A Different Busy

We are busy today...away from the sewing machine...sitting on Big's tractor and playing golf. Eating M&M's and blueberries.

I read quite a bit of The Shack yesterday...up to the point they ask him to go to bed. I can't wait to read more at C.J.'s nap time.

Washing Dishes

Just washing dishes with Meme this morning.

Still on the Fridge

Look what C.J. wrote on the fridge yesterday! Ok he didn't but he would have if he knew how to spell. Please over look the grape jelly spill on his white shirt ;)

Free Motion Quilting!

i had a wild hair today...why not try to a free motion stitch on one of my quilts in progress. i found my sewing machine book, changed the foot, grabbed a few scraps and practiced for a minute...it didn't look so bad...so...i grabbed THE LOUD QUILT...which i lined with a soft (as soft as C.J.'s "soft" Pat Pats) white table cloth given to me by my mother...who loves table clothes and passes them on to my sister and me when she runs out of room...she finds them at thrift stores or yard sales etc. (i can't use a table cloth unless i want it and everything on the table pulled to the floor by my little ba-boo...so i just prevent a mess by not using one) so i upcycled! yeah! i took something not in use...and put it to use...and didn't have to go buy liner fabric! this free motioning...takes FOR-EVER...but it will be worth it.

whatelse have i done lately...oh i started reading The Shack by William P. Young yesterday...i finished chapter 2. i added the "email me" button on the side of the page to the right...yeah! all by myself (it was not so easy for a non-techno geek to figure out...so go ahead give it a shot). my hubbie gave me my b-day presents...which included a Hello Kitty watch and Hello Kitty pj pants (oh yeah when you turn 30 you can still wear Hello Kitty-rock on). and we went out for sushi last night...C.J. said "want some su-shi. need some su-shi" and he ate 4 pieces (and then fried rice and chicken and veggies and orange AND THEN cookies when we got home). i love it that my 2 year old loves sushi! and i went to the dr. today for more bloodwork and a clomid refill. Is anybody else taking this stuff?...agh...i think it makes PMS look like a bright sunny day.

Surprise!

Thank you so much to all of my friends and family who were in on the big surprise! It was great to see you...and your little ones. If you were at the party...you hold a soft spot in my heart.

What's up with the coke? Click on the picture to see.

Pocket Car Organizer

I saw a pocket organizer browsing blogs this a.m. while the rest of my house was still asleep. We need one. I have a canvas crate in front of C.J.'s seat in the car and he is big enough to climb in the car if I would move it out of the way. So...I dug through my fabric...and whipped one up. I didn't use a tutorial...but you can...I found one for you at The May Fly:

http://www.themayfly.com/weblog/2007/10/the_car_organizer_howto.html

Now the wipes, books, cars, trucks, footballs, spoons, goldfish snacks, and extra pacifiers are off the floor.

Dipped Strawberries ! ! !

Ding Dong...we hear at the door this morning aournd 10:00. A delivery for me? Hmmm must have something to do with my birthday around the corner! Open package...what is it? Oh wow! Huge chocolate dipped strawberries from my Dad, Big Daddy. Thank you Dad. They are awesome. You are sweet and you are a good man. i love you too.

Bad Recipes

ok...I don't like to cook, but i wish i could cook good food? lets just say if i ever win the powerball lottery i will never cook supper again (breakfast and grilled turkey and cheese for lunch i can handle). so i get in moods and try new recipes. my mom got me Jessica Seinfelds cookbook Deceptively Delicious last year...this week i tried the Blueberry Oatmeal Bars...YUCk...super dry...like an oatmeal desert not dessert in your mouth...we choked it down with ice cream. then tonight i tried the chocolate chip cookies with chickpeas in them...gross...super salty chickpeas in cakey cookies...what a waste of chocolate chips...and because these have chocolate in them i can't even feed them to Avery, our dog. i usually write in the books by the recipes after i make them...so i know what to do differently the next time i make it or to avoid it all together. AVOID THESE!

Ps...to Mom, Cassie & Jake...yes i actually followed both of the recipes to the T...i didn't add anything crazy like french vanilla creamer to tuna helper because we had no milk...i was in college and very hungry when that happened. can we move on from that?

Super Cute Valentines FREE ! ! !

