Giving from the Heart

I have always found the blessings are abundant when you give of your time and talent for others in need. Leslie of Pinyon Creek Stitchin'! is coordinating "Hearts and Hands for Sendai." Please log onto her blog and read all about this wonderful project and the requirements. Be sure to arrow down and read the March 14th. post for all the details. Please consider joining in and contributing a block.

Here is a portion of Leslie's post that tells a little about the project:

"This project will be dedicated to helping those affected by the earthquake tsunami disaster in Japan. Per Hideko Ishida's request, all quilts will become a part of an exhibit in Japan where money will be raised by viewing the quilts. Ultimately, these quilts may be auctioned and the proceeds given to a charity designated by Hideko Ishida, our Japanese CQ Sister! We will keep everyone informed as time progresses. This project is open to the quilting community at large!"

Crazy Quilting in the Texas Hill Country

Myself along with several of my crazy quilt "sisters" were invited to spend Spring Break in the Hill Country of Texas. Julie of Creative Blessings of Joy planned a fabulous stitching retreat at her brother & sister-in-law's gorgeous home. Built on the top of one of the hills, it overlooks the lake and the scenery is breathtaking.

We have these retreats down to a fine art and there is only one thing we can do better... create a mess! On the right is Jan showing one of the blocks she is currently working on. As you can see, we come prepared with our stitching paraphernalia. Julie, seated, and Linda, standing, are both taking a break in this photo.

The photo on the left shows Gumbo giving Julie a "high five." I could fill this post with pictures of this sweet dog. You can probably tell I love animals and I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with Gumbo, the family's beautiful Australian Labradoodle.

We spent the day shopping in Kerrville and Fredericksburg and Julie,
Lynnis and Jan needed a nice dip in the hot tub to soothe their tired muscles. Gumbo, is waiting patiently to be splashed in the face.


Their Mountain Laurel was in full bloom and absolutely beautiful. The antique roses were just beginning to bud out and I found one partially opened bud. Spring is coming to Texas!

A special "thank you" to Julie's wonderful family for their gracious hospitality. We had a wonderful time stitching in their lovely home and enjoying all the beauty of the Texas Hill Country.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

I wanted to express my sincere thanks for the wonderful gifts I received from this year's One World One Heart event. If you have not heard of this yearly event please check Lisa's blog, The Whimsical Bohemian, for more information. On the top right sidebar you will see a place to sign in.

I've participated for the last two years and have met so many wonderful and talented bloggers. It's fun to both give and receive. Thank you, Lisa, for creating this event and for the wonderful opportunity it provides.

Can you believe I was the lucky recipient of four gifts? Each one is a treasure and I feel so very fortunate. The beautiful smoky quartz bracelet and handmade bag on the left is a gift from Diane of Lavender Dreams Thank you once again, Diane.

Pictured on the right are a number of lovely hand-crafted beads by Jennifer of Jewelry by Jennifer Pride I will enjoy using them, Jennifer - many thanks!



I was amazed at the bead work on this beautiful doll. This was a gift from Dot of Speediebeadie . She loves her new home and has her very own place of importance. Thank you Dot!



And last, but certainly not least, is this gorgeous hand-crafted journal by Jen of Jenxo. This is great for drawing my designs and I will use it often. Thank you again Jen for your generosity.