Greetings from Ohio...and E

I'm visiting my mother in Ohio this week, with my husband and youngest and oldest sons. Our drive here took just under 12 hours yesterday. That's great timing even with stopping twice to eat and twice at rest areas. Somehow, we avoided construction on the highways.

My husband does all the driving. It's a company car and I couldn't drive it if I wanted to...which I don't. We left New York at 4 a.m. Needless to say, he conked out early for bed last night. It's been years since we did this. I can't believe I used to do it with four kids, at least one in a car seat.

I have only one "E" word today. Eggs. My mother makes the best deviled eggs in creation. It's one of those recipes she just throws together...nothing is written down. Aren't all great family recipes like that? I can never duplicate them. Her secret ingredient, of all things, is a pinch of sugar!

Okay, here's my frugal part of this post. I bought one of those Entertainment books of coupons for the Columbus, Ohio area. Because it is last year's book, and expires November 1st of this year, it was really, really, really cheap. But there are coupons for one place we are going this week (Der Dutchmann, a family-style restaurant), so even if my mother uses only that, it more than pays for the book. My mother can peruse it and find any coupons she can use, then pass it on to one of my cousins.

My mother has dial-up (yuck) so it is about 25 times slower than my computer at home. But I will try to blog while I'm here. I don't know what we're doing today. It's pouring rain. I'd like to hit a cool used book store nearby.

D is for...

Daughter. This is my daughter, Katherine. Ain't she gorgeous? Everyone should have such a cool, funny, sweet daughter as this. And watch out...she's hoping to head to police academy one day! If there was such a thing as a cop who walks the beat, all the kids would be calling her 'Officer Kate.' She's got that kind of personality--she won't let a gun and a badge be her strength and courage.

Daughter's Dog. His name is Shadow Dante. He is a chihuahua. He looks demented in this picture. He's such a baby sweetie. My vet says he's more like a labrador in his personality than a chihuahua. He loves all my other animals and everyone in this house...especially Katherine and me. He really likes my husband. But if Mike tries to kiss me, Shadow jumps between us! Is he protecting me, or is he jealous that he's not getting all the attention? I call him "Poopadus" and Katherine calls him "Moon." I never thought I'd love a little dog this much!

Drive. Something I hate to do. I pretty much keep to roughly a 3-mile radius around my house (as in, Target, Michael's and the grocery.) Which is why my husband and son are doing most of the driving tomorrow for the 12-hour trip to grandma's!

Speaking of daughters...Katherine is the one taking care of all my animals when I'm gone!

C is for...

Cold...I'm getting over one today. Good thing, too, since we're taking a drive to my mother's house in Ohio on Monday. That's a 12 hour trip! (My husband and son will do the driving. I don't do highways.)

Crochet...one of my hobbies. I have made afghans, but lately I pretty much stick with things that go together quickly, like dish rags. You can never have enough dish rags, LOL! So much nicer than sponges!

Coupons...I'm an avid couponer. One of my friends called me a "Coupon Monster," once, LOL! I play "The Grocery Game." Check the site out, it's worth it! www.grocerygame.com

I consider couponing not only part of keeping my spending down, but also another hobby. I probably spend an hour or two a week on it. After doing this for about two years, I found a system that works best for me. I keep each circular in it's own plastic 'page protector' in my 3-ring household binder. (Binder! Now there's another word I could have used for B!) I write the date on it and what the source is--Valassis, Smartsource and Proctor & Gamble are the 3 biggies.
My husband gave me a leather-bound folder with a pad in it. In here, I write down the coupons that interest me, by date, and indicate when they expire. I highlight household items with one color highlighter and health and beauty with another. Anything not highlighted is food. As I use the coupons, I cross them off the list.

Yeah, seems like a lot of work. But I love doing it and like I said, it's a hobby, too. Besides, even if I spent 3 hours a week on it, I generally save $40-$50 at the grocery. How many hobbies work out to pay you that much per hour?

I use Grocery Game for my two supermarkets, but my own system of filing my coupons works for CVS and other small stores. Oh! I don't clip the coupons until I actually use them. I find this saves me a lot of time. When I go through and record each week's coupons, I also throw away any pages I don't need...like the ones where you can send away for checks or some cute figurine.

Cooking...my absolute passion. I love, love, love to cook. I am what is known as a 'hobby cook.' So many recipes, so little time! And I'm not talking about anything fancy-shmancy, either. I cook food that 'real' people will eat. So you won't be seeing any sauteed duck tongues with sorrel foam coming from my kitchen! (Anyone who watches Top Chef gets the foam reference...although I liked Marcel!)

Like I said, I'm off to Ohio on Monday. So, no menu plan for the week. I almost feel as if something is missing by not doing one, LOL! Still, I'm thinking of bringing some cilantro to my mom's house and buying the other ingredients for guacamole to make some for us. Can you believe, my mother is 84 and never tasted guacamole before last year?

Enough C's! This is waaaay too long...and not a picture in sight to break up the monotony. Please scroll down to my "B" post for the link to the lovely blogger who started all this ABC fun!

Sew Crafty Friday,and B is for...

Buttons. I need to think about what kind of buttons to put on the little vintage dress. I want something flat, but not plain. Maybe something in white with a flower shape carved into it? The dress is more peachy than pink. I'll have to see what I can find. Speaking of find...my buttonhole attachment was lost, but I found it the other day. Now I can actually finish some things!

I tried to spread the dress out so you can see what a full skirt it has. Don't know if I already posted this...but it's a princess line. Now I'm thinking I need to find a crinoline pattern so the dress poofs out like it should.

For more Sew Crafty Friday fun, click on "Waiting for Him" over there in my links list.

And I have the link to the cool blogger who started all this ABC fun! Here ya go...

http://belladia.typepad.com/bella_dia/2007/07/encylopedia-of-.html

More Bs from me...

Brothers. My oldest brother, who will be 61 in December, lives in Michigan. I had two other brothers, also older than me. Unfortunately, they have both passed away. I really miss them, although I hardly remember the brother I lost 35 years ago. I just know he had a great sense of humor. My middle brother lived in New Mexico. He was the coolest guy--not a mean bone in his body. One of the best trips I ever took in my life, was a trip around New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona in his old VW. I've never seen anything like the Southwest, and I sure with my brother was around to show it off to my kids.

Books. I love books. But I don't hang on to most of them. Books are living things...they shouldn't be left to collect dust on a shelf. I admit to being a big Stephen King fan, and am currently reading "The Shining" for maybe the 100th time. It still scares me, LOL!

Don't ask me where it started...

...but there's an ABC thing going around blogland. If you know who got it going, lmk and I'll give credit where it is due. Basically, you blog about one letter at a time. So I hope to do this between 'real' posts.

A is For Austin, one of my ferrets...

Austin is about 5 years old. He was a Mother's Day gift. He is the sweetest thing on earth.

A is for Author...what I have been in my life. My most recently published works are 3 books for middle-grade readers about immigrant children. If you want to find out more, one of the books is called: "Fiona McGilray's Story: A Voyage from Ireland in 1849." I have not felt much like writing these past few years, but I'm thinking about investing in a cheap laptop and getting back into it. We'll see.

That's all the A's I can think of, LOL!

Sew Crafty Friday: Vintage Dress

My friend (she with the newly adopted baby) was kind enough to let me borrow some of her patterns, including a really cool vintage one from 1954! It's already cut in a size 1, so that's the size of the pinafore I'm making for the baby. I figure she'll either wear it next winter with a sweater, or next spring. Anyhoo, my only problem is that my buttonhole attachment has vanished (it's in this room somewhere, but I can't find it and I've looked!), so I'll only be able to take this up to the buttonhole step. Oh, well, I hope it find it before next winter. I have a lot of projects that need buttons, LOL!

The dress has a princess line, which is just so pretty and girly. I wish little girls still dressed like this!

PS--there is a dark spot on the dress in the photo, but it's not there in real life. Strange trick of the flash, I suppose. The dress is attached to my mannequin, sans sleeves. The sides are not yet sewn, so it's not quite as wide as it looks.

Please visit Sher over at "Waiting for Him" for more crafty friday goodies!

Check out CVS this week

I'm not sure this works everywhere in the country. But in my circular, on page 3, there is a deal that if you buy $20 worth of certain Kraft products (there is a large selection), you get a $20 ECB coupon back! That's $20 you get to spend on anything you want on a future visit to the store. I stocked up on a few things, and even treated the family to Oreo cookies (I rarely buy stuff like that).

