Hello Hello-Anybody Out There?

This will be the bedroom/sitting room

Can you guess what this is??

Notice the chair in the shower. Oh yea!

Hallway between bed/bath. On the left we built a food pantry.

Hi Friends~

I've been gone awhile again...I thought when one gets older, life slows down a bit? Well, I'm wondering what 60 will be like! Heck, I'm going so fast now I can barely get these chubby little legs to keep up! Here's what's going on....

On August 6th my mom moved from Dallas to Marshalltown Iowa to live with my husband and I. Wait wait there's more....

Our home had 3 bedrooms upstairs and a great big empty square downstairs, the basement. A wall ran across the house downstairs to hold the darn thing up, but that was it. My husband and I have been building walls, sheetrocking, and mudding. We put a bathroom in, and of course a ginormous bedroom/sitting room. Gosh, I never knew how many details there are to putting something like this together. We are using a little less than half of the basement to make these rooms and are dealing with about a 1,000 square feet. So it has been quite an undertaking. We have been working on it since July. Okay, I get it that this was a long explanation of why I have not been blogging. But...I did take some pictures to show you what we have accomplished so far. Keep in mind that my hubby is only home two days a week, and works out of town the rest of the week. This weekend we will put the floor molding in the bedroom, and the closet doors as well as the fireplace.

And I had a wonderful, lush vegetable garden this year (inspite of these fast growing Iowa weeds) and didn't have to buy produce all summer long! Whoo hoo! It was my first real garden. (By real I mean one that actually produced :) And while working in my beautiful garden one day a starving little kitty came out of the cornfield. Of course I had to feed her. And she grew and gained weight, looking really healthy. One month later she had 4 kittens! Does anyone out there have kittens? They're alot of work! I mean, you have to play with them, hold them, kiss those baby noses! Whew I could hardly get anything done. I have since gotten the mother cat fixed, and the babies all have shots. (P.S. My hubby is REALLY happy about all of this.) I have made posters with their darling little photos on them (titled "Mug Shots") and I put them all over town. I have so far found a great home for 1 kitten..Only one! I feel like a mom who thinks her kids are absolutely the BEST..and can't understand why anybody wouldn't want to scoop up these little treasures for themselves! Oh well, the kitty saga goes on...Oh by the way, the mama cat, Lucy, is tired of them.

Great...now I feed the babies on the back porch and Lucy on the front porch. They now have seperate living quarters as well. Alot of work I tell ya!

Anyway, I was talking to my Aunt Mo the other day, and we don't get to talk very often. So she uses my blog to keep up with me. Ha! Fell of the face of the earth since July....

So Hi Auntie! I'm back at least for now. We will have mom's rooms ready by Dec. 1st!! The carpet will be layed on the 28th of Nov. then I will be back to blogging full time!!

I've missed you too.

And all of you out there in blog land.

Thank you for hanging in there with me during this absence.

I love you all,

Sharon

P.S. Isn't my husband a wonderful man to do all of this for my mom? Bless his heart he hasn't had a day off since July...

A Shropshire Lad & Beating the Heat!

Boy it's been hot! Whew! I hope ya'll are keeping cool out there. A post of one of my David Austin Roses, "A Shropshire Lad." Isn't it gorgeous? The fragrance is unbelievably enticing, and sweet. Yummy...to say the least. My lavender did not due well this years (grumble, grumble) as the spring was so wet, their feet got soggy.

Meet Dash! This is my neighbor's puppy, who comes by every morning as I am gardening to get right into my business. After a pet, and a few trips to the back of the house to dump weeds (yes weeds grow fantastically here), she's ready for a dip. Plop! Right into the rain water held in the pig pot! She's a real cutie pie!

Some days, I even feel like joining her!

Blessings~

In Love With David Austin!

