Holiday Weekend...

So it's been a busy one, so far!

We fixed up and then drove my daughter her car from high school out to meet her 1/2 way, in Pennsylvania. Getting it ready was an experience in and of itself! Ah....the stress of fixing and getting a used car to pass inspection...But ... done...check!

Packaged up orders off ebay...remembering to put Tuesday's date as the shipping date...OMG...how did June come our way so quickly? Done...check!

Went to Keach Park in Concord with the family...nice place for a quick lunch and then playing on the playground! WAY too much fun w/my grandson! He LOVES to swing! That is HIM at the top of this post! Fun...done...check!

BBQ'd steaks from a new source: WOW was it good!! Anyone local to us: Harris's Convenience NOW has meat!! I know what you are thinking...but it's amazingly good! More fun...done...check!

Now getting ready to head to Charmingfare Farm with my son, his wife and their son ~ can't wait!! Should be soooo fun! Means lots more pictures! Lol! Wicked lots of fun...to be done...sort of check?

Then, we'll probably end the weekend with one more BBQ...basic burgers this time, but yummy!

Overall, perhaps a bit more balance for me than my normal weekends! Those of you who run your own business, will know what I mean: free time means work time, time to create, time to put what you've been working on out there! A "work-aholic" who works for themselves, out of their home = dangerous combo! But hey, at least I AM here if need be...right?

So....off to make a picnic lunch...ready to head to Charmingfare! Enjoy YOUR weekend, all!

Weekend Shout-Out: Bluebird Gardens

This weekend I peeked through my Facebook fans list and ran across Charlotte from Bluebird Gardens Quilts and Gifts. I always enjoy reading what she has to say, so I thought I would give her this weekend’s Whitt’s Kits Shout-Out!

Charlotte describes what she does on her Facebook page:

Welcome to Bluebird Gardens Quilts and Gifts! We help you make quilts, gifts, refinish furniture, cook fun dishes and garden so you can easily make gifts and home decor that make people feel special.From personalized baby quilts to photo memory quilts and handmade pillows, rag dolls, hard to find but practical and whimsical gardening, quilting and pet gifts, we've been helping customers make special gifts for 11 yrs.

While perusing her Etsy store (http://www.etsy.com/shop/bluebirdgardens ), the red hand quilt caught my eye ~ could have something to do with those years as an elementary teacher! I would have LOVED one of those to mark the time spent with my students! Nice job, Charlotte!

She also has a wonderful blog filled with creative ideas on gardening & quilting and soooo informative!
http://www.bluebirdgardens.com/bluebird_gardens_blog/ I really liked the blog about container gardening...may have to give that a try!

Thanks for sharing your world with us, Charlotte!

Quilty Hugs, Carrie

Thankful for...

It’s been a couple of days since I’ve had a chance to pop in here.

I was thinking about what I am thankful for in my life the other day, lots, actually!

I am thankful that I was born into a family that live close by one another. I knew one great-grandmother and all my grandparents ~ having wonderful memories of all of them! Had the best time recently chatting with my cousin about our paternal grandparents…such wonderful memories I didn’t even realize were there! In turn, my first grand child just moved next door and lives in the house his great, great grandparents lived in!

My family also valued all the people in it. Each of us brought/bring “something to the table” as it were. It sometimes amazes me how genetics works: we can LOOK so alike and yet BE so different sometimes and yet so similar other times. To see my dad’s eyes in my son and then him in his son…amazing…all I can say!

I am thankful for the wonderful man I married ~ my best friend for more years now then not! Someone who brings the best to the world each day and is a gift to others as well.

I am thankful for my children ~ healthy, happy, adjusted buggers that they are! Each of them is my “hero” for their own reasons ~ each has enriched the world in their own way, and mine as well.

I am thankful for all the friends I have made in these 50 years ~ friends who’ve come in and out (women are like that…LOVE that about us!) and back in again…who I can call on at a moment’s notice…who “have my back” and vice versa… and who are facing this whole “aging” (aghast!) thing together.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a coach and a coach’s wife. It has brought (and continues to bring) so many wonderful young people into our lives. Their energy, their strength and their weaknesses brings the reality of life into our world day in and day out.

I am thankful for my home. It may not be the nicest on the block, but I realize it’s a place that my family and our friends are comfortable in. That comfort, like the MasterCard commercial, is priceless.

I guess the bottom line is that so much of my world is priceless…I am so fortunate to be able to do what I love along with what I like. Not everyone has that option in this world.
Thanks life! Like the saying on the T-Shirts: “Life is good!” It’s not always easy, not always fun, but all in all…it’s good!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend all ~ I hope you can spend it with those you love and create new memories on this day!

Quilty hugs,
Carrie

This week's special...

... (in honor of our first pillowcase making event) is on pillowcase kits! We've had great feedback from folks who've purchased them:

• Nice kit. A+++ seller!


• Waiting for another one of this GREAT kit! I love the Kitlady store!


• Great fabric. Well packed, promptly shipped.


• Incredible well cut fabric- Excellent EBay experience


• Love THIS kit too! Waiting for more to show up in shop!


