I'm like a little kid at Christmas. All new Anna Maria Horner fabrics are out! If you haven't seen them yet make sure to visit her beautiful little shop and drool.

You will notice the prints are from the Little Folks line that came out last year (with a few beautiful additions), however the debut of the Dobby Dot and Voile to our cotton filled world tickles me to no end!

Beautiful light-weight silky cotton voile will be perfect for a blouse pattern I've been holding on to and the dots are begging to be made into a brightly colored scarf to cheer the dreary Cleveland weather we've been having. I've already ordered mine and can't wait to play! Now if I only knew if this little arrival was a boy or girl...

With so many fresh, new, wonderfuland miraculous things happening it is hard to confess the bit of cloud that is covering my skies lately. Before you get all sad and down, let me assure you, this is not a storm cloud. I prefer to think of it as a summer cloud. You know the kind. The ones that show up and clutter the sky in the middle of a perfect afternoon of sunshine and Twilight reading. The wanna-be storm clouds (as a side note, yes, I am part of the ever growing crowd obsessed with the Twilight series…began the Breaking Dawn this past weekend).

In any case, there is a situation that has clouded some of our plans and although it is super easy to get discouraged I am trying to will the sunshine back into our family. Little sayings like, “When a door closes...” or “Everything happens at the right time” seem too focused on the unfortunate, the cloudy that has happened. I’m sticking with “Look on the bright side.” Keep focused on the sunshine and it will come back. How do you get past the cloudy times in your life?

My weekend of conquering the growing to-do list was side tracked a bit. All with good reason. I couldn't wait to dig into a few new patterns I had aquired last week and this Multi-tasker Tote from Anna Maria Horner distracted me all Saturday afternoon.

I love all the pockets and the beautiful placement of coordinating fabrics. The only thing I changed was adding a zipper tab along the top inside. The person who's birthday this is for always likes a top closure in her purses. I didn't want to distract with a button and loop closure on this bag. It was such an enjoyable pattern I think I am going to make another for a Mother's Day gift.

I apologize upfront for the pictures of my flowers. I’m a little more than excited. The azaleas are in full bloom and are looking so strong and beautiful!

One of the big tasks this summer is to tear out our deck and revamp the backyard. I am sure I will have pictures to share when that all starts up. The success in the front yard from last year’s planting has given me the confidence to tackle the backyard and any (ANY!) advice is welcome.

Projects have been going out of the studio like a factory. Little snip for you. I’m excited about this one as it caused me to go out of my comfort zone a little bit and the end design is something I am proud of.

Last weekend I drove up to Michigan to my cousin’s bridal shower. These centerpieces were the cutest! The colors were so inviting and such an innovative way to combine fresh fruit and flowers. I could have eaten one of those oranges! It was such a great party. The whole day reminded me of my wedding a few years ago and how I wish for my cousin as much happiness as Jeff and I have. Such a great, amazing time in her life and I was so glad to be a part of it.

So what is next? Weeding. Finishing laundry. Project instructions. If I’m good the reward is to dig into this little pile. A new Socialite Dress for an upcoming wedding. I think I will add some piping on the neckline too! I can barely stay on task.
 

I didn’t think this weekend was going to get any better. With my surprise discovery of Amy Butler’s Softwares program, I was at a Christmas eve  level of excitement. Clearly, I should have been more optimistic.

The first surprise of the weekend was spring. The crocus are in bloom along the back edge of our yard and they are so beautiful. They are not completely open and seem to ask Old Man Winter if it is safe to come out and play. I am also the proud parent of a heather bush.

While this may not seem like quite a big thing to be excited about, those with a less-than-equip green thumb will understand. This little lady is the first thing to bloom in the front flower bed I overhauled last year. Keep your fingers crossed that the other 24 plants make it back!

Following these simple pleasures I went to my first roller derby to support my friend Megan. I had no idea what I was in for! Not only was it a good laugh at the creativity of the players names but the Burning River Roller Girls sure know how to intimidate.

If you don’t know what a jabber or a pack are check out this video for an entertaining take on derby game rules. There were a few hundred people there and even the mayor of Euclid showed up. It was so much fun!

Last, but not least, patterns. Patterns to me are like fabric, you can seriously never, ever have enough. While you’ll have a little wait for Amy’s Softwares, you’ll be happy to know that Anna Maria Horner has her new line of patterns ready to buy on her site! I love them. I love her. She is definitely someone I look up to and this post says all the reasons. She is a beautiful person for sure. Check them out and add to your pattern stash!
 

I am also pretty excited this weekend about my new toy. With the exception of Anna's pattern shot, all the other photos were taken with my new Nikon D40! I'm super excited to start a new hobby!