happy 35 mom & dad

in life you don't get to pick parents...

you could get good ones or bad..

but it isn't a choice.

i gotta say..

i couldn't have picked better

i really do have the best parents in the entire world.

so... this is for you mom & dad.

monday nov 16th

35 years for my parents today

now that is something to be proud of

so to the greatest parents in the world.

happy anniversary.

and thanks for being my mom & dad.

through everything.

{with my brother & mommom}

Liz’ Apple Pie

back to the apple pie..

i said i'd post this last week.. well better late than never.

here is is!!

Liz’ Apple Pie

3 apples {red delicious are best}
2 ¼ c. flour, divided
½ c. oil
2 T. cold milk
1 ½ c. sugar, divided
½ c. butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Mix in a bowl, 1 ½ cups flour, oil, milk, 2 tsps sugar and salt; mix until it forms a ball {don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty}. You want dough to be oily not dry. Pat it out into a pie dish so it’s thin and flat against the bottom of pan and pat out towards the edges. You can make it go up over the edges of the dish if you want to so you can make a design with your thumb along the edge. Core and cut apples into thin slices {you can peel, but I leave the skin on, just be sure to wash apples really well}; set aside. Place 3 tbsps. Flour, ¾ tsp. cinnamon, ¾ cup sugar in a large plastic baggie; mix. Place apples in the bag with mixture, close, and shake all around until all the apples are coated. Once apples are coated, place into the pie crust. In a bowl mix, ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, and ½ cup melted butter. This will be loose and broken up; sprinkle this mixture on top of the apples. Place the pie dish on a foil lines cookie sheet. Place on the top rack of the oven and back for 45 minutes. It is so yummy!

Liz's Recipe Note: Dedicated to my little sister, Lauren Fitzgerald, my best friend! Before her I didn’t eat dessert, but she loved apple pie so much, it was her favorite part of the holiday season. Even when the holiday was over, she was still happy is there were leftover pieces of apple pie in the fridge.

enjoy!! let me know if you make one... i told my mom i'd make one for thanksgiving... i hope this doesn't mean people are going to start thinking i like to cook!!

it's was up to mom.

edit.. {winner announced!}

i gave my mom the task of figuring out a winner for my 100th giveaway.
she could have picked a random number.. or picked out of a hat.... but...

instead she is reading read all the comments.
and visiting visited all of your blogs.
it's kinda entertaining to hear her thoughts so far.. and she isn't halfway through them yet.

who knows who she'll pick.

and her choice...

Stacey.. part of her comment said "i would love to win this!! Christmas is coming and my daughter would love this!! and she has had it rough, poor thing just had surgery last week on her tongue. she is doing better. when she went, she brought her blanket mommy made her." and it brought my mom back to when i was young.. and had surgery...

congrats to Stacey!!

and.. my mom said she couldn't choose just one.. her 2nd choice...
{she's my mom & she surprises me most of the time!}

call me crazy who's name is actually Sandie
{my mom doesn't know that.. well until she reads this that is.. & her name happens to be Sandy}
mom loved her blog! .. so Sandie you'll be getting a surprise box that i'll put together for you!

Stacey & Sandie please e-mail me your addresses!

--

much thanks to everyone for your comments.. & your support!!
it's because of you that i continue to blog!

wip wednesday

a new tutorial for you.

winner of my 100th post giveaway coming soon.

{sorry for the short post... tuesday was a long day... a rough one.}

it's november?

really where did the time go..

i have trouble realizing it's november... if feels like march was yesterday.

i spent friday evening catching up with allison {and her kids} at barnes & noble

the kids stayed pretty busy reading some books & playing while i talked about market... gave allison some fabric gifts... and just caught up on life.

when we were getting ready to leave we walked over to the magazine section to check out the new quilty magazines... and look what i found.

yes i let out a little scream.

allison shows her kids... & her daughter lyssie goes "that doesn't look like her"

out of the mouths of babes...

in her defense.. it's a good picture... and at b&n i had my hair up.. and wasn't dressed up.

i was so happy i bought two.

