Long Way Round road trip recap

Dave did a post about the different days of our road trip.

I will link them up here to keep them in one spot. 

here are my pictures: 

Day 1- Thursday May 15- Road trip begins!  introduction post.

Since we took a long northern circular route from our home state of North Carolina, through Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa to arrive in Missouri (see attached map), I decided to rename Plan B as the "Long Way Round".

Day 2- Friday May 16- Dr. Who Little Library Cache
This Little Free Library, made up like a TARDIS, is in the front yard of a private residence in Naperville Illinois.  We pulled up just after a rain storm at 4:30PM, after driving all day.  When we saw the box we all jumped out of the Geovan of Destiny, excited to take a closer look.

So lets go inside and see whats in there...

Day 3- Saturday May 17- Civil War Days
Dear Diary,

This morning was a busy one.  In just a few hours I met two Presidents, got caught in a battle skirmish, drank some home made root beer, watched a blacksmith make a horse shoe, and checked out some field artillery.

All of this happened before lunch.

Day 3- Saturday May 17 - Dave Caching with Ewald
Naperville is a really neat town.  If you're ever in Illinois you'd be doing yourself a favour by checking it out for yourself.  If you are there and you need a guide, and no one can help you, and you can find him, maybe you too can cache with the ewald.

Day 4&5- Sunday and Monday May 18 &19- Spy Restaurant and Wisconsin cheese
One of the best parts of taking road trips is going to places you have never been to before.  So far this trip have been to places at least one of us has previously experienced. 

This was all about to change, for we were to enter the brand new territory of Wisconsin.

Day 6- Tuesday May 20- Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota

So if you find yourself bumming around the upper mid-west, and you are getting bored, there is only one place you gotta go'ta.  Its the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota.

You should see the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota!

Day 6- Tuesday May 20 - Getting lost on the way back
So now the kids were ready for nap time, so we tossed them (gently) into the Geovan of Destiny and headed down the road once more. We were 45 minutes away from the hotel, but we needed to give the kids a couple hours to nap.  This was the moment where my wife told me to get lost.  So we did.

We turned off the GPS, took a left turn down a random road, and started driving.  

Day 7- Wednesday May 21- The Day the Music Died
This whole story (the historical one, not the one in this blog) is captured, poetically, in the immortal song entitled American Pie by Don McLean.

Today a memorial stands in the cornfield where the plane went down.  During this road trip we had the chance of making a pilgrimage to this famous location and pay homage to the forefathers of rock'n'roll (and to also claim the two related virtual caches).  This was a chance I could not pass up.

Day 7- Wednesday May 21- Field of Dreams
In 1989 a movie about a farmer who hears voices and ends up building a baseball field, was released.  Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones , became an instant classic, with the famous line "if you build it they will come".

As it turns out, they actually did build the baseball field in a cornfield, and now you can be the one that comes.

Day 7- Wednesday May 21 - American Pickers
American Pickers, if you are not familiar, is a show on the History channel.  It features two guys who search the back roads of America looking for hidden treasures of Americana and other historical artifacts that are buried in the back of barns, and in basements.  They purchase them, and resell them to their customers.   The show, while I am sure at times contrived and scripted, is based on their existing business, which is called Antique Archeology.

Day 8 - Thursday  May 22- Star Trek edition
Cache.  The final frontier. 

These are the voyages of the Geovan Of Destiny.

Its continuing mission: to explore strange new lands, to seek out new finds and new dramatizations, to boldly go where at least one person has gone before.
So we then head to St. Charles MO where Geowoodstock is being held.

Day 9 - Friday May 23-  I got to go to  3 quilt shops and get the fabric I was looking for. then we grab some caches and head back to the room for naps. After naps is a quick hop in the pool and then get dressed and head out to a meet up.

Day 10 -Saturday May 24th- we went to  Geowoodstock 12 they also had some great Kid Caches set up

Day 11- Sunday May 25- a rainy morning led us to an outlet mall followed by a trip to see Bigfoot
Turns out, when you are in St. Louis, you can see a bigfoot.  Specifically, the monster truck.   
Dave then went out for a bike ride in the afternoon

Day 12- Monday May 26 - Monday Morning we left really early from the hotel at 5:30 am. Stopping down the road for breakfast.  3 hours into our journey, thru road-weary early morning eyes, like a beacon of hope and light, I saw a sign that said "Superman Statue Next Exit".

