Toasty Tootsies..Adult Style

I did the fleece slippers for my boys (and girls) shop, GriffinGear and decided I needed some for the larger footed adults in the world, so, new from my shop Pandys, adult fleece slippers. You pick the size and color and I do the rest.

My husband told me my old slippers gave him the creeps. They were the suede ones with the fake sheepskin lining. Very warm, but he said that's what his mom wore. I had another pair that were more of a slide slipper. I hated the fwap, fwap, fwap noise they made. And, for those of you that know me....I am not the most organized and tend to take things off here and there and never remember where I left my shoes, keys, wallet, phone, etc. So, I can run downstairs, slip on rainboots or winter boots, do what I have to do, then take my boots off and I still have my slippers on my feet. Can't do that with other types of slippers.

Fleece Slippers

I have listed a new item today..for babies, kids and adults....Fleece Slippers. You pick the size and color...and I make the slippers. How cool is that? They are easy to slip on and off...I have a pair and I slip on my winter boots, rain boots..whatever..with them on, then when I come back in the house, I already have my slippers on. Yes, I am all about convenience (or, you could say I'm lazy, depends on your perspective!)

Not only are they fun to make, I LOVE working with people to create something special, something just for them.

Fall is Gorgeous

Today was a perfect fall day....sunny day, crisp breeze.....we walked to both schools this morning, I raked leaves for a while, walked to get both kids after school...they love fall, too. They dragged their feet through the piles of leaves on the side of the road, enjoyed the breeze...they are so fun to watch.

After the past few weeks of sewing like a mad fool for the craft fair, this week I'm doing whatever my kids want...within reason. Yesterday we played Clifford Bingo, Clue, Jr., Ear Tug, Cootie, Ants in the Pants and Go Fish. We read lots of stories, built great towers out of cardboard blocks to house both Barbie and trains, and just had fun. We also went to the Veteran's Day Parade to pay our respects to those Veteran's who fought for our country's values.

I've also decided that after the kids go to bed, I'll sew for a bit, but I also need to take some time for myself. Read a book, watch TV or knit. Last winter I taught myself how to knit, but stopped over the summer. Now that fall's back, it's dark sooner, the needles are calling my name. So, later tonight, after the dishes have been done, the living room vaccuumed and the kitchen straightened up, I'll be having a cup of tea, watching Bones and working on a scarf for my daughter. It's got dropped stitches and a few mistakes. It's also got so much love in it, the mistakes just don't matter.

My Craft Fair Booth

This year, I set up alone. This year, I had different items than I usually have. This year, I used the entire 3 hours getting set up. The walls went up in 15 minutes. Then came the rest of it. I moved things, I put up a table, took down a table, put the table in, took it back out. Thought I was doing the Hokey Pokey. I even turned around a few times out of frustration.

My trash picked rack worked well for the clothing. I realized the supports we use for the walls make great display racks, and that clothespins are excellent clips. They even held things on the wooden crates.

Craft Fair Observations

I did a craft fair yesterday. It was a lot of work and I got up way too early, but it was fun. The people watching is always entertaining. I have a few observations to share.

1. If you are over the age of 8 years old and choose to wear Crocs out in public, please opt to leave the ones with the little decorations at home.

2. Backpacks are a great idea! You are able to carry your purchases and leave your hands free. However, remember that your back sticks out a lot further than normal. My booth walls do not have updated vehicle technology and will not beep to alert you that your backpack is too close. My booth is not a permanant structure and can be knocked down.

3. I understand setting can be stressful and annoying. I know many of us stay up waaaay too late the night before working on items (funny, for me, those items NEVER are the ones that sell) and get up very early to set up for the show. However, if I'm by myself and putting up fabric on the outside of my booth (I use thumbtacks and timed myself-under 7 minutes for all 3 sides) and I'm in your space, please don't whack me with your table and mutter under your breath. Offer to help or just keep quiet. I have the same amount of time that you have and I'm going as fast as I can. But, at the same time, don't leave all of YOUR boxes, etc. sprawled in the aisle all the way across so that I have to go all the way around to get my set up pieces in.

4. I totally understand making the rounds and looking at every booth and table before selecting items to purchase. Coming back and purchasing items from me is great. Telling me that my craftsmanship is amazing and my items are of a much better quality than what you've seen in other booths is wonderful. Dragging your friend back to purchase my items, saying, no really, you have to see what this woman has...the quality is top notch....is priceless.

I also met some other etsy sellers, however, that will be a feature for another day. I have pictures but have to unpack my camera first! Stay tuned.

Fall is in the air

It's fall. The lawn is covered with leaves. We carved our pumpkin last night. In honor of Sarah's "gone tooth" I made our jack-o-lantern's smile mimic hers, with a gone tooth also.

On the etsy side of things, I had 2 sales yesterday! I sold the first pair of slocks I had listed and a fleece watch cap. I guess everyone else is feeling the nip in the air.

And, it's craft fair season. I've been sewing like a mad fool to get inventory built up for the Memorial High School Booster Club craft fair on November 8th. I have to get up very early to set up (I much prefer evening set up) but since this one is about 1/4 mile from the house, it's not so bad.

Off to the sewing machine.

Happy Fall!

Life Thoughts..Random Events or Master Plan?

It's a gray, damp, chilly fall day. Good for staying in bed, curling up on the couch with a good book and a cat. Not in this house! I had my daughter's first parent teacher conference for kindergarten. Some of you may know that the whole kid thing was a foreign concept to me until I had my own. I was a little apprehensive walking in-if there was something lacking in my daughter's school performance, of course I was going to look to myself as the cause.

I sat down and the teacher told me my daughter was intelligent, incredibly creative, very willing to learn, did her work very quickly and tended to wander..so I asked what I needed to be doing to help her in school. Imagine my suprise (and pleasure) when the teacher said, do not change a thing. You are doing an amazing job enriching her in things outside of school. You are keeping her creative spirit alive.

Then, I come home and see that I have had a comment on my blog about George, my "helper" from a woman who used to work at the animal shelter where he and Gracie came from. Yes, I still keep in touch 2 years later. The funny thing? I've never met this woman. We talked on the phone a few times. She and I have a connection. Gracie. She and I both saw Gracie for what she truly is, a very shy, timid yet incredibly loving and friendly cat. I couldn't leave her at the shelter, even though she didn't want to be touched and stayed in the back of the cage. Even though this woman has moved to the other side of the country, we will keep in touch through something as seemingling mundane as a black long haired cat picked off the street.

So, was it fate or was it the Master Plan that me, a somewhat disorganized, creative person had 2 creative, inquisitive children? Was it fate or was it the Master Plan that I walked into the Animal Shelter that day, 2 years ago, and the cat room we were supposed to go in was being cleaned, so we went into the smaller room? Either way, I have been incredibly blessed with 2 amazing children, the friendship of a woman 200 miles away and the love of a stocky little black cat.

