We received between 18-24 inches of snow Friday night, depending on where in the area you were. We've been told we're in a state of emergency, power is out in a lot of areas, trees and branches have been pulled down from the weight of the snow, and some areas didn't see a plow until today. I made it into work Saturday morning to find the post office had no power, and the police cancelled mail delivery as a non-essential service at about 9am. My parents lost their power, but Dad has a back-up generator, and their heat doesn't depend on electricity. Here at my house, we're just hibernating, giving the road crews time to clear everything up. Here's a couple of pictures my buddy Joe took while we were trying to get my car out of the driveway Saturday morning...

In the 2nd picture, that branch is usually about 15 feet above my car, but the weight of the snow brought it down onto my car. Thankfully, it didn't break and do any damage. This is more snow than we've seen at any one time this winter. And, get this, it's supposed to be in the low 50s by Wednesday.

Wow, that's a lot of snow! Sharon, we had that much snow in one day last February. I got the yard stick out to measure it, and it was over 30". My hubby happened to be in Alabama during the storm, so he missed it. It snowed on Monday, and by Wednesday, we had 50's. It was a very snowy winter last year! This year, we had a slight dusting of snow...and maybe 3 days of cold weather below 20 degrees. It's been in the 50's & 60's for the past month...my kids were outside playing in shorts last week! Gee whiz!

Dan~ At least you got a day off, huh? :o) This is crazy weather, to say the least. I have friends in the areas that were hit with the tornados this past week. It's just devastating, especially in Alabama. They had just gotten their house re-built, and then got hit again. It's enough to make you want to give up. I can't imagine what their insurance rates will be now! Yikes!

I hope everyone stays safe & warm this week!
Hopefully, I'll have some baby news to share in a few days. There have been several nights of contractions and false labor...one of these times, it HAS to be real, right? LoL!

I have never had that much snow like ya'll are getting ever in my life, not even when we lived in Dallas. Everyone where I live is complaining cause we pretty much did not have a winter and we are already get temps in the 70's and 80's, which means this summer is going to be a scorcher with tons of mosquitoes and bugs. Thank goodness I have indoor hobbies. It is really wet here so far this year and my plants are happy about that. We just seem to have the opposite problem ya'll are having, we just did not really get a winter.

Sharon no rush here I totally understand that you have way more important things to take care of right now with all that snow! :-) And it's ok that they won't have 22 pieces. Sometimes simpler is better.

We I am finishing cutting fabric pieces this afternoon and in about 20 minutes will start hand sewing the smaller pieces. The bigger pieces I will sew on the machine or that's the plan anyway. I will post a pic of them after Melissa gets them in the mail. I am trying to make each coaster look like a mini quilt block. :-)

I keep praying for you and your baby to be healthy and strong Melissa. Melissa are you having a boy or a girl?

Best to you,
Sandra

Sandra, Melissa is having triplets this time around, 2 boys and 1 girl. She's doing it that way so she can take a year off and not be pregnant for awhile. I'll bet you didn't know she's inspired by the Duggars! I guess that's what she gets for calling herself a bunny, eh?

Melissa, I love you!!! LOL! TRIPLETS!!!

I received something useful in an e-mail today. Joann's sent me 3 40% off coupons and a 50% coupon! I'm thinking I should go get me an entire roll of that quilted backing with the 50% off coupon, you know? I've got bunches of quilt tops that need to be finished, and that would allow me to make some headway on them! Tomorrow morning I'm going shopping since I've got that new freezer to use, and I can see a trip to joanns in the next couple of days. I might even use some of those 40% coupons on some batiks! Yayyy for me!
Dan

Wow TRIPLETS! That makes me exhausted just thinking about it. Melissa you are a brave woman! Congratulations!!! I only have 1 child, but I guess God gives us what we can handle. LOL :-)

Have fun at Joann's. I emailed coupons to my sister this week and she bought me some WOW fabric at the Joann's near her house. We don't have a Joann's in central Louisiana, but sure wish we did! Well off to work on Melissa's coasters ... kind of having fun working in miniature. :-)

Best to you,
Sandra

ROFL....DAN!! You are feeling your oats today, ain't ya?? What am I gonna do with you? *shaking head* Oh well....I love ya BECAUSE you're so ornery, not in spite of it. :)

