Tammy's Times

~Pink + Orange~

2012-01-24T13:08:00.001-05:00

Last week I went out in search of a sweater with a pop of color. I am getting tired of the reds and blacks in my closet! And winter is not over yet, in fact we're just getting started, so I'll definitely get a lot of use out of a new sweater. I used some gift money from Christmas to get a T-shirt and sweater from Old Navy. The sweater was on clearance, and the T-shirt on sale, so I got both for a good price. I've never done this color combo before but I decided to give it a go:

I think I like it!

On my return home, I was listening to the radio and the temperature was 13 degrees with a windchill of negative 3. Spring flowers may be {quite} a ways off, but I can have a little cheer now, by way of my wardrobe! :)

~Empty Needles~

2012-01-20T20:06:00.006-05:00

I am very happy to have these:

Empty needles!

From what? you may ask. My Twilight Lace Wrap (Ravelry link).

Technically speaking this project is not finished yet because I still need to weave in the tails and block it. But the knitting is finished!

I do not have blocking wires for lace so I am going to do what another knitter on Ravelry talked about and use the plastic wire from a weed wacker. The only problem is that it is dead winter so I might not be able to find it in the store. We'll see!

So, so, so excited to finally have this done! I started it in May, 2008!

I'm linking up to Susan's UFO Progress Report, if you'd like to see more click here.

~Organizing~

2012-01-13T21:12:00.002-05:00

Well, I haven't really made any resolutions this year, but a few friends and I are going through this calendar and keeping each other accountable. At first, I thought it was an awesome idea, and then I printed out the calendar and started looking through it.

It isn't my style.

But then I started considering what, exactly, constitutes "my style" of organizing. Hmmm. Rip a whole room apart from top to bottom. Put it back together over a week. And then be so exhausted that I don't do any organizing for quite a while.

So I decided to give it a go.

The first week went great. This week, ah, this week! I started in with great gusto on my bedroom. The first two tasks for this week are to clean out your nightstand drawer and clean under your bed.

Before I knew it, every stitch of bedding was off the bed, anything washable was thrown out of the room and...you guessed it...I was exhausted! But my room is CLEAN now!

I'm trying to slow myself down and do my organizing little by little so that I'll get more done in the long run. Before Christmas, I sold some things on Craigslist and took a carload of things to a local thrift store. I have a bin in my basement for donations, and it's almost full already! Finding things to get rid of is an adrenaline rush for me, so I'm pretty happy to have a bin full already! :D

~Nifty Gifties~

2012-01-08T21:54:00.003-05:00

Some little things I got for Christmas that I'm really enjoying:

Sweater tights. It's like sweaters for your legs. LOL I wore them in 20-degree weather and I stayed nice and warm. Well, that's not exactly true. My nose and hands felt like they were going to freeze and fall off but that's because I wasn't wearing a scarf or gloves.

Smashbox lip gloss. So pretty and feels so nice.

Organic Honey Lip Balm from Whole Foods. My new favorite lip balm and we don't even have a Whole Foods within driving distance. This could be a problem when I run out!

OPI lotion. Apparently this wonderful stuff is not available to the general public, so if you know someone in cosmetology school see if they can get you some. :)

Chocolate. A whole drawerful of chocolate that even Brenda Leigh Johnson would be happy with. It was fun having a stash but *ahem* it didn't last as long as it should have. I'm not too disciplined when it comes to things like this.

~Boxes~

2012-01-05T15:50:00.002-05:00

Kevin calls me an "anti-hoarder". Especially after we watch shows like "Hoarding: Buried Alive".

So yesterday when we were talking, somehow my storing-boxes-that-stuff-comes-in habit came up. I store them (the empty boxes) in our attic stairway, in case we need to return the item. Thinking back I have to say that I can't remember actually needing a box, ever. I admitted that I needed to go through them and put some in recycling. Then I said, "I should mark the date on them so I only keep them a year". And then it totally hit me and I cracked up laughing - this whole practice of keeping boxes is something that old folks would do, not someone in their mere 30's.

Kevin just thinks it is funny that I will hang on to empty boxes, yet toss out (or donate, or sell) perfectly good items, just because I'm not using them at the moment.

I'm currently in a clean out, organizing mood, and I'll address those boxes that are piling up in the attic stairwell. Soon. But only the ones that are older than a year. ;-)

~Naps~

2012-01-04T08:48:00.002-05:00

I still need naps. Not me sleeping. My daughter sleeping. Only my daughter doesn't seem to think so! Yesterday afternoon she did get a nap (from about 2:30 to 4:30) and afterwards she was so happy. We went to the post office, and on the way there, she was saying cute things like:

"Mom? Target is a place for little girls to play."

But then, in spite of my attempts at running off her energy, and even though she got to bed on time, she didn't go to sleep till nearly 10. Yikes.

I'm just not ready to give up naps, but I need to figure out how to get her to sleep in the early afternoon so it doesn't wreck havoc with her night-time sleep.

Any ideas for an almost-3-year-old?

~Children's Books~

2012-01-02T20:08:00.002-05:00

I wanted to highlight two books that I got for my daughter recently. They are older books which have been republished. The drawings are black and white and the wording is simple and fun - short enough for a toddler to listen to but still enjoyable for an older child to read too.

If Everybody Did - imagining the consequences of what would happen if everyone picked buds or went without hats or "mashed hash".

They Didn't Use Their Heads - what happens when you don't use your head - what you should do instead. For instance, "Ruthie liked to run, but she didn't use her head...so it wasn't any fun." (She ran into a tree!) And then the advice: "Your eyes go with your feet."

The first book is more silly than the second - mostly exaggerating to make a point.

I got these books before Thanksgiving, and my brother was here over Thanksgiving. He saw these books and got excited about them because these were books we had when he was little. As a result, he read them several times to my daughter. :) Since I had read them many times to my siblings, I knew I wanted them for my daughter.

Clicking the pictures above will take you to Amazon through my affiliate link.

~Pages, Amazon, and Swagbucks~

2011-12-28T21:47:00.003-05:00

Whenever I visit a new blog, I look to see if they have an "About Me" page. It dawned on me that perhaps I should create such a page for my blog! So I did. :D For those reading my blog via feed readers, you'll have to click through to my blog to see it (look under my header).

And just for kicks, since we're talking "about me" here's a picture of me from Christmas. That my daughter took.

I'm thinking of getting her a kid's camera for her 3rd birthday, I think she'd have a lot of fun with it!

OK, back to the pages...you'll also see a page entitled "Affiliates". I have Amazon and Swagbucks listed. I've never sought to make money with my blog, but over the years I've been blogging I have posted links to Amazon multiple times. I figured that the links I post might as well be affiliate links. :) If you click through my blog with the links I've provided, a small percentage of your order will be credited to my account. Your order will remain private (I won't know who has ordered or what they purchased). It's something small, but I hope that if you have an Amazon order, you'll remember my link. I appreciate it! And I promise that I won't post links just to try to generate an income. I'll continue to post links as I find books/items that are of interest to me, and clearly note that the link I'm providing is an affiliate link.

Swagbucks. I can't believe I forgot to blog about this, but in August I got my KitchenAid mixer! Waaaaaahooo!!! It's amazing! I did it almost completely with Amazon gift cards I earned with my Swagbucks. If you haven't tried it out yet, do give it a try! It's fun, free, and easy!

~Happy Christmas Eve!~

2011-12-24T21:43:00.003-05:00

My house smells like Christmas Eve - well at least what Yankee Candle thinks Christmas Eve smells like! It also smells like cinnamon rolls (breakfast tomorrow) and blueberry pie (dessert tomorrow).

There has been a flurry of cleaning, baking, cooking, and laundry, and now I am sitting down to enjoy a cup of peppermint tea.

Happy Christmas Eve!

~Five?~

2011-12-20T10:36:00.002-05:00

Wow, I just cannot believe it is only five days until Christmas! Where has December gone????!!! I remember back to when I was growing up, and how five days till Christmas just seemed tortuously long. Now it's nothing.

This year we're staying home for Christmas. Maybe next year we'll make the trek to California for Christmas. We'll see! I want to go sooner than that though, because it has been too long since we've seen my family! :(

As Christmas nears, I'm thinking of my grandma more and missing her more. The last Christmas we went to California (2009) was her last Christmas here on earth. She always worked so hard to make Christmas special for her family! I think Christmas was her most favorite time of year! Now she's in heaven, with Jesus! The One Who we are celebrating, and she is with Him.

I hope you have a blessed Christmas!

~From T-Shirts to Jammies~

2011-12-12T22:03:00.003-05:00

Awhile back, I made a pair of jammies for my daughter, from two of my husband's t-shirts.

I love the way they came out!

For the top, I used a vintage t-shirt pattern that I found at a thrift store. For the bottoms, I traced around a pair of leggings that my daughter had. Then I added hearts to each piece in contrasting colors! They kind of curl around the edges, and I like that.

The pattern cost $.10, I had the elastic, thread, and of course the t-shirts. One pair of jammies for $.10 is not bad at all! :D

~Water~

2011-12-07T16:14:00.001-05:00

In the summer, I am very careful about getting enough water! But in the winter, I don't pay enough attention to how much water I am drinking. With the cold weather, I want coffee (laced with sugar and cream), hot cocoa, and tea (with honey). But water? Not so much!

I have heard that your body needs as much water in the winter as in the summer, so just recently I decided to make sure I get my daily water. I have a 2-quart pitcher which I fill in the morning, and leave on the counter. It's a visual reminder to drink my water, and I don't have to keep a tally of how many glasses I've had. I often drink more than the 2 quarts, but at the very minimum I drink my 8 glasses of water each day.

One benefit I have just noticed, is that my skin is not so dry. A few weeks ago my hands were so dry that they cracked and started bleeding while I was out shopping. It was kind of embarrassing to be handing my money over to the cashier with blood all over my hands! Normally, at the onset of winter, my skin becomes dry and stays that way until spring. My hands crack and bleed, the skin around my eyes is so tight it's painful! I've still had to use lotion, but my skin is not painfully dry. I've tried what I thought was everything to help my dry skin, but apparently I was missing one thing: water!

~Baby Gift~

2011-12-06T09:04:00.004-05:00

Last night I had the privilege of attending a baby shower for a lady in our church. Since she is having a BOY I decided to make some gowns from the daddy's t-shirts. Thankfully he was willing to part with some of his t-shirts (unbeknownst to mommy!) and I came up with these three gowns:

It was a lot of fun to sew them! The one on the right was proving difficult for me to figure out how to cut, because no matter how I laid the pattern on the t-shirt, some of the design was going to end up in the seam allowance! Then I came up with the idea to use the contrasting t-shirt on the top of the gown and I was able to keep the whole design on the gown.

