Goofin' Off And a Bit of a Buckle

So it seems my mind has been buckling a bit lately. Now before you jump to any conclusions, let's just say there is more than one meaning of the word buckle.  Although the way I use the word doesn't really apply to any of the meanings I found on dictionary.com.  The slump on my mind had a slightly different definition.  But before I get too far into that, let's catch up on some projects.

I was finally able to get a picture of my finished Captain America quilt flimsy (quilt top for you non-quilters).  My boys were kind enough to let me borrow their handsome arms to hold it up for me...at least, as well as they could for a larger quilt top.  They are the best!

Mr. Goofin' Off Jr. and Mr. Goofin' Off Holding Up Captain America Quilt Top

I think Mr. Goofin' Off and I will be happy to get this one on our bed soon.  Our current quilts are really beginning to fall apart.  Why is it that we quilters always make quilts for everyone else first?

Mr. Chef Freddie's Favorites quilt blocks are coming along.  I've begun assembling the first set of blocks.  

Beginning Assembly for Blocks 1

I have also begun sewing the sub-units together for Blocks 2.  The block shapes themselves are the same, it's just that the blue fabric for Block 2 will be a different color.

Beginning Sub-Units for Block 2

I was able to sneak in about 400 stitches of Mickey and Pirate Friends cross stitch since my last update, so below is the latest.

Mickey and Pirate Friends Cross Stitch - 07/27/2017

Reminder of What Finished Stitched Piece Will Look Like

Now back to buckle.  What thoughts have been buckling around me?  Am I having problems getting myself buckled into the new car?  Nope, not that kind of buckle, although losing a few pounds might help me with that.  Um, have I been having a hard time buckling down and getting things done? Nope...well, maybe with some of the housework, but that's not what's been on my mind. I don't worry about that as often as I should. How about things buckling under pressure?  Have I been buckling under the pressure of all the upcoming weddings and such? Nope. Those have been fun to look forward to. I could go on and on, but none of those are even close to the buckle I've been drooling about.

How about this kind of buckle? This kind of buckle was not mentioned on the dictionary.com website I checked out about the meaning of buckle. But it's been on my mind since we had this back in March...actually, I think over the course of the week we had three of these in March.  

Warm Wild Berry Buckle with Pepper Berry Sorbet

We had these at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival back in March.  It was our absolute favorite of all the kiosks.  Mmm....

It came back to my memory as we were booking a whale watching tour for this weekend.  Did I mention we're going on a whale watching tour with my family?  We are sooo excited.  Anyway, when booking the tour the website said we could pre-order their famous blueberry buckle.  Now upon hearing the word "buckle" my mind went directly back to that baby up above.  Mmm...

Mr. Goofin' Off, of course, has ordered it for us, so it should be waiting for us when we board the boat in the morning.  Will it compare to what we had in March?  I am skeptical, but I will keep my mind open.  I'll let you know when we get back.

I know what I'm doing this weekend. What are you buckling down and doing for the weekend? Have a great one my friends...and I do think of you as friends whether or not I have met you in person. 

Linking Up With:
Needle & Thread Thursday
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop
Finished or Not Friday
Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday

Goofin' Off With a Mystery...or Possibly Two

Do you like a good mystery?  I love a good mystery...however, I'm not so good at things where the end result is a mystery.  I have never participated in a mystery quilt before because I don't like working on something when I don't know what the final quilt will look like. I've had a couple of mystery quilt opportunities come up recently and am taking the plunge as they both really piqued my interest. Both mysteries are currently in the choosing fabrics stage. I'll be asking for your help on that a little further down.

As for progress pictures on Captain America, I've got the first set of borders attached now. Just the last set of borders after this, and the flimsy will be complete.

Captain America Quilt with First Set of Side Borders

Captain America Quilt Complete First Set of Borders Attached

I only got to do about 200 stitches in to my Pirate Mickey stitching project since my last update. But any progress is still progress...at least that's what I always tell myself.

Mickey and Pirate Friends as of 07/06/2017

As I mentioned earlier, I am going to be participating in at least one and possibly two mystery quilts this summer. The first mystery quilt is being offered on the QTMysteryQuilts Yahoo group. Fabric requirements came out on July 3rd along with cutting instructions.The finished quilt will make a great size for a Project Linus quilt.

Below are the fabric choices that I've pulled from my stash for this first mystery. I noticed afterwards that each of the fabric choices I pulled have a summer or travel theme to them. Apparently, I am getting the itch for some travel. 

