On the Worktable

My worktable looks suspiciously like our kitchen table.....

Here's a peek at what I've been working on:

Slowly but surely it is turning into a rag quilt! My first one! I have 98 squares cut out in these photos!

More pics and instructions to come when it is finished.

The fabrics are all flannels from JoAnn's. They often go on sale for 1/2 price, so always try to buy then if you can!

I had the cars and stripes leftover from some burp cloths I made for our baby. I went to the store and they were out of those exact prints, but the stars, recycle design, and red match nicely!

Linked at:

Quiltstory
Amaze Me August

Sew Cute Tuesday

Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays

Serenity Now

To MO, AL, OK.....With Love

Damage in Joplin, MO.

Photo Credit

We all know that many parts of the US have been destroyed by recent tornadoes. Missouri, Oklahoma, and Alabama were hit hardest.

Destruction in Oklahoma.

Photo Credit

Devastation in Alabama.

Photo Credit

Now is the time to give what you can to help. A dollar. If each of my followers gave

one dollar, we'd raise over $200 for relief.

It's a drop in the bucket, but a big drop!

I've compiled a list here of ways you can help. Please choose one that best suits you and give as you are able. Our fellow Americans depend on it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red Cross: Donate online at their website here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bama Bound Quilts
For all my sewing buddies! If you can make a child's sized blanket, this group will get it to kids who need it! They also need handmade tote bags for the blankets to go in as well

as a small stuffed animal to put with them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dana who blogs at Old Red Barn has a clever gig going! If you donate through the little paypal button on her blog, she gives the money to Red Cross. PLUS, for each dollar you donate, she enters you in a drawing to win this gorgeous quilt. Handmade by her!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Salvation Army: A well-known organization providing help to the damaged communities. You can donate online here.

Doxie puppy says "Please donate."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christ's Church of Oronogo (a local church in MO) is leading the way with organizing volunteers, donations, and shelter for people in need. To learn more about how you can partner with them to help, visit their website here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pray. Of course the thing that costs nothing is the most powerful. Pray that families who lost loved ones will be comforted. Pray that those whose employer is no longer functioning can find work. Pray for children who will be terrified of every flash of lighting from now on. Pray for workers to have strength and energy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spread the word. Tell your friends and family about this blog post so they can see ways to donate. Tweet about Red Cross. Blog about the Bama Bound Quilts. Update on facebook and ask friends to give $1. We have the power to help!

Linking here: Lamb Around, So Very Cheri, Cherished Treasures, I Heart Naptime, Flamingo Toes, Me Making Do, Keeping It Simple,

Advertising Winner:

And the winner of my free month of advertising is:

Thrifty Mom Spot!

Congrats, I'll be emailing you!

For the other entrants, remember that a blog button is only $5 for the month. I'll be doing another giveaway for July adspace, so be sure you are following my blog so you'll know about it!

Friday Funnies

Hope you enjoy these!

---

---

Partying at:
Serenity Now

Knick Knack

Wordless Wednesday

Bronze appliances? Who knew?

photo credit

Win it! One month sponsorship here!

This giveaway is for a month-long sponsor spot on my page! The winner's button will be posted in the sidebar for all of June. The button can be to your blog, website, etsy store, etc.

PLUS, sponsors also receive a write-up about them in one of my blog posts, including photos if applicable, and links back to their blog/shop.

Wanna win? Of course you do! Here's how!

To enter:

*leave a comment on this post telling me what your most recent purchase was.

For additional entries:

*tweet about this giveaway and tag @zucchinisummer in the tweet (1 extra entry)

*visit my etsy shop and tell me what your favorite item is (1 extra entry)

Total of 3 possible entries per person!

Entries close at 11:59pm (EST) on Friday, May 27th!

Fine print:

-You must be a follower of this blog to win.
-Your ad and blog/website must be family friendly. (No nudie stuff!)

-Winner will be drawn using a random number generator and notified on Sat, May 28th

-Winner has 24 hours to send me their button or another winner will be chosen.

Party Central

My mind is whirling. Tomorrow is the baby's first birthday party! I'm so glad to have chosen the airplane theme!

But of course I've already started thinking about next year.

Yep, these guys. After browsing the internet I saw a few suggestions for a Little People themed party! Those toys have been around since dinosaurs. Okay not that long, but a long time! They are a fun, classic, toy!

So I'm gathering ideas.

First up, cakes:

Adorable Little People cake from cake central!

This cutie cake set is from sugarcraft.

On to decorations and favors:

Found this bunch of cuteness LadyBugKarla on etsy! I think my favorite is the little girl with glasses. :)

My heart skipped a beat with these little labels...notice the Fisher Price Little People Barn??

available at Sagga02 on etsy

For the favors, we'll just have to give everyone their own Little People person to keep! Fisher Price has a set that comes with a book and a person for $5!

