~Tagged~ Just LOVE this game.....

I have been tagged by two of my good friends, Heather of Heather's Handmade Creations and Terronda of uniquecommodity and perhaps there are more out there. I am sorry if I have not included you this time. I am finally taking a moment to step back and play the game, as I love reading 7 things about other people.

Here are the Tag Rules:

~ Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

~ Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

~ Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their name as well as links to their blog.

~ Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. This last one I am leaving off because it is SEW CLOSE to the holidays and do not want to pressure anyone. If you would like to play tag and would like to use SEWHAPPY as your tagger, by all means PLEASE DO!

So here are my Seven:

I am deaf in one ear…since I can remember...perhaps from birth. It only bothers me in crowds or when someone tries to whisper in my deaf ear.

I was voted best looking in my high school class...which is nice to remember at my current age of 50 somethin. I am still a very high maintenance (so McStevie says) girly matchy-matchy girl since high school.

I wanted badly to be a cheerleader in high school…I only tried out once…my sisters were cheerleaders..but it’s OK ‘cause now I enjoy being a cheerleader for a few causes.

I LOVE peanut butter and always keep a jar at my work desk..sometimes eat it straight from the jar, but especially love to put a little on those miniature Hershey chocolates for an afternoon treat.

My married name is the same as my mother’s maiden name, same spelling, different family. Makes for a lot of confusion with all the “families” living in the general North Country area. I have all kinds of "coattail relatives". Big families are the bomb.

My sister Nancy (a nurse) delivered our daughter because the Dr. did not make it to the hospital in time. That is very special because she has two sons, no daughters - and I love sharing Mandy with her.

I have wanted to be a secretary since I was about 10. While my sisters were playing nurse and teacher, I played with fake file folders at my mother’s sewing machine cabinet that had lots of deep drawers I could use for files. I have been in the secretary/administrative assistant field for over 25 years and still enjoy “playing” with files.

I WON!!! YAY!!

Linda, my awesome friend of
spottedcowsoaps

has drawn MY name for her blog contest….oooo…LUCKY ME. This is what I received in the mail…..well, minus ONE of those little bath fizzies. I took a bath with that last night. I did NOT eat the soap, but I still had some butt bubbles, so hmmm…perhaps you can figure that out on your own, Linda. The gingerbread scent is to die for. THANK YOU, very much. The moral of the story here is to ENTER BLOG CONTESTS ‘cause you just never know when a wonderful gift will come your way!!

In Honor

My blog today is to honor a man that I have admired from just about the moment I met him, my brother-in-law Ed Hubert. Ed passed away this morning around 7:30 EST from an awful disease called cancer. Ed was 58.



Ed was the kind of person that you always wanted to be near because when you talked with him you knew you were the only one in the room with him…even if you were in a crowd, he was intent on listening to whatever you had to say. He and my sister Nancy were married for 31 years. They have a son Scott, daughter-in-law Abby and son Matt. The boys are a great example of the nurturing, and wonderful values that their parents have given them. Ed and Nancy were always involved in sports with the boys, going to every game they possibly could when they were young. Ed gave out a sportsmanship award at his high school in honor of a student that excelled in sports, but was unselfish and a good sportsman. That award was renamed the Ed Hubert Sportsman Award in a ceremony that was held this last Saturday night (December 6) at a basketball game at his local alma mater high school, Massena Central School, Massena, NY. Ed attended that ceremony to receive the award. He had more friends and family behind him in the gym than were there for the game! He was wheeled in via wheelchair and yet walked out of the gym (in true Ed fashion) on his own after giving an eloquent speech about how the award was not about him but about all the names put previously on the plaque and all the names that would be put on it from this time forward…and how important it is to be involved as a team and not an individual, how to be a true sport. That is something he knows very well. Bear with me for this next story…..it is a bit long….



