Back to School Inspiration

As I mentioned yesterday, I will be going back to school this semester. I graduated from Texas A&M (Whoop!) in 2007 with a BBA in Finance. I know... boring! But it was "practical"! ; ) Anyway, after graduating I immediately went to work at my mom's quilt shop. I did all of her marketing and updated her website and pretty much anything she needed me to do. Through working for her I taught myself how to use Photoshop and other graphic programs. I loved it!

Anyway, after she lost the shop during hurricane Ike I was worried I wouldn't find a job in graphics since my degree was in FINANCE! I contacted our sales rep from Moda, Jim Salinas, and asked him if there were any positions open. At the time there were none but a few months later (and after alot of prayer) a graphic arts spot opened up in the notions dept! I was excited but also worried that I would not do a good job since I did not go to school for this. Well, it is has been almost two years now and they haven't fired me yet! Woohoo! ; )

I do love my job but there is still so much for me to learn. This is why I have decided to take a few classes this semester.

The thing that has gotten me the most excited about going back to school is this Bow Tie Pouch!

First of all, it has a BOW on it. Second of all, it is my favorite color. Third of all, it has a FREE tutorial.

I know this wasn't designed to be a laptop case but I am converting it into one.

Can't wait to make this precious pouch to tote my MACbaby to and from class!

Ok, now the fun part... What fabrics will I use?!

I love the yellow from Hometown but I really LOVE the numbers & letters from Circa 1934. I think that would be cute for back to school. Ok, how about the yellow for the outside and the numbers or letters for the inside?

I just HAVE to find something to make with those numbers!

I have been drooling over them since they came out. Any ideas?

I will definitely be using the Soft & Stable that I used on my first laptop cover.

 It worked so well and they have now come out with a new white one which will be great with lighter fabrics.

Gosh I hope they don't give us homework this week because it looks like I have weekend plans. ; ) 

$4 Smiles

Man, this weekend flew by. I went to the grocery store last night and these lovelies were staring me down. I thought they would be perfect motivation for a Monday that has come too soon... especially with a $4 price tag! 

I am taking a few classes this semester which start Tuesday. So I NEED some motivation this week! A little nervous. A little excited! : )

Happy Monday!

What.i.WISH.to.WEAR

I follow several blogs that feature a "What.I.Wore" on Wednesdays.

Well I don't LOVE my wardrobe but I do love other peoples! So I am going to feature a "What.i.WISH.to.WEAR" Wednesday.

 You will find a few other "wishes" as well ; ) 

If I had to pick one celebs style I would absolutely die for, it would without a doubt be Zooey Deschanel.

How one person can look so glam in literally any style

absolutely amazes me.

And that HAIR! One day I will get the courage to have those bangs.

All images from Pinterest.

Love this outfit from Casey Wiegand's "what.I.wore"

and I may or may not have just bought this neclace.

this dress has been haunting me since I saw it on Lisa's blog...

What I love about these girls is how they mix their outfits so well. Like jeans from Anthro, shirt from H&M and cardigan and shoes from Target. Now if I could afford Zooey's wordrobe, I would be all over that! But for now, a mix of Anthro & Target will have to do.

Now I would like you to MEET LAUREN.

She is a dear friend who has impeccable taste and style who has agreed to be my personal shopper when I hit the jackpot one of these days ; )

Lauren, I hope you are taking notes...

She has an awesome blog that you should definitely visit it right now. 

Check out her great styles & tips.

What do you WISH you wore today?

Pretty Pretty Pincushion

Is it just me or has the quilting world exhausted all measures in an attempt to make every style of pincushion imaginable?

Believe me, I'm not complaining!  I LOVE me some pincushions!

That's why I am dedicating this blog to them alone.

I have the most precious cupcake pincushion at home that this sweet lady made for me but I am thinking I want to make one myself. And since we all know I have the attention span of a goldfish and I only like projects that I can finish within one day I figure I CAN DO THIS!

Here are some of my favs...

Wouldn't these Strawberries from Fig Tree be so cute for summer?

And my gosh! Heather Baily, you are just too cute. Really! How perfect is that "Fresh Picked" Pear?

Especially in these Adorable new Sophie fabrics by Chez Moi!