I told Kevin that I've really been surprised (for my sister and now my friend) that the guys are willing to part with their t-shirts. Kevin said, "yeah, there's a real bond with your t-shirts." I laughed, but it is oh-so-true! Guys do have some sort of bond with their t-shirts that a gal just can't understand!

This time, I used a pattern for the gowns (rather than the free pattern/tutorial which I used last time). I think I like the cut better on these than for the free pattern, so if I make them again I'll stick with the pattern. I used McCall's pattern M6103, in size small (13-15 pounds). I hope I chose the right size - I didn't want to make the newborn size and have them fit for 2 minutes. :)

~All Ready to Clean!~

2011-12-03T09:16:00.001-05:00

Top: Tupperware cup with scrubby pad and cleaning toothbrushes, parmesan container with baking soda, all purpose cleaner, disinfectant, and window cleaner.
Bottom: Trash bags, Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap, Mr. Murphy's oil soap, and my essential oils I use in my cleaners.

I spent some time cleaning out my cleaning cabinet the other day, and making new batches of cleaners since I was out of them. It seems funny to clean my cleaners, but I had spilled baking soda in my caddy, and every time I set my bottles on the counter, they left a ring of baking soda behind. It's nice to have a clean caddy!

My cleaning cabinet.

I also made a double batch of laundry soap. I'm ready to clean!

~Somehow...~

2011-12-02T08:18:00.001-05:00

...I do not remember lining the nativity scene up like this. Hmmmmm.

~Hello, December~

2011-12-01T16:07:00.002-05:00

Hello, December!

Where did the rest of the year go?

Right this minute: listening to my daughter sing "Happy birt-day to you" (she's supposed to be napping, I think today's "nap" is a bust), needing to go down to the basement and switch laundry, sipping hot chocolate (I got bit by the sugar bug over Thanksgiving. Sigh. Now I need to step.away.from.the.sugar.), and thinking about doing dishes.

Happy December! *Smiles*

~Opposites Attract~

2011-11-07T21:09:00.003-05:00

I found this cute pattern on Pinterest a while back. I made one in solid red, for a gift. Then I pulled out some cotton yarn that I've had languishing in my yarn tote and decided it was perfect to make one with.

And then I didn't use it, and so I made a white and blue one and gave them as a gift. Once you figure out the pattern, these whip up so quickly!

They look complicated, but truth be told they are quite easy.

Pattern here. I'll be adding this project to my Ravelry page soon, with some notes on changes I made to the pattern.

~Birthday Cake~

2011-11-03T12:02:00.004-04:00

Thank you so much for the kind birthday wishes. I had a lovely day, I'll have to post some pictures later. Kevin unexpectedly had the day off so we spent the afternoon at the lake. It was a great family day! The weather was so nice {for November, that is} and we walked out to the lighthouse, and then afterwards spent some time browsing through a few shops.

My cake turned out so well. I'm sure I'll be making this cake {and frosting!} again in the future!

~I think I shall eat a bowl of frosting for dinner...~

2011-11-02T16:19:00.001-04:00

As I previously mentioned, I was considering making myself a birthday cake. Today being my birthday {35, just so you won't have to go through the archives to figure out...} I set to work on the cake/frosting. Popular opionion was that I ought to make the Posie Gets Cozy chocolate cake with "cloudburst" frosting.

ah-maz-ing

What can I say? It sounds so odd to cook flour and milk and expect to come out with the fluffiest eveh frosting. But it works. I am waiting for the cake to come out of the oven (and of course cool). That cake better bake and cool fast...the frosting might start disappearing if it takes too long. ;-)

~I Should Do This Every Day~

2011-11-01T16:37:00.001-04:00

Tonight's scheduled dinner was Green Chicken Enchiladas, with made-from-scratch enchilada sauce. I decided to start earlier than my usual 5 pm and actually got my casserole made by 11:15 am.

I should do this every day. It was so incredibly easy to get dinner ready tonight--just turn the oven on and throw the casserole in!

~Birthday Cake~

2011-10-20T08:36:00.002-04:00

Have you ever made yourself a birthday cake? I never have, but I'm considering it this year. I'm vascillating between these two cakes:

Source: rosylittlethings.typepad.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Tammy on Pinterest

Which do you think you'd make?

~Pinterest: Failed Projects~

2011-10-18T09:17:00.005-04:00

There are lots of awesome ideas on Pinterest. I love trying new things, but sometimes someones great idea for them doesn't work out so well for you. Here are some things that just didn't work out for me:

Source: savvyhousekeeping.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Turn a bar of soap into hand soap. I ended up with liquid my dad would deem "snail snot". LOL I read the comments on the blog post and it looks like the failure rate is pretty high. A lot of people had problems with it, so at least I wasn't the only one!

Source: prudentbaby.com via Tammy on Pinterest

5-minute coffee cake (microwave cake). This was disappointing, the topping was good but the cake part was not appetizing.

Source: mommysavers.wordpress.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Colored ice cubes for a toddler to "chase" in the tub. These melted in seconds, leaving the bathwater a murky brown. I had to drain the tub and start over.

So there you go. ;-) A few things I tried that didn't work out.

~Buttons Memories~

2011-10-12T10:22:00.001-04:00

I love buttons. Buttons and swatches of fabric can bring back a flood of memories for me!

I recently went through my button jar to pull out a button for a project. The button was from an outfit my grandma made me for my 11th birthday. Somehow I ended up with three of the buttons in my button jar.

Here's my outfit:

I thought I was sooooo grown up!

When I got this outfit, my grandma lived in Ohio at the time and she flew in the night before my sister was born, which was the day after my birthday. My grandma's luggage got lost so the next day she wore my dad's bathrobe while she waited for her luggage to be found and delivered. She commented that she had my birthday present in her luggage, so my little 11-year-old heart fervently desired for her luggage to be found, and soon. Naturally, I was concerned about my present. The luggage was eventually delivered, and I sat on the bed and opened my gift, with my mom and baby sister right there. My grandma had made me two outfits - two jumpers and two blouses which were mix and match. I loved those outfits so much, and the fact that I could wear either blouse with either jumper! One of the blouses had little square buttons, and I loved those buttons so much. In the picture above you can see them if you click to make the picture larger.

I made my daughter a hair clip to go with her new pink jumper, and sewed the button in the middle:

If my grandma were still alive and in good health, I know she would make my daughter special dresses. But she taught me how to sew, and so I sew for my daughter using the skills she taught me. It was fun to use a button from something my grandma made for me, for my daughter.

~Pink Jumper~

2011-10-06T08:52:00.001-04:00

Last Thursday I started another jumper for my daughter, and finished it up by Saturday evening so she could wear it to church on Sunday.

I used McCall's 3737, which I was thinking I had purchased a year or so ago. However, I couldn't find it on McCall's site, and the copyright on the pattern is from 2002. So I most likely bought this pattern to make a jumper for my youngest sister (but never did).

I made view C, size 3.

The fabric is the softest ever baby corduroy. So soft. My mother-in-law sent it to me with the patterns and other sewing things that she sent me from her friend. There was just one yard, and I was so happy I was able to get this jumper out of it. The only thing I had to purchase was a zipper. I also bought some ribbon so I could sew bows on the tucks like the pattern suggests, but I couldn't get the bows tied right and I liked the way the jumper looked with the thrifted turtleneck I found to go with it, so I left it plain.

I would like to make my daughter several dresses, but I think I'll go back to size 2 for those. A jumper can get away with a little growing room but dresses look a little sad if they are too large!

~Green Tea~

2011-10-05T16:09:00.002-04:00

I recently read in a magazine that people who drink 8-10 cups of green tea daily get 30% fewer colds and flu than those who do not drink green tea.

So I'm supposed to chug down 10 cups of green tea day in and day out and I still have a 70% chance* of catching someone else's cold?

I want to take something with a better rate of return!

*Maybe someone who has a better handle on statistics could tell me the percentage of chance someone with 30% less chance of catching something would have? Statistic math confuses me. :)

~Pinterest~

2011-09-28T08:54:00.002-04:00

Pinterest seems to be all the rage right now. I jumped in and put most of my bookmarks on it. If it ever goes away, I'll have problems finding things, but I guess that's life. ;) You can find my boards here.

I think Pinterest blurs the lines between what is ok to post on your personal blog and what isn't. For instance, I wouldn't normally post pictures from other people's blogs on my blog, but Pinterest somehow makes it ok to do. Hmmm. I saw a blog post with an extremely simple craft project on it and the blogger specified which pictures her readers could and couldn't pin on Pinterest. Normally, I am a rule follower extraordinaire, but that just brought out the imp in me and I so wanted to pin the pictures she said not to. I didn't, but I sure wanted to. LOL

So anyhow, Pinterest has been fun. I've found a lot of interesting things and I try not to waste too much time on it! Since being on Pinterest I've tried out the following recipes (click on the links for the original blog posts/recipes):

Chewy cookies...they sure are nice and chewy! One tray got left in the oven a little too long and the cookies were still chewy. The secret ingredient? a little bit of corn starch!

Source: kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Lasagna Soup - this was awesome!

Source: afarmgirlsdabbles.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Hash browns for the freezer - these are good! I'd do it again if I ever remember...LOL You bake potates and then shred them, so they don't turn brown in the freezer. When you make them they taste like fried baked potatoes, a little different flavor and texture than your regular hash browns.

Source: heavenlyhomemakers.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Healthy breakfast cookies:

Source: heavenlyhomemakers.com via Tammy on Pinterest

It's far easier to find ooey-gooey dessert recipes on Pinterest, but I try not to pin too many of those because my aim is to make healthier food. :)

~Fall Jumper~

2011-09-27T08:38:00.004-04:00

On Saturday I made this jumper:

So my daughter could wear it on Sunday. For a seamstress, it's a nice problem to have when your daughter doesn't have many clothes for the season! It means that what I make is necessary and will get lots of wear!

Recognize the flannel? :-) I still have about 2 yards remaining, but I'll probably save it for another year!

I ♥ the pockets! They have elastic at the top, so cute! I purchased the pattern on sale for $1.50 a few weeks ago, and had all the fabric and notions for this jumper. I know I said this before, but I just love it when I have all the materials and notions for a project! :) My mother-in-law gave me the denim a few years back, and it has certainly come in handy for quite a few projects. I only have about 1/3 of a yard left now.

I used McCall's M6154, view B (shown on the left), size 3.

(image above from McCall's site)

Size 2 fits just right/is getting snug, so I moved to size 3. However, 3 seems to be a little big, but I don't want to drop down to size 2 because I want the clothes I make to last all winter.

