Yard Work

I've been really busy. Trying to get way too many things done before it gets scorching hot. One of the things we have been working on is the back yard. Seems likes there's always something to do with yard work.
We started with this big pile of left over dirt (from leveling the yard last summer)(see here) on the small patio (that's what I call this large piece of concrete). I think hubby put it off so long because he thought it would be such a chore. Only took about an hour and a half.

One lonely rose bush. This whole area will eventually be a small rose garden. Bought the bush then realized we still had bubbler sprinklers to add. So didn't buy anymore rose bushes. This fall I will though.

Now looks like this! Yeah, no more dirt pile.

Morning glories will grow just about anywhere if left unattended. I just had to snap this picture before we cleaned this corner out. 

Cleaned the morning glories out for this, a small garden with 3 heirloom tomatoes, a pepper plant and an eggplant. Yum! 

The grape is doing splendid this year. It's so loaded with fruit. Glad the carpenter made this extra strong. 

So those are some of the things I've been busy with. Along with redoing my sewing room. A complete update on that coming soon. Lots of changes in that room. Got the bubblers in and now it's too hot to plant anything else this summer. So my flower beds are kind of bare. There's always next summer. Have a great week.
Hugs, Amanda

2011 Graduation Quilts

May is extremely busy for me. There's everything going on at work and then we always attend a Christian retreat at the beginning of May every year. Not complaining, just stating a fact. So I didn't get around to posting a whole lot this past month. But now it's summer break. I can't wait to get all the projects I've been putting off done.
Silly me thought I would start a project at the beginning of May. It's still waiting to be completed. That's what I'm working on now. Sneak peek.

What I really wanted to show you though was the quilts. Of course you can see last  years quilts here and the year before here. My quilter friend and I both choose 8th graders that have touched our heart and moved us in some way over the past school year. It helps that we both work at the same school. My friend Kelly keeps me motivated in the quilting department. Without her I probably wouldn't be quilting and I certainly wouldn't be tackling 6 quilts. That's what I did over Memorial Weekend. Sewed and quilted. Extreme quilting. We got it done and the students were so proud and amazed. We love doing this and we hope that it encourages them in their future endeavors to know that someone cared enough to make them something special. So here they are.

I think the most amazing part is that this year we actually had grass under the quilts. Thanks for visiting.
Hugs, Amanda

Yep Still Here

Yep, I'm still here. I've been trying to work on some projects plus do all the end of year stuff at school. May is an exhausting, long month if you work in education. Especially when it's a middle school (which means graduation and all it's work.) Bear with me. I will be back.

Hugs to all,

Amanda

Saying Goodbye

Hello everyone. It's been a long, hard week. Book fair at school/work and of course the students are getting wild because summer vacation is coming. Today I had to put to sleep our dog of 13 years, Rascal. He will be sorely missed. He just got so sick last night and I couldn't bear to see him in anymore pain. Rascal was very much Seth's dog. They did a lot of things together.

Trigger keeps wondering where he is. He's pacing a lot. He'll settle down eventually. Trigger turned 2 today. So there's a bright spot. Perhaps we'll find him a companion. Someone closer to his age that will play with him.

So, not feeling too cheerful I turned to my sewing tonight. I got my bedroom curtains done, well at least one side. I went to F&M Fabrics over spring break. A dangerous store if you like to decorate and sew. It's huge and the prices are right. I only paid $5 a yard for all the fabric I bought. Score! Here's the one side. It's night and I know we're not supposed to use a flash but I couldn't wait to post a picture. I'll take better ones soon.

Mucho hugs to all,
Amanda

Main bath mini re-do

So most of you remember this as being the way the main bath looks and you can read about it's ugly beginning here.

and you might also remember this fab shower curtain that I sewed. Reveal will be in future guest house post.

I had it laid out like this to determine where I wanted each block to go.
Many of you know that my father-in-law lives with us. We moved him from the guest house to the main house when the kids moved out. He's been needing some closer attention lately. I just knew my pretties would not last in this room. A wet rag thrown over this shower curtain would cause me to see red. So I concocted a plan. Remember these?

Yep I moved them to here.

Funny all the coastal/beachy stuff from the two rooms in the guest house fit into this one room. Curious...
The curtain I got at Target during their blue and white sale a couple months ago. No need to worry about a wet rag with this curtain. The only new things I bought were the curtain and new towels. Ours were getting kind of old and raggedity looking. Fortunately the blue in the guest house bathroom and the blue in this room are very similar. Strangely I don't feel quite done in this room yet. But I will eventually.
What moved to the guest house, now that's for another post. Guess you'll have to come back.
Have a great week.
Mucho hugs to all,
Amanda

Organize that Storage Area!

If you have a weak stomach you might want to close your eyes. This post is not for the faint hearted. Remember I warned you.
So this is what remains of our garage. 5 years ago we added a guest house to the back of it. One bathroom and bedroom sit in the garage. We never parked our cars in there and it always was a place to attract clutter. Well obviously it still is. But I have a dream.... (yes I stole that shamelessly. Martin isn't the only one to dream)....
So here it is in all it's present glory...

Why yes that is the yard sale pile waiting for the yard sale this spring. Those empty bins once contained fabric now stored neatly folded on shelves in the craft room. Yes that would be my laundry area in the far right corner inglorious as it is. I hate it in the winter when I have to trudge outside to do laundry, but love it in the summer when I hang all my laundry up right outside the side door. Hmmm maybe it's those two large posts for the new honeysuckle's trellis that I tripped over that caused the knee to flare.
So this is what I want it to be when I get done....









Okay so a girl can really dream.... but you'll have to wait to see what I come up with. It won't cost a lot because we have two college kids, but it's gonna be better. Reveal coming sometime later this year month. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks.
Mucho hugs to all,
Amanda
Photo credit in order of appearance
www.closet-shelf.com
www.home-storage-ideas.com
www.mysmilenetwork.com
www.bhg.com
www.countryliving.com
www.shabbynest.blogspot.com
www.bhg.com