a cute little matching change pouch =)

I made a pleated, zippered pouch to match my pretty tote =)

I've almost got the blocks to my quilt top together - will share really soon!

Happy hump day - well hump day is almost over so we're getting closer to the weekend! Woohoo!

I just want to say welcome to my new followers! I feel so honored to have each of you following me and I appreciate your support!

~Amber xoxo

Sunday Verse

Do not be afraid or discouraged,
for the Lord will personally go ahead of you.
He will be with you;
He will neither fail you or abandon you.
Deut 31:8

Happy Sunday!
~Amber =}

pretty tote

I made a tote!

I'm so excited and I think it turned out really pretty. She may or may not be for sale one day, hehe. =)

Matching pocket

Happy Saturday - it's gloomy here. :(
~Amber

Hello friends

Thanks for stopping by!

I just got home from a lovely dinner with some work friends. Since I work from home I don't get to chat/gossip much - it was nice to catch up!

I just wanted to share a couple of pictures with you of the sewing I was able to get done on Wednesday night - I really hope to work more on the quilt top this weekend.

Also, my fabric labels came in the mail today - I'm ready to begin working on some inventory for my Etsy shop. =) woohoo!

I was able to get 3 rows sewn together. Well the blocks of the 3 rows together - the 3 rows are not sewn to each other yet if you get what I mean.

And here's my Lucky Ducky puppy - she's so sweet!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!
~Amber

workout update - more fabric - what I'm working on

Hi!

I've been too quiet the past week or so - sorry! I've just been so busy. I just got off of work a few minutes ago. Yay - now that's something to celebrate! Now I'm going to post this and then I'm going straight to the sewing machine. Forget doing the dishes and folding laundry. =)

I posted a few weeks ago about a book I had received, The New Rules of Lifting for Women. I am now halfway through my third week. I'm really enjoying the workouts. The workouts consist of "heavy" lifting which I really like. This is a total change from what I have done in the past. In the past, I've gone to the gym and gotten bored because I'm not good at coming up with workouts on my own. Well, I wouldn't say I'm terrible at it but I love having it written out for me right there in the book.

I have not weighed myself and do not plan to for a while. With the heavy lifting there is a chance I may even gain weight and while I don't necessarily want that, I'm ok with it. I'll update you again soon on how it is going.

On to fabric - I received this in the mail last week too! Did I mention I love packages?

It is several yards of Kona solid fabric.

And for a peek at my quilt. I have all of the blocks sewn for my top now. Just need to sew them all together and then get to work on a couple of borders.

This is the first row to be sewn together and a sweet little dime I found in the floor - have no idea where it came from. Who likes finding money? The peeps on Little House on the Prairie would have loved a dime. Yes, I watch Lil House pretty much every day - I'll share more about that later.

I hope to have some rows sewn together to share later!

~Amber

Take your blog to work day

I'm linking up for "Take Your Blogger to Work Day." I hope you enjoy learning more about me.

When I was younger I had an interest in being a psychologist but I never took any steps to go in that direction.

I began working for the company that I do now when I was 16 years old. When I was 16 I was doing data entry for an independent PPO network and health management administrator. I was entering medical insurance claims information so that claims could go on and be repriced and then the claim would be paid accurately administering the correct benefts.

Once I graduated high school I went to the local community college and received my certification in Medical Transciption. Unfortunately, I moved just a few months after this to be with my husband in California (he was in the military) and never pursued a career in medical transciption. Jobs were hard to find because you needed experience but noone wanted to provide any of that experience.

Once my husband finished his military career, we moved back to North Carolina. I was in California for just over two years. Upon our return, I went back to work at the company I had began at when I was 16. Now I am a claims analyst. I have a specific hospital employer group that I administer all benefits for and adjudicate the claims so that provider can be paid.

I don't believe that my current job is where I want to be for many years to come but it has presented me with a lot of growth and I am also blessed to work from home now.

I'm placing my future in God's hands. I'm very comfortable with the fact that I did not go to a university and get a degree. This is something that I may pursue one day but I haven't felt led in that direction. In the past, I did feel insecure about that fact but I've put my life in God's hands and I'm letting him lead me to the talents he molded in me. Whether I have a degree or not, if it isn't the path he wants for me I'm not going to be successfull without putting my trust in him to lead me.