~Flannel Jammies~

2011-09-22T16:05:00.002-04:00

With cool weather here, warm jammies are a necessity! And since my daughter is potty trained now, the zip-up pajamas just don't work very well any longer. I used some flannel I've had forever, in fact my mom got it when I was a teenager to make a flannel jumper for herself. It's my guess that she's glad now that that jumper never happened. ;-) Anyhow, for some reason I've always regarded this flannel as too good to use for pajamas, because it was originally intended for outerwear. But I really needed something warm for my daughter so I decided to use it!

I used Butterick B4910, view B. I made size 3 but had to shorten the legs by 5" and the arms by about 3". But I needed the torso width and length, so it worked out. I decided to try my best to get the plaid to match up, but not to fret over it. So it did take a little extra time, and I'm pleased that the plaid matches as well as it does. Flannel shifts around and the plaid was wonky in places.

I love it when I have all the materials on hand for a project. I had every thing I needed to sew these pajamas! Pattern, fabric, and all notions!

~Weather~

2011-09-16T13:12:00.002-04:00

Our weather turned suddenly and now we're in full-blown fall. The calendar may not say "fall" yet but our weather certainly does!

And so I've been making soup. So far in the week and a half that it has been cool, I've made three pots of soup. White Chili, Lasagna Soup, and Chicken Noodle Soup. I jokingly told my husband that I was going to start a blog called "365 Days of Soup". Soup is not Kevin's favorite meal (thus the teasing), but he really enjoyed the lasagna soup!

Today I had to turn the heater on for the first time. I was going to tough it out but when I got up it was 65 degrees in the house and 20 minutes later it was 64. The downward trend convinced me to turn it on.

So far today I've had two cups of coffee and two cups of tea. I do love tea! :) I always drink way more tea in the colder months.

Well, we had a nice summer! I'm sorry to see it go, and I'm trying to embrace fall! Our summer was very busy, and full of blessings from our wonderful Lord. We had some hardships also, but God proved faithful through those as well.

May your fall be full of blessings! Have a wonderful day! :)

~Thank you, and a winner!~

2011-09-09T12:50:00.002-04:00

Thank you for all the kind comments on my bloggy birthday/anniversary post. :) Everyone who posted (including those past the "cut off" date) were entered in the contest.

And...

The winner is Sara1977! Please send me an email with your address and soon this will be on its way to you:

A reversible market bag and notebook with stitched cover!

~Tie-Top Beanie~

2011-09-03T14:06:00.004-04:00

I've done a few projects with knits, and there's no turning back now! Knits are not hard or scary!

My latest knit project, a tie-top beanie hat (free pattern link):

For my little nephew (due at the end of this month). But here it is on a dolly:

It matches one of the gowns I made. :-)

~Six Year Bloggy Birthday!~

2011-09-03T10:33:00.006-04:00

Six years ago today, I started my blog! I couldn't come up with a blog title, so my husband said, "What about Tammy's Times?" And thus it has been all these years! *Smiles*

When I first started blogging, the only digital camera I had was a digital video recorder which also took still pictures. They weren't very high quality:

My other option was to take pictures with film, get it developed and then scan the picture in. Or, I could scan the object, as I did here:

My blogging content and style have changed over the years, just as I have changed. I got a digital camera, then another one, so the pictures now are higher-quality. But not professional, like some bloggers. I haven't been offered a book deal, but I don't think I would want one either! (And what would I write that would fill a book?) Blogging for me has been a little hobby on the side, nothing that I ever desire to turn into a business. Blogging has been something I've enjoyed very much, and I'm so glad that when I talked about starting a blog my husband said, "Go for it!"

And now, my dear readers, I have a little something for you. Well, ONE of you, that is! It's a surprise! If you'd like to play along, just leave me a comment, making sure that there is a way to reach you if I draw your name! It's a small way to thank you for hanging out with me here in my "corner of the web"! I'll draw the winner on the 6th!

~Green Beans~

2011-09-02T22:18:00.003-04:00

We have pole beans planted in our garden this year. At first we thought they weren't going to produce much, but as the summer has progressed, they keep producing more and more. I've been canning them, in quart jars since I've run out of pints.

Yesterday morning I took my coffee out on the front porch with my beans that needed snapping.

Only I cut the ends with a pair of kitchen scissors. I can't be the first genius to think of this...(heh, heh) but it sure works so much faster than a knife!

There. Coffee finished and beans all cut and ready to can. And it was relaxing to sit with my feet in the sun, with my daughter nearby coloring with her sidewalk chalk.

~Canning streak~

2011-09-01T16:41:00.001-04:00

Well. I did it. I broke my streak for this summer.

My 147th jar of canned goods did not seal.

We'll enjoy my un-canned grean beans for dinner tonight. :D

~Hmmmm~

2011-09-01T09:11:00.002-04:00

I keep seeing something on crafting blogs and crafty sites that just really bothers me.

Maybe I'm silly. Or maybe I'm too "honest". Maybe I'm an old fuddy-duddy.

But why is it ok to walk into a store and walk out with craft project materials, without paying for anything?

Do you know what I'm talking about?

Paint chips.

Source: daintysquid.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: readymade.com via Cathey on Pinterest

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Laura on Pinterest

And more...

The pictures above are more than, "I was painting the kitchen and couldn't decide on which color to paint so I have a lot of paint chips. I think I'll make something with the extra paint chips I have."

So. Do tell me. Am I being silly? Do you think it's ok to take paint chips for whatever the project might be?

~The last day of...August?~

2011-08-31T09:59:00.002-04:00

Wow...this summer has flown by! I can't believe that tomorrow we'll turn the calendar page to September.

I've been up to my ears in tomatoes. We've heard that this year hasn't been a good year for tomatoes. While our tomatoes did get hit with blight, the tomato plants kept on producing and our 15 plants have produced so many tomatoes that I've been canning constantly for the last few weeks! I'll have to do a separate canning post in the near future. This summer (so far!) I've put up over 130 jars of produce.

After all my canning, I was desperate for jars and was so thankful to find someone on Craigslist that was selling some. I was second in line for them, but the first person never showed up so I got a call from the lady who was selling them. When she called I dropped everything and got there as fast as I could!

Now that September is nearly here, I'm looking forward to finishing up our summer activities and jumping into fall!

~Baby Gift #3~

2011-08-22T12:53:00.004-04:00

My sister was given her baby shower last Saturday, and thankfully my package arrived at her mother-in-law's in time for her to open my present at the shower. She told me when she opened the card, she said, "Who's Tammy?" LOL

For this present, I was sneaky, oh-so-sneaky! She is having a BOY and so I sent my brother-in-law a message, asking him to send me some of his t-shirts. He sent me three of his t-shirts.

And this is what I came up with:

Three little baby gowns.

I didn't know the signficance of any of the shirts, but the one on the left is the t-shirt my brother-in-law was wearing when he proposed to my sister. Cue the "awwws": awwwwwwwwwww. LOL (It has my dad's company logo on the left shoulder, which I covered for the sake of privacy. My sister was also working at that company at the time.)

I used this pattern. The sleeves seemed a bit wide and long when compared to baby gowns I had from my daughter. So I shortened them and made them a little narrower. I used a special knit stitch to attach the binding (instructions for binding not included with this pattern/tutorial). Can I just say that I love my new machine? I do. A lot! It has so many nice stitch options! My old machine would have just sucked the knit fabric right into the throat plate.

Knit stitch I used for the binding:

My brother-in-law wears small/medium size shirts so I had to get some extra t-shirts to make the sleeves and contrasting binding. I went to a thrift store when they had their $1 clothes day. I happened to have thread that matched all three of these (six colors of thread) and all the elastic I needed.

And then, because I'm such an awesome aunt, this little outfit too:

Oh, yes, I do. ;) I saw the shirt at Meijer and I just couldn't resist. The pants they had to "match" didn't go at all, so I went to the fabric store and found fabric that matched perfectly! I used Rae's baby pants pattern. I added a cuff that can be turned up:

or down if more length is needed:

I am so happy that I got to make these little things for my coming nephew!

~Blueberries~

2011-08-19T10:21:00.003-04:00

My daughter and I went blueberry picking recently. I picked a gorgeous day, with a slight wind and warm weather (not hot). Couldn't have picked a better day for blueberry picking, though we were picking at the tail end of the season, so the blueberry bushes were a little thin.

But still, I brought home enough blueberries to put 6 quarts in the freezer, to eat fresh, and to make blueberry focaccia with. Yum.

This week I checked out Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey from our library. It's a delightful story about Little Sal and her mother picking blueberries. Bears are involved, but no one gets hurt. ;) The first few pages reminded me so much of our recent blueberry picking excursion!

My Little Sal had her own bucket.

And ate all her blueberries out of her bucket.

Then noticed that Mommy had a lot of blueberries in her bucket, and it was so much easier to just grab handfuls of blueberries out of Mommy's bucket!

But Mommy pointed to the blueberry bushes and told Little Sal to eat her own blueberries, as Mommy was picking blueberries to put up for next winter!

From there the stories do not parallel, after all, I kept my Little Sal with me, and we didn't come across any bears!

~Baby Gift~

2011-08-07T21:50:00.005-04:00

Kevin's half-sister had her baby {a boy!}, and this is the gift we are giving:

Sophie the Giraffe and two hand-made burp cloths. We picked Sophie, because it is a nice, all-natural teether. We got one when our daughter was little and she still plays with her (though she never really used her as a teether).

Both burp cloths are the same. One side has cozy flannel, and the other side is a soft knit. This project is my foray into knits. :D {Note: 100% cotton shrinks a lot, so buy extra yardage!} I whipped these up this afternoon. It was a fun little project!

So now I have a niece and a nephew! One of my sisters is due with a boy and the other one isn't finding out until birth. I've started some projects for the little boy, and will wait to sew my gifts for my other sister until I find out if it's a "he" or a "she".

~Patterns~

2011-07-29T15:17:00.004-04:00

A dear friend of my mother-in-law's passed away, and her daughter asked if I'd like some of the patterns and fabric. I got the box from my mother-in-law today. It was interesting to see the patterns, because so many of them were ones that I was familiar with.

It was funny to see all the Daisy Kingdom patterns. For many years, my grandma made us a dress for our birthday each year. For several years it was a given that it would be a dress made with a Daisy Kingdom pattern (I neatly escaped the Daisy Kingdom dresses, I don't think they came in teen sizes! LOL).

Not a problem for 1994. But when the dress got passed down, as it happens in a family with 8 girls, the girls having to wear the dresses in 2004 shed a few tears. And finally my mom conceded that perhaps they didn't have to wear the Daisy Kingdom dresses any longer.

