A Few Thoughts on a Lazy Afternoon

Summer is over or at least coming to an end. Our granddaughter, Mandy, Ivann and Miss Caroline came, camped with us and left. Our daughter, Nan, and her boyfriend came and went home. Hubs dragged me off to the wilds of Idaho for the last time this year. I have gotten the house in some semblance of order. At least most of the house. The craft/spare room is looking like...well, the photos below show what it looks like. I haven't put the craft table back up, but the sewing machine is up and running. This is a room that I can make a sewing mess and shut the door and no one knows the difference unless I choose to show them. You are one of those. ;-)

I'm trying to lighten the load on my shoulder when shopping by making a cute tote. I have a rather plain one that does the job but I wanted a snazzy one. Cute being the essential factor here, lightweight, over the shoulder/neck to leave me hands-free but security plays a factor in this also. I think I've designed one that meets the criteria I want. Less to carry but secure.

The boxes that I piled all the craft stuff into when I knew the kids/granddaughter/great granddaughter were coming still have not been emptied yet. I bought several little shoebox-type containers at Wal-Mart for this purpose but just haven't had the energy to do anything about that. I'm sure some of you understand this.

Yep, the beautiful fringe is still on the floor this morning. Remember: Close door and nothing shows.

You can see it coming together. I didn't have a pattern so just had to go by the seat-of-my-pants here. Lots of mistakes, but it is coming together. Taking notes for the next one though. Select fabrics I already have. Find that beautiful pink fringe I haven't seen for months. Then later I'll measure and cut a few pieces from different fabrics. Then I'll rest or "get away from" it for a while. Then go back and cut more. Leave. Come back. Sew. Little by little. It's taking me several days to complete this. I do it this way to not get frustrated. Didn't work. Trust me. I'm trying to have it done very soon though.

Later in the day:
As you can see I left the fold-over flap off. I just cut it too big for this one. I'll use it on the next one maybe. Plus I'm not that adept at flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants. A ribbon rose I made along with a darling little rose button in the center, scraps of ribbon and snippets of lace plus one vintage lace I had on a pillow case that was falling apart—the lace, not the pillowcase. It's so ratty but I just couldn't throw it out so I sewed it on here.


As I've said previously, I love the color combination of pink and yellow so I've put a very bright lemon yellow lining inside with pockets of various colors on the lining for glasses, iPod, cell and a pen. You definitely won't see this little cutie at WM.
*

I was sitting here yesterday while hubs was at a convention. He goes to a lot of them: train conventions locally and on the west coast, Marine Corps League ones when they're close enough to drive, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) when they're local or close enough to drive here in the west or northwest. He's very supportive of and loves our troops. After all, he is a retired Marine.

The VFW Post in our town helps veterans financially when the need occurs. The past few weeks he's gotten calls from a couple of people who need help with their utility bills. After a few questions were answered, he met them at a local grocery store where you can pay your utility bill there. He doesn't just give them the money or a check. He goes there, meets the person asking for help there, pays it with a check and they both get a receipt. How many other organizations do that?

One such transaction yesterday involved a woman. Her hubby was a veteran (they don't have to be retired, just a veteran of a foreign war) and Love Bunny heard her tale of woe. Hubby was cut back hours in his job, their leased vehicle went over the mileage and they ended up owing a lot of money on the lease—at least to the tune of $600 being taken out of his paycheck for at least a couple of times but hubs didn't know how many times. Then she applied for a job at a local school cafeteria and the background check showed a felony at 17 yrs. of age so they fired her. She couldn't understand that one. DUH. But as hubby was walking out to the parking lot he noticed a big truck and when she opened it there were cartons of cigarettes in the cab. As he was telling me the story and got to that part, I reminded him we're not to judge; we're only to help. (Our church doctrine.) He agreed but had trouble wondering why people buy very expensive cigarettes in lieu of food or paying their essential life saving utility bills.