My sisters and I have a Ya Ya Sisterhood Diva Quilters Group…read about us here. The group consists of me, YaYa #1 (‘cause I formed the group and am the OLDEST)..and the group Ya Ya numbers go in order of age…sister Nancy, (YaYa #2); sister Rita (YaYa #3); sister Sallie (Ya Ya #4); sister Becky (YaYa #5); my niece and Rita’s daughter, Christy (Ya Ya #6); and just recently new member Mandy, my daughter, (YaYa #7). We are all located in NY. I am in Watertown, NY area, Nancy, Rita and Mandy in Massena, NY, Sallie in Utica, NY, Becky in Saratoga, NY area and Christy in Rochester, NY.


The Ya Ya’s have made many quilts together, sister’s quilts, wedding quilts, family friend quilts, but NO quilt was ever more precious to make than the Hugs Quilt for Ed that we made the weekend before this last Thanksgiving. The Ya Ya’s met the weekend of November 14, 2008 without the knowledge of our sister Nancy. It was me, Rita, Sallie, Becky and daughter Mandy. Christy had just had baby #2 and lives a couple of hours away, so she had her hands full…but wanted to be here in the worst way….we missed you Christy.



For this quilting event Rita and Mandy drove to Watertown together; Becky drove to Utica and rode with Sallie from there. Not one person complained of the driving nor any other complaints of any merit the entire weekend…oh…’cept for that two hour trip Rita and Mandy took to Walmart Saturday afternoon to get a couple of pictures printed…there were technical difficulties….and perhaps a little bit of wandering about the store?? Two hours, I mean…really…they will not live that down any time too soon! Oh, and this was daughter Mandy’s first official Ya Ya meet and we all looked forward to having her as our chief “iron maiden” or ironing buddy. She was all smiles as we literally threw stuff at her to iron. I was SEW proud!


I began the process by receiving photos from Ed's daughter-in-law Abby (who named it a secret covert operation and she was naming herself crouching tiger….she’s a stitch) and then more came from Ed's son Matt and other family members. With the help of my good friend Rod as in blockheadrod from blockheadradio, I was able to get the photos to the right size for the center of the quilt blocks and I proceeded to get those all printed on photo fabric.


We were very organized. I had prepared a big pan of scalloped potatoes and ham and Rita bought a pan full of baked ziti for Saturday nights dinner….other sisters and daughter bought other supplies as well. My hubby Steve came home early from work that Friday and finished painting our bedroom, which only hours before was torn apart, and only days before had been threatening a possible divorce because of all the work involved with stripping wallpaper...I am a persistent person. So.. he realized the importance of the task and came home early from work to finish the room and help in any way he could. And DID he help, omg…he cleared set/cleared tables, loaded/unloaded dishwasher, fixed up beds at bedtime, and the list goes on…oh yeah and he came downstairs to be a cheerleader for our sewing group late Saturday night because we sewed until 3 a.m. on Sunday! After getting settled by 4 a.m., getting some rest and and having Sunday breakfast we were back at it by 10:30 a.m. and finished the quilt before 2 p.m. It was truly a labor of love and devotion to this man that was not really our brother-in-law, but more like our brother and close supportive friend. (PS We ARE blessed to have a brother who was born in the middle of our Ya Ya Sisterhood line-up).


I packed up the quilt after the Ya Ya's left and sent it (on that Monday)to Sandi Verbridge, my long-arm quilting buddy who got it the next day (Tuesday) and quilted it for us the next morning (Wednesday), got it in the mail the next day, (Thursday) and it was received by Rita in Massena the next day, Friday. She put the binding on the quilt and the quilt was given to Nancy for Ed the next day, which was Saturday. Saturday evening (now remember, it was the previous Saturday evening that we were sewing until 3 AM) Ed made the rounds and called all of us to tell us it was the most beautiful gift he had ever received and he would treasure it and so would his family. That was November 22, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving my entire family was home except for one niece, who, unfortunately couldn’t get out of work and driving was too far just for the day. We missed you, Sara. This Thanksgiving Ed was in the midst of it all, as was his trademark. The wrestling of cousins, the laughter, the tears, the love…it was ALL there…it was ALL him. He brought the quilt (so the rest of the family could see it) to sister Rita’s gathering of family after having a family Thanksgiving with his family (which included his awesome brother Dan, the boys and Abby,our mother and another friend). He was thin, frail, but adored…absolutely adored by everyone there.


