Sew Crafty Friday: Vintage Dress

I did some more work on the vintage dress I started quite a long time ago. It now has some cute flower-shaped buttons!

My friend let me raid her pattern stash after she adopted her daughter, since she'll be too busy to do much sewing. Of course, this dress is for little Abigail Rose. Abi isn't even a year old yet. I'd guess this dress will fit her at about age 3. It's a princess line and the skirt part is really whirly-twirly. It needs a crinoline, LOL! The pattern dates back to 1954. I retraced it because the pieces are really too old and delicate to use directly. You can tell the pattern is old--the envelope offers yardage on fabric that is 36 inches wide. I'm not sure they even sell that now!

Well, if you want to see some other creativity, please visit Shereen's blog, "Waiting for Him" for Sew Crafty Friday. (See my sidebar.) I hope you participate, too!

Wifey Wednesday

Don't you just love that alliteration, LOL? Sheila over at "To Love, Honor and Vaccuum" just started this new 'carnival.' Check it out, here, and share some ideas! http://tolovehonorandvacuum.blogspot.com/
As someone who has kept the same guy for over 35 years (since 1971, if you're counting--married since 1980), I can tell you it really is the 'little things' that count. Here's a few 'painless' things I do to keep Mike happy:

1)When he's doing yardwork, I always ask him if he wants a drink, or a refill of his coffee.
2)I rarely let him walk by me without giving him a hug.
3)He does most of his work on our dining room table, so if I use it myself I try to clear away my 'stuff.'
4)He runs or works out 6 days out of the week (at 54, he looks better than most 35-year-olds), and I try to remember to ask him how his workout went.


Oh, gosh, I can't think of anything else. I do most of this without even really thinking about it--second nature. And he 'does' plenty for me without my asking, too. The least of which is the heavy housework such as vaccuuming! (And he gasses my car up for me, too. I despise going to the gas station.)

And just remember that bad little things chip away at a marriage as much as good little things build it up!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

It's Kitchen Tip Tuesday over at Tammy's Recipes! http://www.tammysrecipes.com/

My tip could go hand-in-hand with Lynn's tip about freezer meals. It is to take inventory of what you have on hand...especially meat. I decided to do this between yesterday and today. I had no idea that I already had 3 roast beefs in there before I bought another one today. Okay, one is a chuck roast that I plan to cut up for vegetable soup. And the price of rump roast was excellent today.

But now that I know what I have, and what I'm low on, I can shop more efficiently. I can watch for chicken cutlets to go on sale--don't have any of those except for what we're eating for dinner tomorrow night. But I have plenty of browned ground beef and will make plans around that. Another thing I found was a turkey breast. How on earth does one 'lose' a turkey breast, LOL!? Yeah, it's chest freezer, but it ain't that big.

(I didn't forget about the whole turkey I bought last week. I took it out and it's in the upstairs fridge now thawing for dinner early next week.)

I bet if you clean out your freezer, you'll find plenty from which you can plan meals for at least the next week!

Saturday Sewing Tip: Zipper

Lucky you, you came across a big bag of zippers for a quarter at a garage sale. So one day, you go to put a 7" white zipper in a skirt but find you only have a 9" zipper in that stash. It is really, really easy to shorten it!

This, of course, assumes the zipper has nylon teeth that you can cut. And all smart sewists (I think 'sewers' sounds like the place where Pennywise the Clown lives--Stephen King fans get the reference.)

Okay, close the zipper and measure down from the thing you pull. I have no idea what that's called--probably the 'pull.'

If you want a 7" zipper, measure down 7" and make a mark. Then, using your machine or by hand, sew across this mark over and over. This will create a new place for the zipper to stop. Leaving about an inch below this 'stop,' cut off the remainder of the zipper.

You now have exactly the size zipper you need! And you'll probably never pass up a twenty-five cent bag of zippers again.

Freezer Friday: Twice Baked Potatoes

Blog-hopping around the cyberverse a few weeks ago, I discovered this fun blog: http://nerdfamilyfood.blogspot.com/
She is hosting "Freezer Friday," wherein you offer recipes for things that freeze nicely. I'm all for freeze-ahead food as it makes life so much easier. (I froze a dozen chocolate chip dough balls when I made cookies a few weeks back. Guess what we're having for a snack today?)
Anyway, here's my donation. These freeze beautifully.
The recipe serves 4, but if I use very large potatoes I will often split mine with someone.

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

4 large baking potatoes
1/3-1/2 Cup milk (you want to keep this fairly 'heavy,' so eyeball the milk until you have a nice texture)
1/4 Cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
a little sour cream
a little ranch dressing, if you like (I sprinkle some in, then close the little envelope with a clip. If you make your own ranch dressing mix, all the better!)
shredded cheddar

As you see, there are some ingredients you'll just do to taste--you can't really go wrong with these.

Scrub and bake the potatoes. Cool, then cut a small slice from the top. (I find this makes a sturdier potato than cutting it in half lengthwise.)
Remove the pulp and mix it up with everything but the cheese. Stuff the potatoes back in the shell. Add the cheese on top. Put the 'lid' (small slice) back on.

You can wrap these and freeze them for about 2 months. When you want to eat them, take them out 45 minutes before your meal. Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap and bake for about 40 minutes, until the centers are hot.

Enjoy!

PS...don't forget to scroll down for "Sew Crafty Friday"!

Sew Crafty Friday: Valance

Here is the valance I made for my kitchen. I'm glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and took home the cherries-on-pink fabric, because it looks really nice in my kitchen. A valance is very easy to make, because it is just one continuous piece and you don't have to worry about hems matching up. And you can change it out with the seasons without spending a fortune! This one cost me about $10, with fabric left over.
BTW, I took this shot with the camera slightly above my kitchen table so you wouldn't see the absolute mess on it, LOL!
Please check my sidebar for the link to Shereen's "Sew Crafty Friday," under "Waiting for Him." There's some great stuff to be found!

Update

Well, I haven't heard a thing so I guess my hand isn't going to fall off. I'm 90% better. I have NO idea what that was all about. The only reason I went is because the doctor I work for said it was swollen and I definitely needed an x-ray. And she's no alarmist, so I listen to her advice.

I forgot to ask my regular dr. what the blood tests were for, but Dr. A said they were looking for signs of arthritis. Well, duh, of course it's going to come up positive...I've had arthritis for years. (The osteo kind, not that awful rheumatoid kind, than goodness!)

I keep rewriting this paragraph. Something about currently having a UTI, going through menopause, chronic back pain, stomach problems...STRESS problems.

Oh, the heck with it. I will now return to our regularly scheduled fun and games. Thanks for the nice comments. I can type just fine today, and I can sew, knit and crochet too. My 'diversions' are like my Folger's...I neeeeed them.

I'll be back later with something for Shereen's Sew Crafty Friday!

Down time...

...can be 'found time.'

For all I hate sitting still, you'd think I'd be thin and athletic. Ha, ha, ha. Still, I'm a fidget. I detest being on hold on the phone!

