Yes, it's another BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Congratulations!

back to the last post, and please, #4

send me your snail mail

addy

thank you Martingale & Company

 Buddy is bound and determined to help with the seasons' decorations

everyone has their own way of helping, approaching the holidays

even if it's only Winter Solstice

Buddy is helping by laying on the lights, snoozing where the tree will go,

and curling up under the tree where I want to put the quilt

 as quilters, I would guess you are all a bit more creative than Buddy

 Martingale & Company has passed along a new copy of an older book

from Becky and Linda - Piece O'Cake

That Patchwork Place

 the piece o cake applique way is described in detail, the patterns are precise

and the quilt is a-dorable

yes, it's a one quilt pattern book

and while I know I won't probably ever make the completed quilt

i know for a fact that I would make a block here and there, embellish the heck out of them

and frame them to put up for the holidays

I even like the names they used for these blocks

but I just gotta ask

how does your family "help you"

decorate

for the holidays?

your funniest story

HappiestDays

natalie.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Happy Thanksgiving.

stop.think.thank.

for those of you that know me well

you know that I love Thanksgiving more than just about anything else

it's like Christmas (Hanukkah, or any other December Holiday)

without

the presents

it's the best of both

you get the food the friends the family

without the 

"did the sweater I gave her fit"

but with the 

"I am so thankful for everything and anything I have in my life"

big or small, little or lots

you just have this day, even if you sit alone by yourself outside on the edge of the bay

you can

stop.think.thank.

i am thankful for all of you - my readers, my followers, my quilting friends 

from sri lanka to santa barbara and everywhere in between

thank you

 how many of you have been following

generation q magazine?

well, in honour of 

"oh thank cuteness"

I present

buddy

getting ready for Thanksgiving Dinner travels to a friend's home

(it's as close as I could get to the picture of the kid in the bath tub with bubbles)

I wish you all well this magical day

whatever your circumstance

may your thoughts turn to that for which you are thankful

I am thankful for you

HappiestDays.

natalie.

Holiday Book Giveaway!

yep.

I'm a little late in announcing last week's 

book giveaway

there was this little matter of 

a pie baking cooking class with littleNatalie

and her mom

and did you notice?

we had a comment from

sri lanka!

thanks, Mystica

(her interests are quilting and working with children in orphanages!)

but.

here we go!

back to the blog post to look for number 5

please email me your mailing addy

congratulations!

 as always, we are thankful to Martingale & Company for providing such lovely books

for our readers!

this week, we will be talking about 'Tis the Season, by Jeanne Large and Shelly Wicks

this book is 79 pages of everything you could ever need

to turn your home into a winter holiday wonderland

there are pieced projects, applique projects, wool projects

honestly, these two did a lovely job on this book.

how many projects, you ask?

I counted thirteen!

pillows, table runners, wallhangings, quilts

so to get the comments started

here is my question to you

do you change your linens, quilts, quilted wallhangings

for the Holidays?

tell us what you do change in your home

to say

"HappiestHolidays"

HappiestDays.

natalie

It's almost time!

 a team holiday dinner

it's a tradition

and it's just a matter of time

before we get our sparkle on

wish we had room around the table for all of you

to join us

because 

there's nothing like a formal sit down dinner

for your "best girls"

hey, best girls,

please rsvp

in the comments below

and tell us all what you'll be bringing

and for those of you that follow us

please let us know

what you'd bring

if you could come too!

HappiestDays

natalie.

Book Giveaway - winner and new book post!

we have a winner!

okay, it's up to you to count down, six different comments

discover who you are...

and send me an email

natalie@beyondthereefpatterns.com

with your pobox/snailmailaddy

and I will send you your book!

...thank you Martingale & Company

our next book is about

yes, I know...the other creative word

knitting.

 I made a milky way scarf sampler, and then I got into quilting for, well, for a lot of quilt shows!

isn't it funny how (at least for me) knitting for quilters is such a seasonal thing!

you know, in Hawaii, they say the best hand quilters come from

upcountry

and that's because it's colder there than anywhere else in Hawaii

whaddya know

of course, people all over the Hawaiian Islands will challenge me about this

tidbit...it's okay...

 you will want to make a lot of these projects for your girlfriends,

 your quilting sisters

or your family member

please leave a comment

and let us know which person you'd make a project for

it's a big commitment!

HappiestDays.

natalie

it's Book Giveaway time!

Thank you to Martingale & Company

for allowing us to review their publications

and to have the chance

to give the books to our readers once we are done with our work!

we will be doing book reviews for the rest of the year so that you can have the chance

to be chosen for some great books

holiday gifts

for either yourself or a friend

why do we review Martingale & Company books?  

because we love their format, their detail, their team, their authors, and because they believe in us too

 this quilting book is the first giveaway

All-Time Favorite

Scrap Quilts

from That Patchwork Place

95 pages

18 projects

15 designers

the designers in this book read like a who's who of quilting

and you get all of these names in one book!

Kim Diehl, Joanna Figueroa, Judy Hopkins, Nancy J. Martin

just to name a few

and that is what I love about this particular book

We know blog readers love giveaways.

Here's the thing.  I can't give you the giveaway unless you are a follower of the blog.

why?

because I can't find you to contact you to let you know

you have been chosen by the random number generator

thanks for your understanding

leave a comment naming at least one hand made holiday gift you're making

this year

to be entered in the drawing

we will announce the winner of this series of drawings every Sunday

until the 25 of December

HappiestDays.

natalie

...and you thought it was only "a cat's life"...

It's true.

Dogs do it too.  It's not just cats.

Buddy NEVER hangs out in this part of the house.

...until.....

there is a quilt or project in the space

I can just hear him saying,

"not another quilt..."

"me, me, me!"

"play with me, not fabric"

"hey, will you look at that, there's a perfectly good 

DOG

right here!"

I know we talk a lot about balance in our lives.

During the approaching holidays,

let's remember to include our pets

in our balance.

After all, aren't they the ones 

that provide us with

the most unconditional love

and the best opportunity for

a walk

a kiss

a smile

a lower heart rate

a better blood pressure

a little understanding

(it's true!)

Here's to "a perfectly good dog..."

HappiestDays.

natalie.

ps

speaking of balance

I have been blog-absent since PIQF

someone at the show

said they would like to see weekly blogs

others said they don't have time for blogs

but would rather see more facebook posts

please - leave me a message

and let me know

and let me know

how you think I might attract more 

"followers"

Thanks!