You always knew I was this snotty, didn't you?

I'm not beyond stealing something off of someone's blog if it's really cute. So, I stole it from Jill. Feel free to steal it from me.

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Most Serene Highness Lady Beth the Hunted of New Porton Wells Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

I wanna soak up the sun...

or so sings Cheryl Crow. But I didn't soak it up. I let The Pickle and his pals do it for me. Please excuse the 'creative' editing. He is having the time of his life.
Here he is with the Diva and She Who Must Be Obeyed. A slip n' slide isn't a bad investment for the hot summer days.
I have enjoyed this summer so far because I know it will be my last before he starts school. Look at him, not a care in the world.
The only major drawback is that he thinks we have to do this EVERYDAY. Only one of them is tan enough that she doesn't get scorched after 20 minutes.
Many thanks to Jericho without whose help this summer, I would be lost.

I still haven't found that 12-step program for

...sewing machine collectors. Okay, I know y'all think I'm crazy, but I just couldn't turn it down. Here's the scoop:

My buddy, Jane, was looking for a black Singer sewing machine for her sister in law. She found one at the same Goodwill I've been lucky at and showed it to me in the back of her van.

"I'll bet it's a 66. Those are great!" becoming glassy eyed. Jane dug in her bag and retrieved the manual! A 66-18! But, there's always a catch. It was a crinkle finish. Another name is the "Godzilla" finish.

A machine is a machine to me, but the sister in law didn't want it because it wasn't a black shiny one. Now, how could I turn it down? It had to have a good home, didn't it? At least, that's what I told Hunnybunny as I picked it up.

(Oh, and I finally got Jan Krentz's book!)


Sorry the top's upside down. See the crinkle skin?
Isn't this a great poster? I bought it off of eBay months ago for about $10. Hunnybunny had it matted and framed for me for our anniversary. I think it's gorgeous! My grandmother was born in 1900, and she might have looked a lot like the seamstress in the poster.

Work in Progress Wednesday

Did you think I had forgotten? Well, I wouldn't blame you if you did. I've been working on some separate projects that don't have anything to do with quilting. But I always come back to the design wall.

Here's A little more work on "Stars Fell on Alabama", which should've been done by now, but life does get in the way. Pretty cool design wall, huh?
It's the back of some table cloth material that I got at half price at Hobby Lobby.

To the right, you can see the finished blocks. I have a only a few to finish of these. There's only 25 in the quilt. You'd think I'd have it done quicker because of that, but not me. I'm special.....



Oh, and Happy Anniversary to me! We've made it six years this past Sunday. He's still such a babe!

Beautiful Boy

The Dyl Pickle graduated today from preschool. I thought I'd be the only mother in the room NOT crying as I've been to this rodeo 2 other times. My past experience didn't help me one iota. And still, many hours later, I can't hardly talk about it. Let's let a picture say a thousand words...I'm tired of boo-hooing.

Happy Birthday to the Legal Adult

Here he is at 2. You can see the beginnings of the mischievous look. He is still very charming, especially with the ladies.


My little, bald six-month-old. You know, I love that commercial where the narrator says, "Who'd of thought that the love of your life would be short, and bald?"




And here's my grown man now. He can't help that he's handsome! Happy 23rd birthday, Son!

Queen for a "Mother's" Day..

Most mother's are happy to get appreciated on Mother's day, and as a rule, we don't really expect much. Oh, someone is bound to be little enough for making Mom some type of craft. And breakfast in bed is a favorite amongst us moms. This year was tre' cool for me. Hunnybunny bought me some Lauren Blue, Pickle got me my favorite Healing Garden stuff, lavender; Rock Star bought me a card, (didn't sign it, but it's truly the thought that counts.) and a single red rose and baby's breath. Hunnybunny grilled me a steak and made dinner. Mother's Day is the holiday I hate going out.

The Legal Adult went to church with us, and spent the rest of the day with me. I nearly fell over.

Oh, yeah, the best present was to get to have all my boys under one roof for one day! And they let me take pictures!

A Double Date with Ironman

From the time Ironman was announced, Diva's dad and I talked about getting our families together to go see it. He is the consumate movie geek. The man has virtually any movie you have EVER heard of. I am an old comic book collector. I taught my then 6 year old (The Legal Adult) to read X-Men. Dick and Jane just wasn't cutting it, folks.

I hired a sitter who I knew could handle the Pickle and the Diva together. The Rock Star did ask if he could keep them and make the money, but ...Plllluuuzzzzeeee.... I can't walk out of a room without the screaming and hitting. He went to his friend's house for the night. I was also thinking that he might ENJOY the company of this young woman way to much, if you know what I mean.

My biggest worry was that they would go into their Honeymooners routine and scare the poor girl off. I promise, they act like old married people. Diva's mom and I kid about them getting married someday.