I remember my mom making this dress for my younger sister. The pattern is marked 1983, so that's probably when my mom made it.

She did the embroidery too, I just remember loving the cute little birds. The dress was blue like the pattern as well.

I got this dress, view B for my 14th birthday, from my Grandma.

Bunnies, lots of bunnies. The 1990's were full of bunnies for my mom. I don't know how many she made but she made a lot. Big ones, little ones, medium ones. For herself, for gifts, for gifts for us.

I decided I wanted mice rather than bunnies. I started a pair of mice, which never got finished.

My Grandma had a pattern similar to this one, and made my sister 5 play dresses for her 5th birthday.

One of my sisters had a dress like this:

And at least one, if not more, of my sisters had a dress like this:

Not quite the same pattern:

But my dad's mom made me an outfit very similar:

~Hello!~

2011-07-28T09:17:00.003-04:00

Oh, hello there! Long time, no blog!

It's been kind of busy around here lately! I haven't had much to blog about, and the summer is passing so quickly I sometimes forget I have a blog.

Over the last few months, Kevin lost most of his hearing in his right ear. The last week he has been extremely dizzy (lessening each day, thankfully!). Official diagnosis is: sudden hearing loss, unexplained. So all the treatments have been for the symptoms, not the cause. Which of course is how most doctors do treatments anyhow, but it would be nice to have answers. But we don't... The expectation is that his hearing loss is permanent, though of course I'm praying that it returns!

Also, there is a little someone which keeps me super busy! This low-energy mommy got a high-energy little girl. So from morning till bedtime it's run, run, run. All day long. Which I totally love, truly! I do have a hard time keeping up with the basics though. But I'm working on it. I need some super-duper-Super-Mommy pills. If I only had half my daughter's energy, just think what I could get accomplished! But on the other hand, my husband reminds me of what I get done. I'll tell him about my day and he'll say I got a lot done. Then I'll say, "but the laundry-dishes-sweeping-mopping-ironing-scouring-dusting didn't get done" and he'll say, "But look at all you got done!" So maybe I'm just being too hard on myself. I don't know!

We've had a few problems with our garden. It seems someone else was watering our garden, by way of an overhead sprinkler. Thankyouverymuch but stop it already. ;-) Our tomatoes and peppers were not appreciating the soaking they were getting in the evening. I think the situation has been rectified (though we got tons of rain overnight last night). And, HOW ON EARTH do all the bugs find plants? I found a tomato worm munching on a tomato. Those things are terrifying. I just might find myself sobbing in the garden if I have to deal with too many of them. (And if you think I'm joking about the sobbing part, I'm not!)

We (along with a lot of others in the Midwest/East) had a super heat wave, with lots of humidity and a high heat index (which still didn't ripen our tomatoes! LOL) I'm not complaining about the heat though. I refuse to complain about heat. As much as I complain about the cold weather in the winter I will not be unhappy about hot weather. :D

And lastly, I have a stack of vintage sheets that I've been collecting. The stack is getting wobbly, so it's time to start sewing! Watch this space for Etsy news. :D

~A Pint of Pickled Peppers~

2011-07-19T14:32:00.004-04:00

I'm so excited! I put up a pint of pickled peppers from our garden!

My hope is that I'll have more peppers that are ready to use when my tomatoes get ripe, to make salsa with. But in the meantime my pepper plants needed harvesting so I picked them with the idea to make "nacho rings". I used a pickled pepper recipe from my canning book. The recipe called for three types of peppers, but I didn't want to buy more peppers, so I just used the one type.

In other canning news, I've put up 28 jars of jam and fruit spread, using both strawberries and cherries! Let the canning season begin!

~Title Goes Here~

2011-07-14T21:10:00.005-04:00

I'm posting a picture of my toilet because my mother asked me to. No, really, she did.

So here it is:

It's our new toilet handle. This is the box it came in:

It describes the function of the two buttons. ;-)

It's a stylish, intelligent European system. I'm not making that up, either! It's right on the box.

I'm very impressed with myself, because "I do it" all by myself! I'm not usually very handy about the house, but I've wanted to have this type of handle for a while, and when our handle broke that was the motivation to get it! Kevin was gone all day so I went to the hardware store and came home and rolled my sleeves up and got it installed. A few "ABC" videos to keep my "helper" busy, and it was done! It will be interesting to see if our water bill shows a difference in the next billing cycle.

~Thinking Thoughts of Love~

2011-07-14T09:16:00.002-04:00

One of my sisters has a new sales position, and one of my other sisters told her that if you look at people and think (not say! LOL) "I love you" your sales will be higher. Interesting. (Side note: I'd be scared to do this because sooner or later I would accidentally be telling random strangers that I loved them! Ha.) My mom and I were discussing this the other day, and how we should think thoughts of love towards the people we really do love!

I will admit, messes frazzle me. My daughter is 2. "I do it" is oft-heard around here, as is the phrase, "I'm making a mess" (yes, she alerts me to her naughtiness-in-progress!). So the next day after my conversation with my mom, I was washing my daughter's messy hands in the bathroom sink for the umpteenth time and I looked in the mirror and saw a frazzled mommy staring back. Not what I really wanted to see, and I figured my daughter deserved better than that face! Still looking in the mirror, I looked at my daughter and thought, "I love you" and my face instantly smoothed and relaxed. It was a pretty remarkable change of countenance!

Our thoughts drive our actions and feelings and our feelings exemplify themselves on our face and in our body language. This works in both positive and negative directions. I want to work on the positive side of things! :-)

~Flower Beds~

2011-07-13T09:15:00.002-04:00

My front flower beds:

A close up of the hosta:

I have hostas, cone flowers (echinacea), bleeding heart, and a few flowering annuals that I've planted. I had a few alyssum plants last year, and left them over the fall. They reseeded and I transplanted them around the front flower beds. The beds need some weeding, but otherwise I've been so pleased with them this year. I'm working on buying perennials and planting them so that I don't have to spend so much on annuals every year.

~Muffin Tin Lunch~

2011-07-12T17:00:00.004-04:00

I recently found the Muffin Tin Mom blog. Shortly after, I found a 6-cup muffin tin at a thrift shop which has been perfect for lunches! Today was "one of those days" and having a fun muffin tin lunch seemed to make things much better! :-)

top: Goldfish, raisins, Meijer Organics graham bears
bottom: sugar peas from our garden, Hormel Natural Choice lunch meat, yogurt

All was eaten, except for the raisins for some reason. The peas are devoured with relish. My daughter was quite excited to have "peas from our garden" with her lunch.

~Food Face~

2011-07-07T23:17:00.003-04:00

Taco Salad for a 2-year old.

Plate can be found here (this is not an affiliate link).

~Gardening~

2011-07-07T14:12:00.003-04:00

//roma tomatoes//

This summer I have a garden (besides the volunteer squash plants)! I haven't mentioned it on my blog yet, I don't really know why! The garden isn't in our yard, but I feel blessed to be able to have a gardening spot made available to us that isn't too far away!

//bell peppers//

What are we growing?
Tomatoes! lots of them! We have 15 regular tomato plants and 2 cherry tomatoes.
Green beans - again, lots of them! I'll be busy canning later this summer!
Red bell peppers (4)
"Jalapa" peppers (4) - these are hot peppers but not jalapenos, so I don't know what to expect
Lettuce
Radishes
Sugar Peas

//hot peppers//

It takes planning to get our garden watered and weeded since we have to go to it, rather than just walk out the door. But really, we don't have a spot in our yard that is ideal for growing the quantity of vegetables that we desire. So this is working out really well!

~The Great Squash Mystery: Update~

2011-07-06T10:54:00.004-04:00

I know, all of my blog readers are on pins and needles, waiting to find out what my mystery squash plants are. Well, it's still somewhat of a mystery!

We have three plants. We've determined that all three plants are different. Two plants are growing like a "bush" but the other plant is sending out a long "vine". I don't know the proper terms, so excuse me if I'm wrong. ;)

One plant is growing these:

At first we thought they were acorn squash, but now we're leaning towards decorative squash. I did buy a few of those last year.

The plant with the long vine is growing these:

Maybe watermelon?

And the third plant is just starting to grow fruit, so we'll see what happens! It looks kind of round. Maybe pumpkins?

~Itty Bitty Toddler Dress~

2011-06-28T09:50:00.004-04:00

After making the Itty Bitty Baby Dress for my coming niece, I was itching to make another one...only bigger! I used the Itty Bitty Baby Dress Enlargement pattern found here. It is enlarged to 3T and I would say that's accurate. My daughter is still in 2T, so I'm guessing this dress will fit her for a while...maybe even next summer! While it is large on her, it is still perfectly wearable, and she wore it to church last Sunday.

No outfit is complete without bloomers!

The little tag...I machine embroidered a design down twill tape. I *heart* my new machine. :D

~Itty Bitty Baby Dress~

2011-06-25T18:04:00.001-04:00

I am going from 0 to 4 nieces and/or nephews in a period of 4 months! That means lots of sewing! :-)

First up is a baby girl due in July. It was really fun to put this little outfit together.

First, the Itty Bitty Baby Dress by Made by Rae. I used a good quality quilting cotton from JoAnn's. I made it in the 0-3 month size, to ensure that it will fit. The newborn size was tempting, but I thought the slightly larger size would be better.

It was the first time I've done piping, which was a lot of fun. I see more piping in my future! :)

It is super hard to find solids to match prints! Have you had that problem? I had to go to another fabric store to find a matching solid. It was a lightweight batiste, which works well for bloomers:

For the pattern above I used Rae's Newborn Baby Pants pattern. I cut the leg about 1 1/2 inches below the crotch, and added elastic.

And then, a headband, of course.

All together:

I've been dying to post about this, but had to wait till after my sister's shower, since she occasionally reads my blog! Now that she's had her shower, I can share!

Next in line is my husband's half sister. She's due in August and isn't finding out what she's having till she has the baby. I haven't made anything for her yet, I'll probably wait to find out what she has before I make anything!

~Phew! I found it!~

2011-06-24T08:12:00.001-04:00

A while back, someone recommended a book to me. I checked it out of the library. It was a paperback fiction, and I didn't care for the writing style and some of the content, so I never finished it (though I did read the end! LOL).

It disappeared.

I renewed it twice.

I asked the librarian if it had been returned and not checked in (thinking I had returned it and forgotten that I had returned it). Nope.

I determined to look methodically through every room in the house. Particularly in the low spots. ;-)

Bathroom: No

Hallway: No

Kitchen: Hello lost book! It was on top of my crock pot, in a lower cabinet.

