By now I'm sure you have heard, but Google Reader will be a thing of the past soon.  Major bummer.  So, if I was fortunate enough to have you as a follower using Google Reader to read my blog posts, I would love for you to continue following me!  You can either follow me via RSS (see the side bar of my blog) or if you are hoping over to Bloglovin, I would love for you to follow me there!  Click below to do so!  Thank you!

It is absolutely amazing to me that I was nominated as a finalist in the Summer Sewing Contest over at Ellison Lane Quilts.  Thank you so much!  Wow, I am truly blown away.  If you have already voted for me, thank you, I truly appreciate it.  If you have yet to vote, you can HERE, and no, I'm not asking for your vote, there are so many great finalist, you should vote for the one you love, but if you love mine, I'm number 11.  Just saying.

In my original post about the Patchwork Prism, I shared that we were considering hanging it above our fireplace.  Well here it is, in all its glory!  We both love it and boy does it brighten up the room!

I also have a few random bits I would love to share:

I read a great blog post over at The Sometimes Crafter about the various evolutionary stages of a quilter.  I loved it and thought it was so appropriate.  You can read it HERE.

I am in desperate need of a new iron, and am seriously considering this model HERE.  Do you know anything about Singer Irons?  I am also in the serious researching stage of this sewing machine found HERE, to be used exclusively for machine quilting.  Any thoughts or advice?  That's it folks....

One week ago, I signed up for the One Thing One Week Challenge over at Amy's Creative Side.  The point is to pick one thing to work on, concentrate on it, and finish it!  My goal was (and I am copying exactly what I wrote one week ago): My goal this week is to photograph all of the purses and items that I have made in the past few months that I have yet to photograph, because I don’t like the picture taking process as much as I like making stuff! I know this doesn’t sound impressive, but I have 50+ items to photograph! Let’s hope the weather holds out for me.  So there it was, simple right?  No, not really, and my problem really started with actually setting a goal and then expecting myself to get in done within the one week time constrains!  I am not good with Goals!  For instance, for the past 5 years, my New Year's Resolution has been the same every year (hold your breath, here it comes....)  I don't have a resolution!  Want to know why?  If you don't set a goal, you won't be disappointed when you don't accomplish it!  Yes, I know this is totally pessimistic, and yes, my glass is always half empty. Sorry it is who I am!  Back to the point, here is how my week went (I had really good intentions!)

Monday - Officially signed up for the challenge.
Tuesday - Photographed 30 Purses, took roughly 300 pictures.
Wednesday - No pictures (I don't remember why, probably didn't have a reason.)
Thursday - My son needs emergency trip to the Doctor, the day is shot!
Friday - Trying to recover from Thursday.  Photographed Odds and Ends, 7 items, roughly 100 pictures taken.
Saturday - No sun at all, downright dark outside.
Sunday - The exact same as Saturday.
Monday - Oh crap...what to do, I am not finished, oh well, what is a girl to do!  Technically I have about 10 items left (which I will get done this week, I promise!)
See more below...

So, what is the moral to this story?  Don't set a goal, and then you won't be disappointed...well kind of, for me at least.  I have officially learned from this challenge:
1.  Don't cage me in, I am the bird that wants to fly over here and work on this, then abandon that and go over there and work on something new.  That is how my creative mind works.
2.  I set my goals WAY TO HIGH.  Why did I think I could get it all done?  I have an "almost" three year old for God's sake....excuse my French, but shit happens.  Why didn't I set my goal at 20 items instead of 50?  I am an over achiever, and then when I don't meet the goal I beat myself up about it for days, thus being counter productive.
3.  Also, don't set a goal that you have to blog about, and then can't show all the pictures you have taken, because you don't want to spoil blog posts in the future.  So to remedy this, some of the photos (five of the pictures in the bottom set) are of new products not yet listed in my shop!
4.  When at first you don't succeed, try try again!  Yes, Amy I will be back, next time with a more realistic goal!  I do love a good challenge...

To end this post of random rantings, Thank you Amy, I did really enjoy this challenge, and look forward to next month when I can pick something new to challenge myself with!  I wasn't going to link up at all today, but after stewing on it all day, and reading other participants stories (and seeing that not all of them met their goals) I decided to cut myself some slack and to link up after all, even if it is at the last moment!

A while back (probably a few months ago) I ordered some fabric scraps (which I do pretty often from various Etsy sellers) from a great shop Olive.  This lovely lady makes great pillows and various other items, check her shop out, but that wasn't the point today.  The point was her packaging!  The UPS man dropped this baby at my front door, and I thought "WOW!"  Hand drawing right on the front of the box, how clever.  Then I opened it up, and thought "WOW x 2!"  So simple, so effective, just right!  Craft paper wrapping up all my fabric bits, tied with simple yarn and a lovely stamp.  This is such a great example of branding done right.  I love the continuity, the simpleness, and the "wow" factor.  Good job, Olive, and the days that you are drawing your sweet little bird on packaging and thinking, "I am tired of doing this."  Remember, there are some weirdo's in the world (me) who really appreciate (and love) it!  On a side note, don't you think it is amazing that the UPS man was able to deliver this box to my house with only my first name!  I must be famous, like Madonna.  Teehee.  Oh, and on a second side note, the fabric scraps from Olive were great too!

This lovely little cupcake was a surprise gift from my husband today.  Isn't he sweet!  In town there is a lovely bakery, called Southside Bakery and they make the best sweets, cakes and of all things hamburgers.  I thought this little cupcake was so lovely, I just had to take a photo!  It tasted just as delicious as it looks.  My husband bought himself a red velvet cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting, it was equally good, but not photo worthy...it got smashed on the trip home...oh well! I should have shellacked this baby and kept it forever, instead I ate it.