My Very First Blog!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited (and a little nervous...)!!!  This is my first post for my first blog!   Can you believe it! All this time, I have shied away from blogs, cause I didn't know what they were all about and I didn't know how to create one.  Welllllll, I'm jumping in the pool's deep end (which is a really big deal for me since I'm terrified of deep water lol)

I am a Christian woman married to the man of my dreams for 41 glorious years.  We have a son and a daughter, both are fully grown and in their 30's.  My daughter is married with 2 precious little boys.  Hence, my nickname is "GLAM MA".

Now the Glam comes from my style of dressing.  I just turned 60 this year and had decided a few years ago that I need to put a little fun in my life.  I started by wearing a little bling on my t-shirts, then my pants, then my jewelry, etc., you get the picture.  Pretty soon I was blinged head to toe.  My son says I look gaudy!!!  However, most of what I wear is designed by my role model Joan Rivers.  I absolutely adore that women's spirit, heart and love of life!

I work for the Federal government, and have for 32 years.  I've always had to be so conservative, that I'm having a blast, just being myself.  I hope to retire in the next couple of years, so I'm getting ready for the BIG event!!!

I've been a seamstress most of my life, mainly out of need.  I'm the oldest of 6 children, and money was pretty tight.  My Mom's family was a group of women who were excellent seamstresses, especially my Grandma Oliver.  She taught me everything I know!!!

In my adult years I started to make quilts.  That was before all the fancy tools that are available to quilters now (rotary cutters, WHO KNEW???)  I did everything the old-fashioned way, cutting templates for each of the pieces of the block, tracking around them onto the fabric, and then cutting them out with scissors.  Pretty time consuming, but very full filling!!!

Pretty soon I was asked to teach in one of our local quilt shops.  Next thing you know I was teaching for at least 3 shops for about 20 years.  I got pretty serious about the craft, and it is still an important part of my life.  I own a long-arm quilting machine which I use to quilt the quilt tops.  It's 14 feet long and with monster machine on a table.  It's what is used to manufacture comforters, bedspreads, etc., by manufacturers.  I love and hate that machine.  It's pretty tricky to use!!!

I own A LOT of fabric.  Mainly cause I made all my clothes up to about 13 years ago.  I have some gorgeous fabrics.  THEN, because teachers would get discounts at the quilt shops, I started buying, and buying and buying, and now have about 100 copy paper size boxes of cotton quilt fabric.  Yikes, can you say that I may be a "hoarder"?   Nope, I know gals that have twice that amount (don't ask me where they store it).  The ole bumper sticker reads....the one who dies with the most fabric wins!!!

About 8 years ago I discovered scrapbooking!   Wow, I went hog wild, and scrapped about 8 albums in 3 months.  I burned out for a while and then last year jumped back into the game.  Wahoo!!  Can you say mixed media, distressing, stenciling, dimenion, painting, cardboard, burlap????  I joined the Scraps of Darkness and Scraps of Elegance Scrapbooking Kit Club, and haven't looked back!!  I have met some of the most generous, loving and down right fabulously talented women through this club.  I love all of them to pieces.

Well, that's all for now.  I am really anxious to get this ole blog on the web.  Take care everyone and have a most magical, blessed week!!!