Now I want to impress upon you that Ed and Nancy and our family have a love of God and faith that is solid and strong. There was absolutely NO way that God was not involved in these last few months and weeks….NO way. If there was ever a testament to HIS love, I have seen it with my own eyes, especially in these last weeks and literally, days.


We took many pictures of the quilt and daughter Mandy also took 4 videos of making it. It was a time of memories, laughter, and tears, making this beautiful quilt. I took all the pictures and the videos from my camera and had a DVD professionally made of the event. Steve Weed of Steve Weed Productions had never done this before and he had it to me the day before Thanksgiving…only a few short days of receiving it-- for us all to treasure. I gave a copy of it to Ed and Nancy and all the Ya Ya’s and have one for Ed and Nancy’s sons too. Nancy said that they loved it, especially the music that I had put to the pictures…Amy Grant…I can Only Imagine…a beautiful song…listen to it here.


So this post is for Ed, a man of dignity, grace and love for friends and family. As you can tell he will be missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. Thanks for ALL the memories, Ed….you’re an angel.


click on each picture to enlarge and enjoy...



Nancy and Ed's wedding day


Nancy and Ed at Christy's wedding





Matt, Ed, Scott


Scott & Abby with Matt



Abby, Gus and Scott....The Scott Hubert Family



Abby and Ed the day Abby and Scott were married, she's beautiful, isn't she?

The Hubert Gene Pool: Matt, Ed's brother Dan, Ed, Scott and Ed's Dad


Sallie and Cindy (SewHappy)


Rita


Becky and Sallie



Mandy


The gorgeous fabrics...


Making the middle of the star blocks with the pictures...


Steve Inspects


Quitting time..3 AM


It looks lovely on the bed!


The Ya Ya's (Rita, Sallie, Cindy (Sewhappy), Becky, Mandy)and the Quilt in the newly painted bedroom!

It's My Birthday! Appropriate message for someone that is a little "over the hill" don't ya think!

Due to increasing age, forgetfulness, and my decreasing ability to send cards on time here is my card to cover every Holiday.

Happy Friggin Everything!

On this day of ~Thanksgiving~ give thanks for all of your ~Blessings~ ~Much Love to all our Family and Friends~

The AHH-HA moment with the CHICKEN and the COLANDER….

Sew did you ever figure something out just at that one moment and then you wondered why you never thought of it before?





Well, this weekend I was cooking a nice meal of homemade mac and cheese and baked chicken. I had cooked the macaroni, drained it, rinsed out the drainer and set it down on the other side of the sink so that I could get my chicken ready. My method is prolly pretty much like yours. Open the package, take out the giblets, wash the chicken and get it in some kind of cooking contraption.





Sew, as I am slicing open the chicken package, I am thinkin’ how I wish there was a better way of maneuvering this chicken under the water so that I don’t just contaminate everything around the sink. At that very moment I looked over to the other side of the sink and there was a light bulb, well, not zactly in the sink, but a light bulb moment, for there was my lovely green colander from my macaroni’s shower, just sittin’ there - doing nothing; not servicing me in any way. Matter of fact I was sure I heard a “na na na na na” coming from it. I picked it up and placed my lovely little 3 pound chicken in it and both chicken and Cindy were SEWHAPPY! I rinsed it, gave it a paper towel pat on the hinny and I was on to the business of cookin’ a dinner that would make McStevie marvel at my culinary talents. (But then, that is pretty common.) You can bet I will use that little trick again. Try it, it really works great! Yup, it was one of those AHH-HA moments. I am easily amused.

"na na na na na"

sitting pretty

shower me with your love

ready for the oven

MAXINE SAYS...

Well, Maxine Says..Don't Make Me Use UPPERCASE...but Sew says... DO MAKE ME USE UPPERCASE, cause I like to use UPPERCASE when I am celebrating something or good news has arrived. Like...The Etsy Angels and their Angel Helpers made a total of $677.88 during the month of October for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Awareness. That is AWESOME!!!! (Notice the upper case?)