Photographs are So Important

When listing items on etsy, the potential buyer cannot pick up the item, look at it from all sides. Their only visual is the photographs. I think the images used to represent an item are actually more important than the actual item. The most carefully created item with impeccable attention to detail will never show these qualities to anyone if the picture is mediocre.

I suffer from Mediocre at Best Photographic Syndrome. I am working very hard at overcoming this affliction. However, I don't have a super fancy camera or a great location or an elaborate light box set up. I also don't always have the luxury of photographing items outside in optimum light. I use what I can find, wherever I happen to be. Some of my shots are pretty darn good, but they were taken outside, or at a location I just happened to be at...in short, not something I can use on a consistent basis.

So, what now? Getting creative is the key. I took pictures of my new smoosh hat inside, since when I had a few minutes it was 10:30 at night. Using 2 pieces of foamboard for the background, I got on the floor and moved this way and that way to show the hat but not the worn upholstery on the recliner that the foam board was leaning up against. I also wanted to avoid showing the shelf of coloring books and crayons next to the chair. As I was rolling around on the floor, I accidentally snapped a picture of the hat. It wasn't straight. It was tilted. It was pretty arty/creative looking. It was click worthy to me. It became the first photograph of my new hat.

Falling Leaves

The leaves have changed color and are now falling gently to the ground. My children have been waiting for this. They dug out their kid sized rakes and look out the window every morning. "Mummy, can we rake yet?" has been a familiar refrain in our house.

Stupid me. Here I thought the kids really were into helping with yard work. Ah, no. We go outside yesterday, with rakes in hand. Sarah runs around, drops her rake on my foot and says, I'm going on the swingset. Let me know when you've gotten a pile of leaves big enough for me to jump in.

Friends

I consider myself to be somewhat of a hermit...I am very outgoing and social when I want to be, but when I'm home, I don't like to be bothered. I'm not one for calling friends to get together to do this or that, if there is something I want to do, I will go and do it by myself and have a great time. I even say I really don't have a lot of friends.

That changed the other night. I was on Facebook and sleep deprived (always entertaining) and making silly, inane comments on people's walls. Some of these people are fellow etsy sellers I've never ever met. Some were passing acquaintances, some were friends, but most of them I have not seen in at least a year or more. However, we were all silly and having a good time and laughing at the same things. It made me realize what friends really are. They aren't the people who live nearby, the ones you see in your day to day life. They don't need to be called or seen face to face. They are the ones that you may not see for years and years and years, or, in the case of my etsy friends, people I have never met. But, they are there when you need them, they appreciate your unique qualities and most of all, have fun and lots of laughs when you get together, whether in real life or on line.

I didn't realize it, but I have lots and lots and lots of friends, and even more importantly, I realized I am a friend to lots and lots and lots of other people.

So, to my friends...whether near or far, on line or in real life...thank you.

No Wonder it Takes Me Forever to Accomplish Things

So, I've made some new items. In order to list them, they need to be photographed. Pretty self explanatory. Not a HUGE amount of time involved.....but, the bulb was broken on my "location" lamp, there was just a little bit of glass left, my husband was actually home, so I sent him off in search of the appropriate tools to remove the remains of the old bulb. I replaced the bulb, set up my white box and prepared to take some photographs.

All of a sudden, there was more than I anticipated in the shot. I removed my helper and he came back. Again. And again. And again. Finally, I said what the heck and shot the picture with him in it. Once I stopped asking him to leave, it was no longer a game and he went off to wreak havoc elsewhere.

Better than Winning a Prize

My friend pinkquartzminerals.etsy.com is having a GREAT raffle in her shop. No, I didn't win the prize....she asked me if I would provide a beer quilt as a runner up prize. How totally cool is that? I was very honored! I always feel really good when someone purchases one of my items, but to have been asked to provide an item for her raffle was wonderful.

Of course, if you are interested in mineral makeup, her product is THE ONLY way to go. I have very dry, sensitive skin and was told by everyone mineral makeup would accentuate my fine wrinkles. Yeah, maybe, but not pinkquartzminerals makeup. After sending some close up pictures of my face, I received samples of the products that would be best for my skin tone. Not only did I receive detailed directions, I also was able to ask many questions-and got answers very quickly.

Interested in trying mineral makeup? Check out pinkquartzminerals.etsy.com. You may win $200 in free makeup, you may win a beer quilt....but you will DEFINITLELY win smoother, healthier skin and a look that doesn't scream I'M WEARING MAKEUP.

Okay, I've HAD it!

I hate laundry. It's a never ending chore, you lug it to the washer, sort it, wash it, dry it, fold it, put it away....and it's NEVER done. Ever.

so, I'm proposing National Nudity. Now, I know it could get a little chilly around here in the winter, so yeah, clothing would be necessary. But, on those temperate days, going au naturel would really make the laundry problem so much easier to deal with! And, think of all the time you'd save in the morning by not having to waste time staring at your closet!

Anyone else with me on this?

Manic Monday!

So, I blogged twice on Saturday, so I took yesterday off! We went to put the Star away, the one I sail is already tucked away for the winter, the one Michael sails needed to be put away. I realized that a sailboat is not just for sailing..it's a GREAT prop for new product pictures.

This morning, I held a sign for a candidate at a predebate rally. It was chilly, breezy and I was in the shade. Without my mittens. They were on the kitchen counter. My fingers have finally warmed up.

I realized a few things. When you are standing with people holding signs of the opposing candidate, it's obvious we aren't all going to agree on politics, so don't bring it up. I had fun chatting and playing word games with everyone.

I also saw someone start grilling the supporters about their candidate. Um.....not cool. The candidates are debating, not the supporters. To me, it was tacky, crass and totally not necessary.

Unofficial poll results.....equal amounts of Democrats and Republicans drink tea. Who makes the best tea for drive-thru venues? It was a landslide. Dunkin Donuts. Absolutely NO coffee taste in the tea.

The Potluck Brownies

It's 3:30, we are going to 4:00 Mass, they are blessing the Catechists. I'm teaching Little Lambs this year....it's the little kids that go downstairs for age appropriate readings and activities during the readings, gospel and homily. I figure my kids are holy terrors, so I'd be a teacher and have to deal with them myself.

Anyway, I am sewing, Michael comes home and says, what happened to the brownies....I come flying down the stairs and see that my darling daughter, who was angry that I wouldn't let her eat the brownies...poked holes in them with a wooden spoon, as they were cooling. There was no time to do anything about it, so I packaged them up and took them. Holey brownies or holy brownies...they were going to a church function, after all.

