Portraits of five

Well, six really. Thanks for letting me hang with you guys for a bit. I had so much fun.

-dana

Magic potions

Sometimes magic can be made out of a hot summer day and a pile of recyclables.

-dana

To every season

If no photo were dated, I'd be able to tell the time of year.



For each year I relish in the first apples and peaches.




And although this is our first successful crop of big onions ever,







the gourds . . .




and watermelon . . .





and sunflower forest attest it is summer. Without a doubt.




Decidedly summer.




I find comfort in the predictability of it all.

-dana

Overheard at the dinner table . . .

The girls and I are sitting here eating ice cream. Each August we travel for an art festival (where I pedal my soaps and such) and stay at the same hotel right on the town square. They asked when we were going. One thing led to another and this is what I overheard . . .

Licious: "Oh! Remember last year when we saw the room Elvis stayed in?"

Boo: "What?"

Licious: "Remember we stepped where Elvis stepped and sat on the bed Elvis slept on?"

Boo: "Oh ya, I remember. That was soooooo cool!"

Me: "Who was Elvis anyway?"

Licious (with eyelids half closed, index fingers pointed and a funny deep voice): "He was the guy that said,

"Thank you. Thank you very much."

Well she is right.

-dana

I believe I can fly

Dude.


-dana

On to a zig zag quilt

I wrapped up the quilt along quilt here a few weeks ago. But did you know that the Flickr group is alive and kicking and on to quilt #2?


We are now making a zig zag quilt and I'm so excited. My friend Amy is leading the way and she is breaking it down and making it perfect for beginners or advanced quilters alike.

Yep. Skedaddle on over there and join the fun!

Scoot! Off with you!

-dana

She ain't right

My kids were at a sleepover last Thursday night. That meant I was free Friday morning. So I went to a few thrift stores.



And saw a cool couch. But I didn't buy it because we don't need a couch. We don't have a place for a couch. I have all the furniture I could ever possibly need. So, as I said, I did not buy the couch.




But I thought about said couch for the rest of the day. And on Saturday. Until the store opened back up at 10am and I dragged my family to see it. And we bought it. And we borrowed a truck to bring it home.



And I told Razor that we needed it in the front yard, if only for a minute, for some quick photos of the girls.



Don't think that I can't hear you all scratching your head and muttering, "She ain't right." Cause I can.

-dana

Click,click, click

Photography fills me up. Makes me content. Full. Especially when I get the opportunity to photograph sweet little babies like this.

Or weddings like I did last weekend. . .

-dana

Finding my rhythm

It is midsummer and I still haven't found my rhythm. Hit my stride. Figured out how to manage to keep my daughters sufficiently busy, visit with my husband, keep my puppies and find time for me.




It might have something to do with the devilish look in Harpo's eye.




But I can't blame it all on the dogs. I don't know. But one thing I do know is when I'm feeling this way it helps to start and complete something creative all in one day.




And even though I have two other quilts started that I'm itching to work on, it felt good to imagine, create and complete this mini quilt today. It'll be a thank you gift. For the puppies. From friends I love more and more each day.



And even though they are awesome quilters and my piddly little machine quilting can't even compare to what they do, I think they might like it. I can already hear Russ' hearty laugh when he sees it.

-dana

I challenge you

I dare you to find something cuter than this.



I mean really. Really.

There is not a thing on this planet cuter than this puppy. Impossible. Contrary to reason actually. Inconceivable. Down right absurd.

Like I said, there is nothing cuter in the whole wide world than this puppy.




Except for maybe his sister.




-dana

Does it get any better than cousins?

Back in June we hit the open road bound for Missouri. We had a job to do. A mission if you will.

We had a calling. A charge. An important pursuit.

COUSINS!!



Not just any cousins. Their only cousins. Their only cousins whom they hadn't seen in almost two years.

We had other work to do while we were there. Razor's parents were moving out of a home they had lived in for almost 40 years. So while Razor and I did the dirty work, the girls got to revel in absolute cousin-ness.





While the grownups held yard sales, the girls sold lemonade. Or managed to convince one or two of us to take them to the pool.





And we all took a break long enough to drive to Kansas City to see the Royals take on the St. Louis Cardinals.






Cousins are good stuff. And I'm so glad my girls have them.




We miss them darn ole cousins already!!


-dana

Janome 6600 WINNER!!

I'm nervous typing this. My hands are shaking and I'm getting that clammy sweaty thing going on. And I don't think it's due to my lack of shower or all natural deodorant either.





Nope. It's because today is the day I'm giving away the most awesomest sewing machine ever. Yes. The Janome 6600!

There were 1787 comments to the blog post. Add in the 700ish people actually participating in the quilt along that joined the Flickr group and shared their progress (thus earning them extra entries!) for an additional 25,850 entries. This gives a grand total of 27,637 shots at the prize.






And the randomly selected winner corresponds to #16,058 which belongs to



sdm/mst!!!

Congratulations! Email me at dana@oldredbarnco.com to claim your prize.


Whew. My heart is still beating fast. And yes, I'm still a little sweaty. Thank you very much. But I would like to say how much fun I've had with the entire quilt along. The community that has formed over on the Flickr group is supportive, encouraging, outrageously funny and one that I hope will keep on creating and sharing. Thanks to each and every one of you for inspiring me. For sharing your creativity. And for keeping me up till way past my bedtime every night for 7 weeks.

-dana




P.S. Ruth over at Sew Love Fabrics (one of my favorite places to buy fabric) is hosting a giveaway on her blog. She is giving away a set of 12 half yards of fabric from Paula Prass' new line called Summer Soiree. Dude! That is exactly the right amount of fabric to make the quilt from my first quilt along. Skedaddle on over there and enter!