You have to sign up to get the ECBs, but it's free (of course) and easy. And the best ECBs are the ones you can spend on anything. I have another $5 one, so now I have $25 to spend. I'm waiting for the summer stuff to go cheaper (sorry, but 25% isn't 'clearance' to me, LOL!) so I'll get a few things for next year. I don't know what else I'll get, though.

(One thing you should know, if you've never done this...ECBs, which stands for Extra Care Bucks,do have expiration dates!)

I hope everyone who reads my blog--all eleven of you, LOL--gets a great deal this week, at CVS or elsewhere!

My 200th post

So I'm gonna do a 'meme.' Courtesy of...http://steppingbygrace.blogspot.com/ (aka Amy).


Four Jobs I've Done In My Life:1. Magazine editor (trade magazines. Loved the children's wear one...hated the plastics industry one).
2. Park counselor--loved it
3. Author
4. Receptionist--my current job. I'm very, very happy there!


Four Countries I've Been To:1. England
2. France
3. Italy
4. Switzerland

Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now: 1.The fabric store with unlimited cash
2. An ice cream parlor eating a butterscotch sundae
3. A Chinese restaurant
4. Catfish Annie's, my favorite seafood restaurant

:)Four Foods I Like to Eat: 1. Lobster, if only I could afford it; 2.ice cream of almost any kind. 3. really good chocolate and 4.really good steak.

A new swap!

Edited to add (with apologies): USA folks only. Not that I don't love everyone in the world...I just can't afford the shipping!

Betty over at "She's Sew Pretty" told me about the swap her daughter, who is not named Martha but runs a blog called "My Best Friend Calls Me Martha", is having. (I think that might have been a run-on sentence, LOL!) http://mybestfriendcallsmemartha.blogspot.com/2007/07/pay-it-forward.html

You can use the link above or the link over there to the right that says "She's Sew Pretty's Daughter." The pay-it-forward swap idea is simple. The first three people to respond here will get a homemade item from me sometime in the next year. I crochet, I sew and I scrapbook...so who knows what you will receive?

All you have to do is promise to 'Pay It Forward' to three more people who respond to your own blog?

Get it? Easy-Peasy! Good luck!

T-Shirt Frugality

A few posts back, I wrote about altering a t-shirt I bought for the amazing price of a quarter at CVS. Well, this summer I've been altering a lot of t-shirts. We all have ones that have faded, stretched out, gotten stained or are just plain 'ready for the rag bag.' Well, being somewhat broke (and still in debt, although that is diminishing), and in desperate need of decent clothes for the summer, I decided to make do. So...every time I come across a pretty top that is no longer wearable, I now cut off any nice trims and put them in my trims and lace box. That way, I can use them on plain t-shirts.

If you sew, then you know that trims and laces are quite expensive! Cutting them from an old shirt makes them free...and the leftover fabric is great for rags.

Obviously, I need shirts to decorate. Walgreen's sells plain t-shirts for about $2.50 each, in many colors. I bought a pink one the other day and added a pink lace motif to it that was from an old shirt. (My camera's memory card is missing...wish I could find it and post a picture!) So I basically ended up with a $15-$20 shirt that only cost me $2.50 and a little time.

There are two ways to do this. 1)If you sew, cut around the lace or motif leaving a little extra fabric around the edge. This is where your stitches will go. Use a LOT of pins. I'm lucky to have a mannequin (yay!) but you could put a piece of cardboard or a magazine behind the neckline so you don't pin through the back. Set your machine on a nice zig-zag and stitch away.

2)If you don't sew, cut the trim as close to the edge as possible. Then just use fabric glue or an iron-in fusible web (just make sure it's washable).

Now...doesn't this just make you want to go out and buy a cheap t-shirt, LOL?

Can anyone tell me...

...how you go about finding what swaps are in the works? I enjoyed Kelly's "Favorites" swap. It was my first swap in ages and ages. I'd like to join another one...or two...but how do I find them? Anyone know? Thanks!

And the winner is...

...Natasha, of Rickrack and Ribbons! Congratulations!

The furry paw that chose Natasha's name belongs to my chihuahua, Shadow Dante. I would have loved to have taken a picture. Alas, when I was unloading my camera the other day...I misplaced the danged memory card. It would have been a funny picture.

Natasha, I left you a message with my e-mail on your blog. Hope to hear from you soon!

The Drawing will be held...

...Friday morning, by eleven. I have to go in for a CT-scan (funny abdominal pain I'm having checked out) in the afternoon, so I won't be up to it later in the day.

Good luck to everyone!

BIDDING IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!!




http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2007/07/dog-days-of-sum.html



Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer is hosting a Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway! Oh, boy, you should see all the people participating!

BTW: please read the whole post for my 1 simple rule to enter! (A few nice people stopped by and missed it, so I'm editing this post and highlighting the rule.)

So here is my donation. It's a package of "20 neutral pH 20" x 30" tissues for wrapping and storing a full-size keepsake quilt." You could even use it for keepsake clothing such as a christening gown. I bought it a few years ago, but it is NRFP (never removed from package).


So how do you get it? Easy. Just scroll down here in my blog and find the meme I posted. There are a bunch of questions. Pick any two questions you like and answer them in the comments on this post.

On Friday, probably in the afternoon, I will print out the comments and cut them into separate pieces. I will spread these on my kitchen floor and let one of my animals at it. Maybe a dog, maybe a ferret. All I know is...whichever paper is first touched by a furry paw...is the winner!

PS--US and Canada only, please!

So, good luck! And visit Shannon's blog at the link above. This is just awesome!

A Meme and some tags

I found one of those fun 'questionnaires' over at http://katherines123blog.blogspot.com/ (I hope I got that right!) I love these things. I think they are a fun way to get to know little things about each other. I'm 'stealing' this to post my own answers.
Note: After some thought, I decided there were too many ?s and answers, so I'm back here taking out a few. That is why the numbers are off kilter.


1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not that I know of, but they spelled my name wrong on my birth certificate. My dad said it took 6 months to straighten it out.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, if I'm not in a hurry. Trust me, 8 years of Catholic grammar school makes it almost impossible to have really bad handwriting.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 4 of 'em...3 boys who are 17, 20 and 24 and a daughter who is 22.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? HA, HA, HA. I wouldn't jump off a curb!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cocoa Puffs, Froot Loops and Kellogg's Raisin Bran. Oh, and Cap'n Crunch. Does anyone out there remember when Golden Crisp was called Sugar Crisp?

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Not usually, which is stupid because I have to untie them to get them back on again. Speaking of which, my baby ferret is attacking my feet and I have to put my sneakers back on again. He's such a brat!

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not by a long shot, physically. Emotionally, either I'm strong or pretty good about burying my head in the sand.

15. RED OR PINK? red is my favorite color.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My mom-in-law who passed away about a year and a half ago.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? I'd like to say red, because it is my favorite color. But it would more likely be something weird like burnt umber...a color no one uses. I'd like to be left alone, most of the time. (I'm not very sociable.) But I'm also nice and down-to-earth, so maybe I should be that color they named macaroni and cheese. Ha, ha, that's me...pretty cheesy!

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Roses, coffee, oranges, coffee, tomato plants, coffee... Oh! And there's nothing like a cuddly, clean, freshly-bathed baby!

27. HAIR COLOR? I have colored my hair so many times, I almost forget what color it used to be. Right now, it's a sort of auburn. My husband says he feels like he gets a new wife every 6 weeks because I change color so often!

28. EYE COLOUR? hazel

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Chinese food, Mexican food, down home American cooking. But my all time most favorite is lobster! Aaaggh...it's going for $14.99/lb. these days! Boo-hoo, guess I'm not getting any this summer!

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I love scary movies, but I don't like stupid ones or ones that have violence for the sake of violence. I want a real plot line and characters that have at least something resembling common sense. Which, alas, rules out a LOT of movies.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Sleepy Hollow.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? If I was stuck with the extremes of either one, I'd take summer. At least your car isn't likely to go skidding in the summer!

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs, but I'd prefer to just say 'hi.'

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The newest Diane Mott Davidson, "Dark Torte."

42. FAVORITE SOUND? Birds singing, my ferrets 'dooking' (it's a weird sound they make when they are happy), a baby giggling, cats purring.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Italy

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I'm a published author with 15 books to my name. Never made much money at them, but I guess it proves I can write! (For the record, 12 horror novels and 3 books for young readers.)

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Long Island, New York.

47. WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE? I'd like to really be able to talk to animals.

I'm tagging Susan (Blackberry Creek), Shereen (Waiting for Him) and Jenn (Frugal Upstate)! Hope you can play!