Option 1:  The main focus fabric you may recognize as the Cars fabric I ordered a couple of weeks ago. The white will be the background with the black as the accent and the dark gray with silver circles the border fabric. Aside from the Cars fabric, the other fabrics are all left over from Captain America. 

Option 1 - Cars Theme

Option 2:  A sweets and baked goods theme.  The focus fabric has lots of tasty sweets on it and has me drooling just looking at it. The white will be the background with the brown as the accent and pink as the border.

Option 2 - Sweets Theme

Of course, this fabric reminds me of all the fun sweet treats you can find at Disney.  When we were there last March, I took a picture of some of the fun sweets we found at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Elephant Caramel Apple - Disney's Animal Kingdom

Monkey Caramel Apple - Disney's Animal Kingdom

Hippo Marshmallow Pops - Disney's Animal Kingdom

This is what Mr. Goofin' Off decided to get for his mid-morning snack. Everything else looked almost too sweet that early in the day.

Mr. Goofin' Off with His Spotted Leopard Mickey Cookie - Disney's Animal Kingdom

Sorry that I got sidetracked there for a moment. Sweets will do that to me.

Option 3:  The last option I have chosen is fabric I've had in my stash for years.  It's from a line of fabrics by Teresa Kogut. The focus fabric will be the bears all dressed up to enjoy their vacations. The white will be the background fabric. The blue (which is a bit darker than it appears in the picture) will be the accent fabric.  The vacation accessories fabric (cameras, swim shorts, etc.) will be the border fabric.

Option 3 - Vacationing Bears

From what I understand a larger print will be just fine and recommended for the focus fabric, so all of these options should be good options for the quilt.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Do you have a favorite fabric option you'd like to see come to life in the mystery?  I've got a few weeks to get the pieces cut out before the actual mystery begins.  

The second mystery I will keep a mystery a bit longer. I'll pull some options for it later in the month. 

As always, thanks for dropping by. Feel free to leave comments or send me a message.  Mr. Goofin' Off and I love to hear from you!

Linking up with:
Needle and Thread Thursday
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

Goofin' Off Around Leavenworth and Found a Hidden Mickey

I mentioned in my last post that I didn't think I would be able to get much done on my projects because we had a busy weekend last weekend.  Well, I was right (of course).  But we had such a great time, so it was well worth it.  I'll get around to all of that in a minute.  But first, the promised project updates for all my quilting and stitching friends.

I did manage to get the first borders cut out for the Captain America quilt.  I went ahead and attached the first border to the right side of the quilt to see if I was going to like it, and I do.  It's a little difficult to see in the picture but should be much more visible once I've attached all the borders.

First Set of Borders Cut Out

Border Added to Right Side of Captain America Quilt 

I finished another section on the Mickey and Pirate Friends cross stitch.  You can see the edge of Goofy's face beginning to appear.

Mickey and Pirate Friends - 06/28/2017

I promised a number of my readers a picture of what the finished Mickey and Pirate Friends would look like.  You can see the artwork it is based off of down below.  I bought the pattern on Etsy.  Mr. Goofin' Off picked out the piece he wanted me to work on after I finished my Tinkerbell piece.  It will go very well in our family room when it is finished (in about 10 years).

Mickey and Pirate Friends

Last Saturday, we took my parents to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.  I won't give any spoilers (because I was scolded on Facebook when I did), but we really enjoyed a certain cameo appearance.  The movie was a lot of fun the whole way through.  The humor may be a little crude if you're sensitive to that sort of thing.  I especially liked the way this movie brought the story line full circle from the first movie.  It has set things up for a new set of movies or a nice finish to the first set.  We'll see what Disney decides to do.

At the Movie Theater

On Sunday, Mr. Goofin' Off and I decided to head to Leavenworth, Washington.  It's a little Bavarian town nestled in the Cascade Mountains.  It was a warm day, so we tended to stay indoors.  Here is a picture of the main street going through the shopping and restaurant strip.

Main Strip of Leavenworth with the Cascade Mountains in the Background

In good traffic, it's about a two-hour drive to get to Leavenworth from our house.  So our first stop after we parked was to get some lunch as we were hungry from the drive.  We ate lunch at King Ludwig's Restaurant.  It was pretty quiet in there.  Occasionally when we've eaten there, there has been live German entertainment.  It kind of reminds me of the Biergarten at Epcot in Florida. I had the Jaegerschnitzel and Mr. Goofin' Off had the Rouladen.  I'd say my lunch was good but not outstanding.

