18 August 2014

Around The World-In Greece

Hello,
And Welcome to Around the World Blog Hop, today you will be visiting Greece, with me, Mara at Secretly Stitching!  Thanks to the lovely Sarah of Berry Barn Designs, I am so excited and honored that she picked me!  Her post was last week and she lives in Maine USA, she also invited, Heidi from Fabric Mutt and Heather from QA Creations to chat today, so be sure to head over there too after seeing what I am up too!

First let me tell you about myself, I am an American who on vacation to Greece met my Greek husband who was born in Australia, I have 2 children my son is 6 1/2 and my daughter is 4, yes they are bi-lingual and no I am not :)  I struggle with languages, but I am so happy to see that my children have their father's ears for tongues. (haha, that sounds funny)  We live in Kalampaka Greece, smack dab in the middle of Mainland Greece, check my previous post to this one to see a map of Greece.  You can also see other photos and blog post about Greece on my Travel Thru Greece blog.  
A Secret Monastery built into the rocks in my backyard
 I love to travel, I have been to 30 of the 50 States, I have been to Canada and Mexico and I have been to 16 of the 28 EU Countries, so there are a whole lot more places I need to go and see!

Now lets answer some questions:
     1. What am I working on?
Top secret!  I love swaps and challenges, in fact if you come across one, let me know, I would love it.  I just finished my Strawberry Swap items.
More pictures here.
I would also really love to win a new sewing machine or a serger, so I am in these 2 contest, both are still open if you are addicted to contest and challenges and you want to join me.
     2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?
Well that's a hard one, since I don't really consider my work, work, I just want to have fun and learn, especially learn.  It's not very often you will see me do the same thing twice, unless I do it wrong the first time and want to perfect it.  Like my recent embroidered feather, I will be doing another one of these since I wasn't to happy about how the last one tuned out.
Book Review and more pictures.

     3. Why do I write/create what I do?
Writing on my blog is for verification that I am doing something cool, lol, my husband is not to impressed with my sewing, my MIL baw-humbugs it and my son is fairly disinterested in it now that I haven't created anything for him in a while (so sad, working on that right now, some pants for school).  The only person who ever really loves anything I make is my daughter, but then she doesn't get to keep any of it, so that is very sad also. 
So please leave a message if you love what you see, cause I will love to know!
I do create for others, there is only so much I can think that I need, but I love swaps, cause then I am making something for someone else and in return they make something for me!!!  Like the Big Stitch Swap, I made a mini quilt for a gal who wanted some wall art.  She loved it, and although it is not to my taste.  I really enjoyed creating it, stepping out of my comfort zone and making something fun.
Made BY ME for the Big Stitch Swap
My partner made me an Awesome fabric basket, I don't know how to make those yet (they are on my to do list), so that is SUPER DUPER Awesome, that she made this really lovely RAINBOW basket for me!
Made FOR ME! more pictures here.

     4. How does my writing/creating process work?
Read all of the above, I get excited and I create!  My head is constantly thinking about what I am making what I can do next, what can I learn etc. etc.  So that's me, if you want to hang out and see more, then you can hit the bloglovin' button below or what ever way you like to follow.
 
Follow on Bloglovin
I am also the swap mama of a Fabric Swap called 8², it is an International Fabric Swap,  We just finished a Text Swap and our Next one will probably be Low Volume.  The price is good, this last one was only $18 dollars for 1 1/4 yards of fabric including all shipping charges to and from Greece with me doing the cutting.  Not too bad.

I have invited 3 Great People (it was so hard just choosing 3 to join the hop next week on August 25th)  First we will start the tour in Texas, I lived the first 5 years of my life living in and out of that State, and Shirley has lived in many places herself, even in Germany (me too), that is Shirley of SimpleSew.  Then a place I learned how to swim and almost broke my ankle we hop on over to Italy to visit Nesta of Ella and Nesta's Little Room.  And 3rd Around the World Blog Hoper is Deborah of Sunshine Through the Rain, she lives in Indonesia, I have never been there, but would love to visit someday.  I think I have heard that it gets rainy there :)

Also be sure to hop on over to New Mexico, USA (I went to High School and College in NM) to visit THE ONLY quilter/blogger I have met in person!!! Isn't that so cool that we share today together and were asked by different people, this blog hop is HUGE, so be sure to go visit Daryl of Patchouli Moon, she was so kind to come and met me and shop with me for fabric in Albuquerque, NM, when we were in the States last November.
I'm the big girl on the left in red, with Daryl!  Hugs Daryl, thanks for Shopping with me!
Visit Daryl today!

6 comments:

Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio said...

Mara what a surprise to see "us" together at the end of your post, lol!! Gosh my hair was long last November. I have it cut shorter again. Did you use all that fabric that you bought then? Okay now that I know you like swaps, I will let you know if I hear about any new ones, but you probably will find out before me.

Sarah @ Berry Barn Designs said...

Wow, I knew you had traveled, but not so many places - cool, Mara! I know it was a small coup to get your sewing room, so now I'll hope for one more that involves an epiphany for your family about how lovely your creations are : )

Anita said...

Great post Mara! A very interesting read. My engagement ring is from Greece. Sadly, I haven't been there yet but my husband was there on one of his leaves from a military tour and he bought the ring there. He was on an island though. Thessaloniki? Anyway, the monestary picture is really neat.

DeborahGun said...

Thanks for inviting me to join in Mara. I love that you create for others - I agree that is the best part about creating :-)

SIMPLESEW said...

I keep voting and so have a few others.. xoxo

Ella and Nesta said...

It's so nice to learn a little more about you. I was wondering where you had met your husband but didn't want to ask! That's fun to see you with Daryl!