Most recently I have gotten involved in sewing. It began with a desire to learn to quilt. I will be starting my third quilting class today. I'm really enjoying the skills I am developing and I have begun to learn to sew other things. I'm mastering the zippered pouch right now and I love that I can start one and finish it in an hour or so. With the quilting it takes several weeks. I think I may actually enjoy sewing smaller projects more than the quilt. Again, I'm putting it in God's hands and hoping that sewing is the talent I have been waiting to discover I had! I am going to continue to sew and pursue some projects - I plan to design some pouches/bags of my own and I would love to open an Etsy shop in the near future. I've been reading some of the amazing stories of ladies who have opened their homemade business and been able to quit their job. Wow! This is something that I am dreaming of doing right now based on the fact that I enjoy sewing. I'm also an experienced crocheter. I learned to crochet when I was around 12 and have made many aphgans over the years. I've spent some time over the last few months adding some new projects to my crochet skill-set also. It is my dream to have a job I love doing that doesn't just feel like work. And that is my prayer for myself.

Thanks for reading about my journey! =)



~Amber

sneak peek

I received some fabric in the mail today! I love packages!!!

Here's a sneak peek - can't wait to show you what I sew with it. =)

~Amber

Sunday verse

Get all the advice and instruction you can,
So you will be wise the rest of your life.
You can make many plans,
But the Lord's purpose will prevail.
Loyalty makes a person attractive.
It is better to be poor than dishonest.
Proverbs 19: 20-22

I will be here with the windows open watching I Love Lucy on the Hallmark Channel - I just love I Love Lucy!

Thank you Lord for a beautiful Sunday!!

~Amber :)

They make me jealous

They make me jealous - especially on rainy days. Working from home, it is hard sometimes when I walk by and they look so comfortable for me to not join them.

Gotta love them!
~Amber

New look - Sunday verse

Something's different about my blog!

Just take a look around my beautiful blog - isn't she great?

I would like to think Olivia of Robin Blogs for her great work! Please visit her blog and take a look around at the services she provides. I highly recommend!

Sunday Verse

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High; call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.
Psalm 50:14-15

Thanks for taking a look around - I hope you like my new look and my awesome button!

~Amber

What I'm working on...

More zippered pouches!

I think I'm in love - these are so fun to make and I'm enjoying the experience I'm getting with them. I'm facing the dreaded zipper head-on!

This is just so you can see the size of this one compared to my ipad.

These are my materials before I made my ipad pouch. =)

ipad pouch! This really isn't that ugly in person. It's the light as usual, I promise! I have a LONG way to go learning to take pictures. Please bear with me!

Well, there you have it. I was working on more of my quilt blocks last night and ran out of fabric. :( Big time bummer - but I was able to order more today and it should be arriving sometime early next week and I can resume.

I'm off to watch Dateline! I love that show! :}
~Amber

10 Things About Me

1. I'm married - Anniversary: 04/24 - will be 6 years this year

2. My husband was in the Marines - I lived in San Diego, CA for just over 2 years. That is the only other place I have lived. But I enjoyed it and it was 2,400 miles from where I call home in NC.

3. I love, LOVE, love the weather. This is hilarious to me - I call myself a "weather weenie." I could seriously sit and watch the boringness of The Weather Channel over and over - I mean the SAME thing over and over. I especially like hurricane coverage. I don't like the destruction and deaths the hurricanes cause but I love the coverage. =)

4. I have 3 animals - 2 cats, Boots Joaquin and Petunia June - and a dog, Lucky Ducky. I sometimes want to throw Boots out the window (I mean this in the most loving way possible) but I just love them all - I don't know what I would do without them. I love how easy to hug they all are!

5. I'm a member of an awesome church and I'm involved in the youth ministry.

6. I'm sort of a runner - I'm sure I will elaborate more on this later. :)

7. I'm very silly/stupid funny. Most people have no idea just how loud and silly I am. I think everyone thinks I'm really quiet. - hehe - they have NO idea. :} My husband usually gets the most of this part of my expressiveness and his response is usually silence. LOL

8. I don't like to cook.

9. I just started wearing glasses - and it has been fascinating to me. I had no idea that I would be able to see this much better!

10. I just took the trash out for the first time in months. This is usually my husbands job - but what a nice surprise.