Home Sweet Home

We arrived home from our awesome China Tour yesterday.  It's all but a memory now.  You wouldn't believe the awesome things we saw.  And there's nothing like being submerged in the culture to understand.  The next few days will be quiet.  Well, except for having a nice family BBQ this Sunday.  We're celebrating Patience's birthday, and young Miss Aurora will help me make and decorate a cake for her mama.

I'll take me some time to sift through all my photos, but for now, I'll leave you with this short adorable panda video.   This panda is named  You You (sounds like YoYo) and was named by the Chinese school children in the City of Chongquing.  We saw at least 7 or 8 pandas all enjoying their morning snack of bamboo.

Beautiful Beijing Weather

Later today, we leave for Toronto to catch our 13 hour flight China tomorrow.   The next two weeks has us touring highlights of China such as the Terracotta Warriers, the Great Wall of China, the Three Gorges Dam,  The Panda Bears, visiting a silk factory and much much more.

We are so excited and nervous, but having the beautiful sunshine predicted over the next couple of weeks, sure has us warming up and relaxing a bit.  

I'll try to post some highlights along the way.

A new bike for Aurora

Because of the snow, Aurora practiced riding her new bike in the basement.  It was fun.

A hates to get her hair done, but it's fun when your cousin is entertaining you.

Emily, "The Entertainer"

Happy Easter Snow

A beautiful white snow blankets  Freddy Beach and most of the Maritimes on this Easter Morning.  

The preparations for Easter started yesterday when Grace and Caitlin were making Easter Banners.   I didn't get a photo of the final finish, but here are two girls hard at work making them.  

Caitlin's big drawing problem is "People".  But I think she did a great job with this little girl.  

Grace was testing out my new deluxe water color set.  Beside brushes, it had a sponge, a palette knife and a beginners instruction book.   It's going to be a great banner.

I had my own preparation to do.  Besides preparing for a big Easter Dinner, we made some treats for the kids that they can have when they go home.

Happy Easter!

It's a Zig Zag Baby Quilt

Today, two of my grand daughters, Grace and Caitlin are coming with me to a family baby shower.  My sister in law's daughter is becoming a grandmother for the second time and everyone is excited about the imminent arrival of this little babe. 

Since we don't know if baby is a boy or a girl, we kept our home made gifts neutral.   Lots of color.  I loved making this zig zag quilt with straight line quilting.   It's sort of modern.   All the fabric came from a 8-pack of fat quarters that I bought while south last month.  It was fun to make all the matching little things.  

The polka dot "Take-Along-Bag" is adorned with  applique "Baby" and will be useful for anything baby.   I made a little wristlet out of left over fabric and it has a little surprise inside.  It could be used to carry soothers, or just a little snack.  All the zigs on the quilt are made with various fabrics from the 8-pack.  The scrappy neutrals were extra. 

Of course I mentioned the other day, that I have a little mystery gift too.   It's all wrapped and  Caitlin and Grace will give it to the new mom.  They will help guide her as to what it's used for.  They'll have fun "being in the know".

My Scoreboard

I bought myself a Martha Stewart Scoreboard.  What a neat thing.  I think it's used mostly by scrapbookers.   I bought one for my sister's birthday last year and I was really fascinated that you could make little gift bags and boxes with standard scrapbook paper. 

Check out the video at the end of this blogpost if you want to make this style of box yourself.  I made these two boxes.  Easy peasy.   After I put the gift in the package, I will close up the tops and put a ribbon on to close.

These little packages are the perfect size to hold a special mystery gift for a double baby shower this weekend.   The new moms will have to guess what this little home made gift is used for. 

I can't show you the mystery gift now, but I will after the baby shower.  



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Welcome Home!

Welcome Home!   With a big inviting smile, that's what the customs guy said to us as we crossed the border.   You know, I thought it was nice and a touching sentiment, just the way he said it.   It was good to be across the border and driving down the river valley.  Yep, we're home.

But to tell you the truth, there was one thing I really wanted to accomplish while away.   I wanted to finish stitching my last, and it happens to be the largest block on my Winter Wonderland project.   I had been putting it off... not sure why... just procrastination I guess.    I stitched like mad the last few hours of the drive.  I didn't want to disappoint myself by not getting my one most important item done on my list.    Ahh....   that feels so good to be done.

The next phase for this project is to finish piecing the blocks that make the border.    That will have to wait until May because we're packing again for another big trip.