Happiness All Around

Have you seen these adorable bird pot holders made by Lisa at Make it Up as I go Along? Lisa and I decided to do a private swap, and I got an adorable red bird and elegant fabrics in return! This hot potholder looks even better in person; these squares are less than one inch on each side! I have no idea how she pieced all these together so patiently. I love this bird shape hot potholder. Thank you, Lisa! It matches my kitchen and adds a splash of red that goes well with everything.

As you can see, it's already keeping me company in my kitchen. 

Not sure if I will have the heart to use this, but here it is pretending to be in action!

In addition to receiving this in the mail, I also received Seaside Home in the mail from Craft:nosis. Have you heard of Seaside Home? It's a wonderful quilting book that features 25 stitched projects from sea creatures to sailboats. Although I don't live by the sea, I look forward to making many great projects from this book to remind me of the water. Whether you are a beginner or advanced quilter, you will find something in this book for you. Heidi: Thank you for a copy of this book!

 A collection of top designers. 

 Here are pictures of some of my favorite projects from this book.

On an entirely different note, do you remember my orchid that came back to life and started budding around the end of 2011? Well, I am excited to share with you that it flowered once again! It has taken almost three months to re-bloom, but the wait has been worth it! See for yourself.

My beautiful orchid. 

I usually have this orchid by the window during the day, and at night, I move it onto my kitchen counter. I think that really makes a difference. I don't think my orchid likes to be cold at night, but it enjoys the sun during the day. I water it thoroughly every ten days. That's it! So if your orchid is not blooming, make sure it's not near the windows at night.

That's it for now!