Friday, January 30, 2015

Prepare to Get Real Sick of Disney Posts

There won't be *that* many Disney posts, but we did have a really great time with my mom, my brother, and his girlfriend Becky and we got lots of great pictures. There are kind of two main types of pictures you get when you go to Disney World. Adorable family pictures.

STUDIO_MUPPET_7155921544

EPCOT_LIVINSEAS_7158389562

STUDIO_LEGENDSOFHLYWD_7156717567

It looks like mom is gnawing Eddy's elbow in that picture. Why? No idea.

MK_MERMAIDBRIDGEICONNC_7154616896

STUDIO_SUNSET2_7157901748

Also, there's this.


You're welcome.

The second category of pictures is ride pictures.

STUDIO_ROCKNRCOASTERRIDE_7156437328

MK_SPACEMOUNTAINB_7155484114

MK_SPACEMOUNTAINA_7155471857

MK_SPACEMOUNTAINA_7154340387

STUDIO_ROCKNRCOASTERRIDE_7157959213

On Spaceship Earth (aka the EPCOT golf ball) they take your picture and then insert it into hilarious videos. Needless to say there were some good shots from this ride as well.

IMG958679

IMG_20150115_171459400

IMG_20150115_171501747

We look a little different when we're posed pretty than when we're on rides let's just say.

Friday, January 23, 2015

The One Week Bathroom

Two houses later, Eddy and I are getting decidedly better at home renovation.  Our latest claim to fame is that we renovated our guest bath in just one week. Gasp!

Here's a before shot.

2150.18

Granted, it wasn't a total gut job, but we did repair major plumbing,

DSCF4074

remove and replace tile,

DSCF4075

DSCF4077

and take our first stab at wallpapering (wallpaper courtesy of Janelle!)...

DSCF4102

DSCF4103

DSCF4107

to mention just a fraction of the work that took place in that room.  Not bad for a week's work!

DSCF4117

IMG_20150105_140202958_HDR

DSCF4118

Since these photos were taken, we've added some really schmancy towels and towel hooks and some other finishing touches, but we've also basically moved into this bathroom seeing as we have now gutted our master bath, so it's not currently so picture perfect.

We are crazy people. Truly.

Friday, January 16, 2015

8 Is A Lot of Legs, David

This year for my brother's birthday, I practically couldn't help but make him a Mario Bros. one up pillow.  You might remember I made him a Mario quilt last year for Christmas.

It all started with my own pattern (which I totally pieced together from several quilts I saw on Pinterest).

IMG_20150102_104621

At first, this seemed like a quilt that would take, oh, about 10 minutes. But anyway you slice it 400 blocks measuring 1 1/2" square is a lot of blocks. All I could think about was that scene from Love Actually where Natalie's mom observes, "Eight is a lot of legs, David."


Maybe you had to be there?

Then I used this weird method for piecing wee little pieces of fabric that I love/hate. Great for accuracy, but so. much. pressing.

IMG_20150102_162001

Finally I pieced all of my pieces together...

IMG_20150103_170817202_HDR

added some super cute backing and, of course, one of my 2015 quilt labels (hot off the presses)...

IMG_20150103_170900070

and wrapped it all up to give to him on our Disney trip!

IMG_20150103_171637008_HDR

Remember, kids. 400 is a lot of blocks, Evan.

Friday, January 9, 2015

The Office of Mr. Moose

Ever since Eddy got his very own (not shared!) office (not cubicle!) at work with his name on the door and everything we've been talking about decorating it so that it wasn't so workplace drab in there.  It only took us 2 years to get around to it.

Here are some before shots.

IMG_20141130_114354098_HDR

IMG_20141130_114404143_HDR

See, "workplace drab."

Then we spent a couple of weeks making paintings, lamps,

DSCF4157

pillows, vases, and a shelf shaped like the letter "E".

DSCF4158

Here's Eddy's new office!

IMG_20141130_150030139_HDR

Yep.  That's a moose rug.

IMG_20141130_145940625

IMG_20141130_145949574_HDR

Don't look at me. I mostly just sat around eating popcorn the whole time.

IMG_20141130_123118031

Saturday, January 3, 2015

2014 Quilt Catch Up

New Years resolution: blog more!  I thought I would kick things off with a catch up of what I've been quilting since October (the last time we made a blog post...  oops.) Here are just a few of my favorite more recent projects from 2014.

Perhaps one of my favorite projects this year was the pillows I made for our couch! I made a small bunny pillow and used lots of fancy stitches to quilt the pillow top.

IMG_20140806_144219

IMG_20150103_175446718

My favorite pillow I made (and one of my favorite little quilts I've ever made) was our house pillow. It all started with me designing my very first ever paper piecing pattern.

IMG_20140807_142933

Here's the finished top.  Ten points if you can figure out how the picture above corresponds to the finished top...

IMG_20140818_171754

And a view of the quilting (one of my first attempts ever!)

IMG_20150103_175707380_HDR

Here's a peek at the backs (complete with label)

IMG_20150103_175544626_HDR

Here are the two together in their new home!

IMG_20150103_175754992

Eddy and I also collaborated on a quilt for Eddy's half brother Ian's wedding with his new wife Allison. Eddy picked out all of the fabrics and I also made him bury all the threads (because I am so nice!)

DSCF4033

Here's the layout (un-sewn and un-quilted...)

IMG_20141002_143851

and a shot of the binding!

IMG_20141027_132942

Here's the finished top.

DSCF4126

I even made a fancy back!

DSCF4029

It says "Ian heart Allison" or "Allison heart Ian" depending on which way you read it.

DSCF4129

The last quilt project I'll share was actually started years ago! Like, on Road Trip 2013, when Eddy and I gathered fabrics from practically every quilt shop we passed. I also did the piecing way back in 2013, but just now took a stab at quilting a large (queen sized!) quilt myself. Here's a close up of the front with quilting and some of the back (the gold and white) showing.

IMG_20150103_175913641

This was my last project of 2014, finished December 27!

IMG_20150103_175952203_HDR

And here it is all cozied up to another quilt in its new home.

IMG_20150103_175808442

Looks like there's room for some 2015 quilts in that cabinet!