. . . #augsewphoto . . .

. . . instagram friend @kritta22 makes the list . . .

. . . i enjoyed playing along again . . .

. . . if the suspense is killing you 

and you can't wait till the end of the month,

i post one photo a day on instagram . . .

. . . i'm @stuphfromsteph . . .

. . . and my favorite part of posting

is the awesome/hilarious/thoughtful

comments it receive from followers . . .

. . . many of whom i've never met in real life, 

but who i definitely consider friends . . .

. . . thanks! . . .

. . . month at a glance . . .

. . . let's break it down . . .

. . . here are the daily photos . . .

1august2013 - amelia (18) at amanda's wedding 20december2004 | and amanda (23) at amelia's wedding 25may2007 | i smiled when i came across these photos of two of my daughters today | twirling and posing | once a dancer/cheerleader - always a dancer/cheerleader | #couldsomeonePLEASEorganizeallthephotosonmycomputer

2august2013 - will #augsewphoto become #allaboutmykids month? | it just might! | my firstborn @amberhansen01 is an inspiration to me (and to many other people, as well) | she's a wife to @christanhan | a mom to addison, halleigh, tate, and tagg | she serves in a primary presidency and has previously taught relief society, been enrichment leader, and young women's president | she is probably the most in-shape person i know - a workout fanatic | she runs marathons (qualified for boston - but i'm so glad she didn't end up going!) | in her younger days (that sounds bad - she's only 33) she was a competitive swimmer, sprinter on the track team, dancer, cheerleader and homecoming queen | she was (and is hoping to soon be again) an excellent student | she is strong-willed, goal-oriented, and determined | she is beautiful | she is funny | did i mention that she lost her hearing to spinal meningitis when she was fifteen months old? | she is amazing! | #youbetimbragging #proudmom

3august2013 - this was kind of like a pinterest experiment of the plant world | i always see these planters (left) dripping with perfect flowers at a nearby shopping center | and i say to myself, "i think i'll plant some of those - my front porch is so naked in the summer" | and just like lots of my pinterest experiments --- my results don't turn out quite as fabulous (right) | how are my trailing vincas faring? | well . . . i planted them a couple of months too late (i struggle with this, because it involves tearing out geraniums when they still look great), and there's a lot more green than blossoms (they'd do better in full sun - the south side of my house is shaded in the summer) | lessons learned: plant earlier next year in pots around the pool (north side of the house) | also - take everything you see on pinterest with a large grain of salt | #results not typical

4august2013 - it's a magical miracle to me | we take perfectly good fabric | cut it into tiny pieces | and then sew it back together | into something even better (usually!) | top left: seventeen small pieces (of bonnie and camille's bliss) in that block alternated with larger square blocks become (what looks to me like) a tile mosaic in a fig tree pattern called vanilla cakes | lower left: paper pieced peppermints (not gonna lie - these were kind of tedious) became what's still one of my favorite christmas quilts - i'm a •little• obsessed with red&white | #onewayikeepmyselffromgoingcrazy #stillmustmakeaswoonquilttoo

5august2013 - disclaimer: i really ought to look ahead on the photo a day list | if i'd realized that today's subject was kids, i probably wouldn't have used them as my subjects on the first and second | whoopsies! | i feel so blessed that they are all happily married and i love every single one of their spouses as if they were my own | anyhow --- here's each of my children as they appear on our wedding wall of fame - even though none of these photos was taken on their actual wedding day | beautiful photo credits: all three girls - mark mabry; drew - @annierandallphoto

6august2013 - "if you're going through hell . . . keep going" | winston churchill for the win (maybe --- no one's really sure) | with an assist from country artist rodney atkins | whoever said it, and whenever it was said --- it's sound advice | #seealsojustkeepswimmingjustkeepswimming #doryfindingnemo

7august2013 - um . . . pretty little miss hayden | how 'bout you say "cheese" and show us how old you are? | good job and happy birthday, baby girl | at the funeral of an old friend recently, this story was related: every day he would ask his wife, "have i told you i love you today?" | she would always answer, "no" | and he would reply, "well . . . i love you today!" | hayden is my favorite relative •today•! | #isntshedarling #wishshedidntlivesofaraway

8august2013 - the polkadots on my walking socks (thank you kirkland's best/costco) | and the pedicure peeking through, too | walking's gotta happen earlier these days | we humor the youngster in our group who still needs to be home in time to get her children ready for school | #thosewerethedays

