New Owner at I Have A Notion (IHAN)

As all of the regular IHAN blog readers know, the past few years have dealt me more than a few serious challenges.  I've been told what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.    I'm thinking without practicing, I should be able to dead lift a thousand pounds or at the very least be able to hold my own in a good brawl with wonder woman. (The mental picture of that makes me laugh so hard I almost just wet my shorts...LOL.)

I have some wonderful news to share   There is someone whom I believe has all it takes to carry        I Have A Notion forward creatively and with lots of inspiration.

Beth Hunter and I with a packed U-Haul

 2017 in Ohio

Beth Hunter is the new owner of I Have A Notion, I Have A Notion blog, trademark and yes all that inventory.

I met Beth through my blog back in 2010. We developed a friendship.  I have had the pleasure of visiting her home in two states but sadly not when she lived in Sough Africa.  Beth is a wonderful quilter, thread painter and  a new long arm quilter as well.  She has known I have been interested in sharing the blessings that have come from being the owner of I Have A Notion  and I have passed the baton to her.

You know I would never leave one of my babies with anyone I did not trust and believe could improve on what I've accomplished thus far.  Beth is honest and isn't shy about speaking her mind and I believe you will enjoy learning more about her and from her.

The words Love and Joy don't even come close to my experiences since starting I Have A Notion in March of 2009.  The people I have met and gotten close to have been by far the GREATEST treasure.   You can't imagine how many people have added beauty and strength  to  my life and I would have never known them or met them if it were not for IHAN.  It has been a privilege and pleasure to have been of service to so many of you who have read my blog and have been faithful customers.

Mary Jane and I at the Lake House in PA 2009

I would be greatly remiss if I didn't mention Mary Jane Ehlich, as she was my inspiration, my teacher, mentor and dear friend who took my hand and encouraged me in my adventure with  I Have A Notion.  It seems she had a special quality to bring out the best in me as she did so many others in her lifetime.  Mary Jane never wanted  credit or recognition for her help and would only allow me to refer to her as MJ on the IHAN blog.   She gave freely of her knowledge and spent countless hours sharing with me her gifts and talents  As I take my last bow here....just know, if it were not for Mary Jane, I would not have had this amazing privilege nor the courage.  Thank you again Mary Jane for all you did for me and I Have A Notion.

 I encourage all of you to continue to support I Have A Notion as you know I will.

With much appreciation and gratitude,

Smiles,
Kelly

PS...My new e-mail address is Jax07Fam.Kelly@gmail.com

Time for Borders

This is the wonky charity quilt I made to help keep someone warm and get me out of a rut.  I made the border separately and will add it later today.  This was a great stash busting project.  Naturally I'll be glad to see it finished and get on to using up other fabrics in my stash. 

Check out the gift Aaron brought me from his neighborhood romp.  He hid it behind his back and popped it out like it was a bouquet of flowers.  Melted my heart for sure.

Hope you have a wonderful surprise in your day as well!

Smiles,
Kelly

The Spirit of Love

Before you read further, please know I am aware there is false news everywhere.  I did my due diligence and searched to learn this man is a real person and he has an address in the same city as the article states.  Suffice to say, this story appears to be real.

Please read the story of Mohamed Bzeek, the only foster parent in LA county who accepts terminally ill children.

I read this today and thought to myself, this is the true spirit of love and Mr. Bzeek is not he first person I have met that embodied this spirit.

What many of you don't know about me is that I was a Case-manager and Psychologist and  had the extreme pleasure of serving the developmentally disabled community.  I met people who embodied the spirit of real love and acceptance and served others with dignity and honor.

Know these people exist and they are not super-human....they are just simply living out their truth. That "truth" is we all matter, we all count and we are all important. 


Kelly

Out of the Mouths of Babes

A few days ago, I was annoyed by the vehicle in front of me that could not decide what to do. I said “please turn” out loud. Once the person turned (thankfully), I turned left so as to have no one in front of me while driving home. 

Aaron noticed my annoyance and said, “Call in an aerial strike.”

 Zach responded with, “Car eliminated. Continue with your safe driving.” 

I laughed out loud. Thank God for kids who understand!

Disclaimer:  I know everyone gets annoyed every now and again so don't leave a shaming comment...it was all in good humor I promise...we would never hurt people purposefully.

Giggles,
Kelly

Perrysburg's "Flamingo Family"

Elijah Johnson has made a video and the stars of the show, The Flamingos!




I loved what Elijah has done to share the story of the Flamingo Family.  The wind was blowing the day I was interviewed and I was trying to focus on looking at Elijah and not at the camera....wish I had smiled.  Thank you Elijah for focusing on the positive in our neighborhood.


Smiles,
Kelly

Charity Quilting....Getting Out of This Rut

I've been in this deep rut and I'm working to get out.  With much encouragement from friends I decided to sew.  When Beth suggested I sew something new and I thought she was nuts.  I have so many UFO's how could I start something new?  Then Rosemary/Waldo offered to make a charity quilt and insisted I make one too.  Karin continually sends me photos of her projects that are inspiring and finally a miracle occurred....I started to sew.

Note to self: When in a rut, one can not always see clearly or know what may be helpful, consider trusting your friends. 

I just paper pieced this wonky twin quilt top.  Initially I used paper Waldo gave me as the foundation and then I noticed that a cheap tearaway machine embroidery stabilizer worked perfectly (very little need to pick at tiny pieces of paper that can get stuck).  I highly recommend the cheap tearaway stabilizer and of course shortening the stitch length.

I used the Westminster 2 /12 inch strips I  won a few years ago.  I thought the bright fabrics might bring some fun to a person who is in need of cheering up with a free warm quilt.

So many scraps remain I decided to try piano keys along the border.  The width has not been decided yet but the photo above is just a trial to see how I like it.  What do you think?

On the subject of what do you think.....do you like or love your washer and dryer?  We are in need of both and I have to say we have been highly dissatisfied with machines for quite some time. 

This is the front of our washing machine.  It is a Kenmore Catalyst Cleaning Action King Size Capacity Plus Quiet Pak 4.  We bought at Sears approximately 8 years ago.  It has required 4 or more repairs in the past 8 years (not cheap to have a repair person to the house).  The power button wore down rather quickly and that was disappointing as well.

The heating element on the dryer has gone out and I recognize it can be replaced but the machine has been repaired once before.  Repair bills are now very close to the purchase price of a new machine.  

One problem with shopping local stores is the machines are not plugged in and you can't test them before purchasing.  No one tells you how quickly the buttons break or if there are secret re-set codes that are only provided to the service repair people.  

We once had a man come and push a few buttons and the washer began working again.  When it broke later, Rick had to pay to get the codes from the internet.  Other times a code would not suffice so we phoned a repair company.

My question to you is, do you love your washer and dryer?  If so, can you tell me briefly what it is you really like about yours and the brand/model you purchased? 

We have reviewed Consumer Reports and we did then when purchasing the Kenmore's 8 years ago.  This time, I'm going with a friends advise....I trust my friends to tell me what they honestly think.  

What happened to the good ole days where things were actually built to last and there were no secret codes requiring purchase?

Superbowl Sunday....I hope your team wins!  I have no team....but I thoroughly enjoy the 1/2 time show!

Smiles,

Kelly