Last weekend my daughter headed back to college. So now, I have to admit summer is over. I had such lofty goals for this summer, that just didn’t happen. As John Lennon said “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” I had lots of plans, but instead I lived life.
While several most of the projects I had hoped to get finished did not happen, the one thing I did complete was the Texas Christmas Shop Hop. This quilting shop hop was scheduled for July 1st to August 15th. There were a total of 24 participating shops. Each shop provided a different quilt block pattern (with a few having more than one). When joined together they create a Texas Christmas Quilt.
My sister and I hit the road mid-July after I recovered from another bout of Covid. It took us a few weeks to visit all 24 quilt shops. The shops were scattered throughout the Dallas Fort Worth area from Denison to Waco and Celeste to Hurst. Thankfully most were pretty local, but we did get to enjoy a couple of day trips. We had a blast shopping and making memories.
The blocks varied greatly in style, technique and difficulty. Some were very traditional pattern piecing, while a few included appliques, embroidery work and even yo-yos. However, together they will create a beautiful throw size quilt.
While each shop did offer a kit for sale to complete their block, I opted to use different fabric to help the quilt have a little more unified feel. I purchased a couple of fat quarters from the Howdy Christmas fabric line by Northcott. Below are the fabrics from the Northcott line that I will be using. Together with some added coordinating fabrics, I believe I will have enough to complete the quilt.
All the fabric has been washed and I am currently in the middle of cutting all the pieces. I am looking forward to sharing the blocks with you as I complete them. While work is keeping me busy, hopefully I will be able to find a little time each day to work on it and have it completed in no time.
Need a fast, inexpensive, front door wreath. Look no further, you have come to the right place.
Here in Texas, we are headed into the hottest part of summer, with more 100+ days. When I took down my patriotic wreath, I knew I needed something else but summery. After a trip to the Dollar Tree for inspiration, I came home with three items – a pizza pan, a sun hat and a fat quarter of watermelon fabric. In less than one hour (plus dry time) I had a new wreath.
As with so many people, life has changed since Covid. With the increase of family challenges and responsibilities I needed to step away from blogging for a time. Then, I got out of the routine and Life of Momma B set idle. For a time, I even considered shutting down my blog. When I shared this with family and friends, I was met with some resistance. I didn’t realize how many people are still visiting this site. After wrestling with the decision for some time, I decided that I would try to breathe new life into Life of Momma B.
It has been almost 10 years since I started blogging. The first thing I decided to do was to update the look of my site. If you have been visiting for a while, you will notice several major changes. First, the logo. Yes, I am still Momma B, and I will continue to share my creative life with you and jump from project to project. But, over the last 10 years my tastes have changed, so I have updated my logo. As you dig deep into past posts, you will see the old logo, but new material will have the new look.
I also changed the overall layout of the site. Now when you go to LifeofMommaB.com you will arrive at my home page. From here you can choose which part of the blog you want to see. First you will find the major categories. If you are a regular visitor and know what you are wanting, these are for you. They will take you to the area you love the most and you can bypass all the other topics. Then I have the highlights of my recent posts, this will show you what is new and is a great resource for my regular visitors. Don’t forget about the search feature on this page. Looking for a recipe, type the main ingredient and you are on your way. Working on a merit badge, type in the frontier and you are done. But please do not forget about the signup feature. This will notify you of new blog posts as they come out.
The blog itself has not changed much. I plan to continue to blog on a variety of topics. Like a bee, hopping from flower to flower, my life is spent hopping from project to project. My home recipes will still be a major component. My family still uses this for everyday cooking. Instead of grabbing my recipe box out of the cabinet, they tend to grab their phone and look up a recipe. One thing I dislike about some blogs is the large amount of information before you get to the actual recipe. Not here! While I do share information about the recipe, you won’t find a ton of fluff. Please be sure to read the tips at the end of the recipe, it does make a difference.
Crafting is still a major part of my life. My husband describes me as a “seasonal crafter”. Just as one moves through different seasons of life, I move through different seasons of crafting. My passions change over time. I am currently re-entering into a quilting season of crafting, which is super exciting. Before my children were born, I quilted and am returning to this passion. This doesn’t mean I don’t knit from time to time, but the amount of time I spend knitting has decreased. Now, I spend hours drooling over quilts on Pinterest and deciding which I will make next when I still haven’t completed the previous ones.
The next major category for my blog post is American Heritage Girls. When AHG came out with the new handbooks, I stopped sharing badge helps. So many of my readers come to get assistance with badges. This is one area that I plan to expand. I hope to return to old posts and update them to reflect the new badge requirements, as well as post the countless other badge helps that I have not shared.
Now what is going on in my personal life. Well, my husband and I are now empty nesters. I have completed my 15+ years of homeschooling and my daughter is now in college. This was a major life change that occurred during Covid. Since my days are no longer spent teaching, I am now able to spend time on other things. Most of my time is spent on a business my sister and I created a year and a half ago. We work together to make reusable cotton products. (Check out our Etsy page here). God has blessed this venture, but it takes up a large amount of my time. While the little bit of money that we make is nice, the main benefit I have found is how much it has strengthened my relationship with my sister. This is the first time since 2005 that we have lived in the same state. Our relationship is stronger than ever, and you cannot put a value on that.
For now, I will stop rambling. Stay tuned to new blog posts. While I have not developed a posting schedule yet, I hope too soon. Please comment below and let me know what topics you would like to see me post about.
During the pandemic I went through several life changes, and needed to step away from my blog. As things settle into a new normal, I have had several request to continue sharing life on my blog.
I will begin posting regularly again soon, but since Life Of Momma B is almost ten years old, I decided it was time for a refresh. Stay tuned for some exciting changes.
Did you know that today is American Eagle Day? Today we recognize the day that the bald eagle was added to the official seal of the United States in 1782.