I had to call for a doctor's appointment. I injured my wrist mysteriously (as in, I didn't fall or bump it) and it hurts and is swollen. The doctor I work for said I definitely need an X-ray. So I called my own doctor today. And sat there on hold, and on hold, and on hold.

After about the third "your call will be taken in the order it was received," I got smart enough to switch over to a portable phone, and started folding laundery. (Folding shirts with one hand is an art, if you ask me.) And as I'm sitting there, I see how dusty the dresser is. So I decide to clean it. Not just clean, but reorganize, too.

I finally did get through, and will see the doctor this afternoon. In case you're wondering how I can type...I don't know. Sometimes it hurts and sometimes I see stars if I move it the wrong way. I'm really curious to see what's going on.

Back to the dresser. Now that I'd started, I got a bug to finish it. Some bug. Took me over an hour. But at least it's a long-put-off job that is done. (Except for the very top. I can't reach that. There is probably a city's worth of dust mites up there.)

So...next time you are waiting on hold, or for a site to download, or for something to heat up in the microwave, look around and see what you can do instead of just 'sitting there.' You might be surprised what you can accomplish!

Saturday Sewing Tip

First, thanks for all the kind words yesterday! We've already cleared out Michael's room and now Nicky has a room of his own. I'll get to see Michael tomorrow for Easter!


This is a bit of a cheat since I posted this idea a long time ago. But this time, I have pictures. Besides, between moving Nicky into the new room, finishing my Easter top and regular household chores--not to mention I have work at 4--I don't feel like thinking of anything 'new.' And it's worth repeating.Today's tip is about measuring hems or any other instance of folding over an edge of fabric. In this example, I have to fold over 4" on the top of the curtains for my son's room, to allow for a casing and a ruffle on top. As you can see, I have measured in 8 inches from the finished edge. I used a disappearing marker. You could also use pins to mark your increments. The basic idea is...whatever you want the finished 'hem' to be, double it and use that as your measurement.



Now, fold over the fabric so that the finished edge meets where you made your marks. See...mine folds perfectly at four inches. Yours will fold perfectly, too.

Have a great Saturday! Enjoy coloring your eggs and don't forget to leave a carrot for the Easter Bunny.

Sew Crafty Friday and an Emptier Nest

Well, the chicks are starting to fly. My oldest moved out yesterday, into his first apartment. Do you know how weird it is to walk into his room and find it (virtually) empty? I get a little choked up knowing I don't have all my kids here. One day, I know they will all be gone. This is just the start.

It's life. It doesn't mean I have to like it. But Michael promises he'll be back, especially if I call and tell him I'm making something special for dinner. Nothing lures a kid back home like dinner, LOL!

I guess I'll get used to it. I've already bought fabric and started new curtains for the room, which will now go to my youngest son. (My middle boy wants to keep the room he's been sharing with his little brother for 18 years.) They are a gold-on-gold cotton, light in color but boyish enough. The room needs painted before Nicky moves in--when we bought this house 14 years ago, I let the kids each pick their own paint color. Michael had picked orange. I'm hoping to do it in a goldish brown--neutral without being boring.

I also started a new valance for my kitchen. It is a cherry print on a pink background. I don't have one iota of pink in my kitchen. I started to pick up an apple print, since there is a lot of red in my kitchen. But apples are playing it safe. I needed to indulge myself today. So cherries on pink it was.

I also endulged myself with a cat print to make curtains for my office.

Some people drink or eat to fight the blues. Me...I buy fabric.

Hey, I actually have a finished project to show. It is a necklace I made to match my dress. As you can see in the photo, the dress has matching binding around the collar. The armholes are bound in white double-face bias tape. If Easter were a month from now, I'd have pushed myself to finish it for Sunday. But it's too cold to go sleeveless yet.

Enough talking. Here is a picture of my necklace:

Please visit Shereen at "Waiting for Him" (see my sidebar) and enjoy other crafty goodness. And thanks for indulging me as I mope a little!

It's Bunny Time...

...aka, Spring! Susan of Blackberry Creek (see link on my sidebar) asked us a while back to show off our bunnies. I finally got around to taking pictures today. Here are some of my long-eared friends!

Some bunnies were gifts. Some bought on clearance, some from garage sales. My biggest bunny is the brown one holding her baby in the top lefthand photo. Can you believe she only cost $4? I got her when Hallmark started clearing out all 'non-Hallmark' items from their stores. I'd say she's about 18 inches tall, sitting. She's very soft and cuddly.

I think the bunny I've had for the longest time is the yellow one in the front of that same picture. He actually has siblings up in the attic. In fact, I have more bunnies up there who will be coming down tomorrow. There's only so much ladder-climbing someone with a bad back can do in one day, LOL!

Do you like the plate behind the little rabbits in the hutch? It's a Dept. 56 and I paid $1.99 at the Salvation Army Thrift shop for it! (If you know how to remove the gooey label residue, lmk, okay?)

Anyway...HAPPY SPRING!!!!!!!!

WFMW: Blogging w/o guilt

Because...we all have enough to feel guilty about, right? Blogging is my guilty pleasure. I'm on the computer when my husband leaves for work in the a.m. and still on it when he comes home. He probably thinks this is what I do all day...NOT.



See, I don't do it all in one shot. I blog a little, do some chores, blog a little, do something else and on until I don't feel like it any more. Somehow, the house gets fairly clean (as opposed to company clean) and we manage to eat pretty good food every night. Besides, I have a part-time job so that eradicates some guilt.



But how do I make sure I stop to get other things done? Easy--I count. Today, for instance, I printed out the list of wonderful Works for Me Wednesday tips you will find over at Rocks in My Dryer http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2008/03/works-for-me-so.html

Whilst having my morning coffee, I marked off the hints I want to read. At that point, it was only up to 95, but I think there are nearly 200 tips there now--time to print out the second half of the list. Obviously, I'm not intersted in all of them. It's been about 16 years since I needed baby advice, for example.

So I decided that today I would check out 10 posts, then go do something, then do 10 more, etc. So now I am off to bring groceries in from the car. Then I'm going to straighten up the pillows that were knocked off the couch. Then maybe I'll do something else...or maybe I'll come back and read 10 more posts. Either way, it gets me up and moving and the housework gets done!

Saturday Sewing Tip

Today's tip is: have more than one pin cushion! One would be for pins, of course. But you can use another to keep pre-threaded needles on hand. This is great if you're like me and you work on multiple projects. I always try to have at least one white and one black threaded needle. But I also have pink, lavendar, green, red or any other color I will need for whatever "WIPs" I've got going.

There are tutorials out there for really nice pincushions, if you're inclined to make some yourself. Here's a link to a blog with an easy, cute one. Just check her sidebar!

http://hyena-in-petticoats.blogspot.com/

Have fun this weekend!

Sew Crafty Friday

Friday is such a fun blogging day, with "Frugal Friday" at Biblical Womanhood (see previous post) and "Sew Crafty Friday" at http://w8ng4him.blogspot.com/ There's such a wealth of talent and brains out there.

Here's my crafty thing of the week. It's a tote bag. This pink-on-brown print caught my eye, and there was barely a yard on the bolt. But I had to have it, LOL! I decided to make a bag out of it, using some beige poplin I already had.