--

on saturday i taught a class at spool on coupon clutches.

i had made this one as a new sample

in progress....

here is what my students whipped up....

no piecing.. one fabric with contrast quilting... and no tucked corners

wonky french braid with no tucked corners

wonky french braid & straight wonky piecing both with tucked corners

wonky french braid with tucked corners

wonky french braid with no tucked corners

you can't see in this pic but she used selvages & it looked great

and lastly wonky french braid with no tucked corners

they all turned out so different... and still so pretty!!

--

and sunday... i caught up on lots of odds and ends... and finished piecing my sig swap blocks

now i just have to sign them.. all 70.

i played with a layout & i think this is what i'm gonna do...

an 8x8 layout would use 64 & i'd have 6 leftover... so we'll see!!!

fyi...you still have till tomorrow {tuesday} night to enter my 100th post giveaway

an early birthday present!

the ups man is starting to get used to coming here all the time..

but this week he came when i wasn't expecting him...

and he brought me an early birthday present!!

the kit from rouenneries by french general!!
thank you thank you!!

i was in heaven...
so what did i do??
i tore it open & start cutting all the pieces out..
wouldn't you have done that? ;-)
now i should have been working on all my wips..
& projects with deadlines..
but hey you gotta do something just for you every once in a while!!

i did sign up for jacquie's joy in the new year challenge...

it's all about finishing wips to start 2010 off fresh...
i admitted 14.
really i have more... but some are barely started.. or have major roadblocks.. the 14 are ones i think i have the chance of finishing by the end of 2009

so back to my birthday... is 25 days away!! {dec 1st if you don't feel like doing the math}
and i know it can be hard to shop for people sometimes... so in case you were wondering what i wanted... here are a few ideas....


1. Dyson DC25 All Floors Vacuum - Iron/ Satin Yellow
hint hint.. mom & dad... if someone gets me this i can stop borrowing your dyson all the time... hint.. hint...


2. Rowenta DZ9080 Advancer Iron
i knew it was going to happen soon... and it did... my iron died... so i really need this... borrowing irons isn't fun.


3. June Tailor Cushioned Quilter's Square'n Blocker
because as you can all see in my tutorials mine has been used & abused.. and has stains.. and while i do have an ironing board i love this because it fits on my sewing table...


4. Quilting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time (Hardcover)
because it looks like a good read... and since i don't work at a bookstore anymore people can buy me books again!! {ISBN-13: 978-1584798040}


5. Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing (Spiral-bound)
same reason as #5... {ISBN-13: 978-0470259269}


i'm sure there are more things... but this is just a few i know i want...
;-)

fyi...
december rocks.
my birthday..the holidays.. end of year..
all that good stuff...
but it also means that i don't like january..
because then i have to wait an entire year for my time again...
just thought you'd like to know...

--

a few things going on in blogland.

carolyn has another giveaway over @ quiltmaker

vaneassa of v&co in competing in so you think your crafty

modalissa blogged about the challenge over at fabricmatcher for november

alissa & kristen are getting published! their book is going to be about their block party quilting bee... and they have turned block party into a quarterly quilt along.. and are starting it off with a giveaway

and...

my 100th post giveaway is still going on..

100th post giveaway... & wip wednesday! {ended}

i can't believe its been 100 posts already!

to celebrate.. its giveaway time!!

because barb & mary of me & my sister are the sweetest ladies ever... its all about spring fever!!

i snagged some goodies at market just for this!
1. a quilt kit for easy 1..2..3 of spring fever [quilt #2}
2. a charm pack from spring fever
3. a pinwheel & rubber ducky from me & my sister's booth decorations!


the kit comes in the cute canvas bag & is right from sample spree..
it even has a removable tag with 3 moda tags on it you can use on your quilt...

the pattern is great for a quick gift or teaching someone to quilt..
it uses 3 1/2" strips.. all cut & ready for you!

i'm even adding a triangle signed by mary of me & my sister...

& best of all the pattern has 3 quilts in one!

so lets make this fun...

to enter.. leave a comment & tell me if "spring" is your favorite season.. or what season is.. and why! {i'm a fall girl.. love those leaves!!}

for a second try... blog about my giveaway on your blog... and let me know

for a third... twitter about it.. & leave another comment..

for a fourth.. follow by blog.. or tell me you do... & leave another comment..

for a fifth.. join the fig tree club over @ the quilt shoppe & tell me! ..she has a special.. just for you guys! .. see below..

you have till tuesday next week {the 10th} @ midnight EST to enter!! good luck!