Jaegerschnitzel at King Ludwig's in Leavenworth

We spent the next two hours browsing through the shops.  Some of the shops are very well themed...such as the Nutcracker store.  Other shops just sell cheap little dollar-store type of items.  You never know what you're going to find.  We see more and more wine shops added every trip.  This particular trip called for a stop at the Taffy Shop where they have dozens of different types of taffy...including flavor options such as chicken and waffles.  You can pick your own assortment and pay by the pound.  Mr. Goofin' Off got himself a pound.  I was more interested in this shop.  

One of the Jim Shore Disney Figurine Displays

Thomas Kinkade Disney Artwork for Sale

I honestly don't remember the name of the shop that sells all of these fun Disney things, but it is a must stop for me every time we go.  Can you guess why?  They have other fun collectibles there, but the Disney things are the ones that always catch my eye.  We have spent some money here over the years...just sayin'.  We did manage to control our pocketbook this time around and didn't spend any money there.

As we were getting ready to leave I noticed this sign hanging up outside the tea shop.  

Cup and Kettle in Leavenworth, Washington

Am I the only one who sees a hidden Mickey here?  It took Mr. Goofin' Off a minute to spot it.  I know I have a few Disney fans among my readers.  I want to know do you see hidden Mickey's all the time, too?  Or is it just me?  And do you see this hidden Mickey?  

Thanks for popping on over.  I hope you've enjoyed this post.  Do you have any favorite day trips you take?  What do you like to day when you get the chance for a quick getaway...the beach, the mountains, shopping?  Let me know down below.

Linking Up With:  Needle and Thread Thursday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop

Goofin' Off With a Few Stash Enhancements

Time just seems to be flying by right now. I can't believe we've already had our longest day of the year. That means from here on out we lose daylight hours for the next six months...I say yuck to that. But to make today a little brighter, I received my package from Fat Quarter Shop from the sale they had last week. I am still feeling I got quite a steal on some of these fabrics. I'll give you a peek at them in a moment.

First I want to let you know I finally finished the big blocks for the Captain America quilt. Can I get a whoop, whoop? The blocks finished up at 24-1/2 inches by 24-1/2 inches.  They are quite large.

Captain America Finished Big Block

This quilt only has two blocks for each row. Because of the size of the blocks, it seems to be plenty big.

Captain America Rows

Finally, we've got the center finished.  The center finishes out at 48-1/2 inches by 48-1/2 inches. The next decision I've got to make is on the border fabrics. I have laid out the suggested fabric choice given by the pattern, but I am not quite sold on it yet. I will give myself a day or two to ponder on it before I start cutting.

Captain America Quilt Finished Center

As I look at the above picture, I realize that one of these days I'm going to ask Mr. Goofin' Off to make me a design wall. I have to pick out a design for my design wall before I have him do it, though. I do have an idea in mind.

I managed to get a little bit of cross stitching in over the past few days. I've got a small update on Mickey and Pirate friends.  So far we have seen Goofy's hat slowly begin to emerge, but now we have the left side of Goofy's head or ear (I can't tell which yet) peeking out.  I know Mr. Goofin' Off will love it when Goofy is recognizable. I don't think we're too far off.  My goal continues to be seeing Goofy's eye before the end of June. It will be close.

Mickey and Pirate Friends as of 06/22/17

Now for a little peek at my first stash enhancement. For this particular fabric, it was already on sale and the additional discount was added to the price.  This piece was definitely a great deal to me. The Fat Quarter Shop website said they only had to 1.625 yards left, so I nabbed it.  This is one I've had on my wish list for a while. They e-mailed me and told me that the yardage was in two pieces a 1-yard piece and a 0.625 yard piece.  Did I still want it?  Yep!  I'll take it.

Minnie Mouse and Flowers Fabric

My Minnie Mouse that watches over the living room approves of the new fabric 100 percent, as you can see.  Glad I got it before it was gone.  Don't you just love that little Minnie Mouse figurine?  It's a piece by Jim Shore.  I believe we have about six of them around the house at the moment.  I try not to be a collector of things (other than fabric and stash), but I have a difficult time staying away from these little pieces.

Next is the set of fabrics I have been admiring for the past few months. They are from the collection called Seasalt Batiks by Hoffman Fabrics.  I don't have a project in mind for them. I know there are a few mystery quilts in the near future that I might be participating in soon, so maybe it would be fun to use them there and see what comes out of them.  

Well, the weekend is quickly approaching. I am hoping this weekend will finally be the weekend I get to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I have a lunch planned with a friend I haven't seen in a while.  Mr. Goofin' Off and I may also go to a parade this weekend or take a short road trip to the city of Leavenworth on the other side of the mountains. We'll see where the wind takes the Goofin' Offs this weekend. 

