BubbaChic

Loose Ends...

It kind of feels like this is a post of loose ends, with pictures and news to share;

The Caramelized Banana Cheesecake went down very well at the BBQ, along with the pecan caramel sauce to make it extra calorific!

I have been busy with the kiddies and busy with trying to tie up some projects over the past few days - swimming lessons are proving more difficult for Maddy than we ever anticipated - a shaky start, fueled by other little people crying has left her feeling very uncertain about the whole *swimming lesson* thing and even the promise of a new Dora swimming costume, doesn't seem to be cutting it right now.

We are aiming to stick with it and see how it all pans out tomorrow morning....

I managed to finish up this quilt tonight following the auction for Samuel's family:

It will be packaged up in the morning ready to send to the auction winner -

I hope that they like it! I didn't realise how much of an emotional project it would be to do - my heart is just breaking for his family, I wish there was something more I could do.

On the Babylock front - and their promise to call me within 48 hours - I finally had an email from them today (6 days after contacting them) letting me know that an engineer would be in contact with me on Friday...so, again, watch this space!

Swimming and cheesecakes..

This morning marked the start of a two week stint of swimming lessons for Mads and Josh. We will be heading out every morning for the next two weeks to take lessons at the local pool - Maddy has shown a great deal of excitment over this, she has always been pretty calm in the water and she was looking forward to starting - right up until the point when she had to get in the pool. Then, he form changed, to more of this and thats how its stayed for most of the lesson (boy am I looking forward to taking her tomorrow!!)

Joshua, who we silently anticipated there may be issues with - was a natural, he did all of the activities that his group did and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it....phew!

The rest of Memorial Day will be spent chilling and having a BBQ with friends - we have been working on a caramelized banana cheesecake since yesterday to take with us, hopefully its taste will reflect how long it took to make!!

Frustrations...

I am so annoyed at the moment - in fact, annoyed probably doesn't really truly convey what I am feeling correctly! I am fighting a battle with my sewing machine - and I am losing!

My machine is a little temperament to say the least - skipped stitches and broken needles are common place if she is not handled softly - its something which I have come to terms with. However, since becoming more and more into quilting - I have wanted to do some free motion quilting and that is where my lovely machine's temperament comes into its own!

There are a variety of problems, which I seem to have to fight to get anything half decent when stippling..and when I popped into the Babylock shop to buy more needles (having had a rough night with said machine) I spoke with one of the assistants about my *machine issues* and was informed that there is in fact a fault with that model of machine which prohibits free motion quilting...even though it is marketed as being able to do it - comes with the embroidery foot to do it and has a booklet on how to do it with the machine....I was a little peeved to say the least.

Trying to look on the bright side, I asked how much they would give me on a trade in - to get the next machine up (which apparently doesn't have the major bobbin fault mine does) and I was told that they don't take trade ins on that machine anymore *insert Dee going very red-faced here, saying through gritted teeth 'really? don't accept as a trade in anymore, is that because of all the damn PROBLEMS?!!?'

There are just a couple of things which have perplexed me about this situation:

1. I bought that machine based on what it was marketed as being able to do - and it can't

2. Why would a shop, that has got a fair bit of business from us over the past couple of years be so unreasonable?

3. Where do I go from here?

Having drawn a blank dealing with the shops manager - I contacted Babylock direct and relayed the whole story - they promptly got back to me and told me to expect a call from the US Sales manager within the next 48 hours...that was 24 hours ago, so watch this space!!!

Its not just Tiggers that like to bounce...

Bouncing in our jammies at 8.30 in the morning...summer has arrived!

Our weekend

Some wonderful mail on Friday to start the weekend::

A gorgeous house tape measure made by Patchwork Pottery a seriously talented mama who's work I ADORE! I spotted these tape measures months and months ago and been hankering after one ever since...you can find them in her Etsy store, I believe there is one left, which will not last long!! 

I managed to plod along with some sewing in some down time - work in progress includes::

I pieced a large quilt on Friday night - made entirely out of charm squares from Moda's Blossom line

I am making it to go in our lounge as a snuggle blanket when we need it...

Our weekend was also filled with lots of activity - both indoors and out. The weather was glorious and in the 80's so we took advantage and did some garden beautification:

and got a bit distracted at one point with the ice cream van...

and ended the weekend with a high - with the AWANA awards ceremony - in which both kiddies got to stand on the stage, in front of lots and lots of people and do their little singing/dancing routines that they had been practicing. Josh got stage fright!

Whilst Maddy spilled over with joy of being the centre of attention in front of lots of people and was beaming and chattering the whole way through...she was completely in her element!

Its a funny coincidence that a few hours before her stage debut, we actually signed her up for ballet dancing classes for the first time - I have a feeling that this was the right move for our little star!!

Work in Progress (lots of...)

The last day of school on Tuesday marked the start of a busy period in this house. Whilst Mads and Josh are busy playing, eating, drawing and bouncing (on the new trampoline!) I seem to have a number of ongoing projects that are needing to be wrapped up in my quiet times.

Bar far, the most important is finishing this quilt:

Which is being auctioned off here for the benefit of a very brave little boys family - Samuel Backus, who's 4 year battle against leukemia ended last week. Please please take a look at all the auctions here and seriously, how can you resist not bidding on these!

The auctions end Thursday May 15th 8pm (Eastern)

Other work in progress includes:

quilting...

      

making quilted fabric coasters...

and turning this yard of fabric and charm pack into a boys quilt....

Bread

Since coming to the States 3 years ago, we have been on a quest to find the perfect bread. Bread is very different over here than back in England - and having been used to the bread back home, we always seemed to be on the lookout for something very similar.

