Family Time

Rance & Olivia arrived on Wednesday August 11th.  We were thrilled to have them here.  Rance has a beautiful, sweet wife and we are proud to have her in the family. 

Olivia, Roger and Rance

We were able to do a lot of different things with them.  On Thursday afternoon we went to the new IMAX theatre in Simpsonville.  We saw Inception.  It was a wind, fast paced movie.  I think it is on of those that you can see many times and still see something new each time.  The IMAX experience is something else.  You feel like you are actually in the movie because of the huge screen!
Olivia and I did some shopping Thursday morning.  We had a great time.  Rance and Roger toured the new garage.  Rance loved what his dad had done.
On Friday morning we left for Myrtle Beach.  Olivia had never seen the beach before.  Traffic was a little hairy at times, and HOT HOT HOT!  We stayed at the Palace Resort.  Our two bedroom suite had two balconies with views of the ocean.  We were on the 23rd floor!  You know I don't like heights.  I almost puked when I stepped out onto the balcony with Roger.  Too high for me.  A storm rolled through on Friday night and cooled things down a bit. 
We arrived early enough to go down to the beach and walk prior to sunset.  It was beautiful.  Olivia was so surprised at how beautiful it was.  We stayed up late Friday night playing cards and talking.  What wonderful time together.

Rance, Shelia and Olivia

Saturday it was overcast so not too hot.  We spent the morning on the beach getting bashed by the waves.  The winds were too strong for parasailing so we opted to play on the beach.
Rance and Olivia wanted to see the Dixie Stampeed so we booked the 8pm show.  During the afternoon we spend walking the boardwalk, seeing the Bowery (where Alabama got their start) and shopping.
While eating a snack I dropped food on my shirt (the one I was wearing to the Dixie Stampeed) so I needed to find another shirt while shopping.  We stopped at the outlet mall.  I found a great sale at Old Navy and purchased several shirts.  When leaving I walked into a sports shop where we found some Florida Gator stuff and then I spotted a Denver Bronco's shirt.  (Tebow is now playing NFL for the Bronco's).

Oliva, Rance, Shelia and Roger

As you can see, everyone else also liked the shirt I found, so we decided to wear them to the Dixie Stampeed.  We didn't have any trouble finding each other at the stadium.  We had a great time and the show was wonderful.
We returned home on Sunday the 15th.  Mom and Dad came up and we all grilled out steaks.  We had a grea time together and all six of us played cards until late.  Mom and Rance kicked our butts in rummy.

Monday night we took Rance and Olivia to Kampi Tokyo, a japanese steakhouse here in Greenville.  We had great food and our chef did a wonderful job.  Olivia had never been to this type of restaurant.  They gave here real chop sticks as a souvenier. 



Tuesday was spent getting things ready for their return home.  We sure hated to see them go.  What a wonderful week.  Now we have to get back to work so we can plan another fun gathering.  Maybe next time all the kids and grandkids can be here at the same time. 

My quilt guild show is coming up soon.  I have got to get things done to enter into the show.  So much to do and so little time left.  The flyer for our show is beautiful.  We will have a special exhibit honoring our veterans.  I can't wait to see all of the beautiful patriotic quilts.

Guess I better get busy and get my entries completed.  I must have my entry forms to our registration chairman by Sept. 7th.  And I won't turn in the form if I don't have the item completed.

Happy Quilting,

Shelia

Working on My Challenge Project for Guild

Susan is in charge of our Guild Challenge this year and our theme is Circles of Creativity.  Our challenge is to design, create and complete a quilted project from one of the two circles of fabric we were given.  The "quilt" must be turned in at the September 2010 meeting.  We can use both circles but only one is required.  The circle used for inspiration MUST be included on the back of the quilt if it is not used on the front, along with a description of how it was influential in your creation of the design of your quilt on the label.
This is the one of the circles of fabric I received and the one I am using for my challenge project. 

I'm picking out fabric from my stash today to work on the project.  The colors are beautiful.  So watch later on for how the project is coming along.   I can't show you my draft pictures at this time.......shhhhhh.   But later I will show hints.

Last night I attended the beautiful memorial service for my dear friend Antoinette.  She has a wonderful family........My friend you will be truly missed.
Happy Quilting today,
Shelia

In Memorium

Today I lost a dear friend of 16 years.  Antoinette Ruff Johnson.  She lost her battle with cancer today.  I shall always remember her undying devotion to her God, her family, her staff and friends but most of all her beautiful smile. 
Antoinette was always one of the most positive people I have ever known.  She never had a unkind thing to say about anyone, no matter what.  She and I shared the same favorite verse:
Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understandings.  In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.
Today she is at peace and enjoying the reward of her labors here on earth. 
I am proud to call her my friend!
Antoinette you will be greatly missed by all those who loved you. 
Antoinette and I worked together as nurses and managers for almost 16 years.  Her dedication to her patients and staff was unwavering.  What a blessing that this week her oldest daughter Madeline sat for her nursing boards, "following in mom's footsteps".  How wonderful that she was still here to see her daughter fulfill this dream.  I know she will also be a wonderful, caring nurse.

The picture above was taken a few days after Antoinette was diagnosed with cancer.  The smile never left her face.  She knew and would tell everyone that God was in control of the outcome and she would trust him and follow his will. 

This picture is of Antoinette and me with a group of my Arbonne team when I was receiving my New mercedes .  Antoinette was the person who introduced me to Arbonne and in the process changed my life.  What a wonderful loving friend.

Thanks Antoinette for the many gifts that you've shared with everyone but most of all for giving me the gift of your friendship.  You will forever be in my HEART!

