Hollyhocks

Counting Chickens

Experience has taught me to resist counting my chickens before they are hatched, but I am a terrible secret keeper (when it's good news...your deep dark secrets are safe with me).

I want to thank you all for the sweet, cryptic, hopeful emails you have been sending regarding what Mary Ellen calls "my special intentions".

Although it is still early by telling-people standards (2.5 months) I am so pleased and happy to tell you that after 6 years, 3 fertility doctors, 3 miscarriages and hundreds of self-injected doses of various medical-type potions... I can finally say...

I just look at my husband and I get pregnant!

We found out just before Christmas that we are expecting ...and two weeks ago that...

We are EXPECTING TWINS!!!! Because we did IVF, We knew that there was a chance that we could have twins, but when the sonographer showed us that second heartbeat for the first time, my DH became speechless and I mumbled something about selling any additional babies on Ebay (the sono lady didn't think that was too funny). So, even though any number of things can still go wrong, I am feeling strangely calm and hopeful.

Once we get to 3 months...or so...I'll start to make (and buy) things for the "kids". I want them to be surrounded by love and handmade toys, clothes and quilts.

This is all still very hard to believe.  It's like I am happy for someone else. Thank you, every one of you inside and outside the computer, for your thoughts and prayers. Maybe that's what it took...bloggers all over the world praying and sending positive vibes...

Thank you for visiting Hollyhocks!

...what some people won't do to be able to use a vintage stroller!

Sunday, Sunday

Just popping in to say a quick hello. I did some "cleaning" in my sewing room today. (What that means is that I moved some things around and admired all of the pretty fabric, thinking to myself, hmmm, I should really sew something with all of this fabric). I decided to give some vintage quilt blocks some face time on the flannel wall. If you don't have a flannel wall, you should. Just staple gun some cream flannel over some foam core stuff from Home Depot and Voila...fabric sticks. It's a fun way to display/audition fabrics.

I also consolidated some ribbon and thread to make room for...more ribbon and thread. I wish every one of you could come over and play. I so love this room. It is about to undergo some renovation though. I need to swap out some furniture...or I need more rooms! Before I forget, this arrived at my door yesterday.

I won my first giveaway, at Rosehip. What a pretty blog. She is going to sell some of the dolls in her Etsy store and I can tell you that her work is of the highest quality. I just keep admiring this little lovely. Well, I'll post some photos as soon as I start moving some furniture around in the sewing room and, with any luck...the afters will look better than the befores. Thanks for visiting Hollyhocks! Hurry Spring!!!!

Not Just Loafing...

Well, honestly, I have been loafing a bit since Christmas. So much so that I almost couldn't remember my password for the blog...So much so that, in a house with upwards of 30 bath towels, we RAN OUT of TOWELS TODAY!I did spend a really nice couple of weekend nights reading this book. My dog gave it to me for Christmas and I was assured by my husband that it was thoroughly checked and no dogs died in the course of the book. It's a really nice read. A few months ago, I was waiting for an estate sale to open and struck up a conversation with http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5469301 Susan from Paperhill. She makes lovely things out of vintage wallpaper. A few weeks ago she emailed me to tell me that she purchased a bunch of vintage fabric from an estate. Well, girl after all of our hearts...she went back and bought every last remaining bolt shortly thereafter...almost 300 bolts I think. I've seen photos...what a collection. Now she's selling them at the above link.

Susan, thoughtful lady that she is, asked for my address to send me something she thought I'd like...

A yard of a fabric called...what else...Hollyhocks. Thanks Susan, what a nice thing to do. Several days later my last Christmas present arrived. I am a book nut, so for one of my presents, my husband gave me $$$ to spend on books. I spent a really fun evening picking these out...

Yipee!!! Four new Japanese craft books...and

the cutest darn Japanese fabric! Here are some photos from the books...

I have a couple of students who LOVE Hello Kitty. I think the stuff is pretty cute too. I'll leave you with another adorable print from JoAnn's...thanks for visiting Hollyhocks!

Not Just for Pennies Anymore

I had a bit of a copper Christmas this year...which reminded me of one of the best gifts I have ever received. I was a student (again) back in 1996 when I won a scholarship to study in Ireland for 3 weeks. My husband, who was a boyfriend at the time, was helping me through school and gave me some spending money, along with a bucket of pennies. He told me to roll the pennies and use the money to travel around Ireland. I rolled and rolled and ended up with enough for 5 round trip tickets anywhere in the Republic. Those pennies took me to kiss the Blarney Stone, tour Kilkenny Castle, visit friends in Doolin and sail to the Aran Islands. I saw Yeats Country (Sligo), and rang the bells at St Anne's Shandon in Cork to treat the town to my rendition of Amazing Grace. Not bad for a bucket of copper. This Christmas, I awoke to find this under the tree...

It matches the soup pot from here the DH gave me last year. I am just crazy about the brass acorns. I loved all of my gifts from him, but this one is admired on a daily basis. Along the copper theme...

My parents, big fans of homemade jam, made the process a bit more luxurious with this copper jam pot, silver funnel and 6 HUGE German jam jars...hint, hint...

They also added to the copper cookie cutter collection with these. I could go for a sugar cookie now...What are some of your most thoughtful gifts to or from the people you love?

Thanks for visiting Hollyhocks. I'll make you all a quart of jam real soon!

Happy 2008

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune--without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

-Emily Dickinson

My favorite poem. Happy New Year Everybody! My wish for all of us in 2008 is Hope.

...and it wouldn't be a Hollyhocks post without a little show-and-tell...

I've been collecting Kaffe Fassett fabrics and now it's time to do something with them. I think maybe a small half-square triangle quilt...hmmm...and...a pretty quilt shop called People, Places and Quilts had a basket of these squares, most about 8" or larger...

for 15 cents each. I tried not to be too much of a fabric hog, but what fun! Hang in there everybody. I look forward to seeing what you are up to as we start a new year. Thank you for visiting Hollyhocks.