Living it up in Lafayette - Waits Family Reunion 2011

Back in July 2011, the Waits family met in Lafayette, Louisiana for a reunion.  I decided to push my craftiness onto those at the reunion (hey, I married into the family) and nag people into making a quilt.  We had mixed participation at first, but some family members really got into it.  It was decided that our dear aunt, Julia, should receive the quilt.  Fast forward to March 2012 and I FINALLY finished the quilt.  Unfortunately the project kept getting pushed to the back burner.  How fun it was going over the the fond memories of the reunion while finishing the quilt.

I hope Aunt Julia enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it.  I've also included a couple of photos from the reunion.

John, Sissy, Hilton Jr., Hobson, Jeanette and Julia

On the swamp tour.

Just the way I like them, nice and lazy.

Looking over old family photos.

Cousins Meredith, Dana and Jennifer with Aunt Julia.

 John and Julia looking over old family photos.

Scout enjoying the Tabasco factory tour at Avery Island.

Expanding the Orchard

At the Lazy E, we like to play homesteader and try and fool ourselves into thinking that we both don't work full time jobs and that we can cultivate our forty acres into the subsistent oasis of which we dream.  Today was one of those days.  Our fruit trees from Stark Brothers in Missouri arrived earlier in the week and given the fact that we paid a pretty penny for them, we hustled to get them in the ground.  After some debate about exactly where the water main was (who really needs to call the utility people?), Walter mapped the spots for the ten trees.  Thankfully we had the backhoe, so the digging was a cinch. We spent the afternoon planting and watering.  Scout is an excellent waterer as it gives her an excuse to get muddy.  All in all, it was a beautiful, unseasonably warm February day at the Lazy E.  I'm itching to get the garden tilled and start planting some things.  With the winter we had, I could have been growing things for the last three months.  Now we are on watch with the deer until we can get the trees properly protected.  Time to get the rifle and night vision and go on patrol.


Can't wait to enjoy our abundant harvest of apples, pears and cherries in ten to twenty years.....

 Yup, our kid isn't wearing pants and it's February.

 Simon, the bad dog, supervising.

 In case we forget what we planted.

 Only the finest beverages are served at the Lazy E.

TIbetan prayer flags over the garden fence.

Creative Kids - Happy Valentine's Day!

Scout was excited to host a Valentine party this weekend.  We prepared snacks and got all of the craft supplies ready for our guests.  Scout spent the majority of our prep time trying on different outfits (favorite pastime).  We enjoyed hanging out with our friends Tara, Cade, Laura, Hudson and Lydia.  There were some very creative Valentines and we enjoyed watching the kids stretch their artistic muscles.  Scout is a good hostess and likes to quote Ruby, "A good hostess always stays clam when things go wrong."  Thankfully, nothing went wrong and we had a fun enjoyable afternoon.

Will You Be Mine?

Who doesn't love a homemade Valentine?  Last night my in-laws hosted a dinner party for a sweet, out-of-town guest, Meredith, and some other friends.  We all sat around the table and made valentines for an elderly friend that recently moved into an assisted living facility.  Everyone was impressed with the array of materials from which to choose and we were all joking about whether or not I was a prepared crafter or just a hoarder.  Thankfully, my mother-in-law informed us that if you can find what you are looking for, you are not a hoarder.  I don't think Walter agreed and stared at me pointedly as if to say, "I've seen that spider haven you call the sewing loft....you're a hoarder, but I still love you."


All in all, a very fun evening with friends.  I think we may have discovered some hidden crafting talents.

Lydia's Birthday Book

Our sweet friend, Lydia is turning four! Scout and I decided to make her a special activity book. It's soft and bright and hopefully will provide her a lot of entertainment. Our favorite part was making the clothes for the felt doll. Scout is quite the fashion designer and definitely likes anything in the pink palette. I'm pleased with how it turned out although I could have executed it a bit more professionally. I don't think a four-year-old will mind.
The pages include dress-up dolly, weave a blanket, braiding hair, landscape design, flower power, and tic-tac-toe. There's a big pocket in the back for paper and supplies and all the pockets inside the book are clear vinyl so she can see all of the pieces.
All in all, a fun project with Scout!

The Making of Baby Payton's Quilt

Quilting is not my forte, but recently I have been making scrap book quilts for friends and family. These are challenging and fun projects as they require the help of many to achieve the final outcome. I give everyone involved a blank muslin square, a stack of fabric, scissors and a glue stick. People are asked to create a square by cutting and pasting the pieces. I then stitch over the top of all the pieces (a littl time consuming) and piece them together to form the quilt top. The quilt is then assembled, hand quilted and hand bound. The result is a mélange of color and design, no two pieces the same. Everyone is so surprised to see the final result and are always impressed with their square. Most folks start out very timid and try to make excuses for not participating because they can't sew or "aren't crafty". It's great
seeing how proud they are to be part of the project when they see the completed quilt.



This quilt was for my friend and coworker, Brittney, and her sweet new baby boy, Payton. She had described the colors of her nursery and that is what determined the palette. Everyone at the office made amazing squares, some requiring more stitching then others, but it all came together. The quilt included twenty-four squares and was about 40x60, making it perfect for tummy time and wrapping around mom as she is snuggling with her sweet baby.












Hopefully it becomes a favorite keepsake for Payton and he is amused by all the stories his mom will share with him about her nutty coworkers and friends.

New Year, New Project

With the new year comes resolutions to start good habits, quit bad habits and engage in general self improvement.  That being said, I thought I would try my hand at keeping a blog about our life on the Lazy E.  Maybe by seeing the chronicles published, I am giving myself a little more motivation.  We'll see.


Happy 2012!