Lest We NOT FORGET

I love Christmas. It is the best time to have your loved ones around. I enjoy making these sweet "quilted cards". They take time, but anything that can be made with fabric is just wonderful.
They are a 5x7 generous size card, complete with matching envelope. You should see my Christmas stash of fabric....Oi Vey! It is a sickness, I tell ya!



Click here to see them in my shop.

If you haven’t

been over to the Artisan Shoppe yet, you are missing out! There are WONDERFUL artists there. Here are a few of the wonderful products that I have tried from their shops. I can tell you from personal experience ~~ they are absolutely AWESOME! You can find the clicks to their shops right there in the Artisan Shoppe. How cool is that? There are several more shops located here that I will be purchasing from, so stay tuned to this blog for more updates on the Artisan Shoppe artists and their lovelies! Oh yeah, hey, Christmas is coming ~~ FAST!









The Copper Cauldron~~AKA agoodwitchtoo's shop~~AKA My favorite good (and bad) witch









Heather's Handmade Creations has wonderful cards~~ Heather did this custom order for me. My quilt friends love these cards! Click on her shop link located at the left of the Artisan Shoppe page.

AND, this was a wonderful assortment. That fisherman card went to my "fisherman" brother.

These beautiful organic facecloths came from Ms. Moo of Spotted Cow Soaps ~~ I got 2 sets to go with the good witch's soap above. Sew soft......oh, and Ms. Moo has the most awesome soaps too! She is sew multi-talented! Click on her shop link located at the left of the Artisan Shoppe page.












You'll find scrumptious treats of the most awesome kind in Double Dipped Sweets shop! Like this Toffee Caramel Popcorn. My taste buds were the sewhappiest ever!

COME JOIN US ON MONDAY'S FOR THE BLOCKHEAD SHOW!

Don't forget to sign up for your account on Blog Talk Radio so that you can listen to the show live on Monday nights at 9pm EST. And, you can join us in the chat room during the live show for some fun. Feel free to drop the links to your shop, blogs, or anything else that you think may tickle everyone's fancy. We just ask that you keep it child friendly! Make some new friends... listen to blockhead and agoodwitchtoo, that lovely witch with curves! WOOTS! Sweet Huckleberry Arts will be monitoring the chat room (that would be the lovely Mrs. Rod). She keeps everybody in line..oh wait, she is the head instigater..hmm...she will add the little bit of spice we need.








As the #1 fan, my job is to make an occasional visit to the show to report. Report what, you ask? Well, whatever roving reporters report! There was no job description on this, people...operatin' on a slim budget!

Seriously, my first report is on the great etsy team of Etsy Angels. Read more about them on the etsyangelsteam blog.







Check out this great giveaway of Christmas cards from talented artist, Debra Linker that will be given to one lucky person that calls in to the show this Monday evening, November 3. See her etsy shop here.









And, check out the new Artisan's Shoppe ~~ launched November 1st. You will find Debra there and a certain sewhappy person's shop..*wink wink*, might see a witch flyin' *wink, wink* Huckleberry and Rod too! A great way to find some new artisans and maybe get a Christmas gift or two to help cross off some of the people on your list... whether they're naughty or nice I'm sure you'll be able to find that special something!

I am in the artisan challenge this week!

I am very proud to be in the artisan challenge this week with my "survivor" cancer pillow.

If you wish to purchase the pillow send me an email at sewhappydesigns@yahoo.com or go to my etsy shop located here.



You can read more about the pillow here and see 4 more pictures of it. If you click on the picture you will get a close up of the decorative stitching. I have a retail price on this pillow of $20. There is a discount of 15% off this pillow, due to end on October 31st. I am extending it until November 10th if you purchase it through asking for it in my email. Also, 10% of the sale goes to the Susan G. Koman breast cancer foundation.




If you wish to vote for me and my pillow go here and scroll down until you see the circles to vote. If you vote for me, I thank you in advance.



THANK YOU to Rod for picking my pillow for his etsy challenge this week. XXOO

The cutest think pink email....ever....