Sandra~ I'm only having ONE...a girl. This will be our 5th girl & we have 3 older boys. I wouldn't mind triplets at all, since Dan is right...I'd get to take a year or 3 off. LoL

I got those coupons, too, Dan! How awesome is that? I won't be able to go use them, though. If anyone wants them, I'll be happy to forward the email to you! Just let me know! :)

These are email coupons? How do you sign up for them? Melissa do they have a date on them and what is it?
Sharon

Sharon, joanns sends them to you. You might be able to sign up for them here online at joanns.com. I signed up at their store and get them monthly. They usually do have an end date, my current ones being this Saturday. I went today to use them, but they were closed because of the power outages we've had since the storm. Their sign said they were hoping to be open tomorrow morning though, so I'm going back with my fingers crossed.

Melissa, what do you want to do with me? Hmmm??? ***insert wolfish smile and innocent look here*** (never mind that my halo is being held up by horns, will you?)

LOL Oh Dan you really had me going there! LOL :-) Well Melissa thank you for letting me know and congrats! Dan I know you are really enjoying yourself right about now! :-)

I have a free shipping coupon with a minimum $35 purchase for Joann's if anyone wants it - you can use it online and I can email you the code - it's good through 3/12/2012. Post on this thread if you want it and I will email it to you.

Best to you,
Sandra

What a great trip to joanns! I bought 12.5 yards of quilted batting (the kind with the fabric on both sides) and 7 yards of various fabric, and after the coupons were applied to the bill along with a check I didn't know was coming, I only paid $60 for $200 worth of stuff! How cool was that!

I have coupons too, and I"m really trying not to go because of going to Hobby Lobby last week, don't know if I"ll be able to hold out though!!!

Melissa, I received the coasters and they are darling. The fabric has birdhouses on it! I love the little holder for them. I'll try and get a picture posted soon. I've had a few crazy days and the rest of the week looks like more of the same. Thanks so much.

Dan, I don't know when I will get your coasters sent. I was ordering fabric online the other day and saw the perfect fabric for you. I don't know how soon it will get here, but I'll get them done as soon as I can.

I finished piecing a baby quilt last night, but I am waiting for the border fabric in the mail. Can't wait to finish something.

Dan sends to Linda/ received

Linda sends to Robin

Robin sends to Sharon

Sharon sends to Sandra

Sandra sends to Melissa/ received

Melissa sends to Bev

Bev sends to Dan

Dan, I received your coasters. These are "one of a kind, limited edition grape pie coasters"! They are really adorable, how did you come up with the idea??

Linda what did you put in your tea? I am still sewing Melissa's coasters, they have not been mailed yet. So as of today Melissa has NOT received coasters from Sandra.

Best to you, off to sew some more on those coasters,
Sandra

Bev, you just send'em when you can. You're not going to get any pressure from me because I know they'll get here when they're supposed to. Besides, I'm curious to know what you think is the perfect fabric for me....lol!

Linda, I got your message via facebook, and I'd have to say the one person I can think of would be me! Lol, especially if you used it to wrap up a tastekake or two, those things are scrumptious! Some people might call that begging, but I'm thinking it's just a case stating the facts, wouldn't you?
As for the idea of making those grape pies, it sort of just came to me. I took a look at the colors you preferred for your dining room and pulled the green, purple, and blue out of my stash. The blue fabric wasn't in your list of colors, but I think it looks a bit victorian, and since my favorite color is blue, we'll just say that puts a little bit of me in your house. The green colored fabric looks a little like the crust of a pie to me, so I cut out the circles and then cut those pieces in half so I could make each little pie look like a piece had been cut out. As for the purple, well, that's the grape pie filling, of course! I've had grape pies before, and they taste great! All you have to do is mix some sweets and some milds together (usually 1/2 green, 1/2 red) and cook them like you would a cherry pie. Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top of the crust, add a dollop of french vanilla ice cream, and walla! Dessert!

For those of you who'd like to see Lindas coasters, here's a picture I took of them...

(I figured I'd be the one to post pix, Linda can be a little photobucket-challenged sometimes, but I still love'er!)

