January 31, 2010

Let's Get Organized, Organized . . .

I want to get organized. As I'm typing this post the song "I Want To Get Physical, Physical" by Olivia Newton John kept creeping into my mind. So now you can read this post while singing that song. This fun, simple but organized wall organizer is the project on the agenda for my Simply Sewing 101 ladies. We will be making this on February 10th @ 6:00 p.m. at my house. This would be great in just about any room. I have made this one to hang on the back of a playroom closet door, but imagine one in your sewing room or craft room. I think one would be awesome in a babies nursery or what about the kitchen pantry for all the paper goods laying around in drawers. Think outside the box on this one. If you were going to make one of these, what would you use yours for? Leave a comment, let's see just how many things we can come up with to use this for. You can hang this on the wall or on the outside or inside of a door. It hangs from a small curtain rod with decorative hooks.
Filled with lots of fun for the grankids already.
Email me if you are interested in joining in on the fun. (oohsaahsw@aol.com) I'll send you all the details and the supply list of everything you will need to make this fun project. Until then, happy sewing, Shannon.

January 29, 2010

Wii know how to have fun!

Jacob has been enjoying the Wii that Santa brought him for Christmas, but I think everyone is enjoying it just as much. Even the little ones get in on the action on game night! Our "Wii" little one Thanye playing bowling.
Kira kickin Johns butt at boxing!
And Karas all amazed.
Punch that bag Hatch, before Thayner does!
Steady now!

Angie on the Guitar Hero she gave Jacob for his birthday. U rock Ang!

And the crowd goes wild!
A Stevie Wonder in the making!
I have a feeling there's going to be alot more fun going on here at the White house. Stay tuned.

What Happens in Vegas, Comes Home From Vegas!

With Stuart persuing a new business adventure in the guns and ammo industry we traveled to Las Vegas to the once a year, world wide gun show.





Sight-seeing the strip for us does not include walking, we would rather use the gas if you know what our other business involves!
The kids had been to Dicks Resturant in the Excalibur back in December and have been laughing about it ever since. So we decided to check this place out for ourselves. They were right, FUNNY, just look at me! This is actually a stool I'm sitting on. A gal behind us came up to me and asked if I had a camera, she was laughing her head off. She volunteered to take this pic of us together.
Now for the gun show. This was held at the Sand's Convention Center. I had no idea you could get so much gun related stuff on 4 floors in one building! Very interesting though. Stuart was in the height of his glory. He was so content browsing the isles and isles of guns, to bad he couldn't bring some of them home with him.

















Let's take a little break from all this walking! I'm pooped and Stuart isn't used to shopping for 6 solid hours! But you know, this is macho man stuff!
This is the one he was really eyeing, the new released Winchester Model 94 which has been out of production for 4 years as the company was accquired by Browning Arms of Utah. Now ask me how I knew all that?
Stuart has been wanting to find me a gun that is short enough to hold and shoot since I've taken up the sport of sporting clays when we go to St. George. Just call me his new challenging student! Success at last, he located a Remington 11-87 Super Mirco Sporting Autoloader. Guess what? It's a youth model, just right for my short arms!
Way too long on this one too. Darn it.

Recognize this guy? We were walking by this booth as they were filming Ted Nugent, couldn't understand what was going on but very interesting by the way the crowd was gathering.
This is Bob Munns one of the world's famous exhibition shooter and gunsmith. I knew this one, cause I've seen him on the Outdoor Channel every week when Stuart has it on. OK! enough with the gun stuff, onto bigger and better things like SEWing stuff!
The following day Stuart was kind enough to take me out to Henderson to a quilt shop I had heard so much about. It's called Quiltique. I'm so glad we made the trip. It's so nice that we enjoy each other's hobbies that we can participate in them together.

This Q quilt is hanging above one of their cutting tables, the work on this thing was unbelievable
The displays were just adorable, just up my alley. I could do alot with all the stuff they had for props.
This western quilt was really cute, so I couldn't leave the kit there. It came home with me.






Neat and tidy, the bolts all colored coordinated. The fat quarters are placed along the top of each shelf.
My oh my, check out this classroom. Is this the royal set up or what. Nice comfy chairs at every station, and new Bernina's for students to use. Only in Vegas where money flows like water!



My loot bag. Fun, fun, fun. Now I need time, time, and more time!
(Stuart told me not to crab about guns anymore!)
After quilting we ventured to Hoover Dam to see the new bridge over the Colorado. For those of you that don't know, you won't be able to drive across the dam anymore.





Their putting in this massive bridge to by-pass it. Holy cow! Look what I noticed as we were driving out. Can you spot something on top? I hope they are tied on! It's a mile down to the river from where their at. We had a good time taking in a couple of floor shows, eating good meals and doing some sight seeing at the Bass Pro Shop, the Man Mall. But why is it I can come out of there with clothing? It's always fun to get away.