We have found a certain type of bread that we make-do with...its bareable as toast and sandwiches, but we have yet to find a loaf which completely hits the nail on the head.

After spending the last couple of weeks seeing this book being tried out thoroughly on Angry Chickens blog and the all inspiring Soulemama's daily bread makings I took the plunge and order it for our family.

The book arrived on saturday and whilst I was eager to give it a try, I quickly discovered that the bread in the book was baked on a baking stone and not wanting to deviate from the recipe - we waited, until today....

I made up a batch of the bread dough this morning, which took all of 5 minutes and left it to rise for 2 hours before putting it in a container in the fridge (where it can stay for up to two weeks) I love the concept of having the bread dough ready in your fridge, and just pulling a chunk off each morning and letting it rise for 40 minutes before baking it...and the taste is...very English! Hooray! I tried the light wheat loaf first and one batch of dough will probably last us the week.

Jason is highly impressed with my latest efforts and we are currently baking our second loaf of the day ready to have with dinner....so far so good!

Our Weekend

This weekend we enjoyed some family time together - both chilling and playing (and a little fabric shopping!)

The kiddies both enjoyed a birthday party of one of their friends on saturday, held at the little gym - where they got to try out a variety of fun equipment and eat cupcakes - could a party get any better!

Yesterday was Mothers Day, over here in the States. The day when I get to stay in bed after the kiddies have jubilently woken up their Dad. The day when I get to lazily get dressed whilst smelling breakfast being cooked...oh the joys, I could get used to this!

Maddy is always really excited on days like today, excited that she has a special card to give me and she remains excited, repeating "Happy Mothers Day Mummy" over the course of the day. Josh is less excited about the special occasion, but more excited about the bountiful delicious food which seems to be served on days like these.

We pottered around all day, enjoying a day of relaxing after the illness and high emotion of the week before!

Along with breakfast, Jay served up a treat at Dinner - Beef Wellington a la Gordon Ramsay, it was quite possibly the most wonderful and tasty thing I have ever eaten, made even better by the fact that it was prepared entirely by my wonderful hubby.

I think this sets the precedent for Fathers Day next month!

Brace yourself Betty..

Oh Oklahoma, beautiful, sunny, warm Oklahoma - how you surprise us with your extremeties...its a good job we love you.

After a day of relaxing and re-cooperating and enjoying some very English-like weather (except it was still 75 degrees whilst it was raining!)

Maddy enjoyed dancing in the rain, whilst Joshy was happy to sit and watch it all under cover::

We checked on our little strawberry plant - which we are hugely proud of and were looking forward to eating the 3 strawberries that we check on daily...

and quickly discovered that something has already eaten 1 of our precious strawberries!

We chilled, played, did jigsaws, drew pictures and generally relaxed....until tonight that is::

when a severe storm hit us - tornado sirens once again were sounded over the course of an hour signally that we needed to take cover on the lowest floor of the house, in the most central room...so kiddies were woken up and brought down to the bathroom, where they were covered with blankets...(circles on the map are areas of rotation within the storm, where tornados can drop)

Mads thought it was hilarious and chattered her way through the hour long ordeal! Josh, who is intensely sensitive, was much more pensive and quiet and jumped at the chance for a cuddle from Mummy or Maddy at every available opportunity.

Mummy had to work very hard not to throw up and to try and keep a somewhat balanced attitude on the outside, even when the inside was petrified!!!! Daddy managed to miss the whole event because of a business trip - but was on the phone continually being the calming influence which Mummy needed!!

Things seemd to have calmed down for now - the kiddies are in bed, the bad storms seemed to have passed us and I am no longer feeling quite so sick!

Oh Oklahoma, its a good job we love you...

The rough with the smooth

Yesterday I was treated to some pampering by Maddy and her preschool, who put on a party for all of us Mums for Mothers Day (this weekend honey ;o)

We enjoyed cookies and punch, whilst beautiful (matching) bracelets were created by Maddy.

And hand made gifts, which just melted my heart.

On returning home from our wonderful morning, Joshua promptly threw up all over me and has been doing much of the same ever since!

Today the plan is to stay close to home, whilst Oklahoma gets rattled with thunderstorms and dream of spring and some new additions to our spring nature table...

Quilt Along Block No. 2

Quilt block no. 2 completed....slightly unconventional colours!!

I am hoping it will all come together eventually!

Phew!

Life has been crazy around here in the past week - hence another improptu blogging break. In addition to the deep cleaning of the old house, ready to hand it over to its new owners on wednesday - we also experienced our fair share of unexpected dramas events which have just swept us along.

The business of the start of the week, was overshadowed by a trip to the ER on Wednesday morning with a dazed and confused Joshua who just had Maddy and a chair land on his head (whilst he laid on the floor) a cat scan revealed no major damage except a shaken up Joshy with a sore head.

The house is coming together slowly - we added something new to our bare walls this week with the addition of this:

A re-print of a WWII propaganda poster from Britain - I think it it encapsulates the Great British stiff upper lip perfectly - and just makes me smile. The history of the poster can be found here.

It is placed perfectly on the first wall that you see, when you walk through the front door:

I just love it.

On a different note, I have managed to squeeze some craft time into this week, to keep me (a little) sane...some very special and secret projects are on the go:

Along with some other wonderful (and not secret) projects like Crazy Mom Quilts - Quilt-along

The directions for the construction of the quilt block are really clear and simple and I am looking forward to getting out of my quilting comfort zone and learning some new things from a true pro.