Sew Crafty Friday: What to do with a 25 cent T-shirt

No kidding...a quarter. CVS had their summer things on clearance at 90% off and it was only 2.50 to begin with. Granted, it isn't a heavy t-shirt (although it is Hanes), but for that price, who cares? Well, it's also cheap enough to play with. In the first picture, I layered a sleeveless top over it that has shrunk too much, and has some bleach stains. I'm using a cutting board as a dress form--how pathetic. (But, I have a real one on order!) Okay...so I pinned it around the lace collar with a LOT of pins. You don't want this going anywhere. Off to the sewing machine, where I stitched around the lace, through both shirts, leaving about a half inch border. I carefully cut away the bottom part of the old shirt, right near the stitches (picture 2). In the 3rd picture, you can see that I have now cut away the neck part of the new shirt.

I don't have a picture of the finished shirt, but I covered up the raw edge of the old t-shirt with some bias tape I'd made from fabric I had. You could use flat lace or purchased bias tape, too. The fabric I used is the same I used for the skirt, purse and headband I made a while back. I haven't worn the t-shirt with that skirt, but it would match.

One thing I didn't do, and would the next time, is to remove the label from the old shirt. It kind of shows after you trim everything away.

Please visit "Waiting for Him" (see my blog list) for more great ideas from "Sew Crafty Friday!"

Abbi-Rose in her bonnet!

Well, here's dollbaby in the bonnet I made for her. (Sorry about the red eyes--they must be reflecting all that pink.)

It was so nice to see her in person! She's a very sweet, docile baby. Her whole family is on cloud 9. I've never seen a mommy and daddy and two brothers so happy! Her daddy was so funny. He was dressing her, and she was fussing a little, and he says, "I've put up with torn jeans for 8 years (her youngest brother is 8), so you're gonna be in ruffles until you are at least 4!"

I didn't make the dress. It's a Polly Flinders...but doesn't it look like the bonnet and dress were made for each other?

And omg, you should see the nursery. I wish I'd taken a picture! They redecorated mommy's sewing room. The white crib sits catty-cornered. There is a white carousel horse behind it. They've had the horse for years, and mommy painted it white with pink accents. Daddy and the boys painted the top half of the walls in a pink-and-white sponge technique. The bottom is 1 inch wide pink and white stripes. Imagine painting all those stripes! Mommy even painted the ceiling fan pink and white! It is a dream nursery, and it didn't cost them all that much. Mommy and I met on a tightwads board about 9 years ago and really hit it off. This is a really frugal family--frugal, not cheap. They are beyond generous and just the nicest people you could meet. Abigail Rose is a blessing to them...but they are also a blessing to her!

I can't tell you the story of how they got her, because it is extremely private. I'll only say that she wouldn't be here without them...she would have been a statistic, if you know what I mean. I'll also tell you that they prayed 8 years for another child. They were supposed to go to Disney last year, but something made them decide to stay home. If they had gone, they would never have met the birth mother. I'm not a particularly religious person...but if this wasn't a miracle, I don't know the definition.

Anyway, so there she is! Miss Abigal Rose!

A Frugal Gift

My little nephew had his 2nd birthday party last weekend. I had asked my sil what to get for him, and she adamently said, 'nothing.' Seriously, the kid has more toys than FAO Schwartz, and he's only 2. Mike and I gave him a check for his education fund (Johnny's father, John, is Mike's brother. Mike is Johnny's godfather). But a check isn't a lot of fun for a kid, and I wanted to give a little something extra.

My sil, Noreen, said that Johnny likes to stack things and line things up. My first thought: building blocks! Nice, old-fashioned wooden ones. Well, I had a set of them in a wooden box that I had bought for $1 at a garage sale a while back. You know how something grabs you and you just know there will be a use for it in the future?

Johnny's really into Thomas the Tank Engine. The other day, at Michael's, I found a scrapbooking kit featuring Thomas. As you can see by the pictures, I decorated the box and some of the blocks. Then I used some of the 12x12 paper to wrap the gift! I still have lots of the Thomas set for scrapping pages from the party, too.

Alas, I couldn't attend. I had work that day and I'm already taking off a weekend to visit friends in Pennsylvania. (This is the family of the adopted baby for which I made the bonnets. I get to meet her tomorrow!)

I would love to see what others have done to turn something they bought cheap into something special!

I actually like some commercials!

Susie Q mentioned the Petsmart commercials with the dog who carries around his 'baby,' a stuffed toy named Bobo. I love that.



Some others I like:



The one where the mother takes these little orange clocky things from the trash and gets mad at her kids for wasting 'perfectly good minutes.' It is for a cell phone. The kid says, "but mom, those are from last April!" And the mom says something like, "they are still perfectly good! You know, there are some children who don't have rollover minutes! You just remember that, mister!"

Clever, familiar and funny.



The one where the father tells his daughter's date that his picture is right next to his on the daughter's phone.

"It's like I'm watching you, all the time." Translation: "I'm watching you when you're with my little girl, buster."

The look in the father's eyes cracks me up every time. And did you notice the predatory symbols around the room? Shark jaws? A tiger statue?



Funny that they are both for cell phone companies, and I don't even have a cell phone.

I love the Geico commercials with the sophisticated Neanderthals! Too funny! And I hear they're going to have their own TV show. I doubt it will last more than a season, but it'll be fun to check it out.

That's all I can think of, right now.

Another annoying commercial, or two

I probably spend too much energy growling at the TV. But there are commercials that just get to me. Either they are immoral, stupid or have sounds that hurt your ears. One that comes to mind is the new Starbucks commercial...which is about them shooting a commercial! Have you seen it? The director keeps yelling 'cut,' while the actor glugs down the iced coffee. And I mean 'glugs.' Is there anything ickier than people who make noise when they swallow? But you know what's funny? The last few times I saw the commercial...there was no 'glug-glug' sound! I wonder if anyone complained? (I just growl at the TV. And I blog about it. I don't write letters, LOL!)

Here's the 'or two' from the title: have you seen the IKEA commercial? This woman looks at her bill and is so shocked by how much she saved that she thinks the teller made a mistake. So she runs like a crazy woman to her car, where her husband is waiting, shouting (screaming): "Start the car! Start the car!" And as they drive away she lets out this victory 'whoo-hoo!"

Okay, I hate this commercial on several levels:

1. Did she look at the prices before she put things in her cart? Didn't she know there was a sale? Or does she just blindly pick things up and hope for the best when it comes to prices?

2. If there was a mistake that was that big, then leaving without pointing out is immoral. And I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to be that happy about stealing.

3. That screaming! What is she, a freakin' banshee? Wow, do I feel sorry for her husband.

4. And finally...the background music is about as pleasant as fingernails on a blackboard.

The only redeeming thing about this commercial is that it relates to a sale...so maybe it won't run very long.

Okay, enough griping. Yes, I know they're only commercials. I still don't like them, LOL!

Next blog, I'll get back to pleasant things like cats and bonnets.

Sew Crafty Friday: Bonnet

Here is a bonnet I made for this baby: http://sortafrugal.blogspot.com/2007/05/tired-today.html. I finally get to meet her next Friday! The pattern is by Butterick.

After 2 boys and many years of trying and praying for another baby, my friends were very thrilled to adopt little Abigail Rose. So, when I asked mommy what color she preferred for any gifts, she said, "pink, pink, pink!" Naturally, I had to choose pink rose fabric for the bonnet! It is fully lined, and not as hard to make at it looks. Getting the gathers to be even is about the hardest thing. I think I got the fabric from a wonderful site called www.shabbyfabrics.com, but it might have also come from Joann's. I'm pretty sure it was shabbyfabrics, though. They have an absolutely delicious selection of what I would call 'cottage' type fabrics. Think pink, roses and anything romantic.

Okay, now you gotta link over to "Waiting for Him" (see the link list to the right) and view more creativity on this "Sew Craft Friday." Better yet, show off something of your own over there!

A Box I Received!

Feast your eyes on the box I received as part of the "Favorite Things" swap, hosted by the lovely Kelly of According-to-Kelly.blogspot.com!!

It was sent to me all the way from Arizona by the lovely Heather of Scavocentral.blogspot.com!

The idea behind the swap was to send your partner at least 3 items representing your favorite things. Well, the funny thing is, everything Heather sent me is stuff I love, too!

She likes movies, because she sent me a microwave popcorn tub from Blockbuster that was also full of candy, plus some more microwave popcorn and some cute plastic popcorn boxes that look like the kind you get at a state fair. And (this one made me gasp) a $10 Blockbuster Gift Card!!!! I'm a big, big movie fan, too!

