Summertime?

Our school is out at the end of this week.  Goodbye to making lunches, sending snacks and homework.  Goodbye to structure.  My son and I have a much harder time dealing with this change than my daughter.  Managing the moodiness is a full time job this week, and probably next week too.  After the last few years of experiencing my mini, two week depression I think I will handle it better this year.  It helps that spring has been late and I have lots to do in the garden and lots to photograph since May is so busy.  Here's to a great summer ahead!

Just a few photos lately...a hug from Grandma after a dance recital.  Linking up with Sweet Shot Tuesday!

A tulip in my garden.

{Gerbera Love}

In celebration of Mother's Day I received some beautiful flowers.  I love gerbera daisies.  I took a few minutes yesterday with my 60mm macro lens and had some fun.  I am pretty happy with these photos although they are a little grainier than I would have liked.  My ISO was 400 and 800 since it was a little cloudy outside.  These were taken inside, by a window.

There is minimal processing on these.  A few RAW exposure tweaks and a little color boost on a pink one.  The black background was from the back of my laptop.   The white is a poster board.

My garden is finally coming to life!  Things are growing everywhere.  I might just have the last tulips to bloom here in Minneapolis but when they do, I'll post photos!

Linking with Sweet Shot Tuesday over HERE!!

TCSMQG Table Runner Swap

Three more weeks until my kids are on summer break.  There is a lot of emotion in that statement!  We are excited to change things up a bit but we all love our school and community there. We will really miss it for three months.   I am wondering how I will do without my own time to get things done in the peace and quiet.   Now that the kids are 6 and 7 this summer involves a lot more running around than past summers but I am embracing a good attitude. :)

The sewing machine has been humming lately.  My daughter finished her very first quilt last week (photos to come).   I finished a table runner for a swap at our modern quilt guild.  Cheryl gave me such great fabric to work with.  I wanted to do a modern take on some very traditional flying geese blocks.

I'll post later with photos from the wonderful runner I took home.  Well, my daughter and I are celebrating our last "hang-out" days together with pedicures today...fun!

{Sneak Peek} Spring and a Table Runner

Linking up to Darci's Sweet Shot Tuesday with this...

I took this a few days ago but I am completely NOT inspired to take photos this week.  Snow again?  This is beyond old.  My garden was in full swing this time last year and so far there is hardly a green leaf.  I will continue to embrace my lesson on patience.

On a more fun note, tomorrow is my Modern Quilt Guild meeting and I can't wait to swap table runners. :)  I will give these photos as teasers.

I'll post photos later this week of the finished product but I don't want to spoil the surprise!!

{Breathing in April}

In Minnesota we talk about the weather.  Some of it is polite, surface conversation.  But when you live here you realize that this weather talk can be deep.  As we all start coming out of hibernation and breathing in spring we all agree this has been a long winter.  It may sound like shallow conversation but in this statement we are all just rejoicing in the freedom to sit on the front porch, to shoo the kids outside to play indefinitely, to reconnect with the neighbors in the street.  To just feel the sun shine on our faces.  We might get some snow on Friday but today it will be 70 degrees.  The ice just went out on our nearest lake and I feel so much joy.  I just love it here.

The following photos were taken last Friday.  By today there is green everywhere!  The changes are amazing.    

The quilt that took forever...

If there are any quilters left out there this one's for you!  I finished this project a week or so ago.  My Aunt commissioned a throw quilt for her family room some time ago.  When I saw this fabric (Pure from Sweetwater for Moda) I knew it would be perfect.  We decided on a pattern from Sweetwater as well.  She chose her favorite fabrics from the line and I think we are both happy with the result.  I have to admit that this has been in the works for a while.  I intended to start it last fall but got too busy with my home improvement projects and the holidays.  But it is finished and I am thrilled that it matches her room.  These photos were taken at my house, I'll post some down the road of this quilt in its true home!

I did the quilting myself on a rented long arm machine at Millie P's Quilt shop in Anoka, MN.  Well, the computer actually "did" the quilting but I did the rest.

Now I am getting ready to start another quilting project for the Twin Cities Suburban Modern Quilt Guild.  A Table runner swap!  Just got the cute fabric today.  I'll post the finish after I surprise the recipient!

I heart faces entry: Slice of Life

This photo is a few months old but warms my heart.  The kids are on big bouncing balls, taking laps around the house and just being silly.  I took it when the kids were really in need of indoor entertainment here in Minnesota and here we are, having a really cold March.  Come on Spring!!!!