Oh, what to do???

Last year, when hubby and I brought Toby home, we fully intended to "someday" get him a playmate.  We used to have multiple dogs in our household until our last Bichon Frise, Emmy, who hated other dogs and would attempt to climb on our heads when any got close.  Now, with the nice weather coming and Toby being completely housebroken and close to a year old, we decided to start our quest for another Havanese.  I got on the web, and began with the National Havanese Club and our local kennel clubs looking for breeders in our area.  I know better than to use "nextdaypets" and "petfinder".  Often, those can be outlets for puppymills and we all have heard those horror stories!!!!

Surprisingly enough, I found a breeder only 20 minutes away with a litter of 5 that were 6 weeks old.  One boy and possibly one girl were still available, so hubby and I jumped in the car and took a look.

Here is the boy, so tiny at......1# 12oz at 6 weeks old: 

And, here is the adorable girl.....approx 2# 8oz:

Everytime I picked up the boy, he would tremble like crazy.  (Problem is that we really want another boy.)  Then too, I wasn't crazy about his all black face.  (Probably because I've had white dogs all my life.)  Too bad!

Then, upon further searching, I found a darling puppy about 2 hours away and he is the only boy out of a litter of 4.  Here he is at 3 weeks old:

Doesn't he just melt your heart?  I have yet to see him.  I can't blame the breeder by waiting until the puppies have their first shot at 6 weeks before accepting strangers in their home to see the litter in person.

BUT, now with the return of our cold, windy, winter weather, we are wondering if we are crazy?  Do we really want to do this?  I mean, we're over the dreaded puppy stage, Toby is all housebroken and has gotten used to our schedule and lifestyle, so should we "rock the boat"?  We're not spring chickens, and these dogs could outlive us.  AND, if one of us goes, it sure would be easier to find an apartment or somewhere to live with only one dog rather than 2.  Oh my, what to do?

Until we decide, Toby will continue to spend his days doing his favorite things.......looking outside:

and relaxing, awaiting his favorite treat....................C H E E S E!!!

Back to normal.....

Well, I knew it couldn't last!  (Although I was wishing!)  Temps this morning are 37 degrees.  Yes, that is after our string of high 70s and 80s for the last two weeks.  In actuality though, it's probably a good thing because yesterday I got out the sewing machine again after a 6 day break.  Hey......I was almost ready to take a holiday and pack away the fabric forever! I had some ideas of things to make, but NO (like ZERO) ambition!!  All I was doing was playing and reading blogs on the computer. (And looking for puppies!!!  lol)  BUT.............I am back in business!!  We'll see for how long!

I MUST show you something wonderful.  Do you remember the FLiQ swap and when I made this for my partner:



Well, I received the one from my partner and it was the BEST quilt in the whole swap!!  I adored it from the first picture of it and watched it progress in the beauty it became........in fact, I think the whole group wanted this one:



The design and quilting are amazing!  The colors are so vivid and bright and I just adore this beauty!!  What a talented artist Tami (lemontreetales) is!  I loved her quilts from DQS in the past and hoped that some day I would be lucky enough to get her as a partner.  Just look at this gorgeous label too:



I'd be embarrassed to show her the goofy writing I do with one of those Micron pens as a label on the back of the stuff I do.  Eikes!  Good thing I didn't have to send to her, huh?

Thank you so much, Tami!!  I am delighted and jumping for joy with your creation!!  I will always cherish it and soon it will be on my wall along with my other favorites!

So...........that's it for today, my friends!  I am working, but slowly.  Just as soon as groups are established for the Bitty Block Committees April swap, I can show you mine.  Until then, I will continue since I signed up for another 12 of those cute 3.5 inch blocks yesterday.  Call me crazy!  BUT, maybe that's what it took to get the machine out again, who knows???

Boring, boring, boring.....

Remember last week when I met my friend for lunch?  The one who is having the baby in May?  Here I thought I'd surprise her with that baby outfit, but it was me who was surprised when she handed me a bag with a belated birthday gift and inside I found this darling clutch that she made for me!  (And in some of my very favorite fabrics too, I might add).  Sooo cute!  Thank you Elaine, I love it!

You probably are wondering why I titled this post, "Boring, boring, boring".  Well, with our really unusual weather here in Wisconsin, I can't stop my brain from thinking that it's spring and I should be planting instead of sewing which normally I do in May.  This whole week we've been having high 70's and 80 weather and just two days ago, I even caught my boys taking an afternoon nap outside.  Normally, on March 12th, we'd be shoveling 12 inches of snow!  I just stare out the window all day it seems and watch the grass grow and my lilac bush sprout her leaves.  I can't help but wonder what will happen if we suddenly go back to our normal March temps!

I did manage to do my bitty blocks for the "Alice in Wonderland" theme (not due until the end of May) though:





Let me tell you, those teeny tiny 3.5 inch blocks are no easy task!  I think I spent all of 3 days on that first one doing all 12.  I was told that sewing the little pieces was easier with a newsprint stabilizer, but little did I know what a pain it would be to take it off:



This pile was from just 8 blocks:



AND......I did make another mug rug just for fun:



So, that's it!  The only other thing I have been doing is searching the web to find another Havanese puppy to buy.  Think I'm crazy?  Who knows?  We really think Toby needs a playmate!

Quite Disturbing...........

I am not a Pinterest user.  I just seemed never to have the time to gather up all those cute pictures and now I'm glad I didn't.  If you do nothing else today and have a Pinterest account.........you must read this blog.  It is in your best interest and might just save you from a lawsuit:

http://rettspace.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-im-currently-not-using-pinterest.html

The past returns

Today I am meeting a Flickr friend for lunch.  She is young enough to almost be my granddaughter ('course I would have had to be a teenage bride, I suppose.)  Anyway, my friend is going to have a baby in May (I think, it's May??)  Now, how could I possibly go to lunch knowing that without a gift?  Luckily, I have a closet upstairs that is filled to the brim with girls clothes that I made for years.....but not since August 2008 when I started quilting.  And, luckily, she is having a girl.  Awwww.......how convenient, huh?  I hope she'll like it:



It amazes me that I used to do such teeny tiny hand embroidery:



In today's world, this mug rug is more my style:

 

Have a happy day, friends!  And a happy weekend too.................