9august2013 - remember when i tried to be goldilocks and broke my sewing chair all to pieces? | well --- that chair has been kindly and expertly repaired by @ashleyyoung's husband --- for which i am grateful | ask me sometime about wonder woman @karenhatch carrying said chair to and from her house --- she lives close . . . but not •that• close | on the advice of at least four people - i decided sewing on a kitchen chair isn't much fun | so i ordered something new | and it's really •soft• | and it matches my scissors | and it also matches the 1200 #oops and #bloops labels that have blessedly arrived | happy happy mail | #cheetahobsession

10august2013 - duh . . . that was easy | i loved him then | i love him waaaaaaaay more now | #forlikeever #billandsteph

11august2013 - this was a hard one for me | i don't watch a lot of movies, and i wouldn't call it a crush, but ferris was a pretty funny character | #kindofabadboy #myfamilycanquotethismoviefromstarttofinish #andtheydoitalot

12august2013 - the beginning of a new school year means the return of #mondayswithcolby | he is the happiest, funniest, most talkative little almost two-year-old you can imagine | #hemakesuslaugh #healsomakesmesses

13august2013 - i've had a few, but then again, too few to mention | sorry --- got a little sidetracked there | i could kick myself for not finishing college | i got married four years after high school graduation | plenty of time to get a bachelor's degree | if only i hadn't spent so much time fiddling around | i sure had fun, though, and i don't regret •that• one tiny bit! | #toooldslashlazytogobacktoschoolnow #alsoregreteverytimeiwearwhitepants #alwaysmanagetobrushgainstadirtycar

14august2013 - from 1962 until 1965, my parents and my brother and i lived in a quonset hut in what was known as polo village on the campus of the university of arizona in tucson while my dad went to law school | this was married student housing | two families occupied each hut - with an entrance of each rounded end and a dividing wall at half the length of the hut | my younger brother, jeff, and i shared one of the two tiny bedrooms | we slept on bunk beds | i had the upper bunk | i learned real quick not to sit up in bed - what with that curved ceiling and all! | #wehadnoideawewerechildrenofstarvingstudents #missingmydadthisweek

15august2013 - today's topic is dog/cat | um . . . if you know me •at all• you know "cat" is •not• an option •at all• | one time, though, i was hoodwinked into letting santa bring a puppy to @mandersras for christmas in 1993 | no photo exists of @mandersras with said puppy - who happened to have been born on her tenth birthday | pictured here are my third daughter @ameliarjohnson and my adopted daughter @alissebaldwin | the furball between the two humans may look like a stuffed animal, but she was a real live lhasa apso | the largest of her litter, she was named margaret by the breeders - after their fat aunt (i hope aunt margaret never got wind of that "honor") | her akc registration papers listed her as •diamond margaret• but we called her •maggie• | that dog got groomed every single week of her fourteen plus years | bill's dad used to say that if he believed in reincarnation, he would want to come back as their pampered family dog | he never knew maggie, but i bet he'd want to come back as her, too | #alldogsgotoheaven

16august2013 - two months ago, knowing that the third anniversary of my dad's passing was coming up, i decided to try to organize an evening with my mom, my siblings, and their spouses | they're all busy folks | but the stars must've aligned, because we were all able to spend the evening together at the temple | mission accomplished | i bet my dad was pleased | we were missing one brother who lives in colorado | we need to work on him - and it won't be easy | #loftygoals #photofromthefuneralthreeyearsago #familiesareforever

17august2013 - in all my years of driving, i've sported a grand total of one bumper sticker | after that election didn't go •quite• the way i'd hoped it would, i maybe wanted one like i saw on the car in front of me in the sonic line one day | #idon'treallyhateALLpeople

18august2013 - this one made me laugh | i mean, really if there's one thing i can't stand, it's a •dis•honest craft room | my room is also used for sewing and laundry and it's a place to put all my shtuff | so (clockwise from top left) . . . as of yesterday: i've got enough fabric sitting there to make at least 150 #bloops #bestswaddlesever | chenille lint covering the floor (and tracked through the entire house - always) | #oops #bestburpclothsever in various stages of completion, a long list of custom orders waiting to be filled, a dirty diet coke, and so you think you can dance | plus a washer (full of new sopping wet towels) that won't drain (fixed late last night - thanks @christanhan!) | #honestyisthebestpolicy #butcleanlinessisnexttogodliness