• A++++ Fast invoicing, quick delivery, great communication, Couldn't be happier!!

Just makes you feel good all over! Mix that with the success people are having in creating their own pillowcases and it's a win-win!

So, to help more people give it a whirl, I'm running a special this week: buy 1 kit, get a 2nd at 1/2 price! You can get as MANY AS YOU'D LIKE!!! This is for all my fans on Facebook and Followers of my blog! All you need to do is pop into either my eBay or Etsy store and make a purchase. Email me with "I'm a FAN!" and I will invoice you for the correct amount! (ie: DO NOT JUST PAY!)

So, buy 1, get a 2nd at 1/2 price - by 2, purchase 2 more at 1/2 price, buy 3 and you can purchase an additional 3 at 1/2 price!

I HAVE to say that my cousin told me these are like "eating Doritos ~ you can't stop!!!" She is soooo right! At the Pillowcase Making Party yesterday, 2 of the guests were new to sewing: one had literally NEVER used a sewing machine before! They BOTH made 2 pillowcases (donating one and keeping the other) and one was so excited that she was doing two things at once: "This is a gift for someone, so THAT MEANS I've finished my first gift for the DIY Christmas Club!!"

So hop on over to my eBay OR Etsy stores and pick out some pillowcase kits to try! You'll receive directions for making the pillowcase two different ways, but I HIGHLY recommend the "sausage" method ~ seriously ladies: its SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO easy!

Happy creating, all!

Carrie

PS. Here is a link to a GREAT, SIMPLE, QUICK AND EASY pillowcase with the "sausage" method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7moryq_ZRFY&feature=related

Follower/Fan Drawing!

Thanks so much for "tuning it"! We hit 300 fans on Facebook, so as a "thank you" we drew from our followers here on Whitt's Kits Fabrics & Crafts Blog!

The winner is....Lynnell!

Thanks so much for following my blog, Lynnell! You need to zip into my eBay and Etsy store and pick out your pillowcase kit/kits! You can choose either a pair of matching kits OR two singles, your choice! Email me with what you'd like and your address for mailing!

We had sooo much fun at the Pillowcase Making Party today! Can't wait to see which ones Lynnell chooses and how they come out!

Have a wonderful evening, all!
Quilty Hugs,
Carrie

Weekend Shout-out: Widow's Walk

Each weekend I dive into my Fan base and grab someone to chat about here. This week, I thought I'd share about Gail from Widow's Walk! Gail does some beautiful knitting and has some of the funniest conversations every day!

Here is some about her from her Etsy profile:

"Welcome to The Widow's Walk! At the age of 6 or so, a neighbor tried to teach me embroidery.

In 5th grade I discovered a love and talent for drawing and painting. In my teens I learned to crochet. And in my early 20's I learned to knit. I still love and dabble in all things creative, but my true love (for now) is knitting.

"Shop name: To those of you who may not be familiar with the term, this excerpt from a poem by Kenneth Finn is probably the best description I can provide. "On the tops of the old sea captain's houses is a walkway, high on the roof, called a Widow's Walk and the wives of the captains were supposed to go up there and look for the return of their husband's ship from the sea. A large percentage of the captains never came back. Thus the daily walks, had nothing to do with viewing ships. The walks were the recognition, that these women were not truly in control of anything in their lives. It was a constant reminder."

"When working outside the home full time, I always felt deprived of the time I had for my craft projects. Then, the "powers that be" out-sourced my job, which devastated me at the time. I now see it as one of the greatest blessings I could have received. It allowed me to have the time that I needed to care for my Mother, and caring for my Mother gave me the time to pursue my creations.

"I live on the coast of Virginia, and love everything associated with the sea, so the name and description fits perfectly, and doesn't pigeon hole me into only one area of creativity.

"Even if we are not truly in control of anything in our lives, there is always a silver lining to those thunderclouds if you look hard enough."

Gail is a gifted woman both creatively both in yarn and in conversation. I hope you take a moment and check out her work!

You'll find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheWidowsWalk#!/TheWidowsWalk?v=app_169505045786

Hit 300 Facebook Fans!

Well, that's pretty cool! My Whitt's Kits Facebook page hit 300 fans while I was sick with the flu, how cool is that?

As Facebook rules prohit contests, drawings and such, we have to do them on our Blogs....so, folks: FOLLOW THIS BABY and WIN!! Lol!

I am assuming people might have a crazy weekend like I do this week, so I will have the drawing Sunday night from my followers here on the blog. This time's prize is a pair of pillowcase kits, YOUR CHOICE from either my eBay or Etsy store! There are some pretty pillowcases there, so click that little button! You know you want to...go on...DO IT!

Have a GREAT day ~ it's beautiful and sunny here in New Hampshire!
Quilty hugs, all! ~ Carrie

PS. Here is a link to the ones in my eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Whitts-Kits-Fabrics-Quilting-Crafts_Pillowcase-Kits_W0QQ_fsubZ10463955QQ_sidZ56499600QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322
and here are the ones on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhittsKitsFabrics?section_id=6974143 so you can take a peek!

(The one at the top of this post is on Etsy, using RJR Heirloom Lilac fabrics!)