I guess that Heather likes cherries, because I got a cute pink cylindrical box with cherry bath gel, 2 puffies (what do you call those, really?) and some cherry lip balm. I love cherries, too!

Oh, man, I know I'm going to forget something! My box runneth over...

Heather loves to scrapbook, and so do I. My box included a white basket lined with a great white, red and black fabric full of scrapping and cardmaking supplies! Can you see the little 3-D popcorn embellishment by Jolee's? It's just too cute!

Heather's also into containers, as you can tell by the nice way everything was packed in either a basket or a box. Me...the first thing I check out at garage sales is containers. I can't resist a pretty basket or tin!

I haven't done a swap in ages, and I'm so glad I joined this one. I want to thank Kelly for doing this. It isn't easy to host a swap...especially one with a lot of participants!

And thanks to Heather for making my day yesterday!

Milk ain't frugal no more

I just got back from the grocery, where I almost fell over to see the price of a gallon of milk:

$4.60!!!!!

Are they kidding? I heard that the corn that used to feed the cows is now being used to make fuel. So, what happens to the poor cows? Do they go hungry? Do they live on hay?

Dang, but nuclear power is looking better and better. (This is not a political blog, so I'm not looking to start anything. I don't know enough about cows, nuclear power or corn for fuel. I just want a gallon of milk to cost less than wine.)

Guess we won't be eating much cereal here from now on.

I do have to point out, though, that Target has been consistently cheaper than anyone else for milk, sometimes by nearly a dollar. I hope that is still true!

And I use a non-dairy creamer in my coffee, thank goodness!

But will the price go down so I can enjoy hot cocoa in the fall and winter???????

Inside-Out Potato and Egg Salad

I love potato and egg salad. And I love deviled eggs. So I start thinking...hmmmmm...

There is no recipe here. Just do it by 'feel,' or 'to taste.'

For 2 of these, you need 2 eggs and one small cooked potato. I had them from a bigger batch I made for potato and egg salad.

Peel the eggs and the potato. Wash off the eggs to be sure there are no little pieces of shell--ick!

Cut the egg in half lengthwise and put the yolk in a bowl with the potato. Smash it all up. Now, add whatever you would normally put in a deviled egg or potato and egg salad. There is nothing carved in stone here. Me, I like mustard, a bit of vinegar, a pinch of sugar (yes, sugar!), dill weed, salt and mayonnaise. You will need a little extra of either the vinegar or the mayo because the potato makes the filling more dense. Just add a tiny bit at a time until you get a consistency you like.

Now, I'm thinking...because the filling is so thick, this might be a good lunchbox version of a deviled egg. You could press two halves together and wrap them in plastic wrap. They'd be less likely to 'run' all over the place.

I hope you like my little recipe invention!

Pretty

I have two of these pretty pink puppies growing in my front yard. I honestly don't remember planting them, LOL! Aren't they gorgeous? I'd say they're about 8 inches across.

Yes, that is a fake bird behind the flower.

Yes, it's a lily. That was 'puppies' I meant to write in the first line...not a mix-up with 'poppies'!

He doesn't just work in cardboard

My son James, of the cardboard suit of armor, built this cabinet during his senior year of high school. He's taking liberal arts in college, but I wish he could find some way to apprentice with a carpenter. Or at least find something he can do to make a living that involves 'putting things together.' I think he could end up being a Master Craftsman, if only he knew where to study such a thing. Alas, there isn't much call these days for hand-made things. At least, not enough for him to one day support a family! But still, I hope someday he finds a direction for this God-given talent he has (but doesn't think he does!)

When my son is bored at work

This is James, who is 20 years old. He's the guy who will steam your lobsters, open your clams or filet your salmon at the fish department at our local supermarket. Sometimes, things are verrrry slow and boring. So my son took some old boxes and made himself some armor and weaponry. I don't know what that big axe is called, but I'm glad it isn't real. Then he says to me later that he has to go back to work because he forgot something. "Something" was a shorter shield and a sword of about four feet in length. Again, I'm glad they're only cardboard!

James, aka Jamie, said he had a great sword fight with one of the guys from the deli department!

Boys and their toys...

Now that I have it, what do I do with it?

I'm pretty good about not buying 'just anything' at garage sales--which means I look for useful stuff. But combine unusual with cheap and I can't resist! This box cost me all of $2. It is made of wood and rather heavy. My guess is that it was meant to hold two bottles of wine and...what? I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. I just knew I'd regret not getting it for that price. Somehow, somewhere, I'll be hit by that bolt from the blue and know exactly what to use it for!

Sew Crafty Friday: Skirt and stuff

Here is a skirt, headband and makeup bag I made. I had a lot of leftover fabric from the skirt, plus some other projects, so I made the bag and headband out of it. The headband pattern can be found at http://www.savvyseams.com/clothing/. It is beginner easy and I think I'll make more of them! I'm sorry, I don't know where the makeup bag came from. If I figure it out, I'll post it. I changed it, anyway. It's supposed to have a zipper, but I didn't feel like fritzing around with a zipper this week. So I used some velcro.

I'm taking my husband out to dinner tonight and I'll wear this with maybe a turquoise or pink top.

Please click on "Waiting for Him" over there in the sidebar to see some other nice creative projects!

I love Free Stuff!

Especially BIG free things. My daughter's boyfriend's parents are the nicest people, but they are also the types that buy something and decide to get a new version of it long before the first one wears out. Case in point: a washer and dryer they only had 2 years and were going to throw out when they found something better! So my maybe-future-son-in-law hauled them over here and we stored them in our garage.
Well, what do you know? Yesterday, my own washing machine died. I could hear the motor running but it wasn't spinning.
No problem! While I was at work, Mike and the kids switched the machines around. I just used the 'new' one and it's great!
I still have the dryer, but mine's working fine. Still, it's nice to know there's a backup waiting out there in the garage. So much more frugal than either paying a repairman or buying a new one! (Or hauling over to the laundrymat!)

Sew Crafty Friday: CD Bag

http://w8ng4him.blogspot.com/

Please visit this link for some nice, creative inspiration!

Not feeling particularly creative today, so this is something I just threw together. It was originally supposed to be for pencils, but it isn't wide enough. Then I found out it is exactly right to hold a few CDs in their cases. I had copied all of my pictures off the old computer onto discs. Now I have a nice place to store them!

Basically, it is one long and one short piece of fabric. I folded over the short edges of each and sewed them to the zipper. I didn't have a short enough zipper, so I just cut this one to size. That's easy to do with a nylon zipper...just run a few stitches right over the teeth to make a new 'stop' and then cut away the excess.

The picture on the left is the front. I'll tell you all something silly. I left part of the seam open so I could turn the bag right side out. Dopey me, after I was done I realized I could have turned it through the zipper opening!

The picture on the left is the back. As you can see, I didn't fold it where I attached the two pieces of fabric together, but folded it so the zipper would be a little ways down.

Now that I see how easy it is to make one of these, I really will make something for pencils and pens!

Sew Crafty Friday: Blouse

It's time to show off our crafts at "Sew Crafty Friday"http://w8ng4him.blogspot.com/ again! Here is one of several WIP I have going:

The blouse is meant to be sleeveless or have cap sleeves. But I think the color is more appropriate for fall or winter, so I'm going to borrow long sleeves from another pattern. It is Butterick Pattern 4799. It is princess line with a button front. I'm hoping I have enough fabric to make matching seam binding for around the neckline, but if not, I'll either match whatever buttons I get or pick a color out of the ribbon trim.

The ribbon edges some extra pieces I added to make a sort of yoke. I traced over the shoulders and made two pieces, one a bit longer than the other. They are layered on top of each other and not sewn through the ribbon, so you can put your fingers under each layer. I'm sure there's a name for that technique, but it escapes me!

Please visit the link about to see more of "Sew Crafty Friday"! Oh...and you don't have to sew to join in!

Thrifting

I haven't been to the local Salvation Army Thrift store in years. Last time I went, I found it a little scuzzy. Well, I decided to take a chance and have a look yesterday. I was amazed. Instead of disorder, it was clean and well-organized. Furniture was off to one side in a large 'alcove' instead of in the middle of the floor. Clothes were hung on racks not only by type, but also by color! The outer perimeter featured knick knacks and household items, and the like. It was like walking into a HUGE garage sale.
My favorite colors are red and purple, so I went right to those tops. Didn't find anything red, but I did get a nice lavendar t-shirt for 2 bucks. The color is still 'true' so it doesn't look like a throwaway. That's one thing I would refuse to do at any sale, garage or thrift: I wouldn't buy anything faded or worn.
I also found the most adorable bunny candy dish to put away for Easter. It is white, round and has bunnies all around it's outer edge.
With tax, I spent a little over $4--not bad! I'll definitely be going back again.
Speaking of bunnies...last night my husband managed to rescue a baby rabbit before my two cats could eat it. They had the poor thing cornered and Mike heard it crying. I had to hold it for almost an hour before we were able to lure the cats back into the house. Then I let him go and after a few minutes, he hopped away. I hope he found his mama right away! I also wish the mamas would 'get' that my yard has two cats and a dog, and stop bringing their babies here. Melody, the cat in the picture up to the right, got a baby starling the other day. I got it away from her, and it seemed able to fly.
This is nature, every year. I think it's time to keep the cats in after dinner...at least for a few months!

