So about five years ago, we were friends with a couple who had a little girl. She was just a few months old when we met. I decided that I wanted to make the little girl a baby quilt and my Mom offered to send me a pattern, as well as pick up a couple extra fabric pieces as she had a lot to spare. She, being a great Mom, also cut the pieces for me.

Five years later, I am finally making that blanket. Laugh all you want! LOL Sadly, we are no longer friends with the original couple, nor are they a couple. But a good friend is pregnant with her second child, and her first daughter. She is so very excited and since we just moved here, I wanted to send something back to her. I am getting a lot done on it and fast, I’m surprised at how quickly this is going actually!

I will post pictures soon, as when I went to take some I found out my camera battery had died. But my Mom must not have been paying attention while cutting because I had some pieces that were enough for a crib blanket, and others that were only for a lap blanket. So I am making a lap blanket and there will be leftover pieces. No biggie, maybe I can do a doll blanket and send the baby her first doll as well.

I haven’t been on here because for the month of July I am taking part in a 30 Day Challenge. It’s a great thing, I am very focused, but that just means I am sort of ignoring other stuff. Like blogging, crafting, reading fun things, etc. I do have another great swap partner (and Elizabeth, I already received my package! I will blog about it soon!) and the good news about project spectrum is that the baby blanket has lots of purple in it. Or some anyway.

More soon, I am trying to get my schedule back on track! I have been staying up WAY late (like 3AM late) and I can’t be doing that anymore. LOL

Okay I’ve been trying for days to upload this picture and just now sent in a support ticket. For now - check out my swap picture here at Flickr. Yay! Helen sent me great stuff - I’m still planning what items to use for the solar print paper. I remember first playing with that in elementary school and I know I still have it in my box of old stuff.

I love, love, LOVE the pin cushion! Would you believe in all these years of crafting/sewing/etc., I don’t have a pin cushion? The top of my sewing box is a soft, pin cushion’y thing so I usually use that. But I’ve always wanted one and could never find the exact one that I figured I could keep forever. So thank you Helen, for giving me something that I was, for whatever reason, unable to get for myself. I love the color and the bag that it came in.

I love it all actually! Beads, beads, highlight tape (who knew it came in more colors? and why didn’t you tell me!), solar paper, etc. I love getting packages in the mail and I’m glad to have met and befriended Helen.

So I am part of a swap! I am so excited I just can’t wait. I found this blog http://iwasknittogetherinmymotherswomb.typepad.com/project_colorswap/
and after emailed to request to play along, I got in just in time!

I love it because it matches the Project Spectrum colors so I will be thinking of that color all month long. Plus I’ve never done a swap and I love getting mail. I love picking things out for people and, hopefully it works this way, it is something they think is great.

So here is my questionaire!

Are you crafty? Yes!

Would you enjoy things like: Buttons, ribbons and embellishments? Buttons yes – I have been experimenting with impressions in polymer clay. Ribbons – yes the skinny kind, like I could use on cards (Sorry to be picky! I’d hate to get something and not use it!) Embellishments – what is considered an embellishment? LOL

Do you dye your own wool? No, I don’t use wool for anything.

Do you like to scrapbook or make homemade cards? Yep – cards! I tried scrapbooking, just couldn’t get into it. I love to rubber stamp and a good friend turned me on to this craft. I made all of my Christmas cards last year - nevermind that we were in the middle of a move and I never sent even ONE out! Not to worry, I am going to use them up this year. I love making cards.

What are your favorite scents? Right now – food ones like strawberry, mango, peach, orange, cinnamon, etc.. I usually have a candle burning or an unscented tealight under a wax melter thing.

Do you like stationary and cards? Yes, I am addicted to stationary and cards. It’s probably a bad habit. LOL

Do you like to sew or embroider items? I do! I love to sew, right now I’m working on an apron for my Grandma. I haven’t embroidered for a while, but the last thing I did were a pair of pillow cases.

Do you like beads? I love beads. Love. I have seed beads, glass beads, plastic beads, big and small beads, wierd shaped beads, silver beads, bone beads, etc. I have beaded since I was about 12 years old (WOW! I just realized that!) and my collection is actually rather small considering it’s been 15 years. I am starting to use large, funky beads for a focal piece and then building around that. I’ve been looking around for a lampworker so I can buy beads from them.
What kind of candy do you like? Peanut butter cups are my favorite. It started with being a craving when I was pregnant with my son - I never had a craving before that and once it was gone, that was it. But I still love peanut butter cups like nothing else. Wierd I know.