We did the 10.5 hours in about 13 hours with the stops we had. The kids did a wonderful job on that trip!

This concludes the Long Way Round recap

Quick and easy tote for swimming

So I have been going to aquafit 4/5 times a week now. I was using an old kinda carry on/ luggage piece that I had kicking around. It worked fine but I wanted something a bit prettier :)

I looked for a while and came across this tutorial: 

Super Easy Tote Bag Tutorial from Poppyseed Fabrics

I printed out the instructions and looked how much material I wanted to use the pink vinyl covered cotton for the inside of the bag. 

I upped the bag dimensions to fit the fabric I had and started sewing. 

Bag pieces cut:

2 pieces of batting: 19x10.5

2 bag pieces: 19x21

2 pocket pieces: 19x17

handles with 3 inch x length of fabric (4 pieces = two handles. I sewed them together and turned)

This tutorial is great for the vinyl cotton as it keeps the sticky vinyl to the inside until the final top stitch around the bag. 

Here it is filled with my pool stuff. As you can see the blue made pockets on the outside. 

yes NC got snow. and yes they cancelled school and the gym closed early. 

looking down on my bag

this is what I fit in it. 

very cute bag. I love it

except

its too small still. 

I have already headed out to Hancocks and got more fabric to make a bigger one!!

Maybe I can figure out how to have pockets on the inside AND outside :)

Reusable Baggies

I got to spend the Long weekend with my friend +Courtney Lyon while my hubby went off to Florida.

She suggested that I bring my sewing machine so we could try the reusable baggies that +Kendra Intihar posted over at Southern Disposition 

our set up

We did discover that we could not sew on top of the velcro 3 times in a row. I ended up reinforcing my velcro by making 3 rows beside each other

Courtney's baggies- I think she got 7 or 8

 And these ones are mine. I got 6

Thank you Kendra for posting this tutorial!

Zeke loves the train ones. 

No Reply Blogger!

I have just discovered that I am the dreaded "No Reply Blogger"

This happened after I switched to Google+. apparently the setting didnt transfer.

I did find this tutorial on how to switch it back.
phew.
fixed!

now to comment again (and people can reply back!)


You might want to check your settings!




http://mrslambsclass.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-im-no-reply-blogger-google-fix.html

Introducing Abigail

I will write more when I have time and energy- bu in the mean time here are links to Daves blog about Abigail and her coming home.

introducing Abigail
http://debaere.blogspot.com/2012/04/introducing-abigail.html

Homecoming
http://debaere.blogspot.com/2012/04/homecoming.html


and just a few pics:

copyrighting quilting

Leah Day at The Free Motion Quilting Project did a wonderful post about copyrighting quilting.

Its a long post- but a great one.

Copyright issues seem to be cropping up with increasing frequency in the quilting world and I for one would like to try to stem this flow, or at least open your eyes, to the very real threat looming for our craft.

What is this threat?  Where is it coming from?

It is coming from within our own ranks. Quilters with a certain penchant for copyright and legal wrangling are turning our open, creative craft into a mine field of rules, regulations, licensing, attribution, and copyright lockdown that it's enough to make anyone set down their rotary cutter and sell their sewing machine.

And these particular Copyright Nazis (I really can't think of a better name for them) are not just vocal, they are flexing their arm powerfully enough to include copyright notices within quilt shows.


read more here: http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2012/03/copyright-terrorism.html

giveaway

Shannon is giving away the traveling stash on Wednesday.

only 23 comments so far- go try your luck


http://nunusquiltworld.blogspot.com/2011/11/time-for-traveling-stash-give-away.html

traveling stash continues

the traveling stash is going to be drawn FRIDAY! as in tomorrow.

you have a good chance at it since there is only 12 comments!

http://butterflyquilting.blogspot.com/2011/07/travelling-stash.html

squee- Daves Feature

You all have been introduced to my hubby right?

everyone- this is Dave:



Dave- everyone...


ok - now everyone is introduced let me tell you why I'm so excited!

Dave (Only Googlebot Reads this Blog) is going to have an 8 week feature over at Cache Crazy.
They will be featuring Dave's account from our 3 week road trip.

Cache Crazy is a Geocaching website.

