Christmas Countdown

Here I sit at work trying to NOT be the Grinch...

when all I can think about is getting ready for the holidays. We are doing the Christmas countdown in my classroom for my students to understand the concept of time and calendar...yesterday I realized that Christmas was next week!  NEXT week?!  How did that happen?!

I have had many good intentions to start getting ready for the holidays...

ingredients to make cookies are bought...

ingredients to make candy are bought...

ingredients to make Rice Krispy Treats are bought....

but not one things has been made!

Working full-time and a part-time job once a week really cuts into my fun time! I have not sewn anything or done anything remotely to get in the Christmas mood lately.

My son, Jack, turned 4 on Monday.  We had the big birthday party this weekend and that has monopolized everything lately. Who in their right mind has a baby that close to Christmas?!  Oh well, the best laid plans often go astray!

So, after I teach my final class tonight for the local college, I will be going home and completing my Christmas cards and start my plan for getting festive!

This is what I am going to start working on for my daughter for Christmas. I LOVE LizzieBCre8ive's stuff! I am making the Peace Sign rug in pink, purple and aquamarine. Won't she be excited?!  Hopefully I will at least get the top done!

Happy Holidays!

Oh, Cnristmas Tree! Oh, Christmas Tree!

This weekend we went to Linvilla Orchards to buy our Christmas tree.  It took us a few hours to find the right one. Some were too tall, some were to skinny.....

And yes, my husband brought the electric chainsaw with him to cut the tree down! Many people were very jealous of him eventhough they said he was "cheating"!

Finally, we found the right tree!!!!!

And my husband used the handy dandy electric shainsaw to cut it down!

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our house, but we are not there yet.  This wekend we have my son's 4th birthday party, so we are currently in party planning mode......hopefully I will get some sewing projects done this week. Hopefully!

Longwood Gardens

After years of going to Longwood Gardens for my son's birthday (mid-December), this year we decided to go the Monday after Thanksgiving......I highly recommend it.  We went with my daughter's Daisy Troop and there was no one there!  It was amazing!  You were actually able to move, see things, take your time and enjoy every aspect of Longwood......fabulous!  Below are some of the pictures that I took.

What a beautiful combination!  The entire conservatory was pointsettas, narcissus, hydrangea and cyclomen.  Gorgeous!

Beautiful white orchids in the Orchid room.

What stately Amarillus!



I found these berries very beautiful....they were among stunning red pointsettas and white narcissus.

Jack (far left), Emily and two of my other Daisy Girl Scouts!  They had so much fun!

Til next time, take time for you!

Colleen

Fall Fabric Frenzy

Well, I finally found out that I passed my Comprehensive Exam for my PhD!!!!!!  What a relief!  Now that I have the results, I feel like a major weight has been lifted off my shoulders!  In the past week since I found out, I have changed our computer room into my sewing room.  How beautiful is it to finally have a space of my own to create in?!

I have not posted in awhile, so I am going to back up a bit.......In the middle of November, my mother-in-law and I went quilt shopping with for the Fall Fabric Frenzy.....what a great time!  We made it to 6 shops in one day!  Next year our goal is to make it to all 10!


These are the fabrics that I will be using for the Philly Modern Quilt Guild's Challenge Solids.  Aren't they pretty?!  That is all I am going to share for now! All I have to say is...nothing smells as nice as chocolate and peppermint in the air!

My cousin will be getting married this summer and her colors are lime green, hot pink and leopard.  Yes, leopard!  These are the fabrics that I will be using in her quilt. 

Trying to figure out how to incorporate the leopard into it!

Til next time, take time for you!

Colleen

Almost Back

It has been 5 days since I took my comps and I have no motivation.  I feel like I have been studying for so long that it has sucked all of the life out of me.  I have been in bed asleep by 8:30 every night this week....it is so annoying!  I have so many things to do and that I want to do, but no motivation.  I am hoping that things get back to normal soon!

On the flip side, I am super excited about my weekend!  I will be doing the Fall Shop Hop this weekend in Delaware, Delaware County, Montgomery County and Bucks County with my mother-in-law.  I am hoping that this weekend will help me to get motivated to do some sewing.

Work and teaching at night have definately drained me and I am desperately awaiting Thanksgiving vacation!  Hopefully, I will have some photos for everyone soon!

Til next time, take time for you!
Colleen

The Countdown Begins

Well......I am signing off for the next 5 days. I am going to try really hard not to read anyone's Blog, eventhough I am dying to see pictures from Quiltmarket and to see how everyone did!  My exam will be Saturday beginning at 9:00 and ending at 2:30.  Please keep me in your thoughts and pray that I pass this!  So, til next Sunday when I can officially start looking at fabric and quilting again.....do some quilting and sewing for me!

Til next time, take time for you!
Colleen

Trick or Treat Bags

For the quilt meeting last week, we made little bags from a Moda Bake Shop patterm (sorry I can't remember the name right now).  Anyway, I decided to make my children trick-or-treat bags from the same pattern, but on a larger scale. 

I did NOT pick out the fabrics, my kids did for their individual bags...very busy but they love them!  Ultimately that is all that matters. 

I also made 3 more for friends of ours children ages 1 to 7.  These bags are VERY durable.  We took them to Boo at the Zoo and they stood up to being tossed around, dragged on the ground and thrown!  I even had to wash them when we got home!

Here they are next to the pumpkin that we carved tonight.  The kids arranged them...not too bad!

They decided to sit on them while they posed for the picture!  Well, at least they make good cushions!

Til next time, take time for you!

Colleen

Inspirations

Here are 2 of my main inspirations:

My daughter, Emily, age 6

My son, Jack, almost 4

Shockingly, they both love to pick out fabric and chose the fabric for their trck-or-treat bags that I made (pictures soon!).

Another one of my major inspirations is nature.   A few times a week, when time allows, I take a hike at Ridley Creek State Park on my way home from work.  This is mainly to calm myself down and to de-stress after working all day.  I was going to make a quilt for the Modern Quilt Guild Challenge from one of the photos below, but decided I better study instead and hold off for 2 more weeks!  It is very hard to do!

The waterfall!

My favorite view....around the bend!  I need to get a photos with the leaves changing colors!

 I would like to make a quilt from this picture that I took at Longwood Gardens.  The flowers in teh water lily garden were beautiful!

Till next time, take time for you!
Colleen




The Beginning

Well, today I find myself home from work with a sick child. So, on this momentous day, I decided to start my own blog.  I am inspired by joining the Philly Modern Quilt Guild and reading, as well as hearing about Blogging at the meeting. 

I am 2 weeks away from taking my PhD exam, so I do not have a lot of time to post right now and in the same regard have not sewn anything in about 6 years....so pretty pcitures to post.

I have chosen the name, A Small Oasis, for many reasons.  The primary reasons are as follows: I work full-time as a high school Autistic Support teacher, I have 2 children (Emily 6, and Jack, almost 4), I am getting my PhD, I teach for a local college 1-2 nights per week, I am the Leader for my daughter's Daisy Girl Scout Troop and I have been married for almost 12 years......now do you see why I need a small oasis in my hectic life?! I am planning on starting to schedule in some time for me.  How pitiful is it that I just wrote, I am going to schedule time for me?!

So, in a nutshell, I am ready to begin my sewing journey once again!