cool off

This past few weeks it's been so hot in my area and I keep thinking of the winter and how much I wanted it go 'Go Away', and for summer to get here.   I got my wish and walking outside is like walking into a tropical rain forest... the dew point here in So. Florida has been in the high 80's. The temperature has been in the high 90's... the leaves on the trees are weeping... 

For all that are suffering the "Heat Wave" around the Country and the World.....

Here are a few "Feel Good Cool off Moments"

"Enjoy"

If you sit and stare at the photos of the "Snow" it will help cool you off, at least in our minds!

    Have a great cool Sunday!

xoxoxo
Sandy

Zebra Plant

Three years ago my good friend "Ingrid" gave me this tiny little house plant. A "Zebra" plant... it had only one flower and my being a "Transplanted Northerner" I always thought "It belonged in the house".... but I put it out on the deck about two years ago and found it loves Florida weather!  This week I noticed it blooming once again.. this year it had two blooms!  It's flowers come out twice a year.    

 "Ingrid" passed away, two years this September,  just three months from being diagnosed with  "Pancreatic Cancer"... So' as you might guess, "this plant is very special to me".

I find myself covering it when it rains too much, or taking it out of the sun when it's much too hot. I'll do almost anything to keep my "Zebra Plant" healthy. 

A few weeks after "Ingrid" died her husband told me "I could have anything I wanted" from her garden.. this little "Garden Sign" was all I wanted... "Ingrid" did,  "Plant Kindness and Harvest Love".

I think this year I'll re-pot my "Zebra Plant"... a larger pot.   I'll go find some really nice, unusual pot to display it's beauty,, maybe next year she will give me "Three Flowers".......

"Enjoy Your Weekend Everyone" 

Following Friday, Over 40

Favorite Things 

Pruning the trees...

The Lawn care guys came into my yard this week,  on a very hot summer day.  The temp at the time was 98' and the index was at 105'.  They worked hard for several hours to do a bit of pruning... the palm trees were over grown and needed a hair cut.

They all laughed at me for following them with my camera.  But I was a good person and passed out cold water and peach pie. Then when they were finished and all looking like they were going to pass out,  I turned on the sprinkler for them..  Quick way to "Cool Off"!

Love that "Chain Saw"

Then they "Cut down" an over grown "Weed" that was the size of a "Tree"

Then it all went into the "Grinder"... that was loud to say the least!

I can see the "Creek" and a "Stump"

The guys left me a good piece of "Stump"... need to even off the top and use it for a planter, somewhere in the yard!

And  "How was your week"!

I'm linking up to this weeks outdoor and garden parties

Outdoor Wednesday

Follow new Friends Friday 

Alex Blanket

A is for "Alex"

My daughter told me such a sweet story about her baby boy "Alex". His brothers have their own quilts that grandma made for them several years ago.. before little Alex was born... they use their quilts for more than to cover their beds.. TV/Movie watching, the beach, out in the grass, or just to snuggle.  "They love them".   I made their quilts in the same primary colors but I used a "Sports Theme"... 
My daughter told me about two weeks ago, "Now that her 3yr old can read his name, when the older brothers grab their blankets he looks sad and says, "Alex Blanket".  Gina gives him one blanket, then another, only to have him look sad and put it down saying  "Alex Blanket"...
Well that was my que.. Time for me to get busy and make "Alex his own Quilt".

The first order of business was to find the fabrics.. Primary colors are easy to find in any fabric store, but the sports theme was not... So knowing "Alex loves fish"", especially the "Octopus" ( he walks around the house waiving his arms pretending he is an Octopus)  I thought this to be the perfect theme for him.
I went digging in my scrap fabric chest and found some pieces of solid color flannel and used these pieces also.. cotton and flannel combined makes for a nice soft feel...

I know all of you "Quilters" out there will frown upon my method of cutting.. I don't do "cutting wheel" very well and I just measure the squares and cut with scissors, not doing a very good job of being perfect.. but it works for me...I'm not really good at matching squares in the perfect corners. And, I just sew the squares together in a hurried way..  I think I put in about 4 days time to complete this quilt.

Laying the fabric on the bed as I go along.. trying to evenly space the fabric designs.. (you'll notice my Rikki sitting on the bed very disturbed because "I took over her nap spot").

Once I had the entire piece finished I used the top design, twin size piece, then the batting, and the third layer is a flat 600 count sheet backing,for softness. I chose a sheet instead of muslin because of the price...On a good sale a sheet is so much cheeper then muslin fabric.   For the batting. I used, low-loft.  To make it easier for a little boy to be able to carry the quilt around.. not too heavy!

I then added my special touch.. so the boys, years from now, knows "Grandma made it".

 I used hand stitches around the name.. but then used the machine stitches to complete the quilting of the piece... It would be so much stronger and would go faster for me...  Alex needed his blanket in about two weeks, when he gets his 'big boy bed"... so, it's in the box and going in the mail tomorrow, and "Alex" will not feel left out when his brothers grab their blanket

A is for "Alex" and I'm linking up to

Alphabet Thursday