It's Friday.

Well, it's been a few days since my last post and with good reason.  I have been getting my house cleaned up for company.  My DD is having a slumber party tonight and family is coming over as well.  I will have quite the houseful; between my kids, nieces, nephews and sleepover guests, I will have14 kids under my roof!  I did work on some sewing projects as well this week; didn't finish anything but made progress.

A sneak peak of my project for the Mug Rug Swap.

Progress on my "Project Me" from the Quilting Book club group challenge.  I have the boarder sewn up, just need to connect it to the main panel.  Almost there.

My fabric came in for the Pretty little Pouch swap as well as the fabric for the Charming Christmas Swap.  They're so much prettier in person.  I can't wait to cut into them.
Well, that's it for now.  Pray that I make it through the weekend!

And the winner is...

Thank you to all who have helped me to reach this little milestone.  Since announcing this giveaway, my followers have gone up 50%!  

Also, a huge thank you to my sponsor, The Fat Quarter Shop, for giving such a generous prize!

And the winner is, thanks to Mr. Random, number 26!

True Random Number GeneratorMin:Max:

Result:

26Powered byRANDOM.ORG

Tiffany

Follow FQS Blog!

SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 8:22 AM 

Congrats Tiffany!  I'll be sending off your email address to the Fat Quarter Shop and they'll be sending you and email with the code for the $50 gift card!  

Again, thanks everyone for participating!  Who knows, maybe when I reach 100 or 150 I just may have another one?

Reminder!

Just posting a quick note that tomorrow is the last day to enter into the $50 Fat Quarter Shop Giveaway!

Surprise Visit!

Surprise Pay It Foward

I have just seen this fun idea over on Summerfield Quilts and of course I had to participate. I can just never seem to have too many things to do.   Who doesn't love a surprise parcel?  I know I do.  Unless it's a bill or something like that.  So here is what I am promising... I will send a surprise gift to the first three people to comment on this post. This gift will be made by me and I will send it sometime within the next year. Exactly when you will receive it will be a surprise (it will probably be a surprise to me too :-D). 

 

Of course there are some rules in this game. Here it goes:

Rules:1. I will make a little something for the first 3 people that comment on this post. It will be a surprise and may arrive at any time in the next 365 days (yes, a year).

2. To sign up to receive a gift from me you must play along too. Share the giving love on your blog by promising to send a handmade goodie to the first three people that comment on your blog post.

3. You must have a blog.

4. After commenting on my post, you have to post this (or similar) on your blog to spread the love.

I don't know if three people will even get around to commenting on this, but I will say that if you find this post 6 months from now and only 2 people have left a comment, you can still be commenter #3 and get a random goodie from me! When you comment, I'll email you and get your address and then you should get something from me sometime before next October.  

 

WIP Wednesday #6

Hi all!  Well, I didn't finish as much as I would have liked, but I did make progress.  With my oldest daughter's birthday right around the corner, I decided to make her a new piano bag.  I found a lovely tute online and gave it a go.

I also had a some progress on my "Project Me" with my flickr group:

I gathered and mailed out my ALFALC Deux package.  I won't post until I know she's received it.  I also worked a bit on my Mug Rug Swap, though I won't post pictures of that quite yet.

Don't forget, I still have the $50 Fat Quarter Giveaway going on until the 26th!

Finished: 1
Ongoing: 5
New: Hmm, I don't think I have any-yet!

Happy sewing!

Another Featured Sponsor for the Mega Homeschool Giveaway!

Durable, fun and an established name, with over 1,400 titles,Usborne Books, has something for everyone and is a name that is trusted.



From the Usborne website,

"In 1973, Peter Usborne decided that educational, non-fiction books would need to change in order to compete with TV and comics. He borrowed some ideas from those two media and hired educational consultants to oversee the writing to make sure that the books would satisfy the child's interest, but also arouse it. Explanatory books which merely explain are doing only half the job; if a book fails to make its subject attractive and interesting to the reader, chances are the explanation will fail. Usborne Books are designed graphically to draw the students in, to make them want to learn the material and to help them retain that knowledge.

The magic of Usborne Books is that they make both reading and learning fun and not a boring or intimidating experience. Peter Usborne set out to break down a child's resistance to reading and learning at home. These books are so well organized that children absorb and recall much of the vast amount of information presented."



One of the many fabulous giveaways that is going on, "Usborne Books" is giving a lucky winner, the chance to win 21 different books from them; A great way for a new homeschooler to start a library or for current homeschoolers, build up their current library. So drop by "Usborne Books", discover all they have to offer! Don't forget to participate in Molding Minds Homeschool-Mega Homeschool Giveaway and tell your friends about it too!