I'm sorry that I don't have the link to this tutorial. I deleted it from my sewing file after I made the bag. It's supposed to have a little strap closure with a button on the front. I'm planning on using this for library books, mostly, so I skipped the closure. But if it looks familiar to you, please lmk and I'll give credit where it is due!

I've been doing a lot of sewing this week. I cut out 2 tops for the spring, both in blue fabric. One is a peasant top and one is a tunic. I can sew them both with the same color thread, so I've been progressing there.

I'm also progressing with the dress I designed. That has been a learning experience for me...next time I adapt a pattern meant for a woven into a knit bodice, I'll use a smaller size. I had to take in very large darts to get this to fit me right, but I'm getting there! And the skirt fits great--I plan to use that pattern (which I did make 100% from scratch) for some springy skirts.

So, what have you in your craft room today??????

Frugal Friday Tip: Butter

It's time for Frugal Friday over at Biblical Womanhood. Wow, there are some great tips this week! Here is mine:

With the holidays approaching, many 'special dinner' foods are on sale. Butter is one of them. We eat butter a lot in this house (btw, my cholesterol is almost optimal--I had it checked), but I sure don't want to pay $5 a pound for it! So when it is on sale, as it is this week, I stock up. You can freeze it just fine. I always have several pounds in the freezer and one pound in the fridge. All the stores in my area are selling it for half price or less. Check your own local circulars, if you happen to like butter. I buy a mix of the salted kind, plus some sweet butter for baking.
Don't forget to see what other things are on sale that you can put in the freezer--like ham and turkey!

A visit http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm for more great, frugal ideas!
(BTW, I'll be back later with my "Sew Crafty Friday" post!)

CVS: Extreme Basics

There are some wonderful places to find detailed information on how to do the whole CVS thing. I couldn't do such a good job here. There are bloggers out there who have this down to a science. But I can give you what I feel are the most basic rules!

1. Get a CVS card--duh. Hey, I said this was basic!

2. Check the Sunday circular. The week's ECB deals are clearly marked, usually with a yellow square that tells you what you'll get if you buy a certain product. Also check your coupon stash to see if you have a manufacturer's coupon for the same product, for additional savings.

3. Use the card every time. If you forget it, you can give them your phone number and they'll look it up.

4. When you leave the store and get in your car, check your receipt before you even start the engine. (But don't get so excited about your potential savings that you forget to buckle your seatbelt!)

At the bottom of the receipt, you'll see a bunch of coupons printed out. These are called Extra Care Bucks, or ECBs for short.

There will be some ECBs that don't interest you. Forget those. But tear off the ones you like, especially the ones that are plain ECBs with no product named on them. You can use these for just about anything in the CVS store. Also save the ones that say something like "$2 off any $10 CVS purchase." And, of course, save the ones for money off products you like.

5. Put those ECBs right in your wallet. And get in the habit of checking your wallet every time you return to CVS.

6. I have been told by 2 cashiers that CVS will take outdated ECBs, so if you find one you forgot about, be sure to check if you can still use it.

So, what's this whole rollover thing? Here's a simple example:

Let's say CVS has Colgate toothpaste on sale for $2.99, and the circular tells you that you'll get $2 ECBs back.
And, being smart and lucky, you happen to have a $1 Colgate toothpaste mfr. coupon!
So...you buy the toothpaste, which costs you $1.99 after the mfr. coupon. And you find a $2 ECB at the bottom of your receipt.
You put this receipt in your wallet.

Next Sunday rolls around. You've been noticing more gray in your hair, so you decide it's time to go "Honey Ash Blonde." Excellence by L'Oreal is on sale for $5.99, and you get $3 ECBs back. And you have a $2 off mfr coupon!
So you combine the $2 mfr with the $2 ECBs you had from last week, and the haircolor costs you $1.99...but you get back $3 in ECBs! So you've actually made a profit.
And then the next week comes, and you start all over again...

I have shown the use of ECBs for only one product at a time, but of course you can do as many ECB deals as your heart desires. Some weeks, you'll find a lot. Some weeks, there won't be much of any.

Oh. one more thing: you get ECBs every quarter based on your purchases. So, I believe, the next one should come up after the first of April. Be on the lookout!

Free Shampoo at CVS

There is a $1 coupon for Garnier Fructic shampoo or conditioner or styler in today's paper. (I'm sorry, I cut it out and forget which circular--but there are two today, Smart Source and Redplum). CVS has them on sale for $2.99, plus you get a $2 ECB. So with the coupon, it costs you -1 cent. Yeah, better than free. You get a penny back. Whoa!

I haven't seen much else that's interesting at CVS lately. Maybe it's just me.

Saturday Sewing Tip

Here is a great way to make sure your facings lay nice and flat. After you sew the facing and clip your curves, press the seam allowance towards the facing. Then stitch on the seam allowance, as close to the seam as you can get. This will anchor the seam allowance to the facing, and create a nice, crisp edge when you fold the facing inside the garment. And it also helps to keep it from rolling out!

By the way, I'm looking for any advice about sergers. I might break down and get one some time this year, but they scare me half to death. Do you have one? Do you like it, and is it easy? I mean, really, really easy?

Two Fridays: Sew Crafty and Frugal

I'm always enjoying the wonderful, frugal ideas on Frugal Friday, over at http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm.
And you know I love Shereen's blog, especially on Sew Crafty Friday! http://w8ng4him.blogspot.com/

Please visit their blogs. There are a lot of crafty, frugal, bright and talented ladies (and gents!) out there!

Since I've been doing more cooking than sewing this week, I decided to participate in both.

My biggest sewing project this week, which is also frugal, was to trace out the pattern for my summer pajamas. I used my old flannel pajamas (the ones that are bleach-stained and faded)! I'm sorry I don't have a photo, but Blogger is being evil today about photos. Basically, all I did was cut the pajama top apart (I'll get to the pants later) and trace one front piece, one sleeve and half of the back. I have some cotton I bought for a dress a while back, but had decided it was too 'tea party' for my tastes (big roses on a white background). So that's what I'll use to make summer pajamas.
I also started to make a quilt for St. Patrick's Day. The chances of me finishing it this year are zippo, but I at least want to get the top done before I put all the green stuff up in the attic.

Speaking of green stuff, here's my frugal cooking tip: make cupcakes this weekend. Bake the first dozen as usual and let your family enjoy them. But for the second dozen, add food coloring to match one of the upcoming holidays! I did mine in green, for St. Patrick's Day. You could do lavendar or pink for Easter, too! Just pop this second batch in the freezer, preferably in something that will keep them from getting squished. Leave off the icing, of course! Then just take them out the day before you need them and ice them after they thaw. You'll have a festive* and frugal snack for the holidays!

*BTW, don't you think 'festive' is just about the most Martha Stewart word ever?

Works for Me Wednesday

http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2008/03/works-for-me-ba.html
It's another backwards edition of Works for Me Wednesday over at Rocks in My Dryer. We get to ask a question, so mine is this: do you have a good bread recipe I'm talking plain old ordinary white bread, without a bread machine. I made some last week, using my Kitchenaid stand mixer for the hard work. The family loved it. I didn't...I thought it was too doughy. The recipe was for an ABM. So I honestly didn't know how long to knead it.

