August Projects

What a month! I am so ready for a break with my ongoing health issues. This month I spent three days in the hospital. Niels and I celebrated our 7th anniversary with a dinner date at Panera. I had a triple berry scone for dessert and wouldn't you know, Panera adds watermelon extract to its triple berry scone. That would be fine except for the little fact that I am allergic to watermelon. My tongue swelled up and I started coughing up a lung. I spent the next few days coughing so hard that I was throwing up. That led to bronchitis, which led to pneumonia. So...I had to spent a few days in the hospital to get everything settled down again. Some anniversary, huh?

In better news, I did get a few things done. I finished my first quilt in a while. The family I lived with before Niels and I got married were moving out of state. I wanted to make a quick quilt for them before they left. Here in Ohio, nothing epitomizes our state like Ohio State football, so I made a quilt based on the trademark Ohio State helmet.

I am so happy with how the label turned out. I finally figured out how to cut fabric with my Silhouette Cameo!!!

I made another flag shirt for a sweet girl born in Ethiopia. I couldn't find a white tee in her size so I improvised. 

Our family has continued to near-nightly tradition of playing Settlers of Catan after dinner. I finally did something I've been wanting to do for over a decade: I spray painted the brown pieces purple. And for fun, I added glitter spray. 

We keep our pieces in these fishing lure trays. They are awesome and fit all the pieces for the expansion games, as well.

D liked mine so much, he asked for his blue pieces to sparkle, too.

In anticipation for our new international guest, I added a frame to our guest room door.

Eugene, from Moldova, stayed with us for a week before starting classes at a local university. (Also, our son learned how to use a knife!)

Of course, I had t make a Moldovan flag shirt for D. 

D and I made one of Eugen's favorite meals, pelmeni. We were all fans of these meat-stuffed dumplings and I will be making them again!

Speaking of favorite meals, I posted about one of my favorite go-to recipes: oven-baked chicken with veggies. 

I took pictures, but haven't posted recipes yet for two other favorite meals. 

Our housekeeper uses a Swiffer, but I wasn't a fan of all those disposable pads. I knew I could make reusable pads, so I experimented to see which worked best, then made a big stack of them. (For the record, terry cloth and bar towels worked the best).

I roadside-rescused an old crib and repurposed one side into a rack for D's summer toys. 

I used another side to help our soon-to-be kindergartner plan his uniform choices each day. (I used a third side of the crib as a magazine rack in my craft room)

Speaking of preparing for school, I also made a dry erase card for D's daily notes. 

I also updated his morning checklist.

And then the big day arrived! After wiping my tears, I wrote him a letter

With all my newly-found free time, I got back to my craft room to get acquainted with my friend Pfiona (on the right). I wasn't planning to upgrade until Christmas, but I was ahead with my saving plan, and because I have the best hubby in the world, he encouraged me to take advantage of the big sale at the quilt show I attended in Pittsburgh.

It was a very good day!

I started with a little hanky for D, using the alphabet stitch.

And pieced together a new block based on a quilt I saw at the show. 

Then I made a snack bag for D. 

Feeling confident, I turned my attention to the quilt tops I finished for a sibling set. 

Verdict: Pfiona is dreamy!

 And finally, like thousands of others, I took the ALS ice bucket challenge.

Whew! What a month! I'm looking forward to a more low-key month in September.

Linked to:
From Dream to Reality link party * Wonderfully Creative Wednesday link party

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