Now for ideas for activities at the party.

~~~I discovered that the Fisher Price website has these placemats you can download, print, and have guests color! To get yours, go here.

~~~Pinata! For sale on ebay. I only hope they'll still have one when I'm ready to buy it! How crazy super cute is this??

~~~ Watching a Little People Movie

~~~Playing with the toys!

~~~Little People music CDs playing in the background

PHEW! I'm on picture and party overload here! Hope this inspires you to throw a Little People party for your own special little person! I'll be back next week with a few photos of my little guy's first airplane party!

Partying at:

Serenity Now

Joyful Stamper

Smile Monsters

Fancy This Fridays

New Book

Awhile back my husband told me he ordered me something from amazon. 2 things. He gave me one (a novel) and said I had to wait for the other one.

Then he forgot about it.

So I reminded him, he dug around in his dresser, and produced this:

image from Amazon. As if you couldn't tell from the "look inside" part! lol

The Practical Guide to Patchwork! A new book by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh, Fransson! fame.

It has been on my amazon wishlist for awhile and now it is on my desk*! I've been reading it slowly, savoring the images and information. For me, a beginner quilter, the directions and explanations are perfect!

Thank you Hubby!

*the "desk" mentioned is actually an old beat up card table. I think it adds, ahem, "character" to our home.

Lunchbox Notes: Giveaway Time!

Have you tried a set of Lunchbox Notes yet?

No? Well what are you waiting for? These can be tucked into a child's school lunch, summer camp pack, a husband's lunch, or even used as gift tags.

Now you can WIN a set of your choice!

My friend Kara, of Kara Boone Designs, is hosting a fan giveaway on her facebook page. Simple go to the "200 Fan Giveaway" photo album and leave a comment under each prize you want to enter to win! Easy easy!

Along with my Lunchbox Notes, there are other great items to win too! Hairbows for girls, eco-friendly laundry soap, jewelry and more. Good luck!

Airplane Party (Favors Edition)

Today I made party favors for the little fella's 1st birthday party!

Since we are using an airplane theme, the favors are attached to a board that says "Baggage Claim."

Genius, eh? I didn't come up with it. Saw something very similar on the Not Just A Mommy blog. Here is her pic:

Mine will be similar except that the favors are peanuts (duh. Airlines give out peanuts. Or used to. Humor me.). Also I have no adorable blue suitcases to use. Woe is me.

Still it will be pretty cute though!

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go tear the wrapper off a bunch of crayons to melt them down and make my own airplane shaped ones.

Airplane Party (Cake Edition)

Ya'll remember how I am planning my baby's first birthday party?

It is next week.

*sniff*

We all know the cake is a big part of any party, especially a party with a specific theme. I browsed every corner of the internet* to find a cake.

clockwise from top left: from cakechannel.com , from Sweet Ladies Bakery,

Just Call Me Martha, Easy Cake Ideas

In the end, this cake is the one my friend (who is making the cake!) decided to imitate. I can't wait to see it next week and see her take on it!

Photo from flickr

*fine. it just felt like I browsed every corner.

Posted at these fine places:
Everything But The Kitchen Sink

{almost} Wordless Wednesday

Blogland needs more adorable boy-themed items. When I saw these tie invitations at Paper Issues, I just about flipped! C to the U-T-E.

Eventually

Shades of Grey Ragg Tagg from Fat Quarter Shop

Eventually I want to make a quilt to honor my baby's eye color.

His eyes are blue/gray. Cool, eh?

This fabric from Michael Miller would work.

image and item listing from fabricshoppe

Here is a custom set from fabricworm. I'm liking all the gray!

This blue polka dot is a must-have! So sweet and perfect for commemorating a baby boy!

Image and item listing from Fat Quarter Shop

Now my dilemma is finding the right pattern! Any suggestions for a quilt pattern? Needs to be beginner friendly, and probably more on the modern-ish side. If you know of a pattern that would work, leave it in the comments!

Linking up to QuiltStory, thanks for the inspiration to look into my fabric selections today! Linking up here, I finally quit procrastinating and wrote a new post, despite all the sickness in our house. Now I need to quit procrastinating and finish some blocks on a quilt I'm working on! Yikes.

Under

Under the weather, that is.

You've noticed a complete lack of posts from me this week right? That is because the poor baby got pink eye and an ear infection. And I got a sinus infection.

THEN the baby took a turn for the worse and we ended up in the ER. We left with a diagnosis of pneumonia and several meds.

We're all on the mend but not 100% yet.

I'll be back next week. You all behave and have a great Mother's Day weekend!