Go check out his introduction and then all the other posts each weekend!
http://www.cachecrazy.com/2011/07/exciting-news-at-cachecrazycom.html

Traveling Stash giveaway

Flo at Butterfly Quilting has the Traveling stash- go take a look and comment on the blog

http://butterflyquilting.blogspot.com/2011/07/travelling-stash.html

mystery giveaway

over at Inch Worm Fabrics Jeanette is giving away a mystery box.

go check it out and when she gets to 200 comments she is going to draw!

Giveaway at Blueberry Patches

there is a giveaway at Blueberry Patches.

She is celebrating that she is on holidays!

What do she have?  2 fabrics.  Half metre cuts of each!!!!   Strawberry Fields in Robin's Egg and  Henna Gardens in leaf both from Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet 2.


Drawing on Tuesday

The Quilting Widow(er) Appreciation Day on Saturday, September 24th!

The Plaid Scottie  has a GREAT idea for our husband or significant others.

here is what she wrote:


Our spouses, boyfriends/girlfriends, partners, etc. put up with so much of our quilting crap. They might grumble occasionally, but for the most part they let us get away with crazed fabric sprees, giant stashes & sewing spaces that take up entire rooms, and marathon sewing sessions that take us away from our families for hours at a time. Why? Because they love us, and know that we love quilting. And while I thank my husband for his support of my crazy hobby all the time, I rarely use my skills to make anything for him. I think a lot of us are like that - we're so busy making things for everyone else, that we forget to make things for ourselves or our families.

SO. Here's my idea. Let's have an official Quilting Widow(er) Appreciation Day! I'm calling it that, because it's kinda true...lol! Our significant others are sometimes quilting widows/widowers because we guy & gal quilters spend a lot of time away from them for the "sake of our art"...hehe! Seriously! I'll be leaving poor Ray in the dust for 4 days while I jet off to Salt Lake City for the Sewing Summit in October. And God love his little heart, he's outside mowing the yard right now to kill time, because he knows I'll be holed up in my sewing room blogging for a while longer! :(

Here's what we're gonna do. I picked a random date a few months off so that we all have time to prepare and create, and we're going to make presents for our Quilting Widows/Widowers as a big fat thank you for their loving support! (Plus it's kind of a win-win, because not only do we get to do something special for them, but it will help perpetuate our hobby because they'll be less inclined to grumble if we make them uber cool things with the thousands of dollars we've sunken into supplies, LOL!) I kid. 99% of the reason we're doing this is to say thank you, and only 1% is for our selfish ulterior motives ;)

The Quilting Widow(er) Appreciation Day will officially take place on Saturday, September 24th! I picked a random, insignificant day so your loved one will be surprised! And I even made a button and added it to the sidebar for those of you that want to join me :)

Go to her blog and let he know if you are joining her. Also grab her button if you wish.

101 things to do with a preschooler

My friend Kendra over at Southern Disposition  has had trouble finding things to do online that meet her requirements for things to do with her preschooler.

Here is her Amazingly Awesome Things to Do with a Preschooler

Sometimes my mommy brain needs a little creative prodding (does yours?). I want to do fun things with Sadie, but when I'm dry on ideas, we pop in a DVD. Don't judge me...you do it too. I recently went looking for a list of good activities that met some or all of the following criteria:

- rainy day activities

- sunny day activities

- activities that teach a life skill

- activities that teach basic kindergarten readiness

- activities that are free (or nearly free)

- activities that require interaction

- activities that spark curiosity

I found a few good ideas, but mostly, I saw a lot of "go outside and play" or "stay inside and play" type suggestions. While those are indeed excellent suggestions, I decided to make my own list so that other mommies who are potentially struggling with the "what should I do with my kid today" rut will have a few fresh ideas!

Here's Kendra's handy-dandy list of 101 Amazingly Awesome Things to do with Your Preschooler. (ok, some of them aren'tamazingly awesome, but "awesome" is my favorite word and "amazingly" is an under-appreciated adverb.)

1. Pick dandelions and sort them by blossom size - they get "flowers" and you get free weeding! Put them in a little glass of water on the dining room table.

2. Cook spaghetti together. Let your child pour in the sauce, pour water (from a pitcher) into the pot, and break the noodles.

3. Paint on a canvas.

4. Open a blank document and let them type words that you spell for them (or their name) on your computer.

5. Lie outside on a blanket and point out shapes in the clouds.

6. Take a plastic baggie on a nature walk, and ask your child to find ten different things. Lay out the collection of found nature objects and compare their shapes, colors, textures, and smells.