A few days before he was paying a utility bill for a man who got behind. As they were going to leave the store the man told hubs his wife said they were out of food and asked him if he could buy them some food, hot dogs, hamburger and buns. Hubby told him he was only authorized to pay his utility bill. After all, it's not my hubby's money and he's a great caretaker of money with which he's entrusted. So he told the man sorry.

When he got home and told me that, I chastised him. He could have helped with our personal money and bought the guy a few food items. I think he was sorry he didn't after my admonishment. We are commanded by the Lord to help each other. That doesn't mean judging others when they need food or clothing or essentials. It does NOT mean helping to pay their boat, ATV or car payment! (Yes, I'm a judgmental person but trying to "catch the vision" and am truly doing better on this issue.) But as the Lord says, aren't we all beggars? Yes, we are. So we need to be loving, kind and helpful to our brothers and sisters, but still maintain being prudent. Giving is never something for which you'll be sorry.
*

Okay, I'll stop rambling now.
~*~

The Womanly Arts—Sewing and Embroidery

In my quest to get rid of some things, this beautiful vintage gown is on eBay here at the moment. I'm biting the bullet and putting this on there hoping it finds a wonderful home. I just can't take it to a thrift store. If you're interested in buying it directly from me, just email me and I'll take it off of eBay. I truly want it to go to someone who appreciates this sort of thing. It would look wonderful on a mannequin!

Growing up I didn't sew or do needlework or embroidery. It wasn't until later in life I found my love for embroidering. My mom was a professional woman. She didn't even know how to do anything encompassing the womanly arts. I learned to sew and embroider on my own. I love doing it but haven't for a long time now. So recently I looked and found my unfinished projects and embroidery threads because I wanted to do some new "fluffing" to some pillowcases.

You can see I'm partial to pink and green as evidenced in my previous post for Pink Saturday combining St. Patrick's Day with it. I have Irish heritage but a lot of other ancestors also so we don't particularly celebrate that holiday. I'm not much of a "holiday celebrator." I just look at it as another day except the banks are closed. ;-)

Threads of yarn separated and waiting for me to begin it again.

Another unfinished project.

This is my Ralph Lauren bag purchased many years ago to hold my projects and threadsl. I've since had to buy more tote bags to contain it all.

I believe this was my first book on teaching me the basics. I have some designs from here on pillowcases that are showing severe signs of wear and may need to redo them. I love this little book.

Perhaps I've waited too long to complete this one. I'll have to finish it before I can wash it properly now. Can't figure out how this got water damaged. Hmmmm...

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to finish them all.

And these are my colorful skeins of embroidery thread. To me, it's simply eye candy. I love looking at the colors. You see my preferences of colors from this photo.

~*~

Changing the Craft Room Again

While trying to cut out the fabric for the aprons recently I realized I need more room in the sewing craft room. Love Bunny was not happy with my decision because that meant he had to take out another shelf in the dining area and drag that vintage desk out there. That's what he's FOR!! DUH.

While doing this I also decided to straighten the fabric again. I seem to have to do this every six months or so. Sigh... I have fabric I'll probably never use unless I open an apron shop and start making them to sell. I really don't want to do that but it may become a necessity since I'm making so many lately. I enjoy it and I only do what I enjoy now. I'm an ol' lady, ya know. ;-)

So since I'm not going to be refinishing this desk any time soon I decided to cover it with a vintage wilendur tablecloth. So this is how it will remain for a while. I really like the desk near the kitchen in that little part of the dining area.

Looking good so far, chicks.

But during that time I decided I wanted another mouse pad. One that was shabby chic with roses on it. I found the perfect ones on eBay and the woman was here in my town! Now, let me tell you there aren't too many women in the state of Idaho who are into shabby chic! Trust me. She definitely agreed with me. This woman came over after her day job and delivered it to me because she wanted to see my home. I was thrilled to show it to her and as she said (and I've always told you) it looks even better in person. She just moved into a new rental house and it is freshly painted yellow. Now, she's also a pink person and wants to repaint it again if they allow her. She is having a very rough time with the yellow walls throughout the whole house. I would too!! She's a shabby chic aficionado also and told me about a place in Eagle (near to me) and I plan on going over there some day soon. I'll keep you briefed on it when I do make it over...with my camera, of course.