I'm trying to find an old-fashioned recipe, without any weird ingredients. We don't do whole wheat here. I have bread flour already and I have yeast.

Any recipes would help! Thanks!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node/2508#comment-7703

It's Kitchen Tip Tuesday time at Tammy's Recipes! There are 20 great tips there, so far. Go check it out.

Here's my humble donation:

When you measure flour, always mound the flour higher than your measuring cup. Then take a knife or spatula and poke down into the cup a few times. This will help break up the clumps that occur in flour. Then take the knife and skim the side of it across the top of the cup, from side to side, so that the 'mound' falls back into the flour container. Extra flour will fall into the cup and fill any air pockets.

While we're on the subject of flour: it's a good idea to premeasure flour and dry ingredients for several recipes at a time. If you enjoy making bread, for example, the next time you measure out flour for one recipe, measure out some for a few others, too! Just put the pre-measured flour and other dry ingredients into a plastic bag and label it. This way, you get the mess out of the way all at once. And next time you want to bake, your dry ingredients are ready and waiting for you!

Hope these tips are helpful!

Saturday Sewing Tip

Today's tip: double up! If you have a versatile pattern that you love, why not cut out two at the same time? Just lay your two different fabrics down so they match along their folds, and pin your pattern pieces through all layers. (This wouldn't work with heavy fabric like fleece, unless you happen to have the longest pins in existence.)

By using two fabrics with similar color backgrounds, you can use the same thread for both garments and sew them assembly-line style.

More double-up tips:

Always have two bobbins threaded--one for the machine and a spare. It's a good idea to start with a fully wound bobbin before you do buttonholes! Having the bobbin run out in the middle of a buttonhole is really, really frustrating.

Always have two hand sewing needles threaded if your garment has buttons. This way, when one needle runs out of thread, you don't have to stop and rethread to continue sewing.

Hope today's tips are helpful! Happy Sewing!

Lavendar Dress, continued (SCF)

It's "Sew Crafty Friday" over at Shereen's blog again! Here's what I have today:

The pantaloons in this outfit just kill me, LOL! So sweet! I still have to put elastic in the waistband. And I have to adjust the ankle elastic a bit. But this is pretty much finished. BTW, it's about the size for a two year old.

Please visit Shereen's blog and take part in Sew Crafty Friday. Inquiring, creative minds want to see what you've been up to!

For some reason, Blogger is not letting me do links, so please see my sidebar for Shereen's link--"Waiting for Him."

Thursday Thriftiness

What is it with blogs and alliteration? I swear I'm going to start a trend called "Absolutely Anything Afternoon"!

Here's my thriftiness today:

I love flannel pajamas. Much as I hate winter, the one sad thing about the end of it is having to put the comfy flannel PJs up in the attic--unless we keep the a/c in our bedroom on full blast, and I'm paying LIPA (Long Island Power Authority) enough as it is.

One of my older pairs has really seen its day. Bleach stains, saggy, faded. I have enough nicer pairs that I can give this one up. But not totally! I have deconstructed it:

First, I removed the buttons. They're a really pretty blue-green.

Second, I carefully cut the pieces apart--a sleeve, one front and half of the back. I'm going to retrace these as pattern pieces for a new pair of PJs for the warmer months.

Third, I cut larger squares from the remaining flannel that I will hem and use as napkins or cleaning rags. Don't worry--the napkins are only for me. They aren't going to end up on the dining room table. I'm not THAT frugal, LOL!

Fourth, I cut off the pocket. It's a nice pocket with piping around the edge. I have no idea what I'll do with it. I just like it.

And Fifth, I kept the side seam of one sleeve intact. I'm going to sew up the top, pour rice inside, sew the bottom and make a nice heatpad--probably for my dog, who loves heat pads!

So, you see that...buttons, napkins, a sewing pattern, a who-knows-what-for pocket and a lovie for my dog--all for free!

Tell me, what have you in your drawer that you never wear and can cut apart for many new uses?

Works for Me Wednesday

It's time for Works for Me Wednesday at Shannon's blog:
http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/

There are a lot of great tips! I have one today, too!

I like those face-washing cloths that don't require rinsing. I usually get the CVS brand, which is pretty cheap--and I often cut them in half. But lately, I've been kinda broke so I'm looking for any little ways to save money.

I have made some items with flannel lately, and made some washcloths with the leftover pieces. Well, what I do is to take the washcloth (you can use a regular terry one, of course) and wet it with warm water. I take one corner and dab it on a bar of moisturizing soap. Then I use that corner to wash my face. I use the rest of the washcloth to wipe away the soap.

Why don't I just rinse my face from the sink? Well, I have long hair and I hate getting the front of it wet if I'm not actually shampooing it. With my corner of the washcloth trick, I get convenience and I save money. This 'works for me' just fine!

Macaroni & Cheese

Heather, who came to visit yesterday, requested my macaroni & cheese recipe, so here goes:

Macaroni & Cheese

(This makes a lot, but the recipe is easy to halve.)

2 (1-lb.) boxes elbow macs
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 Cups shredded cheddar
1 Cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese*
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 Cup crushed Ritz crackers (or any butter cracker you like)
3 T melted butter
1/4 Cup grated parmigiana (or parmesan) cheese

*You don't have to use Jarlsberg, but it really does add a nice flavor to this. It's pricey, so I just get a quarter pound at the deli for about $2. You can always substitute a cup of any cheese you like.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a big lasagna pan with non-stick spray. I find I need to do one large pan and one smaller pan to fit all the macaroni.

Cook the macaroni.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy, medium skillet or saucepan. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir to make a roux; cook 2 minutes until smooth. Whisk in one can of the milk. Gradually whisk in the other can of milk until smooth. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer two minutes, whisking until thick.

Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and mustard until melted. Add to cooked macaroni and stir. Pour into baking pans. Combine crackers, butter and parmesan, sprinkle on top. Bake 25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Enjoy!

(I put foil on top to keep the macs from getting too hard. Use Reynold's no-stick, or spray regular foil with non-stick spray.)

CVS Coupon

Here is a link to a CVS coupon that will triple your ECBs:





http://a676.g.akamaitech.net/f/676/773/60m/images.delivery.net/cm50content/CVS/9160208/20080208_ec_triple.html#



It's valid through March 15th.
Enjoy!

Tagged Again!

Laura tagged me for another 'what are you reading' game! http://laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-are-you-reading-tag.html


"turn to page 123 of the nearest book, go to the fifth sentence and post the next three! Then tag five more people"


So here I go again:

{Sentence Five:}"It ought to have been obvious to her that it was a mirror, since it had a wooden frame and dust on its surface, but to be absolutely sure, I asked, "what is this I'm holding?" {The next three:} (Remember I was behind the mirror, holding it.)
She replied without hesitating, "A mirror."
I asked her to describe her eyeglasses, lipstick and clothing while looking straight into the mirror.

