVTUcZn_65cKXudjOQ2xLLrcC0/s1600/moonlit7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyLHYwG55gN9gmeiJ8CzKgjiFjPqwXoIUoWJhESyg2rFxNRyJP_77aPBuxbmpjq8uBlAftt3s9qcfp52vQzDexT-x_19D_KGQt_WHziuHISdd-UGv4dVTUcZn_65cKXudjOQ2xLLrcC0/s640/moonlit7.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Thanks for stopping by! </div>
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<br />Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-72481186885429294932015-07-23T13:28:00.002-05:002015-07-23T14:43:49.965-05:00Reversible Baby Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so excited to share with you a baby quilt I just finished for a special baby girl! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_34qiFTcbSlPmB9LhqPna8fmj5dGn-lCx2UqXsC5UU-eeWYoekZG9rKyvWJV9YZvB85pd7_GGnU3_rPDoD9vXoLAxZlDdJR7LbCbVE8WXadS1oIhtsPMQEJLtH8k_zgnKgXDSQpz1zU/s1600/11781782_816065171845182_3611256141393021295_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_34qiFTcbSlPmB9LhqPna8fmj5dGn-lCx2UqXsC5UU-eeWYoekZG9rKyvWJV9YZvB85pd7_GGnU3_rPDoD9vXoLAxZlDdJR7LbCbVE8WXadS1oIhtsPMQEJLtH8k_zgnKgXDSQpz1zU/s640/11781782_816065171845182_3611256141393021295_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love the coral & mint colors in this quilt! </div>
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The special perk to this quilt is it's REVERSIBLE!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YlBol09Rp21kuolFaAvDhFbfutdSSssKutjJ8gQQDwSC6u8i79DvsWlz3lQhaDP33JNj_QAueweX7yts1Pn8QFp1DCbuBtjEOcn2Mwhpp-QeaEmrIbudAGg4i6vJKYHtu4ElevcF8yQ/s1600/11755182_816065655178467_8645381219347151099_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YlBol09Rp21kuolFaAvDhFbfutdSSssKutjJ8gQQDwSC6u8i79DvsWlz3lQhaDP33JNj_QAueweX7yts1Pn8QFp1DCbuBtjEOcn2Mwhpp-QeaEmrIbudAGg4i6vJKYHtu4ElevcF8yQ/s640/11755182_816065655178467_8645381219347151099_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdmopGVHZQX_jtrHtBdy7Ftt43MR99lDiBQGArYTDHdtECrNeibT-k_AcPdUTqSgYyI_WyzcuPQXsuD7z7MISvPS29nDGdqxZ4V3UM0vBPG4y2kl2RLbLNsuKbfeHocilfilCHsqsFJM/s1600/11742866_816065705178462_5101575097445204210_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdmopGVHZQX_jtrHtBdy7Ftt43MR99lDiBQGArYTDHdtECrNeibT-k_AcPdUTqSgYyI_WyzcuPQXsuD7z7MISvPS29nDGdqxZ4V3UM0vBPG4y2kl2RLbLNsuKbfeHocilfilCHsqsFJM/s640/11742866_816065705178462_5101575097445204210_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I originally had intentions of this baby quilt to just be a strip quilt.</div>
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(You know me and my love of strip quilts!!!)</div>
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But I felt like it needed something more. The strips seemed to be too simple, too plain for such a special baby girl. So I set the strip quilt top aside and started a new quilt top with the scraps I had left.</div>
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I'm smitten over triangle quilts right now so I knew right away I wanted to have my hand at a triangle quilt.</div>
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And I'm so glad I did because the fabrics worked perfectly together as triangles!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfFllWzfUCOmhAWJys_CTE1NYTA7mGI8N-Xmz2xxX8z0ke-6qltePegQ_YJYOF36iwsmA-77y1C-YKoJpLSzihXXA9MO7EtCcXYruYq-ExOsPd0Cox8HMKEkZyoGmmhgnpAXIDfj42rE/s1600/11754124_816066038511762_8860009057531950558_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfFllWzfUCOmhAWJys_CTE1NYTA7mGI8N-Xmz2xxX8z0ke-6qltePegQ_YJYOF36iwsmA-77y1C-YKoJpLSzihXXA9MO7EtCcXYruYq-ExOsPd0Cox8HMKEkZyoGmmhgnpAXIDfj42rE/s640/11754124_816066038511762_8860009057531950558_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And since I had a leftover quilt top lying around I thought it would make the perfect "backing" for this quilt which in turn made this quilt reversible! </div>
