Nursery Thyme diaper bag...

 Not much happening right now in my neck of the woods...it was a busy weekend...spent Saturday with my two sisters at the Claremont Venture...but it was so hot that I didn't feel like taking pictures...Sunday afternoon Don and I went to a neighbor's family baby shower...it was nice to be included...the food was wonderful...they cooked carne asada...and even delivered a plateful to us later in the evening! I have the nicest neighbors!! It's been raining on and off most of today...which was good... because we need it...and it's a lot cooler today too! It's back down in the high 60's...boy have we been having some roller coaster weather here...a few days ago it was in the 90's...who knows what tomorrow will bring...anyway...I digress...I have been sewing...I had an order for a diaper bag to complete...and here it is...

 I put pockets on the sides...it works well to keep a bottle or two handy...

 I used three different fabrics...

 I thought this Nursery Thyme fabric was so cute...perfect with a check and polka dot...

Here's the inside...of course there has to be lots of pockets inside to store all the little things we carry for little ones...there you have it...another day...another bag...sewing bags for people makes me feel happy... especially when I see the smile on the face of a satisfied client...I received some e-mails from a couple people who bought bags at the last craft show letting me know how much they loved their new bags...what a great feeling that is...I put a lot of work into each bag I make...I take the time to make each one different...it's so wonderful to receive notes from gals that have either bought or received one as a gift...it makes my day!!!Anyway...I think I have rambled on enough for one day...until next time...

Enjoy the day!!!

We have a winner...

 It's time!! Don is helping me with the drawing...

He is giving it a good mix...

 A really good mix...

 Now to pick the winner...

 And the winner is...Sherry from The Charm of Home...Sherry has a great blog...go over and check her out...

Congratulations to Sherry...I have sent you an e-mail and I await your reply so I can mail you out this bag...I hope you enjoy it...and stay tuned for my next give away...this was so much fun...I will have to make something for next month...

Until next time...

Enjoy the day!!

More of our hike and a bit of sewing too...

 I wanted to show you a few more pictures from our hike/walk last Sunday...this is part of the larger grove of Aspens...it's about 4 miles from the trail head and lower in elevation than the small grove...it is also sunnier there...most of the trees there had lost their leaves already...maybe because of the sun...I have no idea...they were just ready I guess...it is also a little further from the stream...

 There are many more trees there in the large grove...hence the large grove name I suppose...boy...I figured that one out pretty fast...

 Here's an interesting pine...a few years back our local forests had a beetle problem...beetles were eating and killing many of the pine trees in the local mountains here..people were really getting concerned...nothing could really be done...there was a drought and warm winters...only a freeze could kill the beetles and save the forest...thousands of trees died and there are still so many dead ones up there...they will fall eventually and make homes and food for the animals...

 I am looking up into the canopy of beautiful Aspens...

 It was very thick back in the large grove...I lost the path a few times...no worry...Don was close by...we made our own...

 After our walk Don drove the car back down the road...I walked a bit down...still so much to see...I wanted to take it all in before going home...this  valley is so pretty...I am at about 8300 feet here looking down...

 Here we stopped at a turnout almost at the bottom of the hill...the Oaks are so pretty in their Fall color against the beautiful evergreen Pines....we stopped at a little cafe on the way down for a early dinner...the sandwiches were so good...and we were hungry after our long walk...

 I've been busy sewing this week trying to improve my Etsy shop and increase my bag inventory for the craft show in December...this bag is made from Sweetwater Hometown fabric...I like the way it turned out...except that Moda spelled my hometown's name wrong! And it's right in the front...oh well...who will notice unless you're from this area!

This fabric is so pretty...I bought several different fabrics from this line...it's a 3 Sisters design...it was pretty...so it called for a ruffle on the the closure...there's a ruffle on the back pocket too...

This is a hipster bag...I liked both of these fabrics so much...and thought it needed a little black work design too...this one has a zipper closure at the top...it was fun to make...

Autumn seems to settling in the last few days...the days are cooler and shorter...I love this time of year here...it's still warm enough to enjoy the out doors but not hot...my garden looks really nice now... all the cool weather flowers are starting to poke out of the ground...it's not thick and lush like Spring...but pretty none the less...I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful week...until next time...

Enjoy the day, my friends!!!

Enjoying the small things in life...

 Sometimes when I'm walking along... things distract me...well...I don't really think of it as a distraction...most people do when they're walking with me...I call it... an attraction...I'm attracted to the smallest of details...so today I thought I'd show you what called to me...what I was attracted to on our hike through the forest...

I am amazed at all the small things that are to be seen and often walked right by...so many different textures and colors were present on the walk...did you notice the moss on the rocks and tree trunks...those were only two of the many colors on the rocks and boulders out there...and so many different kinds of pine trees...I counted at least eight different kinds of pine needles...just in this small area...I looked on the map this morning and it said it was 4 miles into the large grove of Aspens...so we walked about 8 miles total...so much beauty in this area...so many little things growing among all the large trees...hard to believe there were still wildflowers blooming...they were tiny...I am so thankful to be able to take walks like this...to enjoy all that God has given us...to be grateful for the little things....until next time...

Enjoy the day!!!

Fish Creek Canyon...

 Yesterday Don and drove up to the local mountains north of our house for a hike in Fish Creek Canyon...I have told you about it before...it is where two groves of Aspens grow...and we were hoping to see some wonderful Fall color...as well as enjoy a walk in the fresh mountain air...

 This hike never disappoints...I am in awe of the beauty in my own back yard!! These mountains are what I look at every day I walk out my front door...and believe me when we take a drive up there I am in awe of what I see...every time I go!

 I am only showing you a tease as they say... of the forest ...the first impressions of my day...

 This is the first thing you see as you walk down the trail...it's the smaller of the two groves....

 Imagine yourself walking down to the beauty here...and the sound of running water...it's such a peaceful place...

 Being up here is pure joy to me...I feel refreshed and ready to get back to my everyday life...I know it my sound kind of weird....but that's how these walks through the woods make me feel...energized!!

 People can complain all they like about what it costs to protect these lands...but it's worth every penny! We live in such a beautiful state...I feel lucky to be allowed to walk in this forest with my camera to take home with me a little bit of God's beauty!! Like I said this was just the first few minutes of our time down there...I will show you more tomorrow...it's hard to pick from all the pictures I took...I hope you enjoy the view...I feel so blessed that all Don and I had to do was drive a few miles...get a hiking permit at the ranger's station...they're free...buy an Adventure Pass to park all day anywhere up on the mountain...it pays for the upkeep of the area...and walk as long as we wanted...I feel refreshed just looking at the pictures myself!

On a different note..you can still sign up for my give away...here...and thanks to all of you who explained very simply...I need simple...about how to link my old post...so if you click...here...you can go back and view the prize and the rules...there must be rules...and I don't want to leave anyone out...well...back to reality...the laundry is not going to do itself and there's a stack of ironing...and dinner to plan...not to mention all the sewing I need to do...it's Monday again and I must get back to my life...hope yours is wonderful!! 

Enjoy the day!!!