I got this email from a friend in Florida...isn't she cute? Had to share!

The Goodwitch has struck...AGAIN

I got this cute little blogger tag from my witchy buddy at http://thecoppercauldron.blogspot.com/ She has a great blog and an awesome story about a quilt on her blog. Apparently she is bored and wants me to spill information……again…but…how can I resist…. I mean…look at those curves…and that cute little broom…she is too witchy for her own good.….geeze louise. So SHE did it, so I will now reveal 6 things I value and 6 things I don’t value…but first…these are the COMPLETE rules:

The Rules for the Award are as follows:




1. Mention the blog that gave you the award and comment on their blog, when you post the award.




2. List 6 things you VALUE and 6 things you DON'T VALUE.




3. Pass the award on to 6 other blog buddies.






I VALUE:

1- The freedom to worship the God that I choose - I will not wig you out on religion, but I believe in a higher power and that we were all put on the earth to be the best that we can be. Figuring out what that is and getting to it is the journey…the journey is your life. I believe in Karma, I define as... “what goes around, comes around”. Nuff said.







2-Family- There is no greater support in my life and no greater definition of love.







3-Friends- WOW, I have meet more new wonderful friends this past year than ever before in my life…what an awesome blessing!







4-My massage therapist – I have back pain and she has the hands of an angel. Plus she is an awesome lady. Recently the power went out soon after she had started my massage. She quickly lit a bunch of candles. We laughed and chatted the whole time. I wrote her check by using the light on my cell phone as a flashlight. Fun times!







5-Quilt/fabric shops – they support my addiction. I am currently in a 12-step program, though. Please pray for me.







6-Cooking – Thanks to my grandmother, Mom and many great cooks in my family I can make pretty much anything…I wish Martha and Rachel would quit stealing my thunder.







DON’T VALUE-

1-The Media Frenzy – I don’t really care if Britney Spears shaves her head…it’s her head. And.. I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT FOR A MONTH!






2- Pencil thin…Size 1, Size 2…models with hollow cheeks…I mean SEW unhealthy looking. It is NOT the role model for our young women. Give me a gal with a little hip and I will show you a hip and happening gal. Curves are lovely...embrace them.






3-Face lifts and other enhancements- If God wanted you to look like you were on a permanent roller coaster, he would have placed you there.






4-Drivers that don’t signal – One question…why? Were you absent the day they covered that in Drive Ed?






5-Loud Commercials – Annoys the hell out of me. Like if I hear it louder it might make me buy it more often? I think not. Every time I hit the down sound button I swear at the commercial.






6-Wallpaper – This last one I didn’t know until recently. I want to redo a bedroom that currently has wallpaper and it is awful stuff to get off walls. I will never wallpaper again…ever…that’s final.









OK, now that last rule says to pass on to 6 buddies. I really don’t like rules much…I run with scissors. Sew if you are reading this and the idea of doing this little exercise sounds like fun…by all means please do it and link it back to sewhappy. K?

I am HONORED…

to have been asked to join the Angel Etsy Team. You can read about the angels etsy team on the team blog. The most recent angel cause/event was breast cancer awareness. Many shops, including mine have participated by selling “think pink” items for the month of October to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Please take a look at some of the shops when you can -- and click on -- and buy pink! This is an awesome caring group of people. Thank you for asking me, I will try to make you proud.

AND THE WEINER IS...............

Stormy Designs has won my Christmas mat give-a-way from the blockheadrod blog talk radio show. See her etsy store here.... and............her blog here.



Congrats Stormy!!!!

Due to technical difficulties...Free give-away for chatting in the chat room of the Blockheadrod Christmas show now TUESDAY night from 9-11PM

From quiltas u go mat

From quiltas u go mat

From quiltas u go mat

From quiltas u go mat

NOTE: THERE WERE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH BLOG TALK RADIO MONDAY NIGHT AND THE SHOW GOT CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE......ROD WILL BE BACK WITH THE SAME SHOW TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 21 ~~ FROM 9-11pm EST. Those that were in the chat for Monday evening's show are still in the drawing...if you come back in the chat for TUESDAY Evening's SHOW, I will put you in the drawing TWICE!! A double WOOT TO YOU!!~~ Thanks for your patience~~
sewhappy



Win this lovely little quilted all-purpose mat just by tuning into the blockheadrod show and coming into the chat room and chatting with blockheadrod and the rest of the cronies!







