The Lil Peach

The Lil Peach
Originally uploaded by Tere S

Little Zoë came home from the hospital today to be with her mom and dad. YAY!!!

Zoë and Kevin

Zoë and Kevin
Originally uploaded by Tere S

Lil Peach is now 3 pounds 6 ounces! 10 more ounces to go and she can come home!

Lil Zoë is growing

P1020706
Originally uploaded by Tere S

The past month or so has flown past me! I've been so busy with work and school and trying to see Zoë when I can. She is still in the hospital but doing exceptionally well! She should be big enough to go home in a month or so. I'm still so overwhelmed by the miracle of this baby girl :) Once things settle down a bit, I have lots of stuff I want to sew for her. :)

Surprise! I'm A Grandma!

I got a big surprise this week - my first grandbaby was born on Monday! Her name is Zoe Alice. She is a preemie, born at 26 weeks, so she will have to stay in the hospital at least 10 more weeks. But, she is doing GREAT and the doctors could not hope for a better scenario for her! All of her little insides work on their own :)

Snippets and Swaps

I've been doing a lot more shopping than sewing lately lol... The Moda fabrics call to me! Here are some charm packs and a FQ bundle of Moda Snippets that I could not resist... now I just have to decide what to make with them.



I did make a little doll for a swap. She is beginning her long trip today to Finland.

Who Can Resist A Sale?

Well, I have to admit, I've been shopping more than I've been sewing lately... Fabric.com has a sale on all their quilting fabrics - 30% off!!! Use coupon code summer609. Expires 6/29. The Moda fabrics call to me lol...

Barkley

Barkley Loves Paper
Originally uploaded by Tere S

Barkley loves to destroy things LOL so I sometimes give him crumpled up paper to chew and play with. He loves to make messes, too :)

He has learned to whine like Pugsley, and now Pugsley does not whine as much... maybe the Pugster realized how pathetic he sounds when he does that? I think Barkley is making fun of him LOL.

Alex the African Grey

Since Barkley came to live with me just over a month ago, I've been trying to read up on everything I can about African Greys. I had a cockatiel when I was a teenager, which is also a parrot, but I have not had a whole lot of experience with bigger birds.

My philosophy with animals and birds is that they do know how to communicate very well, it's just that most people are not aware of it. My pug "talks" to me all the time by his body language and the way he looks at me. Even Brewski, being a tiny dwarf hamster, lets me know what he's thinking when I play with him. Usually, it is food-related lol... like he will nibble at me if my hands smell like food.

Anyway... I've been reading this awesome book by Irene Pepperberg, a scientist who worked with a Grey named Alex for 30 years and taught him how to speak to communicate. It really is an amazing book that describes her trials in just getting started - trying to find research grants and meeting up against the attitudes of many of her peers that animals are only able to mimic communication, not convey what they are thinking. She proved them wrong. Unfortunately, Alex died very early at the age of 31.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves animals, especially birds. It's written so that non-scientists can understand it, and it's really not that long of a book :)



Here is a video of some of the things Alex was able to reason -



Here is an interview with Irene Pepperberg after Alex passed away.



Wasn't he amazing?

Barkley Being Silly

Barkley has been with me for a couple of weeks now, and I love him so much! He has quite a sense of humor. He makes all kinds of sounds, including belches and farts, and then he laughs. I tried to get a video of him talking this morning, but he was more interested in the camera.



Barkley loves apples and he is very careful not to drop any :)

I Can't Wait!

Season 2 of True Blood starts on June 14 - WOOT!! I found this sneak peak on youtube.

Some New Things I Made

Well, I finally made a few things for me! I needed a coin purse SO bad! I was very tired if digging for change at the bottom of my purse.



Here is the coin purse -



The case for my Nintendo DS -



A matching checkbook cover -



I think I set a personal record! I bought this fat quarter last week and I've already used it!

So Much For My (Fabric) Diet!

Ok, so by now you know that like most sewers, I have a serious fabric addiction... I stopped in my local quilt shop the other day just to "fondle" the beautiful fabrics and I had to take these home with me!



Don't make me unleash the flying monkeys! LOL



I love owls!!



I'm going to make these for me! Well, someday ;)

Barkley, My New Little Buddy!

I've been looking to adopt a bird into my family lately, and I was lucky enough to find Barkley, a wonderful African Grey. He was living with a nice family that could not keep him anymore. He is super sweet and totally in love with me :) :) He says all kinds of things already, but he totally cracked me up yesterday when he said "It's ok, I work here" and then he laughed! He also coughs then says "Are you ok?"

I did not know that they do this "regurgitating" thing when they love someone! I guess he REALLY LOVES me hahahaha. That's fine :)







Isn't he just beautiful?!

A Few Things I've made Lately

Just a few things I've made recently...

A checkbook cover and matching coin purse for my mom -





One of the placemats from a set I made for my friend -



A dotee for a swap I'm sending out this month -

Adam!

Mmmmmm what can I say?

Want more American Idol videos? Click here.

Kewpies!

I found these adorable kewpies at the thrift store a little while back. They all came together with several crocheted outfits... can you believe the whole pack of dollies and clothes was under $3?? It amazes me what little treasures you can find for almost nothing. It always makes me wonder about the person who put all that time and effort into it... did they give it to someone as a gift and that person did not want it? I just don't get it!

These are the kewpies with some of my fav outfits.





Look at these cute bunny slippers!!





And of course, they all have little under-britches :)

My Talented Friend

My most awesome and talented friend, Sarah, made this ring for me. Isn't it just gorgeous??? I'll have to actually get a manicure now so that I don't put it to shame LOL.

I have the most awesome friends!!!

Pics From the Critter Store

These cute guys were at the Pratt's Pets Store in Glendale, AZ.











Doesn't this guy look like Cousin It from the Addam's Family?

More Needlework Finds

I found more lovely needlework the other day at the thrift store!

Sierra Mountains

Man, I wish I had some of this snow here in AZ today... It's been well over 100 degrees lately. I'll have to start driving with pot holders soon!