Favorite Things Friday

Friday, already?  Time sure flies when we're busy.  But I'm glad to be here with a relatively calm clear day ahead.  I may get to do quite a bit of quilting, and then maybe not.  I'm still decluttering and I may have a load to take to our church for the June Festival - they have a boutique booth for which they do need donations. I couldn't believe the weather yesterday - it was so mild, we had the windows open all day. Usually we have to close them by 10 if it is going to be hot or 9 if it is going to be super hot.  Our high was a mere 78 and I was loving it.  Here's what I saw on my gardening hour outside:

 Here's an opuntia planting above the well behind the house.  It's blooming away right now.

This Opuntia has small round flowers that don't form a seed pod (tuna) of any dimension really.  They are just so colorful and when they are backlighted they look like Christmas tree lights blinking in the sun.

 Here's a close up of them - those yellow ones in the picture will eventually turn orange-red also.

And further down the well is where I planted some gazanias the other day.  I'll be able to see these from the hall window.

 Their blooming their heads off already!  Aren't they a beautiful color?

And here is one of my very favorites - I call it forever flowering bouquet.  Those really aren't flowers  - their inner leaves of the cluster.  This is a succulent and actually a bit tender - once it gets really hot in the summer, I'll be covering it with shade cloth as the edges of the leaves will turn brown from too much sun. 

I'm linking to Shay's Favorite Things Friday , Tootsie Time's Flaunt your Flowers and Amanda's Serenity Now Weekend's Bloggy Reading.  Won't you share your favorite thing with us?  Have a great weekend!

Favorite Things Friday 5/18/12

I'm happy to report still some flowers in the garden. This one was a surprise - a late bloomer. It is the palest purple iris I have ever seen.  I bought the tuber at a Iris Society sale of unknowns. This is the first year it has bloomed.  Lovely as it is I can see why it may not be cultivated and given a name.  The flowers only last a couple of days.  Here's another shot: 

 

This rose is one my mother rooted for me from her beautiful roses.  Last year this plant was only a stick with a few leaves and I thought I was going to lose it.  Hasn't it come back beautifully?  I'm looking for a place where I can plant it in the yard.

Last, but not least is the tomato plant that refuses to give up.  My husband has a replacement plant for the one in our grower.  I told him as soon as this one stops producing - out it goes.  But for a one scraggly stemmed plant that has a lot of dead leaves it keeps producing, producing producing - won't give up as it approaches its year anniversary.

That's it from my garden.  What's your favorite thing this friday? Go on over to Shay's Favorite Thing Friday button on my sidebar and check out what others are posting.

Oh! and if you didn't see my previous post, go back and see the already over 200 quilts that are on show.  Enjoy!

Favorite Thing Friday 5/11/12

Some more flowers - these curiosities, at least to me. First, here is a hollyhock with the most unusual flower color I have seen for it.  I got the seeds from a plant that had flower the color close to what you see on the edge of the blooms on left.  Imagine my surprise that they came out this dark, rich burgundy instead of rose!

Next is my apple plant (a succulent) kinda of like an iceplant.  This one has two color blooms on it!  I checked to see if there were two plants growing in the same space - Nope.  This is the first time I see two colors on one plant of these.  This also grew from seed.

Who could have guessed?   I'm linking over at Shay's Favorite Things Friday.  Check my sidebar.  Have a great weekend!

Favorite Things Friday 5/4/12

This was my surprise in my kitchen garden at the start of the week.  It seemed to appear overnight.  Actually, I guess I was just so busy with family happenings I didn't notice.  The amaryllis was a Christmas  gift years ago and every year it gifts me again. Love these kind of gifts!

How could I have missed them.  Maybe because I was looking no further than the pink florabunda.  It keeps giving me these clusters of roses. I think we have been so fortunate with our flowers this year because of the odd weather.  We've had unseasonably cooler weather (around 11-14 degrees cooler) this week.  And even some drizzle and rain one early morning.  The plants are loving it!
Here come some more roses in this batch.

I'm linking this to Shay's Favorite Things Friday.  Go see what others are praising. Button on sidebar.
Have a great weekend.

Favorite Things Friday

 You're probably tired of my flowers, but I can't help it - in the summer I won't have any to show you - at least not of the annual kind. Here are the primrose in their full glory. The pink is so intense.  And so profuse!



I can't get enough of them!

Here's a closeup.  They would make a wonderful O'Keefe type quilt wall hanging.  Sadly in a plant sense, we had a heavy rain during the night and most of them are flattened, bu I have the  pictures!  Go on over to Shay's Favorite Things Friday.  Go to my sidebar so you can enjoy other's favorite things.

Favorite Things Friday 4/20/12

One of my favorite things is sharing.  And today I'm sharing two things.  The first is another photo from my kitchen garden.  The roses are glorious and the fragrance (!) - wish you were here to enjoy it with me.  Next to the roses is our pomolo tree which is in full flower -that and the roses makes me think I am in a perfumery.

Secondly, thought you'd like to see what Robin is getting from the giveaway last week.  I had mentioned two books, some fabric, a notion and maybe a finished project.  So here they are.  Each book features a technique I dearly like.  Raw edge applique is so forgiving - I really recommend it if you've always wanted to try applique.  The next book is one where I learned some tricks on doing Quilts as You Go.  Makes finishing quilts so much faster.  The fabric, of course, is from my stash, and in some of my favorite colors.  I hope you like them too, Robin.  The notion is a cute little tin with a measuring tape in it.  Good for your purse, Robin.  And lastly, I finished off my demo applique piece of a few posts ago into a mug rug.  Enjoy, Robin. The box is going in the mail today. And thanks to all who played.  I'll be having another giveaway in May.  Hope you play then, too.