-Dan

Dan sends to Linda/ received
Linda sends to Robin

Robin sends to Sharon

Sharon sends to Sandra

Sandra sends to Melissa

Melissa sends to Bev/ received

Bev sends to Dan

okay, I fixed the Sandra boo boo..LOL..actually I had my tea AFTER I post which could have been the problem!

Thanks for posting the pics dan, I am a little photo posting challenged!

Those are awesome, Dan! You are a creative feller, ain't ya?? :D

Thanks Melissa! Wait until you see what I've got planned for next month. You are going to play along, aren't you?

Fabric came in, Dan. I have the pattern. I hope it comes out as I an planning. I'm having trouble with my March Lotto blocks, so will put those away until I get yours done, as I have until the end of the month for those.

That's awewome news Bev! I'm looking forward to seeing what you'd think would be the perfect fabric...lol!

I plan to, Dan...I've been looking forward to it. :)

Melissa I mailed your coasters to you today. I'll post a pic of them on the swap thread after you get them. Will send you an email with the delivery confirmation # later this afternoon.

Best to you,
Sandra

Sandra, I think your coasters will be ready to mail tomorrow. I had the package weighed and stamped so I can mail from my house if need be.
Been cleaning up from the storm And now I need to spend the time spliting and stacking the wood. The snow is almost gone and some flowers are coming up. It has been so nice and warm I want to be out in it.
Melissa, where is that baby?
Have a great day everyone!
gmom

Thank you Sharon. I look forward to getting them. Will post once they get here. It has been warm here too in the 80's, it is what we would consider in Louisiana May weather. I've been wondering the same thing ... when is that baby gonna' get here Melissa? Hope you all are having a great week.

Best to you,
Sandra

Dan, yours are all done and hope to mail tomorrow. It's almost 5 in the evening and I'm am just getting out to gardening. Cooked all morning, took DH clothes shopping all afternoon and now he is going to help me put mulch around the raised veggie garden we moved last fall and finished last week. Yeah, getting things done in the garden sooooo early this year, maybe I can actually sit and enjoy the garden more this year. LOL

Isn't it cool Bev? It got to 80 here today, and will be in the 60s and 70s for the next week. I'm thinking there will be some pea planting going on this weekend! And who knows? I may even take a dip in the bay, which would be the earliest I've ever gone swimming here! Lake Michigan gets COLD! Lol!
Dan

The bay there in Traverse City is absolutely beautiful, but waaaaayyyyy to cool for swimming until about July. LOL I think you're still in polar bear season, but if you've never done that, maybe you could add it to your life experiences.

I received some terrific coasters from Sandra today! They are so bright & cheerful, I love them! :o) And she also sent a book & rattle/teether for the baby! How sweet!
Thank you SO MUCH, Sandra!!

No baby yet...ARGH!!! I'm feeling *really* tired, *REALLY* round, and, according to my kiddos, *REALLY REALLY REALLY* cranky! LoL!
But I was able to get out & plant a few daylilies yesterday, so that helped my attitude a bit. :P We have tried all the home induction remedies we can think of, and nothing has worked. This baby is comfortable where she's at, I guess! Oh well, this isn't even my longest pregnancy...I went 3 weeks over with baby #4! Hoping I don't go quite that far with this one. *sigh*

Swimming?? Dan, you are bonkers! LoL!! But we knew that already. :o)
You know, everytime I hear Traverse City, I get a huge craving for cherries! Their dried ones are the BEST. I have ordered them from Amazon before, and I'll tell ya what...that 4 lb box doesn't last long here! I am going to have to break down and order some more sometime. Yummy...!

You are so welcome Melissa! Glad you like them! Here are some pics of them:
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{{gwi:1246593}}

Well my kiddo is wanting to go swimming next month when we go RVing, we'll just have to see if this heat wave lasts. Next week my M-I-L and I are going to dig and divide iris and red spider lilies in my garden and pot them up for our church's spring fundraiser. They are going for a good cause and will free up some room in my flowerbed to plant new plants. :-) I went by Lowes today and was so tempted to buy some plants, but will wait till next month when I have more room to plant things.

I plan to spend Friday and this weekend making blocks for the Quilting Forum's March Lotto. The March Lotto block is the Amish Diamond and is a really pretty block. Just sat down this afternoon and made plastic templates for the block.