We got pizza, we gave Brit the Sitter the specifics on what they could and couldn't get away with, and we left. The movie was great! I think I liked the dialogue better than anything. Robert Downey, Jr. was really believable. And likable. But mostly, funny. Afterwards, we went to Olive Garden and had a really nice dinner. Adult conversation is something that I'm completely lacking in these days. The only time the sitter called is when the "Batman and Robin" movie couldn't be found. (I had to hide it in my unmentionables drawer or he would play it everyday.) So, I sent Brit to find it there. How embarrassing....Diva's mama thought it was funny.


My opinion? Go see it...and take a date!

Don't hate me because I met Jim Caviezel

I mean, just because YOU didn't get to meet him...hey, I'm just going on with you. I had the priveledge of meeting this nice gentleman last night as he spoke at my church, believe it or not. He spoke about stepping up and being a man. His career got off the fast track when he did the role of Jesus in Passion of The Christ.

This is Jim in Deja Vu.















As our Lord Jesus in Passion of The Christ. Hollywood pretty much blackballed him from top roles. I read where he was passed up by Bryan Singer for Cyclopes in X-Men after he played Jesus. Make no mistake, he is a true believer and stands for Christ.








And as the Count of Monte Cristo. I have always thought he was great, but after I looked into his eyes and shook his hand, I have a new perspective. By the way, his eyes? They're green, not brown. And I thanked him for doing Passion and told him I loved him in Count of Monte Cristo. Okay, so I got a little star-struck. But he's the first reknown actor I've ever met.
His latest project is a voicing gig on The Word of Promise.

WIP Wednesday: The Boy Scout Quilt....Delivered!

Two years is way too long for someone special to receive a quilt! But when you have more ambition than ability at the time, it's totally understandable.

I started this quilt as a thank you to a special scout leader named Chip. He had a great influence on the boys in our pack and now in the troop. What I admired about him was his willingness to give of himself, a trait that is lacking for allot of us in this day and time. And he made time for my kid, the Rock Star. The Rock Star got interested in guitar because of this man.


He's like that with other kids as well, and makes time for his family, too. For those of you who have read about my adventures with Jane, he's her other half.

Here's the label that Debra made. Isn't it grand? Go and see her for your label needs, too!


He looks happy and he was over the moon about it. Chip even took it to his special music room to see where he'd like to hang it.

Words really can't express everything I learned while doing this quilt. Just a few things, machine applique, machine quilting, using a quilt pounce, binding, measuring, and figuring out my creative style. I think I was more blessed by doing this quilt than any so far. I'm just tickled it's going to such a special man!

Quilt Everyday....the Results

You remember the challenge issued to "Quilt Everyday"? Well, here are my results:


Finally finished binding the Scout quilt! I had never done a GOOD binding before, so I'm at least pleased it turned out.

Debra is making me a label for it and I'll post it when it arrives. I'm more excited about the label than the quilt!

This is for Grandma Hunnybunny, but I'm not sure I'll make it by May. But I've been cutting out the fabric,(my biggest handicap) for a month now.

Spring Break.....By the Numbers

We took spring break down to the Emerald Coast. It was chilly the first day, but better the second. More pics in my flickr.com box to your right.





Spring Break .....by the numbers.





1. Rode 625 miles from here to the Panhandle with two kids in the back seat.



2. Ate off the value menu at McD's at least 5 times on the road.



3. Drove no more than 200 miles on a 1,700 mile trip.


4. Was waited on by my Sister-in-law at least 50 times. I think I'd really like to have a wife....





5. Broke up at least 20 squabbles by the siblings in the back seat.









6. Reunited one family. Meet The Hunnybunnies!

7. Went to ONE quilt store on the coast. Bought 3 fat quarters



8. Lost 6 pounds on this trip, McD's and home cooking, too!





9. Outran one tornado.







10. Made 3 quilt blocks.


11. Made one Great Grandma Hunnybunny happy....priceless!

Edward Scissorhands has nothing on us...

If your husband tells you, "Sure, I can trim up the boy's hair." , be sure and distract him. Then, run, take him to Super Cuts, Fantastic Sam's, or Great Clips. But don't turn him loose with a trimmer. Hunnybunny really thought he could do it, but the more he took off, the more he had to take off, if you know what I mean.

I loved Johnny Depp as Edward! In fact, back in Tennessee, someone named their salon, "Scissorhands" after this movie.



It was all smiles at first. Pickle posed for the camera. But as this haircut progressed, he was looking more and more like....an inmate!
See, even Pickle is astonished at the amount of hair he lost!

Here's the smile I love! What a good sport he is! The haircut does make you notice his big, baby blues!

And here's the cheesy one. He does this one when he wants something...followed by a big "PULEEEEEEEEEEZE!"

Rules for socks

I don't claim to be an expert on men, but let me tell you about a recent phenomenon I found....there are rules regarding the wearing of socks. Since Hunnybunny and I married in 2002, these rules have dominated and I was totally unaware of them. Finally, I asked him to break the silence so we can all be educated.