Thanks My Penny Pile for the tip

Cut and paste http://www.mypennypile.com/ (or on side bar to the right under Daily Favorites):

Absolutely free and shipping is free too...6 cute photo Valentines...I ordered 6...and you don't even put in your credit card info...and I plan to frame one! (If you are too be sure and add 2009 with your Child's name) There are 9 styles to chose from! Enter Valentine as the code.

Please jump to My Penny Pile for the link.

Potty Training

No crafts today people...we are potty training. Wish me luck...we did check the Farmers Almanic and today through the 30th are the days. (He is waving by the way)

Celebration & Thanks

With all of the celebrating in Washington D.C. this week...it was good to know that there were times of Thanks in Texas. See the Blonde Kid Welcoming George W. back to Texas...that is my double 1st cousin Mark. Thanks Mark for sharing your celebration and Thanks for going to says Thanks! I love you Mark and W.

Picture 1-Mark Welcoming George W. back to Texas.
Picture 2-Mark mugging with his friend in front of Air Force One.
Picture 3-Proof this is my cousin...at his weeding in Texas last January.

I'm jealous. Can you tell?

Kisses Signs

I had some old signs that I made 6, 7, 8 years ago (one said Good Morning/the other Good Bye)(I made them to hang on the doors in my apartment when I was single ok...anyway)...that were not being used now...so I spray painted them white...and made them Valentine Signs.

Fabric Framed Love

True Up a fabric website...I run across ocasionally (yesterday) has a cool banner...the words are in fabric:

http://www.trueup.net/

I thought hmmm I'll try letters in fabric too...on another Valentine project. So I went to the art bedroom and took down an old frame of Cow Parade that I made...6, 7, 8 years ago and began painting. Quite easy...painted the mat frame red...then glued fabric scraps on it...covered the back with red linen and glued on L-O-V-E...a quick bow and find a place to hang it.

C.J. was into Thomas the Train today...we got the trains down and he wanted me to blow the whistle (I got to hold it...see it is on the island with my fabric scraps) and shout "All Aboard" every once in a while. Then he wanted to wear the Thomas backpack that we keep the trains in. I put it on him and he said "Moma, drive school bus"...it made me sad for a second...because I knew what he meant...it meant he wanted to ride the school bus because he had a backpack on. Wow that is the 1st time I've thought about him going to kindergarten. I'm so glad that is almost 4 years away.

Martha Scarf

A Paisley Scarf is what Martha Stewart called it on her show...because she used Paisley silk and cashmere...I used...minky and polka dot cotton. These are super easy...it is just a short scarf with a huge button hole cut in one end...to pull the other end through...the link:

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/making-a-paisley-scarf?lnc=6de6802fb632c110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRDll

Framed Love

A Super Easy Project...I'd seen something like this back in December at Just a Girl and stored it away in my brain because it is too easy not to have some for all holidays!:

http://j-a-girl.blogspot.com/2008/12/because-im-not-busy-enough.html

Grab an old frame...some scrap paper...a wooden word for $00.50 at the craft store...some scissors and glue. Trace the glass on the paper...cut out a few hearts in a coordinating paper...put in frame...glue word on outside of glass...find a good place to put it. Get in the Valentine Mood.

(The so cute new apron with polka dots and ruffles is from my friend Suzanne! Thank you! I love it!)

A similar more time consuming framed paper idea: On Martha Stewart they also made scrapbook Paper Landscapes and framed them...I'll try those soon also:

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/scrapbook-paper-landscapes?lnc=535a7dbc53cee010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=taxonomylist_crafts_paper-crafts

Japanese Knot Bag

What the heck? Yeah it does look funny...but it is made correctly. It is a Japanese Knot Bag. I found it on the awesome list of tutorials. This one is from:

Helen Heath at http://showyourworkings.wordpress.com/tutorials/ Her bag is copywritten.

One that is not copywritten can be found at http://with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-make-japanese-knot-bag.html And she explains how to finish the handles?

The tutorial seem a bit confusing...but I made it through on the first attempt. This is one bag shown. 4 pieces of material...It is reversible. Cool huh. (And I did add a cardboard disk for stability...the tut wasn't clear on this...just take it out when you reverse the purse and put it back in? or add another hidden layer and then you can't pull it through the handle to turn? anywho) If you are going without your tot...throw your keys, cell, lipgloss and wallet in and head to Kroger. Like it or love it?

Fabric is by Tina Givens in the AnnaBella Collection.