spring 2009 quilt block swap.

my spring 2009 quilt block swap blocks are here!!!

yayyy!!!

thanks jen for hosting this swap!!!
i'm SUPER excited to put this quilt together.
{it's gotta wait in line though, just for another week or so.}

and while it waits, i have to figure this out...
should i put in a sashing???
if yes, what color???
and should i go with 1 1/2" or 2" wide???
please feel free to throw in your 2 cents.

can yall guess which one i made???
i'll give yall a hint:

it's irish and it rhymes with shmim-meal.

{it's okay...i KNOW i'm a dork.}

yall can see the individual block pics over at my flickr page.

p.s. my gal pal darci is hosting a giveaway.

yall should check it out!!!

ahead of the game.

just taking a break from taking a break to show yall these:

tweet tweet tweet.

this is for katy.

{this is my april block for the cottage quilting bee.}

all i was thinking the WHOLE time i was making this was...

this would make the perfect doll quilt!!!

purple smurple.
this is for katie.

{this is also an april block for the cottage quilting bee.}

miss melanie was mommy's little helper on this one.

i'll have yall know that she literally kissed all the squares before they were sewn into rows.

it was the cutest thing EVER.

it feels good to be ahead of the game.

i still have a block to do for bee inspired.

and then a block to make for my pal john. just because he asked me to.

those will both be done this week sometime.

p.s. john is having a giveaway starting tomorrow...

yall should check it out!!!

shane and rachel.

nine years ago today...

me & the hubby went from being just friends to being an actual couple.

♥ ♥ ♥

disappearing 9-patch tutorial. {the SUPER easy way.}

so what makes it SUPER easy???
well it's made with a charm pack.
so all the precutting hassle is not there.
yayyy!!!

note to add: for those that don't know...
a charm pack consist of 5" x 5" precut squares of moda fabric.
you CAN follow this tutorial using your own fabrics cut at 5" x 5" squares.

i'm using hartfield by barbara brackman.
{it has 30 charms.}

lay out 9 different charms that you like together.
{don't forget to throw in some contrast!!!}
i chose to stay with a purple-ish feel for this block.

sew the 1st row. pressing seams to the right.
sew the 2nd row. pressing seams to the left.
and then sew the 3rd row. pressing seams to the right again.
{this will ensure perfect seams.}

join row 1 & row 2. press.
join rows 1 & 2 with row 3. press again.

congratulations...you have a completed 9-patch block!!!
moving on...

make sure that your block is nice and square.
{it should be if you used a TRUE 1/4" seam allowance.}

spray your block with a light spray starch {like magic sizing} & press.
then cut your block in half longways. {horizontally}

cut in half tallways. {vertically.}

now you have 4 different sections.
simply turn the sections to create a new pattern, like so...

sew the top 2 sections together. press seam to the right.
sew the bottom 2 sections together. press seam to the left.
{this will ensure perfect seams.}

sew top and bottom together and press.

tada...you are done!!!
now give yourself a pat on the back!!!
you've just made a disappearing 9-patch the SUPER easy way!!!

now make 2 more blocks and you can be the proud owner of this...

all you need to make this runner is:
3 disappearing 9-patch blocks
42"x18" backing {and batting}
110" binding

sew the 2 blocks together...layer, baste, quilt & bind.
and viola...you have a new 38"x13" tablerunner.

and just in time for mother's day!!!
this little beauty is going to my mawmaw.
i SO wanna keep it though.
tehehe.

note to add:
since a few peeps said they were making one, i thought i'd link them all here.
so if you make one, tell me, i'll add you to the list.

jilly's.
donna's.
jen's.
gnomemade's.

march madness: quilting bee style

see what happens when you take a little break?!?

you become productive.

well i, rachel, become productive.

i'm still taking that break...

but while my internet is being user friendly, i wanted to show yall these.

the mermaid lagoon.

made for nettie.