DeAnne & Shannon Wedding Rush!!

Two weeks ago today I went with my good friend DeAnne on her last minute wedding shopping runs. Wow what a day. Did we ever cover alot a ground. But we did manage to take a break for a great lunch at Island Rumbi Grill. DeAnne had asked me several months ago to help her out with some of the wedding plans. I love to do this kind of stuff so of course I couldn't tell her no way. This was probably the best purchase of the whole day, a 5 lb. bag of M & M's plus a bag of red and white ones to go with.
And we bought these,
and these.

And then when we got home that evening I used this to make these!
Your wondering what the heck, huh? You just wait my friends.

Check out the ring barer pillow, much cuter than the ones you find hanging around in the craft stores, huh.
Gee, while I was sewing the serving aprons I thought to myself how fun it would be to have this job. I thought I should make myself one and just slip in and see if Haley noticed anything out of place. jk But seriously these were the cutest aprons ever.

OK, so here's what our little objects were for, they were the candy dishes on the table the night of the wedding dinner, which was held the evening before the big day. Then we filled them with the M & M's and mixed nuts and then we found a cute little scoop at Bed, Bath and Beyond just right to fill a nut cup. So what do you think of our clever candy dish. Pretty snazzy I would say.

DeAnne, Haley, and I after we finsihed decorating for the dinner.
Host table decorations. They served us a very yummy dutch oven dinner, what a wonderful way to start out the festivities that would come the next day.

The happy couple, meet the new Mr. & Mrs. Broden Hughes. What a cute couple, just perfect for each other.
What a sweet, sweet picture. Of course the tears were flowing when I saw this happening. We have known Haley just about all her life, we have seen her grow up from a cute little dancer to this lovely young bride. Boy do I remember this moment with both my girl's, what a special moment in every Dad's life.
Haley wanted to display a little bit of her trouseau, and asked me if I would be willing to help out. She really had some fun things to work with. Wouldn't it be fun to start out with all this new stuff again. Thanks DeAnne and Haley for letting me in on some of your wedding plans, anything to help out a friend. Love ya.

January 17, 2010

New Year, New Quilts!!

This is my first completed quilt of the new year, well sort of. If you remember I went to St. George back in November to a class to learn this fun and easy quilt. Well I finished quilting it and got the binding done. It is made from the Happy Campers line from Sandy Klop, I like her lines because they always seem to have a vintage look to them. Can you see how the triangles make up the hidden circle?
I will be teaching this class now at the Super Spring Retreat in Ephraim. This is put on in the spring by Pie Plate Patterns. They have also asked me to do a Mystery Bag. This retreat isn't until April, if you want some info on it, get in touch with me. It sounds like its going to be way fun with lots and lots of classes for us to choose from. Now onto more of those started quilts from 2009, this is the year to get them completed. Did I just make that a New Year's Resolution? I guess so.

January 12, 2010

Show me at little "LOVE"

A little bit of Amy Butler's Love that is! Time to switch things up again at the shop. We wanted somthing fresh and fun for those winter blues that seem to creep in on us in January and February, so I did something different than the Moda Bakeshop for the next couple of months.
Amy's new line Love has been in the shop since before Christmas but it is so fun and funky and full of color I couldn't resist using it. Take a peep at some of things we have done with this fabulous fabric. You will fall in "LOVE" with it. And I'm pretty sure you won't have those winter time blues if this is sitting on your cutting table just waiting for all those spring sewing projects.
The retro aprons are still a favorite at the shop.

This is a quilt Marianne Michaels is teaching as one of new classes. It is called Amy's bags, isn't it adorable, just "LOVE" it, don't you? It's done the buggy barn method. Stop in a see it up close and personal, so much better. And the quilt on the table is called the Sexy Hexy, the pattern is from Amy Butler herself. It is a free download on her website, http://www.amybutlerdesigns.com/ and we do have a few kits in the store for this one.
We carry patterns by Amy. She has a software out now that has alot of her collections on it.
Well worth the investment, and things that probably won't ever be in a pattern packet.
Here's another version of the tote bag I'm teaching at the end of the month all done in the Love collection. This is going to be "one" of my many new spring purses I'm sure!
This line is going really fast, alot of the bolts were already empty before I had the chance to get it out front after the holiday rush, everyone was making their Christmas gifts out of it. But then who couldn't help but not to. It's just that hard to resist.

We still have some of Amy's other lines available. The thing about these fabrics they all go wonderful together so you can mix and match for several different combinations. Stop in and see me and I'll show you some "LOVE"
Happy Sewing, Shannon