Oy vey!

No blog posts because not much has been going on!  I finished a quilt but it's been repossessed by my daughter so no pics just yet.  I had to replace a brake caliper on my car because it seized up and started smoking.  Yeah, wonderful.  Just thankful it's something the boyfriend and I could do so it cost me a whopping $60 for the part.  Not complaining here! 

School started and my sweet daughter is now in 3rd grade!!  Seems like just yesterday I was sending her to preschool :( 

I have plans to do the Saltwater Taffy pattern from Fig Tree in Curio by Basic Grey for Moda.  I had planned on doing it in Fandango but it just doesn't seems like the right fit.  Lots of HSTs and pinwheels to start so should be relatively easy. 

And I realized I don't have a Halloween quilt!  I have a bunch of Halloween FQs so I'm going to do a 2x2 layout of the Swoon blocks and make a throw.  Just waiting for the Kona Charcoal I ordered for the background. 

My boyfriend is going to Mexico for his sisters wedding in October so I need something to do.  Wish I could've gone with I just couldn't afford it :( It'll keep my occupied so that's a good thing!

I also have a little nephew on the way that can make his appearance any day now!  My sister is due 9/10/11 (how awesome would that birthday be?!) and wanted me to crochet some things for her so that's the number one project on my list.  Baby stuff whips up quickly so they're almost done :D

Going to finish the baby stuff up tonite so hopefully I can ship it by the end of the week.  That would be absolutely awesome!

Winner!!

Totally forgot to draw a winner!  So sorry!!!

Random.org has chosen #3 which belongs to Deborah in Atlanta!!

Deborah was my partner in the H2H charity challenge and I couldn't think of a sweeter person to win!  Congrats Deborah!

**GIVEAWAY** EXTENDED 1 WEEK!

The wonderful people over at My Memories have graciously offered to give away a copy of their My Memories Suite v2 of digital scrapbooking software!  I've loved scrapbooking for a while I just don't have the drive to do paper scrapping anymore so honestly it's been pushed by the wayside and with a couple hard drive failures, a nasty divorce, a couple moves my digi stuff just hasn't made it's way to my new awesome computer.  I love my adobe CS4 don't get me wrong but there are times when you just want to quickly make a page and it photoshop is over kill.

I've had the luxury of playing with the My Memories software and I must say, it's awesome! Since I like lists when it comes to new things I'll just do it that way :p

Pros:
-Tells you areas of your page that might be cut off when bound into books
-FULLY customizable pre loaded templates
-drag and drop photo additions
-Customizable embellishments
-LOTS of preloaded goodies
-Ridiculously easy to navigate
-Previews of all changes
-COLOR PICKER!!!!  I don't know about y'all but that's one of my very favorite tools in photoshop, it's not as sophisticated but it works very well for matching elements on your pages.
-You can design your own page from start to finish using all your own elements.
-'Album Check' feature checks your pages for errors, including spelling!
-You name your album from the start, no naming it at the end.
-Loads all the fonts you have in your computer to the software for use
-Has a share option, you can print, export to jpeg, print professionally, or share on a variety of multimedia devices. 

Cons:
-Some of the elements are cartoonish
-You must still use a photo editing program to edit your photos before hand, this only gives you a red eye fix, any other issues such as brightness, contrast, b&w, must all be done in a photo editing program
-Can't change the sizes of photos to a specific dimension, it's a transform style box where you drag the corners and sides.
-I'm not finding a way to change the sizes, the only options are square, portrait, and landscape, for the create your own page.
-I'm not a fan of the export to .jpeg feature.  Way too many steps and it saves a duplicate in it's own folder.  
-Not really a con but you have to make sure your photos are rotated before you add them to your layout.  You can rotate it on your work 'surface' but when you drop it into a a picture template it'll flip back to the original angle.

Overall this is great digital scrapbooking software and I'm happy I've been able to give it a try.  This would also be a great way to get kids into scrapbooking, so super simple for them to create albums of their very own!

My Memories has a bunch of awesome stuff too.  They have guestbooks, quick pages, dollar stuff, calendar elements, and not to mention FREEBIES! The page above was created using all pre loaded stuff and took me about 7 mins to do.  The only thing I did was drag and drop my photos. 

I realize this is mainly a quilting blog but this is a great way to showcase your completed projects.  Create a page with all the details add a few photos and print!  It can be as simple or as complex as you want.

Now for the awesome part!

You can enter to win a copy of My Memories Suite scrapbook software!  You may enter up to 3 times, you must leave a comment telling me you have done each step, one comment = one entry so don't leave one comment telling me you've done all 3 things because then you'll only have one shot at entering!

So, to enter:
1) go to the kits page at My Memories and tell me your favorite kit!
2) blog about this giveaway and be sure to leave me a link!
3) tell me one hobby you have that you have neglected!

It's that simple!  And, if you don't win, or don't want to wait around to win, or would just like the software they have a coupon code for all of you as well.  It will save you $10 off the cost of My Memories Suite AND you will get $10 in store credit!  Add the software to your cart and at checkout enter the coupon code STMMMS43707.