Hello Friends! After a long hiatus filled with life changes and new beginnings....I'm back! I've missed you all, and I don't know where to start in filling you in. So, I'm just going to begin at where I left off on my last blog. My mom is doing very well! Thank the Lord! She came to Iowa with me to do her radiation therapy and we drove about an hour each day to Ames. The William R. Bliss Cancer Center was filled with the most wonderful angels. Kind and considerate, caring and loving. Mom and I miss them! But her treatment went very smoothly with very little side effects. She is home now in Dallas gathering her things and getting rid of things to move to Marshalltown to be by me! I'm so excited! We haven't lived near each other in many many years, and I feel so blessed that I will be able to spend time with her. She is feeling well, and just as busy as ever! I wanted to thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. God is faithful.
I have been busy in my garden this year, a bit late, but things are coming to fruition nevertheless. I took the big step this year....ordering David Austin roses!! It's been a dream of my to fill my yard with DA roses and peonies. While I didn't plant any peonies this year, I did plant DA "Shropshire Lad & Gertrude Jekyll" roses. Gertrude is in bloom (above) and looking wonderful. I began with knockout roses to see if I could get these so called "full (fool) proof" roses to grow. They did very well for two years so now I am on to David Austin's. Wish me luck!
I also planted a vegetable garden this year! Oh my goodness, I am up to my ears in sweet peas, green beans, and onions. We have the most delicious beets too! The tomatoes are not ripe yet, but there are many many on the vine. I'm looking forward to those.
I have been so lax with my blog lately, I hope that you all haven't forgotten me!! It seems I have the attention span of a newt these days.
My hubby has gone back to his old job, and is gone most of the week again....just when I was getting used to him being home!!! I think this job is much better for his health and happiness, so we will manage.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend...a special hug for MA!! Be well friends, Sharon

~Tears of Joy & Lavender Days~

Hello Friends~Bet you thought I fell off of the edge of the world!! It's been awhile for sure, and a crazy month. I've been in Dallas for just about a month with my mom. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of March, Bless her sweet heart. She had a Lumpectomy, and they took out some lymph nodes, and Thank you Lord!, no cancer in them!! We got the good news at the surgeon's office on her 83rd birthday! Oh my gosh, I just cried with tears of joy. She was a stage one. And they believe that they have gotten all of the cancer, and she will fly to Iowa to stay with me for her radiation therapy. It was so scary, but she remained very calm, trusting the Lord, and she was at peace through out the entire process of Dr.'s visits, (oh so many) and she was an outpatient for her surgery. I'm just amazed at how well she did! I only pray that I could handle it as well as she did. It will be so nice to have her here, and for me to be able to take her to her appts. A few days after I returned home, we had company for a few days, and it was a wonderful and relaxing visit. We went to Antique stores and visited the sites. It was Great!! On one of my visits, I found the most beautiful Cabin Crafts Chenille Bedspread! I was so blessed to get it a wonderful price. There's not a thing wrong with it!! I have listed it in my Ebay shop. I know that I am skimming through my life for the past month, but I am also in the midst of cleaning house and catching up with my gardens. We've almost got the mulch down, and are having to get out outside in between raindrops. I'm so happy to be back in blogland, and will be visiting all of you very soon. Thanks for stopping by~look for me to visit you soon. Hugs and Blessings~Sharon

~A Gooey Mess~

Hi All! I really don't know what has gotten into me lately....for 10 years I have used PINK for everything I made..no truly, I did. I found it difficult if not impossible to create without using PINK! People have actually written to me, asking that I make baby boy quilts! FREAK!!! Sorry no, unless you think he might like pink??? Even my mom, who is my biggest supporter by the way, would ask me, "So what kind of pink fabric did you buy today?" I came to believe that maybe, just maybe I was in a color-time-warp! But lately I have been exploring with many different colors of fabric...well, mostly camel, tan, beige, white, blaaah blaaah blaaah. (smiling) But I've come to love those colors as well, particularly white. Now for something country...Well, sort of country, I guess...actually I'm not sure WHAT country is, (and yet I live in the country), anyway, here's a country-folk quilt..Now...back to pink & white!!! Oh how I've missed you! So here's the question....am I losing it? Or do you get obsessed with colors and find that if looking at a color doesn't make you melt into a big gooey mess of hugs and kisses, it's just not a good color??? (Oh my...)

Here's wishing you a wonderful weekend~Don't forget to spring forward!! Hugs and Blessings~

~Robins & Tidepools~

Good morning all! I looked out the window this morning and in between the snowflakes I saw that the Robins have returned! Oh my goodness and there were so many of these beautiful little birds~I would not be exaggerating if I said 100 robins on the lawn trying hard to find a frozen morsel in the grass. It is a day to rejoice! Even though it is still cold, still snowing, and not at all spring-like, the Robins give me a feeling of hopefulness and excitement that Spring is just around the corner. I wanted so much to share this beautiful sight with you but....the day was too dark and gloomy for a good photo. So....I decided instead to show you the new shawl! It is finished and I think it looks so pretty! I call it "Tidepools." It makes me think of the Caribbean blue waters. I could use a vacation to the islands right about now! I'm off to search for more Robins!! Happy Monday!! Oh yes, next weekend is Daylight Savings Time!!!! Spring Forward All!! Hugs & Blessings

Knitting Ocean Waves!