Love, love, love them!

I think I may buy that Effie & Ollie Elephant pattern and make him outta the blue floral.

The next few patterns I like are actually FREE! 

Just click on the pic for the Free Pattern Download!

This precious Peppermint Swirl is by Camille Roskelley
and compliments of the delicious Moda Bakeshop! 

Since I can't use it to make cupcakes or muffins I might as well use it for this! ; )

Anna Maria Horner- another amazing pattern/fabric designer!

(i know, i know... not Moda but hey I love bright fabrics and I don't discriminate folks)

This one just makes me happy- I really like yellow!

It reminds me of my favorite scene in the movie You've Got Mail where Meg Ryan says, "I love daisies! Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower??" My favorite movie! (smile & a sigh)

What is your favorite movie/flower? 

 OK, so which one do YOU think I should make? 

Do you have a Favorite pincushion that you can't live without?

And just to make you smile...

Lovin' Little Apples & Week 3

photo creds at bottom

  

This has to be my favorite block so far! (out of ALL 4, ya know ; )  )

Ever since I first saw the Little Apples fabric line I have been in love. 

It is just so bright and cheery, isn't it?

The little outfits and precious patterns just stir up happiness. 

My other block this week is actually my least favorite. The colors just don't do it for me. I picked them out so quickly during class - trying to stay up with the gang(read about these overachievers here). Oh Well!! It's certainly not changing! I don't hate it THAT much. Suuuurely it will blend with some of the other blocks I make months down the road! And if not... tough! : )  

Here are the blocks from some of the rest of our group! Not too shabby huh?

It is really neat seeing everyone's unique style.

I love that I work somewhere where our differences are actually encouraged.

Oh Oh! I also found some things I MUST have.

A rotating cutting mat & a little baby rotary cutter!

Jamie was just whipping her pieces right out! JEALOUS!

Ok, let me describe to you what trying to sew in a house with 3 girls AND 3 dogs looks like.

With 3 of us- a stationary sewing area is out of the question so...

1st step: Go upstairs and get giant cutting mat out from under my bed

2nd: Carefully carry the mat down the stairs avoiding the dogs who think going down the stairs is a RACE, everytime!

3rd: If I survive step 2 then I place gargantuan mat on our small kitchen table and proceed to try to cut out those ity bitty pieces with my very large cutter. You get the gist.

**They do say Everything is Bigger in Texas!

Well NOT anymore...

 I am getting these little babies asap!

After a little research I have decided I like these best. They are a good size and a really good price!

  

OLFA 12" Rotating Cutting Mat & OLFA 18mm Cutter & FISKARS 8" Rotating Mat

(ps... Jamie taught us a secret about this mat. If you say "Weeeeeeeee" everytime you spin it you will have GOOD LUCK! Or at least a smile on your face while you cut!)  = )

 

Do you have any notions you think I can't live without? 

Don't hold out on me quilters. I need to know your secrets. ; ) 

  

Many Blessings and a Happy Weekend to you all!

Photo Creds-adorable little girl in little apples dress

Jenny B Harris Studio

Little Apples Pillow-Suppose Quilt Boutique

Week 2... 2 Blocks Down, 109 to Go!

  2 Blocks Down, 109 to Go!

1st Block (block #2 in book) =Summerhouse by Lily Ashbury (Super Cute Freebies on her Blog!)

2nd Block (block #4 in book)= Ruby by Camille Roskelly  

AND Little Apples by Aneela Hoey

*Check out these ladies blogs for oodles of inspiration!

So, whatcha think? I was feeling really anxious about using a variety of different fabric lines but Lissa assured me it would be fine. She said to think of each block as a mini quilt and just focus on it. Not to think about the entire quilt and how each of them will look together because you can always make it work in the end! And I'm sure she will show me how when/if we ever get there! ; )

We had a little show and tell to see everyone's blocks!

Here are just a few... 

 Proud Block Momma's!

Here are the awesome Marti Michell templates that were demoed during class...

I'm gonna have to get some of these babies!

Some of us (not me!) got some sewing done during class.

See, I like mine to be a surprise so I just cut them out during class! ; )

And who can forget what every quilter needs... a little sustenance!