7. Make sidewalk chalk art. Teach your child how to play hopscotch!

8. Dye eggs. (Who says you have to wait for Easter?)

9. Play "I Spy" with letters of the alphabet and/or household objects ("I spy something that starts with the letter 'W'" or "I spy something that plugs in,")

10. Sort something by color together (clothes, toys, books, etc).

11. Go to a hardware store and pick out a bunch of paint chip strips. Cut out the squares and glue pairs of them back-to-back on a length of string to make a paint chip garland (the string should be between the back-to-back paint chip pieces when you glue them together).

12. Play "Follow the leader."

13. Look at old photos and point out friends and family members. Talk about how they are different now.

14. Eat a spoonful of peanut butter. Or Nutella. Or something else that should probably be forbidden to be eaten by the spoonful. Pretend it's an extra special amazing treat and you're only giving it to them because you're the best mom (or dad) ever.

15. Move the living room furniture, put blankets and pillows on the floor, pop popcorn, and watch a movie.

Find the rest here

guest post (but not mine)

Have you ever read my husbands writing? he makes me laugh.

anyway - My friend Kendra posts something she calls the Errant Thought Roundup. She takes the poem:

I love, I love, I hate, I hate
I like, I wish, for goodness sake...
I hope, I hope, I pray, I pray
I will, I won't, and for today...

And fills in a thought for each section.

My husband decided to write a guest post for her. It made me laugh that tears came to my eyes as well as go awwww.

Go check it out! Errant Thought Round Up 31 GUEST POST

Our 3 week Road trip Summery

As promised, here is a summery of our trip and links to Dave's posts that he wrote each night

Day 1, April 16th:

Left home and arrived in Birmingham, Alabama (about a week before the tornado- God is awesome for small blessings!!)

We had some stops in Tennessee

Dave's Blog: Sweet Home Alabama 

Day 2, April 17th:

Birmingham Alabama to Vicksburg Mississippi.

Vicksburg is very pretty- I would go back to that town to explore it some more.

Dave's Blog: The Mighty Mississippi

Day 3, April 18th:

Vicksburg MS to  Russellville AR.

We did a stop in Little Rock at the Clinton Library.

Dave's Blog: Clinton with a Suess on Top

Day 4, April 19th:

Russellville Arkansas to Shamrock TX

We went though Oklahoma City and some driving on Route 66. Oklahoma had the most construction that we drove though.

Dave's Blog: Oklahoma, OK!

Day 5, April 20th:

Shamrock TX to Albuquerque NM

We did a lot of Geocaching this day including the Cadillac Ranch and some along Route 66.

Dave's Blog: Route 66

Day 6, April 21st:

Day spent in Albuquerque.

Went to the Very Large Array, saw some Petroglyph's and Old Town

Dave's Blog: Left Turn at Albuquerque

Day 7, April 22nd:

Albuquerque New Mexico to Flagstaff Arizona.

National Parks (Painted Desert and Petrified Forest.) We saw a meteor crater and stood on a corner in Winslow AZ.

Dave's Blog: Desert Rocks

Day 8, April 23rd:

Day spent with a sick baby, laundry, a trip to the ER and Dave getting sick.

Dave's Blog: Illness and Fatigue 

Day 9, April 24th:

Day at the Grand Canyon- VERY awesome.

Dave's Blog: Ain't it Grand

Day 10, April 25th:

Day trip to Phoenix AZ for quilting things and Daves most favourite cache

Dave's Blog: Phoenix

Day 11, April 26th:

From Flagstaff, AZ to Las Vegas, NV

A bit of a rant about the Hover Dam pet policy.

Dave's Blog: The Hover Maneuver 

Day 12, April 27th:

A day in Vegas.

We explore the strip in the day and Zeke takes a LONG nap and we stay out til 10 pm

Dave's Blog: Viva Rock Vegas

Day 13&14, April 28 & 29:

Las Vegas, NV to Albuquerque, NM to Colorado Springs, CO.

