Trying to save a buck or 2

Have you ever been behind the lady at the grocery store that buys a basket full of groceries and spends less then 10 dollars?  Or how about the little ol lady that buys 50 cans of soup and doesn't pay anything, and then wait.... The grocery store gives HER money back.  Seriously, I really cant make this stuff up!  It happens.

I have been seeing this happen alot more lately and It has gotten me curious.  TLC just started a new Show called extreme couponing.  Lets be honest, those woman strike me more as hoarders then couponers, but the idea is the same thing.  So I had to do some investigating my self!

I found the website The Krazy Coupon Lady, that gives lots of helpful tips and tricks, and honestly what your expectations should be.  From the TV Show Extreme Couponing, someone might think that they can reasonably buy 800 dollars worth of groceries for under 20 dollars twice a month.  Ummm probably not.  But it is reasonable to save 40%- 60% on your grocery bill if you shop smart. 

I have been doing this for a 2 weeks now.  I have invested possibly no more than 6 hours into that, and I have saved over 60 dollars. Lets face it, that 60 dollars can buy me new fabric!!  I haven't bought anything more than I would normally buy, well maybe I have, because using coupons I can afford to buy snacks!

To give you an idea, my grocery store had (Brand Name) Chips on sale for $1.49, I had 2 coupons for $1.50 off, that gave me $.02 that went to my milk that wasn't on sale or cheap!  To be honest, last month I would have bought the chips anyway, now I will download some more coupons and go back and stock up while the sale is on!!

A Quilt for my Best Friend.

I don't usually make quilts for my family.  That must seem odd to some people, I know.  I'm a mom to several teenage boys, and to be honest, their rooms are smelly, they leave their clothes on the floor, and I don't want to even imagine what else they do inside their beds besides sleep.  So I feel they are not quiet at that age where they can appreciate one of my quilts.

I don't usually make quilts for the rest of my family either.  My husband got one.  He thought it was "very nice" but didn't understand why I didn't just buy one from JC Penny.  It would have been alot cheaper!  My sister loves the idea that I make quilts, she generally doesn't actually love the finished product.  Its to busy, It has flowers, its has to many colors.. The list goes on and on.  On the flip side of that, she generally loves the back.

So last month I texted her the photo of the quilt I was working on and I almost fell out of my chair when she responded "Can I have that?"  She never asks for one of my quilts, ever.  Apparently her husband had taken her shopping over the weekend and they purchased new furniture.  This quilt apparently fits right into the color scheme.

I'm not sure If I should be pleased that she wanted one, or offended that she only once one because it matches.  I guess It could be worse.  She could not want one at all.

This quilt was made using Lily and Will from Bunny Hill Designs by Moda.  I'm writing up a tutorial for how to make those inside blocks out of one Jelly Roll.  I was really pleased on how efficiently I was able to use the whole roll and get a great big size!  This finished at 105" x 105" 

I did some strip piecing on the back.  Honestly if I stay in a line for the whole quilt, I really like to use it up because by the end of the project I really don't want to see it again.

Here is a close up of the quilting.  This was my first attempt on a long arm.  That is a story all on its own!  I did some meandering loops.

Overall I'm really pleased on how this came out.  I know its going to a good home.  Its large enough for her and her husband to snuggle up under on those long German nights.

Blogging

I cant believe I'm doing this again. 

I stepped away from blogging several years ago because it became more of a job than a desire.  There were sponsors, and giveaways, competitions, and comment requirements.  When advertisers are counting on you for sales and your trying to keep your numbers up, you eventually don't remember why you started blogging in the first place.

So I'm starting from scratch again.  I want to talk about what I want to talk about.  I don't want to worry about offending a sponsor.  I don't want to be afraid to give my opinion on a product.  I want to speak about what I'm passionate about, that would be Quilting!