I'm so glad this book wasn't thrown away or permanently lost! I wouldn't have minded so much if it were a book I'd actually enjoyed, but I didn't really want to replace a book I didn't even like! :P

~Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!~

2011-06-23T09:46:00.001-04:00

We went to visit Kevin's sister and her husband recently, and Kevin's mom came too. It was a great family time! While we were there, we went to the Milwaukee County Zoo. It's a pretty impressive zoo! Kevin took the following pictures.

~A Little Update~

2011-06-22T13:32:00.004-04:00

Ants: all gone. I'm not sure why they are out of our house. I swept and mopped and they came back...and I threw my hands up in dispair and ignored them. I think I went outside and weeded or something. Kevin did put some ant bait around our house, and if that is what worked, it worked magically fast. All I know is that they're gone, and I hope they don't come back!

I thought they weren't getting in through the basement, but I am seeing little piles of dead ants around spider webs down in the basement. So I guess they are coming in through the basement. For once the spiders are working for me! Go spiders! (Just the little spiders. The big spiders can stay AWAY thankyouverymuch.)

Squash:
I see something forming here:

What do you think?

And what are these? Squash bugs? Yeeks.

~The Ants Go Marching One by One~

2011-06-16T08:41:00.004-04:00

For the first time since we've lived in our house, we have ants. It also coincides nicely with having a 2-year old who leaves a trail of crumbs!

Last night I thoroughly vacuumed the living room, pulling all the furniture from the walls. Then I mopped, using vinegar in my water since ants supposedly don't like to walk on vinegar residue.

A half hour later the living room had ants crawling all over the floor. And they were carrying food. Where did they get it??? It reminds me of when my daughter was 9 months and I'd sweep, swiffer, mop on my hands and knees and she'd still find all sorts of things to stuff in her mouth!

We haven't found a point of entry, and there isn't a trail. I've read all kinds of things online that are natural ways to eliminate ants, but it's helpful to know where they are getting in or find a trail. Maybe next I'll shake pepper all over the place. ;)

~Pint Jar Soap Dispenser~

2011-06-15T14:57:00.003-04:00

I saw this tutorial and had to make one for myself! So I rushed down to the basement, grabbed a used lid, and went to work with my husband's drill.

The finished result:

This particular tutorial suggests covering the lid with decorative paper. In my house that wouldn't last long. Maybe I'm a messy handwasher? At any rate I'd have water splashed all over it the first time I washed my hands!

I highly, highly recommend clamping your lid onto a scrap of wood before drilling. I was practicing on a different lid, and it was spinning around. I reached down to stop it from spinning, and the spinning edge cut my finger. Thankfully it wasn't a deep, but it could have been much worse.

I already had the lid, soap pump, and jar. Fun, free project!

~Your Guess is as Good as Mine~

2011-06-14T21:04:00.003-04:00

Last summer and fall, we had one of those rotating compost bins. It broke, so Kevin dug a hole in our side bed and dumped the compost into the hole. Then he covered it with dirt, grass clippings, and weeds.

I now have these beautiful plants growing in the bed:

I'm hoping all the plants are the same, so they don't cross polinate! It could be cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, butternut, buttercup...pretty much anything from the squash family!

Any guesses what they are? Right now, your guess is as good as mine! :) I'll report back when I find out!

~Eleven~

2011-06-03T22:07:00.000-04:00

Eleven years ago, I said "I do." I'm so blessed.

~Simple Scalloped Edging for a Receiving Blanket~

2011-06-02T22:48:00.004-04:00

This pattern works well as an edging for a receiving blanket. You could use a purchased receiving blanket or start with a piece of flannel. I use a 36" square of flannel and round the edges, then narrowly hem it.

Crochet Pattern:
Round 1: With crochet cotton and a size 6 hook, *sc, ch 2*, repeat from * to * around blanket edge. Join with sl st to first sc. It would be a good idea to count your ch 2 spaces and make sure there is a multiple of two.

Round 2: sc in next ch 2 space, *5 tr in next ch 2 space, sc in next ch 2 space*. Repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st in first sc. Fasten off and weave in loose ends.

This pattern is reposted from an entry from last March. Feel free to enjoy this pattern however you like, including items for sale. However, please do not copy text or pictures without my written permission. Thank you!

~Cookies for Breakfast?~

2011-06-02T09:31:00.003-04:00

Yes!

Recipe here.

~Green Grocery Bag~

2011-05-31T17:27:00.001-04:00

A while back I purchased Keyka Lou's Grocery Bag pattern. I really liked the pattern, and some of my reusable grocery bags are getting worn out. I've been using the same reusable grocery bags for 3+ years now, so I guess it's about time to start replacing some of them!

I used two vintage pillowcases to make my bag. Squee!

I thrifted the green outer fabric and was given the inside fabric. Not counting the pattern, this bag cost just over $1 to make! It's green (in color), green (earth friendly), and didn't cost too much green (cash) to make. ;-) Green just might be my new favorite color! Haha.

It is shorter (much shorter) than my other grocery bags. The checker didn't want to put it on the bag holder for some reason, but I tested it and it fit nicely. She packed my produce in it, which I must say works really well for for its size. When the checkers use plastic bags, they put a measly two or three things in each bag. When you have reusable bags they think you have super powers or something and stuff them full. Which isn't always the best if your grapes are at the bottom. Just saying.

I have plans to make more of these, but I'm going to fiddle with the pattern a little and make them a smidge taller.

~Crochet Pattern: Girls Ruffle Socks~

2011-05-27T14:30:00.001-04:00

You'll need:
a pair of socks
#10 Bedspread Weight crochet thread
crochet hook (size 4 or 6)

I crochet pretty tightly but if your crochet is a little looser that's ok too. There really isn't a gauge for these since it is just a ruffle on a pair of socks.

I really like the socks from Wal-mart, made by Faded Glory. They're in the baby/toddler sock section. The socks are nice and stretchy and it is easy to crochet around them. The sizing seems to run a little on the small side, so you might want to go up a size if your baby is at the end of the size range (for example, if your baby is in 12 or 18 month size, instead of purchasing the 6-18 month size socks, get the 18-36 month size).

Turn sock inside out. Start crocheting on the center back of the sock. Here is a picture to illustrate where you will be stitching along the sock edge:

The stitched part of the sock that bumps slightly downward is the stitch you will single crochet in.

Round one: Make a slip knot, and single crochet in center back of sock. Chain 3, *skip one stitch on sock, single crochet in next stitch. Chain 3*. Work from * to * around. Join with slip stitch in beginning single crochet.

Round one complete:

Round two: slip stitch into first chain three loop, chain 4, 5 triple crochet in same loop, *6 triple crochet in next chain 3 loop*, work from * to * around. Join with slip stitch at end of round.

Round three: chain 1, single crochet in same stitch, single crochet in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch at end of round, fasten off and weave in end. Turn sock right side out, and repeat for second sock.

I recommend machine washing, and drying flat. The cotton thread will shrink a little in the dryer.

Enjoy! You are free to use this pattern however you wish, including items for sale, but please do not publish text or pictures without my written permission. Thank you!

~Gray vs. Brown~

2011-05-25T20:24:00.001-04:00

Is it "grey" or "gray"? I know they're both correct, but which one is the preferred spelling? In spite of referring to the dictionary, I still don't know which spelling is preferred, so I'm sticking with "gray" for this blog post. ;-)

So. Gray vs. brown. Brown being my hair color. Gray being the color that is starting to grow in. Yikes. About 3 or 4 months ago I decided to stop pulling out the stray gray hairs because there were too many coming in to pluck! So far I haven't colored my hair. I haven't really decided what I want to do.

I've been pulling out random gray hairs since I was 22. Every so often I would look in the mirror and be shocked to see one long gray hair, so of course I would pull it out!

The hair that is growing in "gray" isn't really gray. It's more like clear white. Goodness me. They glisten. LOL

I told Kevin I'm going to dye my hair pink. He doesn't believe that I'll ever do it. But I will show him, one of these days I really will go pink. Hehe.

I am torn. I don't want to start spending the money to color my hair yet I don't really want to go gray either (I have QUITE a while till I'm gray, I probably have 15-20 gray hairs at this point. I give you permission to laugh at my consternation. ;-) ). I don't want the chemical exposure, the endless coloring. And yet those sparkly hairs mock me when I look in the mirror. For now I'm doing - nothing. What to do...what to do...

~Really?~

2011-05-19T22:53:00.002-04:00

The other day I checked my spam box and I had an intersting email. Usually I don't open spam emails but this one looked interesting. I know, I should be more careful with spam, BUT I didn't click on any links!

Oh dear! My credit card was going to be suspended unless I provided them with:
account number
my full name
address
social security number
mother's maiden name
and on and on - basically all the information you would need to do whatever you wanted with anyone's finances

What to do but ~~give them all that information~~ delete the email? Seriously, does anyone fall for this? They must because why would crooks still be trying???

~Yellow Calico Top + Denim Shorts~

2011-05-17T14:31:00.006-04:00

You may recall this dress:

Made from this pattern:

I made the top, Butterick 4176, view A, and the shorts, Simplicity 7189, view D:

For this outfit:

I changed two things on the top. First, I made an interlined facing instead of finishing the neckline with bias tape. It's so much neater that way. Secondly, I installed a zipper instead of the opening with a button and loop. It's just preference, but I like the way this looks so much better. :)

I don't have fancy printed labels, but when I sew bottoms (pants, shorts, bloomers, skirts) with a front/back, I sew a little loop of ribbon into the inside back to mark the back. It makes getting dressed easier!

I made this about two months ago, but because of our cloudy weather I never got around to photographing it till just now. My daughter has worn it twice now and it fits her well with room to grow. She's a petite 2, so the shorts fit her more like culottes, which I like.

~Spazzed Out~

2011-05-12T13:45:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning, at church, I was standing by the sink washing my hands and all of a sudden my upper back started hurting. It was pretty painful! I was in a lot of pain all day, in spite of taking some pain killers. On Monday I went to the chiropractor, but he couldn't get a good adjustment. By yesterday my shoulders/upper back were killing me. I couldn't move my head from side to side without pain. I went back to the chiropractor and he still couldn't get an adjustment in! He said I'd had a muscle spasm and my muscles were still too tight.

I was in the reception area and the office manager came out and was talking with me. She mentioned Formula 303 to help manage the pain and relax my muscles. They sell it in their office, so I bought some to give it a try.

Shall I break out in poetry? Formula 303...how do I love thee? Let me count the ways! LOL Seriously though, this is helping me SO MUCH. I can tell when I need to take it again, my muscles start tensing up and the pain gets worse.