$50 Fat Quarter Shop Giveaway! **This in now closed**

Hey everyone!  I reached the 50 follower mark today between google and networked blog followers!  YAY!  As promised, I have joined up with the Fat Quarter Shop who have agreed to give one person a $50 gift card in celebration of the 50 follower mark.

Now, all that you need to do is:
Follow my blog and do one of the following:
*Like the Fat Quarter Shop over on Facebook
*Follow their blog
*Follow them on Twitter
I will use Mr. Random to choose a winner from all of the comments.  That means you need to make sure you leave a separate comment for each action that you perform.  So, if you follow my blog and like the Fat Quarter Shop on facebook, but only put it inside one comment, it'll only be recognized by Mr. Random as one entry.

The contest will end one week from today, September 26th, and I'll post a winner by the 27th.  Have fun!
I have also linked this giveaway over at Hip Homeschool Moms

MFW Week #2 Recap

This week we learned of Noah and the Great Flood.  The magnitude of the destruction, water rising 15 cubits higher than the mountains!  Of God's protection of Noah's family and all the animals as they resided in an ark for just over a year.

We unveiled our mummified apple:

The one on the left is the mummified and the one on the right is the control.  

We also learned about the cell structure.  The kids were amazed that what they drew were simplified versions!

Here the two are going over their review of how early civilizations dealt in the sciences; mummification, dissection, observation, dietary law, etc.

I also captured a few pictures of my two oldest girls enjoying a spa day together while their little sisters napped:

They'll love me later for capturing this memory, right?

Well, that's a little peak into what they did this last week.  Hope you enjoyed reading!

WIP #5

Again, a day late, oh well.  Maybe it's because I haven't had much progress in the quilting arena this past week.  :/  We started school this past week and my time has been spent more in that area of life, for good reason.  I did try to catch up on my Across the Sea Quiltalong that I'm working on.  I have half of the blocks put together.

I also sent out and Angel Block for the 3x6 Bee for the 2nd quarter:

I also mailed out my hive's blocks for this quarter as well.

In other news, I am 3 followers away from creating a post for the Fat Quarter Shop Giftcard Giveaway!  How exciting is that?  I am adding up the followers from Google and Networkedblogs in order to reach the 50.
My goals for this week are to work on  my Quilting Book Club "Project Me"

I have the project and fabrics, just need to cut into them!
I also plan on working on my Across the Sea Quiltalong and maybe finish up my Lonestar and A Zig A Zag QAL, I haven't even touched the last two for quite some time. :/
Happy Quilting everyone!

Another Featured Sponsor for the Mega Homeschool Giveaway!

Christian Liberty Press is a homeschool curricula publisher that offers full curriculum for grades K-12 as well as supplemental materials.



From the website:



Whether you are a new or seasoned educator, or somewhere in between, we can help you sort through the maze of curriculum choices. It is our aim to minister to you in the great task of educating students in the fear and admonition of Christ. Our site not only outlines curriculum for each grade level but also provides a guide to evaluating the various subjects from a biblical worldview. It is our goal to provide you with the highest possible quality of Christ-centered educational materials at an affordable price. Please take time to discover how our resources can help you.







Christian Liberty Press has offered up a complete set of Studying God's Word books A-H to be part of the Mega Homeschool Giveaway. These books will give your child a firm foundation in Biblical knowledge including history and catechism drills. Please take a moment to visit Christian Liberty Press online and then go enter the giveaway for a chance to win this great prize as well as many others!

A Sneak Peak!

Okay everyone!  We are fast approaching the 50 follower mark.  Yay!  I had stated earlier that once I hit the 50 follower mark that I'd host a giveaway with my sponsor, the Fat Quarter Shop.  

So, to whet your appetite:

The prize will be a $50 Gift Certificate to their shop!

I told you it would be something fantastic!

Now, spread the word and help me to get to the big 5-0!

Flood of 2011

My friend Trina over @ All that is Good has a friend who is organizing a toiletries drive for the flood victims of the 2011 flood.  Being a former resident of Binghamton and one who grew up on the southside, it breaks my heart to watch the videos and see the pictures of the devastation.  I look at them see my former elementary school submerged, friend's homes completely covered, an entire town, Owego, cut off because the entrances- 2 bridges-are unstable.  So, if you'd like to help her with her drive, hop on over to her blog.  You can also go to the Red Cross website as well and donate.  Thanks for stopping by.

Discover Their Gifts: MFW ECC Highlights: Week 3

Discover Their Gifts: MFW ECC Highlights: Week 3

Homemaker Challenge Link-up Week #1 & MFW Weekly Link-up

This first week for me didn't go as planned!  First of all, it started while I was on vacation.  I was able to do my mission statement for Day 1 since I had it written from the July Challenge.  My goal is to start fresh with the current day tomorrow.  Thankfully I have been keeping up my house pretty decently since the last challenge.

