reasons i keep truckin' along

sometimes i wonder what it is that drives me so... in this case, it's the drive and urge and need to continue making QOVs. i knew i'd make at least one this time last year. i had just found QOVF and started my search for "just the right" fabrics. then the first quilt was almost complete and i had found a truly deserving recipient. of course, i had already started my second QOV at this point, but as soon as i heard the story and saw the pictures, i knew i couldn't stop.

i've talked about this before, but i'm in a quilt block swap on FB since the first one about a year ago. we swap sets of 5 blocks every 2 months. we have what we call the "6th block" and they are set aside for charity/cause quilts. for the upcoming february swap, we're making red/white/blue disappearing 9-patches and the 6th block has been reserved for me and the QOVs since the summer. one woman has already made her set (and the december swap blocks went out in yesterday's mail!), to which they're lovely and patriotic. i commented on them earlier this morning and she commented back. this is part of it:

"I want to tell you that I can't wait for you to get it also. Our son is serving in the Army and has been on 6 tours of duty. One day while on a tour in Iraq he was in a roadside bomb and survived it. His driver and gunner both survived also. He had volunteered to go on that trip as one soldier was sick. Their truck was destroyed but it saved their lives. I am so thankful for people like you! I remember when he left for basic training he took with him a quilt I had made him. Quilts are important to him. Quilts seem to have a tie to the realization that the owners are loved and some one cares about them."

see! this is why i have to keep making the QOVs. people and stories like this one.

ok.... finish drying your eyes. i know i have to.

and on to something SO MUCH happier: my 100th post. it'll be this week...probably tomorrow or on new year's day. you know what that means, right? a GIVEAWAY! um. but i don't know what yet. definitely some fabric, maybe a book, maybe some yarn. we'll just have to see what i come up with over the next night or so.

all i want for christmas...

is my two front teeth... and two bottom ones too please!

ho ho ho!

merry christmas eve everyone!

today, my son's photo is the photo of the day, or rather...a photo he took is.

we're off to start the rounds of visiting family, but i thought i'd leave you with a sneak peek of the finished wonky quilt.

what a day....

today really was a whirlwind of a day and i never left my little city attached to a big city. first it was the navy homefront talk show. then i received a little sponsorship from one of my field employees, and she was more generous than i was expecting.

then i came home.

my hubby brought in the mail. he asks me: "why is the office of the CNO sending you something?"

it's not the office of. it came directly from the big guy himself. there's embossing on the flag in all colors. there's a double watermark for his stationary. and INK! he signed it.

click and you can read it bigger.

and since i realized i had not posted this link before, here's an unsteady video clip of my award and quilt presentation. forgive my dear hubby...he was holding my regular camera in one hand and the video camera in the other.

navy homefront on blogtalk radio

mom... since you might be listening to the navy homefront show on blogtalkradio and i just gave out the blog address.... do NOT read anymore! stop. find another blog. come back next week. :)

i'm on blogtalk radio - right now actually! if you read this later, you can always listen and download the show anytime.

Introducing Navy Wife and Quilter Jennifer Schaudt!

thank you beth, sara and suomi for the opportunity to talk about QOVF and the quilts i've been making for our wounded. it's been a fun experience and i will talk to everyone and anyone about QOVF to spread the word.

super saturday happenings

as much as i despise shopping at any big or popular establishment in person after thanksgiving, we braved the houston freeways and went to ikea. early. when there is still parking available.

i had to return some dining room chair cushions that seemed to be about an inch short, but at the store today, they had one on my style chair and it fit perfectly. maybe i had defective cushions? no idea.

at ikea, instead of putting the decorations on the christmas tree and finishing the storage shed in the backyard while we had sunlight, we bought this:




the norden occasional table. minus all the stuff....



my cuisinart finally has a real home! look - it fits and so do all 10 blade attachments! now i just have to use the darn thing.

and because i must be insane, or at least a glutton for punishment, i got the back of my mom's wonky log cabin christmas quilt finished and basted it all together about 10 minutes ago. the cat is helping of course. i started this last weekend and intend to finish it before christmas.



i had some issues last night with this quilt, so i set it aside and steamed instead. me that is. same with trying to decorate the christmas tree.... the boys attempted it while i cooked, but i had to take nearly all the ornaments off so i could rearrange them in a proper fashion. i haven't put them back on yet. that's later this evening and tomorrow.

i think this is the latest i've ever decorated the tree. tradition in my family is around my sister's birthday (the 15th) and i'm a few days late. we wanted to get one last weekend, but was busy with the shed and the trees at home depot looked dead. then on tuesday, i sat in the hospital with my dad waiting while my mom was in surgery. tooooo tired after that long day waiting to get a tree up.

dear santa,

dear santa,

i've been a good girl this year. i have attended almost all of my son's cub scout meetings and functions, dealt with his silly teachers with a smile on my face almost all of the time, sat in one too many emergency rooms and hospital surgical waiting rooms with various family members and most important of all: i have been addicted to making quilts of valor for our sailors.

for christmas, i would like some neat quilty things to make for myself (or family).

this very pretty quilt panel (or the quilt kit) could be used to quickly make up a pretty quilt or wall-hanging as a 2nd anniversary present to myself and my hubby (cotton is the traditional 2nd anniversary present ya know....). maybe a matching jelly roll or a couple packs of turnovers to go with it? how could you go wrong with l'amour? love....is in the air....

i've been eyeing this jelly roll over the last week. it might look very good as a QOV. see! i can't even ask for fabric for myself without looking for fabrics for them. i HAVE been a good girl!

ok. back to me.

maybe this bali pop used with some black kona cotton to have a batik quilt that "pops" out at you. there are some lovely bright colors in this mix and a braid pattern or something fun would sure look good in my house. especially after i'm done painting colors on wall.

i'm a simple girl. i'm happy with fabric period.

merry christmas santa! i'll leave some carrots for the reindeer next week and some cookies for you.

(and to you dear readers...if you need a little holiday assistance, go over to the jolly jabber and ask them to send your letter on to santa too)