19august2013 - my most recent attempt at installing a zipper should've earned me extra credit | running the entire length of the window seat cushion i reupholstered for my bedroom, that thing measures four and a half yards long | you should have seen bill and me trying to restuff the foam into the new cover | looked like a professional wrestling match | #itwasafeistyopponent

20august2013 - there are plenty of inside design features i'd love to change around here, but, back in the mid-nineties, when we planned to add on to and remodel our home, i'm so glad i held out for a bigger closet | this all happened at the same time my former master bedroom became my sewing and laundry room --- win/win!! | and my love of #roygbiv color order gave birth to cardiganville | #imaybeateenytinybitobsessive

21august2013 - in case you haven't noticed, this is THE color | the end | (sorry i couldn't find anything in coral last summer when you wanted it @jessalynromney} | also: #bloops now have their own tags - they're no longer wannabe #oops | #bestburpclothsever #bestswaddlesever

22august2013 - don't you just love it when a crush leads to dating and you end up married? | this photo of newly engaged @wromney and me appeared in the sweetheart section of byu's daily universe newspaper on valentines day 1979 | the topic of the article was "economical dating" | here he's shown paying at the movies and his quote said, " the money doesn't matter - stephanie's worth the investment" | awwwwwww | #34yearsandcounting #hewantshismoneybacksometimes

23august2013 - it's a #flashbackfriday and #augsewphoto combo meal deal | june 2005 - when there were only ten of us | and i made everyone match | there're eighteen of us now | you can see our house in the background (which was probably today's intended subject) | but, to me, "home" means these people (and all the rest of them) | it means sunday dinners together | it means the craziness, the noise, the laughter | it means missing the ones who aren't here | it means love | it means everything! | #whyamisomushylately #familiesareforever #lovemyhomeANDmyhouse

24august2013 - seriously . . . | this is definitely one of my favorite photos (november 2011) | these three - oh, boy! | tate, elliott, and tagg | grandbabies number three, five, and four, respectively | firecrackers, energy, noise, cuties | 

photo credit: @pkgreenfam | great capture, phil! | #tatesgumkillsme

25august2013 - please please please be right today, mr. weatherman | 90% chance at noon seems like pretty good odds | here in the desert, we need every drop we can get | #sofarthismorningnothin' | (edit: it never rained)

26august2013 - it might seem kind of trivial on the surface | but when i consider the advances in technology during my lifetime, it blows me away | i've used a rotary dial corded landline phone | i've searched the card catalog and encyclopedias and rolls of microfiche and periodicals at the public library to write a research paper | i've ordered gifts and clothing out of a catalog i found in my mailbox | i've written letters by hand to friends in distant lands and waited weeks for a response | and now --- all of that is obsolete | i have "friends" i've never met | i text all my family members | i see my utah grandbaby on my phone screen | research on any topic imaginable is at my fingertips | i've sold gifts for hundreds of babies | i've bought stuff way too easily | i sent and received emails from my missionary son | used properly - technology blesses our lives | #ithaschangedmine #howaboutyou?

27august2013 - our most wanted gift is backordered until march | we're thrilled | and (though she wrapped this plate of treats in her favorite color --- subliminal wishful/hopeful thinking, no doubt) @mandersras says they will wait and be surprised as to what color of #oops and #bloops they'll need | #grandbabynumbernine

28august2013 - not feeling very creative | what would you suggest?

29august2013 - hexagons and triangles | i spy (ca.2007) | this is the quilt that gave me carpal tunnel | holding down those tiny acrylic templates while fussy cutting | @addieleigh02 is eleven now and wouldn't be caught dead playing on an i spy quilt

30august2013 - how to wrap up the very cutest baby burritos around | several thousand (actually maybe only a couple hundred) finished new 100% cotton crinkle gauze #bloops this week | washed, cut, serged, tagged, and folded | still to do: bag and label | a serger is kinda fast and loud and really vibrate-ish | my ears might still be ringing | #bestswaddlesever

31august2013 - it's not that i'm sleeping in | i see glorious sunrises like this most mornings from the bank of the consolidated canal | it's •part• of what makes getting up early worthwhile | the other part is fun friends and conversation | exercise? that, too, i suppose | but (probably oversharing here) when i get home, i tend to dilly dally/procrastinate the whole shower/hair/makeup/dress for the day routine | so my goal for next month is to get ready and start being productive first | #checkinstagramblogsfacebooklater

. . . if you actually made it 

to the end of this post, 

you deserve an award . . .

