on the road

We're going on vacation for 3 weeks to California! We're escaping the Houston heat and humidity and hoping to find a little respite in Cali. (yes, right? somewhere? please?)

So here's the hard part:

We're driving. With two little ones.

And we have to cross some ugly territory (Sorry, New Mexico and Arizona. And Western Texas.)

Thank goodness for DVD players. And candy. For me and for them.

And here are the great parts:

Disneyland.

The Ocean.

Grandparents.

Cousins.

Family Togetherness.

It really is gonna be great. I'm excited!

And here's where you, bloggy friends, come into the picture:

I want to know where you would go if you were in Santa Barbara, Oakland, San Fran, or the Monterry Area.

Of course I'm asking about QUILT STORES, but also restaurants and fun places to take kiddos (ages 2 and 4).

And um, if you live anywhere along I-10 in Arizona, New Mex or Western Texas and want to stick up for your beloved home, please let me know what's to love where you live! Make me eat my words here!

Baby Pink Coin Quilt

I've been inspired by all the talk about coin quilts lately. So when I wanted to make a friend a baby quilt that's what I thought of first. Here's my scrappy pink coin quilt.



The quilitng is very amatuer. I need to practice straight line quilting.


Here's a question for those of you who are more experienced with it:


When quilting straight lines do you sew them all in the same direction or do you turn your quilt and sew in the opposite direction each time your go across your quilt? I had some trouble keeping it all nice and flat on and I wondered if it was because I should have been sewing in the same direction each time? What works for you?

I ended up quilting little squiggly flowers in the middle of each colored rectangle.

And of course, washing and drying helped the whole quilt to look nice and wrinkley in a good way, the way it should look.

I think I will be making another one of these to keep.