Happy New Years Eve!

What will you do differently in 2011?

Jane Sassaman is coming to Stuart, FL!

Wow...she'll be teaching at 

the Jam Patch Quilt Store on

February 7,8 & 9, 2011

You can get all the info by clicking

on the link to the quilt store.

Hurry and sign up !

American Cancer Society, Relay For Life @ Martin County High School (Florida)

I saw these wonderful women participating in the Relay For Life...they really live the phrase joie de vivre

A White Christmas in Batesburg, SC

These photos were taken by the Manchesters:  Art, Margaret, Mel and Riley. Thank You so much.

Merry Christmas Eve...

Vehicle Insurance in Florida....

Did you know...per the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation...a Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Assessment is included in your total policy premium. This assessment is for your CAR insurance!

This is Melanie Testa!

I love her art, her chutzpah, her cat...everything! And now I love her even more because now I know how to prop the Flip recorder to make videos when there is no one around to help. YEAH! Click on her name:    Melanie Testa

Great finds at the Hospice Thrift!

I found a Cool Tool by LeCreuset for 25 cents. I really loved it for the color and "jelly-ish" feel. I had to google it to find out that it's a trivet, pot holder, skid mat, jar opener, and garlic peeler (yep). Then I found Lilly Pulitzer fabric. Lilly is Lilly...I'm making a project to submit to Altered Couture magazine and you could too...just check out their submission page. I'll let you know how it goes in a future post! Hospice Thrift in Stuart, Florida info: http://www.tchospice.org/thrift-store

Ho, ho, ho...need a free HP Printer to print fabric?

Well, Pioneer Woman is giving away a ton of stuff. I already have THREE printers and each one does something special that I like. Then I thought if I got this one I could get rid of the three...unless YOU win it. I've been printing fabric sheets of photos of friends and making personalized Christmas gifts.

Printed Treasures (by Dritz) is a great product with excellent results. They offer quick and easy, step by step instructions and it's pretty much fool proof  (I was successful! ha, ha)

I finished my projects and wrapped them...forgot to take a photo, but I'm ready to do more and will post them in a future blog post.

Here's the link to the HP site where you can get more information:  http://h71028.www7.hp.com/hho/cache/784-0-0-39-121.html

P.S. Pioneer Woman is also giving away a Candy Apple Red Kitchen Aid Mixer (I think they cost over $200). I have a hand mixer in the cupboard and I haven't seen it in 20 years. Once, I considered making banana bread and bringing it out...then I found some chocolate cookies in the frig....and forgot all about the mixer...ha, ha, ha.

Oil Spill Activity: Sorting the Gulf Ecosystem

From the National Geographic site:

The rich habitats of the Gulf of Mexico help make it one of the most ecologically and economically productive bodies of water in the world. Its environments range from sandy, ever-shifting barrier islands to muddy, tide-washed marshes, from frigid dark zones miles deep to immense islands of floating seaweed. Even before the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion on April 20, 2010, which spewed millions of barrels of oil into the water, the Gulf was battling serious problems, including overfishing, extensive wetlands loss, and a huge oxygen-starved "dead zone" at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The oil spill is affecting every habitat, testing the Gulf's resilience.



Teal Duet Rayon Scarf

                                                                             Create this quick and easy scarf with a half yard of each fabric in a kit. There is enough fabric to make it 18" wide and 89" long. That's a lot of scarf for some innovative wrapping, tying, and knotting. See the fabric swatches below for the true colors. Or just get the scarf.

Self Collar & Cuff Jacket with Leaves

I've been working on this quilted jacket for a few years. It took a long time to do the free motion and the

    satin stitching...and I was almost done and ready to sew it up into a jacket. Then, I beaded ONE leaf....
    OMG....