. . . and please forgive typos . . .

. . . it's too long to proofread! . . .

. . . i love to see the temple . . .

. . . on this cloudy day,

i loved seeing the palm trees

and old glory swaying in the breeze . . .

. . . in this photo,

the temple represents my faith . . .

. . . the flag represents my country,

where i am privileged to worship as i choose . . .

. . . today marked the fiftieth anniversary

of dr. martin luther king's

historic "i have a dream" speech . . .

. . . i heard snippets of it throughout the day

as i listened to the radio . . .

. . . dr. king was definitely on the right track . . .

. . . we have a loving god, 

who cherishes each of us, 

his precious children . . .

. . . and we need to do the same . . .

. . . i love to see the temple . . .

. . . it's definitely dark 

when i leave the temple these days . . .

. . . the sun's gone down . . .

. . . the thought of fall's cooler temperatures 

gives us hope . . .

. . . but, in fact, 

it's still veryveryvery warm here . . .

. . . then i walk through the temple doors . . .

. . . the air conditioning cools me . . .

. . . and yet . . .

. . . i start to feel a different kind of warmth . . .

. . . a wonderful kind of warmth . . .

. . . and i don't mind it at all . . .

. . . i highly recommend 

this combination cool/warm feeling 

of the temple . . .

. . . and i love this night time glamour shot . . .

. . . the temple is very photogenic . . .

. . . not a bad side to be found! . . .

. . . i love to see the temple . . .

. . . oh my . . .

. . . this is the enormous 

north lawn of the temple . . .

. . . the one you see 

when driving down main street . . .

. . . the one where you 

{and thousands of your closest friends} 

sit to watch the easter pageant . . .

. . . the one where the larger than life camels 

and three wise men 

stand during the christmas season . . .

. . . the one that provides an unobstructed view 

of the visitors center christus . . .

. . . what in the world have they done 

to the north lawn? . . .

. . . they've removed all the grass . . .

. . . redone the sprinkler system . . .

. . . installed some sort of 

reinforcement system . . .

. . . and planned for more efficient drainage . . .

. . . tomorrow evening, 

manymanymany youth 

{and their leaders} 

will convene to lay new sod . . .

. . . this very important north lawn 

will be good as new 

{actually even better} 

before we know it . . .

. . . also --- if you've attended the temple lately ---

 you know things there are even better . . . 

. . . it's a very lovely place to be . . .

. . . i love to see the temple . . .

. . . i trust the temple gardeners . . .

. . . they're pros . . .

. . . i will not be fiddling 

with trailing vincas next summer . . .

. . . nope . . .

. . . i will be planting both 

green and purple sweet potato vines . . .

. . . aren't they so pretty? . . .

. . . and i've heard they're very user friendly . . .

. . . a big day for the grandbabies . . .

. . . one year ago, 

a little bundle of pink 

came into this world . . .

. . . tiny hayden 

joined drew and jessalyn's family . . .

. . . and she just keeps growing . . .

. . . getting cuter and cuter . . .

. . . and sassier and sassier . . .

. . . we get such a kick 

out of facetiming with her . . .

. . . happy birthday, baby girl! . . .

. . . also on the schedule today . . .

. . . back to school . . .

. . . elliott looks ready to rock 

another year of preschool . . .

. . . i hear he was pretty pumped! . . .

. . . and ALL of the hansen children 

attend the same school this year . . .

. . . i hear amber was NOT so pumped about it . . .

. . . tagg's in kindergarten . . .

. . . addison is a big sixth grader . . .

. . . halleigh's right behind in fifth grade . . .

. . . and tate will be running 

the entire second grade this year, i'm sure . . .

. . . amelia isn't a grandkid . . .

. . . but she IS a grand kid . . .

. . . it was her first day at junior high . . .

. . . the student she interprets for 

is in seventh grade this year . . .

. . . she told me today was crazy . . .

. . . she must have been nervous 

about finding her locker . . .

. . . even better than usual . . .

. . . i love going to my church meetings 

every sunday . . .

. . . but today i loved it just a little bit more . . .

. . . the third hour, during relief society, 

we had a guest speaker/teacher . . .

. . . amber was asked to come 

and speak to the women 

and the young women, too, 

on the subject 

"how i hear the voice of christ in my life" . . .

. . . she pretty much told her life story . . .

