A Little Time for Me!

Lately, the only thing I've done for me is read a book or go out to eat while putting several creative things I've wanted to do on the back burner. But I'm sure you understand that, right? Today is the day I'm correcting that.

I started with my office here and took down some of the stuff on the wall behind me. It was starting to look cluttered to me or maybe it always was but it just got to me now.

The two shutters I got for a couple of dollars at a farm sale a few years ago and painted white and put decals on are going into the family room now.

I've taken down a little pink ladder, a mirror and several pictures. I've patched the holes in the wall and painted over them. I'll show the results later.

I've also recently tried an embellishment I saw months ago on a blog and cannot remember where. I emptied my armoire of several t-shirts that are stained, too big or too small or the colors weren't just right or I had taken a dislike to the color of the shirt. I cut circles out of them and put them on t-shirts I wear everyday. I'm usually in a t-shirt, but I thought I'd pizzazz them up a bit by putting coordinating colors or opposite colors I like with them. So far I've done two of them. You'll see the blue one in its first stage. I'm finished with it but it needs to be laundered before I show it here and it's a very old and well-worn shirt. This is the photo with half of the neckline done. I chose a blue and white thin knit to cut up into about 2 1/4 inch circles.

This one is done and I'm wearing it. The t-shirt is a candy apple red and does not show the true color of its red in any of these photos (red being a difficult color to photograph especially indoors with artificial light), but I decided to do pink on it. I love that color combination. These circles are 3 1/4 inches. So they're just a bit bigger but it does make a difference. I then folded the circle in half and then half again, stitched along the point of that and pinned them to the shirt and then sewed them on by hand. You "arrange" them as you sew them on. Very, very easy but I'll not see anyone around here with a t-shirt like mine. ;-)

Does the earth laugh in flowers? I think it may.
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Silence is true wisdom's best reply. I know this from experience.
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Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. If you show joy, it means you are thankful for life's blessings. And I am!!
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Random Thoughts and Embellishing T-Shirts for Pink Saturday 4/24/10

Happy pink saturday and thanks to Beverly of How Sweet The Sound for hosting this. I visited with Jennifer at Peacornpopnutssodagumandchewingwater for the first time last week. Now that's a mouthful, but she has a darling blog. Full of beautiful flowers for spring. Go visit her, chicks. Also, I met Olivia, one of my most favorite names, and her blog is Shabbychictreasures. I must say she is delightful. Cute blog and some darling ideas and has a red kitchen. Squeeeeeal! She's a shabby chic fan just like most of us.
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I never know what direction my blog will go until I sit down to blog. Sometimes it's decorating this house, sometimes it's camping—squeeeeeealing with fright when hubs mentions he wants to go caaaaaamping and get me away from my iMac computer, sometimes it's a trip to visit our kids or grandkids, sometimes it's a dinner for Love Bunny, sometimes it's a story about decorating the Christmas tree (see it in the sidebar and drool) sometimes it's a visit to our local nursery or an antiques store, sometimes it's about crafting in the studio and making anything I have a mind to that day, sometimes it's a conversation with Love Bunny and his wit, sometimes it's my lack of wanting to be fashionable(!) and sometimes it's just random thoughts and musings out of this old head. Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy your visit here. Ya just never know, chicks, what I'll talk about. But look forward to my hat/cattle/cow tipping post coming up soon.
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We've discussed this before: I am NOT a fashionista or diva anymore. About 20 years ago, before we moved here from California, I'd spend about $8,000 a year on clothes. I worked in an office. I don't now. I stay home. I love it. I look like a bumpkin pretty much most of the time. But I figure I'm clothed and modest, which is a big deal with me. I don't flaunt anything. I dress properly for church but don't bother with designer clothes anymore. I have boxes and boxes of clothing up in my garage attic, mainly because they're a size 10; I'm not a size 10 anymore. But we won't go into that.

I do like t-shirts because I wear special garments because of my religion. I don't wear sleeveless things unless I have a shirt or jacket over it at all times. But I get tired of the same t-shirts and blouses so I've decided to embellish these old ones. I mean there are only so many colors we can buy, right? Plus, after looking at the price tags on little t-shirts at Macys today, I figure I can make them cute myself and pass up the outrageous prices. But I do love embellishing inexpensive t-shirts. I cannot tell you how old these 2 below are. Very! I'm changing them. The lavender one actually looks cuter than the photo because the tiny ribbon flowers I made look askew but they are on perfectly straight, I can assure you.

I ruched a ribbon and attached it to this really old t-shirt.

And recently I ordered 3 dresses because I'm tired of wearing the same ones to church. I don't buy many clothes. Didn't you listen?! ;-) But they are relatively plain so I thought I'd make some embellishments ahead for when I receive them next week. I gathered some ribbon, made a custom button and put it on. I think it'll look sweet on one of the dresses. This shirt is bright red and it kind of drowns out the color of the flower so see below for another photo.

Not sure yet which dress this will go on, but maybe the purple one. I love those colors together. But this pin is interchangeable so doesn't matter too much. I'll find a place for it!