{this is my march block for the cottage quilting bee.}

the cat block with reversibility powers.
made for viv.
{this is another march block for the cottage quilting bee.}

and the reptilian house.
for dianah.
{this is my march block for bee inspired.}

march is also MY month for bee inspired.
i've already started getting my blocks back.

they're most beautiful pinwheel blocks EVER...man i ♥ pinwheels!!!
i wanna wait to show yall ALL of them.
so be on the lookout for those.

well...

o' righty...

one kiddo is completely better...yayyy!!!

but my little tots are still under the weather...boo!!!

my house needs some serious cleaning.

i'm talking hardcore lysol & bleach cleaning.

i'm sick of us being sick.

i am way off course on my quilty projects.

nothing drastic i know...but enough to wig me out.

my hubby coaches football. jackson plays football.

spring conditioning starts tomorrow.

team mom here, so i'm gonna be busy with that.

so with all that being said...i'm thinking of taking a short break from my blog.

i know, i know...but i'll be back.

promise.

{and on top of that...my internet is acting up. yuck!!!}

twilight day.

it's here, it's here!!!

it's twilight day!!!

do yall have your dvd yet???

yall KNOW i do, right?!?

i do, i do!!!

yayyy!!!

i'm SO sporting a twilight tshirt.

my niece ashleigh is coming over!!!

we are gonna make aunt rachel's peanut butter stuff!!!

we are gonna watch twilight!!!

good times.

even my momma is gonna go to a twilight party tonight.

are yall doing anything twilightish???

p.s. off course since it's twilight day...the soundtrack is back!!!

couldn't help it!!!

yayyy!!!

so the kiddos are on antibiotics!!!

and they already seem to be doing better.

yayyy!!!

i am feeling more like myself.

double yayyy!!!

so with that being said, i'm hoping to get my blog back on track.

you know, more rachelish than they have been.

oh oh oh twilight comes out on dvd in less than an hour!!!

triple yayyy!!!

:O(

i have 3 sick kids....2 of which have earaches.

not fun.

i am so not over my sickness yet.

{but i'm getting there, slowly.}

and my poor, poor hubby is beyond exhausted.

any & all prayer is greatly appreciated.

best laid plans...

well...

yall know what they say about best laid plans...

i hate to say it...

but this includes my pay it forward gifts.

i promised them to be done by st. patty's day...

yeah, that SO didn't happen.

and i'm SUPER sorry.

know that as soon as i get better...i'll be working on them.

promise.

note to add: deadline has been moved to...before july 4th.

st. patrick's day

happy st. patty's day yall!!!

this is SO not how my st. patty's post is supposed to be.

yall know me...i planned out the coolest paddy's post EVER.

but i'm just not well enough to do it.

i swear we, the grittith fam, will be celebrating paddy's day in style.

just later.

i can't miss it.

oh and melanie is starting to get sick.

so yeah...3 sick kids...and a sick wife...my poor hubby.

and then there were antibiotics.

long story, short:

i woke up worse.

i wasn't even out of the bed and the room was spinning.

not good.

so after a long, stressful, and emotional day, here's my news:

i saw the doctor.

{do you feel better now pat??? lol.}

apparently i had a serve case of the flu with an earache.

which turned into sinusitis.

and an almost double earache.

ewww. yeah. that's was i said.

so thank god i listened to all the motherly advice and went...

because apparently i was getting worse.

i'm still SUPER dizzy.

and the worst part is...my little andrew is getting it.

stop the madness!!!

and on that note, i'm going to bed.

scratch that.

i was having a pretty good day.

it was hubby's 1st day back to work since my sickness.

{he went ahead and took off saturday too.}

i was fine until about 7ish.

my sugar level decided to drop...alot.

then i thought i was gonna faint.

to top that off...

here i sit having super strong dizzy spells.

i'm going to bed now.

if i feel remotely bad tomorrow, i'll be seeing the doctor.

promise.

on the mend.

i'm almost there.

promise.

tunnel=light

there's light at the end of the tunnel.

i'm starting to feel a tidbit better.

the hubby made me homemade chicken noodle soup.

i spent ALL day in the bed. again.

the good news is:

my headache has eased.

{even though i'm still fighting this cough and earache.}

the bad news is:

jackson is coughing like crazy.

{and the hubby has to work tomorrow.}

note to self: judging by how sore my ab muscles are...

you'd think i'd have jessica biel's abs by now.

p.s. yall are the sweetest peeps on the planet!!!

thanks for all the 'get well' wishes!!!