. . . and as far as i could tell --- 

there wasn't a dry eye in the packed room . . .

{i know for sure mine weren't dry!}

 {you can see amanda voicing for amber, while amelia did a fine job turning pages}

. . . amanda likes to say, 

"we're here to do some motivational speaking ---

 amber does the motivating --- 

i do the speaking" . . .

. . . amber is a remarkable woman . . . 

. . . her faith and testimony amaze me . . .

. . . just look at those cute faces! . . .

. . . it was great to have all these visitors 

at my ward today . . .

. . . i really love this family of mine . . .

. . . it was an even better than usual sunday . . .

. . . #julysewphoto . . .

. . . this was fun . . .

. . . maybe you've already seen 

these instagram photos . . .

. . . one each day . . .

. . . it was really interesting 

to see how different posters 

interpreted each day's topic . . .

. . . i, for one, am guilty of lots of

   s t r e t c h i n g   

to make the photo fit the challenge . . .

. . . it's fine . . .

. . . month at a glance . . .

. . . for those of you in my age bracket, 

larger individual photos 

{complete with witty captions} 

follow . . .

{truth be told --- many of these photos should only be allowed 

to be viewed on an iphone size screen --- eek!}

. . . i love the comments, too, 

but you'll have to check my instagram feed 

for those . . .

. . . i'm too lazy to retype all of them! . . .

. . . also missing here 

is my fantastic use of emoji . . . 

. . . sorry 'bout that . . .

1july2013 - entering approximately 487 receipts into my checkbook register, balancing against my bank statement, and paying bills for the month - by check | and yes, as a matter of fact, i AM old school | and i keep costco and hobby lobby in business #thankheavenforcalculators #idontknowhowtouseanabacus #imnotTHAToldschool

2july2013 - i hope they call me on a mission | mostly because that would mean my husband was feeling well enough to go | i made a promise that when he is healed, we will serve | #hestheonewhoREALLYwantstogo

3july2013 - probably not exactly what @kritta22 had in mind for today's #julysewphoto, but this family of mine was definitely made just for me | each child, each spouse, each grandchild is so unique and awesome | bill and i feel extremely blessed to be parents and grandparents to such a fine bunch of young people | #eighteenofus #sofar #readyformoreanytime

4july2013 - the view out my front door | much love for the stars&stripes and all they represent | thanks harmony park ward scouts for posting the colors all over our neighborhood | #yayfortheusa

5july2013 - lots of sharp stuff | pictured: scissors {cheetah handles optional - for you, not for me}, rotary cutters, blades, stylus/awl, machine needles, hand sewing needles, straight pins | not pictured - seam ripper

6july2013 - yep . . . same photo as yesterday | but, hey!! sharpen those scissors | change your rotary cutter blade {i always wonder what took me so long?} | use a new needle | throw away bent pins {love doing this} | and for pete's sake treat yourself to a new seam ripper - you'll love the way it slices through the threads of your sewing booboos 

7july2013 - let's be honest | i'm just NOT an animal person | at all | BUT i do love a good cheetah print | so this is as close as it gets | #shoesfromdrewandjessalynswedding #iputupwithalhasaapsoforfourteenyears #ivedonemytime #ripmaggie #alldogsgotoheaven

8july2013 - the color i painted a lot of freshly installed beadboard a few months ago | two coats of primer and two coats of paint | you really should see the "before" photo | it's on my blog today and it's spectacular | think wallpaper | think waverly | think floral | think everywhere | #mrmiyagiandthekaratekid #paintfence

9july2013 - vintage bernina 830 | she isn't new | she isn't fancy | purchased for $1500 (that was a lot of money!) in april 1979 in downtown provo, utah, with money we received as wedding gifts | how nice is my husband? | bernie's the only machine i've ever had | well . . . besides two sergers | every time i take her in for repairs or routine service, they say, "when you're ready for a new machine, don't even think about getting rid of this one - they just don't make 'em like this any more!" | over the years, she and i have sewn many little girls' dresses and costumes. lots of super ruffly curtains, baby bedding, quilts lately, and literally thousands of oops! | #costperuseiswaaaydown #ithinkillkeepher

10july2013 - best sewing gift | see that quilty runner down there? | i loved the birthday when @pegmoff gave me a cute prezzie of mary engelbreit charm squares and a couple of fat quarters | it took me a while, but eventually i figured out what to do with them | and now, seriously, i think of her every time i walk past | #ithinkofpegnotmary

