Book Giveaway, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

**Giveaway Closed, winner is Pegi, I posted on your blog, please email me at stacey@staceysplace.com with your address**



New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas's new series begins during the most magical time of year

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister's will gives him the instructions: There's no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC... Maggie Collins doesn't dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic. ...

TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home...


This is a pretty good book, and in the upcoming release of Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas, I am offering a giveaway of the First book in the Nolan Family. I thought this book was really cute, and was a good read.

In February of 2012, Rainshadow Road is going to be released. It is the second book of the Nolan family, but considered the first book in the Friday Harbor trilogy. I received an ARC of Rainshadow Road for being a Lisa's Diva (some info on joining can be found here)

My thoughts on Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas. I do not even know where to begin, this book was truly amazing, inspiring, magical. I love to read, and this is honestly the best book I have read in a long time. The connection between Lucy and Sam is definitely magical, true, and rings so close to my heart. Qualities I saw in this book between Lucy and Sam are some of the same things I feel and see between my husband and I. Lisa did an amazing job on this book, one for keeps, to have on your shelf forever and to be read time and again. A good book makes you feel and believe, and this book did both, made me feel and believe, and in something so beautiful, inspiring. Thank you Lisa for the amazing book, for your amazing talent! I am looking forward to the release of Crystal Cove, the next book in the series. A five star book all the way!

So, I am hosting a giveaway, I am offering on hardcover copy of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor to one of my readers. Entering is simple, just answer this one question, have you ever read a book by Lisa Kleypas, and if so, which ones, and if not, you really ought to check her out! Her work is amazing! and you can get an extra entry for posting about this giveaway, and if you link back to let me know, I will throw in an extra entry. I will leave this open for two weeks, so the giveaway will end on Friday January 13, 2012. I will announce the winner on Saturday the 14th in the morning. Good Luck, and Have a Happy and Safe New Year!

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas! I am home, cooking for my family today, and taking care of a sick daughter, always seems to happen to her, and almost always during the hoidays, one year was Halloween, ugh. So glad we planned on being home, so she can stay in her jammies all day, hope your day is filled with love and laughter and the ones you love!

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

I just wanted to share this video about a new book coming out by one of my fave authors! The book sounds really good!

Do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?

Happy Thanksgiving!! And some news!

First off I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you get to spend it with those you love, and if you cannot, I hope you can atleast speak with those you love.

We moved this past weekend, and I am still waiting for our internet to be hooked up, so I have been going through some major internet withdrawls :O} Next week, towards the end of the week.

Secondly, I would like to show you a picture of my quilt that was designed and featured today over at the Moda Bakeshop. Thank you all for coming to visit. I hope you like it. One of my favorite quilts to date. Looks real cozy in my new place also.


Well, I am off, gotta go visit with family, sorry this post is a little late, I had planned on having something real good written up and posted before now, but things just got a little hectic, I wish you all a good day, and enjoy all that good food!

Lisa's Divas..........

Rainshadow Road excerpt

I would like to share an excerpt with you from a new novel coming out in February 2012 by author Lisa Kleypas. She is an amazing author, and I love all her books!! Such good character descriptions, and her books pull you right in!!!


I am one of "Lisa's Divas" - a group of select fans who share info & content related to Lisa's novels and get sneak peeks & swag in return.

So have you read any of Lisa's books? If so, which ones, and how did you like them?

Blogger's Quilt Festival

First off, I would like to welcome you to my blog, if this is your first time visiting, let me introduce myself briefly. I am Stacey, stay at home mom of 4 busy kids (aged 13, 9, 6, 3). Married to my best friend for 11 years now. I live in the Maine with my family, and love it here. I love to quilt, read, sew, knit, crochet, etc. I am trying to get my name more familiar in the quilting industry, and that is with lots of hard work, patience, and did I mention patience?? I love designing, and creating.

This quilt that I am going to share with you today has a very very special place in my heart, you can see it below, and why do you ask???



Because, you see......in the picture below what it says is on page 35??? oh, and btw, this is the Issue 14 of Irish Quilting Magazine.

Here she is in all her printed glory, omg! I wanted to fall on the floor when this arrived at my house, I mean, getting my quilt published in a magazine, ummm, me, Stacey, a nobody in Maine (or so it sometimes feel)......but now I am Stacey Carey, published designer in Maine, a little somebody :O}



Since getting this quilt published, I have had a few more triumphs in my endeavors. (becoming a Moda Bake Shop designer, being featured in Fat Quarterly's Fall Inspired Issue). Also, I have a second quilt being published in a magazine, and currently working on finishing another project for the MBS.

