We made it to our 100th post AND our FIRST GIVEAWAY!!

Don't hate me for how awesome my hair looks.

**Sorry for the long winded post, but I was feeling rather sentimental tonight and felt like sharing my thoughts.  I promise there is a giveaway waiting at the end of this!!!!

Almost 15 years ago to the day, I met Annee Zackrison (now Annee Earnest).  We were both freshman at the BYU, and both trying to figure out college and being away from home and all the freedom that came with our new lives.  We ate ice cream, went to classes and did Abs of Steel almost every night our Freshman year.  Then we were roommates our Sophomore and Junior year, and then Annee found Darin and we had to split up.  I believe she got the Christmas tree stand, and I got the ironing board.  We split the silverware 50/50 and my family used my half of the utensils to eat their dinner with tonight!  I was at her wedding in LA when she got married at 20, and she was at mine 7 years later.  In fact, she was by my side as I planned my wedding in Utah while living in CA.  She helped me make the oh so important decisions - what cake to eat and what flowers to hold.  She's visited me in every city I've lived since college including my house here on Maple Avenue and the namesake of our blog, and I've made to it all but 2 of hers.  (How I managed to get to South Korea but not Germany is something we've discussed and laughed about.  Life is crazy!)  We're friends, but I call her my Sew Sister, because she's the closest thing to a sister I've ever had.

I remember when I found out Annee was moving to S. Korea.  It was toward the end of August 2007, and the Italian and I were vacationing with his family in Hawaii.  I was in my first trimester with my son George, and I had bad morning sickness and was overly emotional about pretty much everything.  While I was at the airport on my way home from Hawaii I got an email from Annee letting me know she would be moving to Korea for 2 years, and I started crying.  How could this be.  How could she go so far away.

Little did I know that Annee's move to S. Korea would provide me with the greatest opportunity of my life to develop a talent I never knew I had.  You see lots of designer fabrics are manufactured in S. Korea.  Annee discovered a store called Happy Quilt which is truly the happiest place on Earth if you like to sew.  We started a fabric exchange, and kept track of everything we mailed to each other on The Tab.  Annee needed basic supplies from JoAnn's for sewing, and on occasion I'd get other requests for items that were hard to come by in S. Korea.  Things like ceramic dishes from Ikea!!  (5 huge boxes and a small forest/newspapers helped me safely mail more dishes than I can remember to Asia!  And not ONE dish broke I might add.)  Annee always offered to send me a check for the things I sent her from the Motherland, but I always declined.  All I ever wanted was fabric.

For the last 2 years, I've been working on perfected my sewing talent with my ever growing supply of beautiful fabrics.  The Italian asked me just last week how many things I've sewn for Grace.  I really have no answer to that other then A LOT!!  Annee and I've created 100 blog posts on MOM, but we only started this blog 5 month before she left S. Korea.  There were about 18 months worth of sewing projects that are only recorded in our emails sent back and forth to each other with time stamps always in the early a.m. hours.

We've sewn and shared projects like this one...

A new patchwork skirt for Grace with a matching flower shirt.  

I have no idea how many things I've sewn for Grace, but I can tell you she doesn't have enough yet.  Not as far as I'm concerned!!  The skirt pattern is from  the Stitch magazine last spring, and all the fabrics are from Riley Blake's fabric lines Rainy Days and Mondays and Summer Song.

Sew to celebrate all the good times we've had over the past 15 years, and especially the last two and all the sewing madness, I have something for you!!!  *You* being any one and every one who's stopped by Made on Maple and has validate our insatiable need to stay up late to sew, make, and create things.  We love our followers!!  Sew for you tonight, I have 2 whole yards of this lovely novelty print I purchases in S. Korea.

It's from Riley Blake's fabric line Rainy Days and Mondays.  A line of fabric designed by two sisters and BYU grads.

The winner will receive ALL 2 YARDS!!!  Now I know some of our readers don't sew or don't have time to, but we want everyone to feel like they could still enter and win something.  Sooo, If you don't own a sewing machine or yours is taking up space in storage, I'm willing to use the fabric and sew either a Lazy Day Skirt OR a Sweet Little Dress just for YOU.  Maybe you have a little girl yourself or maybe you need a baby gift or birthday present or maybe you want to surprise a friend.  What ever your circumstances, just enter the contest and YOU could be the winner!!!

Here's how it will work:

*Just leave a comment!  For fun maybe you can let us know what you'll do with the 2 yards of fabric or who you will give the Lazy Day Skirt or Sweet Little Dress to.
*Any one with an address is welcome to enter.
*The giveaway will be open until Saturday, September 11th until midnight PST.
*One winner will be picked at random and will receive either 2 yards of fabric or a Lazy Day Skirt or a Sweet Little Dress.

There you have it!  A walk down memory lane and a big thanks for coming and enjoying this space with Annee and Me!

Good Night and Good Luck!