Hello Everyone!! Well I have begun a new shawl-this is the most beautiful shades of blue, purple and green. It reminds me of Ocean Waves. I found this wonderful Knit Shop in Ames, IA., called Rose Tree Fiber Shop . Oh my goodness you would not believe the Fab Fiber in Stock! Some of the Extraordinary Yarn in this store comes from locals in this area. I can't tell you how beautiful these yarns are!! The proprietor is the Most Adorable Lady, Rosemary Heideman, and what a story she has to tell about how she came to be in the Fiber business! She really is such a Darling Lady. Follow my link to her store and read about Rosemary in the about me section on the web page. What a Hoot! She was in our local paper not long ago which lead me to her store. You really must meet this Queen of Roses! Anyway, back to the story....Rosemary had this yarn spun, dyed by a local woman and it is Beautiful! It's chunky, then thinner, then thin, oh my! A Rainbow it even has PINK TINSEL spun into it! Wow! So...here's my new shawl with some of that yarn. I will post the finish product soon...Knit one...purl two...knit one..............Hugs!

~Put A Little Pink In Your Grey!~

Hello Friends! To offset the grey days here in Iowa...I've been knitting up a storm! Knitting is the perfect craft for winter for me. I always pick colors that brighten my world..and pink is one of my most favorite colors! Pink just turns my insides to jelly!! (smiling) So I gathered up all of my leftover pink stash and made this V shaped Shawl. It has two layers of fibers throughout the entire piece and it is so incredibly warm...I made extra long, thick fringe because I just love the casual messy look of it. What fun! And I must tell you, working on it was a delight! Now I'm off to block it, but I just had to share this with you.

I hope that you are all well and as excited as I am to have winter almost over!! Let the Sun Shine In!! Blessings all!

P.S. I see signs of spring in my garden already!! Yikes! Crossing my fingers that it is not too early. Hugs~

The Winner of OWOH.... Belinda Ferrells!!!

Well another year and the last One World One Heart has come to an end. I have been so blessed to be a part of this wonderful blogging event! It has been incredibly rewarding to meet and visit the many participants, and to see the fabulous creations by talented artists. I have enjoyed all of your comments which have led me to your blogs and has opened up for me a whole new insight into the world of creative arts. I thank you one and all!
Now for the winner of my giveaway...this little clothespin bag, which was chosen through a random number website..the number is 102
The lucky girl is: BELINDA FERRELLS!!!! Her fabulous blog is Belinda Ferrells Polymer Clay OOAK Babies!
Oh what a wonderful and creative polymer clay artist she is! Her babies are so lifelike and beautiful. Be prepared to be AMAZED when you follow the link to her blog.
Congratulations Belinda Ferrells!!
Blessings~

~Stormy Weather~Heaps of Fun!

First...the Blizzard

My Driveway Covered in Snow

More of the Driveway and Turnaround

What a Storm! I'll get back to you when I'm done Shoveling!!

Hugs~

The Fantastic One World One Heart 2011 Giveaway!!

Welcome Friends to the One World One Heart 2011 Blog Event of the Year! This is the 5th and final year of this Fantastic Blog Giveaway Party! Last year there were 900 Wonderful Bloggers giving away the most Delightful gifts to their visitors as a way of getting to know other bloggers from around the World! I have loved being a part of this Fabulous Event which is hosted by the Lovely, Talented Artist Lisa of A Whimsical Bohemian. If you click on the link you will be Magically transported bloggers around the world offering fine gifts for you! All you need to do is leave a comment on our blogs. The drawings for this Event will be on February 17, 2011. Below is my gift to you!

Handmade Clothespin Bag

My name is Sharon and I love PINK Roses and I love to SEW. I make Rag Quilts, and Tabletoppers, Clothespin Bags, Pot holders, and Pillows, which I list for sale on my Ebay site. I am a fabric-a-holic and always thinking of new ideas for one of a kind creations. For this Special One World One Heart I have for you a Darling Pink Rose (of course) Clothespin Bag With Bows and Vintage Pink Glass Buttons! A Cute Pink hanger compliments the Bag. Now...if you don't hang clothes outside, you can use this little bag in many other ways...Lingerie or Nylon Keeper, Plastic Bags would fit in nicely too. One lady that I made one for just hung it as a decoration in her laundry room! Cute, right? So all you have to do is leave a comment on my blog for a chance to win this cutie pie! Thanks for stopping by, it is a pleasure to Welcome you to Sharons Cottage Quilts.