Here's how it will work: Sewhappy will be in the chat room and all those that enter will have their name written on a little entry form piece of paper...2x2 inch square..paper will be folded and put in a basket. During the last 15 minutes of the show sew will close her eyes and pull out the winner. I know that everyone's lives are hectic, so if you can't listen to all of the show you will not be penalized. However, you MUST be there for at least ONE HOUR.






If you are not familiar with blogtalkradio and wish to join in the fun, please go to blogtalkradio.com and click to signup. You will need to have a login name and a password. I recommend you use your etsy store name (if you have one), or a name that will identify you in some way to the rest of the group. I recommend that you do the sign-up sometime that is not just BEORE the show. It will be a smoother transition for you when it comes time for the show. Blockheadrod usually opens the chat a few minutes earlier than the show, so come and chat just before 9PM...there will be a "chat" button to click. Then when the show starts there is a button to click on to listen to the show. Rod will begin the show but usually waits a few minutes for people to get in the chat and listen to the show before he gets too far into his message. If you wish to listen to any of blockheadrod's other shows, just go the blockheadrod show site and click on any of his shows...there are many worth listening to regarding promoting your shops.

Now there have been known to be glitches with the chat portion of the show, so if there are technical difficulties and there is no chat. Sew is going to set up a thread under BUSINESS TOPICS called "Blockheadrod blog talk radio show does Christmas" and post this blog entry so we may get some new listeners. And then, if the chat doesn't work for some reason we can go there and chat while we listen to the show.






Good Luck! I will be sewhappy to send this to YOU!!

I'd like to THANK the ACADEMY....

I am honored to be the Artisan of the Day on the blockheadrod artisan challenge blog. He has posted my bio.




Thanks SEW much, Rod for giving me this sweet award!



Where you will find me:




My sewhappydesigns shop on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5395802



My sewhappy designs blog: http://sewhappydesigns.blogspot.com/

My teaching schedule and website: http://www.icanquilt.com/

An Amish Furniture shop owned by Mary and John Dufresne....they sell many of my quilted items here: http://www.painfullacres.com/

It was a double woot day!

My first woot is because I made these lovely custom vendor/craft aprons for TheBumbleBeeStudio and MooseBerryhill and actually got them done and in the mail in time for their craft show this weekend. Isn’t that moose button just the bomb??? Bunnie from the BumbleBee provided the fabric ‘cause she will have that same plaid on the her tables….(she is all about matchy-matchy) and I had a heck of a time figuring out which moose fabric I wanted to put in Ms. Moosey’s creation….I think it turned out sweet, though. Oh yeah, and I got McStevie the new James Taylor CD “Covers” as a little side anniversary gift and I listened to it the whole time I was making Moosey’s apron yesterday….awesome… James… thank you…you rock.

PS ~~ I just had to add woot to my computer dictionary…what’s up with that?

There are a total of 7 pockets to include a pocket for business cards, two for pens/pencils; lots of room for your needs. The loop is to hold a pair of scissors. The largest pocket has a velcro closure so all of your hard-earned cash stays put. You can use the apron as a work apron..great for quilters, seamstresses, artists, waitresses - you name it, it is handy! Soon to be a custom item in the sewhappydesigns etsy shop.

My daughter is modeling mine, the prototype...the very first one I have ever made! Perfect fabric for me, don't ya think?

My second woot is that I got featured in an etsy treasury today….how awesome is that? Sewinggranny made a treasury collection of etsy stores with “think pink” sections to honor Breast Cancer Awareness for the month of October. She was kind enough to feature me. To my knowledge this is my first treasury entry. I bow to you Ms. Mona sewinggranny, thank you!