moda madness give-a-way

there's a march madness

golden give-a-way

going on...

.

jump over to the store blog

to check out the details

hurry though

offer ends

at 8:00 pm

on 3.31.11

maybe i am just a little girl...

with great big plans...

do you roly poly?...

i personally crave # 47

the nut & honey wrap...

.

full of cream cheese,

raisins, sunflower seeds,

 cashews, baby spinach, plum tomatoes,

carrots, alfalfa sprouts,

with spicy honey mustard

my husband likes the smoked turkey

sarah prefers the roasted turkey and swiss

the boys stick with the

 roasted beef & provolone

suffice it to say the ely family

 loves roly poly

when it came time for our grand opening

of the quilt store

we didn't even have to debate the menu

roly poly was a must

so what does this have to do

with creativity you ask

jenny watson

a stampin'up manager

name a 2010 rising star

she's in my same downline

and she and her husband

 just happen to own

the very roly poly

i am addicted to

i just learned that this week

small world indeed

congratulations jenny!!!

if you are in northeast ohio

head on over to golden gate on mayfield

try the frozen yogurt too

it's soooo good

a cause and a mission...

at first glance

quilting for a cause

catches my eye...

.

a classic design

maple leaves

in beautiful colors

it has been lovingly quilted

by a group of women

members of the

quilting stars of ohio guild

donated for a raffle

 to the j r coleman

early care and learning center

ironically

across the page

is an article

about ethics

advances in prenatal testing

are making it much easier

to identify a fetus

as having down syndrome

is that single diagnosis

reason enough

to prevent a child from attending

an early learning center

because they are denied life

today is world down syndrome day

educate yourself

educate your loved ones

read more about quilting and down syndrome

cheesy leprechaun

oh how i loved

 this little green

 and white dress...

.

tiny little shamrocks 

with matching green ribbon

to tie sarah's trach

and weave

through the gathered eyelet

i was often sewing

in the wee hours of the night

not quit sure where 

we would be spending

the holiday

because of her health status

no matter what

she always posed 

for a picture

cheesy grin and dimple checks

eyes a twinkling

 like a pot of gold

woman's world

i received a call

 from an editor

 of a magazine

.

and i must admit

i was not too familiar

so i sent tj to the store

to pick one up

before my scheduled interview

(thanks tj)

i was pleasantly surprised

by the stories

very uplifting

inspirational even

and then i got to the story

about the purple balloons

purple balloons of hope

it had me in tears

a sign perhaps

that the story was meant to be

as in our story

stay tuned

in the meantime

pick up a copy

of woman's world

at your grocery checkout

shout out to my snowmen

getting stuck

 in the parking lot

 is no fun...

.

unless

you are lucky enough

 to have

 two handsome men

upstairs

willing to come

 to your rescue

thank you tj and john

mardi gras memories

i've never been

to new orleans

for mardi gras...

yet i have the best memories

of a fat tuesday celebration

once a month

my girl scout troop

would meet up at

 the greens of lyndhurst

an assisted living facility

where we would entertain

the residents

for the night

each month was a different theme

it seemed only fitting

 that in march

we celebrate mardi gras

we brought beads

and hats and masks...

we sang mardi gras songs

served cupcakes with

a little plastic baby

hidden in each one

sarah was so alive

on these nights

she became the helper

instead of the one

 often being helped

i loved the planning

the creativity

and seeing the smiles

on everyone's

faces

both the young

 and the not so young

and that will always be

my mardi gras memory

i said yes

i'll never forget

twenty five years

ago today...

.

showing off the new ring. d'poos on the river. cleveland, ohio. 1986

he asked

i said yes

i know this date is

 not often celebrated

yet as i have been

reviewing my life

of late

the ups and downs

the good and the not so good

it really all started with

that one little word

yes

had he not asked

or had i said no

it would have likely ended

right then and there

so it really is

 the beginning

that simple little three letter word

it changes everything

no longer are you

free and frolicking about

it's a commitment

to a life together

sure there's still time

 to back out

but not as quietly

 as before

the public announcement

looking back i also

realize it begins a time

of alignment

the supporters in one camp

the naysayers in another

the thing i've learned

and have finally accepted

they pretty much stay

 where they began

with twenty five years

of hindsight

knowing how things turn out

at least to-date

knowing the depth

 of the peaks and valleys

the triumphs and struggles

would i change anything

would i still say yes

in a heartbeat

without a thought

i said yes to my best friend

then

and still today

thanks for asking john

i love you more today

than i could ever

have possibly known

the new r word

winter's beauty

the brilliance

of the sunshine

glistening...

.

on the ice

delicately

hanging from the trees

the beauty

of the creator

for all our eyes to see

the amazing and inspiring...

sarah ely on quilting,

singing

and her website...

.

i watched the photographer

i talked with the reporter

yet i was somehow not

prepared

to read

the words

to see the photo

on the website

or in print

that said my daughter

was a star

the same daughter

others thought might not be worthy

of life

or inclusion

or success

oh how grand it feels

to be sharing fabric, fun and friendship

so proud of you miss sarah

the cupcake addiction...

they are

everywhere

today...

.

i stumbled upon

a new store in mentor

the confectionary cupboard

it sells

cupcakes

i couldn't resist

it reminded me of one of my

favorite shows

cupcake wars

on the food network

it is valentine's day so

i selected the

white fluffy and pink ones

our favorite...

bride's cake

fresh enthusiasm...

i wasted no time

getting to know

my new little...

.

sewing machine

my paternal grandparents

were in town for

christmas that year

grandma hillick

was a seamstress

so she was able to

guide me through the set up

i chuckle as i view

the big kitchen shears

in my hands...

from the beginning...

i'm so often

asked this question

now that i have...

.

my mom and dad in our kitchen ~ christmas 1967

north canton, ohio

...a store

that sells fabric

do you sew?

followed by

how did i get started

so i thought

it might be enjoyable

to go back to the beginning...

christmas 1967

the day i received my first

sewing machine...

i openly wept...

in aisle seven

late this evening

tears streaming...

.

down my face

there it was

american patchwork & quilting

april 2011 edition

smack dab between

the complete guide to

glee and my

absolute most favorite

couple

next to the nielsons

that is

i very, very, very

slowly

opened the front cover

almost afraid

yet

giddy excited

like a little girl

on christmas morning

as i read the story

at first it seemed surreal

like looking in

from the outside

then i stood in wonder

amazement really

at how this plan

my plan

the grand master plan

for my life

is playing out

and for that

i have only one creator

to thank