Quilts...

A couple of weeks ago I made a quilt...actually 2 quilts.  2 quilts in 2 days.  Sounds impressive, right?  Well, I wouldn't call it impressive.  The instructions that I used said you could make the quilt in a couple of hours.  This estimate was off by a few hours, but nevertheless, I think the quilts turned out quite cute!  The first one I made was for a childhood friend of mine that is about to have her 1st baby...a little boy!  I have to say, it's hard to find fabric that is cute & boy-appropriate.  Here's the first quilt:

I had some material left over, so I used it to make a couple of burp rags that match the quilt.  I think they turned out pretty cute too!

The 2nd quilt was a birthday present for our niece Ava's 1st birthday.  Now, fabric for girls can be found in abundance, and I just love the patterns & colors on this fabric collection!  It's called "Enchanted Forest" & I found it at Hobby Lobby.  So cute!

I love how this quilt turned out, especially with the pink satin border!

Here are the directions that I used to make the quilt, in case you're interested in making one of your own:

http://cloud9fabrics.blogspot.com/2010/01/quilt-in-day-tutorial.html

I can't find the directions I used for sewing on the blanket binding, but you can Google it and find lots of tutorials on sewing on a blanket binding!  I used Wright's Satin Blanket binding in bright pink.

Birthday Parties Galore...

The last 2 months have kept Matt and I busy driving to Oklahoma & back to celebrate the birthdays of several special people!  March started out with our niece Allie's 8th birthday party.  For this year's celebration, Allie's request was simple...pizza at home& a movie at the theater with her friends.  The relaxed party was a perfect way to celebrate year #8, and Allie's outfit of head to toe pink & purple suited her perfectly.  I have never seen a kid open presents as fast as Allie!  I think she opened all of her presents in less than 5 minutes!


The end of March brought a fun surprise party for my Aunt LouAnn's 60th birthday.  Regina planned a great surprise party, complete with a surprise visit from Regina & the boys all the way from California!  We had fun waiting around for Regina & the boys to arrive from the airport, and were just as anxious while we waited for Kevin to go pick up LouAnn & get her back to my parents' house.  After a small white lie about dad being really sick & mom needing help, LouAnn quickly got ready & headed out the door.  When they arrived, we all hid in the kitchen & sent Caleb in the living room to shout "Hey Mimi!" before we jumped out for the big surprise.














April had us heading up to Tulsa to celebrate Matt's Mema's 89th birthday party.  This was another big surprise for her, since her grandkids, great grandkids, son, sister, and niece traveled from Nashville, Birmingham, Kirksville, Dallas, and Oklahoma City to surprise her.  Since everyone arrived at her place at different times, she was surprised each time a new guest arrived.  We enjoyed spending the afternoon chatting, eating, and listening to some bluegrass music.  The slumber party that night was definitely fun for all the kids.  Who can beat playing in a tent & then sleeping in the dining room, with wall to wall air mattresses, with all your favorite cousins? What a special day to spend with Mema & the family!

The following weekend marked the big 1st birthday party for our niece, Ava.  We headed to Oklahoma City because we knew we just couldn't miss this very special birthday.  Ava looked absolutely adorable, and Heather had made the cutest pink & green decorations to make the atmosphere festive.  We had a great time watching Ava unwrap all her presents & dig into her special birthday cake made just for her.  Even Oscar the Boxer showed up to celebrate with us! In spite of Ava falling and bumping her head and Allie smashing her foot in the recliner, we still had a wonderful time celebrating Ava's special day!

Matt and I are so thankful to finally be living close enough to share these special times with our families.  What a blessing it is to be a part of these celebrations!