Paducah, Ky

4 different Log Cabin quilt tops

This year has been the year of quilts.  Back in the fall I found a Facebook group making a mystery quilt.  (I actually found the group through AQ.)  The group was making Bonnie Hunters Celtic Solstice.  I had never heard of a mystery quilt but at the beginning Bonnie Hunter tells on her blog how much fabric to buy, what colors, etc.  She gives you a few weeks to get everything together and then every week for 5 weeks she tells you what quilt square to make.  She tells what size, colors, gives step by step instructions, etc.

On January 1st, Bonnie Hunter has the big reveal and shows how to assemble the squares into her Celtic Solstice quilt.  Every one on the Facebook page was showing their progress and finished quilts.  Earlier this year I decided that I had to make the quilt.  I got all my materials together and completed the top in just a few weeks.  When I was done I sent it to a local woman to quilt it and I am eagerly waiting for it to be finished.

Outside the National Quilt Museum

During this process my kids have really enjoyed watching me make the quilt and then they all wanted quilts.  The first quilt I ever made was a Log Cabin quilt.  So I told the kids that I would make a bunch of Log Cabin squares and they could arrange them.  I just finished the tops this week and to celebrate we went to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Ky.

Paducah is about 2 hrs southwest of us and it has 5 letterboxes (now 6).

You are not allowed to take photos inside the quilt museum but here are the kids goofing off with a sculpture outside.  While we were there we planted a box nearby.

 Also in Paducah is a RR museum and it has a letterbox inside. You might recall that we went to a train museum on spring break and it was awesome.  Well this one was not so much.  Oh well, you win some you loose some.

Oak Grove Cemetery

There were two boxes in a local cemetery and they were easy to find.  However, the grounds crew had nothing to do on this gloomy rainy day so they drove in circles the whole time we were there.  We ended up taking the first box with us to the second box because they were hanging out too close to the first one.  We eventually were able to get everything back where it belonged.

Just down the road was a nice large park.  It had a cool amphitheater that the kids ran around on while I stamped the near by box.  We were almost attacked by ducks on the way back to the car.  The park had several play grounds so we had to stop and play for a little while.

The last box we looked for was another Whispering Giant mystery box.  This is our third one to look for and the second one that we have found.  These stamps are amazing!  If you haven't looked for one, you should!

Wacinton made of Red Oak 

We had a great trip.  The quilt museum was nice, we found all of the letterboxes that we looked for, and the kids were pretty well behaved.  We did miss our turn on the way home and went a little out of our way.  I always tell the kids that letterboxing is all about driving in circles ;)

July Nonsense

July Nonsense: And I'm Cute

This is my card for the "July Nonsense" LTC swap.  She is Dot from the Animaniacs and the card is called, "And I'm Cute."

The Animaniacs was my favorite cartoon in middle/high school.  The three main characters were the Warner bothers and the Warner sister, Dot.

They made Animaniac fabric and my mom made me some shorts with it.  Later she made me a quilt and added some of the extra fabric to it.  I also had a small figure of Dot glued to the dash of my 1st car.

I carved this stamp for the "Whatever You Want to Carve" postal tracker last year.  But then I was to chicken to sign up and she has just been sitting in my extra stamp drawer.

I stamped the stamp on white cardstock with black ink.  Then I wanted to color the skirt and flower with some kind of blending markers.  I bought some Tim Holtz markers and a water brush/pen but it didn't really work how I would have liked.  For the nose I just used a fine red Sharpie.

I got a Cricut Cuttlebug for my birthday and I used it for the pink background.  I glued everything together with a glue stick.  I really hope I am able to find the blending markers next time I want them :(

Favorite Childhood Cartoon Character: Dot

EDIT: Of course as soon as I sent these cards off someone listed a LTC trackers for "Favorite Childhood Cartoon Character."  So I have made another version of the card.  This time I just stamped it with back ink on pink cardstock and rubbed a little ink around the edge.

Finding, Maintenance & Swimming

Lil Ewok at the walking rosary

For a few days each summer my kids that are potty trained go and stay at my sister in laws house.  They have a pool, four wheelers, cable tv, etc, and the kids love to spend a few days away from mom & dad.

Today was pick up day and Lil Ewok and I did some letterboxing on the way.  First, we stopped to get a new box in Ireland.  The box is hidden near a walking rosary.  This was really interesting.

The summer I graduated from high school (1997) I worked at a local Catholic summer camp as the cook and they walked the rosary there.  It wasn't anything fancy like this.  They would do it at night, with candles, and walk a big loop, praying the rosary.  So this spot brought back some old memories.

Overgrown Nature Preserve

Our second stop was to check on our Monster High boxes that I have blogged about in Huntingburg.  Half of the finders (2 of 4) have reported the box was not in it's hiding place when they found it but out in the open.  The last finders said that she put a rock on it but I wanted to check on it anyway.

The last finder who put the rock on it was just there 2 weeks ago but when we went today the box was out of it's hiding spot again!  So we moved it down the path a bit.  I checked the logbooks and it had no extra muggle sign ins.  I hope this helps keep it safe.

Swimming at Martys 

 I wanted to make a third stop and check on my boxes at Ferdinand State Forest but we didn't make it that far.  I told my sister in law that I would be at her house at noon and I didn't want her to worry about me.

At Ferdinand State Forest we have 4 boxes on a 3 mile trail and they have only recorded as found once.  I just wanted to make sure that all was well.  I will have to go back another day.  This fall, 3 of my 4 kids will be in school so that might be a good time to sneak off ;)

Independence Day Weekend

Playing at the beach

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend.  It is always a busy one for us :)  We go out on the Ohio River with my family on the fourth.  The kids love swimming, playing at the beach, and watching the fireworks from the boat.

LCT with his cake 

In 2014 we are celebrating our birthdays with letterboxes.  Lego Clone Trooper turned 12 (OMG) on the 5th.  We always have his party at my parents river camp.  It's a great place for the kids to run around, swim, etc.

The box that we planted for his birthday is not near my parents camp.  This area floods every year so I had to look for higher ground.  We put it near downtown in an area that is easily accessible by car but it is also near the paved pedestrian path that goes around town.

It was a great weekend for the Christmas family.  I better get back to washing all the laundry that smells like river.    

Lil Ewok playing while planting :)