It is a lot of hard work, and sometimes I wonder, but I truly love what I do, and hopefully someday it will all come into place. I hope I did not bore you to death on your visit, and I hope you come back and visit again. It is always nice to meet and make new friends with similar interests. And where I live, there is no one my age with similar interests, or shall I say I have yet to find them :O} Leave me a comment (become a follower if you'd like), and I can check out your blogs also, it always nice to hear from new people. Thank you for stopping by, and letting me share one of my first major triumphs with you!

Stacey

Fall Inspired Issue of Fat Quarterly

(Picture above borrowed from Fat Quarterly Website)
I wanted to share some exciting news with you all, I have been featured in the Fall Inspired Issue of Fat Quarterly. You can find more information and purchase here. It gets published on October 7th, 2011. I am super excited! I took part in their designer challenge. We had to make our rendition of a bear paw block. Mine is currently being made into a wall hanging.
You can see a picture of my block below. I hope you like it.

For Sale, price reduced

Extra! Extra! Read All About It ♥

I just wanted to share my exciting news with you all, my first published quilt in a magazine *gasp* arrived in the mail today, I would like to introduce to you the Tilda Doll Quilt in the current Issue of Irish Quilting Magazine.

This is so very exciting, I am over the moon! And it arrived just in time for my birthday that is on Monday :O} Happy Birthday to Me!

And the Winner is............

14

Melissa said...

Congratulations on being featured on Moda Bake Shop! How exciting! Very cute wallet!
BTW, happy birthday to your daughter!

http://knitsewlife.blogspot.com/

I am emailing you to get your address, Congrats!!!

Eye Candy........In the Works

This is what arrived at my house yesterday.....it is something pretty amazing, sorry that I cannot share all the details with you yet, but I promise as soon as I can, I will. And I also promise that you will really like it. As you can see this is Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater for Moda and I have to tell you it is real pretty :O} And this is also my first fat quarter bundle ever, so it holds even deeper place in my heart. I will post pics again when I can.

Just wanted to share about this pretty cool giveaway.....

Welcome from the Moda Bake Shop!

First off I would like to say a big thank you for visiting my blog from the Moda Bake Shop. This is my first treat, and I hope you like it! My name is Stacey, and I have been married to my absolute best friend for 11 years so far, and we have 4 children together. I love to quilt, and read, sew, and knit. I have been working hard on designing and I hope you like what I have to offer. Today I have a wallet tutorial available over at the Moda Bake Shop blog, and in celebrating my first treat there, I am going to offer the actual wallet that I made during my tutorial up for a giveaway. So one lucky winner will win their own wallet already made. How to enter is real simple, leave me a comment, AND become a follower on my blog. You need to do both things to qualify, and make sure you leave a way for me to contact you in case you are the winner. This giveaway will be open for a week, I will close the contest on June 18th at midnight, and will post the winner on Sunday June 19th.

If you make one using my pattern I would love to see pictures of it, you can add them to my flickr group here



Also, today is a pretty special day in itself, that it is my daughter Camille's 9th birthday! (she is in the red holding the dog in our family picture.) Happy Birthday Camille, I love you so very much :O} You are my lover of everything child, and I hope you get all that you dream of in your life. Skies the limit, reach high!!

Ruth n' Ruby Dress by Kati Cupcake Pattern Co.

I recently had the honor of pattern testing the Ruth n' Ruby dress pattern for Amy Hamberlin of Kati Cupcake Pattern Co. It came out super cute, and my daughter loves it!! So much, in fact, that she is going to be wearing it this coming Saturday on her birthday as a special birthday dress. It was a nice pattern, and I am very glad that I made it.

On another note, I have some pretty exciting news to be able to share soon, one of them will be later this week, and the other will be pretty soon!!! I have been working hard on making some of my wildest dreams to come true, and it seems like some of that hard work is paying off. So please do come back later this week and share in my happiness with me, thank you for coming by.

Happy 11th Wedding Anniversary Shawn.....♥

Today is my 11th Wedding Anniversary. It has been the best 11 years of my life, and to be able to spend them with the person whom is my very best friend in this whole world is amazing!! Here's to many more years together. I love you Shawn with all of my heart ♥

Odyssea Skirt

I just finished this skirt. I love it! It goes just past my knees. Fabric is Odyssea by MoMo for Moda.

front

I finished it in time for my 11th wedding anniversary tomorrow. I believe we are celebrating on Saturday though....(not exactly sure, something seems fishy)

back

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I love this recipe, my family loves this recipe. I got it from my sister in law, and I wanted to share it with all of you. Enjoy!!!



