I had another birthday.

Fabulous chocolate waffle cookies, awesome birthday candles, tulle puffs, amazing lemon cupcakes!

So I turned 40 a couple of weeks ago. There was a fun little party with all of my favorite foods and lots of my favorite people! It's weird to turn 40, mostly because when you're really young, that sounds REALLY old. But once you're here it's more like, where did the last 20 years go?? I don't feel like I thought 40 would feel! But it's good. I like my 40 better than I thought 40 would be. :)

Things I've learned/I'm not afraid to admit now that I'm 40:
I've realized I can't do everything I think I should be doing, and that's okay.
*on a related note - having a clean house is great, but not always possible (without paid help).
I'm addicted to making friends.
I like Sci-Fi and Westerns.
I'm more of a garment sewer than a quilter - mostly because I like a quick finish!
Having a 2 year old is a good disguise for being 40.
I love a good burger.
Most of my days are fueled by diet Dr. Pepper.
Doing something is better than doing nothing.

So, my birthday present was our trip! And a post-deployment break for the two of us.  It was convenient that it timed well with my 40th and my BIL and SIL's 5th anniversary (we went with them).  I have been supremely spoiled by mrlouwho and it was a great way to start out this new decade!  Here's to being on the young end of something again!

oh and PS - I got an amazing present from a truly thoughtful friend.  We don't live near an IKEA and she picked one of these up for me last time she went! Now I can be part of the cool club!

{amylouwho} december cheer and a sew & tell vacation

I've been busy painting, decorating, organizing and getting ready for Christmas.  I'm pretty sure you are all in the same boat, so we'll just take a Christmas break from sew & tell and resume in January.

December cheer around our house includes birthdays!  Mine is right after Christmas so I guess I'm sensitive to the plight of my DD #1 and her birthday 10 days before the big day.  We had a little party for her today which was fun, but I had the house torn apart from the above mentioned projects and had to pull it all together today!

I've been sewing stuff - I'm just too limited on time and energy to do some worthy posts!  I finished some window treatments to go with my newly painted rooms.  I sort of love it all! I should have known a little turquoise on the walls would motivate me and make me happy. :)

So here's a few pictures of what we've been doing.

 Happy Christmas, Birthdays, and New Year's! 

in honor of the grinch, a birthday and my grandma - but not necessarily in that order

I'm sure you've seen this guy:

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?
 -----Dr. Seuss




I love the book, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  I guess I've always loved it.  When I was 'no more than two' we spent Christmas at my grandma's house.  I really was no more than, well, two!

and we celebrated my birthday while we were there. 

I don't really remember that Christmas, but I do remember the story that I loved to hear my grandmother tell. 

My grandma at my wedding - I love her smile! - images Justin Hackworth

She would always tell me that I would pester her to read me that story EVERY day.  And the good grandma that she was, obliged me.  And then she gave me a nickname.  Can you guess what it is? That's right! Amylouwho! 

The way she told it, our conversations would go something like this:
Gma: Hello, amylouwho!
Me: Grandma, it's plain Amy.
Gma: Okay, plain Amy.
Me: NO, grandma, just. plain. Amy!!!
Gma:  Okay, just plain Amy.
Me: Grandmaaaaaa.

and the circle would go on and on....  I'm sure my whiny 2 year old voice made my responses THAT much cuter (or not.) And my protestations made it that much easier for it to stick.  I guess it didn't help that my mom is 2nd oldest of 11 siblings and they thought it was so fun to call me that EVERY time we came to visit.  They still call me that.  But I don't mind so much anymore.

Yay for 4 generation shots! May 2006

I started using it for screen names, log-ins, emails, etc. when I started using a computer so much.  And when I switched the name of my blog a few months ago, it only seemed fitting.  And now that I think about it, a great tribute to my grandmother who was an avid quilter (she made a baby quilt for each of her 46!!! grandchildren) and one of my favorite people.  Today is my birthday and later this week it's been 3 years since she passed away after a very long, productive good life.  She sure touched many lives, mine included.  She is definitely missed.

I had hoped to put a little PDF tutorial together to give to you to celebrate my birthday - but you know how this month goes - so much to do and so little time!  So I thought I'd just share a little bit about me instead.  Is that lame?  I hope you enjoyed it!  In return, tell me a little bit about you - where you are from and maybe your very favorite thing you've ever created. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!