Do you like hand lotions or soaps? Hand lotions, yes. Usually I get the small travel sized ones so I can throw it in my purse or leave one in the car. Even though it is humid here, I use lotion every day, I’ve heard that others don’t but that just isn’t me! I also love lip balm - not gloss really, but just a balm. Particularly the Burt’s Bees lip balm, addicting I tell ya! Soaps? I am picky about soaps so I usually say I don’t like them. LOL

Do you like to wear costume jewelry? Necklace, earrings, bracelets, etc.. Yeah! I love finding cool and/or funky things to wear or even find something I can reuse into another project.

Do you like to make/or use stitch markers? Um, what are stitch markers? (That’s my answer.)

Do you collect anything? I do! Notepads, notebooks, journals, cards, stationary, baskets, beading and jewelry making supplies, material and other crafting supplies. I don’t think I have that much stuff, my “collections” are small, but my office (desk w/ compuer and a little stand with the printer) is one of our bedrooms. It’s an office/craft room - oh I know, you can see it in my flickr badge, it’s the picture w/ the blue curtains in it.

Do you have any allergies: smoke, food, fiber, pets, etc. Smoke is irratiating to me, but I’m not sure I’m allergic to it? No to the others though.

Do you have any hobbies? Other then all the stuff I already talked about? LOL Yes, I love to read and write, I’m a regular at amazon.com, making my wish list, modifying my wish list, buying from my wish list, checking out new books, etc. I also love listening to podcasts, there are so many! I also journal, take walks and talk to my family. It’s tough being away from everyone I know, but that’s military life for you!

Do you like scented or unscented candles? It depends - scented if it is a votive or larger. For a tealight, either. I have a few large candle holders in my house - the holder itself is large but it uses tealight candles!

Are you a fiber snob? No.

Do you like to play cards or board games? Yep, I love backgammon and card games. We have some other board games but haven’t played in months.

Do you like neon colors, pastel, light or medium ranges in the color of the month. For any color, I like pretty much any shade excpet neon. June is blue and I can say that I like just about any shade of blue.

Do you like kitchen magnets or key rings? Magnets can be awesome.

I found more questions at my swap partners blog so I grabbed a few of those too. I didn’t add all of them because they were mostly knitting questions, and I’m not a knitter.

Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I have an Amazon one, I’ll get that link and update this post.

What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) I don’t think I have one favorite scent, I love food smells for candles and even for bath products - I have an awesome body wash from Bath and Body Works that is I think vanilla?

I also love the smell of rain, fresh cut grass and a clean baby. LOL

What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? Yes it can, I am a regular at ITunes, though I admit most of what I listen to there are podcasts. I have bought a few songs/cd’s from them but not that many. What do I like - country and rock mainly, some mainstream but just some. I have been into what I figure is blues or a blues/rock mixture. I am loving Marc Broussard these days, I’m going to see him in a few weeks here in town. I’m very excited about that!

What’s your favorite color? Or - do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you can’t stand?

I used to have a few favorites - maroon, darn blue and a dark forest green. I had a great forest green carpet and maroon curtains in my bedroom a long time ago. Really, I think I am still attracted to those colors. They aren’t so dark they make the room feel dark, but rich in color.

But that’s for the home! As for wearing, I tend to stick to blues. LOL I just realized that! I do have a red or a pink shirt here or there, and I’m not afraid to try color, but I have yellow undertones so there are some colors that are just bad.

What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I am married and we have two kids - a girl 4 1/2 years old and a boy 2 1/2 years old. We also have a cat, we just got him a couple of months ago.

Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? No, I haven’t for years! We lived in Washington for five years and it just never got cold enough. And now we are in South Carolina - ha, I WISH I would have a reason to wear scarves.

Do you like to receive handmade gifts? I do - if I have a use for it. And sometimes, I consider displaying, a use.

When is your birthday? (mm/dd) June 12. I’ll be 28 this year.

(Wow this is long.)