A close-up of the front of the Clothespin bag. I just love pink and green together! Don't You? Many blessings to you, and don't forget to stop by the other many OWOH Giveaway Blogs.

WAAAAAA!!! I'm Sick & The E-Coli Lady.....

Good Morning Friends! First off, I know that many of you have had the flu this year...I'm sorry, I feel for you! I had a bad night last night-no sleep and lots of body aches. Yuck! I know, I know what a big ol' baby I am! I admit it. I have been so blessed in my life with good health that I have no cause to complain. Okay....I'm done!
One World One Heart will begin soon, and I hope that I am done with my project for it. I have about 18 things I'm working on at once--that's one of them. I love OWOH and this will be the last year for it.
Okay...I like to keep things cheerful and sweet on my blog, but I have to mention this-Have you ever received one of those Walmart emails? You know the ones...with people dressed in goofy, wierd and sometimes really awful ways? Well, I received one the other day and one of the images has just BURNED into my BRAIN! This young lady has her baby laying down in a shopping cart, right next to her car, and the car door is open. She is changing a poopy diaper right in the big part of the shopping cart!!!! Where someone else would place their groceries!! Oh man, is that enough to send a germaphobe over the edge or WHAT? Geez, I'm never going to open a Walmart email again. Please Lord let the image go away! (smiling) and Lady if your out there and just happen to stop by my blog.......Don't do that again...I'm beggin' ya! Wow! I feel much better after the Rant...thank you!
I hope that you all have a wonderful and safe weekend....and if you're shopping this weekend, bring a large tarp with you to cover the shopping cart COMPLETELY! Ha!! Hugs~

SnowFlakes, Sleeves, & A Limited Attention Span!

New Black and White Rag Quilt...Hey actually finished something!

I painted this old cheesebox and added some snowflakes!!

Hanging tabletopper (don't look at the empty shelf...another project for another day)

Hello friends out there in Blogland! Good Lord, I've been up since 4:00am this morning and I've been a whirlwind of free motion! I began by starting the dishwasher after breakfast, then sorted and began a load of clothes...Good start, right? I decided that vacuuming was in order (it's been awhile), so I brought out the vacuum, plugged it into the wall and took about 3 swipes. I thought I had better move some floor decorations and when I did, I found some beautiful peacock feathers that I had forgotten about! Yipee! Then I remembered that I had an old clay urn that needed an arrangement! So I worked on the peacock feather, pine needle (and other organic matter) arrangement until it was just the way I pictured it in my mind! Voila! As I was putting the arrangement on the table I noticed that I didn't like the way the quilt tabletopper looked with the arrangement so I removed the tablecloth, folded it up for storage. Then as I was walking back to admire my new floral creation, I noticed a BIG BARE WHITE WALL! Oh my GOSH! The perfect place for my tabletopper! So I got the tabletopper back out of storage....ironed it, and looked up on the internet how to hang a quilt. A Sleeve?? Okay, I can do that, and I did. I hung the little piece on the Giant White Wall! Very pleased with myself, I now have to redo the shelf...another project for later. I sat down to have some lunch, unload and reload the dishwasher. After lunch I walked into the living room and tripped over the vacuum! I realized then that it had been sitting there for 6 hours!! Six!! Holy Moly....Okay, so here's my question for the day:

Is anyone else out there as empty of concentration as I am????

Love you all!!

P.S. At this writing..... the vacuum is still sitting in the livingroom, and I am totally exhausted!....

After A Long Hiatus......

A Basketweave Wrap I am working on and new Yarn!!

A Winter Wonderland...
Awaiting Spring

Hello Friends~Wow! I have never EVER taken this long off from Blogging...ever! But I needed a little break, and I had a Wonderful Holiday Season with my family, now I am thrilled to be back with you! We are enjoying (smiling) -7 degree weather right now. Yikes, It hurts my face! But we have really had a very mild winter this year, so I guess it's our turn. The snow pictures are out in our front yard.

Exciting news! Herrshners had a big sale, I got 10 skeins of pink merino wool!!! yarn for 1.99 a skein! I'm so happy. So I am knitting a basketweave wrap and it's coming along beautifully. Knitting is such a wonderful winter hobby. I love the warm wrap trailing down my legs as I knit. And it is yummy soft!

I have been reading your blogs so as not to get too far behind, perhaps some of you knew I was there!

I hope that you all had a fabulous holiday, that you are blessed in the coming year, and that you keep warm throughout this winter season. See you tomorrow!! Hugs~