On November 20, 2004 Antoinette and Jim asked me as a Notary if I would honor them by Marrying them.  What an honor for me.  Jim and Antoinette had 5 1/2 years together.  They had been high school sweethearts who had each gone their separate ways and had found each other again many years later.  I was blessed to be part of that special day.

Be mindful each day of the people in your life who are special.  Don't forget to tell those you love home much they mean to you. 

Many Blessings,

Shelia

  

Redo

My Bee friend Debbie insisted last week that I let her re-do one of the strips I received in my poster project.  It was one that the person just photocopied the strip and printed onto fabric.  I was just going to make do with what I received and thread paint the heck out of it, but Debbie persisted and I finally gave in.
BOY AM I GLAD I GAVE IN!!  I received a wonderful new strip back from Debbie.  What a difference this makes.

The 2nd strip from the top is the re-do from Debbie.  Boy what a difference.  I hope to get this completed and quilted to be in our Quilt Show in September.

Thanks again Debbie for all the beautiful work.

Hope you all have a great quilting day.  I'm off to work and then the surgeon's appointment this afternoon.

Shelia

Guess What We're Doing This Weekend!

Friday night my Bee girls came over and we had another great evening of quilting and laughing.  After everyone left around midnight I loaded the dishwasher, started it and went to bed.
Saturday morning Roger and I woke to a horrible suprise..........our dishwasher had flooded the kitchen and dinning room.  Wood floors saturated!
So we spent Saturday pulling up flooring and trying to dry out the rooms.  What a ## mess.

The Criminal

Found quilty of TREASON!








We were able to find matching flooring.....thank goodness since our entire house is the same flooring!

Here we've gotten part of the flooring and pad removed and drying the subfloor.  Preventing mold is the top priority in my book.

This is looking from the dishwasher into the dinning room and flooring had to be removed all the way to the fireplace.  We had to push the refrigerator into the other side of the dinning room so we could remove flooring under it also.

We just returned from Lowe's purchasing a new dishwasher.  I should have bought stock in that place 3 years ago before we started the garage...........They know Roger by name there and at Home Depot!  I praise God that I have a wonderful husband who is able to do all the labor for these projects.  What a blessing.

Guess there will be no quilting for me today.

Many Blessings,

Shelia

Working on UFO (unfinished object)

I've decided to work on another UFO in my stash.  This was a round robin (a round robin is where a group of quilters work on a project during the year and then return it to the owner at the end of the year).  This was a poster challenge round robin.  Each person picked out a poster that they liked.  You then had to cut the poster into six pieces, there were 6 ladies in the group. 
This is my poster after I cut into six pieces.

The owner of the poster then chose one of the pieces and pieced that piece in fabric to match the poster.  The next month you passed a box with the poster pieces,  your pieced part and any goodies you wanted onto the next person in the rotation.  They then had two months to decide on their part and piece it.  The rotation continued until the last section was pieced.  We revealed our poster recreations at our Christmas guild meeting.
I chose stip # 6 which was the bottom.  This is what I wrote in the journal that went with the project.  This is a picture of the box I sent my pieces in with candy for each person.  Cute hugh!

March 2008- Please enjoy the goodies enclosed while you work on the poster quilt.  I enjoyed piecing the bottom piece.  Hope that you like the poster. 
Please take a picture of the strip you make with the disposable camera enclosed and don't forget to sign the label enclosed.
Record anything in the journal you want while working on the quilt. 
Thanks for being part of the round robin---Shelia Chandler

Strip #1 was pieced by my mother and this is what she wrote in my journal.
April 2008-I finished my strip on Monday and had a good time working on it.  I never thought I would be able to machine applique.  Just have to learn to go SLOW.  Hope you like it.--Love Betty Adams (MOM)

Strip #5 was pieced by Susan Perham and this is what she wrote in my journal.
July 2008- Hi Shelia!  I'm writing in July because June was a month of vacation for our family.  I chose a piece that I thought was very interesting.  I struggled and FINALLY gave up after many attempts at creating a shadow for the pot on strip 5.  I could NOT get it to match.  I think you'll have to do it when you quilt it.  However, I am quite pleased with the silk ribbon I used to tie the bamboo together.  I hope you enjoy!--Susan Perham

Strip #3 was pieced by Dee Ross and this is what she wrote in my journal.
August 2008- Shelia, I enjoyed working on your poster.  It was the smallest one yet!  I put the shadows on with colored pencils.  It was the only way I could think of doing it.  It turned out o.k.  Thanks for the goodies too!!  Hope you like the poster.  Love, Dee Ross

Strip #4 was pieced by Brandee Lewis and this is what she wrote in my journal.
Sept. 20, 2008--Shelia, I hope you are enjoying the round robin.  I enjoyed making yours.  It was nice to have a small strip.  I found it easier to match up.  I hope you love the finished product.  I'm getting anxious to see mine!  Enjoy--Brandee Lewis

Strip #2 was pieced by Elizabeth King and this is what she wrote in my journal.
November 2008--It's done!!  I'm not artistic, but had fun with my limited skills.  Have fun putting it all together!  Elizabeth King

We all put a lot of hard work into designing each part of every quilt that we worked on.  It was so intersting to see all of the finished pieces.

Below is a picture on the left of the poster taped back together and the finished strips on the right that I received back from all of my round robin quilters.  Now it is up to me to complete the poster wallhanging.  I plan on doing a lot of thread painting, this should be a great project to hone those skills. 

I have been dreading the completion of this project for a long time as I was not quite sure what to do with all of the various colors of backgrounds etc., but I know think I am doing to piece it together and just have some fun thread painting!  I'll blog about the progress as it goes.

Hope you have a great day quilting.....I've got to run to work now.

Shelia