{and the motherly 'go to the doctor' nudges!!!}

yall make my heart happy. seriously.

down for the count.

i've been in the bed ALL day.

i've done nothing but sleep. and cough.

and i think i'm getting an earache.

thank god i have the best hubby EVER.

i. am. speechless.

i. am. speechless.

someone made this for ME...rachel!!!

this someone just happens to be the amazingly talented esther.

{for our four seasons quilt swap.}

i literally cried when i opened it.

seriously.

no one has EVER made a quilt specifically for me. EVER.

i was truly touched. and i still am.

back in november we picked our preferences:

i chose red & brown as my colors.

i chose fall as my season.

and i chose a wall quilt.

i'd say esther completely nailed it!!!

wouldn't yall???

her attention to detail is out of this world.

i ♥ everything about this little quilt.

{and the goodies that came with it!!!}

thank you, thank you, thank you esther!!!

i feel like such a lucky gal!!!

i will cherish it forever.

and ever.

promise.

p.s. thank yall for all the "get well" wishes.

yall make my heart happy.

down with the sickness.

so...i'm down with the sickness.

what sickness???

who knows?!?

i have had a headache the size of texas for 3 or 4 days straight.

i have had a sore throat for 3 days.

my body is SO achy i can't stand it.

and for some reason i've had dizzy spells, along with being nauseous.

not fun. at all.

the sore throat is easing up.

i have this nasty persistent cough.

and this headache...it's killing me!!!

it almost feels like sinus pressure.

but that doesn't account for the wanna throw up feeling.

this is why my posts the past few days haven't been "look what i'm working on" post.

i can't work on anything!!!

i haven't worked on anything since last thursday or fridayish.

i have gotten mail.

please, please, please forgive me for not posting about it yet.

i haven't even taken pictures of stuff.

this includes:

st. patty's swap

wishing it was spring swap

we the people swap

and a giveaway prize.

i promise i'll blog about it soon yall.

and please don't be offended if i don't email yall back as quick as i normally do.

the hubby is putting in more hours this week than usual...

plus hanging out with my tots all day...

couple that with i how i feel now...

bleh.

so now that i've spilled the beans that i'm not superwoman, i have got to go lay down.

i really just wanna sleep for the next 3 days.

rachel's peanut butter delight.

rachel's peanut butter delight:

{or as my niece calls it: aunt rachel's peanut butter stuff.}

layer #1
12-14 crumbled graham crackers
1/2 cup melted butter
mix together and press into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

layer #2
1/2 cup jif creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces softened philadelphia cream cheese
8 ounces thawed cool whip
mix together and spread onto graham cracker crust.

layer #3
1 package vanilla instant pudding
1 package chocolate instant pudding
3 cups of milk
mix together and spread onto peanut butter layer.
place in fridge until pudding starts to set.

layer #4
8 ounces thawed cool whip

spread on top of pudding layer.
then add 10 chopped miniature reese's peanut butter cups right on top.

and you're done.

IF there are leftovers, cover & store in the fridge.

this is a must have dessert in the griffith house.

it's perfect for potlucks, bbq's, family gatherings, and plain ol' wednesdays.

trust me...my family flocks to it.

warning:

i can NOT be held responsible if you stand at the fridge with the door open...

eating it staight from the dish with a spoon.

you have been warned.
tehehe.

*my friend shannon gave me this recipe a million years ago, so it's really hers, but we call it mine. lol.*

the griffith's.

here are just SOME fun facts about us...the griffith's:

my last name is actually griffith.

we have a son named andrew.

{and sometimes i call him andy.}
and our town is LIKE mayberry!!!
could that be any stranger???

yes it can...listen to this:
my daughter's name really is melanie griffith.
yes...like THE melanie griffith.

AND there is an actress named rachel griffiths...i'm rachel griffith.

my hubby was named after the movie shane.

yall know the 7th president...andrew jackson...
well i have a son named jackson and one named andrew.
{oh and andrew jackson was irish too!!!}

*que the cooky twilight zone music*

and honestly...

we took none of this into consideration when naming our kids.

but it makes for an interesting story doesn't it?!?

2 weeks and counting.

only 2 more weeks until twilight comes out on dvd!!!