From: "Phantoms in the Brain," by V.S. Ramchandran and Sandra Blakeslee--an absolutely phenomenal book about the tricks our brains play on us. Very readable, too--trust me, I don't to 'text books,' LOL!

Saturday Sewing Tip

This one is about cutting apart patterns. I like to do mine way before I even have the fabric. That way, when I want to pin a pattern, I can get right to it without having to stop and cut the pieces apart.

I like to use electric scissors for this. It makes it go a lot faster. Of course, these scissors aren't used for fabric. Anyone who sews knows that you never use fabric scissors to cut paper. I don't particularly like electric scissors for fabric, anyway. I know people who can use them, but they always seem to jam up on me no matter what. But they make separating pattern pieces quick and easy.

After I cut each piece, I refold it along the original lines. Sometimes, that means the number is hidden. So I always write the number where I can see it.

When all the pieces are cut and refolded, I stack them in order. Did you know that pattern pieces are numbered in the order which they'll be used? So much easier to have "1" on top than to have to shuffle through 23 pieces!

If your pattern has a minimal number of pieces, you can easily put them right back into the envelope. I like to tuck them inside the instructions first, and then slide the whole packet inside. But if you have a pattern with many pieces, this is usually impossible. Trust me, the inability to repackage patterns into their original envelopes is not your fault. I've seen how they are put together. In the factory, the pieces are laid on an open envelope, and then the envelope is folded around them!

So a good trick for these impossible-to-repackage patterns is to use inexpensive gallon type plastic storage bags. (Save the expensive ones for food, LOL!) Not only will the bag hold the pattern, but it is also a great place to put notions and threads you'll need when you start working on the garment. Punch a hole in the top and hang it from the same hanger where you'll hang your garment as you're working on it, and you'll have it all in one convenient place!

Hope you liked this week's tips!

A good day for crafting! (SCF)

Must be friday, 'cause Shereen's hosting "Sew Crafty Friday" again! http://w8ng4him.blogspot.com/

It looks like this outside. So it's a good day to stay in and sew, scrap, cook--whatever! I've been working on the dress I'm designing. Here are some photos:

As you can see, I need to put darts in the bodice. the shirring is done with alternating rows of black and white floss--by hand. It's going pretty quickly. (Of course, I marked my lines on the inside. I couldn't sew that straight to save my life, LOL!) BTW, I think I'm going to keep it sleeveless. I might make (or buy) a short white linen jacket to wear over it. We'll see--with the weather the way it is today, it feels like it will be forever before it's warm enough to wear this.

Today, I also hope to cut out the pink flannel lining for a little child's jacket I'm making (shown in an earlier post). And...to put the elastic in the pantaloons for the lavendar child's dress (another earlier post.)

Tag!

Debbie of http://homemakingdreams.blogspot.com/ said I could play tag with her. Here's the game:

~Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages
~Open the book to page 123 and find sentence number 5.
~Post the next 3 sentences
~Tag 5 people.

Okay, I'm turning around to pull a book off the shelf...

I'm opening to page 123...

"He would take the trees and shape them into odd sculptures and functional objects. Some of these original sculptures still stand at Fabulous Furniture, which has become a showroom for Heller's works. These days, Heller is still crafting objects out of wood."

From: "Weird New York: Your Travel Guide to New York's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets" by Chris Gethard.

I tag...anyone at all who wants to play!

Look to the Sky Tonight!

Tonight, Mother Nature is treating us to a total lunar eclipse! A lunar eclipse is when the earth falls between the sun and moon, and its shadow is cast over the moon. It's fun to watch the shadow 'eat away' little bits of the moon, and then move over and let the moon appear again.
It's supposed to happen around 9:45 EST.

BTW, does anyone out there remember ever seeing a total solar eclipse? I'm not talking about a partial one. I'm talking 'dark as night in the middle of the day.' I don't know if it's a false memory, but I swear I experienced one as a kid. That would be in the early 1960s.

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

There are some wonderful kitchen tips over at Tammy's Recipes. http://www.tammysrecipes.com/taxonomy/term/53

Here is my tip for Kitchen Tip Tuesday:

Got an old magazine rack you don't want any more? Use it to store cutting boards! I have one in my kitchen. It's an old brass one and holds my cutting boards perfectly.
BTW, I color code my boards for food safety: red or pink is for meat, all other colors for bread or vegetables.
You could also use a permanent marker to write "MEAT" or "NON-MEAT" on the handle, to help prevent cross-contamination!

Saturday Sewing Tip

I actually have two tips today. One is to keep a magnet near your sewing machine to pick up pins. This happens to be an official "Singer" one, but I've also use fridge magnets and even the paws of stuffed animals that are made to stick to the fridge. My friend Judy (aka Jude) gave me a little lobster who lives on my fridge, and he likes to help me pick up pins, LOL!
Of course, I wouldn't keep a magnet too close to a computerized machine, although these magnets aren't all that strong.

Another good idea is to use one of those picker-upper things. Grab the magnet with the claw end and then sweep it around the floor--you won't even have to bend down to get the pins!

Here is the second tip: prewash your fabric. For some, that might be a 'duh' idea. But I swear to you, I've been sewing for over 30 years and only recently got into the habit. You'd think I would have figured it out after having numerous tops shrink on me. A good idea to save time is to throw the fabric in with 'like' items of clothing. For example, I wash flannel with pajamas or knits with t-shirts. Now I know that when I make a garment, shrinkage will be minimal!

Do you have any awesome sewing tips? Please don't be shy--even the most simple tip is a 'wow' moment of learning for someone!

Sew Crafty Friday

I haven't been much in the mood for crafting this week. I had a wisdom tooth pulled on Wednesday (it was a production, but not as bad as I thought it would be) and I've had a headache off and on since Tuesday night. I'm taking sudafed and Tylenol (or the generic equivalent), plus I'm already on antibiotics from the tooth. I bought myself some saline solution, too. Hopefully, that will do the trick. Or else I'll talk to the doctor I work for and see if she has any other ideas.

Anyway, on to the fun stuff. This afghan is a 'work in progress.' I actually photographed it upside down...I'm currently crocheting the rust colored stripe. The multi-color is "El Paso" by Jiffy. I'm just picking out other solid Jiffy yarns for the alternating stripes that I think match. This is for my oldest son, Michael, for when he gets his new home. He and his dad have been working on that. Michael will live in the house, which will be a small cottage, for two or three years until Mike and I are ready to retire, then we'll move in and he'll get another home. His 'rent' will be the monthly bills. So this will be my housewarming gift, LOL!

It's a very easy pattern. The rows are based on an even number of stitches, and alternate like this: one row is a single crochet, two chain repeat. The other row is double crochets in all the two chain repeats of the previous row. It's going together surprisingly fast!

Please check my links list and visit Shereen at Sew Crafty Friday!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

Today is "Kitchen Tip Tuesday" over at Tammy's Recipes, and today I actually have a tip to share!
http://www.tammysrecipes.com/

You know how you always have breadcrumbs and eggs and milk left over from dredging your chicken cutlets? I learned this trick from my mil: mix the eggs and breadcrumbs together and make little egg cakes! You just stir it all up, then spoon it into the very same skillet where you've been browning your cutlets.
Just fry a little on each side until 'dry' looking, then enjoy. They won't be pretty, but boy, they will be good! If you're like me, you'll have to stop yourself from eating them all so your family can have some, too. (How many you get depends on how big you make them, and how much egg/milk/breadcrumbs mixture you have left over.)