Top Ten Rules for Wearing Men's Socks

1. Socks can match either the shirt or pants.

2. Hunnybunny prefers that they match the pants because they blend in better.

3. You wear causal or dress socks with casual or dress shoes.

4. Never with sneakers.

5. Don't wear athletic socks with casual shoes. (running socks with oxfords)

6. Never wear dress socks with sneakers.

7. If you wear black shoes, then you wear black socks.

8. And if you wear white sneakers, then you need white socks.

9. You can wear patterned dress socks with solid dress suit.

10. And the cardinal rule is: Don't wear tube socks with shorts.

Also here's a link to some style rule commandments.

Ricky Tims on CBS

Thanks to my college buddy, Sandy...I knew it was coming up, but didn't watch. You can follow this link.

Here's the quilt I saw upclose, Bohemian Rhapsody by Ricky Tims.

The Top Ten Reasons Alton Brown Annoys me

You've seen this guy on your tube. As far as I'm concerned, he is the cooking anti-Christ. ( Just a figure of speech, people. Don't email me.)
Oh, he doesn't mean to be. He simply flies in the face of everything you've ever been brought up to believe about the kitchen, cooking, utensils, and procedures. Being the daughter of restaurant owners, sister to a sous chef, and not a half bad cook myself, this guy just grates on every one of my nerves.

Here are the top ten reasons why:

10. Hunnybunny likes him He really admires the way he cooks. Now he's getting more courageous in the kitchen. The jury is still out on if I'm liking that, but he does cook allot more. Now, if only he'd clean up!

9. I really hate the cheesy openings he does. And the gimmicks he does. Hasn't anybody told the guy that most people channel surf until he gets done with that?

8. Most of the time, he talks so fast I can't catch it all. I'm not sure he's a southern boy, but I could be wrong. He does live outside of Atlanta, but he talks like he's from up north somewhere.

7. He makes an entire program out of one food. I'd like to see what he can do making an entire meal....like Rachel Ray.

6. He makes me feel like I don't know what I'm doing in the kitchen. Dude, I grew up in the back of a southern restaurant. (My earliest memory is the smell of the bleach sanitizing dish pan.) I might know what I'm doing, but not when you're on TV.

5. Hunnybunny tells me while I'm cooking, "But Alton says.....". and now we are buying even more kitchen gadgets, like whisks. Whatever happened to using a fork to beat your eggs?

4. He uses "Uh" as a catch phrase. I guess that's not enough to dislike him for. The idea is to get you to watch the show and I'm told that appeals to his male audience.

3. He refers to himself as "The Culinary Bill Nye". Yes, he does take the science of cooking to the masses, but that's quite a boast. Bill Nye rocks!

2.Now we have to watch him every time "Good Eats" comes on, regardless of whether someone else would like to watch something.

1. He cooks so much better than me! As Stan Lee would say, ' Nuff said.

Teach .....your children well......

I used to remember all of that song. But that was before my brain became M.I.A. Here's a couple of short Pickle funnies I thought you'd get a kick out of. We have always given our old cell phones to Pickle to play with. Probably not the best plan we've ever had as the batteries were still functional. And that means that even without a sim card, you can dial 9-1-1. You know where this is going.

Pickle has been learning why to dial 9-1-1 and apparently he's learned how. He hands the phone to me saying, "9-1-1, Mommy,9-1-1." He got a 'boo-boo' on his toe when he tripped and thought she should know about it.

Made with free image tools @ TXT2PIC.com
The other funny this week was as I was changing his clothes. "You can't see me, Mommy."
"Yes, I can, and even your tinney, heeny, hiney(tush).(hey, I don't make fun of your family-isms.)"
"No you can't, Mommy, my butt isn't open." It'll take a minute, but you'll figure it out.

Quilt Everyday.....with us!

The Quilting Diva is challenging us to Quilt Everyday. That has always been my dream anyway, so I'm in.

Happy Sadie Hawkins Day!

You recall our friends from Dogpatch, don't you? I'm only using this panel as it depicts the origin of Sadie Hawkins Day. Once every four years, on Leap Day, it's said that a woman can propose to a man. Most just go to a dance in honor of this swift spinster, and invite the dude to go.

I actually went to an ice skating party that had a "Sadie Hawkins" theme. I got to ask the college class President, Mark, if he'd like to ice skate with me, and he said yes. I remember how I felt after that....like I had hit the lottery.

We decided to go out to eat this evening, which I always feel is a bad idea with two boys and the Friday night restaurant crowd. "Bark at the Moon" came on the radio, to which I heard my 4 year old attempt to sing along.

"I don't know how he even knows the tune!" Pipes up the Rock Star when we turn to look at him.

"He watches you," reminds Hunnybunny, "and whatever music you listen to, he's going to think is cool."



R.S. turns to Pickle and says, "I really like the Bratz CD, Pickle."