Anyway, I needed 2 mouse pads - one for my desktop and one for my laptop. Are these not cute?!?!?! Squeeeeeeeal. So if you want to visit with her and buy some adorable mouse pads for your desk, check Lisa out on eBay or Etsy and tell her Connie sent you over. ;-)

~*~

Redoing a Vintage Chair

I bought this vintage chair at a local antique store several weeks ago. I wasn't sure where I wanted to put it but I knew I DID want to redo the cruddy seat! It was pathetic, I tell ya. However, since there wasn't any place else to put it except my sewing and craft room, I put it in there reluctantly—first because it was the only place I had left and second because I knew having it in my way would prompt me to get at it quicker. *Wink*..........

The seat is very hard wood with no "cushioning" and it had the most atrocious and filthy fabric on it I've ever come across. Three layers of crud. I took off the first layer of fabric that had been put on with tiny upholstery tacks. (This tells me it was put on there before the advent of staple guns and the rusted tacks proves its "vintageness"!) The second layer of "fabric" was a vinyl that was so old it "snapped" off as I was removing the tacks. *Sigh*.... The third layer looks like something out of the 40s or 50 at least. I had to go wash up once while doing this my hands were so dirty! The chair was in "scruffy" shape—can we say "shabby" here?! Just the right amount of "wear and tear" to call it that. Squeeeeeeeal!!! So I didn't bother painting it but did give it a dusting and wipe down. Yuck.

I then found a piece of shabby chic roses fabric in my stash. I put some upholstery fiberfill over the top and then added the fabric. I think it turned out quite well actually.

Then I added some roses decals to the back and voilà here it is. I don't think it's sturdy enough for a person to sit on it because one of the dowels in the back had to be replaced and while doing that Love Bunny noticed that a piece of wood on one of the back legs was cracked. It must have fallen off one day while in the craft room and evidently—I have no idea how this happened(!) Can I help it if phone cords and vacuum cords get in my way while vacuuming?—and got s*cked up in the vacuum which is a Dyson and s*cks up quite good while mutilating the wood piece. *Heavyyyy sigh here*! I emptied the Dyson and everything in there was dust or so tiny there was no hope to fix it. If there is then hubs will find a way. That man is a miracle worker. However, his time frame is not MY time frame here so I'm doing the best I can, chicks! I think it will go in my bedroom to hold books or pillows from our bed at night. I can always use another chair in there besides the 2 in there now. Right?!?!? *Sigh*........

Friend's Home Tour #1

I have a woman in our ward who thinks like I do in many things, but decorating is the part that touches my heart the most I think. It's been very hard to find women around here who decorate similar to me in any way. Phyllis does! And what a sweetheart she is. Mother of 11, yessss, 11 children! You would not believe this if you saw her, trust me. She's very young looking, a sweet, kind loving mom/woman and just so patient.

Anyway, I asked her if I could photograph her home to show you another chick here in Idaho who loves the froufrou style of decorating while making her hubby comfortable in their romantic home. I have 50 photos to share after editing so I'm going to make this a series of five blog posts. I have a feeling you're going to love her home.

She lives up the road from me. I live on the very edge of the county/city line. Looking at the house here, I would have my back to my own home. So I live on the edge of the farmers and ranchers area.

This is the front of the home and I got my car in the foreground. As you can see, there are 2 front entries. This house sits on a sloping hill. The hubby built the small kiddies a playground under the deck that could only be for little munchkins as adults would be too tall to stand under there but the little children fit nicely—swings, teeter totter and such under there. Snug in all kinds of weather.