Best to you,
Sandra

Here is a link that might be useful: March Lotto

Yep, 21 pieces. LOL They are adorable!

Just wanted to let you all know I've posted the mystery quilt quilting bee. Follow the link below to get there...

Here is a link that might be useful: Follow Me to the Quilting Bee!

Thanks Bev. :-) Getting my desk organized so I can work on my Lotto blocks this weekend. :-)

Best to you,
Sandra

Everyone's coaster's are in transit so I expect to be closing this swap by Thursday at the latest. I hope everyone enjoyed making their coasters. I'm actually going to do a batch for small gifts for my family.
and Robin, mine are in the mail!

Dan sends to Linda/ received
Linda sends to Robin

Robin sends to Sharon

Sharon sends to Sandra

Sandra sends to Melissa/received

Melissa sends to Bev/ received

Bev sends to Dan

Sandra's are in the mail. Hopefully by Monday. They went from my box so they may take a day or 2 longer. I do like to send from the post office because I get there before the truck.
Hope you like them.
gmom

Sharon I will be eagerly watching the mail. :-)

Best to you,
Sandra

Sharon,I`ll have your coasters in the mail by Tuesday!!

Sharon made me some beautiful WOW and pink coasters!!! They are so awesome!!! Here are pics:

This one is my favorite being a flower appliqued on - so cool! :-)
{{gwi:1246594}}

Here is a pic of the tops of them, I love the fabrics she used:
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Here is a pic of the bottom of them:
{{gwi:1246596}}

Thank you so much Sharon!!! I will treasure them always!!! Sharon, I have not planted anything in the garden yet this year. Am going to dig up and transplant some iris and red spider lilies for my church's spring fundraiser and then after that I will have more space to plant things in my large back yard flowerbed. So am thinking I will start planting probably in April. I want to plant some 6-packs of annuals for instant color in the garden and then plant some annuals from seeds. :-)

Best to you and many thanks,
Sandra

Dan, the coasters did not go out last week as planned, but they just left the house today and en route!

Everyone is receiving great coasters! This was a great idea, Linda.

Thanks for letting me know Bev. That means they'll be here for me to enjoy this weekend! Kewl!

And now I'm off to see how I've done after my first week back to weight watchers. I'm enjoying the new program, and already feeling better!

Dan

Maybe not, Dan. Just got it back in the mail for insufficient postage. Grrrrrr! I even weighed it, so I'm going to weigh it again and see where it went wrong. I'm heading out in a few minutes, so I'll drop it off again.

Keep the faith Bev. It'll get here when it's supposed to.

I got great news at WW last night! I figured I'd lost about 8-9 pounds, but when I weighed in, I'd lost 16! That Is So Cool!

16 lbs. is fabulous, Dan. Great job!

Four fantastic shell-looking coasters arrived in the mail today. THANK YOU BEV!
The batteries in my camera need to be replaced, so I'll have to describe them to you all. The tops are made of fabric with lots of shells in it, and the bottoms are sky blue with poofy clouds mixed in. They are all shaped like shells, and Bev quilted the shell lines into them. They are just too cool, and yes Bev, perfect! Now, how did you ever know I'm a beach addict? LOL!
Either tomorrow or Saturday I'm going to have to go to the grocery store and pick up the ingredients so I can mix up some pineapple sunrises and use them!

Thanks Again Bev!!!

Dan, Well done! What do you think was the most important thing that got you down 16 lbs.

I have not heard anything fron Robin and I did send my addy. But no word that she got it. I hope things are ok for her.
gmom

I'd have to say that sticking to my guns and eating right, which I don't always do, was the biggest thing. That, and getting up and moving more.

Sharon, I"ll drop a note to Robin..if there isn't a response, I'll make you a set of coasters and get them off to you.

Robin, I got my coasters today and they are nice. Thank You so much.
I'm ready and waiting for the next month, and that doesn't seem to be to far away. Maybe 2 days.
Have a great evening Everyone
gmom

good morning everyone! Stella kept me up last night until the wee hours of this morning, and I only got about 3-4 hours of broken sleep. Nothing wrong, she just wanted to play, sing, and romp. ***sigh*** give me a few hours and I'll get the first set of sewing instructions posted on the April thread by this evening, okay? thanks.