{ended}

lani @ the quilt shoppe is offering you... my faithful readers a deal!

she has less than 10 spots left in the fig tree club! {you know i joined the club...}

go sign up now... you'll get your registration fee free {i'll be taken off the 1st month's cost}... and get 10% off ALL four quarters!! to get this special... you have to put a note in the comments section of your order saying that you want the special deal from julie's 100th post!! @ jaybirdquilts!

also the quilt shoppe will include a free goodie with each quarter.. this month's is the new fresh vintage #13!! {i so want that!}

--

oh yeah... it's still wip wednesday too....

a while back i signed up for the sig swap hosted by melissa...

i'm not a repro style girl.. so i traded kim for some civil war repros.. started cutting.. and sewed one piece into another by accident... oh fun! only 70 to make.. but i'm going to finish them this week!!!

market post #2 - modaland

more from market...

this post.. is all moda... because there was just that much there that it needs its own post!
they had so many booths that we nicknamed the area "modaland"

moda bake shop booth

my family traditions project with rachel's vintage ribbons table runner {she so needs to send this to me.. it matches my stuff!!

the main booth went from this...

to this...the moda crew worked very hard and it looked great!

here it is with the show floor full of people...

moda home...

a few mini quilts made from the new bake shop boxes...

martinique by 3 sisters

american jane with "A Breath of Avignon"

sandy klop was one of the first done with her booth... so here she is chatting it up with polly & laurie....aka Minick and Simpson... {while others were still working...}

blackbird designs with "Garden Party"

their beautiful booth...

barb of blackbird designs with jenny {tula pink} & her mom kat {who is the coolest mom ever}

many of my quilts were finished so last minute that i didn't have pictures yet... so we tried to get a few last minute ones... but mainly we got a bunch of laughter & shots like this...

here is the back of my square city quilt... made with hunky dory by chez moi... it actually got hung upside down! i'm sure nobody knew but me.. oh well!

and here are both of my quilts... concrete garden with square city
concrete garden will be a project sheet & kit from moda..
& i'll tell you more about square city down the road... ;-)
edit 3/23/10 - all the yummy details on square city!!

here is deb strain's booth...

& deb herself.. she is a total sweetheart!

her new fabric.. cherish nature

deb is an illustrator.. and not a quilter by trade...
so debbie outlaw from moda helped & stepped in for edyta's triangle challenge,
deb has made her first quilt.. and i'm determined to help turn her into a quilter!!

fig tree yummyness..

new snuggles fabric.. its super fuzzy

whimsy... a kids line!

kansas troubles with "Butterfly Garden"

kate spain... another "non-quilter" ... another one i'm working on converting!
kate's first line "verna" will be coming out in february!

Kathy Schmitz with "Birdsong"

edyta setting up her booth...

laundry basket quilts... all setup & super beautiful!
her new line is "Aloha Batiks"

lauren & jessi jung... a mother daughter team showing their first line.. "botany"
check their site out... lots of yummy stuff!

lila tueller designs with "Eden"

barb & mary... aka me & my sister busy working on their booth...

here they are in their beach side photo cut outs... they were very popular!

pick a duck... win a prize... i won.. hint hint.. 100 post giveaway is around the corner...

their booth all finished!
their new line is "Spring Fever" & they are also coming out with a line of me & my sister favorites!!

minick & simpson's beautiful award winning booth featuring "Bar Harbor"

so pretty!! i wanted to take it all home!

sandy gervais of pieces from my heart

my favorite part was this little setup of her new fabric frolic in her flower cart
she used her triangle swap quilt as a floor mat

her whole booth was beautiful & very well put together...
i love this flower quilt!

sweetwater showed off "make life..."

their booth was simple but bold...

i bought their pattern sampler pack & i can't wait to get started on these baskets!

start saving your pennies now... there are a lot of beautiful new lines on the way!!

{fyi...there are more lines... i've already shown you pics of some... like the new lines by french general & tula pink}

thank you to Dan from newdirtstudios... for taking much better pictures than i did!!