A little info about one of our Vendors

Our first featured sponsor of the Mega Homeschool Giveaway is Math U see!

Math·U·See provides a firm foundation in mathematics for students of all aptitudes. The mastery-based approach allows students to move at their own pace whether they are naturally gifted in mathematics, struggle with mathematical concepts, or have special needs. Teachers are provided with the tools, skills, and training needed to present an explicit, structured, systematic, and cumulative program using multi-sensory teaching techniques.

Math·U·See was written by Steve Demme, a homeschool dad, for the homeschool community. Math·U·See’s unique approach targets each individual student and focuses on their specific needs. Rather than a curriculum designed for a classroom, Math·U·See is designed with the homeschool “tutor” environment in mind.

Math U See offers curriculum from pre-k up through calculus and also offers a course in stewardship.

Enter the Homeschool Mega Giveaway for a chance to win up to $150 worth of course material from Math U See!

Announcing the Homeschool Giveaway!

I am so excited! I have had a steady inbox and mailbox full of great prizes to give away. This is my first group giveaway and I am so thrilled to share some really great homeschool products and blogs with you! I am using a program called rafflecopter for the first time that I hope will make it easy for you to enter. <strong>Just click on each method of entry, follow the directions and it will automatically enter you no matter which blog you enter from! </strong>Be sure to check back on those blogs every few days to read about the great companies who have sponsored this giveaway. With a prize lot of over $1000 in value, there is something for everyone!<br />

<br />

I have looked around and while I can't say for sure, I am almost sure that I am about to introduce you to the largest homeschool giveaway ever! Ok, maybe not ever, but it is going to be big! So without further hesitation here is what you have all been waiting for!! Browse through, check out the great products, visit blogs and vendor sites, and enter to win!!

WIP #4

This week I didn't get as much accomplished in the quilting world due to a mini family vacation.  I did, however, finish my 3x6 bee blocks.  I will be mailing them out this week.

Finished: 3x6 quilt blocks
To Do: Catch up on Across the Sea QAL, finish A Zig A Zag & Lonestar QAL
New: Mug Rug Swap Assignment-waiting for partner assignment!
          Pick out pattern and fabric for Quilting Book Club by the 10th
          Gather fabric for ALFALC Swap
What has everyone else been up to?
My time will be greatly divided now between quilting and homeschooling my kiddos.  We've finished one day and are halfway through day two.  So far, so good.

Craft Giveaway

http://www.craftbuds.com/september-is-craft-book-month/
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.craftbuds.com/september-is-craft-book-month" title="Craft Book Month at Craft Buds" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.craftbuds.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/craft-book-month-button.jpg" alt="Craft Book Month at Craft Buds" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Sneak Peak to a Homeschool Giveaway!

I am joining up with a few other bloggers in a wonderful giveaway!  My friend, Anna, over at Molding Minds Homeschool is doing all the leg work.  What a blessing.  Anyway, here is the link to her blog regarding the sneak peak of vendors participating.  The event is still a couple of weeks away, but I thought I'd whet your palette.
http://moldingmindshomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/08/test.html

Day 1 of Homemaker's Challenge: 31 Days to Clean

Today is day one of our challenges.  It has nothing to do with physically cleaning a single spot in my house.  Why you may ask?  One major reason, needing to know our 'Why' we want to clean.  Without our 'why', will we stick to our new commitment?  Doubtful.  So, here is my why:

To show God I am a good steward of what He's given me.

To have order in my home.

To raise children knowing how to be diligent and faithful.

To set a proper example to my children of a godly wife/mother.

To be able to invite people over without embarrassment.

To be obedient to God.

I pray that I go through these challenges, again, that it will create in me a desire to do all God would have me to do in this season of my life as well as to encourage others who are in a similar season.  

WIP #3

A day late, but oh well, I'm doing it anyway.  :)  I didn't get too much accomplished but I'll post what I did work on.  I sent out my ALFALC swap package:


I also sent out my Cups and Saucers Swap package:

I'm hoping she likes it!
I made some progress on my Across the Sea Quiltalong:

I finished one of six blocks for the 3x6 Bee:

I've also made some progress on my A Zig A Zag Quiltalong but forgot to take a picture.  I have the top finished, will need to piece the back before I can finish it up.  I haven't done anything new with my Lone Star Quiltalong, just sitting on the design wall right now.
My goals for this week are to work more on my 3x6 blocks as well as piece my Across the Sea Quiltalong.  I will be out of town for the weekend celebrating the end of summer with my family so I may fall a bit behind, but it'll be worth it!  I will also be starting up school with the kids next week which will limit my available quilting time.
Finished: 1
In progress: 4
New: None, yet
Have a great week everyone!