I will use the wonderful random.org to pick a winner on Wednesday night 8/17/2011, all comments *MUST* be received by NOON CST on 8/17/2011 to be eligible to win.

NOW OPEN UNTIL 8/24/2011 11:59pm CST

Special Thanks

I have to give a very special thanks to Sharon at Vroomans Quilts for being my angel in the H2H charity quilt swap.  Things got real busy real quick, with a move smack in the middle of it didn't help matters much either.  When I started I just did a real simple strip quilt hoping to make it quick yet interesting.  I used strips in varying widths from 1 1/2" to 6" got the main part done then life got in my way and I wasn't going to have enough time to get it all done.  Sharon stepped up to be my angel.  I sent her what I had done and she turned it into this beauty:

The middle part is what I sent her and she added the brown and teal prints.  It turned out so beautiful and the teal just makes it really pop.  I can't thank Sharon enough for bailing me out!  Head on over to her blog and check out all of her beautiful quilts! 

*disclaimer* I can't be held responsible if you try that amazing looking funnel cake recipe that's posted on her blog either :p

inspiration

9 different quilts I want to attempt.  MUST finish all UFOs though before I start making any headway on any of these desired quilts!!

1. Double Wedding Ring quilt, 2. st on park bench 2, 3. Baby desden plates!, 4. Postage Stamp Quilt Top, 5. Not available, 6. spiderweb selvedge quilt close up, 7. Swoon- one block baby quilt, 8. Figgy Pudding log cabin quilt, 9. Single Girl quilt top

To be completely fair, I've already started on the dresden plate quilt, I have all the petals made they just remain as petals though.  I also printed templates for the double wedding ring as there is a quilt along going on at the plaid scottie, HOWEVER, I have only printed them, nothing else further has been done.  And I also have the Swoon pattern, nothing even remotely set aside for that.  And the snail trail has already been paired with my DS fabrics from Joanns.   Good ideas can remain in a book :)

Oh and yes there is a Dear Jane in there, lets just say that will remain a pipe dream until the FWQAL is over!!

sheets for backings?

I've seen this time and time again on quilting blogs, using bed sheets for backing.  I need almost 9 yards for a quilt backing, it's about a queen size so I'd probably get a king sized flat sheet.  Now I have a few questions, what thread count?  All the fabric in my quilt is high quality quilting fabric, not too concerned about price because whatever thread count it'll be cheaper than spending close to $100 on backing fabric.  Prewash the sheet or not?  None of the fabrics in the quilt top are prewashed so I'm gonna guess that's a no. 

I have a bunch of joann coupons I'd love to use and gotta get the batting (buying packaged for this monster!) so I'd love to get the sheet too and get crackin on quilting this beast!

Final Wishes

It's been quiet on the blog only because I've been incredibly busy with work, losing power with a massive storm, and life.  But I wanted to pop in for a minute to reflect on something that happened at work. 

Most of our business is nursing homes.  Patients that are too sick to stay at the nursing home but not emergent enough to require a 911 response.  We had been busy all day, very little down time to be had.  We took the break in action as a clue to get dinner because chances are we wouldn't be eating that day if we delayed it any longer.  After eating dinner we just sat in the mall parking lot to relax and take a breather, something we hadn't been able to do all day.  Just as we got comfortable enough to relax a little more our pagers went off.  It was about 930pm, end of shift was midnite. 

We take a look at the information our dispatch gave us, only a chief complaint, abbreviated at that.  SOB, shortness of breath.  No vitals.  That can mean one of two things, the patient is REALLY bad, or the nursing home is lazy and didn't take any for us.  Even worse was the dispatch info was abbreviated, normally that only happens when our dispatch runs out of characters to send the page because of other information. 

It was a lights & sirens response, we get there my partner goes to the room and I stop at the nurses station to get the paperwork.  Nurse hands me a DNR, Do Not Resuscitate order in all of our paperwork.  From listening to the nurse I'm thinking nebulizer en route, then my partner, king of cool, shouts down the hallway.  "We gotta go!"  Crap.  I know it's bad when he's telling me to hurry up.  I get my signatures and sprint down the hallway to our patients room, he looks bad.  He sounds bad.  I catch a glimpse of our patients roommate.  He looks absolutely frightened.  We load up our patient and head for the ambulance.  Shortly after we get there, he stops breathing. 

After respiratory arrest occurs, cardiac arrest isn't far behind.  That held true for our patient.  I flip through my paperwork to find the DNR.  Quick glance at it, it's not valid.  I knew what this patients wishes were, but because the DNR wasn't valid I couldn't honor those wishes.  I was able to get a pulse back rather quickly, but not for long.

Our patients final wishes went out the window all because the DNR wasn't valid.  All it takes is one missing signature or one box not checked to make the DNR invalid.  EMS is authorized to honor a DNR, and trust me, with what we see on the private side, we're more than willing to oblige, not because we don't want to work, but because we know what they will face if in fact they are successfully resuscitated, and it's not a good life.

If someone you love is in a nursing home or is dealing with a terminal illness and wishes to have a DNR status, please please please, make sure their DNR order is valid.  Their final wishes will be honored and they won't face the indignity resuscitation efforts bring. 


(events have been changed so as not to identify anyone in this post)