Words of Warning

I learned something last night which I wanted to make you aware of, sorry if you already know this. Ever since blogger started with those darn (insert stronger words here) word verification, I've been getting spam. Not a huge deal, just annoying, blogger catches them and I just go in every once in a while and clean them out of my spam folder. Last night I jumped over to stats and saw a few visits from somewhere strange. I'm not typing the address, it was numbers and letters then ultrafiles dot net. I clicked on it and went to a page that wanted to download something. I immediately hit my panic buttons, shut everything down and from another computer I goggled that address, it's malware. I ran a deep scan (3 hours, no pinterest for me last night) and luckily nothing got through.

But, I found out there are tons of these places and they do just that, scan blogs hoping people will do just what I did. Some of you know I'm a bit of a techie, I got a job once because they needed someone to break into a computer that a disgruntled employee had password protected before they left, (how's that for references) so I know better and I still did it. We all know not to click on links we don't know but, sometimes curiosity wins.

Little side note, Mister "I can barely send email" laughed his butt off (wouldn't it be nice if you could actually do that? My butt would be perfect). 

I need pictures when I read blogs so here's one that has nothing to do with any of this.

Let's be careful out there,

Dana

Foto Finish - Yellow

The optional theme for Foto Finish over at Cat Patches this week is yellow and this scary guy fits that theme nicely.

I'm pretty sure this is an eyelash viper, you can see the "eyelashes" on his one eye. I took this picture at Zoo Miami on our annual family visit. The reptile house is one of favorite haunts, sometimes it's so hard to find what's hidden behind the glass, not this guy, although the one curled up next to him is much scarier, you wouldn't see him coming.

I hope you'll slither (sorry I couldn't resist) over to Cat Patches and check out the other beautiful yellow pictures. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Dana

July's FMQ Challenge

This month's FMQ Challenge over at SewCalGals is from Angela Walters and can I just say, I loved this one? While I was playing with it, I kept seeing quilts I've made that this would have been perfect for, so Thank You Angela, with a little work, this will be showing up on my quilts. I've found that I really like making small areas and filling them in, maybe it just feels more manageable, or maybe I'm just a cozy person :)

When I started out, my bobbin thread was showing, so stop and adjust and in one spot I just swirled right over my line and didn't even notice until I was doing the double line, oh well, I really like the look, although it's better in person. Bottom line, it was fun, I enjoyed doing it and I think we have a future together.

Thanks so much to Angela Walters and SewCalGal.

Dana

Foto Finish - Reflections

The optional theme for Foto Finish at Cat Patches this week is Reflections. I'm going with a definition of thoughts or thinking. This is one of my favorite pictures of my daughter when she was young. I loved catching her when she was quiet and in her own world, always wondering what she was thinking.

I feel like I've been "off the grid", I have my machine back and have been sewing like crazy, catching up, but Foto Finish will usually draw me back to my blog. I hope you'll go over to Cat Patches and look at the other pictures, maybe even join in, it's fun with a great group of people.

Thanks for stopping by,

Dana

Foto Finish - Summer's Here

Today's optional theme for Foto Finish over at Cat Patches is "Summer's Here". Where I live it's always summer, except for a couple of days in January, so the first thing I did was run outside in the rain to get pictures of the rain on the pool. Here in the "sunshine state" it rains every day in the summer, usually for about 10 minutes every afternoon. But I changed my mind, the rain brings mosquitoes, lots of them, swarms of them and the mosquitoes bring these guys, who I love.

They eat the mosquitoes.

I'm a bit sleep deprived, the storms have changed their schedule to thunderstorms every night about 3 A.M., which is when Maya comes banging on the door terrified. David leaves, I don't know why he wants to leave the puppy party, but Maya, Brady and I wrap up in quilts, sing songs and wait out the storm. We're having so much fun (can you hear the sarcasm?). Oh, and one of those storms took out the internet for over 24 hours. 

I'm loving summer.

I hope you'll check out all the fun summer pictures over at Cat Patches.

Thanks for stopping by,

Dana 

Fingers Crossed

I spoke to the repair man yesterday and the parts (fuses) are in!!! and as long as that's what's wrong, I'll have it fixed today.

I would have left first thing this morning and been waiting in the parking lot for them but David wants to go with me, what?! He lets me go to the creepy place alone, but now he doesn't want me driving all that way without him? I think it's because he thinks I'll show some restraint at the quilt store if he's there, HA! I don't think we'll be eating next week ;).

I finally decided to do something that took time for the piecing, since the quicky quilt tops are piling up. 

I've been making little tiny HST's, they are less than 2 inches and you can't tell by the picture, but there are hundreds of them. So of course my quilting machine will be fixed (I hope), isn't that how it works? 

This was what I saw out my front window this morning, so I ran out into the rain and was immediately covered in mosquitoes to take this picture.

That's a cactus growing up the tree, the flowers start well above my head and go to the top of the tree and they're as big as my hand. They only bloom at night, as the sun comes up they'll close and drop off, but I see a lot of buds, so the show will continue for a few more night.

Wish me luck,

Dana

Opinions Please

I started a new quilt this morning, a log cabin with fussy cut butterflies for the center. After making one block, I felt that the butterfly may be getting lost in the busyness of the fabric, so I made another block, framing the butterfly. I have solids of blue, turquoise and yellows, which I would use, so they won't all be hot pink. 

Which do you like better?

Framed

Unframed

I'm lost in overthinking this. Help!

Dana

A Couple Of Things

Tomorrow July 2nd kicks off the annual 100 Quilts for Kids.

There's a blog hop, starting at Lily's Quilts, a sew along which begins on July 15th, prizes and fun, it's pretty much a carnival for quilters, with a wonderful outcome. 

100 Quilts for Kids is a charity drive co-hosted by Katie Blakesley of Swim, Bike, Quilt and the DC Modern Quilt Guild. It's pretty simple make a quilt or more and donate it, locally if possible. 

It's the locally that started a wonderful relationship for me last year.

 I contacted the local women's shelter and then delivered a pile of quilts to them. 

I was blown away by the response. After being told it was the "most awesome" donation they had ever received, my response was "I'll have to make more" lots more. 

This was last year's quilt along quilt, so easy and adorable

Next up, Brady and Maya are getting pretty excited about the Pets On Quilts show.

Obviously Brady does headstands when he's excited

That's better.

If you haven't started stalking your fur babies or decided on that animal themed quilt, now's the time, it starts August 1.

Funny how I have time for blogging when my machine is broken,

Dana