"1-2-3-4, Let's have a thumb war!"

"1-2-3-4...Let's have a thumb war!" 

I love how Horton is hoping for some juicy news as he quietly listens.....

I have always enjoyed the waves and smiles of crossing guards at Elementary schools.  While creating this schoolhouse for the 7 Dwarves, I think of all the waves I have CELEBRATED and the dedication of individuals in the early hours and cold mornings that keep our children safe! 

What are you CELEBRATING today?

Love, Em

A Special Gift is Kindness.....Includes everything...AND the kitchen sink!

We started the day together CELEBRATING "TH"oughtful acts for "TH"ursday and I was so inclined to create a little house to CELEBRATE today. Tonight I sing you a lullaby by Sharon Steed...

(KINDness begins in the home)

"A special gift is kindness, Such happiness it brings.  When I am kind to others, My heart sings!" How fun that I can remember my Primary song from 10's of years back!  Sean and I had giggle over this memory.

Love, Em

"Practice Random acts of Kindness"......It's "TH"oughtful "TH"ursday!

The pic placement is RANDOM and I am going with it! 

This photo of an inspiring painting was on top of my computer this morning when I awoke.  I went to bed early last night and Sean had placed the picture on my computer for me to find if I awoke in the middle of the night to work on a project...He knows me so well :).  And the love note attached, ..." 'TH'ought you might like this little piece of inspiration.  Love ya"......Noah and Sean tease me that I say "this could be turned into a quilt" about so many things I see around me......And this painting has that quote written all over it!  I think the flowers may need to be Kaffe Fassett flowers though :)!

CELEBRATE and leave a comment of how someone's thoughtfulness  blessed your life today or how you secretly said, "I love you" to someone dear or a total stranger! 

Love, Em

Star LIght Star Bright,,,

An early piece that is still not quilted.. but seemed a fun way to CELEBRATE this season.

Now the stars would be wonky....

Celebrating Plaid!

When wearing my plaid for med visits to the field, I think of you all who love thrift shops and the treasures you celebrate on your blog!  If you feel so inclined, CELEBRATE by leaving a comment of your favorite plaid item!  And snow seems kind of Christmasy!

Char from ClothStitched graciously sent me a photo of her favorite purse and I love that she titiled the jpg as "special".  Goes so nicely with my jacket!   

Anyone else giggle to see what the purse is sitting on as it poses for photo-shoot!  I can always tell a "dyed-in-the-wool" quilter when the blue cutting board is a part of the photo!!!

Keep the photos coming of your plaid fun-ness! 

When God Made You, send this to someone that you love in your life!

LOVE is my WOW for Wedneday and when I found this song it spoke to me.  Although it alludes to a man and woman falling in love, the message is so much bigger.  Who do you think of, send them a copy!

I am not ready for the CELEBRATION to be over....

When I think of Blogland I think of "LOVE".  Whether I am happy, sad, anxious or experiencing strong grief, I feel a sense of comfort and support and love at this little avenue of mine and as I visit other's "homes".  Last evening Tonya posted a feeling of being overwhelmed by all the LOVE and posted a block that was my initial inspiration for the LOVE letters in my above wonky miniature.  Seemed like a fun way to prolong the TONYA celebration.

Wednesday's Winner and what is your WOW for today?

Jenny's "JOY" is giggling as I whisper that Judi from http://karatequilter.blogspot.com/ is the winner of the final giveaway prize, WORD PLAY QUILTS book.  Congrats, Judi!!! 
I appreciate all the fun I had playing with you all this past week as we counted down the book release for Tonya and look forward to another giveaway in the near future...And last but not least....

In the late hour of Tuesday night, Magpie Sue sent me an email that her block on the cover of the book was "PLAY".  How fun that we gave it such honor over the past week with fun photos and then to have the artist reveal herself at the witching hour.  Visit her at http://sewingmagpie.blogspot.com/ and CELEBRATE her quilts and personality.  I visit her blog and get inspired over  and over by each quilt and cheer her on about her cute wonky house block, it is adorable!!!!  And her yellow star quilt, breathtaking.and.......YOU GET THE IDEA!