And here's a question: why do we see little baby bunnies who are just leaving the nest...and big bunnies...but never any medium-sized 'teenager' bunnies?

An open freezer is NOT frugal

A few of my blogger friends have posted about freezers popping open, or electricity going out. Sorry, I can't remember who they were...but it happens to all of us at some point. Me...it's happened 3 times in the last few years. Last year, in the heat of July, the freezer top of the garage fridge (you know how an old fridge gets put in the garage or the basement) popped open and no one knew for 3 days. So...there went about $85 worth of meat, including half-priced ribeyes. The food was warm so it all had to be thrown out. Sad, sad, sad.
The time before that, I caught it at the point where most of the stuff at the back was still frozen solid and the stuff in the front was still cold. I just had to cook up what had thawed.
Yesterday, it was all thawed, but at least still ice cold. I had some pre-made dinners in there, and some ground pork tenderloin to add to beef for meatballs. Fortunately, most of my meat is upstairs now. But I had to cook the dinners. I had two crockpots going all day. The pork for burritos, now that it is cooked, will be refrozen. We'll have the sesame pork and chicken enchiladas for dinner this week. I'll get the ground beef, make meatballs, and either freeze the cooked ones or we'll have spaghetti and meatballs or heroes one night.
The big dish I made is called "Western Hospitality Casserole." It is a family favorite. You cook meat in a wine sauce for several hours, then you put it over noodles and bake it for another hour. And then you add cheese until it melts! That's more of a special occasion dish...but I guess I'll make up a special occasion this week, LOL!
Most of what is thawed out is vegetables, so we'll polish those off all week long. The only real loss is a box of Texas Toast and some Jamaican beef patties.
Oh! And melted Breyer's Coffee Ice Cream makes a great milkshake.

Sew Crafty Friday: Baby Dress

Here is one of numerous 'works in progress' I've got going. This little sundress isn't for anyone in particular. I had made a dress from this pattern for a bigger child, and since the pattern for a 'small' was still useable (you know how cutting into one size messes up another size), I decided to make use of some extra fabric I had. Sorry the picture is blurry--those are daisies on the two different fabrics. So...when I finally figure out where I put my buttonholer...the dress will have daisy-shaped buttons! It has a pair of bloomers and a mob cap to go with it.

This is a frugal use for extra fabric--make a coordinating trim on a garment! That's what I did with the darker pink.

Once this dress is finished, I'll pack it up and save it for a gift!

Please visit "Waiting for Him" and join in Shereen's "Sew Crafty Friday!" http://w8ng4him.blogspot.com/

In Memory

Happy Memorial Day to All! Here's to...

My Grandfathers, who served in World War I

My Dad and Dad In Law, veterans of World War II

My brother Michael, who fought for our country's freedom during the Vietnam War

And Here's To:

ALL OUR BRAVE MILITARY WHO HAVE MADE OUR COUNTRY FREE, SAFE AND HAPPY!

Minor injury

About a year ago, I slammed my thumb into a can lid, and required 11 stitches. I seem to rate one minor injury a year, because last Monday, I walked into a table leg in bare feet and did a number on my pinkie toe. I really was walking--not rushing. I was half-asleep. I had gotten up to tell my son something before he headed to school. I turned around, started back to my room, miscalculated the table at the top of the stairs...
My toe was all purple and swollen. How can such a little thing hurt so much? How can it still hurt after a flipping week?
I took a pair of canvas sneakers and cut the side off one of them so I could get shoes on my feet. These shoes are not comfortable at all and I miss my real sneakers, which have a lot more support in them.
Oh, well, at least I have the advantage of working for a doctor. She splinted my toe for me, no charge. An emergency room visit would have cost me a bundle, even with insurance! She said it would take about a week to heal. Tomorrow is Monday. That's a week.

It's not looking good, and I think I've got a few more days of limping.

Tired today

I'm too tired to do much of anything today. Well, at least I cut out the skirt I'm making and sewed 2 seams. It's an almost-circle skirt. I also did 3 eight-by-eight scrapbook pages for a friend's newly adopted baby.

Isn't she just adorable? Her name is Abigail Rose. She is the product of a lot of prayers and hopes. Her mommy says she is the 'best thing to happen to us in 8 years.' They also have two wonderful sons, aged 8 and 13. If you plow through this blog, you'll find a post on a bonnet I made for her. I made it in a 'medium' figuring it would be perfect for her by July or August. Shows to go ya, never jump to conclusions. "Medium" might fit this princess in October, she's such a sweet pea. I have one newborn dress on order, and I'm in search of more. Why is it that patterns seem to start at 'small,' which is about half again as big as Abby-Rose?

I tell you, it's been a while since I did any sewing for little girls. Now I have 3 friends with daughters or granddaughters. Might be time to brush up on my heirloom sewing techniques, LOL!

Organizing sewing projects

One of my 'to do' things today was to organize and list all my sewing projects. I have a friend who absolutely won't start something until she finishes something else. Not me. I have lots of 'works in progress.' Well, not lots. But if you add the sewing projects in with the scrapping projects and the recipes-to-try, well...you get it.
So I'm listing my sewing projects on Ta-Da Lists and I get an idea. As I list the item, I also type the color thread I'm using. Then, maybe, I can work projects in groups. For example, I still have to finish the Easter apron. It's just a matter of adding the pink ribbon sash to it--which is already pinned in place. Well, I also have to make the bloomers for a toddler dress, as well as the buttonholes and lace trim--also pink! So, with my machine armed with pink thread, I can concentrate on these, and any other, pink projects--without having to change thread! Oh, and I'm also making a pink pin cushion.

Abundance

Like just about everyone else in America, I'm trying to pay down a debt. I'm not a frivilous person. Suffice to say a combination of being naive and medical problems got me in this situation. I'm much smarter now and it's going away...slowly, but steadily. There are times I get discouraged and I think I'm never going to be able to just enjoy life without worrying about paying the next bill.

I know I have abundance in the non-material things (although I wish I could say I felt great or even very good each day--tough to do with chronic pain), but that's not what this post is about. This post is about material abundance. Compared to a lot of people and places, most of us (even those in heavy duty debt) are wealthy. I was reminded of this while cleaning my pantry. Actually, it was meant to be a linen closet, LOL. What you see in the picture is just one shelf's worth. And I had to put some of it on the table and on the other counter. 98% of this stuff was bought really cheap, using coupons combined with sales. Well, if anything came of dealing with debt...it's sure made me learn how to get the most for my money, LOL!

My ferret Madison

I wish I had a picture of her on this computer, but I'm sure there's one of her buried somewhere in this blog. She passed away last night, and the good ferrety age of about six. I say 'about' because she was a 'rescue' and I don't really know how old she was. Her previous owner could not take care of her or her brother. I've had her about five years.
The sweetest thing is that her brother, Baxter, came down to the floor of the cage to lay next to her--instead of climbing up into his hammock with his buddy, my other ferret Austin. I have been putting Maddie in the hammock myself because she's been unable to climb. Baxter is actually Madison's littermate. (Austin is younger and not related.) He put his head over Maddie's neck and slept close to her. It was as if he knew her time to go was near. Nobody's going to tell me animals don't have feelings.
In the last 2 months or so, I've lost a bird (Cassie), a rat (Noodle) and now Madison the ferret. I'm down to 2 cats, a dog, and 2 ferrets. I suppose Baxter, being of the same age as Maddie, will go soon, too. So far, he looks okay for an old boy. I hope he stays that way.

New Computer

I bought a new computer the other day. My last one, which I have had for about 4 years, completely died. No kidding...Windows said I had to reactivate it in X days or it would stop working.
Trouble is...you have to be able to get on line to reactivate it, and I couldn't get on line.
But there were numerous other things wrong with it, so it was time to let it go to that great computer home in the sky.
I had saved a lot from my groceries and putting away a percentage of each of my meager paychecks so I had almost the right amount to buy this. But the best thing is that I got a check for back payment from a previous job at Petco, and it arrived the day before I went computer shopping! It was almost $700! Somehow, they owed me two paychecks from 3 years ago. Sometimes, cool things happen in life.