Her hubby built a little "cottage" out there on the side of the house but the cottage is for HIM!! LOL It's his office, but Jack would have to fight me for that little place if I lived there. *Smiling*...........

Walking up to the front entry.

Stepping into the front entry puts us right into the formal dining. White painted chairs, pink candles and pink table runner and a chandelier—one of many in this home. Beautiful roses swag over the windows. (I'm sorry this photo didn't turn out well as the room is lovely and the windows were "fighting" me for light, but I took up a lot of their time the day I photographed the home and didn't want to disturb them again.)

Also her carpet in this area is a floral. Most unusual for this area, but as I said, the woman has taste! It's gorgeous.

Her plate collection. This is also an artistic family. Her hubby paints and some of her children paint or draw also.

This is a painting done by her hubby. You can see a little peek of this lovely lady up in the left hand corner but I've wanted to protect their privacy as much as possible so I won't put their photos of them on here.

A little curio cabinet to the right of the dining room windows. I love the lacy look of it.

A see-through fireplace looks into the kitchen dining area.

This is standing by the dining room windows and looking at the front entry. Stenciling is above the front entry. She has a vintage sewing machine under the mirror on the right side.

That's it for this post but keep in touch to see the rest of the home.

Random Thoughts for Pink Saturday 3/14/09

I'm making a new dress and I love long dresses since I hate wearing pantihose anymore. BUT I didn't have enough fabric for a long dress. Well, I had enough but it wasn't in one piece but in two pieces and wouldn't work. Sooooo, I bought this fabric to add 6 inches to the bottom. We'll see how it turns out though. I have this "vision" and in reality it may not be what I'm envisioning. Hah.

This is the dress that gave me the inspiration—the soutache. I thought if it could be used on a bodice, it could be used around the bottom also. I have taken precautions to remove it if it doesn't turn out like I want. I don't want to destroy 2 yards of fabric that cost $13.00 a yard. This dress is in a couture sewing book that I've had for many years. I'll show you some of them in the next few months. Beautiful sewing by ordinary people, not fashion design houses!
~*~

Yes, indeed, there are days like this one. Not a big deal but last week when I looked out the window UPS was driving up. I went to the door and received the package and he asked me if my door bell really was not working. Puzzled at his question, I answered it was indeed not working. He said he has one lady on his route that "tole painted" a sign that said to not ring her door bell. He asked her why and she said I have a baby sleeping and don't want to wake him/her. I thought that was rather clever.

Our doorbell just this very moment was fixed by Love Bunny!! I hate it when things don't work properly..........uhhhhhh, doorbells, NOT Love Bunny. He works perfectly!!

~*~

If I thought I actually looked like the photo on my driver's license and the one they now take at the doctor's office my children would be orphans!!!
~*~

Have you ever been in a public bathroom stall and "things go awry"? Well, it has happened to me a few times. Once I can't even TELL you what went "awry" that time so don't even ask. But the other day Love Bunny decided (wanna guess who made the suggestion, hmmmm?) to take me to lunch at my favorite fish house. I went to the rest room and it was downhill from there. I thought I was stuck with no papier hygiénique (psssst, that's a nice way of saying toilet paper) and almost cried. No way could I have ..........well, you get the picture. Why don't they check it 3 times a day and leave extra rolls on the top of the contraption just in case it runs out or you can't get it to work?!?!?!?!?!!
~*~

One of the advantages of growing old is that your eyes start to "go" just about the time the wrinkles start to "appear"!
~*~

Remember, I mentioned this little hand held recorder I got at Best Buy for $30? Well, I am absolutely unequivocally thrilled with it. I carry it in my pocket and when a thought pops into my head I pull it out and record into it. I don't know how I survived without this little jewel. :-)
~*~