11july2013 - welcome to what i lovingly refer to as the "let's keep stephanie sane" room | i know sewing stresses lots of people out, but for me . . . ahhhhhh! {i hear angels singing} | all i need is a little fabric, bernie, a frosty dirty diet coke and daniel grayson on the tube | and it's relatively cheap therapy | #winwin #itsworkingsofar #ithink #itisntalwaysthisclean #waititisntEVERthisclean

12july2013 - this was an easy one | @etcaz for the win | owner @marti_lynn_jones is great at what she does | what started as a small scrapbook store has grown into a mega fabric/quilt/scrapbook shop of amazement | fun classes with an enormous classroom | friendly, helpful staff | large inventory | and a soft spot in my heart | all three of my daughters {@amberhansen01 @mandersras and @ameliajohnson} were employed there in their youth - luckily that was during the pre-fabric days | #fabrickindofscaresmyoffspring

13july2013 - you've heard of #throwbackthursday and #flashbackfriday | well . . . today must be #scarysaturday | so many things here i'll never do again | let's start with perms {my husband refers to this as the sphinx phase} --- never again | dresses made from three mens tshirts --- never again | splatter paint --- never again | shoulder pads --- never again | also {sadly} i'll most likely never be that thin again! | #allthosethingssoundedlikegoodideasatthetime #ishouldprobablyneversaynever

14 july 2013 - to tell you the truth, i'd never even looked at the craftsy website before today | just to let you know --- i'm kind of/extremely stubborn and independent and i'd usually rather figure stuff out myself | two exceptions: a beginning quilting class at a local quilt shop {not to be confused with MY local quilt shop, please} where i actually did learn a few very helpful tips that i use to this day; and the monthly card making classes that i faithfully attended for over ten plus years at MY local scrapbook/quilt store {but, seriously, it was never really about the cards - rather, it was another form of cheap therapy!} | HOWEVER --- if i WERE to take a craftsy class, it would most likely be @croskelley's because i'm in awe of all the darling fabrics she designs {with her cute mom},  patterns she creates, the way she tackles projects around her home, all the while raising three adorable little boys {and a husband!} | #shecouldprobablyteachmeathingortwo

15july2013 - my to do list for the day | three out of four's not too bad, i reckon | #tomorrowisanotherday #lofty goals

16july2013 - an unfinished object | and i'm saying to myself ---"self! just finish it already!" | left to do : outer pieced scalloped border {it's cut out}, pieced bee block for back label, figure out what to use for the back, get it quilted, make binding, and bind it | i'm so close | no big whoop | #justdoit #beeinmybonnetrowalong

17july2013 - "go to" fast dinner? | that's an easy one | "go to" taco tuesday | where else are real tomatoes and limes used as edible wall art? | #caferio #doublecheckyourtakeoutorder #corntortillasmandatory 

18july2013 - sorry @kritta22, but you canNOT ask a musician/music lover to choose just one song | impossible | too many genres | too many seasons of my life | BUT --- if i HAD to choose {at least in the popular music realm} it would most likely be something by my guy sweet baby James Taylor | and it's pretty handy that my appreciation of his longevity in the music business, his dexterity on the guitar, and his magical baritone pipes is shared with my husband | if James' tunes are in the CD player or on the iPod, we're both happy campers | #justkiddingaboutcamping #youvegotafriend #carolinainmymind #yoursmilingface #somechildrenseehim {that one's on his Christmas album - you should buy it}

19july2013 - a special #oops order for some fans of the louisiana state university fighting tigers | orange is at the top of my "least favorite color" list, but purple is kind of up there, too | yet purple and gold are the school colors of my beloved mesa high | our nba phoenix suns team's colors are purple and orange | AND the living room furniture we inherited from my cute mother-in-law included two of the prettiest purple chairs you ever did see | so . . . there's that

20july2013 - tv and i --- we're good friends | and please bless the genius who invented the dvr | it's a good thing today's photo wasn't supposed to feature our favorite tv commercial, because i haven't seen one in years | so many shows . . . but i decided to narrow it down to some that are currently airing new episodes {with special thanks to the usa network for their summer seasons} | burn notice {favorite character: jesse}; covert affairs {favorite character: auggie}; suits {favorite character: donna}; graceland {favorite character: johnny} | these are some of the "friends" who keep me company while i sew | #ilistenmorethanwatch #favoriteshowschangewithseasons #theysaybullsh*tontheseshows #thatbugs