The kind of receipt I like

Don't you love it when the savings outweigh the money you spent?
Yesterday, at CVS, I bought a total of 37.86 in merchandise... for which I paid 13.30.

Debit: 13.30
Savings: 24.56

And $6 in ECBs back for buying a Gillette Fusion Razor*! (And I had a coupon for it, too!)

I used $7 in mfr coupons and 14.98 in ECBs. Plus, of course, some items I bought were on sale.

Money saving advice of the day: always, always, ALWAYS check the bottom of your CVS receipt. Not only did I get some ECBs last week (used this week) which I expected, I also found a freebie coupon for multivitamins--worth 5.99!

*My husband sees all these razors I buy and says yesterday, "I hope you're getting these on sale, because you seem to buy a lot of them." I said, "I had a coupon and ECBs and I get ECBs back, so either I'm paying about a buck for a 9.99 razor or I'm making a profit."
I showed him my receipt today. Needless to say, he was pretty impressed.

A Sewing Tip for Saturday

Here's a great tip I learned a long time ago regarding bias tape:

If you look at double-fold bias tape, you'll see that one side is wider than the other. If you pin the tape around your garment's edge with the narrow side on top and the wider part underneath, you can sew both at the same time. Sewing on the narrower side guarantees you'll 'catch' the underside!

Speaking of bias tape, I decided to use pale lavendar rather than yellow on the dress. I tried yellow that matched the centers of the daisies, and it just looked too 'homemade.' I didn't like pale yellow, either. So I switched to lavendar, and that seems to do the trick.

Do you have any good sewing tips to share? If I can remember to do it, I'd like to start a "Sewing Tip Saturday"--uh, what do you call it? Thread? Carnival?

Sew Crafty Friday

Time for "Sew Crafty Friday" over at Shereen's blog!

http://w8ng4him.blogspot.com/

Here's the progress I've made on the lavendar dress. This is what I like about Shereen's "Sew Craft Friday"--it pushes me to keep working on things I'm making, LOL!

Don't tell anyone, but the third button is sewn on with pink, rather than white, thread. I didn't realize that until I was done with it.

I plan to bind the neck with yellow. If I'm super ambitious, I'll add yellow trim on the top of the lace around the bottom of the dress.

This needs pressed and a little trimming, but it's pretty close to being finished. Next step is to work on the pantaloons.

Speaking of progress, I ordered (from fabric.com, I think) turquoise knit for the top of the dress I'm making. They didn't have any red that I liked and the turquoise just jumped out at me. I thought it would be a nice springy color.

Please visit Shereen at "Waiting for Him" and enjoy all the crafty loveliness over there! And show off some of your own creativity, too!

Dress design, continued

Well, I cut out and sewed the skirt part of the dress I'm designing. (Scroll down for earlier posts.) I found this all over black and white print at Joanne's the other night.
This is pinned with most of the waistline fabric at the back of the mannequin. As you will see in earlier posts, the waistline will actually be gathered into a wide waistband.

I want to do the top in red, I decided. I really like the combination of red, black and white. Joanne's didn't have any nice red T-shirt knit. I'm going to poke around on line. I'm determined to finish this to be able to wear it when the weather gets nicer.

PS--please ignore the messy room!

Good CVS Deal this week

Actually, there are several pretty good deals at CVS this week, but here's just one where you can actually make a profit.

Garnier Fructis Shine Burst and Strength and Repair Shampoo or Conditioner--3.99. You get 3.99 in ECBs back--which makes it free.

Look in your shampoo file, or in the Valassis (now called Redplum) circulars from either January 6th or today (February 3rd)--there is a dollar coupon.

Use the coupon and you make $1 profit!

If you look at page 2 of the CVS circular today, you see a deal where you get back $5 in ECBs with the purchase of $10 in products. There are coupons for ALL of these items in today's Smartsource Coupon circular.

Happy Shopping!

Organizing Tip I'm Trying to Keep in Mind

FIFO...sounds like something a giant would say.

It means: Full In, Full Out. I don't remember where I read this one, but I've been trying to keep it in mind. It means, never leave or enter a room without having your hands full! I'm especially trying to do this regarding laundry. I can't lift a big, heavy basket. But I can carry a handful of clothes. I try to categorize them (like bringing up all my aprons), which makes them easy to put away.
I also try to remember to carry dishes out of a room. We tend to have dishes all over the house, and I'm just as guilty as anyone.

What I like about this acronym (I think that's what it is) is that you can get a lot accomplished in a day with minimal effort. Like the pennies you throw in a jar, little things add up!

Here are some other organizing acronyms I like:

OHIO--Only Handle It Once
AFT (or FAT): Act, File , Toss--the only three things you ever need to do with paperwork!

What organizing acronyms* do you like?

*that better by the right word, since I've used it several times here.

Ducky purse winner is...

Braysgram! I'll send you an e-mail, too. Congratulations!

Here's a picture of Angelina, choosing the winner!

The winner of the sachet is...

Sweetsue! Sue, I contacted you at your blog. Please e-mail at lufmikidz at aol dot com!

Here is how I did this one:

First I cut out the names. Then I put one on each on the squares on my kitchen floor.

Then I threw a little crocheted heart back over my shoulder (like you'd throw a bridal bouquet)...

and it landed right on Sue's name!

Congratulations!

Sew Crafty Friday

Don't you just love it when thread runs out 3 inches before the end of a seam? That's what happened here, so it's a good thing I hope to hit Joanne's tonight (armed with a birthday gift card!).

Anyway, this is Simplicity Pattern 9784. This version will have a pair of matching pantaloons. It will fit a child of about 2 years of age. Which child...I don't know yet.

The buttons are daisies. I chose them because yellow is a complimentary color to purple.

Seems every week that I do Sew Crafty Friday (And you want to visit "Waiting for Him"--over there on my links list--to see more Crafty Deliciousness), I rarely have a finished project to show. My big one now is the dress I'm designing for myself. (Scroll down for previous posts on that.) I ordered some fabric on line which has a white background and clusters of pink roses all over it. Then I decided it isn't what I really want for a dress for me...so that fabric will probably be a girl's dress. I hope to find what I'm looking for at Joanne's tonight. I also hope to get the fabric, binding and anything else I need to finish a few projects.

Hmmm...maybe I better make a list, LOL!

Another Giveaway!

EDITED TO ADD: This Contest is closed now. I'll be drawing a name this afternoon. Well, I'm going to have the little 8-year-old girl I babysit draw a name! I'll contact the winner ASAP!
Good luck to all!

Here's another prize for you--or rather, for the lucky child to whom you'll give this! It is a little metal bucket with a picture of Peter Rabbit on it, and a cute, plush ducky purse. Ducky is about 7 inches tall. She has a zipper down her back.