One Thing.....to say........

.....CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't it amazing how you turn two words around and they take on completely new meaning.  THING ONE is complete for the twin's Christmas quilt but wanted rearrange the order and place with new fabric for a final post to say good night to all on this amazing International Tonya Holiday!!

Tomorrow morning the 3rd book winner will be announced before I head to the woods to find mustangs and assess stinky feet :>).

Love, Em

"W"......Winner Winner.....This party is rockin! And one book still to be given away!!!!

After a great group of ladies trying their hand at the party game......and submitting some fab guesses....

Lauren and Sara have the winner....Envelope please!......

In case you want to guess one more time in your competitive heart.... The word I posted as a WIP belonged to the Wonky Seuss quilt for Raiden and this Seuss quilt will have same word but different number for Timothy....."THIN"......Have a guess with this clue?  (The giveaway hint is that they are my twin nephews and this is their 1st Christmas if you are new to my blog)

And the winner of Tonya's book is......

"J"eepers, Shannon, You are the new owner of Tonya's book for guessing "THING" and even knew the last of 1 and Thing 2....Nice game playing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 winners announced, 1 to go! 

The giveaway is open until midnight tonight and the 3rd winner will be announced tomorrow morning or the middle of the night if I wake up with creative inspiration.  The original giveaway is submitting a photo of a word block or word quilt or a picture that depicts a word block on the cover of Tonya's new book and you will be put in a drawing.  Put a link on your blog and tell me and you get an additional chance.  Keep the pics coming and enjoy the older posts of others who have played in the giveaway this weekend! 

Michele submits a fabulous entry that exemplifies the game...

"KISS"

What is your entry?

Love, Em

What's a party without a game! Play and you could win Tonya's book!!!!

The pic is as wonky as the project and hence a little more challenging for the party game!!!  So....  In honor of Tonya, What word am I creating for this project? 

First person to guess wins a copy of WORD PLAY QUILTS!  GO!!!!!

And guess what.....I called in sick so that I could sew these words on National Tonya Day!!! How is that for a fancy virus!

Love and good luck, Em

"TO"osday is "TO"nya Day!!!! Book released today! Along with ZEST...add a whole lot of LOVE!

My first attempt at following in Tonya's footsteps this past fall.  "TO"day I CELEBRATE "TO"nya's book release, Word Play Quilts, and will shortly announce the lucky winners of her book for my giveaway!

Kim found me this morning and I am so excited she share her story of "LOVE"!  She is the creator of the LOVE block on the front cover of Tonya's book so head over to http://pokeytown3.blogpsot.com/ and CELEBRATE her debut with Tonya.  And if you are familiar with my blog...you know how excited I was to open the below photo and see a redhead!

And I am LOVEing the idea of announcing the first of 3 winners from my giveaway.......AMY is my first winner and I will be announcing 2 more throughout the day...I love to CELEBRATE all day long!!!!  Congrats Amy with the Toy Hauler....Email me your address!

Love, Em

A little boy's imagination takes flight for some "PLAY" and maybe a fabric line someday....

My word is "PLAY" from Tonya's book cover.  My spicy fun nephew, Hudson, drew this picture of an airplane going to Disney World with beach, volcano and coconut tree.  So much PLAY potential!!!

If I add my "LOVE" one another to this the chapstick can double up on the cover words for "KISS" also... 2 bolts of fabric for a line...EM CELEBRATES!...

and Sharon's quilt below could be a panel that goes so fun....

What was initially a child's flight of imagination has now inspired a trip of my own to LA-LA Land....

The creative process- It's a domino-effect and I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This post is Sealed with a "KISS"....Less then 1 day until Word Play Quilts..

Photographs of fabulous beauty and fun of Vesuviusmama's homeland and latest Scout project....sealed with a "kiss!"  I posted Erin's color words over the weekend as a CELEBRATION of the countdown to Tonya's book release and then Erin entertained me with these photos this morning.  ENJOY as the giveaway fun continues!!!  Drop by http://vesuviusmama.blogspot.com/ and celebrate this sweet PUCKERING quilter/ mom/ friend!

