simple sampler quilt - week 3...

i am really beginning to like the colors that i have chosen and hope that it all comes together well in the end.  i decided that i needed to start using some of the mass of fabric i have bought over the past few months, so i bit the bullet and picked some that i recently ordered from fabric.com.  i really want to get rid of my stash so that i will be able to buy the newest and cutest line for my projects.  in another effort to use up my stash and save money, i decided that my solid would be a purple ikea sheet.  i hope that it is not too dark and dramatic for the quilt.

anyway, here are the pics from week 3...

simple sampler quilt - week 2...

finally catching up on posting my blocks, thanks to vacation time!! these are the blocks that i made for week two.

i was surprised at how well my seams went together on these blocks. i have decided that i do not do well with pressing my seams to the side and have gone back to pressing my seams open.  maybe that makes me less of a quilter,but everything just lines up better for me that way.

more blocks tomorrow!!

simple sampler quilt - week 1...

when i decided to make my first quilt, i really wanted to make one for my cousin as a wedding gift, so i just jumped in and went for it. since then i have learned a lot and my skills have increased, but i still have never done anything to really learn how to quilt.  when i saw the simple sampler quilt along on amy's creative side, i thought it was the perfect opportunity to learn.  i am a  few weeks behind but am working hard to catch up!!

the following are the blocks i completed for week 1.

i am using fabrics from treetop fancy by tina givens.  i hope you like!!

summer reading 2010...

this is the first summer in a long, long time that i have not had anything major going on, and this summer might just be the summer that i get through most of my summer reading!! no grad school, no cpa exam...just free time at night!! woo hoo! so, this list might be a little ambitious since i am so excited but here we go...

books for my local library reading club
june's pick - currently reading -
the blue bottle club by penelope j stokes
this is the first book that i have had a chance to read on my new kindle, so i was excited to get started. this little book has been fantastic so far. i was a little skeptical at first, but the story really sucks you in. it is a very touching story about how life can take you in a direction that might seem to be away from what you want and yet it is better than what you wanted in the first place. i will share more once i complete the novel.

july's pick
the secret scripture: a novel by sebastian barry










august's pick
sister carrie by theodore dreiser
i have read this book before, but i really enjoyed it, so i don't mind reading it again. it will actually be nice to discuss the subject matter with others.








books to read on my own:
the likeness: a novel by tana french
this is tana french's second novel and a follow-up to in the woods, which i read last year. i have had this on my bookshelf for awhile and am ready to get into it. i have to finish it by july because my next book will be released on july 13...






faithful place: a novel by tana french
this will be tana french's third release and also the third novel of the Dublin murder squad. i have not pre-ordered it yet because i am hoping that a kindle version is released by the time i get to it...







the girl with the dragon tattoo by stieg larsson











we will see how the summer goes. i hope that i can enjoy all of these and many more. we just bought a fishing boat, so i should have plenty of time to enjoy my books while getting a tan! :)

all images courtesy of amazon.com

the second love of my life...

i finally broke down purchased my very own...

kindle!! and i love, love, love it!! i have already had to re-charge the battery twice i have been using it so much!

i was really nervous about buying one since they are such a big investment, but let me tell you it was well worth it! i finally justified it to myself when i realized that the kindle version of books are so much cheaper than the printed version. i have also saved a ton of money since amazon offers books that were printed before 1923 or are out of copyright for free! this just happens to be the time period i read the most, so it has been fantastic!!

i started reading next month's book for the book club at my local library last week and am almost finished. i really do think that the ability to choose the text size helps me to read faster.

i will stop gushing about my new toy, but i just had to share cause it makes me so happy!

image courtesy of amazon.com

welcome back to blogland...

ok, i know that i left you all high and dry a few months back, but can i just say that it has been a very busy few months!?! not only did the normal tax season come and go but we also bought a house, moved in and started renovating in march! crazy times!! we love our new house and have made so many changes already but know that there are many more to come...speaking of which, i will post some pictures in the future as we finish rooms/projects for you all to see. :)

expect quite a few posts in the next few days so i can get caught up on all that is going on!!

awesome giveaway!!

check out the awesome giveaway that v & co is doing with her sponsor burgundy buttons!