… treasuring new life

 I must be honest. . . 

it's been really hard to stay indoors for the past few days. . .

(in fact, I'm sitting out on the back porch posting this!)

Spring has definitely arrived here. . . & it's lovely.

I think having what felt like a colder winter than we usually do, 

(& a couple days with these pretty white fluffies!). . . is making me

appreciate the warmth & the flowers budding (all over the place!).

The birdies are back in the yard - filling the air with their chirping,

 & taking drinks & baths in the water fountains.

I feel like I could sit here & watch them all day.

I got the finch feeder out - but I'm almost out of the seeds for it, 

so I'll be running out later to get some for them. I don't always have it filled - but I like to especially as winter has just past 

& they seem really hungry.

My brother & sister-in-law have been here visiting from Minnesota, 

& Jodi (my s-i-l) kept commenting on all the color & the budding plants!

It's been so wonderful to have them here. They left for the airport this morning, & I will miss them so!

I'll get to have another 'missing-my-family-hole-in-my-heart' fix in a few days though, as I will get to meet the little cutie-pie in the middle photos. He is Samuel, my newest little grand-nephew. Isn't he a cutie? Dad & I will be taking a day trip - flying out to San Diego to meet him next week. It's a quick trip - but it's so worth it! I can hardly wait!

So. . . as you can imagine, I've been working on another of my owl quilts for little Sam.

(If you don't know the history of this design, you can read it here.)

This is the fifth 'Remember Whoo Loves You' quilt that I have made. . .

. . . & I never tire of it. ♡

I also plan to watch the finale of  'The Bible' on Sunday evening. Have you been watching them? I have. . . & I'm so impressed with how they were created & I must admit that in my heart, I'm encouraged at how they've been accepted & how many people have been drawn to them & to looking deeper into the Bible. For me. . . I don't know how I would deal with life without it(!) . . . & so, as we enter & think upon the events of this incredible weekend, I feel so thankful for the love & for the sacrifice & the demonstration of what unconditional love is. It humbles me so to know that I am loved that much, by my Lord & Savior.

 I wish you a wonderful weekend, filled with the wonder & hope of such Love.

♥ Bren

… spring cleaning... (& that means a sale!)

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time,

you know that I get the spring cleaning bug every year.

. . . & after this past week, with our temps in the 80's 

(& even the 90's a few times!)

. . . I have really been bit by the spring cleaning bug!

So, as you saw in my last post

not even my inventory of Cosmo floss was safe!

I've made up some sweet little sets of Cosmo flosses & you can find them in their own page in the 'tag sale' section.

Also, there are some wonderful fabric selections (mostly fat-eighth bundles) that I'm finally parting with.

(.  . well parting with 'part' of them. . . these are some of my treasures & don't tell anybody, but these are the second sets I have had of these collections . . . yep I like 'em that much!)

I've decided that I won't be doing any more retail shows, but I will be posting things on the website, & for now - most are the things I've been keeping for a quilt show - so they will be in the 'tag sale' area.

As I will be making some additions & changes to my company,

the plan is to be expanding the web-shop as well!

(I'm excited & looking forward to that part!)

But for now. . . I'm focusing on my current spring cleaning (& finding fun things for you!) 

. . . & around here - spring also means a sale!

. . . so, in addition to the fun fabrics & flosses added to the web-shop,

the sale means that patterns (printed & pdf versions) are 25% - 75% off!

So lets celebrate the arrival of spring!

(. . . even for those of you in the northern states - who are still getting snow!, & or for those of our southern hemisphere friends who are welcoming autumn!)

I also want to thank all of you who have made designing & growing this business of mine

such a wonderful experience. You are precious & mean so much to me!

(((xoxoxo)))

♥ Bren

p.s. - If you would like to get a little 'heads-up' notice about the web-shop &/or about Acorn Quilt & Gift Company - be sure to sign up for the e-newsletter! (. . . it goes out about 6 - 24 hours before announcements are made on the blog or on twitter.)

… buzzing, buzzing

That would be me, as I've been like a busy little bee!

It's that time of year again. . .

. . . that time when I get the itch to simplify & I start going through closets & cubbies.

I've kept some items that in the past, I thought that I would keep

as I was thinking about doing a local quilt show. . . but I've (finally) decided that I would rather focus on things for the website, & so I've been busy prepping & photographing things for some stitching & quilting fun on the website for next week. . . (which means a bunch of new items & the spring 'cleaning' sale too!)