What do F.R.O.G., tiaras, "New kids on the Block" and stick figures have in common!!!!!

All CELEBRATING Monday's Matra below: F.R.O.G.- Fully Rely On God and...........

1 day until Word Play Quilts is released. WAHOO!

and Tonya.....Do you have flutterbies in your belly?

A fav moment for me this morning was waking up an hour early and lighting the candles and Christmas tree and meditate while enjoying a cup of Java...

"LOVE"  How cute would this be for line of fabric!

Linda's daughter and son-in-law "HUGS", "LOVE", "HOME" as they pose in front of their new home.  Visit Linda at http://straystitches.blogspot.com/.  Remember  the feelings when buying your first home or the idea of someday signing on your own home?

And yep! This is how I started my morning, with a huge LAFF out loud sent from  Judi of her Bachelorette Party.  This is a classic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Drop in to http://karatequilter.blogspot.com/ and tell her how much you enjoy this fun photo!!!

"LAFF"ing at the fun in Judi's photo!

Today is the last day to PLAY in the giveaway so don't be shy!  Come CELEBRATE with me as the final 24 hours countdown.  http://lazygalquilting.blogspot.com/ is the HOME for Tonya so jump on over and wish her calm to one of her flutterbies!

Love, EM

Clare's Countdown Celebrates..... Tonya!!!! CELEBRATE the CELEBRATER!

Clare is so gifted with creating the word quilt and I have so enjoyed her coutdown of Tonya's book release and implore you to head to her avenue in Blogland at http://dordognequilter.blogspot.com/ and CELEBRATE her talent and get inspired!!!!

After all, It is Clare's fault that I was inspired to host this current giveaway and I thank her for the fun I am having with it!!!

And figuratively speaking....Feasting on her quilts is a buffet of fun!!!! Enjoy the spread!  Picture from the book, A Fabulous Fair Alphabet.

Love, Em

"HOME" and "JOY".....Countdown continues with 2 days left!

Last evening was mine and Sean's annual Douglas Christmas party and it was spectacular and almost "TOO MUCH" fun!!!  Throughout the night I would think "I feel so blessed that a house full of friends are gathered to Celebrate friendship and Christmas!"  And my favorite part of the shin-dig was talking with individual friends about stories behind the art in our home, how so-and-so-met, cowboy boots and of course....THE QUILTS!  A friend used our restroom and came out with teary eyes and we had a moment as we talked about the meaning of a quilt card I had hanging that I had made for Sean a couple months back.

"SING"

"KISS and HUG"

"LAFF"

"PLAY"

Every word on the copy of WORD PLAY QUILTS by Tonya was in full color during the fun time.

And because of the party and preparations, I apologize to Jenny and Laurie that I have been delayed in posting their photos sent yesterday for the giveaway.  ENJOY!!!!  If you are new to this blog and wonder about how to play giveaway, read the next posts for the fun ins-and-outs and send me photos!

Tango's "JOY" for 7 1/2 years.  I pay tribute to this man in this post and may he be enjoying a nice chat with God.  Laurie is so remarkable and pls CELEBRATE her strength and faith in God at http://tangostreasures.blogspot.com/. A cyber "HUG" and "KISS" would be a gift at this time in her life.

"HOME"

"PLAY"

"LOVE"

"HUG"

Leave it to Jenny to send me plenty of fun photos of her sweeties for a giveaway!  These children are very fortunate to have such a special lady for a mother!!!!  CELEBRATE Jenny at http://cutsewironrepeat.blogspot.com/.

Love, Em

3 days left....with a show of hands who is getting even more excited!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fun continues as I awaken to photos from you friends who are having fun CELEBRATING Tonya.  If you are new to my blog today, details for the giveaway are in the next 2 posts so enjoy this post then visit the others for more fun pictures and how you can get involved in the fun!  Supporting one another in blogland....is like...sharing:

Visit Tonya at http://lazygalquilting.blogspot.com/ this morning and cheer her on!!! 