I recently made a stop at Subway to grab a quick sandwich before going off on another photoshoot. A young adult man and I approached the door at the same time as an elderly couple was coming out. Now, I would have held the door for them as the woman was walking with a cane and I'm a kind and gracious person. But 2 things happened here. One the young man held the door and the woman sort of pushed her way out very ungraciously as if we had to defer to her. Now, pleeeeeeeease, don't get on me here. I would have and absolutely DO defer to people coming OUT of the door, but this old lady was obnoxious. But after entering I sort of stepped off to the side to defer to this young adult man to get a sandwich because I figured he was on his lunch hour and I had plenty of time and am never rushed......okay, rarely rushed to go anywhere. But he didn't proceed. He let me go first! I was stunned and honored that a MAN ( a REAL man/gentleman) would do that. Most places they'd push ahead and run to be first in line. What a sweetheart he was - and a true gentleman.
~*~

Then another thing happened there. A group of people entered together maybe 7 or 8 of them. I noticed one short kind of plumpish young woman from the back. When she and another man had finished getting their sandwiches they walked to a table and sat down. He went back to the soda fountain to get their drinks and upon returning lost control of the 2 containers and soda went flying everywhere. They were both splattered and had to move one table closer to me. That's when I really noticed her hair. She had it back in a ponytail and she took it out and let it fall down. I have to tell you she had the most gorgeous glorious hair I've ever seen. Lovely frost job, magnificent cut and it was just shoulder length but thick and just lovely. I don't think I've ever seen hair so pretty. As I got up to leave I put my arm around her shoulder and whispered to her that she had the most gorgeous hair I've ever seen. To say I startled her at first is a bit understated but when I whispered in her ear she just smiled. She was very pretty also. I think I made that chick's day! Isn't it wonderful to know you made someone's day??? Oh, she was "plumpishly pregnant" when she turned around! I'm sure like all of us when we are pregnant she probably felt awkward and I think that lifted her spirits again.
~*~

I've noticed that when we eat at home, hubs starts right in. Me? I have to put everything on the plate, arrange it all and salt and pepper before I even start. He will put one thing on and start eating just that one thing before he puts all of the food/salad on the plate. Just seems weird to me to not put it all on and then start.
~*~

We were at Olive Garden last week eating and a couple was seated near us. Now, this is becoming the typical thing in restaurants but for you younger guys and gals, men used to remove their hats in restaurants and Love Bunny still does. He would never ever eat with a hat on or in his "underwear"! He removes a hat when going into a church also. But this young adult male was kind of a slob in his attire also. But when he asked if they had hash browns, eggs or waffles IN OLIVE GARDEN I thought I would break out laughing. Duh, you came to an Italian restaurant and they don't serve breakfast, kiddo!!
~*~

A couple dining in a restaurant should never clean up the plates and stack them. Bad etiquette. It's a nice thought but strictly out of line. Leave them for the waitpersons to do.
~*~

Hubs and I were shopping at WM recently and were trekking through the girls department on our way to another department. I noticed the little girls bras and shrieked at hubs to look at this: a pink bra with polka dots and lace and padded and very sexy for a KID?!?!?! Trust me if they're that small they don't need a bra, ladies! Sheeeesh...........
~*~

Towels? Yep, towels! Have you noticed how the kitchen dish towels get dirty in the "center" while the bathroom hand towels get dirty of the "ends"? True.
~*~

For me ambrosia is pineapple juice. I could drink it all the time if allowed. But water makes the body function best. When as a kid I lived in Hawaii we'd go to Del Monte's pineapple plant and they'd have pineapple juice coming out of the water spigots on the fountains. I loved that and it was so neat to drink it out of a water fountain.
~*~

For me, life is a potential blog. Or photoshoot, much to Love Bunny's dismay. *Chuckle*....
~*~

I read a LOT. I'm talking about at least 2 or 3 books a week depending on the length and things I need to do that week. But I've noticed something recently: it's very difficult to read numbers written out, such as seven delta four zero four (7D404). When reading them my brain wants to "convert" the written number into the actual number. It slows me down when reading a book with a lot of that in it. Brains are weird, aren't they? Hmmmmmm.......
~*~

I've been surfing and reading some blogs lately and wonder about some. I truly think some want to become famous and there is nothing in the world wrong with that. But it made me wonder what some people would do for fame. What is your limit and what would you do for millions of dollars?