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How awesome is that?! Genius idea (*pat on the back)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29d0cLawytWjT-HffN2yFSYdT4ySFjw1gEjD87sL6ERCaPFkADDur5Ybn5sc25-KLR7Fu9zsMfI9tq9ciZdG7Kk-xk6zTIlXqMNBATIdXLC-cA08sx0eqk0DPGMje7atGLMWwjoUifjI/s1600/11760293_816065668511799_4201656836870019774_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29d0cLawytWjT-HffN2yFSYdT4ySFjw1gEjD87sL6ERCaPFkADDur5Ybn5sc25-KLR7Fu9zsMfI9tq9ciZdG7Kk-xk6zTIlXqMNBATIdXLC-cA08sx0eqk0DPGMje7atGLMWwjoUifjI/s640/11760293_816065668511799_4201656836870019774_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I quilted along each side of the triangles which gives the back even more pattern and texture to the strips.</div>
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After a fresh wash, it wrinkled up ever so nicely the way a fresh new quilt should.</div>
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This one is going to be hard to part with, but I love it's going to a friend of ours and their soon to be baby girl! I hope they love this quilt as much as I do!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakU2-YaAXb8SIcNNjMYi8pegmXGzuygWTC9Y3ZPJuhyOOG7cqJ_d0eyff3eTzWbfKKglKq62WMZSX8r2OMh8lNBNrW1T7GDNcE7wGPIszZEaQObn6j-Rat9vTyuRMx07EPMPR_2eRpvc/s1600/11755262_816066451845054_1825653369082444211_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakU2-YaAXb8SIcNNjMYi8pegmXGzuygWTC9Y3ZPJuhyOOG7cqJ_d0eyff3eTzWbfKKglKq62WMZSX8r2OMh8lNBNrW1T7GDNcE7wGPIszZEaQObn6j-Rat9vTyuRMx07EPMPR_2eRpvc/s640/11755262_816066451845054_1825653369082444211_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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...and a few last pics for your viewing pleasure....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1X2XV9l8kC7m98nxTmNkSI1HjYjjQbi6rBGVdB2DQHrM-6PKhu1glwH7MitJT3myD8gj8u5WkdpaYauzj1PzcZAysyJBMIyB-3H69UGETuBeT2wH07_PZBNJP3Hbl-OkxZ0yhh8mZAE/s1600/11752596_816065428511823_6947365016981553351_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1X2XV9l8kC7m98nxTmNkSI1HjYjjQbi6rBGVdB2DQHrM-6PKhu1glwH7MitJT3myD8gj8u5WkdpaYauzj1PzcZAysyJBMIyB-3H69UGETuBeT2wH07_PZBNJP3Hbl-OkxZ0yhh8mZAE/s640/11752596_816065428511823_6947365016981553351_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2RsJZAh7dvE2N6HwH3RcF5Tfb4WMA-qoWHZr5t_czR2crrckNZFVRgVuIefzWzN_QbwnxCDD5f7_TbHVJX7Vy-tHbiADmwLDHi-CW3U3L4j0z7WHV__pbin11NR9mQfxf8Vgj7rZli0/s1600/11221393_816065515178481_2742971709292578054_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2RsJZAh7dvE2N6HwH3RcF5Tfb4WMA-qoWHZr5t_czR2crrckNZFVRgVuIefzWzN_QbwnxCDD5f7_TbHVJX7Vy-tHbiADmwLDHi-CW3U3L4j0z7WHV__pbin11NR9mQfxf8Vgj7rZli0/s640/11221393_816065515178481_2742971709292578054_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKjReHKa6kAg6yCafIOPw1AdMPQi6oxPO4umjp-H3j96nNnTSqU5KFicmiJ4F2hLQhvJS-THJmy2l1pCwB1EFMqB9Fl1WS-J1kgnOt-acPSCjNvrc_WTrpEK1a71-sU-pLbJqEj1qENY/s1600/11781619_816065101845189_752026411643232788_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKjReHKa6kAg6yCafIOPw1AdMPQi6oxPO4umjp-H3j96nNnTSqU5KFicmiJ4F2hLQhvJS-THJmy2l1pCwB1EFMqB9Fl1WS-J1kgnOt-acPSCjNvrc_WTrpEK1a71-sU-pLbJqEj1qENY/s640/11781619_816065101845189_752026411643232788_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0I_re2H06CGSJnvRA2k4xltvUQTm8h0irALwlmf8QBFh_SvFJrOdTD52ybqGDkjgvI0boHPE9OMSZu6hJ9XXDYHpXrcnAxyfLbEg5WCAcGyuHmds2rdnxfW419hukXIqlWsXX2g-YnE/s1600/11745630_816066178511748_747341948343604503_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0I_re2H06CGSJnvRA2k4xltvUQTm8h0irALwlmf8QBFh_SvFJrOdTD52ybqGDkjgvI0boHPE9OMSZu6hJ9XXDYHpXrcnAxyfLbEg5WCAcGyuHmds2rdnxfW419hukXIqlWsXX2g-YnE/s640/11745630_816066178511748_747341948343604503_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Thanks for stopping by!!!</div>
Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-84419753450389265962015-07-14T13:58:00.001-05:002015-07-14T14:00:00.997-05:00Mary's Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know I say this every year, but wow the summer is flying by!!</div>
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How are we already so close to August??!</div>
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Unfortunately, my July hasn't been as productive as I wanted it to be. </div>
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It's so hard to get some good quality sewing time when I have 2 very young children and all the summer activities that come with the beautiful weather. And my sister got a tonsilectomy last week so I've been trying to help her as much as I can or watching my niece & nephew so she can get some rest. I've witnessed my husband getting his tonsils removed and now my sister. I'd be fine if I don't ever have to get mine removed-recovery is less than a pleasant one!!!! Yeow!</div>
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Anyways, I have managed to finish one quilt order so far. </div>
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My mother in law Mary loves baby-sized quilts to use at a table-cover so she asked me to make her one that match her new curtains. I LOVE when she asks me to make things for her because she leaves all the designing and creativity to me which makes it a lot of fun for me.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hRsaoesXUTJOXLQryjLNLuINb5TMe1EtFzcJihlg74a5aoFzWtLekzzHBVEXj90sadhkA28V4KdNY4iXqk10qcIWeBjZ9alBumVXsutMVBD5WixZsGjbNs79TyH1RUVngbTfN1bgNy8/s1600/11755278_811972555587777_5124665818426346641_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hRsaoesXUTJOXLQryjLNLuINb5TMe1EtFzcJihlg74a5aoFzWtLekzzHBVEXj90sadhkA28V4KdNY4iXqk10qcIWeBjZ9alBumVXsutMVBD5WixZsGjbNs79TyH1RUVngbTfN1bgNy8/s640/11755278_811972555587777_5124665818426346641_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm obsessed with triangle quilts so I sewed up some random half square triangles and got to sewing. </div>
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I didn't have a pattern or design in mind until I was done sewing them and laid them all out to figure out how to sort them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3esebGnk-Fnbwn-AYgtChPHkGO6FJ3d5v-_hfQhTo_39CJNV5yQ9u7sQokqliH8VGCJrvdNCPMUz-KaLkzRvPDD8mGZwMsIZqSWk5DG6gaFf0mGvaWeP0Eh0DPoWu8vBb9e1j85S6db0/s1600/23.47.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3esebGnk-Fnbwn-AYgtChPHkGO6FJ3d5v-_hfQhTo_39CJNV5yQ9u7sQokqliH8VGCJrvdNCPMUz-KaLkzRvPDD8mGZwMsIZqSWk5DG6gaFf0mGvaWeP0Eh0DPoWu8vBb9e1j85S6db0/s320/23.47.12.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
I love when half square triangles are random and abstract. In fact, I have another HST in the making.<br />
But since this quilt is meant to be a large table-topper, I wanted to make sure it had more of a dramatic middle or center to the quilt. That's why I decided to put a Sawtooth Star in the middle. And instead of the triangles being random, I made them more into points to give a symmetrical look.<br />