21july2013 - maybe it isn't cool or politically correct in this day and age, but my dream job has always been to be a wife and mother - even a stay-at-home mom | i'm thankful every day that circumstances were such that my dream came true | i love this family of mine | the six of us have grown into eighteen {so far} and i'm really proud of each one of them | now --- since my "never again" photo was such a hit last week, here's another treat | this time from easter 1989 | please enjoy our coordinating outfits and big big big hair 

22july2013 - a work in progress | yay! we have scalloped border blocks | i swear --- when this quilt is finally and blessedly finished, we will ALL be grateful, won't we? | #imtheslowestquiltmakerintheworld

23july2013 - let me explain: "bucket list" is derived from the phrase "kick the bucket" --- meaning a list of stuff to do before you die | so here's the deal --- everything's relative, right? | truth is: i only •thought• i was going to die if i didn't get my nails done today | but, seriously, the gel was super chippy and scraggly and snagged on my clothes and just generally bugged | but they look awesome now and . . . bam! life goes on | photo credit: thuy | #dramaticmuch?

24july2013 - today's assignment is "check on new years goal" | well --- sadly --- i've never really been much of a resolution maker | i'm more of a day to day type person | i DO make lots of lists, though | and who doesn't love checking stuff off their to do list? | so satisfying | #stillneedtogototargetisee #iadditemsAFTERidothemjustsoicancheckthemoff #youknowyoudotoo 

25july2013 - "maybe christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store --- maybe christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more" | and pretty much anything else jim carrey's grinch character ad libbed in the 2000 live action remake of the 1966 animated version of dr. seuss' 1957 book | what's your favorite grinch quote? | #wrongo #loatheentirely #itsbecauseimgreenisntit #imsurekrittameantchristmasFABRICline #mybad

26july2013 - there are so many positive things about the quilt process | one of my very favorite parts is choosing fabrics - love that! | piecing - love that! | quilting? - hmmm - not so much - that's why awesome long-arm quilters were invented - love them! | binding - love that! | but today has been spent unsewing - what is the •opposite• of love that? | #myownfault #gottapayattention #thankfulforabrandnewseamripper #taketwo

27july2013 - gotta be gold canyon's pomegranate | every time one of the neighbor kids comes around selling these to raise money for {fill-in-the-blank} school/sport/club, this is the flavor i buy | maybe i should branch out | what's your favorite scent? | i'm open to suggestions | the founder of gold canyon served as a missionary for our church right here in my area for part of his mission | these candles are yummy | #youshouldbuyone

28july2013 - well . . . lately - it would appear as if my favorite color combo is pink&cheetah | on my feet | on a gift | on my blog | and on an #oops | but --- ask me at christmas time and i'll tell you it's definitely red&white | what's your go to color? | #cheetahreallyISacolor

29july2013 - i've been lucky, over the years, to see some pretty darn amazing places | the grandeur of national parks and little weekend day trips and picnics as a child with my parents and siblings | a cross country drive {AZ-NJ} with my dad | golf trips with my husband and friends to the east coast and the west coast and lots of places in between, and not in between - hawaii, france, belgium, england, wales | cruises {alaska was a favorite} | countless theme parks with our children | but to tell you the truth --- i'm a homebody through and through | living out of a suitcase drives me crazy | i like my own bed and my own stuff in my own closet and my own drawers | my favorite days are those when i don't have to go anywhere at all | and, at this point in our lives, isn't that lucky? | thirty years ago this month, we began construction on the home where we've lived ever since | that constancy is something i'm thankful for every single day | #imneverboredeither

30july2013 - weak | my idea list for august photos is really really weak | #sorrykritta

31july2013 - and all i've got are excuses Excuses EXCUSES | my goal was: finish and deliver #beeinmybonnetrowalong quilt to my favorite quilter, @maraeharris, by the end of july | status: derailed | contributing factors: 1-@beelori has a darling book {including this pattern} in the works - which i have pre-ordered, and so the block details are no longer listed on her blog; 2-after a tiny panic attack, i decided to try to figure out the label myself: 3-my embroidery skills are sub-par, and there's quite a bit of info to be stitched by hand; 4-the fabric for my backing has not yet arrived {perhaps that's because i just ordered it today} | so . . . amended goal: finish embroidery before backing arrives by mail, and deliver to quilter as soon thereafter as possible {i've already contacted her} | #bestlaidplans