To enter, just leave a comment here. USA residents only--sorry about that. I'll take names until midnight of January 31st, and will draw some time over the weekend. Good luck--and be sure to scroll down for more giveaway info and a link to the "Bloggy Giveaway" being sponsored over at Rocks in My Dryer! (BTW, the link to RIMD is to the right of this, towards the bottom. Or you can find the link to all the giveaways--and there are HUNDREDS of them--two posts or so below this one.)
Good luck!

Speaking of giveaways...

...check out the adorable apron being offered at this site: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/mamato6/85230/

I'm signing up for it, myself. Can't have enough aprons, LOL!

EDITED TO ADD ANOTHER LINK:

http://blog.titus2homemaker.com/archives/258



Scroll down and read my previous post about Shannon's Bloggy Giveaway Carnival at Rocks in My Dryer!

You want to visit Rocks in My Dryer!!!!

EDITED TO ADD: This contest is closed now! I'll be drawing a name this afternoon. Good luck to all!

Trust me...you want to hit this link: http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/reviews/2008/01/bloggy-giveaw-1.html


Shannon's doing a Bloggy Giveaway again!!! Gazillions of prizes for you to win! And here is my own donation:





It is a pretty sachet, perfect for Valentine's Day! I guess it's about 5 inches or so across at its widest.



Sorry, but I can only ship in the United States.

How to enter? Well, just leave a comment! I will print out the comments and draw for a name the weekend of February 1st. EDITED TO ADD: I'll take names until January 31st--or the 30th. Let me think...thirty days hath November...yep, the 31st will be the last day.

Good luck!

Many Thanks!

Thanks so much for all the nice birthday greetings! It sure makes it easier to suddenly realize I can't deny being middle-aged. I'm 52--so unless I live to be 105, I am at least in the middle, if not beyond the middle.

Notice I am not mentioning a certain hill.

Thanks also for the comments on the dress. You should all know that while the skirt is 100% hand-drafted, the top is an adaptation of a bodice from another dress--actually, I think it's the one I made at Christmas. It is meant to be done in woven, but I'm doing knit. I'm all about comfort here, LOL!

This morning I received cards, gift cards, candy, lottery tickets and pink tulips! Pink tulips in January--how about that? I won $8 on the tickets. I have already ordered a red Kitchenaid hand mixer from Macy's with one gift card. I've needed a new hand mixer for a long time, and now I'll have one. The other card (that was from my kids, the first from my husband) will be used at Joanne Fabrics, Michael's and various other places.

We're going out as a family to a Chinese buffet tonight. It is my request, as I love Chinese food and a buffet sounds like a lot of fun.

Once again, thanks!

Sew Crafty Friday: Dress Design, continued

No, that isn't what the lower half of my dress is going to look like, LOL! It is simply a muslin prototype. In fact, if you look closely, you'll see I sewed the skirt wrong sides together on the sides...by accident. But this is only a trial to see how this will fit. (And it does fit...yay!)

Here is the link to a previous post about the top part:

http://sortafrugal.blogspot.com/2008/01/sew-crafty-friday.html

The top is knit, like a t-shirt fabric. The bottom will be cotton woven, probably in a print.

The middle is going to be shirred with vertically sewn embroidery. I might even add some beading to it, we'll see!

Still not sure about the sleeves. I want to be able to wear this to work, so it will have them--unless I plan to wear a jacket or sweater over it.

I will post at a later date about how I did the skirt--it was really easy!

Please visit "Waiting for Him," and maybe even offer some crafty goodies of your own. Come on, folks, I know you are creative! Show off a little, and link over at Shereen's blog! I want to be inspired!

And I get what I want today 'cause...it's my birthday!!!!!!!!!

Thanks...and girl games

Thanks to everyone who commented on my post about the strange experience I had. I guess the world isn't what it was when I was a kid.

Then again, maybe it never was what it was, LOL!

Still, there are some nice things that are still around. Remember the game "Cat's Cradle"? Did you play it as a little girl? I know I did! And I was very pleased and surprised to see two young girls, of about 8 and 10, playing it while waiting to see the doctor last night. Even better, I was happy with myself because I remembered how to do it, too! I'm sure it's been 40 years since I played--and I still remember the pinky-crossing step, LOL! I guess it's like riding a bike--you never really forget.

Did you play Chinese checkers? Jacks? How about "Miss Mary Mack?" In this day of video games, it was nice to see something so non-tech as that loop of string around little fingers. I think it's a shame that such things are becoming a lost art. If you have daughters...heck, if you have sons...teach them what you remember from your own childhood.

I have a Jacob's Ladder I brought to work (yes, the almost-52-year-old loves toys) and one of the sisters just couldn't get enough of it. Simple pleasures!

A Scary Experience!

One of the unfortunate trade-offs of living in our modern times is how easily someone can get your information.

A short while ago, I got a call from a woman at Expedia.com--one of those sites where you buy airline tickets. She wanted to know if I had authorized an airplane ticket costing over $300--to Egypt, of all places. She gave me a name, something like Moheed Sair, but very 'Middle-Eastern'-sounding. Of course, I told her I did not authorize this. She gave me all the information she could--except the odd thing was that she couldn't repeat the name. I suppose she wasn't supposed to say it in the first place. But if someone is committing a crime, why should they be protected?

Well, I called the card and spoke to another woman in the fraud department. Yes, there was such a charge pending. Plus two smaller charges of about $30 each. I think those might have been 'trial' charges to see if a red flag would go up.

My card has now been 'stopped.' I'm waiting on a new card. The funny (as in weird, not ha-ha) thing is that I haven't used this card in ages, since it is one I'm paying off!

I want to say I'm very impressed with how alert Expedia.com was--this charge was made barely an hour ago, and they 'caught' it right away. I for the life of me don't know how this happened...I haven't carried this card in a long time, and I certainly didn't 'lose' it anyplace.

But I would send a caveat out to everyone: if you see small charges on your account, be suspicious. I haven't seen any yet, but I bet the little ones would show up on my next statement. If I see anything like that at all, I'm having my card cancelled and the number changed!

Like any of us need this aggravation!

Frugal Pattern Printing

There is a site called Printsew.com that lets you do just that...print out patterns. It saves you shipping charges, as well as the cost of driving to the store for a pattern. But it does mean printing out pages and pages...and pages. Since the patterns are given on 8.5 x 11 sheets, even a simple pattern can easily run over 50 pages.

I've been sorting out and throwing away old papers. I was just about to toss about 100 sheets of a printout from our insurance company...until I had an 'ah-ha!' moment. Why not use the papers for my patterns? Yes, they are printed on both sides. But there isn't a lot of writing on pattern pieces (and I never read that writing, anyway), and anyway, it's free.

So I would suggest looking over any 'old' papers you don't want, ones that are in good condition (in other words, they won't jam up your computer.) Use these for printing out simple things such as patterns for appliques, and save the blank paper for 'good' use.

Sew Crafty Friday

Here is my 'donation' to Shereen's "Sew Crafty Friday. " (See my sidebar for the link--Waiting for Him.)