Thankfully I went back to the chiropractor yesterday afternoon and between the Formula 303 helping to relax the muscles, and the heat and cold I'd applied, he was finally able to give me an adjustment! Whew. Was I ever glad to hear those pops!

My neck and shoulders are still in quite a bit of pain but it is subsiding. This is the worst my back has ever hurt, with the exception of labor pains! I just can't imagine how people with chronic back pain do it!

After this week, I would highly recommend Formula 303. Of course, do your own research. But if you need to take muscle relaxers, this is a natural way to go. :-)

~Swagbucks~

2011-05-06T09:25:00.006-04:00

I haven't posted about Swagbucks for quite a while (since last August, I checked! :D), so I thought I'd mention it here today.

Have you heard about Swagbucks? It's an online search engine, and you randomly get awarded "Swagbucks" for doing searches. There is an online store which you can exchange your Swagbucks for many different things. My favorite is the $5 Amazon gift card.

I'm saving up for a Kitchen Aid mixer. I've been so tempted to just go on a spending spree with my Amazon gift cards that I have built up but I'm being patient, and one day my patience will pay off and I'll get my mixer for FREE!!!

If you sign up using my link, Swagbucks matches the first 1000 Swagbucks you earn to my account. It doesn't effect your account at all, and it's a little bonus for me. :-) If you haven't given it a try yet, why not? It's fun! and free! and did I mention you get free things? Cool! :D And once you have an account you can get people to sign up under you.

~Faux Chenille Blanket~

2011-05-05T11:28:00.001-04:00

While I was sewing my daughter's Easter dress, I was mentally making a list for my next projects I wanted to sew. Namely, a skirt (for me), a purse (for me), a pair of pajamas (for me), and last but not least, a reusable grocery tote (for me). This was not on my list:

Pillow case and faux chenille blanket (not for me).

But somehow, before I even knew it I was sewing for my daughter again. *Happy sigh* I just can't help it!

It started with purchasing a crib pillow for our daughter. Well, she needed a pillowcase for it, right? So I got to work making that, with fabric from my bins that matches the valances in her room. Then of course she needed a matching blanket too, right? For the past winter she's used a lovely polka-dot blanket that I was given at my shower. But it is getting small for her and she was quite attached to it. Switching blankets on her wasn't going to be easy. Until I started sewing this blanket! While I was making this, every time I tucked her into bed she asked for the "pink blanket".

For the pillowcase, I just started sewing. :-) For the faux chenille blanket, I followed these two tutorials: tutorial by Dana at MADE and tutorial by Anneliese at Aesthetic Nest. I used lightweight cotton for the back (or front?) and three layers of white flannel for the chenille. This project is tedious. Quite ridiculously so. But fun. ;-) While I was sewing and cutting and thought, "I should just buy chenille at Joann's and be done with it." But when I ran in to get binding for the blanket, I took a closer look at their chenille, and it is not soft like this faux chenille. However soft this blanket may be, this will probably be the first and last faux chenille blanket I make!

I used my walking foot for this project. I don't think you'd want to make this blanket without a walking foot! I just pin basted the layers together, and started sewing. The front and back were nice and smooth. No puckers!

I finished this last week, and my daughter has been using it ever since. She loves it, and so do I!

~Saying Goodbye to My Old Sewing Machine~

2011-05-02T21:31:00.006-04:00

*Sniff, sniff*

As elated as I was to get my new-to-me sewing machine, I'm kind of torn about selling my old Singer. It sure was a great machine for me! She shows her years with her name - "Slant-O-Matic". The funny thing is, there's nothing automatic about the machine, except that the needle goes up and down when you push the pedal. :D I have a lot of happy sewing memories with this machine, but I'm looking forward to all the memories I'll make with my new machine!

I'm planning on putting the money I make from selling this machine towards an IKEA desk that will hold my new sewing machine. This one:

So it's a good thing to sell my old machine! Just a teensy bit hard!

~My Heart was Broken~

2011-04-29T10:33:00.005-04:00

It was 1 am, and yet again I couldn't sleep. I crawled out of bed and crept into the dark living room to sit on the couch. Tears coursed down my face. My heart was broken.

I plastered a smile on my face and sat in my seat at church. If I could just get through the service and get to the car, I thought I could keep the tears at bay. "Please, don't let anyone ask me any questions", was my prayer each Sunday. My heart was broken.

Waiting. Longing. Tests. Waiting. Longing, but no real answers. Waiting. Longing. More testing. More waiting. Surgery. Drugs. Waiting. Longing. My heart was broken.

Questions--always questions to answer. Family. Friends. Acquaintances. Strangers. Was there no question off limits, no question too rude to ask? I didn't want to face any more questions. My heart was broken.

Year after year, each broken into twelve months. Twelve individual answers of "no". Over and over. Over and over. My heart was broken.

My heart was broken...but God held me close. He "brought me up also out of an horrible pit" (Psalm 40:2). Not just through a child. A child was my heart's desire, and I would like to say that I was completely OK with being a family of two for the rest of my life, before I got pregnant with my daughter, but I wasn't. However, I was moving in that direction. I knew that I couldn't live the rest of my life in misery. And I did live in complete misery for quite some time. Those months of misery were an "ugly" time period in my life. I'm not proud of them. Infertility did change me in many ways but I hope that I've allowed it to change me for the better.

My journey to motherhood is long and paved with tears. Many are still in the midst of the tears. This week is Infertility Awareness Week. Did you know that 1 in 8 couples will suffer infertility? Do you know someone who is struggling? Reach out to them with kindness. You may not understand exactly, but you can give a hug. You can't promise a certain outcome, but you can pray to One Who knows the outcome.

And if you are going through infertility yourself, I want to encourage you, from the bottom of my heart: please do not turn your back on God. He loves you. He cares for you. Don't tell yourself lies about God.

Here are some helpful links, that I would love to encourage you to visit:
Hannah's Hope--this book is helpful for those going through infertility and also for someone who has a loved one walking this road. Each chapter ends with specific words for "Burden Bearers".
Stepping Stones--a ministry of Bethany Christian Services. They have a newsletter that you can sign up for as well as helpful articles on their site.
Don't Waste your Inferitilty--a helpful blog article. I can't vouch for the rest of the blog, but this one article was extremely helpful to me.

~Finished Dress~

2011-04-23T20:11:00.005-04:00

The dress is finished! I got everything done by 5 pm today. I love the way it turned out!

The finished dress:

The buttons:

The button extension on the inside:

Ruffled sleeve:

Matching barrette I made:

Bloomers:

Everything all together:

I estimate that I spent about 15-20 hours on this dress, probably more. The outer dress is made of Mrs. Aster Greenfield Hill voile, in the cranberry colorway, which I purchased from Sew, Mama, Sew! I used cotton broadcloth for the lining, which I purchased from a local sewing shop. I've never used either fabric before, but I'm in love with both of them now! The voile is so silky, it's amazing it's 100% cotton! And the broadcloth was perfect for lining this dress, it was the perfect weight and just the right amount of crispness without being too stiff.

~Sewing Update~

2011-04-23T10:11:00.004-04:00

It's been a busy week of sewing for me! It is very safe to say that this dress is the most difficult, time-consuming garment I have ever sewn!

The bodice gave me quite a bit of trouble, but at last I got it figured out:

Yesterday I got it to the point where it was all in one piece. That's such a good feeling! Today I have to slit the button holes, sew the buttons on and hem the dress. I might also sew a pair of bloomers, we'll see how that all goes.

On Thursday I was telling a friend how frazzled I felt. Then I was telling her about the dress I'm making, and she said, "Well, no wonder! Think about all the pressure you're giving yourself!" I really thought about that and realized how true it was.

Not only am I making a dress with a specific deadline,
I'm using fabric I've never used before
with a vintage pattern that has confusing details and instructions
which is time consuming not only to figure out but to sew
and it's a pattern that my grandma made so in my mind I have to sew this dress as she would have (perfectly)
and not only is it a pattern that my grandma made, but it's one she made for me.

Oh, and did I mention I have a deadline? I refuse to be sewing at 1 am Easter morning! Which means, it has to be done by Saturday evening!

So yeah, a lot of pressure. Once I stepped back and gained some perspective, I realized that the words I had uttered at one point were not true. What did I say? "I hate sewing!" which is the furthest thing from the truth!

Yesterday went so much better and I enjoyed the process a lot more! When everything came together and I put the dress on a hanger, I stepped back, clasped my hands, and tears sprang to my eyes! I love this little dress and all that it means. I'll be back later today with pictures of the finished dress!

~Sewing~

2011-04-19T15:44:00.003-04:00

This week I am working on a very special project. Quite a few years ago, I think even before I was married, my grandma was getting rid of some patterns and she let us look through them before she tossed them in the trash. I grabbed up a Strawberry Shortcake pattern that she used to make a dress for me when I was 6 or 7 years old:

Butterick 4824, 1983

It was one of my favorite dresses that my grandma made for me! I loved how the buttons ran along the top of my shoulder and came down.

There were two patterns, including an uncut one in size 2-3-4. I am making the size 2 for my daughter. I didn't cut the actual pattern pieces, thinking that I might want to make it again in the future, but I probably won't want to make it again. It is quite a detailed pattern.

The sleeves call for 3" wide flat eyelet lace. I couldn't find lace to match the fabric I already had purchased, and didn't want to do as one of the ladies in the fabric store suggested and tea dye lace. It just seemed like too much work with unknown results. So one Sunday morning in church I was sitting listening intently, well...I think it was during announcements so to be honest I wasn't listening very much at all...I was thinking about about what I was going to do about the sleeves on the dress! Anyhow, I looked down at my blouse, which had rows of ruffles on it and had the brilliant thought to make the sleeve ruffles out of the dress fabric.

After much stress, seam ripping, brownies and tea, and scouring the internet for tutorials on using hemming foots, I finally figured out the best way to get those hems sewn. They aren't perfect but they are nice. And with the way my daughter runs around, nobody's going to be able to examine them too closely anyhow! LOL

With all that said, after several hours of work, I have the sleeves done. This calls for a big "TA DA!" LOL

I was telling my mom about this project and she said it sounds like something I would take on. She was telling me about when I learned to crochet and I was talking about wanting to make my own lace. She was thinking, "Just go to the store and buy it!" I guess some of my projects do get pretty involved...

~Crocuses~

2011-04-16T18:55:00.003-04:00

Last fall, my husband and I planted some bulbs in memory of our wee one in heaven. Some of them were crocuses, which finally came up and started blooming. Normally, crocuses show up through the snow, but these took their sweet time. I'm not sure why they took so long, but I'm glad they have finally arrived and are in bloom!

