I'm a single mom of three grown sons and one little girl. I live out in the country of NW Missouri in what was, 100 years ago, a one-room schoolhouse. I am a freelance court reporter, and most of my work is in the Kansas City metro area, so I do a lot of driving, which gives me lots of time to create beautiful things in my mind as I drive - most of which I never have time to actually make ::sigh::

I have been a traditional quilter in the past, but I'm learning to step outside my normal comfort zone, and I'm starting to really love some of the more modern designs, although I still like some cohesiveness to the designs.

I love the look of the Essex yarn-dyed grey with some of the modern fabrics. I still like the "pretty" combinations, although I know that's highly subjective :) I love the green and aqua combinations especially.

For my Christmas/winter-themed swaps, I definitely prefer "pretty" over cute. UNLESS, of course, you're talking about my favorite HOOTS!!! Owls, if involved, may be as cute as you wish :)