Birthday treats!

Last week I celebrated my 35th birthday. I received lots of wonderful birthday love from friends and family and went out to an incredible dinner with my husband and the boy. I also was the recipient of some super birthday treats: a gift certificate to a local quilt store, some much-needed new clothes, and a beautiful vase. Then there were a few gifts that didn't arrive until today.


A happy package from my in-laws via amazon.com arrived that included some fabulous books and a DVD of Wall-E. The Gayle Bong book, Save the Scraps, is just full of amazing projects that I really want to make. I checked it out from the library awhile back, and am now super-thrilled to have my own copy! The other book, I Like You: Hospitality under the Influence by Amy Sedaris, is campy, happy, crazy funny, and actually includes some very tasty looking recipes. I'm going to have lots of fun combing its depths.

Another package, from Pink Chalk Fabrics, was actually my birthday gift to myself. I've been wanting to start using solids more, and the Kona Cotton Starter Pack seemed like a perfect way to get going. And I just couldn't resist the famous "Bento Box" quilt pattern. I've seen a number of these quilts now, and just love the design. This was my first time ordering from Pink Chalk Fabrics, and I am a happy customer. My order was packed up beautifully, arrived quickly, and the customer service was great.

Meanwhile, I finished quilting my challenge quilt and completed the first phase of binding. Now all that's left is to stitch the binding to the back and attach a label. Should keep me out of trouble for a little bit.