About us – Gracious Rain

January 12, 2022November 8, 2022

My Pretty Puzzles

In that funny space between Christmas and New Year’s–I decided to pour out a pretty little puzzle.

There is something so soothing about turning all the pieces over, then setting them in little piles according to their shape.

Yeah, I’m one of those puzzle people who takes a few hours to organize all the pieces so that the whole experience is…you know…more orderly.

I believe the puzzle ultimately goes together much, much faster this way because it’s not so chaotic.

In fact, this happy little puzzle was probably two thirds finished when one night I woke to the sound of something very much like pebbles pouring onto the floor.

I flipped on the light and saw that old Hobbes had jumped on one end of my puzzle board and tipped it off the side of the little table it was on and just more than half of my sweet puzzle was on the floor in a broken up pile.

*sob*

The next morning, my sweet Rhenny boy helped me put it all back together and we even kept at it till it was finished! Wahoo!!

What shall I do with all this spare time? Laundry? Dishes? Take down the Christmas stuff?

Apparently not.

Heh, heh.

September 20, 2016November 29, 2022

End of Summer Bake Sale

Little Miss Chomp wanted to hold an end of Summer Bake Sale. Well, in truth, she would have preferred it to be a BEGINNING of Summer Bake Sale, but it was put off–as these things often are–until there was simply no summer left.

But she wouldn’t be deterred–the brave soul. She persevered and at last, at last, the day came. Her mom and dad made goodies for her to sell and she even used her sweet little cash register.

It was truly a hit. In fact, after seeing her “haul” I had to wonder if I’m in the wrong business.

Haa.

May 27, 2016June 17, 2016

Grown Up Toys

The kids got out the ancient Marbleworks set the other day. They needed a little help at first because they’d never really seen it before. It’s been stored away with all the other toys that “Mom” can’t seem to part with. Yeah, I know. I have a problem letting go.

The kids played with the set for about an hour–a very noisy hour of marbles clanking and crashing and spilling and shooting all over the room–and kid laughing. Lots and lots of kids laughing. That was the best part.

Of course, after a while, the big guys had to get involved to show them how it really works. Almost as much noise from the marbles, but not quite so much laughing. What can you expect? This is serious business.

Apparently.

January 26, 2016

Giant Treats

We got in the mood for a few “after the holidays” type treats…

so we whipped up some speedy little “Pretzel Turtles.”

What else are we suppose to do when we have a 27,000 pound bag of Rolos?

Perhaps, we could slice into the 1000 pound Snickers.

Things are out of control over here.

Send help quick.

Wellllll…not too quick. Maybe, like…next week.

Heh, heh.

November 11, 2015November 5, 2021

Pretty Baby~

Before quilt market, April and I hit on a fantastic idea.

Since she would have a booth at the Moda area, why not use that cute baby as a living mannequin–so to speak. We could dress her up in pretty little ruffly things made with the prettiest fabric on the planet. SUCH a good idea!

I scoured the internet and found just the right patterns–four to be exact–for the entire event. That baby would have a new outfit from her mama’s fabric for all three days at the conference and one special dress to wear to the fancy-schmancy black and white formal dinner.

The teensy tiny catch was that I only had 6 days to make the 4 outfits.

The race was on!

1~ The first thing was the easiest. I made the little pants to go with a sweet little red shirt. Sadly, because I made the top last, I don’t have a picture of it.

2~ Next, was this little summer dress. It was autumn weather her in Utah, but it was warmer in Texas, so this outfit would still work.

I was nervous that this one would be too wide for this tiny baby girl so I sewed a tie on the front…

that cinched it up just enough, with a little bow in the back.

Completed.

3~ This sweet flowery top…

with the double tiered, ruffly bloomers. So dang cute!!

4~ And last of all, the “formal” dress for the Black and White dinner.

I finished the last stitch on the last top–the red one–about an hour before taking April and Jacob and the baby to the airport. Yeah, that’s pushing it, I know.

But it worked…

in the nick of time!

Phew!