Today is day one of the Think Christmas Blog Hop, sponsored by Madam Samm and hosted by 
Lesley at The Cuddle Quilter. Click on the picture below to see today`s blocks. They are gorgeous! I am not participating in this Hop, but will have blocks to display at the Dots On Dots Hop (link in my sidebar) starting 10 September.



This weekend I made a tote bag with leftover fabric I had on hand. It`s about 12" x 14" and I made the straps extra long because I like to hang my bags over my shoulder. I lined it with a floral print that matched the bag. The appliques were supposed to be flowers but they look more like starfish! Oh well. The Joshua Tree was a nice place out of the wind to take the picture.

This is a sunset pic my husband took a few weeks ago. We have the prettiest sunsets after a rain.

Very humid today with just a few drops of rain. Our summers are getting hotter and dryer. I hope we have a wet winter. There has been heavy rain and flash floods nearby. The picture below is a storm that drenched the Hualapai Reservation and caused flooding at the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Wishing you a splendid day,
Cathy

Now I can say it is spring! The temperatures are just right, morning walks are great. The smoke in the first picture is from a prescribed burn near Route 66, several miles away. There`s no smoke smell and I like the way the haze changes the look of the mountains. 

My husband took this sunset picture earlier this week. The navy and yellow colors are fantastic. I told hubby "the tripod is your friend"! Still a great picture.


This sequin and bead collar was a mystery to me until a beading friend enlightened me. Per my friend it is Italian. The fabric is very nice quality organza, the beads are glass. It is huge, all hand work. I bartered the collar for new area rugs. Thank you to the sweet blog friend who sent me this beauty. If  the information about this collar is wrong, don`t hesitate to correct me.



Speaking of bartering, I`ve made some nice trades recently. I`ll post about my experiences. Thank you for stopping by,
Cathy

When my husband grabs a camera I know there`s a spectacular sunset. It rained about an hour earlier. I know I go on and on about rain, but we are still in a 15 year drought. Every drop is special. Lake Mead (formed by Hoover Dam) is dropping to it`s lowest level in years. Yes, we love rain!  Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Cathy