Everyone laughed about them, said they were delicious and they were all eaten. She was all smiles..however, I told her if she did it again she was in HUGE trouble.

Sunny Saturday

My headache, dizziness and nausea are GONE! But, I have a major muscle spasm going down my back. I really think the cause was the other day when my son jumped on my neck. So, I've done some hot packs, Advil (not as frequent) and am going to be careful today.

The plan for today:
1. Make brownies for potluck dinner
2. Go to preschool bookfair at Barnes and Noble at 10:30 AM (leaving credit card at home, taking cash only
3. Try to have both kids and me out of Barnes and Noble by 3:00 PM
4. Sew for a bit, if time allows, but ONLY in 15 minute increments....don't need to aggravate neck.

Finally Friday!

And I had my migraine come back last night with dizziness and nausea. Slept on the couch a la college days....one foot on the floor, to counteract the spins. It's better today....I remembered Griffin jumped on my neck the other day at the playground and I stopped taking Advil yesterday because my migraine was going away and now my neck really hurts, so I think this is related to the neck thing.

Not getting any sewing done, but that's okay. Hopefully tomorrow. Michael is cutting wood and the kids and I are going to Barnes and Noble for a fundraiser for preschool.

Here are the bets
1. How many books am I going to buy (remember, I'm on a tight budget)
2. How long is it going to take and how loud is it going to get when I have to pry Griffin away from the Thomas the Tank Engine corner?

Thursday...

is a rainy, gray, lazy kind of day. We didn't do too much, read stories, watched TV, played, colored and now I'm thinking about dinner.

I did get a pair of slipper socks for me made last night...LOVE them. I used thin fleece and I had them on this morning...popped my rain boots on to walk Sarah to school...they weren't too big and bulky, and then, when I took off my boots, I had something to walk around the house in already. Tried a pair in kids size today, tried to modify it....why don't I just leave things alone that are working?

Oh, and I joined twitter last night. Still not really sure what I am doing with it, but something new and exciting to check out on my sidebar...

Wednesday.....

It's the middle of the week. I've kept up with the major purging of crap I did over the weekend..I think because I got rid of so much, there isn't much left to spread about. I'm going to try and sew today, but I have a migraine simmering....and it's a gorgeous bright sunny warm fall day..the kids want to go outside, but the light, even with sunglasses and a hat, is very painful. I want to be outside enjoying this beautiful day myself......

What did I get done?

My 3 days are done. I got absolutely ZERO sewing done, in fact, I think I broke my machine trying to fix one little seam. That will be tackled later.

Yesterday, I ran some errands, got a start on birthday and Christmas shopping and could not believe all the traffic! I went to my parents house at the lake...it's so pretty on the water with the leaves changing. The kids were very happy to see me. Mom was nice enough to model for some updated pictures for my shop. I helped them with some winterizing-putting the patio furniture away, covering the planters with plastic (and, in case you are wondering, string DOES float) and cutting back the perennials and little trees growing in the garden. That was interesting. Mom said don't worry about the stuff on the rock wall. But, I thought I could get some of it. The rock wall is the edge of the garden. The rock wall doesn't go up, the rock wall goes about 4 feet down into the lake. Another little tidbit of info that I will share-pine needles are VERY slippery. I stayed dry, but I bruised my bum.

I got the kids all organized and we came home. Of course, they slept the entire ride home and were totally recharged when we got home at 5:30. Hopefully tonight they will go to bed much earlier-and easier!

Day 2 Update, Day 3 Plan

Okay, so yesterday....I thought I could clean out the file cabinet, clean off the desk and floor in the den and it would take about 2 hours. Yeah, right.

First off, the filing cabinet was broken so I had to break it to open it. I never cleaned out 2007 to file 2008. However, the filing cabinet was purchased before we got married in 2001, so there was A LOT in there. I tossed manuals from items we don't own anymore, product registration cards I never sent in...and, please, tell me WHY I still have the printout from my bridal registries AND baby registry? Yeah, are you getting the picture?

So, after 5 1/2 hours of work, everything is sorted and put away. Remember all of my efforts in the nice clean organized trash room? Well, you really can't walk through there again, but only because of the paper grocery bags of recyclables, the broken file cabinet and 4 smooshed cardboard boxes!

I also cleaned out the den closet, the "just cram it in there" closet. Now, the kids card table and chairs and their easel is in there, neatly, along with the vaccuum cleaner and carpet shampooer. My desk is clutter free (it needs to be cleaned but I only have so much energy/motivation in a day) and right now, I'm using the keyboard, on the tray, and nothing fell when I pulled it out. I also pushed my chair back and pulled it back in, just because I could do it. There is nothing on the floor to hamper it's movement!!!!!!

Now, I'm off to the lake to get my children. No sewing got done this weekend, but a lot of work was accomplished and I feel much more calm, organized and focused. I'll sew tonight as I watch Dancing with the Stars.

Day 2

I had grandiose plans for yesterday....here is what happened
1. Was out of mailers, so didn't package order. Drove by PO, line was HUGE. Will deal with that on Tuesday.
2. Already listed item
3. Made it to fabric store, and, (drumroll please) KEPT TO THE LIST
4. Took pictures of hat and 2 earbands, however, Bogart the Lion wasn't here and he has already left for the night, so I will need to think of something else. Hat pictures need to be redone.
5. Did not tweak shawl
6. Cut out couch sack, had to rewash and dry ribbing (THANKS GEORGE)
7. Did 3 1/2 loads of laundry-washed, dried, folded and put away
8. Went to grocery store, skipped CVS-realized I didn't need anything and the $4 off any purchase of $20 or more really was going to be more of a waste of time, gas, etc.
9. Had lunch at home, saving more time and $$.
10. Never made the walk..

HOWEVER...
I spent 3 1/2 hours cleaning/straightening the work room/trash room AND the cellar. We come in through the garage into the work room, then into the cellar where we (In theory) hang up coats, bags, stow shoes in cubbies, sort laundry, store excess food, chest freezer is there, along with the woodstove and woodbox. So, you can imagine the magnitude of dirt, dust, clutter, trash and just CRAP I had to deal with. Then, it took me 45 minutes to put away everything that was downstairs that belonged on the other 2 floors.

So, did I get my list done? No. But, I got more done that wasn't on the list. Instead of doing things for ME, I did things that made me happy but also was a benefit to the rest of the family, so I feel like I made way more progress that if I had done my list.

Today's list...
Swamp out the den...
1. Clean out 2007 from filing cabinet, make room to file 2008
2. Excavate pile of crap that is supporting computer-I know there is a desk under there somewhere
3. Put books back on bookshelf, clean crap out of closet to put kids card table and chairs and easel, so they can be OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR.
4. Read the Sunday paper
5. Try this time for myself I've heard so much about......