My computer is an HP Pavilion. It's totally cool. I don't have AOL yet, but I'll pick up one of those free discs and have my son reinstall it for me. I miss having a place to put "favorites."
I've also been systematically reinstalling my music and scrapbook programs, etc. So far, it's taken most everything. Except this is a Vista and it refused to work with my old printer! Glad it came with one, LOL!

I've been tagged!

Oh, boy! http://live-frugal.blogspot.com/2007/04/frugal-living-meme.html tagged me for a frugal meme. What do I do well and what do I do poorly for being frugal?
One thing I do well is saving a LOT of money on my food shopping. I joined grocerygame.com, which helps a lot. On average, I save at least 30% a visit, and often much more. This allows for a well-stocked pantry, as well as a good supply of things like toothpaste. I've started transferring my savings from the grocery into my savings account, and it's almost at $600!

My biggest problem is remembering to pay bills on time. I'm much better at it than a few years ago, but there is still room for improvement. It's a matter of having a bad concept of what the date is. I'm thinking of sending myself e-mail alerts to get the bills out on time. I've recently discovered phone payments. Sometimes they cost you, but it's a lot cheaper than a late fee and a jacked-up finance charge! So that's my worst area, and the one I'm trying hardest to improve. Really, I am!

Easter Greetings

Happy Easter to All!!!

Here is an egg-peeling tip for you:

Crack the shell all over, then begin peeling from the big end. This is usually where there is an 'air pocket' and the inner membrane is easier to break here. It's when that membrane sticks that you get those annoying broken-up eggs!

Sew Craft Friday

http://www.w8ng4him.blogspot.com/ Please visit here and join in the fun!

This is an Easter apron I'm making. It's a work in progress, which means it might not get done this year because I only started it yesterday. Last week, I used the bunny cookie cutter and made a pattern. I cut out a buncha bunnies, with no idea what I'd do with them. (BTW, those big copper cookie cutters are ridiculously expensive. This one was a gift!)

The 'skirt' of the apron actually started as part of a top. Actually, it's a muslin copy of a top I want to make, but wanted to do in cheap fabric first to make sure it fits. (It does!) I don't throw my trial outfits away, but cut into the muslin for smaller things. But I was looking at the wide cut of this bodice and thought...apron! So I cut off the top half, cut the back open and added some hems. Really, all I have to do now is a waistband and some ties. I have enough fabric that matches the pockets for the waistband. I might have ribbon for the ties.

Maybe this will get done this year, after all! That is...once I've boiled the eggs to color, double-checked the Easter basket supplies, made cookies...

Oh, and I'm babysitting my neighbor's 4-month-old grandbaby, Julianna Sophia. I haven't heard a peep out of her. Every time I check her, she smiles at me! What a happy kid!

A site I like

http://www.cindysporch.net/index.shtml Cindy has a great philosophy (one of several): "Do instead of Buy." Boy, do I need to remember that more often than I do! Dang it, but I bought a jar of salsa for a recipe I plan to make next week--when all the while there is a half jar of perfectly good salsa hiding in the back of my fridge. Not to mention the plum sauce that would have been delicious with the moo shu pork I made last week.
Today, as might be obvious, I'm cleaning out the fridge. Taking things off shelves, washing, organizing. Cindy offers some printables that include "Treasures in the Fridge," where you can write down your inventory. Yesterday, I did my freezers, where I found a nice piece of salmon my oldest son can have for dinner tonight.
I also found at least 4 jars of almost-empty barbecue sauce. Last week, I had a piece of leftover beef I needed to cook. I combined some bbq sauce with pineapple juice and cooked the beef in it on low heat for about 3 hours. This was one of those dishes you eat before it even leaves the pot, it's so good. It just fell apart. Oh, and it was a shoulder cut, not a very tender piece of meat. You would have thought it was sirloin!
So I plan to combine all those almost-done bbq sauces with some juice and make another steak this coming week. BBQ beef sandwiches, here we come!
Let's see--I've cleaned and inventoried my freezers (those are the kind attached to fridges, not big freezers. I wish.) and my fridge. Next stop, the pantry.

But not today. I'm tired.

Sew Crafty Friday

Here's a layout I did recently. My daughter Katherine (in the black top) was asked to be godmother to a friend's baby boy.

The background and all the star elements in this layout are from a kit called "Seeing Stars" by Lorene Hill. It's especially cool because the big star and the background are in black and you can color them any way you like!

I will journal in the big star as soon as I get information from my daughter.

BTW, I finished the hem on the dress with the matching hat. All I have to do now is bind the armholes.

Please visit http://www.w8ng4him.blogspot.com/ and join "Sew Crafty Friday"! It's a lot of fun!

WFMW: A blog that inspires my creativity

http://www.w8ng4him.blogspot.com/
Shereen sponsors something called "Sew Crafty Friday" every...well, Friday of course. So far, only a few people have joined. But I'm hoping others will, too! Nothing makes me want to run for the crochet hook, or the sewing machine, or the scrap booking tools more than seeing how others are using their creative talents! That's what works for me this wednesday!
Check out "Rocks In My Dryer" for more cool ideas today! http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/

Saving My Savings

I'm a big believer in coupons. I save a lot with them. But in the long run, even though my year-to-date savings at the local Stop & Shop is over $500...where did that money go? Well, most of it got absorbed back into the household budget, of course.
Recently, I broke down and decided to sign up for on-line banking. I was iffy about this, but there isn't all that much money in the account to begin with. So the identity thief who steals this account pretty much steals trash. Well, the bank has an excellent protection program, anyway. So...on to my savings. Now that I can do all my transactions (except making deposits, dang it) from my computer, I'm going to make an effort to put my coupon/sale savings into my savings account. It's a simple transfer, and I just round up to the next 10 dollars. Today, I moved $30 over there. (For the record, I bought $68 worth of groceries for $40 today.)
Now that it's easy to 'save my savings,' I hope to really see my account grow!

Sew Crafty Friday

This is a dress and hat I'm making for Ada. The hat itself is done. I need to sew the hem (it's already marked) and stitch the facing at the zipper. The facing is the same stripe as the brim on the hat. I made the hanger to match, too! Oh, and I need to put pink seam binding around the armholes. But it's pretty close to being done!
Please visit http://www.w8ng4him.blogspot.com/ for more crafty things!

WFMW: Sewing Tip: Measuring a hem

I found this someplace on line, can't remember where. But it's hands-down one of the best sewing tips ever. Usually, when I mark a hem, I mark the width of the hem and fold along that line. This tip says to mark where you want the bottom of the garment to meet. That would always be double your hem width. For example, for a 1 1/2 inch hem...mark 3 inches from the raw edge of the garment. Fold the raw edge up to meet these marks and you'll have your 1 1/2 inch hem. So much easier and faster!
For more really great tips, covering many topics, visit "Works for Me Wednesday at:
http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/

St. Patrick's Day Scrapbook Page

Here is my one and only St. Patrick's Day layout. Despite the fact my ancestors came over here in 1802 from Dublin (yeah, we missed the famine), and my maiden name begins with "Mc," I'm married into an Italian family and we don't do Irish. Well, okay...I'm only about 1/4 Irish anyway. And I hate corned beef and cabbage. (Which isn't truly Irish, anyway--but then again, neither was Patrick.) But Shadow is a cooperative little pup when it comes to dressing up, so here he is in his "Kiss Me I'm Irish" t-shirt. Nick held him up so I could get a good photo. All the elements on the page are mine (obviously, it's a white background.) I did the rainbow by drawing a circle inside a circle ad infinitum*. Then I drew a white rectangle to cut off the bottoms of the circles. About the best I can do when I can't afford a fancy art design program, LOL! (Probably got the Latin wrong!)

Sew Crafty Friday!

http://www.w8ng4him.blogspot.com/

Please look below for the latest thing I have finished. Meantime, I was doing a search on Blogger for "Sewing AND Tutorials" and came across the site above. Well, okay, I've been there before but I never saw "Sew Crafty Friday." I'd already done a blog page that fit, but I'm adding this so others will join in the fun. I love to see the things people make!
My current projects: A sleeveless dress and matching hat for a little girl. Some baby things, including bibs and hanger covers. Some tops for myself. I just finished a small pink baby blanket for the same baby who's getting the bonnet.
I'm like a lot of crafters--18 things going on at once, and sometimes I actually finish them. Well, most of the time--it just takes forever! I simply can't take one project from start to finish before I start another one.
Oh...and I'm determined to finish off my Christmas scrapbook pages before I do any others. I better hurry...Easter's coming up fast.
Anyway, click on the link above and enjoy "Sew Crafty Friday."