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

**use glass dish** Bake 4 bananas in skins until black. make sure you flip them, so both sides are black.
mash bananas (take them out of their skins while hot, it's easier)
1 stick butter
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

mix together, have to cool completely.

once cooled add:
1 egg
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

mix together.
fold in 3/4 c chocolate chips

Bake in a bread pan for 1 hour.

*when you take it out after the hour, the top when you stick a toothpick in will still be slightly mush. this is ok. just make sure it's not totally raw. if you cook it so the toothpick comes out bone dry, it will be wicked dry.*

Let me know if you have any questions, and I hope your family enjoys this recipe.

Happy Mother's Day

I wish all you moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day!! (and hope you did not wake up on your day today sick, like I have)

My New Bag

I just wanted to share with you my new bag. I made the Amy Butler Sweet Harmony bag. I love it, I did have some issues but, now that it is done, I am so happy. This week has been crazy, my oldest daughter broke her foot and has been home with me. So, besides from making this and exercising, I have been taking care of her. I hope you like.

From my family to yours, we hope you had a Happy Easter!!

Web Address Change

Hello All~
I just wanted to let you know my url changed. It is now www.staceysplace.com The old address will automatically redirect you here, but if you want to update it that would be great also!! Thanks.

I just finished this bag this morning, and listed it for sale in my etsy shop. It is made with Patisserie by Fig Tree Quilts, and measures 13" x 13". It has two interior pockets, and a padded strap for comfort. Super cute!!

another....

here is another finish, it is made with Patisserie by Fig Tree Quilts. I have it listed for sale in my etsy shop. Very cute, and durable. Measures approx. 13" x 13".

a bag

I just finished listing this bag in my etsy shop, it's super cute, and ready for a good home. It is made with Moda's Mother Goose and Friends fabric, measuring 13" wide by 13" high. There is a pretty decent pocket on the inside.

Oops, forgot to post this finish

I forgot to post this wall hanging. It is my Country Crow pattern. I made this a few weeks ago to list for sale in my etsy shop. (click the picture above for a direct link to my listing) It is super cute, and would add special charm to your home :O}

And the Winner Is.......

The winner of my pattern duo is..........................

Knit Purl Gurl

I am emailing you now, so keep your eye out in your inbox!!

Thank you all for participating.

New Pattern Finished, so how about a double Giveaway!?!

So, I finally finished my Country Crow Wall Hanging pattern. She is for sale here on my blog, as well as in my Etsy shop and my Big Cartel shop. And while I was looking at my blog, I realized that when I finished my Castles quilt pattern, I forgot to have a giveaway, so, I will be giving away a copy of each of these two patterns to one lucky winner!! How to enter, it's super easy,
1. just leave a comment for one entry
2. blog or tweet about it and leave me a link for a second entry
3. and for a third entry become a follower.
Make sure you leave a comment for each entry, if you refer someone, have them let me know in their comments, and if a good turn out happens from being referred, then I will throw in my other quilt pattern to the lucky winner who sends the most people here. (possible chance for one person to win 3 patterns (who refers the most people), and a second person will win two patterns~for entering in the steps listed above.) Also, make sure you leave me a way to contact you if you are the winner. Thanks!

Patterns For Sale

Stripes and Giggles pdf pattern:

Castles pdf pattern:

These patterns are for sale in my Etsy shop, and in my Big Cartel shop. I also have the actual quilt for my Castles pattern for sale in my Etsy shop. I can gift wrap it if it is going to that special someone in your life. A perfect gift for the college student in your life, send them a handmade gift from you while they are away.
I am doing the finishing touches on my birdhouse wall hanging pattern, and hope to list it for sale today or tomorrow.

We are having a snow day here today, it has not started yet, but it is coming. I hope you all are staying warm.

Cool New Quilting Site in the Works~

I came across this website today on Ravelry (a website community for knitters and crocheters), and wanted to share and spread the word about it. It seems awesome and I cannot wait for it to come out. It is called SeamedUP. They have a preview here.

They are accepting donations to help get their site up and running. Click on the picture below and you can find out more about it.



So check it out, and help spread the word!!!

My First 2011 Finish

So, here is my first 2011 finish. I made this block, which I love!! But, I cannot tell you the details yet. I promise I will as soon as I can though. I had a blast making this. The moose is made of wool. And I just love the glittery snow cap.
So, what do you think?