Party Time!

Happy Birthday Max! This little guy has blessed us with two happy years. Today we will celebrate his life and welcome our youngest home from college for the summer. It's a great day!

Best Wishes,
Sharon

A Day at The Nest

I LOVE field trips! and this little pin cushion of mine inspired my Girl Gang quilting group to take one. Yesterday seven of us took a field trip to my friend Pat's house for a pin cushion class. She has the sweetest little studio called the Bird Nest on the Ground It is nestled under a large tree with a front porch that greets you with such a warm country charm. We spent the day in the nest learning how to recreate this beautiful little pin cushion and enjoying all of Pat's vintage collectibles and her most inspiring works of art. We had the best time!

I purchased this sweet little treasure about a year ago from Pat's etsy store with the intentions of giving it as a gift. What I didn't realize is what an inspiring new friend I would gain as well and I found I just could not part with it. Her work just amazes me with all the tiny little details and embellishments that she puts in to it. She is very modest about her work and would not think it is much of a big deal but it just simply WOW's me and inspires me to venture off and try new things. Yesterday I learned embroidery and next time I hope beading.

Visit and be inspired!

http://birdnestontheground.blogspot.com/
http://www.birdnestontheground.etsy.com/

Enjoy your day,
Sharon

Six down Two more to go!

They have NOTHING on my girl! We spent this past weekend up at the University for one last visit of the school year. Moving day has become a fine art of being well organized for my family. We have several color-coded boxes with very visible labels, original boxes for certain items and painters tape for the rug that we hope we can get one more year out of. Did I mention I have a daughter? - we rent a mini van, pack lightly (more room for her), load up the dog and off we go. How she manages to pack everything so tightly and how my husband loads it all up is beyond me. My part comes into play when we get home; I get to help put it all away :) In less than a week finals will be complete and she will be home for the summer. I can't wait! I miss her already..........

Counting the days,
Sharon

My Cheese has been moved!

Have you ever read the book "Who Moved My Cheese?" written by Spencer Johnson? I'm not normally into self help books but every once in awhile I have to pull this book off of the shelf and refresh. I purchased this book several years ago when my first child moved out of our home. She was a young 18 with not much experience on how hard life can get but very ambitious and so eager to be out on her own. Four years later I dusted the book off and re-read it three times when my youngest moved off to college. Now by no means does this book have all of the answers but it is a cute little parable about two mice named Sniff and Scurry and two small people named Hem and Haw and takes a couple of hours to read. The story describes the adventures of these two mice and two small people going through a maze to get to the cheese. The "Cheese" is a metaphor for what you want to have in life and the "Maze" is where you look for what you want. Well this month I am finding the need for the book to come back off of the shelf. My favorite local quilt store is closing their doors at the end of the month to take a new path. They will be operating business via their web store and taking it on the road to quilt shows and retreats.

The store is in a small quaint house with so much charm. You are always greeted with a friendly face and excitement. Lovely quilts hang on the walls to inspire you, beautiful fabrics to fondle and cookies and cold drinks in the kitchen. This is where I began to quilt, take classes and I have met some incredible ladies that have become my closest and dearest friends. Over the past several years we have experienced accomplishments together; we have lost loved ones, celebrated the new life of grandchildren, weddings of our children and held hands through divorces. Some of us travel together to quilt shows and some of us go on retreats together but when we are not together we are always excited to gather back together at this little house to share of the week gone by. The store has become our fort; our hideaway from everyday life, where we can relax, have girl talk and gather our composure to go back out and be the good women that we are. So this month as we have our last Girl Gang, our last P.M.S. (pizza, munchies & sewing), our last Simple Times and Knot meetings in this little house we reflect back on the good times we have shared as we bid farewell to this little house. Our groups will still get together in local libraries and homes but there is just something about letting go of four walls that hold so many memories, so much laughter. So I'm off to curl up on the couch with my favorite quilt and read this little book of mice and men and reflect back on the good that has come of all this and be prepared to wish my old friend Blossom a safe and happy adventure.

Reminiscing,
Sharon

Income Taxes

This is too cute for words. Cathy & I share the same filing system which drives my husband nuts! There is nothing like procrastinating on your taxes, racing to the mailbox right before the post office closes or realizing you forgot to put your payment in the envelope. A couple of years ago we decided to outsource to a C.P.A. and with electronically filing my husband rests so much better. I, myself.........I still use the box; for old times sake.

Waiting for April 16th,
Sharon

Easter Blessings

Many blessings to you and yours!

Sharon

Yum!

I found this wonderful recipe for Butterscotch Bars in the April edition of Cooking Light magazine. The past few days have been rather chilly here and baking some comfort food, snuggling up in a comfy quilt on the sofa with a big glass of milk and warm butterscotch bars sounded like a good idea. And boy were they good!

Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Cooking spray
3/4 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups butterscotch morsels (about 8 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla and egg. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Add oat mixture to sugar mixture; stir with a fork until combined (mixture will be crumbly). Place 3 cups oat mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray; press into bottom of pan. Set aside.
3. Place sweetened condensed milk, butterscotch morsels, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until butterscotch morsels melt, stirring every 20 seconds. Stir in walnuts. Scrape mixture into pan, spreading evenly over crust. Sprinkle evenly with remaining oat mixture, gently pressing into butterscotch mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Place pan on a cooling rack; run a knife around outside edge. Cool completely.

ENJOY!
Sharon