They make me smile.

~UFO Bust Report~

2011-04-08T17:26:00.002-04:00

This week was a profitable UFO busting week! I don't have a finished project to share, but I do have progress!

A few years ago I started a days-of-the-week dishtowel set, using Alicia's embroidery patterns, found here.

I finished these three towels:

and then stopped. Oops.

I didn't have any progress on the remaining four dishtowels! So this week, I squared up the tea towels, and added the fabric trim. They aren't perfect, no matter how hard I tried to get the towels "square" it didn't work. So I reminded myself that these are dish towels.

Now I need to transfer the designs, and do the embroidery. Seems like a good evening project!

For more UFO bust reports, visit Blackberry Creek.

~Egg~

2011-04-06T08:16:00.001-04:00

We get our eggs from a family in our church. Most of them are pretty normal in size and shape, but this one was huge:

I haven't done a lot of research, but I've heard that eggs from free range chickens are healthier. I can't vouch for their healthiness, but they sure are tasty!

~Summer Jammies~

2011-04-05T08:38:00.001-04:00

I love my new sewing machine. But you could probably guess that, huh? What with all the sewing projects I've been blogging about, it wouldn't be too hard to figure out. ;-)

I previously mentioned finding some vintage sheets. I was out thrifting again, and found another sheet:

I bought it with the express purpose of making my daughter a pair of summer jammies. I'm not sure if it would qualify as "vintage" or not? But I like it a lot! And so does my daughter. When I was taking the above picture, she said that it was "gorgeous". Thank you, Fancy Nancy, for the vocabulary help!

The bottoms are about one inch too long (on purpose). I love the ruffle along the bottom! I used Butterick 4910, size 2.

Do you ever wonder why almost every picture on my blog has the same wood grain background? I have a cedar hope chest sitting in front of the living room window, and this spot is about the only place in my house with good lighting, especially in our dark winter months. I took some of the toys off for the above picture, but the other half I didn't touch:

=) Have a good day!

~Birthday Bunting~

2011-04-04T08:34:00.001-04:00

Early this year I decided to make some buntings/banners/streamers/whatever-you-call-thems. ;-) I wanted to have them on hand for birthdays, and when our daughter turned two in March they were all ready to put up:

We didn't have a party this year, just a family celebration with the three of us, but it was still special to have them up!

I used scraps from my bin and two packages of bias tape that I had on hand. I love it when I have all the materials needed for a project! I also didn't do any math prior to the project, and I ended up with 8 more sewn triangles that I don't have a use for. Oops!

~Storybook Apron~

2011-04-02T10:27:00.002-04:00

I'm really excited about the next theme for Tie One On, "Storybook Aprons". I will have to think about this, but I want to participate this time!

The first apron story that comes to my mind is from In Grandma's Attic. The mom had a busy day, with mess after mess to deal with. She kept tying an apron on to hide the mess...and at the end of the day she had about eight aprons on!

Any favorite aprons/stories from storybooks to give me inspiration?

~UFO Bust Report~

2011-04-01T08:34:00.001-04:00

I had a UFO hidden away which I forgot about when I listed all my UFO's: a stenciled tote.

For Christmas, we made each of our moms one of these totes. I got a smudge of black paint on one of the totes so I set it aside to make one for myself. Kevin did all the work on the silhouette, which was a lot of work, and he did it three times over for these totes.

So this week I got it done. I think it took five minutes? Maybe ten. Certainly it didn't need to be sitting in my closet for the past three months!

My inspiration for this project was this tote, and this pillow. Painting over the paper doily was a little tricky, but I finally figured out the best way to do it, which is a little different than the tutorial I linked to above:
1) Use spray adhesive to attach the doily to the tote.
2) Paint over the doily, making sure to get paint in all the spaces and holes. Make sure the paint on the doily is very thin, you don't want paint puddled up on the doily, because it will seep through to the tote.
3) Use a hair dryer to dry the paint.
4) Remove the doily. This part is time-consuming, but you can use an exacto knife or some other sharp tool to help pull the doily bits off.

For the silhouette, I used a hair dryer as well, rather than leaving it to dry over night.

For other UFO Bust Reports, visit Susan at Blackberry Creek.

~Wow~

2011-03-25T23:01:00.003-04:00

This is pretty incredible. Just look at the detail! But I want to know where the groom's cake is? Oh wait. It's all about the bride. I wonder how long this marriage is going to last!

~UFO Bust Report~

2011-03-18T15:39:00.005-04:00

This is my UFO bust report for this week...not much progress, but some! For other UFO bust reports, visit Blackberry Creek

I finished the afghan:

The squares on this afghan were made my grandma. She has lost almost all of her sight, and yet she still continues to do the things she enjoys! She wanted to give me this afghan for my daughter, and since I know how to crochet, I was able to finish it up.

The UFO part of this project was to weave in the tails and to block it. It is made out of acrylic yarn, so I was able to wet it/spin it dry in the washer. Then I just laid it across a table, stretching it into shape. It wasn't a "true" block, but I think drying it stretched out really helped everything lay right.

I have made some progress on my socks. However, I strained my wrist some time back and it makes it difficult to knit or crochet. So I am working on spending less time on the computer, no time for now knitting or crocheting, and my wrist is feeling much better. I'm hoping I can get back to my needlecrafts soon!

Nothing to do with UFO's, but I thought it was funny...

Pretty kitty:

Met a 2-year old:

~Upcycled Bibs~

2011-03-12T14:47:00.003-05:00

I've been in a mood to purge, purge, purge! So when my daughter pulled some Christmas hand towels out of my linen storage cabinet, I realized that I never use them, not even when I have company at Christmas! I was going to put them aside with the donation/yard sale pile, but then I took a closer look at them.

I have been wanting to make my daughter some towel-backed bibs since Sew, Mama, Sew! posted this this tutorial by Rae. I even looked through my dish towel drawer to see if I had any suitable towels, but I didn't. These two towels turned out to be the perfect size. I was able to cut the bib out without having any of the Christmas design on the bib. I used fabric I already had for the fronts.

So this afternoon, I drafted my pattern, and sewed away! I always get in the mood to sew when it is overcast outside, and then of course I want to blog about my finished project right away, so my pictures always end up a little on the dark side.

Teddy Bear Picnic and Breakfast with Polka-dots:

I used my snap press to install the snaps:

I'd like to make a few more to have on hand. I have some plastic bibs that wash up really well, but I always seem to be out of clean bibs when it is time to eat! Plus the back side of these can be used to wipe sticky fingers before we hop down from the table!

~Sniff, sniff~

2011-03-10T21:53:00.002-05:00

Oh dear! It's funny, my husband was just talking to our daughter tonight about how she can't drive yet, then this came on later in the evening. Oh my...we joke about how we won't let our daughter do certain things till she's a ridiculous age (no dating till she's 32 years old, for instance). What age should driving be? 28? Hehe.

~Black Bean Dip~

2011-03-09T10:48:00.004-05:00

Breakfast was too skimpy this morning, and my stomach was growling! I needed something else to eat before lunch. So I made this:

It's a dark, rainy day here, so excuse the poor photo quality.

Black Bean Dip
1 can beans
salsa to taste
shredded cheese

Pre-heat broiler to high. Heat beans on stove top. Drain. Pour into a oven-safe dish, top with desired amount of salsa, and sprinkle cheese on top. Heat under broiler till cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy with corn chips!

The high protein of the beans will help keep me full till lunch, and will give my daughter more energy to run and play! :-)

I need some more ideas like this! Especially since I have a toddler who needs to eat every few hours! My mind goes blank and she ends up eating the same thing every day. It's nice to mix things up a bit! Do you have any ideas for quick, healthy snacks? Please share!

~Thrifting~

2011-03-07T12:43:00.003-05:00

Thrift stores and I just do not get along very well. I try. I really do. I go in with a positive outlook. Dig through racks of clothes? Sure, no problem. Try on 30 things? Why not?

But then I come out of the store with nothing. Well, nothing for me. Last week I tried on so many clothes and found one shirt for myself. When I took it to the check out, examined it better and discovered a stain and a hole. Back on the rack it went. I came home with this:

Ninety-nine cents isn't bad for a barely-used Old Navy jumper. Too bad it wasn't in my size. ;-)

Then on Saturday I was out shopping and decided to stop in to another thrift store. But this time I didn't even glance at the women's clothing racks. I didn't feel like trying on dirty laundry. (Yes, I know they supposedly wash it all, but it still feels gross to me!). Instead I hit the linen racks. I have been looking for vintage sheets and coming up empty. But look what I found! Two pillowcases and a full flat sheet! Suh-weet!

I don't know what I'll be doing with these, but I'm excited to have found them. :-)

~Summer Outfit~

2011-03-05T17:08:00.003-05:00

I purchased some sale fabric from Sew, Mama, Sew!, and was excited when it came in the mail! I got two cuts for a play outfit and some voile for my daughter's Easter dress.

I started on the play outfit first, using Simplicity 7189, view D (minus the lace on the bottom of the shorts).

The shorts are cute - fitting more like culottes than shorts - and the top has lots of room for growth. I wasn't a fan of how they have the neckline finished, and some of the instructions weren't very clear. But otherwise, it was a pretty straightforward, fun sew.

I love blue and red together!

~UFO Bust~

2011-03-04T11:23:00.005-05:00

UFO = UnFinished Object

I have been greatly enjoying Deb's UFO Bust progress so I decided to join in the fun! I rounded up my UFO's and took pictures of them the other day. I'm linking up with Susan at Blackberry Creek who is heading up this great UFO bust! :-)

First up, an afghan that my grandma (dad's mom) made. She gave the blocks to me and I just had to crochet them together. I just needed to weave in the tails and lightly block it. I sat down and took care of the tails (50 minutes worth of tail-weaving!) and now all that's left is the blocking.

My Twilight Lace Wrap (Ravelry link), which is halfway finished:

Pink Rivulet (Ravelry link), about 2/3's of the way done:

Posie Gets Cozy's Pleasant Kitchen Dishtowels...I have 3 completely finished and the other 4 are not even started. But I think of this as a UFO because I don't want to use the ones I've finished until I make the other ones!

My Oatmeal and Brown Sugar socks (Ravelry link). These got a rough start, what with knitting and ripping, knitting and ripping, knitting and ripping, and then finally getting things right! I have progress on one sock:

I'm including this project, I really don't know what to do with the finished lace but I have a bit of lace that I've been "working on" for ages. My Serpentine Lace (Ravelry link) is a pretty good length of lace already, so I might just need to finish it off, depending on what I decide to put it on!