That's what I love about HSTs! They design possibilities are endless!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsib_HjBfHdO2dV3E9GljO7kJjjn7golg_UtCk46ICdXFFW0o-mCMjPXD0kAu8FnRSUTylw06e3d8a8wZob2-3VeFkaU06QB-zGf0yjn846hxEAQ8cRiZeSkH7fBH9cm0ysDvsnTksfFc/s1600/maryquilt220865928763_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsib_HjBfHdO2dV3E9GljO7kJjjn7golg_UtCk46ICdXFFW0o-mCMjPXD0kAu8FnRSUTylw06e3d8a8wZob2-3VeFkaU06QB-zGf0yjn846hxEAQ8cRiZeSkH7fBH9cm0ysDvsnTksfFc/s640/maryquilt220865928763_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm not all that good at triangles yet, I've been practicing and trying to get better at them. So I appreciate my Mother-in-Law giving me a chance to play around with triangles and even some free motion quilting.</div>
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The quilt has many flaws and is far from perfect.</div>
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But one thing it does have is love!</div>
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I spent a lot of time, love, and effort trying to make a quilt she would enjoy<br />
so I hope she loves it... flaws & all. Afterall, it is handmade.</div>
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There's just something so special about a handmade quilt.<br />
They are one of a kind.</div>
Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942779313702614469.post-43595978995053846132015-06-30T09:06:00.001-05:002015-06-30T09:06:15.120-05:00Birthday Giveaway<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey everyone!!<br />I'm SO excited to share with you a couple fun giveaways with you this week!!</div>
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Thursday is MY BIRTHDAY so to celebrate I want to give YOU some gifts!!</div>
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Today you have a chance to win this gorgeous zipper bag made from Anna Marie Horner's Folk Song fabric.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORtviq1bDTyCogYbfYl1mid35qfu81QpfHZXf_1V9vNenoU29M6tO5Wgs9lvjaGjFwFT0WFttykn2C4TqTrq_-LZQoPEuhIqRH1_xfVTiLFtaeeNELoyKHa8B3d630FCwsu9RFYtMNd0/s1600/11666159_852462798181854_1594005412890928652_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORtviq1bDTyCogYbfYl1mid35qfu81QpfHZXf_1V9vNenoU29M6tO5Wgs9lvjaGjFwFT0WFttykn2C4TqTrq_-LZQoPEuhIqRH1_xfVTiLFtaeeNELoyKHa8B3d630FCwsu9RFYtMNd0/s640/11666159_852462798181854_1594005412890928652_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm so in love with her fabric designs and colors. </div>
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She makes the most stunning collections. </div>
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So for your chance to win this zipper pouch and key chain fob you have 3 chances to win.</div>
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#1. Follow me on Instagram @runningstitchwhit and tag a friend on this photo</div>
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#2. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Running-Stitch/420909358003869" target="_blank">The Running Stitch on Facebook</a> and tag a friend on the photo</div>
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#3. Share this photo on instagram or facebook</div>
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Good luck friends! I'll draw a winner tomorrow morning!</div>
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Be sure to check back because I have ANOTHER giveaway for you!!! </div>
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Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435245937981430694noreply@blogger.com0