What did I learn today, you ask? I learned that I desperately need some sort of organization system! Throwing my stuff in my bag before running out the door like a mad woman in the morning is not working so well.

So I got to admire everyone's lovely storage choices as I rummaged through my bag!

I have my eye on a few things to store my fabric/supplies in...

what do you think about these colorful containers!

How do you store your quilting goodies??

One day

At 27, seeing all of your friends get married and have children can be disheartening. I have to hold tight to what I believe and know that my heavenly Father has beautiful things in store for me. Whether those things are marriage and children or a life on the mission field, whatever it is, I know it will be better than anything I can ever imagine. 

 "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
   nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him"

 1 Corinthians 2:9

I will continue to pray for my future husband and dream about those special moments.

Here is a beautiful wedding video that makes my heart happy.

True Love Always Wins from Stillwater Cinematography on Vimeo.

All of these emotions were stirred up on Saturday night when I got to help set up this scene for a proposal in downtown Dallas. It was so sweet and simple. A dozen white roses with one single yellow rose.  Red rose pedals scattered all around. And my favorite... A Bible belonging to both the future bride and groom. He had even incuded her soon to be new last name in it.

 

He also went through and circled passages like this... 

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

Ephesians 5: 25-27

It was exciting to be a part of their special night.

I'm curious.
What was your proposal like?
How long had you been dating?
How did you know he was THE one?
Are you still waiting for him?

Fri(ed)day!

What a looong week! 

I have felt like this poor toddler all week since returning from my mission trip last Sunday. Except my desk at work doesn't have all the fun toys.

This weekend I will share more about my trip and how I got to help teach ladies from one of the poorest towns in Nicaragua how to quilt!

Well, I am so thankful I have made it to Friday!  

This delightful little treat has been calling my name all day and now I finally get to enjoy it! 

What treat do you look forward to all day?

Xoxo!

  

Real Housewives Made an Appearance

 Day 1 went pretty well.. See the smile on my face? : )  I finished my design board and it is presh!

I mean how could it not be? It is made from Camille's amazing Ruby fabric line! 

I did still manage to be behind the rest of the class as I did not even get my first block cut out much less put together like Lissa (the showoff that she is!) *Notice my sad face in comparison to Lissa! 

BUT I always say "Comparison is the thief of all joy"!

So I am thankful to have finished my design board and can't wait to go home and work on my blocks!

Here are some shots of the rest of our girls having fun on their design boards & blocks!

*Some more fun than others as you can see ; )  

Guess the real housewives did make an appearance!

Today was so much fun and most of all it renewed my joy and sparked my creativity. Only downside is now I want to go buy MORE fabric!

Thankful for laughter & a wonderful boss who is a constant source of encouragement! 

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful"

~ Proverbs 15:13

Following Along? Check out Angela & Amanda's Week 1!

Real Housewives

Ok, so I may not be a wife... much less live on a FARM but I am determined to make this darn quilt.

Can I just be real honest here for a minute? When my boss Moda Lissa and I first started getting interested in joining the modern Farmer's Wife bandwagon I was reallly excited. Why was I so excited? Because I saw the progress of the amazing girls who have already completed several fabulous blocks. For instance...

the adorable Camille Roskelly of Thimble Blossoms

Angela

And Amanda

Aren't they adorable? Ok, so I am sure you can now see why I was so anxious to become a fellow Farmer's Wife.

Welllll I will tell you I am feeling a wee bit anxious today since my friend Michele told me the shocking news. There are duhn duhn duhn... 111 BLOCKS in the whole quilt!!!! WHAT?! What have I done? I am known for picking projects that can be completed within say... a day! Just call me, "Instant Gratification!" 

So, I admit I had a tiny nervous break down between the hours of 10am and um, well, now. But I have come to terms with the fact that I will be entering a new season of life called patience and perseverance.

I hope you will join me as I not only learn new quilting techniques (OH, did I mention I am a BEGINNER quilter?... 111 blocks!... Beginner!) but also alot of life lessons. Encouragement and Prayer (lots of prayer) is all I can ask for. 

Thanks for tuning in to what may be the death of me. : ) 

Here we go,

Sarah "soon to be Farmer's Wife" Stephenson