I'll be working on expanding the items that I will 'stock' for the 

web-shop, but as many of you know. . . there are also things that there are very limited amounts of (. . . you know, those things that I've been holding onto. . . & now can't get more of - so some things are 'one-of-a-kinds'.

It doesn't make for very glamourous photos. . . so I'll add these. . .

. . . Bailey, my helpful little assistant.

After I laughed at him (& Dad - his 'Grandpa'), Bailey wanted me to ask you this question. . .

Does it look like he just 'helped' his Grandpa with his helping of chocolate gelato?

(Seriously. . . my Dad thinks that none of it gets on Bailey's face. . .!)

(love that face. . . no matter what else is on it!)

It's all good though. . . as this photo was taken yesterday, 

& Bailey's groomer came this afternoon & now he's clean, fluffy 

(& smells soooo good!)

I'll be working on getting things ready for the start of spring. . .

both here at home, & on the website!

. . . I'll keep you posted!

Hope you have a great start to your week!

♥ Bren

… springing

. . . no 'springing forward' on the time zone front

(we don't do that here in Arizona... no 'springing forward' & 'falling back'...while the rest of the country changes time two times each year... we stay the same... all year 'round.  (Although when I woke up at about 2:30 a.m. this morning & couldn't get back to sleep. . . I wouldn't have minded getting up the hour earlier!)

. . . but with the snow & rain showers we've had this past month (with days up in the 70's in the midst of those!) - you can tell that spring is itching to get started around here!

While at our local 'Trader Joe's' a couple of days ago, I couldn't resist the little bunches of daffodils they had. None of the buds were open, but after trimming the stems, & putting them in water, by the next morning they were blooming away! 

Then my Dad surprised me with a little birthday lunch last week with some of my sweet quilting friends (thank you sweet my ladies!), & in the middle of the table in the cafe was a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses (with stunning orange edges on the petals)!

They are now gracing the breakfast table where they seem to open up a little more every day, & where we can both see them the most.

Today, after working so very hard at it, the sun is actually shining away, 

& it is forecasted for us to possibly reach 90 this week! I think our flowers & plants & grass & birdies will be giddy! I know I will!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

♥ Bren

… lately. . .

. . . what I've been up to. . .

. . . the TNNA (The National NeedleArts Association) Market,

in Nashville. . .

. . . here's  Bonnie Sullivan's (All Through the Night) lovely display. . 

. . . & here's  Bonnie Sullivan & her sister Ann, who came with her to Market.

(Ann had a display of beautiful jewelry that she creates there too!)

. . . & there's a bunch of fat-eighth bundles  just loaded onto the website.

. . . Esprit de Noel (French General)

. . . my latest - Durham Anew (2012)

. . . Durham Anew (2011)

. . . & Georgia Lou

It has been quite the busy week!

I took a little trip to Nashville this past weekend,

to visit the TNNA Needlework Market.

What fun it was!

It snowed (well flurried) most of the time I was there, 

& it was so pretty to see.

What I love is that this Needlework Market is held at the Embassy Suites, & instead of having to set up a booth in a great big convention center, here you set up your displays in the the 'living room' area of your suite, & folks come to you!

It makes for a wonderful, casual & home-y feeling, & I love the idea!

I also was able to meet up with some wonderful designers 

who exhibited & they were so helpful with information & ideas

about the needlework industry & about the show.

I also came home with a bunch of new threads & flosses & 

placed a few orders for fun new items!

I left feeling so excited about the next step. . .

My goal is to do the fall show - in St Charles, MO.

I've been working on charting several designs 

& I've found that I love the process. . . 

I can hardly wait to start stitching!

(& now that I have my new threads - that starts this week!)

When I came home, I found a wonderful box on my doorstep,

from Moda - with bundles of Esprit de Noel,  the latest line from

French General for Moda.

I must admit. . . I LOVE this line!!! 

(& I rarely say that about Christmas lines!)

I'm keeping one - to make a new quilt, 

but I've put the other two (fat-eighth bundles) on the website.

Warning though. . . there are only two. . . so don't delay!

(The line won't be available in shops until May.)

Just before I left for Nashville, I also made up some bundles

of my fabric lines - including my latest (yet to arrive to shops)  

Durham Anew (2012).

These bundles are limited & once they are gone - well. . . you know.

While I'm closing the door in fabric design for awhile,

I'm so excited about what is upcoming. . .

. . . speaking of which, I'll have a new quilt or two to show you in a day or two!

Hope you have a great start to your week!

♥ Bren