Baby Bonnet

After years of praying, a dear friend learned a few months ago that they will be adopting a baby. Well, they have 2 great little boys and you can imagine their joy that the baby is a girl! I just love sewing for little girls. Here is a bonnet I made for her. (She's due around the end of May.) I believe it is a Butterick pattern. I can't wait to see the baby wearing it!

Another baby outfit I made

It was such a mild winter that it was a while before my friend's baby grand daughter could wear this, but I'm glad because now it actually fits her nicely. It was meant to be all turquoise, but I cut the front out wrong and ran out of fabric. So I made the pants a different color and made a pocket to match the pants. I wonder what little Ada has in there?

Works for Me Wednesday

High time I participated in Works for Me Wednesday over at Rocks in My Dryer. It's been a while. I love reading the ideas over there but haven't had any good ones lately. I hope my few and faithful readers enjoy this one. Here is my kitchen organizing idea. I bought a small 3-drawer cabinet, that fits nicely on top of a rolling cart I have. As you can see, the bottom drawer holds all my measuring cups and the middle drawer is for measuring spoons. The top drawer? Weird things like cooking thermometers, skewers and the blades to my electric knife. Oh, that blue thing the spoons are in came from a package of plastic utensils. (Yes, sometimes I buy plastic utensils. This blog ain't named "really, truly frugal." Does getting them after the season at 75% off count?) Check Rocks in My Dryer for more great tips!

Home Making Meme

I found this meme over at http://unfinishedwork.blogspot.com/2007/02/homemaking-meme.html, who got it from elsewhere. Thought it was cute so I'm going to try it...
Aprons - Y/N? I love aprons! I have quite a few, some of which I made myself. Great excuse to use some of the really cool fabric out there. Besides, I'm a slob. I can't help it--I go through at least 2 tops a day from spilling stuff. Aprons are a life saver.
Baking - Favorite thing to bake? I'm more of a cook than a baker, but I love making coffee cake and muffins. In fact, I hope to use the last of my freezer blueberries (from last summer!) to make muffins today!
Clothesline - Y/N? Oh, I wish! I love the smell of clothes that have dried in the sun. I even strung a line across my deck years ago to hang baby clothes. I gave up on my husband making a real clothes line for me. Next house, maybe? Still, with my electric bill as high as it is...maybe I can bug him for one again? (BTW, he does a LOT for me and the kids. But sometimes...I have to push for things.)
Donuts - Ever made them? Only the ersatz kind where you poke a hole in a refrigerator biscuit and deep fry it. Actually, they are more like zeppoles.
Everyday - One homemaking thing you do everyday? Hmmm...lots of stuff. I guess one thing is that we run the dishwasher ever day. We have to...there are 7 people here and we go through a lot of dishes!
Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freezer? I wish, again! I have an old refrigerator that still works fine, so I keep extra stuff in that freezer.
Garbage Disposal - Y/N? No. My mom has one and she's always worrying about the wrong thing going into it. Who needs that?
Handbook - Y/N? I have a 3-ring binder with page protectors in it. They hold my weekly coupon circulars, take-out menus and a few other household things. I even have an index page with scraps of fabric on it so I know what fabric I have for sewing. I don't know where I got the idea from...but I love my little handbook!
Ironing - Love it or hate it? It's a necessary evil. I have very few things I iron...and mostly, I just hang those up right out of the dryer. I use my iron more for pressing seams when I'm sewing.
Junk Drawer - Where is it? I don't think I have one. We do have a box where orphan things are thrown until we figure out what to do with them. I guess that's the same thing!
Kitchen - Design and decorating? When we moved here, there was ugly wallpaper and orange counters. Can you say "Brady Bunch"? Now my counters are white. I have a nice vinyl floor in different shades of beige and brown. My walls are a pale mint green. My lower cafe curtains and black and white check. I'm now reminded that I need to change off the valance for spring. Right now it's a poinsettia design. I have to get some fabric and make up a new one! As long as it has a touch of red, I'm happy. Red is my favorite color. All my kitchen tools are red. BTW, my appliances are black. So I guess the color scheme is red/white/black against a pale green backdrop. (The cabinets are dark wood, but they look nice against all the light colors.)
Love - What is your favorite part of homemaking? Anything to do with making dinner: menu planning, coupon-clipping, cooking.
Mop - Y/N? Now there's something my husband does for me...the heavy housework like vaccuuming and mopping. I have a bad back and can't do these things.
Nylons - Wash them by hand or in the washer? Just to show how old-fashioned I am...I still call them 'stockings.' I guess I hand wash them. I rarely wear them as I rarely wear dresses.
Oven - Do you use the window or open it to check?Both. It's pretty new so I can still see through the window, but you have to open it to use a meat thermometer, of course.
Pizza - What do you put on yours? Nothing but cheese. My stomach can't take anything too spicy.
Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? I do my book-reading in the early morning with my cup of coffee, when the house is quiet. Later in the day, it's never quiet here.
Recipe card box - Y/N? Oh, yeah. I love mine. It holds 4x6 cards, is made of metal, and I guess it's like a shoe box.
Style of house – high ranch
Tablecloths and napkins - Y/N? We only use a tablecloth at Christmas. We use paper napkins.
Under the kitchen sink – Cleaning stuff
Vacuum - How many times a week? My husband vacuums every saturday, but we use a Swivel Sweeper throughout the week.
Wash - How many loads do you do a week? At least one a day, and I really should do a lot more. It is never, ever, ever caught up.
X'es - Do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? I use an on-line site called My Ta-Da lists, and have lists for each room. I follow them as I clean. I hate housework, so I alternate fun stuff like blogging with chores!
Yard -My husband and boys handle it all. I just tend to a garden.
ZZZ's - What is your last homemaking task for the day? Probably walking around and shutting of lights! Oh...and making sure both the cats are in for the night!

Sale, or not?

This morning I got an e-mail from a sewing pattern company. It is a reliable one from which I've bought patterns before. So I was excited when I saw "All Butterick Patterns 5.99." I went to the site and chose 3 cute patterns for children's outfits.
And then I got to thinking...what about shipping charges? The regular Butterick site doesn't charge shipping in the USA (and Canada, I think). Would the sale price make up for the shipping charges?
So I opened up my calculator and did some math. My three patterns, including shipping would be $24. 32 from the first site. Same three patterns from the mfr's site...$20.13. This does not include sales tax, of course, but I assume it would be the same for either site--or at least close. Well, there's a savings of a little over $4, at least.
And speaking of shipping deals. Sometimes, a site wants you to spend X dollars to get free shipping. This is great if you're really in the market for X dollars worth of stuff. I needed some muslin and some white cardstock, which I bought from Joann's. In order to qualify for free shipping, I would have had to spend almost $20 more...to save about $7. So, needless to say, I paid the shipping.
It's all a math game, but in the end, the idea is to keep as much in your pocket as possible.

A commercial that annoys me

Too many commercials annoy me. Here's one of them. Anyone see the Kentucky Fried Chicken one where they express shock at a weeknight family dinner? Okay, I like take-out as much as the next person. We're having pizza tonight, and we probably have Chinese at least every other week. But this commercial makes it sound like people never, ever cook during the week. Uh...what are they living on, PB&J sandwiches? Nobody's asking anyone to be Rachel Ray (although her stuff is supposed to fast to cook), but the idea that cooking for your family isn't the norm is just stupid. There are plenty of us, I believe, who manage to fall between Martha-Stewart-perfect and open-a-can-of-Spaghettios. Either that, or I'm living in a fantasy world where the average family can afford to go out to dinner every night.

A blouse I designed

This started out as a square-necked top with a plain front. I took the front pattern piece, copied it, then drew a line from the bottom of the neck to the hem. Then I cut the extra piece away. I added extra seam allowance to each of the two pieces I now had. I doubled the length of the long, middle piece, then shirred it up to fit the side front pieces. For the record, shirring is just long gathers. Being sorta frugal, I made a mockup of the original blouse in cheap muslin. I am tired of all the work and money I put into sewing garments only to find they don't fit me. Better to make something first with $2/yard fabric, and do any alterations, before cutting up the good stuff! Well, this isn't really 'good stuff.' I bought it on clearance, LOL!