Travel days to get to Colorado Springs

Dave's Blog: Race to Colorado

Day 15&16&17, April 30, May 1 and May 2nd
In Colorado Springs, CO
Visiting my Friend KC and their 3 kids.
Dave's Blog: Garden of the Gods

Day 18, May 3rd:
Colorado Springs, CO to Salina KS
Stops at a HUGE Van Gogh, oldest active geocache, and Cathedral of the Plains
Dave's Blog: Go East Young Man

Day 19 and 20, May 4th and 5th:
Salina KS to O'Fallon MO to Lexington KY
Many geocaches, Multiple states, an arch and soon to be home
Dave's Blog: 100th Meridian

Day 21, May 6th:
Lexington, KY to HOME in NC!!! Asheville
A stop to see Colonel Sanders and a cache in Ashville.
Link to all of Dave's pictures included and the stats of our trip.
Dave's Blog: Homecoming 

So there you have it- A quick summery of our vacation.
again- here is the post I did when we got back and how Zeke traveled.

how to be the best postpartum visitor

I found this blog. 

Im not sure where - but this is a wonderful post!

HOW TO BE THE BEST POST PARTUM VISITOR IN 15 MINUTES OR LESS

Have a friend who had a baby and you're on the roster to drop off a meal?  Here's everything they want you to know and do, but are too shy and polite to say and ask.  

They are tired.  Breastfeeding is still awkward and having people around makes it more awkward. The mother is recovering physically, either from a surgical birth, or from the equivalent of a triathlon where the prize was a grapefuit sized head flying out of her vagina.  Either of these things makes you sore and tired. They would like to see you, but don't want to be tired out by a long visit.  You are not going to stay longer than 15 minutes, no matter how polite the parents are in saying you can stay  longer. If your visit/meal drop off scheduled for 5.30. BE ON TIME.   Make plans for 6:15 so that you HAVE to leave.

Before you walk in the door, put your game face on.  Set a timer, on your phone or watch for 15 minutes. When it goes off, get out of there! Remember that you are going to be a quiet, productive blessing.  This visit is NOT about you.  It is not about the parents hosting you and putting on a cup of tea so you can sit and visit and hold the baby. Think about how you would feel if you had either had surgery or ran a triathlon.  What would you want people to do for you?  This visit is about blessing the parents and making their life a little bit easier.  Your prize is getting a quick peek at the cute new human.

Here's how to play out your 15 minute visit:

1.  Bring a healthy meal. Include a salad or fresh vegetables.  Only use disposable dishes. There is nothing more annoying than 

         a) having to wash more dishes when you have a new baby 

         and 

         b) having to try to return dishes to all sorts of random people when you have a new baby

2.  In addition to your meal, bring cut up veggies and fruit, unsalted trail mix or nuts, or other such healthy snacks for daytime munching for mom to eat while she's nursing.

Read more: http://avital.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-be-best-post-partum-visitor-in.html#ixzz1JFRzDh7S

Now be sure to click over and read the rest!!

There are more great ideas in the comments. 

I have a few friends expecting babies over the next few months and this is great advice to pass on to them.

I know I appreciated it.

husband cheat card

ok- Nan at Pots and Pins is giving away a quilt. To enter you had to go to her guest post at Sew We Quilt@Stash Manicure and comment there and go back to hers and post there.

I you really should go check out this post and read why she did this.

But I will share with you the best part!

Husband's Quilting Comment Card

(To be memorized and used whenever and 

where ever fabric is involved.)

 1.  I love your use of color - it speaks to me.

 2.  What a unique choice of fabric!

 3.  That quilt reminds me of my grandma!

 4.  Where shall we put it?  In the entry?

 5.  Can I take it to work to hang it in my office?

 6.  I want a picture of you holding it.

 7.  Did you strip piece this?  Will you strip for me?

 8.  Your stippling has really improved!

 9.  It just makes me want to curl up in it!

10. It's your best quilt yet - definitely my fav!

( a print out with  compliments )

someone else is having a giveaway

The Plaid Scottie is having a giveaway!



Look at those gorgeous fabrics!

She is also giving away this book:



So go on over here and enter!

Winner again!

Wow!
I love entering giveaways AND winning them!

At Cut to Pieces Angela was having a Fabric Diet. It started in January for 8 weeks.
For each week that you didnt buy fabric you could have an entry into her giveaway. I managed to have 6 weeks of no fabric buying. (one week I had to get more fabric for Dave's moms quilt and another was an insane sale.)
You also got another entry that was open to everyone.

And I won!!
She had 4 prizes and I was the first one!!

I won a jelly roll of Sherbet Pips!


This is a new line of fabric that is very sought after (from what I understand)

look at those cute scarves and doggie and scooters!

Thank you so much Angela!!