Well, my honest answer is this. What would I do for millions of dollars: absolutely nothing! I have sufficient for our needs and am happy. What more could I possibly want?!
~*~

I feel sorry for all the people who have tattoos because what a waste of money it is. Also the "s*x changes" men and women go through because when the Lord comes we'll be as we were "originally" with the original gender restored and our bodies will be perfect. I'm hoping my perfect body is sorta in the shape of Sophia Loren! Hey, she's one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen.
~*~

In this day and age of everyone having a cell phone it got pretty ugly around here recently when hubs and I both were on our cells in the same room. At least with our land lines (yes, I still have one and will always have one and use it 99.9% of the time) we have "extensions" and can be in separate rooms when chatting with kids, but with 2 people carrying on 2 different conversations in the same room it just doesn't work!
~*~

I think most of us have read the story of an old person going to do one thing which leads to another and then another and never gets the original task done. Well, I had one of those moments recently (I actually have them all the time but this is one that stayed fresh in my mind!) and decided to mention it. DUH!

When rearranging my office (yessssssss, again!!!) I noticed my eyeglasses were dirty and got out the windex to clean them and then noticed it was the last towel on the roll and we all know how that glue on the last paper towel will leave glue on the glasses, right? Ooooookay, so it was off to the garage to pick up a fresh roll to FINISH cleaning the glasses again and then I saw something out there that needed tending so did that and then wanted to make a note on my shopping list to pick up more paper towels and toilet tissue. Then I decided to make a bathroom call before I did that and did my business in there and then decided the toilet needed cleaning. Did that and then forgot that the mail was calling my name from the post box outside so went out and did that. Then came back in and placed the mail on the table and then noticed I never did the original thing I wanted to do. *Sigh*............
~*~

And last, but not least as they say, is this magnificent stuff here. I learned about this several years ago and this is the original tin I bought. It's for dry skin and contains lanolin. And yessssssss, that's cow b**bs on the picture. Hubs tells me they used to use this on the farm for cows when their udders got chapped. So yesssssssss, it can be used for chapped lips also. It is so dry out here in the western U.S. deserts. And yessssssss, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, southern Idaho, and of course, Nevada and eastern Calif are all desert. HOT and DRY, chicks. I had tried everything on my lips - all kinds of chapsticks, Burts Bees and a creamy nice one from pink rose pastries but they didn't do the job this stuff does. It has a pleasant fragrance but I think it's the lanolin that makes it so good. I put a small amount on during the day and a bit more on at night and my lips don't dry out the way they used to. I found this in the local WM but I'm guessing just about any drug store would have it. It's actually fantastic for any dry body part. I recommend it highly.

~*~


7 years old Sirloin!

As I've told you before when extolling the virtues of my vacuum sealer it is the best invention ever! Here is another case of it being the best money ever spent. (Okay, it was a gift from my son so I didn't pay for it, but I buy the bags for it!)

During our move 3 1/2 years ago (long story of moving 3x in 6 months) into this house our freezer meat got tossed around so much we weren't sure what we had. Hence, some of it got pushed to the back when we put it back into the freezer. We recently did an inventory to eat the oldest meat first and found this package of meat dated March 2002 had fallen down behind the shelf. Yes, that's the correct date. We ate this tonight and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. NO freezer burn from 7 years ago. Tasted great. So you'd better get one of those before long, chicks, or you're wasting money wrapping it in freezer wrap or plastic bags. Here's tonight's meal. And that little bottle of steak seasoning??? It's fantastic to put on any meat. We love it and don't cook any beef without adding this to it. Yummmmmm........