Orange and Turquoise Pinwheel Quilt

A few months ago, I bought some Moda fabric on clearance.  I liked how it was bright, playful and fun and wanted to make a quilt!  So I decided that I needed to start and complete this quilt before I had my baby girl, who was due in February (a few months ago). 

Well, I finished it!  I know that it's April now, but I am just getting around to posting it, mainly because I needed someone to hold up the quilt for me so I could take a picture.  Having 13 year old twin boys really come in handy for a picture like this.  :)  I actually finished the quilt in February.

I wanted to use a different pattern than I had done before.  So I was on the look out for different patterns of quilts.  I actually don't use "patterns",  I don't know how.  :)  I just like to look around and when I find something I like, then I figure out a way to create it!

I was eyeing a quilt that my husband's grandma made and gave us for our wedding 14 years ago.  It had the pinwheels on it and I thought this fabric would be so fun to make pinwheels out of!  So here it is and I love it! 

I made the quilt by cutting blocks in half and the sewing them into diagonal squares and then the pinwheel pattern.  Then I added the strips and pieced the quilt together.  I used my walking foot to machine quilt it.  I followed the pinwheel pattern and it turned out cute!

My daughter quickly claimed the quilt.  The boys said that it was "too girly", so they were OK with it.  But over the past few months, I see the quilt being used by the boys more and more.  

I guess the comfort of a homemade quilt out weighs the "girly-ness" of it.  :)

Shabby Apple:Fete des Fleurs

I was so excited when I saw the new line from Shabby Apple called Fete des Fleurs.  This line is full of beautiful pastels, lace and lots of spring prints!  Perfect for this time of year!

So beautiful and classy!  I'm in love!

So click on the Shabby Apple ad on our side bar and take a look!

I think you will be thinking that Spring is here to stay!

Giveaway: Fluffy, Funny, and Fabulous

   As many of you know, we are a group of four sisters.  We were excited when we were contacted by a group of five sisters to review a book they had just written.  We jumped on the idea and haven't looked back!     I absolutely love the idea that this group of sisters had about writing down their history.  But as most of you know that have siblings, we all have different memories, even if it is about the same event.  In this book, all five sisters share their memories about growing up in a small town.  This book will make you laugh, cry and reminiscence about your own childhood and memories of family and friends.  It has really opened my eyes to the importance of writing down family history.  You will love reading this book!  
And now you have a chance of winning a copy!  But first let's hear from the sisters:

  "When the five of us get together, we always come back to our memories of growing up. Our ages span nearly twenty years, so our memories are oftentimes very different. This creates some interesting dialogue. 

One sister starts out a story, and the others soon chime in with their version. Whenever we are all together, we get comments from others saying they wish they were a sister.

The book Fluffy, Funny, and Fabulous: A Tale of Five sisters was written a a collaboration between all five sisters.  Each chapter starts out with me( Anita) telling about my memories, then Vicki gives her story, and on through all sisters.   While the book is intended to be humorous it also deals with serious events like the death of our Father and of our Nephew.

All five sisters live in the Midwest.  Anita in Aurora, IL,  Vicki, approx 20 miles away in St. Charles, IL, Linda in North Aurora,  Helen in East Moline, IL  approx. 125 miles from the us and Ruth in Lake of the Ozarks, MO.

We all talk several times during the week and get together at least 4 times a year."

To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter form below. 

 And for more information about

 Fluffy, Funny, and Fabulous: A Tale of Five Sisters,

 take a minute to stop by their website:

  The Five Sisters.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Help Needed... Chore Charts?

I need some help or advice.... I am looking into doing a Chore Chart/Allowance System for my children, but do not even know where to start.  My children are ages 4, 2 and 8 months.   All you professional, organized mothers out there- what kind of chore charts do you use?  What sort of allowance do you give your kids?   I looked into a few chore chart and here are a few of my favorites.   Have you tried any of these?
Briana made a Chore Chart a couple months ago with some magnets...

  Would a Printable Chore Chart  be better?

I could just order some Chore Charts from Abbies House on Etsy.  They are SUPER cute.        Please HELP! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!  

Grilled Chicken Ranch Pasta

Do you every have those days when you know you have to make dinner, but have no idea what to make?  I actually have those days quite often.  Usually I end up throwing a bunch of ingredients together to make a meal.  I never write down what I made, but when my kids ask for it again, I really regret that I did not take the time to do it.  So here you go!

Grilled Chicken Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:

Grilled Chicken (your preference on how much chicken you want in the pasta)

One frozen bag of Peas

One box of uncooked pasta

One small can of Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cups of milk

One Packet of Ranch Dressing Mix

2 TBS Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Put peas in pot of water.  Boil.  Once the water starts to boil, add pasta.  Cook until pasta is tender.  Drain Pasta and Peas.  Return pasta and peas to pot.  Add grilled chicken.  (I used frozen grilled chicken strips and warmed them up in a pan beforehand.)  Add can of soup, milk and ranch dressing mix, and parmesan cheese.  Stir and warm up.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!