I started this counted cross stitch while I was expecting my daughter, but my hands were so swollen I couldn't work on it long, and it got set by the wayside. I don't have much done on it at all!

And then, my ever-present hanging-over-my-head UFO's:
Charm Quilt

Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt

and Jack's Chain quilt top - not even close to being done. I have toyed with the idea of making this into a table runner, we'll see what happens!

So that's it! I hope to bust through some of these in quick order!

~My New Machine and First Project~

2011-02-25T11:45:00.003-05:00

My ~~new~~ new-to-me machine:

and my first project:

Butterick 4176, view B in length D.

"Pretty buttons" (my daughter's comment as she pointed them out) :-)

The buttons are vintage mother of pearl and add a sweet accent to this play dress.

On Sunday we were snowed in, and I was bored. My husband suggested a sewing project but I protested, saying that I would have to cut it out first, as I didn't have a project cut out. He said it would give me something to do anyhow, so I went with it. ;-) Then I sewed and sewed and forgot to make dinner, so he made dinner while I continued sewing. The fabric is from my mother-in-law, and I had purchased the pattern for $1.99 a few weeks back. All I had to buy was the elastic for the sleeves.

This machine is a dream to sew with. I am so happy with it!

~Doing Dishes by the Seaside~

2011-02-23T14:19:00.004-05:00

Doesn't this washcloth remind you of seaside colors? Such pretty greens and blues! My neighbor gave this to me. I love handmade gifts!

That was the short story. The long story is this:

I went out to an errand, leaving my napping daughter at home with my husband. The car's brakes had been behaving oddly, and as I headed out, I thought about going to a car shop to have them checked first. But I really wanted to get my errand finished first so I proceeded on. As I kept driving, and especially on the way back, I realized that that had been a mistake. The brakes kept getting worse and worse. I prayed for safety each time I had to brake, and tried to keep a good distance from the cars in front of me.

I got to the shop safely and after a very.long.wait. they told me that my master cylinder was bad. I either needed to tow the car or leave it there for them to replace. I called Kevin and we decided to have the work done. But there was a problem. I was at the shop with no way to get home. Kevin was at home with no way to come get me, since our daughter's car seat was in the car.

Thankfully our next-door neighbors were home and willing to watch our daughter. She hasn't had much interaction with them, but when we got back she was very happy. They told me that she had enjoyed unloading their groceries. And as I was thanking them for watching my daughter, the neighbor-lady pressed the dishcloth into my hands. So that is the very long story of how I got the dishcloth. ;-)

I praise the Lord for the safety He provided me as I was driving with failing brakes. There were several times when I wondered if the car was going to stop!

~Dino~

2011-02-20T21:50:00.003-05:00

We my daughter is now the proud owner of a blue plastic dinosaur. When we ask her where she got it, she says (in a tone to let us know that she knows we know where it came from), "the dock-tor".

Ah, yes. We do know. We paid for that dinosaur; in fact, we paid enough for hundreds of them. ;-) But the dinosaur really wasn't the point of the doctor visit! Her health was.

We've had sickness in our house for a while, going into our 4th week now! The virus we caught was a nasty bug, hanging on ferociously. After 8 days of fever though, we did start to worry that something else was going on. So we trekked to the "dock-tor". While there, we were very pleased to discover that: our daughter did not have a fever, there was no problem to be found in her ears, throat, glands, or lungs. Which of course, is the news that we wanted to hear. The doctor even questioned our thermometer (YES it does work, thankyouverymuch, and I took her temperature with other thermometers as well.)

If only we'd waited just one more day. Her fever was completely gone today. She's still sick though, just not with a fever. Ahhhhh....such is life. I'm just so thankful there wasn't an underlying problem!

Now to get 100% well and stay away from other germs! :-)

~Misc.~

2011-02-15T21:55:00.003-05:00

These last three weeks have been filled with sickness. A lingering sickness for each one of us, spaced about a week apart. Thus the lack of blog content.

I have exciting news (well, it's exciting news for me anyhow! LOL)! My hard work and penny pinching paid off and I am now the proud owner of a new-to-me sewing machine. I was in the market for a brand-spankin'-new sewing machine, but as I got closer to amount I would need for my new machine, I called a dealer and asked if they had anything used in my price range that would be a higher-end machine. And they did! After looking it over and trying it out I took it home with me. [Insert wild cheers and dancing here.]

I still have to get some foot issues worked out. I bought a walking foot but it doesn't work for my machine, so I have to take it back. I also want to get a rolled hem foot. But I'm very happy with it. Oh, it's a Husqvarna Viking #1. I'll be posting pictures soon. :-)

I did shed a tear or two when I had the thought, "I can't wait to tell my grandma about my new machine!"...only to realize a split second later that I can't call her...I know she would have been happy for me to get a new machine.

And moving on...apparently I can count but I cannot add. I haven't been able to go out grocery shopping so dinner tonight was a Taco Bell run. I counted my items and came home. As I divvied up the items I realized that I was missing an item. I counted again...had the correct number...and then realized I hadn't added correctly. Duh...

I just finished reading Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster. Such a sweet, sweet book. I wish that a good movie would be made based on this book. I've attempted (two minutes? maybe) to watch a Mary Pickford version, and the Fred Astaire version veers sharply from the book so that disappoints as well.

And...I'm done rambling. ;-) Have a lovely day!

~Feathers~

2011-01-31T16:48:00.002-05:00

The zipper on my winter coat went out last year, so this year I got a coat for *only* $4.99 at Goodwill. A great bargain until I discovered that everywhere I go, I leave a trail of feathers...

Today I was out running errands, and I took my coat off. My fleece pullover had down and feathers completely covering it. I was slightly embarrased to be "shedding" feathers all over the place! A lady commented on my feathery situation, to which I replied that the coat keeps me warm, but when I take it off, I look like a goose. We got a good laugh at that. LOL

~So Close!~

2011-01-29T09:15:00.003-05:00

For almost a year now, I have been saving my pennies for a new sewing machine. The Husqvarna Viking Emerald, to be exact. I don't even know how to say "Husqvarna" but that's ok. :-P

I was saving for the 203 model, which has a few more features than the 183 model. However, I went in to a machine dealer yesterday to get another look at machines and make sure they were still the same price as last year. The owner told me that Viking had discontinued the 203 model, but he might be able to get it for me. Well, come to find out, the features that I am most interested in on the 203 (walking foot and extension platform) are only an additional $70. The other features that the 203 has are not worth the extra $200 that the machine costs.

So guess what? I have an additional $50-75 to save and then I can waltz into the store and get my new machine. I may not literally waltz while in the store but you can bet I will be waltzing at home when I get my new machine!!!

~Molly Monkey~

2011-01-10T10:31:00.003-05:00

I made this stuffed monkey for my daughter for Christmas. I was not going to be working on it in the wee hours of Christmas morning, but that's exactly what happened! I was stuffing arms and legs, and shedding tears out of exhaustion and frustration over everything. Kevin thought I should skip the skirt because it didn't really matter, but it mattered to me. So I stayed up and made that skirt. It's funny because Molly's mommy doesn't think she needs her skirt, so she usually has it off. I was going to make the shoes (you'll see if you click the link), but they would just be pulled off too, and if I sewed them on that would definitely be a point of frustration for my daughter.

As you can see in the picture, Molly Monkey is already well-loved. She got a sloppy kiss on her face shortly after having been opened on Christmas morning.

I had most of the fabric and supplies needed for Molly, so it was a fairly inexpensive project. I had to buy the brown corduroy and a few pieces of felt. I'm really happy with how she turned out. I do think that if I were to make Molly again, I would use something besides felt for the face.

~Irony~

2011-01-06T17:04:00.001-05:00

When Kevin and I were opening our wedding presents, we came to a box with no card, which contained a large cast iron skillet filled with unshelled pecans. I took one look at that huge skillet, and thought I would never use such a ginormous skillet. So I gave it to my parents to use. I never did find out who gave that to me!

In the past year, I've been exploring healthy living a little more, and I have come to the conclusion that Teflon probably isn't the healthiest to cook with. Now, I know there are studies citing that if you heat Teflon to 500 degrees the fumes from it will kill pet birds. That's nice and all but 1) I'm not a bird and 2) a draft of air can kill a pet bird too. So that wasn't enough to convince me but still, I know that there are other pans much better and safer than Teflon.

So I turned to cast iron. And guess what? I bought the exact same skillet that I had given to my parents ten years ago. Kevin thought I should ask for the pan back, since it was ours to start with (LOL) but I thought that would be a little on the rude side (Indian giver, much?). So I bought a new one for less than $20, and also a glass lid to go with it.

I'm still getting the hang with cooking on cast iron. Sometimes I forget and put tomato sauce in it, then I have to start the seasoning process all over again. But otherwise, it's been great for cooking in! It's very versatile. I can use it on the stove top or in the oven. It's a great size too!

Images are from Lodge's site and depict the items I bought and am very pleased with. :-)

~Again and Again~

2011-01-04T21:25:00.002-05:00

Do you know that feeling you get as a homemaker, that you do the same things over and over again? Some tasks feel like you're on a treadmill or something! Dishes, laundry, sweeping the floor...didn't I just do that? and it's time to do that again?

Well, for one load of towels, I didn't even get a chance to use them and yet I've had to wash them three times over! Wash #1, because they were dirty of course. Wash #2, because *blush* I left them in the washer too long. Wash #3, because when they finally made it up the stairs, my daughter took the basket, dumped the towels on my sparkling clean, er, not-so-very-clean kitchen floor and took off with the basket over her head.

So that's the story of my towels. Yes, enthralling, I know. ;-)

~Right now~

2011-01-02T15:50:00.001-05:00

Drinking vanilla chai tea with a splash of cream, while I browse through patterns on Ravelry.

A very relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

~Shop Notes~

2011-01-01T23:07:00.005-05:00

Hello, 2011!

I celebrated by going for a long walk. My ears were nice and warm thanks to my new earwarmer:

Now I need to knit a nosewarmer and I'll be all set for my cold weather walks. ;-)

There's one in my shop as well:

And a little pair of socks:

I have several new ideas for my shop, that I am really excited about! I hope to be adding items to my shop on a regular basis, so stay tuned. :-)

~Busy Day~

2010-12-20T13:37:00.002-05:00

This morning was busy and this afternoon will be even more so!

I ran errands this morning...four stops total. Winter gear makes it harder to get in and out of the car. Is winter almost over???

Now this afternoon I have a lot of housework to do. Company is coming for Christmas afterall, and it would be nice if the house looked a little more presentable. :-)

Hope your day is wonderful!