Stuart Green Market

The Stuart Green Market is located in front of the City Hall

Music for the Green Market

Behind City Hall

Dock behind City Hall

Boardwalk from the dock

Short walk around the corner

To the Downtown area

Step down and have a seat

And wait while the band sets up for afternoon Jazz

Then to Mulligans for a beer

North Point's iBand on iPad

See the apps they used

Robert Redford's request for help in saving the Bryce Canyon, Utah area

The headline reads:  Utah approves a mine next to Bryce Canyon for coal America doesn't need.

An excerpt:  The truth is we don't need this coal. The developers claim they have a contract with a Utah utility, but they won't disclose which one. It's questionable whether local utilities even have the need for such sizeable quantities of coal. Instead, rumors indicate that a lot of the coal will be hauled to a West Coast port for shipping, possibly overseas. If the company is so confident there is a market for its product, it should name its buyers.

Read the entire article here.

Papaya crop...

Well, I guess one papaya a year ain't bad...I guess the birds and bugs felt bad for me...they let me have one.

Alexander McQueen Clutch

Leather and Denim Cuff by Mano Bello





This is an awesome "cuff" made by Mano Bello

Jensen Beach, FL is mentioned on the Ellen Show this morning

The Jensen Beach Target got a mention today...well, Target was the inocent bystander. A man was arrested for sunbathing nude at the intersection to the Target store. Well, 'tis the season...

Turning the television off now.

Win a Nikon D90 from Pioneer Woman

No, I don't work for Ree at Pioneer Woman but I have been following her blog for a while. She gives away awesome gifts. This is the second camera since I've started following her blog! All you have to do is answer her question in the "leave a comment". This is a lovely camera. Also, check out her Photoshop editing challenges!

Spinach and Gruyere Soup from Pioneer Woman

OMG! Two of my most favorite food...spinach and Gruyere cheese...it has a little garlic too...but that goes without saying...I'm just sayin'. We had two days of cold weather in the 50's. Palm trees don't like it any colder than that. But anyway...I digress...it's soup weather here. I want to makes sure that you know I got this from my favorite blogger "The Pioneer Woman". When I first looked at her blog...I thought, "What could we have in common?" She lives near Tulsa, has wild 'stangs, cooks up a storm on the Today Show and The View, she doesn't sew, I don't cook...well, the answer is:  her great sense of humor!

As I was writing this post (and watching the Today Show) Ree (aka The Pioneer Woman) and Al made cinnamon rolls. No garlic...forget it!

On the Rocks - Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

This is one of the groups on the "Sing Off". The've gotten over a million hits on Youtube.

Aqua, teal, and brown Rayon Batik

As someone who dyes fabric (and loves all fabric), I couldn't resist these two coordinating rayon batiks. I love everything about them. And they drape well. Wow.

Silk Painting by Susan Moyer

Silk Painting The Artist's Guide to Gutta and Wax Resist Techniques

This is my favorite book on Silk Painting. Once you've read this book...you will not have any questions. The photos of her samples and step-by-step instruction are beyond belief. It makes you want to dive right in and start...but, be sure to have several days set aside because you won't want to stop to eat or sleep. Make sure you have lots of supplies and silk fabric. You'll be amazed at the excellence of your silk painting...the first time! Make a big pan of sausage, oven dried tomatoes, and pasta and tell your family where it is so you don't have to stop. Oh, put lots of cheese on the pasta.

Cheese solves everything...

Something was missing...add a lot of cheese...

Juno Shoe Girl: Experience Shoevana!

Juno Shoe Girl was at the Stuart Craft Show. She had the cutest sandals that had snap on embellishment that you can change. How cool is that? The sandals themselves are cool enough. I tried on the different styles and found them to be very flattering for even wide, small feet (that would be me). All the leather is top quality and the embellishment selection is beautiful enough to be jewelry! I was fascinated by the turtles and her stylized realism. She has blinged flowers, sealife, abstract shapes, and it was difficult to decide. I guess that's the marketing plan! Juno Girl sandals will be in Tootsie's in the Spring.