I have always enjoyed the Christmas advent calendar activity at this time of year and feel like I am double dipping as I post pics each day CELEBRATING Tonya's book debut while Noah opens a window to discover a new Lego figurine in his Advent Calendar.....

"HOME" is Amy's word and you cam imagine the big grin on my face when I opened the pic and saw this toy hauler.  She has a wonderful post on her blog about this "HOME" so please grab a cup of coffee/tea/Propel and head on over to visit her at http://notalwayswiththread.blogspot.com/.

And then I found this find in a parking lot yesterday.  This is my pic of "HOME" for today.....Isn't it wonderful the craftsmanship and I wonder the story behind this house.  Maybe he has a blog....GRAPESOFWRATH.BLOGSPOT.com.

And do you recall my recent post wondering about Mrs. Claus....Godwink....I found her sunning on a beach in Florida in a book entitle, "Mrs. Claus Goes on Vacation."

Mrs. Claus' HOME away from "HOME!"

This is the colorful beginning of some very fun photos from Erin at http://vesuviusmama.blogspot.com/.  As many of you are familiar with Dearest Erin and her mom projects and sewing adventures, She rocked the house with these color words and I had to post!!  She is currently at a basketball game for her husband whose team is undefeated and best starting since 1987.  GO TEAM GO!!!!!!!!

Brenda is a find that I could not resist.  This very fun "play words" quilt below, BEE, is a CELEBRATION of my favorite number and of her talent!!! She has another word quilt that you must go and see at http://scrapsandstrings.blogspot.com/.    Perfect for this time of year!

Tonya, Look at how you impact our creative minds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And this is what the "BUZZ is all about!"  CELEBRATING THE COMMUNITY OF BLOGLAND and its WONKY WORDS!!!!

Photos and more photos rolling in.....4 days left!......Giveaway continues so come and play!

I am so tickled with all the energy that you have left in comments with the announcement of this giveaway CELEBRATI NG Tonya's book- Word Play Quilts!  http://lazygalquilting.blogspot.com/.  Thank you!!! Enjoy the photos below that were shared with me today as early entries for the giveaway...

(If you are new to this blog, current giveaway is picking a word from Tonya's cover of Word Play book and sending a photo/ quilt block/ quilt that represents the word.  Will close on the 7th when she releases her book....The post after this one has more specifics of giveaway and how to get chances in the drawing... and there is more than winner so submit and play!)

Can you believe it? I found this children book at a local Christian bookstore on sale.  Created by Debra Frazier.  If you say the title out loud...TRY IT....What do you notice.....Sounds like:

"A fabulous AFFAIR alphabet"- Godwink!!! 

And then when I saw Q for Quilt...IT WAS MEANT TO BE!!!!

 Can't you see this as a quilt block ?....Gotta Celebrate Amish while we are at it!

(Each letter in these pictures is taken from real letters photographed at fairs all over America...) The letters are so close to style of Tonya's depending on the letter photographed...

And the photo entries....ENJOY!

 Above is "GLEE!"  Turbo playing at the beach.

Lynn at http://patcherymenagerie.blogspot.com/ sent the 2 pics above.  She also created the GROW on the cover of Tonya's book.  Millie is the name of the sweet cat so graciously posing!  Visit her blog to see the awesom quilt in all its glory posted today.

 "It has to be love, it's something we all need."
Sent by Linda  with a wonderful touching story about the photo.  Visit her at http://linda-living-the-dream.blogspot.com/.

How fun is this cute girl below!  Thank you Beth at http://laughlovequilt.blogspot.com/ for sending a sweetie that depicts your word choice, "PLAY".  Visit her blog and CELEBRATE her little  pillows  and I am so in love with her giveaway game she is hosting about neighborhoods!!!!!! 

How fabulous is the imagination of a singing youngster!  Pillow is a guitar and a plastic golf club for microphone.  This has DIVA written all over it!  I can just hear her little voice as I write this note.  Andi chose the word "SING" because she enjoys doing so with her family.  Visit her at http://www.cottonpick.blogspot.com/. and enjoy her beautiful quilts and a pony!!!!


I can't wait to post more tomorrow so get out the camera and email me the fun!!!