I'm linking this to Shay's Favorite Things Friday.  Go over and see what others are sharing. I'm off for my morning walk.  Happy Friday!

Favorite Things Friday

I'm actually posting this on Saturday as Friday is spent in mourning and sorrow for our Lord.  And tonight we go to keep vigil as we move into Glorious Easter.


I finished that pillow for Alan.  I made it envelope style and it went together pretty good with just half yard of fleece.  And he happened to come over Wednesday, so I gave it to him then.


For Me?

 He started to play with it right away

 He'd throw himself on it and give it a hug

Yeah, I like my owly pillow!

I was touched by his display.  Pillow now resides in his crib.

I'm linking to Shay's Favorite Things Friday - go see what others are sharing.  Button on sidebar.

Favorite Things Friday

It's Spring Break!  And Will was over for a couple of days.  The weather was so nice we went for a walk - turned into a hike of 1.25 hours - about a 2 mile walk stopping to see the sites.

We slathered on sunscreen got a hat (I bought Will's hat a yardsale for $1) and off we went to walk around our mountain - you know the one I made a block of. 












When I wasn't looking Will put together a gun to take along - boys will be boys!

First interesting plant we spotted was our neighbors euphorbia on their hillside in glorious(though tiny)bloom.

We were on the lookout for bougenvilla(sp?) planting as Will's family just bought one and want to know how people use them.  Here's two we found:

Mom and Dad will find those interesting.  Then on the way home I spotted this Northfolk Island Pine. 

This was our first Christmas tree 43 years ago. After Christmas my husband sold it to a neighbor who planted it in her side yard. It has grown a bit from the 4 foot tree it was.  Lastly, as we came back to where we started, Will asked about the plant below.  I told him Grandpa had put the last two year's pointsettias in a pot a month ago.  They seem to like the spot.  Go on over to Shay's Favorite Things Friday and see what others are sharing.

Amongst the Thorns

It is overcast and chilly today, but yesterday, I took these photos to show you another of my favorite things friday when the sun was bright and warm upon us.  I save pics like these to brighten my day  as called for.  But, really, I'm not complaining - it's suppose to start raining late tonight and we so need it.  In fact, my husband said Monday before he started the rainbird:  "It's so dry even the weeds didn't come up this year"! Here is what I found amongst the thorns:

This one on the right is only an inch across.

These last little lovelies are only a 1/4" across!

I'm linking to Shay's Favorite Things Friday - on my sidebar.  What is your favorite thing today?

Favorite Things Friday

The calendar says Winter, but really Spring has snuck in around here. And it's showing:

Freesias all abloom.

Here come the geraniums!

A volunteer sweet pea plus a kalenchoe.

Do you get a picture of the colors I like?

This bougenvillea is spectacular in its response to lack of rain!  Found these when I went out for a walk to stop feeling sorry for myself and ignore my malaise.  Weatherman says it will be cold next week.  We have to enjoy while we can.

I'm linking to Shay's Favorite Things Friday party - always nice things to look at there.  Go on by - button on sidebar.

Favorite Things Friday

One of my favorite things is working with the group, St. Anne's Sewdality, at our church. These ladies brighten my day with their enthusiasm, dedication and cheerful personalities. We make quilts for first time low income mothers and parishioners of our church who may be going through a rough patch. Last year, our first year, we made 54 quilts. So far this year we've made 17 more.  Here are some members industriously tying another quilt top.

And here is another team designing a rag quilt.

 Here's our latest.  One member made the top.  Then others sandwiched and tied it.  Then I brought the backing forward and bound it - a team effort.  At the end of our meetings we pray over the quilts for their receipients and their babies.

What's your favorite thing this Friday?  Go on over to Shay's (button on sidebar) and link your favorite so we can see.  Thank you!

Favorite Things Friday 2/17/12

Today's favorite thing comes from my garden.  I bought a Roma Grape Tomato Plant 3 years ago.  And while my husband has rooted cutting three times, in a way we still have the same plant and it keeps giving us these luscious little tomatos.  They have so much flavor.  I thought these in the photo were going to be the last ones, but I see the plant has sent out more flowers and with our mild winter - looks like we will be enjoying some more!  I'm linking over on Shay's Favorite Things Friday (on my sidebar).  Go see what goodies others have to share.

Favorite Things Friday

or "Gift for Mella" .  Our St. Anne's Sewdality met yesterday, and we have 17 quilts to give out this month.  We are so thrilled to be able to hand these on.  Here's the one I made for a parishioner who lost her husband recently and a 10 year old great Grand son.  She's in her 80s.  The center is made of some hand pieced blocks donated to us from the 60s.

And here's the back of it.  If you click on the photo you'll get a closer view of the free motion quilting I practiced on this one.  I first put the purple all around it, but it just overwhelmed the center and then I added the floral print.  I hope she likes it.

I'm linking up to Shay's Favorite Things Friday and to Leah's Free Motion Quilting Project. See my sidebar.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Favorite Things Friday

15 month old Alan is visiting today!  So not much will get done quilty wise that is -LOL!  I did finish the second Craftsy block for February before he arrived.  These fabrics choices were made in the daylight.
  Be sure and see what favorites other have at Favorite Things Friday on my sidebar.  Off to take Alan for a walk.  Blessings!