As always, thanks for following along.  I love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment.

I'm linking up with Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop! and Finished or Not Friday and Sunday Stash

Goofin' Off With Father's Day and Cars...But Not the Disney/Pixar Kind

We celebrated a great Father's Day this past weekend.  Mr. Goofin' Off insisted I take a picture to show what he got for Father's Day to my blogging friends.  Technically, we're calling it a Father's Day present, but I promise we don't spend this kind of money every Father's Day...seriously, we don't...not even close.

First I'd like to show my few updates.  Captain America is coming along nicely.  The blocks are almost complete, and then we'll just have assembly.

Step 4 - L

Step 4 - M

Step 4 - N

Step 4 - O

Step 4 - P

As for my cross stitch progress, it is coming along nicely as well.  Goofy's pirate hat continues to expand in the picture.  I am still on track for us to catch a peek at Goofy's eyes before the month of June ends.  I am pretty sure once you can see that, you'll be able to see the enormity of the project and the details will be appearing.

Mickey and Pirate Friends Cross Stitch - 06/19/2017

Now back to our Father's Day.  I keep hoping that my last blog post where I showed you the Disney/Pixar Cars fabric I had ordered didn't prompt this whole expensive weekend, or I'll have to re-think my blogging.  It will get too darn expensive if Mr. Goofin' Off uses my blog as an excuse to make big purchases.

Anywho, late last week (hmm...again, probably the same day as my last blog post), Mr. Goofin' Off mentioned to me that he had received an e-mail from the Hyundai dealer.  We've been saving our money for the past three years for an Elantra...the catch being Mr. Goofin' Off really, really, really wanted a sunroof.  Well, the dealership said they had the model available that had the sunroof on a huge sale this last weekend.  

We hadn't quite saved enough in our "new car fund" to pay for it, but we also know the current car was coming up on needing some major maintenance that would probably cost thousands...which would offset the difference in what we needed to buy the new car.  We decided buy...then decided don't...and then late Saturday decided if we could get them to a certain price we'd say go ahead and buy.  

Mr. Goofin' Off got up and headed out to the dealership Sunday morning.  Came back home and said they couldn't come to an agreement, but it was so close.  Then we talked some more and...

Mr. Goofin' Off in His New Car

...several hours later, we were able to take this picture. I asked Mr. Goofin' Off if I could take his picture. He insisted that I do, as long as he can poke his head out the roof and wear his Goofy hat. He wants to be sure my blogging friends know that he really is a Goofy guy and proud of it.

I haven't seen the new "Cars 3" movie yet.  But they were showing the original "Cars" movie on cable this weekend.  This quote really hit me and says exactly how I feel about Mr. Goofin' Off...even after 28 years of marriage.

Mater:  I knew it!  I made a good choice!  

Lightening McQueen:  In what?  

Mater:  My bes' friend.  

Love you bunches, Mr. Goofin' Off!!!

Linking up with Moving It Forward Monday and Midweek Makers.

Goofin' Off When Fabric That Slips Into Your Shopping Cart

I may or may not have let some Dixney/Pixar Cars fabric slip into my shopping cart yesterday evening. Just sayin'...  You know you've been there, too (although maybe not with Cars fabric). Admit it! More about that later. (And if Mr. Goofin' Off is reading this post, he's probably doing a little bit of eye rolling as he reads this.)

For progress on the Captain America quilt.  Here are the steps I was able to complete during my sewing session yesterday:

Step 4 - H

Step 4 - I

Step 4 - J

Step 4 - K

The blocks are certainly beginning to build up.  I am still hoping for a complete quilt finish before Independence Day.  Nothing like having some red, white, and blue on the bed...and Captain America protecting us from all the evil villains out there.  The pattern for this quilt comes from the June/July 2014 issue of McCalls Quick Quilts.  I am making a few small changes to the pattern so it fits our bed.

I've got a quick little update on my Mickey and Pirate Friends cross stitch piece.  I am still working my way through the top of Goofy's pirate hat, so there isn't a whole lot that is recognizable at this point.  But one day soon, you'll be able to see the image slowly begin to appear.  I still haven't seen the new Pirates movie, but I have my fingers crossed for this weekend...maybe...

Mickey and Pirate Friends - 06/15/2017

Now, as I was mentioning before, some Disney/Pixar Cars fabric may have just happened to slip into my shopping cart last night.  I was catching up on e-mails and read one from Fat Quarter Shop. It's one of my favorite online places to buy fabric.  I am not affiliated or sponsored by them, and they certainly aren't the only shop I buy from, but this deal was too good to pass up.  It was a special that they were running for the day where if you buy $100+ in fabric, you got $25 off.