Pocketbook cleaning

What do you call it by you: handbag, purse or pocketbook? I cleaned out mine this morning, in the hopes of finding the receipt to an MP3 player that has already kicked the bucket (since Christmas!). Alas, I didn't find it. I wouldn't have thrown it out, so I'm hoping it just fell behind the drawer where I keep such things. Anyway, you know you haven't used (or at least cleaned) a handbag in a while when you find a coupon that expired in 2005, LOL! Speaking of MP3 players, the cheap one I bought for $40 is still going strong after about a year. You know what they say about bells and whistles...

My Dog Watches TV

My husband and I were watching "Nature." The episode was about wildlife photographers who shoot images of big cats in Africa. Well, Shadow caught sight of one cat (I believe it's a cervil, but I don't know how to spell that) stalking an antelope in the night. He sat up, alert, and started whining! He sat on the end of my chair and watched the whole show! It was so funny, I had to take a picture.

Weasel Words

I majored in Advertising and Communications in college, and one term I remember learning was "weasel word." It's a phrase or word meant to trick you into believing something. Example: "Enriched Cereal." Sounds like something full of vitamins, but in actuality they've sprayed on a few goodies after they removed the real good stuff! (And I love cereal--but this isn't about that.) I'm not sure they use the term any more, but I've noticed something a lot lately that fits the description perfectly. Didja ever notice that those credit card applications always say: "You've been pre-approved?" Uhmmmm...isn't that like something that's pre-cooked? As in NOT? I think those envelopes should say something like: "Maybe we'll give you a credit card, and maybe we won't...but you have to fill out the annoying form inside to find out!" Me...I just put the darned things through the shredder...

Santa Pup

Poor little forlorn puppy. It's just too much fun to dress him up. I sure couldn't do this with a Rottweiler! The candy buttons are from 3 Scrapateers December kit. If you haven't been there, you should go--a freebie every day! The striped paper is by Pillowgirl, part of her adorable (and free!) Peppermint Stick Kit. The title is Creating Keepsakes "Good Dog." And "Ho, Ho, Ho" is by Kathryn over at Gotta Pixel, part of a Daily Download kit. (I'm having trouble getting the links to print, but here's one:) http://pillowgirlscraps.blogspot.com

Spritz Cookies

I hope this is readable. Sorry it's crooked--that's how I put it in the scanner. You need a cookie press for this recipe. Mine broke--the thing that makes the ratchet 'ratchet' popped out. So I'm going to get myself (or ask Santa for) a new one--maybe even a battery-powered one. Note: for a funny story about the cranberry meatballs, read my previous blog entry!

They're supposed to be MEAT balls

A cyber friend from Pennsylvania calls me on the phone last night and tells me the cranberry meatballs are terrible. She said they were very runny, so she kept adding breadcrumbs to them. She said they were so bad, even the dog wouldn't eat them. So I say, "What kind of meat did you use?" A pause. "Meat? There's nothing about meat in the recipe." So I get the card to check it--yep, there's meat. Turns out the entire card didn't show up on her screen, so she left out the main ingredient! I had a hard time to stop laughing.

Cranberry Meatballs

I believe this recipe came either from "Taste of Home" or "Quick Cooking" magazine. I hope you can read the card. The original recipe has you cooking the meatballs in the microwave, but I find it easier to put them in a big pan and brown them off in the oven--about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. You can freeze the meatballs for a few weeks and make the sauce when you need it. Oh, and I don't bother chopping the dried cranberries...too much work. Next blog: spritz cookies!

I'm still here

Just haven't felt like blogging. Nick got his cast off today. The doctor says his x-ray looks 'superb.' While we were waiting, Nick started a conversation with me on grammar mistakes people make--like mixing effect and affect, or it's and its. Being a writer, it was fun to be able to help him. But I honestly couldn't give him an example of irony! I'll have to look that up myself. Update on cookies: I made the rolled cookie dough, rolled it out, and it's in bags in the freezer all flat and ready to go. Last night I made my spritz cookies--about 7 dozen. Some for the freezer for Christmas eve, and some to enjoy now. I'm bringing a small box of them to my boss. She's a doctor who runs between two offices--I doubt she has much time to bake! I also made and froze cranberry meatballs for Christmas eve. I'll make the sauce the day or so before. It's a tradition to have those as an appetizer. I'll have to be sure to print out recipes next time I feel like blogging--which I hope won't be too long!

Getting ready for baking

I'm planning to start my holiday baking right after Thanksgiving. I mostly do cookies, and a favorite is spritz cookies. I want everything ready and waiting for me when the mood strikes to get out that cookie gun. So this is what I did: I got out a gallon bag and some smaller bags. In the gallon bag, I measured out my flour, baking soda and salt. In one of the smaller bags, I put my sugar, brown sugar and two unwrapped sticks of unsalted butter. This little bag went right down into the flour bag. I put an egg into a small bag and put it in with the sugar and the dry ingredients. The only thing I left out was the vanilla and almond extracts, which are in my pantry--I checked, LOL! (Being frugal--I bought 2 bottles of vanilla from the Kosher aisle after Passover this year! At 80% savings!) I'm not sure it is okay to put extracts in the fridge. But everything is ready and waiting--and the colored sugar is all nicely contained in a metal 'shoe box' I've had for years. By the way, do you (my few and wonderful readers) know why sugar is a 'wet' ingredient, even though it's dry! Because it turns into a liquid when you heat it, LOL!

Saving Pennies

http://jaabeemom.blogspot.com/ Julie Bo Boolie inspired this blog today. One way I save pennies is with deposit cans and bottles. I resisted this for a long time. Bottles and cans take up a lot of room. They are sticky. But then I realized...I was throwing away 'treat' money. I mean...if Hershey Bars go on sale 3/$1...if I cash in 20 bottles (okay, 22 for the tax)...I get 3 free candy bars! Or any number of things. Heck, 22 or so bottles/cans is worth one freebie from the dollar store! Think of the candy canes you could buy for Christmas! (Or the marshmallow Santas!)
So...I have a bin right outside the back door into which I can toss the bottles. The current stash is up to 75 cents. I figure I'll cash it in when I hit that dollar. I go to the grocery at least once a week, anyway, so it isn't out of the way.
The only complaint I have is that all deposit containers get you a nickel each. If you're as old as I am, you'll remember that small bottles were 2 cents and big bottles (we didn't know what a liter was back then, let alone a 2-liter bottle) got you a nickel. So...with inflation...shouldn't we get 5 cents for small bottles and cans and at least 8 cents for the big, bulky ones?
Here's a memory: trading a small glass Coke bottle in for two cents...and buying a pretzel rod from a big, tin drum! Alas, that was sssoooooo 1960s!

My daughter at 22

Katherine had her 22nd birthday last week. Here she is with 2 of her gifts--a book about the Long Island Rail Road and a book called "Weird New York. " Katherine is really into the history of Long Island and NYC. I also gave her the blue box next to her and a set of flannel sheets for her bed with a sock monkey design all over. She likes monkeys. She also got a Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits CD--I'll have to borrow that one. My youngest saw the CD and asked if "Thriller" was a good song. He was born in 1990, way past the "Thriller" era, LOL! Katherine manages the floral department of a store. Her arrangements are amazing--she even does weddings. She hopes to be a cop someday and is finishing off classes in Criminal Justice. As for me...I can't believe I have 3 kids in their 20s now!

Halloween Puppy

Katherine wants to be a cop someday. She wanted to dress Shadow up like a police officer (complete with tiny handcuffs and gun) but we couldn't find a costume. So she settled for the next best thing...a prisoner! Shadow seems to be thinking: "I didn't do it! I was framed!" I am scrapping these photos with this title: "Pawshank Redemption!" (Get it?)

My 16 year old

Nicky fractured his wrist in school on Halloween. He came home and said it hurt, but it wasn't swollen and he could move it. So I gave him an ice pack and said 'let's see.' The next day he still hurt. I brought him with me to work (how convenient that my job is at a pediatric office!) and the doctor felt he had an 80% chance it was broken. We went over to the emergency room and sat for four hours. The x-ray didn't seem to show much. The doctor put it in a splint and said to see a hand doctor in 2 days. But I told the doctor I work for and she said she was still convinced there was something going on there. She called radiology. Radiology called me the next day and said yes, it was a slight fracture. The hand doctor saw him after school and put him in a cast. He did this during gym class. Our insurance will cover most of it, and the school's insurance should cover the rest. Thank God because the visit to the hand doctor alone was nearly $2,000. Not very frugal, LOL! BTW, Nick isn't in much pain. He didn't even ask for Tylenol. He thinks his cast is cool and is very happy with all the chores he won't be able to do for 5 weeks.