My 3 Day Plan (Day 1)

My husband just took my children to his mother's house. He is going to be cutting wood all day. It's 8:45 AM..they will probably be home AFTER dinner. Tomorrow, we got to church in the morning, then in the afternoon, he is cutting wood again, but taking my children to my parents house...to spend the night. I will be going up to get them on Monday, not sure when yet.

So, I have quite a chunk of child free time....my plan for today is
1. Package and mail an order
2. List a new scarf in Griffin Gear (done already)
3. Go to the fabric store and KEEP TO THE LIST
4. Take pictures of an adult fleece hat, adult earband and children's earband
5. Redo pictures of pillow/throw
6. Tweak Hot Chocolate Scarf (I've decided I am not thrilled with the pockets)
7. Make a couch sack
8. Fold all laundry that's dry, wash and dry at least 2 loads
9. Go to CVS and grocery store
10. Get lunch at favorite sub shop
11. Go for a walk

The plan for Day 2 and 3 directly hinges upon the things that get accomplished today. Stay tuned-I'll try and update this evening so we can all track my progress (or lack thereof)

I think I'm going to go brush my teeth and get dressed and head out the door. I don't want to lose track of time and be rushing to make the Post Office before it closes...and have fleece scraps stuck to my butt, measuring tape around my neck, pins stuck in my shirt hem....and a marking pencil as a hair stick....

Oh, ick

so, I did a new listing for my shop, http://pandys.etsy.com and in my head and in my living room, it's a GREAT item...a fleece throw that you can fold into a pillow. (I call it the Secret Stash Pillow/Throw) Keeps the couch neat. Well, trying to take pictures that showed what it was proved to be quite challenging. In fact, almost impossible!!!!! I am going to try again tomorrow to take pictures outside. It's supposed to be a nice, crisp, sunny fall day in New Hampshire.

So, the question of the day is this.....how do you make oatmeal colored fleece look exciting and vibrant? Yeah. Tough question.

My First Garbage Picking Expedition

Okay, so, this is blog post number 3 in as many days. If that isn't enough to make you feel an attack of the vapors coming, this will. I garbage picked. Yup, I did. I have never, ever done that before. However, I was walking home from dropping the kids off at school yesterday. It was garbage day and there was this thing that kind of looked like really small parallel bars, on wheels. I need a rack to hang the clothing for my craft fair booth.....this thing is about 3 feet long, about a foot wide and the 2 bars are probably boob height on me, so less than 4 feet from the ground. Perfect to hang clothing for children..at their level.

So, here I am walking over 1/2 mile home, pushing this contraption. Normally, I see no one on my way home. Not yesterday! Three different people were doing yardwork, 2people were walking (and dogs DO NOT like this thing coming at them) and then, as I went to cross the last road to my street, 2 of the other preschool moms went jogging by. I was stopped to let cars go, of course they saw me....they just looked and laughed, as did I.

We shall see how this works...if it doesn't work, well, I'll just put it at the end of my driveway next Wednesday. Who knows where it will end up next!

Two Days in a Row?

Yup. This makes 2 days in a row of updating my blog. And, I have also listed new items in each shop. I love the lime green ear band I listed in GriffinGear. I love the Hot Chocolate Shawl I listed in pandys, however, I was the model and I'm not a fan of using myself. I don't like pictures of me...and as a model, well, how do you stand, what do you do with your hands, where do you look, do you smile, do you keep a straight face? Too many options.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Okay, so it's October. Where did September go? After Labor Day, I was going to be updating my blog daily, with pictures. (great idea on paper....) so, school is going well for the kids, I walk 19 miles a week, they each walk 9.5.

My son has already had his first bout of asthma/persistent croup. Not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but I was able to keep on top of it and avoid an ER visit and hospital admission.

We entered things in the Deerfield Fair. I got a blue ribbon for a bag and a quilt, and a blue ribbon for a loaf of white bread. The kids got third place for their gourds (it was a wet summer) Griffin got a blue for his drawing and Sarah got a red. They both got first prize for their painted pumpkins.

We ripped out the stinky living room rug, sanded the plywood subfloor, painted the walls and ceiling a rich dark brown, the trim a cream color and the floor somewhere between the two, and got an area rug. Living room looks much more clean, less cluttered...and best of all..NO MORE STINKY, STAINED RUG.

So, I guess I have been busy, so neglecting my blog doesn't seem so bad. I'll try to keep up more often.......

The First Day of School

Yesterday was the first day of kindergarten for my daughter. She was very nervous, understandably. I couldn't go in with her to help her get settled. All the other kids were sticking pretty close to their parents. The bell rang and the teacher had the kids line up. She just looked at me and stood there. Her teacher opened the door and said, okay children, go hang up your backpacks and put on your nametags and the door closed. She went right in without a backward glance. I cried. I admit it. And, I wasn't alone!

I then walked my son to his first day of preschool, but he has the same teachers as last year, in the same classroom at the same school, so that was actually fun. It was nice to see everyone again.

When I picked up my daughter, she came running up to me with a big smile on her face and said, Mummy, you were right, I had so much fun. Kindergarten is GREAT. See this sticker? I got a red smile face sticker because I sat when I was supposed to and I listed and did was I was supposed to. Then, on the way home, she told me all about the things they did and how her day went. She can't wait to go back.

At preschool, my son saw me and came running up to me. I bent down to give him a hug, but he said, where is Sarah? and I pointed and he blew right by me and ran over to give her a hug and ask her how kindergarten was in the big kids school.

How NOT to cook Au Gratin Potatoes

It's been a busy summer...but Labor Day was Monday, so we are now home again, trying to organize and sort all of the stuff we've had in the car, the truck, at the lake, etc for the summer. After Labor Day means real food, real cooking.......so....

Tonight, I thought grilled ham, au gratin potatoes (yes, from the box) and salad would be a lovely dinner. I preheated the oven, boiled the water, measured out the milk and butter, mixed the water, butter, milk and cheese sauce and stirred in the dried potatoe slices and waited for the oven to preheat.

All of a sudden, I smelled this awful smell......and went into the kitchen to see a glow in my oven door. I know the light bulb has burned out....it was a french fry, fully engulfed in flames. I turned off the oven, grabbed the baking soda, opened the door and tossed in a few handfuls. Fire went right out. Kitchen was a bit stinky.

What to do now? Oh, look, there are microwave directions on the box of potatoes. It says to not put the milk in (2/3 cup) til the water, cheese, butter and potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes. I dumped it all in a larger dish and popped it in the microwave. 2/3 cup milk can't make that much of a difference, right?