I've had my eye on some of the Cars fabric since the new movie is coming out.  I donate a lot of my quilts and/or quilt tops to Project Linus and other charities, so I love to pick up fabric with themes that are currently popular.  As luck would have it, the fabric was also on sale.  Here is a picture of it:  

Disney/Pixar Cars Fabric

While I enjoyed the first movie and haven't seen the second movie, the third movie looks quite enjoyable.  We might just have to try to see it...after we see Pirates in the Caribbean, of course.  If you've been to Disneyland in the past couple of years and been able to experience the Cars Land area, you may know why I have a new love for the Cars characters even if I wasn't in love with the movies. That place is amazing.

My favorite ride and/or attraction is Radiator Springs Racers...at least I think that's what it's called. It takes you straight into the heart of the first movie.  You are in a car racing along the old Route 66 highway with another car.  You never know if you'll be in the winning car or not.  All the while, there is all this great music playing providing a nice background and setting the mood for experiencing all of the scenic valleys along the highway.  

Entrance to Radiator Springs Racers

Above is a picture of the entrance.  The sign says there is a 10-minute wait.  That means it must be either right at opening or possibly even before opening.  It's not uncommon for this baby to have a 3+ hour wait later in the day.

And below is a picture taken from one of our favorite spots right outside Flo's V-8 Cafe.  It's a great place to sit and eat a snack, usually pretty quiet, and you can watch the cars race by every 30 seconds or so.  

Taken From Just Behind Flo's V-8 Cafe - The Cars are Racing

Okay, now it's time to get back to reality and off my Cars tangent.  I'll post a picture of the fabric when it arrives...along with all the other pretties that I happened to let slip into my shopping cart. I had to hit that $100 mark, you know, to utilize that full discount...and qualify for the free shopping.

What are the items most likely to "slip" into your shopping cart? Fabric? Patterns? Clothes? Books? Or am I the only one that happens to?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Linking up with Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?  Found here:  Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?

Goofin' Off With a Fun Family Weekend

This past weekend we had a lot of family come in town for a wedding.  We had a lot of fun spending time together and creating new memories.  I was able to sneak in a little stitching and quilting time even with all the fun activities going on and was able to get this done on the Captain America quilt.

Step IV - D

Step IV - E

Step IV - F

Step IV - G

These pictures show the progression of how the large blocks are slowly being assembled with the sub-units that I pieced earlier.  It's fun watching this all come together.  I am still really looking forward to having this quilt on our bed when it's finished.  I am shooting for an Independence Day finish so I can have a red, white, and blue quilt on the bed.

I also did a little bit of cross stitching...much more than I had anticipated.  Here you can see I finished another small section.

Mickey and Pirate Friends Cross Stitch - 06/11/2017

On Friday night, my niece got married.  It was a simple and beautiful wedding.  She did so much of the work herself.  She is quite the talented and independent woman.  It was a fairly small wedding with family and close friends.  Personally, I love intimate weddings.

My niece and her husband have a one-year-old daughter who joined them right after the final "I do's" were said.  Here is the family being introduced.

The Awesome Family Being Introduced to the Guests

And should you be worrying that there is no Disney slant to this story, please worry no more.  My niece's husband once worked for Disney at Disney's Blizzard Beach water park in Orlando, Florida. How is it that there is always a Disney connection for me?  Just lucky that way, I guess.

On Saturday, since there was so much family in town, the extended family got together for a gathering at my parents' beach cabin.  The weather was cool but at least not raining.  The kids played for hours on the beach digging holes and catching baby Dungeness crabs while the adults chatted away and got caught up on what was going on in everyone's lives.

Then this moment happened...

A Boy and His Great-Grandpa Walking on the Beach

This cutie of a boy grabbed his great-grandpa's hand and they went for a walk together.  I can't begin to tell you how much this picture means to me.  My Dad (Great-Grandpa in the picture) has had a lot of health issues this past year.  The fact that he is able to walk on the beach is a small miracle in and of itself.  I snagged a picture quickly because it reminded me of this...

Partners Statue - Mickey Mouse and Walt

This statue can be seen as you come down Main Street in Disneyland in California or the Magic Kingdom in Florida.  Blaine Gibson, the sculptor, said he was trying to reflect Walt's goal of making a destination where families could play together and make happy memories. When my parents bought their cabin on the beach, they were trying to create happy memories where families could play together...just as Walt did.  My parents have now created four generations of happy memories at their cabin on the beach.

It was a magical weekend!  What more can I say?

Linking up to Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts.