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{Sigh} I’ve been so busy this weekend, I haven’t even had time to read your blogs! Yesterday I mowed and then went to MyDadLovesMeBestSister’s to photograph MeMum’s quilts for a little project I have in mind. Holy Cow, I thought I was in the desert somewhere. It was HOT here this weekend — it felt like July outside and I was dripping wet out there taking pictures. Then I came home to change my shirt and my car died. At least I was at home! Today I made curtains for our admin assistant’s little girl — very glad to get that little task out of the way.

Tonight, TheManoftheHouse and I towed the car to the dealer’s. He said it was my idea to tow it there. Is he NUTS? Yeah, I said “We’ll have to tow it.” Did I mean WE would do it? No-oo. That means call a tow truck. So, when he said ok, and then made plans for us to do it, I just went with the flow. Fortunately, everything went well, unless you count all the times he yelled at me. LOL.

Several of you asked to see the booty from my visit to Clementine’s. Here ’tis:

The brown Kaffe Fassett fabric in the foreground is the print that Camilla helped me pick out for the Magoo Monkey pattern. I think it will be cute (if I ever get around to it!) Camilla actually had all three background colors of the Martha Negley cupcakes. I bought the aqua one in the spring and I had to hunt all over the internet for it. I ordered it at one place and they said they were out of it and couldn’t get anymore. I finally found it at another place and she said I got the last of her yardage. (I certainly couldn’t own a fabric shop, ’cause every time I got near the end of the bolt, I’d have to hoard it for myself.) Anyway, if you’ve been hunting that aqua cupcake fabric, Camilla’s your woman!

A week or so ago, both Lucy and Nicollette tagged me for the 8 Honest Things about yourself meme. I’ve been thinking about this all week — it’s been really hard to come up with 8 things and I’ve probably told you about some of them before:

1. I don’t like massages. I know most people love them, but I just hate them. Sometimes I wonder if maybe my skin is sensitive compared to other people or something — I just find them very annoying.
2. I love to eat outside.
3. I love camping.
4. Are you sensing a theme here? My grandfather and great-grandfather were gov’t trappers. They loved the out of doors. That must be where #2 and #3 came from.
5. I’ll always feel very sad that I never had a daughter. There better be granddaughters! LOL.
6. I need to learn how to say no to people who don’t sew. I did say no this week to people who don’t make cupcakes.
7. I looked in the mirror and guess who’s eyes were looking at me? My Grandma’s.
8. Now here’s my really honest confession: I recently had a birthday and didn’t tell you because I’m. Not. Happy. About. It. How dumb is that? Don’t you think we should be happy for every year we get?  I hope I’m over it now. LOL.

And, in honor of #8 and Junie’s recent birthday, the Quilty Peeps and I are celebrating by going to The Big Apple. We’ll be gone all week. And in a VERY IRONIC twist, we’re going to see Martha and her guest is going to be a geriatric physician. We couldn’t have planned that if we tried!

You kids be good while I’m gone.
XOXO,
Anna

P.S. I’m supposed to tag someone for the 8 things meme, but I can’t remember who’s done it. If you haven’t done it, do some soul searching and fess up! Or show us your jugs, whichever you choose!!!

Look, Look, LOOKie!!!! I’ve got my very own GOOOOOAAAATTTTSSSS!!!! Isn’t it exciting???

Aren’t they cute???

Whaaat? You don’t believe me? Just because I’m a city girl? Well, I do. I have my very own goats.

Ok….so I don’t have to feed them — they’re on notecards! The very fabulous Ms. Rohanknitter sent them to me ’cause it was my lucky day a few weeks ago and I just happened to be the first one on her blog to guess that she and her family were going to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs play baseball. (Isabelle, you must forgive the excitement of my run-on sentence!) Just look at all the goodies she sent me.

Goat notecards, cute little paper folders, notepaper with pen (check out those cute sheep on the green ribbon) and some beautiful hot pink extra fine merino yarn. I love hot pink. Thank you, Thank you Karen, for the super prize package! And HOW did you know that Hot Chocolate is my drink of choice? Not tea, not coffee — my very favorite is Hot Chocolate! You Rock, My Dear!

And if that weren’t enough luck, I’ve won two other contests in the last month. They say luck runs in threes and it must be so. (I joked with Marianne that I couldn’t enter her contest because I’d won two this month and I wanted to save my third win to go and buy a lottery ticket — but du-uh, I forgot — I’ve already won three contests.) Anyway, I won two beautiful patterns — the very sweet Cottage Garden Bag from Cinderberry Stitches and the ever-so-cool Magoo from Melly & Me. Thank you — all of you girls — I love everything and you’re all so generous! Please go and visit all of their blogs — they’re all full of great ideas and inspiration.
And also, don’t forget to check in with Hollycakes . She’s going to be having some giveaways (I heard the WS- word — shhhh, Williams Sonoma — among others) and some voting. And besides, you have to get over there to see her very hip, trend-setting cats in their bibs! Scruff saw those bibs and just started whining — he wants to feel the Lakehouse Bib Love too.
XOXO,
Anna

I hope you’ve had a very lovely weekend! Ours was picture perfect and I was able to spend the days puttering around doing the things I love most: mowing, cleaning out the car (not a whole lotta love there!), and sewing. And last but not least, catch up on some blogs!

Last week, Mrs. Staggs challenged us to get out into our neighborhoods and notice the things around us. And take some pictures. I was busy sewing in the dungeon and SweetiePie came and asked me if I’d like to go for “a tandem.” Why yes I would! And it would be the perfect opportunity to do as Mrs. Staggs suggested and take some neighborhood pictures. Before we even got started, I took a quick picture of a rather portly Scruff over there on the right — he was a little miffed at having been left behind.
SweetiePie and I went to the garage and got out the old blue tandem that belongs to BigDaddy and MeMum. I love to ride the tandem, especially when someone else is in the driver’s seat! We had a wonderful time, but I must tell you that little SweetiePie is a little ruthless when at the helm of a bicycle-built-for-two. No slow-poke touring for Miss SweetiePie. No-o-o. She’s a motivated dare-devil. I was a little concerned that perhaps I shouldn’t have brought my camera along — the odds of crashing with the poor girl dragging me along behind her were probably pretty high!

I did attempt to take a few pictures. I begged SweetiePie to stop, but she was on a mission. Have you ever tried to take pictures while you’re pedaling? ‘Taint easy! Most of them looked like this:

Can you tell what that is? It’s a neighbor’s friendly little dog. Sure wish I could have patted him on the head and begged him to pose nicely for a picture! Great shot as we zoomed by.

I did manage to get two, non-blurry pictures. Some pretty pink flowers at the bottom of someone’s driveway and a pedestrian crossing sign. That sign was put in place just for daredevils like SweetiePie — to slow down and don’t run over the poor people crossing the road.

Before long, we were back home so I took a quick picture of my Rose of Sharon before the sun slipped too far behind the trees. We had a fun time — thanks for the idea Mrs. Staggs! I need to remember to get out in my own neighborhood more often.

Before I go, just wanted to mention a few things I saw while blog-surfing:

• Portebello Pixie is making some very cute Halloween garlands.
• Check out Chookyblue‘s blog. Her camera is in for a multi-week repair so I casually suggested that if each of her blog friends would send her a picture, she’d have blog-fodder to last until the camera was returned. She ran with that idea and she’s done some funny stuff. I’m very impressed that she managed to come up with a topic for mug shots of pinocchio.
• Have you seen these little hats before? I think they’d be pretty fun to make.
• I think I’ve probably told you this before, but I just love these gratitude posts.
• And, be sure you keep up with the Blog-able Feast by Hollycakes — rumor has it there are give-aways in the near future!

Happy Monday!

XOXO,
Anna