Well, after wiping the baking soda out of the oven and cleaning up milk/butter/cheese/water from the plate in the microwave, I think I would have been better off ordering pizza......

I Hate Modern Conveniences.....

Normally, I dry our clothes on drying racks..either outside in the warmer months, or in the cellar, next to the woodstove in the winter. I just use the dryer for sheets, towels and fabric. This summer has been very, very wet. 11 of hte past 14 days have seen at least 1/2" of rain. Clothes aren't drying on the racks. Went to use the dryer last week. It ran, it produced heat. It didn't tumble. When Michael finally had a chance to take it apart, the belt was broken. I was lucky enough to find a replacement belt at a local appliance store (no big chain) and he put it in and the dryer works fine. However, I was over a week with no dryer. I had laundry on racks, sheets and towels over the doors, banister, chairs, mirrors, I even put a sheet in the refrigerator door, put a chair in front of the fridge to keep it closed and draped the sheet over the chair.

Of course, nothing dried properly and I ended up washing everything. Again. I never thought I would be so happy to hear my dryer going around and around and around.

Then, last night, I went to the fabric store with the kids. It was dark when we came out. Got in the car. Put key in the ignition. Turned key. Lights came on, radio came on. Car made NO noise. Called for a tow, called Michael, who was actually on his way home..to come rescue freaking out children. As we were sitting there, I heard a click and the lights flickered for just an instant. I tried the car again. It started. Cancelled tow, called Michael.

I took the car in today..there is a bad spot on the starter. It will start 99% of the time, but with 2 little kids, I'm not risking that 1%. With my luck, it will be 10 degrees, dark and in the middle of no where with no cell service.

So, I went to another fabric store that's closing. Was going to take advantage of their 50% off sale, but since the car repair was substantial, I just got the few things I needed and came home.

Ranch Dressing Does Not Make Good Body Paint...

These are the words that came out of my son's mouth as he came down stairs, all red, blotchy and itchy. For some reason, he thought he'd take the ranch dressing up into the bath tub and paint himself. He started to itch, turned on the water to rinse himself off...and it didn't work. On the positive side, the mess was contained to the bathtub. On the negative side, somehow he got the dressing in a spot he shouldn't have.....and it was quite itchy. However, I wasn't going to be scratching in there!

Another lesson learned...bathroom cleaner does not cut through ranch dressing. It sort of clots it up, like curdled milk. Hot water and vinegar does the trick. I guess soap scum and Ranch dressing are 2 totally different entities, when it comes to cleaning........

Just when you don't have a spare second....

I sailed last Sunday. That's nothing new...however, instead of crewing the sailboat, I skippered. The boat I sail is a Star, a 2 man racing boat. As a crew, you are always moving around, adjusting this, checking that....but as a skipper, you really have to concentrate, watching the sails, the telltales, the wind, and steering accordingly. Sometimes very, very slight adjustments need to be made, sometimes faster, bigger adjustments are necessary. Adjusting too fast or too slow can slow your speed (or in my case, totally and completely stall the boat).

so, we sailed and I had so much fun.....then, when we were done, I got up and my back hurt, so I stretched the best I could and took some Advil. By Monday morning, I had the back spasm of the century. If I moved the wrong way, it felt like I had laid on an electic fence. Every once in a while, the muscles would spasm more and it was worse than labor pains.

I went to the doctor and got some muscle relaxants. They are helping. However, after 3 days of not being able to do anything at all.......no bending, lifting, moving quickly....the house is a disaster, the kids know I can't do anything, so they are taking advantage of that....I have no clean underwear..wearing a bathing suit today.....I have lots to catch up on this afternoon if the meds work.

On a good note.....I did find the 2 library books, missing since June...I was all set to go and 'fess up today and write a check to replace them, but now I don't have to!!!!!!!

I need a vacation from my vacation

We went to the lake on July 4th and came home the evening of July 13th. We stayed at my parents house....so we did laundry, had beds, food, etc....but it still took a few hours to pack....and I swear, the stuff tripled in amount as I'm unpacking. It's not like I had mountains of laundry to sort, or food and utensils to put away or anything.

I did take my sewing machine and made a hat for my son, a dress for my daughter and too big skirt for myself. I thought my waist was at my belly button, not the smallest part of my torso. That's okay, I can cut it down. The bummer is the zipper was practically perfect. No chance of that happening again any time soon!

So, I'm off to put away more clothing, books, sewing notions and fabric, shoes, bathing suits...and things I didn't even know I took with me!

Rewarding Loyal Buyers

Yesterday, while driving to and from swimming lessons, one hour each way, I got bored, my mind wandered and I came up with a great idea....reward loyal buyers. I have a wonderful friend who's son has impeccable taste...she has requested a custom order bathing suit. This will be her FIFTH purchase from my shop, http://GriffinGear.etsy.com. To reward her loyalty, she has joined the FREE SHIPPING CLUB. Any and all purchases from this point on will be shipped for free.

Please visit her shops at http://MyBestFriend.etsy.com and http://EnchantingEmporium.etsy.com

Crazy Weekend

It was a crazy weekend. My carpet shampooer died..it spurted all the soapy water onto the rug, but wouldn't suck it back up. It kinda sucks when your carpet shampooer DOESN'T suck. So, it was a fast trip to the vaccuum store to drop off the broken one and get a rental to eliminate the swamp that was my living room floor. The rental actually worked better than mine, but it was a big cumbersome to get out of the car and up the stairs into the house!

Saturday afternoon, my son had a birthday party. After the pinata was broken, he took all of his candy and sorted it on a cooler, pulled a lawn chair behind it, sat down and announced his candy store was open, $5 a piece. What a businessman, huh? (he's 4)

Yesterday, we went to the lake. My husband and I had a meeting, the kids swam and played in the water, then it rained...we drove home in torrential downpours. The kids thought we were driving under water! We came home, all hung out on the couch and watched a movie. That's not something we do on weekends in the summer, because we are usually not home! It was very relaxing and we all enjoyed the family time.

I even had time to make some new items for both of my shops...and thanks to my friend Nat for modeling the Fruit and Fiction tote.

Time Management

Is it just me, or are there others out there that have grandiose ideas and goals for productivity for the day and they never, ever pan out? I have been trying to keep track of how long it takes to lay out, cut out, pin and sew items, for time management and pricing (but the pricing thing is a story for another day). However, I still can not quite manage to accomplish what I think I can in the time allotted.

Sometimes the kids throw a monkey wrench into the schedule, sometimes I royally screw up and have to rip out a seam and resew it....or, like the other day, an important piece of equipment (my iron) dies or is lost. Yeah, I hear everyone saying, well, if you were just more organized.....but who has time to be organized when there isn't enough time to get things done to begin with?

Anyone have any suggestions for organizing, time management, etc?

Summer....

No school, no swimming lessons yet. So, you'd think I'd have tons of free time and be super organized with a clean house, weeded gardens and tons of stock for both shops ready and waiting to be listed! hahaha. What a joke. I think the lack of a schedule makes things harder. I'm much more apt to just waste time here and there because I don't have any place I have to be at any particular time.

Swimming starts next week, dance recital is next Saturday, and then sailing begins Saturdays and Sundays on July 4th. Crazy, busy hectic summer is here...hang on. It is so stressful and hectic for the the next 10 weeks...then, suddenly, it's Labor Day and time to put away boats, say goodbye to summer friends and return to "normal" for the winter.

Stay tuned....this serene approach to summer may not last......

Catching Up

Wow, what a weekend. We went to a wedding on Saturday...very good family friend got married. Finally. We were due for some nasty thunderstorms during the ceremony, but they went to the south. Good thing, because me and all my "restraint" would not have been able to keep a straight face (read that I'd be laughing out loud) if there were flashes of lightning and claps of thunder during the wedding).

On Sunday, mom, the kids and I visited my grandfather for Father's Day. We all had a good visit. My husband had 2 sailing races and won them both. I had a fever and felt like crap by the time we got home.

Monday I should have been unpacking and getting organized. Oh no. My cold went into my inner ear and I was soooo dizzy I couldn't even stand up. My kids were so good. They raided the fridge and would bring me snacks.

I was a bit better yesterday. Today I feel just about 100%....and the piles of laundry I have to scale to get anywhere in this house is a bit daunting. So, on that note, off to the laundry pit. Hopefully some sewing will occur later! Stay tuned for more creations.

I've Been Busy

I have new items in my etsy shops! First, the Color Outside the Lines Market Tote. Not only is it roomy enough for lots of groceries, but it has a firm bottom for easy packing and a moisture repellent liner, so spills wipe right out. And, as promised, Chapter 2 of "The Date" story. If you need Chapter 1, check out the Wild in The Street Market tote under my sold items in my etsy shop, http://pandys.etsy.com.

Then, in my other shop, GriffinGear, I have created the "Here I Am" line of hats and Tshirts....bright colors so that you can easily spot your children (big and small) at the beach, park, wherever! Just like "real" photographers, I did have a problem with a tempermental model. But, there are no labor unions at home, so he was replaced by his sister. Check it out here http://GriffinGear.etsy.com.

A Rose by Another Name.....

Would still have thorns! I am new to this whole rose thing, but I'm doing pretty well. My garden still looks good.....I'm slowly moving things and adding new things so that I have something blooming somewhere all the time. Last year, it started to peter out by now, so I'm happy.

The kids are really getting into it, too. We planted vegetables that we started as seeds inside and they have been diligently watering and checking for weeds. We did lose a few lettuce plants to mistaken identity.....

Summer Means Hot Weather, But

this is ridiculous! It's 97 degrees and humid. It's too hot to play outside. Kids are bored with being inside. It rained last week. It was too wet to play outside. Kids got bored being inside. Anyone see a trend here?

I was hoping to get some time to sew some more bathing suits and shorts for GriffinGear and tote bags and aprons for Pandys, but the kids want me to read to them, play with them....and I really can't say that I blame them.

I've been doing laundry, but it's not drying. I use drying racks and put them in the driveway in the spring/summer/fall. I hung out clothes yesterday morning. They were still damp when they came in last night. I put the racks out again this morning....clothes were not dry.

Rumor has it the weather is supposed to break tomorrow. I sure hope so...I need to take Sarah to dance class this afternoon and it's costume week. She needs her hair slicked back in a bun, full make up ....she's going to melt, I'm afraid.

What a Week..is it Friday yet?

Yesterday I had my annual mammogram. What fun. Why do they get you all arranged, boob in a vice...and then say don't move? Seriously, where are you going to go?

Today, I had to have a cavity redone. Again. The filling keeps breaking, the tooth has a crack. If this doesn't work, I'm going to need a crown.

But, I did manage to get another beer quilt made and listed....

Isn't He Sweet?

I know we all think our children are the cutest things on the planet....but my son, who is my model for GriffinGear has moments of extreme cuteness. I wanted him to sit on the retaining wall with the perennial bed in the background.....he kept walking and said, Mummy, I want to sit by the forget me nots. Then, as I'm taking the picture, he reaches around and picks one. As I took this picture, he was saying, Mummy, I picked this flower for you because I love you.

Third Time is a Charm!

I tried a green bathing suit..my son picked out some bright lime green fabric. First try....pattern directions were wrong. Went in the trash. Tried a second time with blue fabric. Don't ever use clear swimsuit elastic. You will want to strangle yourself with it. That one is a little odd, but he can wear it okay. I sure can't sell it, though! Third try....came out pretty well, I'd say!!!!!!

I just got sick of bathing suits for little boys that were covered in skulls, or were board short length....looked like capris on a little boy.

I Can't Believe I Forgot....

to take a tote with me when I went to the library. I mean, come on, I make them and sell them, I have 8 I have received as gifts or just acquired. You would think I would have them in every vehicle, at every door...just tons at my disposal. Nope.

Took the kids to the library today.....they each got 3 books, I got 6 books and was trying to navigate the busy downtown one way streets, the derelicts in the park across the street from the library, my books, the kids books and the kids. What a stressful 5 minutes from the library to the car.

I hope I'm never that forgetful again.

What a Day

We are out of school and still trying to figure out our "presummer" schedule. Not going as smoothly as I had hoped. Per usual, I'm not budgeting enough time for everything. My plan is to get up, put in a load of luandry, eat breakfast, read the paper, spend 15 minutes cleaning up breakfast and other miscellaneous straightening in the kitchen, then go upstairs, get dressed, make beds, brush teeth and hair...then do the day.

We did all that, then took out the kitchen scraps, turned the composter a few times, watered our poor thirsty Bachelor Button, Sunflower, Pumpkin and Gourd seedlings, folded a load of laundry, hung the wet laundry, grabbed our list of things we needed to do and headed out the door......2 hours after we got up!

I have decided to institute tickets to my children. They are going to start with 5 each in the morning. For every behavioral problem, they lose a ticket. For every wonderful thing, over and above the normal, they get a ticket. Tickets can be used for lots of things...one ticket can be used for 15 minutes of stories, 15 minutes of TV, or a board game or puzzle. We shall see! Of course, this all will depend on my being able to keep these tickets straight!

We have also been doing random 10 item clean ups throughout the day.....I'll just say pick up 10 things...we all do it, it takes 2 minutes and tends to keep the clutter at bay. We even headed into the dark abyss of the cellar, where the mountain of bags, backpacks, shoes, jackets and miscellaneous crap creates quite the challenge.......3 minutes and it made a difference!

Another Crazy Description

I've created something new and wrote a silly description....

Stovington Wellesley Hadley, known as Wells, was known for three things....first being the youngest lawyer ever to make partner at Biddle, Carson and Delaney, secondly, his twohanded backhand and lastly, the fact that he was always perfectly dressed. No one had ever seen him even unbutton his suit coat. Ever.

The reason for the first was graduating top 5 from Georgetown Law. The reason for the second was practice. Lots and lots of practice. The reason for the third, well......all through his years at Phillips Exeter Academy, amid all the lacrosse and crew, he had a secret wish.

All through his undergrad at Yale, pledging the fraternity, spending a year abroad in Europe, he had a secret wish.

Clerking part time through law school, spending lots of time on Capitol Hill, he had a secret wish.

Spending summers at the country club, whether on the tennis courts or in the bar, he had a secret wish.

Making partner, getting married, purchasing his brand new Mercedes, he had a secret wish.

He had always wanted to be one of the Bee Gees. This was not something he shared with a soul. Not his prep school roommate, his nanny, or his wife.

All throughout meetings, trials, depositions, Wells looked very preppy and conservative. No one knew he was secretly indulging his fantasy by wearing his Boogie Fever belt. He could think about strobe lights, spandex and Stayin' Alive all day long and no one would be the wiser.

What's your secret fantasy?

What a Day

Last night my daughter had her preschool graduation. She is going to be starting public kindergarten this fall. Today, my son had his musical celebration. Then, we went out for lunch. Rather emotional few days.....my babies are growing up, they won't see many of these kids again, some will be in junior high, some in high school together. The teachers are amazing, I will miss their help and guidance.

So, today, kids are tired, it's chilly and sprinkling off and on so I decide to go make a bathing suit. Can't find my elastic looking swimsuit elastic, I just have the clear swimsuit elastic, or so the package says. In reality, I have clear devil spawn. This elastic is so slippery it shifts when you try and sew the ends together with the machine, I tried hand sewing, it splits.

I hunted high and low in the sewing room for the other elastic. Can't find it. Found everything else that I've bought twice (or more) because I can't find it. I decided sewing is not in the cards today. We are playing board games and doing puzzles.

I'll try again tomorrow.

On the Edge

I've been trying to create something new for each store, each day. I've been trying to post something on my blog every day. I'm trying to get pictures organized and on flickr. I had to get teacher gifts done for both kids. I got the teachers gifts done and delivered today. My daughter's last day of school is today. She has her musical celebration tonight. My son had his last day of school yesterday. His celebration is tomorrow morning. I think, tonight, I'm just going to go to bed. I have been averaging about 5 hours sleep a night for far too long.

I'll play with the kids, putter in the gardens, avoid housework at all costs...but instead of staying up til all hours sewing, photographing and listing, I'm just going to take a few days off, sew when I can and start fresh next week. It is a holiday weekend, after all.........

Indecisive

Usually, I come up with an idea and look through my fabric stash and create something unique...or I see some fabric and it inspires me to turn it into something wonderful. This one particular piece of fabric has been annoyingly silent since it arrived. I like it, but it doesn't offer any suggestions and it's been really bugging me.

Now, as most of you creative types are well aware, supplies can take over your entire house. My fabric is oozing out of my sewing room, across the hall and is getting alarmingly close to my daughter's bedroom door. I decided I need to start creating with what I have rather than continually buying more really neat fabric (and no, it's not working. At all)

So, I spent a week staring at this fabric, keeping it in a ziplock bag while out and about, just in case. Still nothing. Disgusted, I tossed the bag on the cutting, ahem, dining table and it zipped right across the table and fell into a tub of fabric. Right on top was the nylon fabric I use for waterproof lining. The colors of the fabric looked good against the black of the lining. I knew I had a beige zipper in my zipper box.....how about a waterpoof lined pouch? Or should I wait and dig through ALL of my fabric and make a tote with it, a beer quilt, coasters?

I got disgusted with my self and just started cutting. I created a lovely pouch. I'm still not sure if that's what the fabric was supposed to be, though.

Giving My Other Shop Some Attention

For the past 2 days, I've been blogging about my silly little descriptions in my etsy shop, pandys. I also have another shop, GriffinGear. That one is apparel for boys.....I don't like the boys clothes now...too casual, too much camoflage and too much writing and advertising on everything.

So, I've started with fleece and flannel last fall, now I'm working on T shirts, hats, shorts, lightweight pants and shorts, and boys bags. Stay tuned......

More New Things and Creative Writing

I made some coasters for the season....Flag Themed....and had this funny little story going through my head....read on for the adventures of Uncle Stuart....and my goal of blogging EVERY day.

She opened her mailbox and saw the package from Pandys of Lake Sunapee. Ripping the envelope open, she grabbed the coasters and practically hugged them. Yes, Yes, Yes, she said, then looked around quickly to make sure no one had heard her.

Uncle Stuart, she thought to herself as she shook her head. She knew everyone had an Uncle Stuart, and all of her friends thought he was hilarious. He was in his late 60's but was so proud of his "summer car", a black Trans Am with the gold bird on the hood, just like the one in Smokey and the Bandit...complete with 8 track player. Yes, the car WAS in pristine condition, however....add in the white shoes, the polyester shirt with the flag print (thank God he had started buttoning the top 3 buttons in the last few years) and the ever present Binaca breath spray in his shirt pocket, and, well.......

Last year, at the Memorial Day cookout, Uncle Stuart had had a few too many and thought tossing her marble coasters into the pool for the kids to dive for would be a great game. Somehow, a wine glass ended up in the pool, too. Then on the Fourth of July, it had rained and the party was inside. Uncle Stuart had managed to push his coaster across her new alder dining table so hard it took 3 hours of sanding and 4 coats of urethane to repair the damage.

This year, she was taking no chances....the listing said the coasters were unbreakable, scratch proof and relatively safe as flying objects...they were considered kid proof. She just hoped they were Uncle Stuart proof.

New Things

I'm going to try and start keeping this blog more updated. I've been creating new items for both shops, and in my pandys shop, my new thing is very creative descriptions. I had a great time thinking up the story for my Wild in the Street Market tote....

She glanced at her watch nervously. Come on, come on she mumbled under her breath at the cars on the street. Seeing an opening, she bolted across 2 lanes of traffic to the farmers market. Her new boyfriend was going to be at her apartment in 30 minutes. She was cooking him dinner for the first time...and was running VERY late.

She walked up and down the aisles, checking each vendor's wares. She picked up some romaine and red leaf lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, onions.....further down, she added a nice loaf of poppy seed bread, a large bunch of celery and some strawberries. Okay, she thought, I can get home before he gets there. Grabbing a fresh squeezed lemonade, she hurried home. Not thinking, she tossed her empty cup into her Market Tote by Pandys of Lake Sunapee. The lemonade was gone, but the bottom of the cup was full of ice.

She ran up the stairs, unlocked the door and put her bags on the counter. She pulled out the vegetables and fruit. As she pulled out the loaf of bread, she realized the bag had ripped. Crumbs and poppyseeds littered the bottom of the bag. She then saw the lemonade cup on its side, the now melted ice slowly seeping across the bottom of the bag.

The doorbell rang. He was here. What to do? She quickly grabbed a towel and wiped out the bottom of the bag. Crumbs and water disappeared instantly. Hanging the bag on the rack next to the door, she smoothed her hair, took a deep breath, and with a shaky hand, reached for the door knob............................

and now that it's sold, I need to make a different one and come up with Chapter 2. Feel free to check out my shop for more descriptions...if nothing else, they should make you smile.

Rainy Mondays....

after a week of beautiful weather...pretty much suck!!! I have lots of ideas for new products in both shops, however, due to my own brain cramp, am without a sewing machine. I forgot to have it serviced for 2 years. It really likes to be cleaned, oiled and adjusted on an annual basis. So, here I sit, with 2 bored kids, cooped up inside, a mountain of fabric pleading to be cut up and made into something super cool, a brain full of ideas...and only a few pieces cut. Why? well, I have a great idea but it needs a few incarnations before it's fit for public viewing. As I am unable to stitch something together to see how it works, I am reluctant to cut out a bunch of fabric. I don't want to have to throw it out when I find the final product bears no resemblance to what I started with. And, since I only purchase small amounts of fabrics (helps keep the One of A Kind, Unique and Handmade feel in my shop) I hate to waste anything!!!!!!

Hopefully my sewing machine will be back soon and you can check out both of my shops for new and exciting items by the end of the week.

They listened, but...................

Okay, so we all know my kids aren't exactly the sit around and wait for someone to tell them what to do type. They have been really good lately about listening and doing what they should (taking their favorite toys every time they didn't listen got their attention) and really fun. So, yesterday, we got new sand for the sandbox, today, the kids were playing in in. Sarah came in with the castle shaped bucket for water, she wanted to make a sand castle. I said no water in the sandbox.

A few minutes later, they came in for dinner. I was in the kitchen, they trooped in and headed straight for the first floor bathroom to wash their hands. They were in there a little longer than normal, but everything sounded normal and they came out with clean hands. We eat, do the normal nighttime routine, head upstairs for baths and bed. I am doing other things around the house, no biggie.

Around 11:00, I head for the shower. There is sand all over the bathroom floor. I sweep it up..then notice the sand castle on the toilet lid. I look around and the castle bucket is in the bathroom sink...floating. The water is all murky. I reach in and scoop out handful after handful of white sandbox sand. Since they couldn't put water in the sandbox, they brought the sand to the water. Very creative, I think. I'm torn..proud of the fact they did what I said, impressed with the creativity...but, I'm not looking forward to taking the elbow off and cleaning the sand out of the pipes. I tried the plunger already.....water did not go anywhere.

Now What?

Okay, so I decided I needed a serger...especially if I'm going to be doing more with fleece. It arrived today. Dying to try it out. Kids are trying to beat each other senseless and fighting over EVERYTHING you can imagine, and somethings you can't. The cat is trying to help. I've had 5 hours sleep per night the last few weeks. It's not going well.

Bright spot? The dining room chairs are finally done, finished and in the dining room, at the table. So, I had a place to sit to try and figure this out. (Please, don't even ask about the sewing room-that's another entire blog post on its own) Also, the table has remained crap free, so there was a spot to set the serger and try to figure it out. I was going to lay out the fleece to cut last night, all I did was remove the runner and bowl from the middle of the table...NOTHING else was there. Of course, the cat helped with that, too, so I gave up until the cat distracter is home (George knows he really belongs to my husband, not me)

So, now I have this wonderful machine that I don't know how to use, a huge pile of fleece and TONS of ideas. Stay tuned...it may all come together sometime in the near future!

Time Flies

okay, I know..it's been a while. Still haven't found the instructions and software for the new camera..every time I go to look, something happens. Both kids and husband have been sick...one after the other, so I've been busy.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel--I keep getting rid of stuff, so eventually, I will find the box that the camera stuff got crammed in. Yes, I did the old, you hold the box, I'll sweep with my arm method of cleaning the dining room, living room, kitchen and den last month. The good news? The clutter isn't returning...since I'm pretty much tossing everything that isn't essential.

My Cat.........No Einstein Here

Today we woke up to snow and freezing rain. Snow up above the tops of my Sorels with a crust on the top. I waited til it turned to regular rain to go out and shovel, so I wouldn't create a skating rink. It was a snow day, so I vaccuumed the living room, got in the recliner with the kids and read a bunch of stories. Finally, it warmed up and was regular old rain. It was horrible, the snow was so wet and heavy. Kids are running in the puddles, they are soaked and freezing by the time we come in. I give them a bath and put on dry snuggly clothes, we play a game, read some more, have a late lunch, veg out. All of a sudden, Griffin says, I haven't seen George since we came in. The door wasn't left open but George likes to escape from time to time. I've had a shower, so I put jeans on under my flannel nightie and go out in the pouring rain to look for this cat who can easily walk on the crust and leave no prints. Twenty minutes later, I come in, wet all over again and no cat. Kids tell me I have to call Daddy and tell him, since it's his cat. I call. Tell Michael I've looked all over the house, can't find the cat. Looked out side, can't find the cat. He says, remember the last time George disappeared he was under the recliner? I hang up. I had the foot rest up on the recliner when I vaccuumed and when I was reading to the kids. I pull the lever, the footrest goes up and lo and behold, there's George, wedged in there.

Here's the thing...he was in there for over 3 hours, and we were on the floor right next to him for 2 1/2 of those hours!!! Do you think he could have meowed or something? Was he going to stay there and hope someone found him? Maybe I am just used to Echo, who talked all the time. She'd meow as she ate, slept, walked and would most definitely let me know if something was amiss. She would crawl into open drawers and burrow under things, fall asleep and get shut in, but she's yowl, scratch and claw til someone came to get her. Poor George. He's just not that smart, I guess.

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned...coming soon...the story of the Epiphany Scarf, pictures of the ugliest ceiling fan in the world...and pictures of the new dining room...I'll give you a hint...the wall color is Ladybug Red. Sarah is having her tonsils and adenoids out on Wednesday......lots of things happening at once, but hopefully it will all come together soon!!!