I've never made fabric yoyos before and this is my first. I need more practice but my fingers are so dry they are hurting me from doing all those paper roses and handling all this fabric. Sigh...

I know just the place for this one because one of the dresses is turquoise and this should look great on it.

A better photo of this pin than on the red shirt.

This little ragged pin took me about 10 minutes to make. Quick and easy.

So there you have it, my sweet little chicks. Several ways to embellish your t-shirts or blouses without the high cost of buying at expensive stores plus they will definitely not be seen all over the place so you'll be unique...just as you truly are. ;-)

But I'm going to make you work for this one. If you can't figure out how to make them, you're going to have to ask me. I just want to know if someone actually reads what I say. *Sigh*...... :-)
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Sally Hansen hair removal glue strips do not work. Hairs have to be 1/4" long to work and I'm not letting my chin/lip hair get that long.
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I haven't yet eaten enough pastries to be willing to trade this world for one in which the existence of sugar is not guaranteed by theologians.
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I like rain. I like whatever weather God chooses to throw at the world—storm, hail, wind, cold, heat—because the variety and extremes of creation are what make it so beautiful. We had a thunder and rain storm tonight and hubs, and I went out on the porch to drink in the adventure of it.
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Real estate ads will sometimes say "wild life" in the area they are promoting. Does that include skunks? I don't think I'd want to live with them.
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There's a commercial on the radio for men's prostate problems. Hubs and I get a kick out of it. It asks if you get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. He mentioned to me that he sure hopes he does because he wouldn't want to pee in the bed. He's such a card, that man!
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When the health clubs start selling Twinkies and chocolate cupcakes filled with white gooey stuff inside, I'll join. Not until then, I can assure you.
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Crafting Patio Lights for Pink Saturday 5/9/09

I was crafting today after getting a MUCH needed massage. But first let me show you what I bought. Squeeeeeeeeeeal..........

I ordered these beautiful roses file folders from Polly and received them the other day. Aren't they gorgeous? I also received several yards of vintage pink ribbon and I intend to embellish some t-shirts with some of it. I'm so excited.

This is a close up and I thought I'd put it on here in case someone wanted some ephemera for a project. Just enlarge it and then snag it for anything you might like to use it for. Gorgeous rose!

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I saw a canning jar made into some patio lights on another blogger's post and cannot for the life of me remember who. Sheeesh, I can't believe it. If I see it when I'm surfing my favs I'll let you and her know.

Anyway, I did this first one and didn't have any tea lights to put in it—I actually do, but they're up in the garage attic and can't find them at the moment(!)—so I broke a red taper candle and lit the bottom part and tried to melt it down to drip into the jar—okay, okay, so I started a fire but can we NOT let Love Bunny know this?— and stupidly let it drip onto a paper towel (I said I was intelligent, not that I didn't do dumb things every once in a while!) The paper caught fire and in blowing it out I sent little pieces of flaming paper towels around the kitchen. I need to work on the smell before Love Bunny gets home.

Isn't it adorable? And it can be hung on a porch or patio and is protected from the wind. That's especially important out here in the Idaho desert! I plan on making several more out of some of the tall olive jars hubs gives to me after he finishes witht he olives. Try them yourself. Easy. Wire around the top of the jar. Wire over the top for hanging. A scrap of fabric or ribbon. Candle. Embellish with roses if you want. I did on this one. Just be careful and only use tea lights OR fatter, shorter candles.

I did this one also in green and net lace ruffles. Ummmmm, I didn't put a candle in this one yet. I think I'll wait until I can find the tea lights or some short fat candles.

Personalize Your T-Shirts for Style!

Update on son 5/8/09:

I talked to him a few days ago and he was actually in Sam's Club. Remember, hubs and I and some friends did a fast for him on sunday. Well, this was after the fast! His leg isn't bothering him too much. His left eye is still a little cloudy. His right eye goes in and out of being cloudy. NO HEADACHE!!! His ears are still ringing. BUT he sounded like his old self! That was a huge difference. Plus he went to physical therapy and they took his crutches away and gave him another brace that is much more comfortable for his knee. He had done 2 1/2 hours of p.t. and was wicked tired but I just KNOW he is going to recover. He has an an appointment with the eye doctor and audiologist and will hear what they have to say, but this mother knows that the Lord is healing him. No doubt in my mind he'll be just fine soon. I thank each and every one of you who prayed for him. There are too many to name but I thank all of you and you know who you are!
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I bought this t-shirt a few weeks ago and showed you some with ribbon roses and bows and buttons, but I thought this was adorable also. I just took a polka dot grosgrain ribbon and sewed the button to the bow after I made the bow with the help of my toes! You can be stylin', chicks!

Also, while sewing this on I heard a loud crash behind me. While sitting there at my craft desk the ceiling light fixture fell off right behind me—just barely missing my head! It's a heavy thing and if it had hit my head there's no question I would have been knocked out. Scared the heck outta me, I tell ya. Wow!