This is a top I made for the 8-year-old girl I babysit. It is the softest knit fabric. It has bell sleeves and a v-neck. I was a little worried about the neck, but it sits on her just right and looks really cute. All I have to do now is the hems, and it's done. I promised Angelina it will be ready when she comes here next Tuesday.

This is Simplicity Pattern 4163. The sleeves are actually meant to be split up the sides, and tied together at intervals. But I did not think that was appropriate for a little girl to be wearing to school. So I attached the two halves together. There are also short-sleeved and sleeveless version, which are cute, and a halter that looks more like something a 17-year-old would wear. I had this same trouble with clothes as my daughter was growing up--the things that fit her were not appropriate age-wise!

BTW, I made this in a light weight knit, but you can use wovens, too.

Please visit "Waiting for Him" today, and maybe even show off some of your own creativity!

Oh! And scroll down to see my contribution to "Frugal Fridays" over at Biblical Womanhood!

Frugal Friday: Vegetables for One

http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm

Biblical Womanhood hosts a wonderful carnival on fridays that is all about frugality. I enjoy reading the many tips offered by fellow bloggers. High time I offered one of my own!

I love those little individual servings of frozen vegetables. What I don't love is how expensive they are. They rarely go on sale, and I rarely find coupons.

So one day, I took a look at the little container of corn I had and realized it was just...a little container of corn. Nothing fancy! So I've been experimenting. I bought some 1/2-cup size plastic containers. I filled them with different vegetables I like. For example, I have a bag of store-brand cauliflower. I picked out some of the smaller pieces (so they fit, LOL!) and filled the container. Then I added just a drop or so of water. You might not even need to do that, since vegetables naturally have their own water. I put the container in the microwave and sat the lid on top--don't screw it down, obviously, you want to vent for the steam.

For my little microwave, it takes 2 minutes to cook cauliflower. You could even add a dollop of butter to the top for the last 30 seconds.

The result is steamed vegetables for one that cost a lot less than the already packaged kind!

Found Money Shopping

Yesterday I decided to cash in some 'found money' for my grocery shopping. So I brought some coins ($45 worth!), some lottery tickets ($11) and some bottles and cans (for which I got a whopping $1.95). Of course, I was armed with a few coupons and a list of what was on sale, too!

All this 'found money' meant I was able to pay cash for my groceries yesterday. I got *$105.54 worth of groceries for...drumroll, please...$51.67!!!!

That's a savings of better than 50%.


So, start thinking about cashing in those bottles and cans, dumping out those coin jars and redeeming lottery tickets. You might just end up with 'found money savings' like I did!

*for the record, that includes two double-packs of Top Round London Broil on sale for $1.69/lb.--cheapest I've seen it in ages. I cut up some today and browned it to freeze for stew. Tomorrow, I'll decide what to do with the rest of it.

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

There's a really great collection of tips to make life easier in the kitchen over at http://www.tammysrecipes.com/. I actually have something to offer this week! I've posted about http://www.tadalist.com/ before, but it's worth repeating.
"My Ta-Da Lists" is a totally free site where you make up your own lists for anything you want. I have lists for almost all the rooms in my house. I say 'almost' because, as most of you know, 3 of my kids are adults. I have nothing to do with their rooms, except maybe to do laundry if they bring their stuff down to the laundry room. Okay, back to the kitchen...

I have 32 separate items on my Kitchen 'Ta-Da' list! (Yeah, that's Ta-Da, as what you say when you finish something!) Don't let that scare you! I broke my list of chores down to the smallest job for each room. For instance, I have something that says, 'clean and put away meat thermometer.' There's another one that says, 'put away plastic grocery bags.' As you can figure, if I don't have meat or didn't go to the grocery, I don't have to do those jobs. I have 'wash a pot' 3 times, although sometimes I have more pots and sometimes less. (Yes, the kids and my husband all wash dishes. My husband will do it without asking...except he grumbles.)
I have important things I can't forget, like "Feed the Ferrets" and "Cat food and water." After reading my bill-paying post, you'd think I was Miss Organized. But honestly, there are days I would forget to do anything if I didn't have a list.

Breaking a room's chores down to small jobs doesn't mean doing 32 jobs in a room every day. It means that, if you want to do a really, really good cleaning...you don't miss anything!

Oh, and not only does my husband do dishes, he's the one who mops the floor. I just can't get it as clean as he does, LOL!

So, visit Tammy's Recipes! It's a lot of fun reading other people's ideas!

The Way I Do Bills: 2008

Every year I get smarter about keeping up with my bills. I don't get richer, I get smarter. As in, avoiding late fees by paying on time!
A few years back, I decided to start recording my payments in a black-and-white notebook. It is so much nicer than a small check registry, and a lot harder to lose. At the beginning of the year, I use a two-page spread and make 13 columns across--one for the name of the bill, and 12 for the months. This is nothing but a place to check off that I have paid something. A check next to Allstate under January means I paid the January Allstate bill. (I have to do stuff like this...I tend to be very forgetful.)

There is no other information here. But I added one extra feature this year: In the first column, I put the date of the month each bill is due! For instance, I know that Discover is always due on the 25th, so I wrote Disc. 25 in column one. Cable 15 means Cablevision is due on the 15th. This way, I can see at a glance what bills are due. I'm paying mostly by phone or internet, so I don't have to give myself a week for things to arrive in the mail.

As far as info, each time I pay bills I record them on a page, with the date at the top. (There can be more than one date on a page, of course.) I'll record the check number, or if the payment was made via phone or computer. I'm going to try to switch to computer as much as possible this year, since I think they don't charge for that. It can run you up to $15 to pay by phone...but that's a lot better than a $35 late fee! (And...eek!...a hike in your rates!) So far, Discover is the only CC that doesn't charge.

So that is the newest thing I'm doing to try to be frugal this year, simply writing down the date something is due. I'll always know that I have to pay my electricity bill on the 18th!

How many of these have you done?

I found this over at Heather's blog. It's a lot of fun. The highlighted ones are the ones to which I can answer 'yep, I did that!'


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula (and I'm arachnophobic--but they are so big they aren't creepy to me.)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you’ and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. . Seen the Northern Lights
14.Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb (but I did hold a baby liger once!)
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone (just a toe, so that doesn't really count, does it?)
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi (ugh)
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Feeling somewhat better

I took the doctor's advice and stuck to plain food yesterday. This morning I had some oatmeal with a little non-dairy creamer in it. I'm going to be careful again today, since I'm determined to get to work tonight. I can always leave early like I did other days this week. I just hate missing work. I need the money.
Judy, I didn't know heart disease was the number one killer, but I knew it was much, much worse than anyone realizes.
Yesterday was a nice, relaxing day. I watched part of "Jane Eyre," the one with William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsborough. It always chokes me up. I did some crochet work. The little girl I watch came over and we made pigs in blankets together. Of course, I didn't eat any of them, but the kids enjoyed them. And speaking of pigs, I made one of myself in the blogging world. There are so many wonderful 'carnivals' on fridays. There's Shereen's "Sew Crafty Friday" at Waiting for him. And a great "Frugal Friday" at Biblical Womanhood. I missed checking out "Works for Me Wednesday" at Rocks in my Dryer, so I went there, too.
Today, I plan to pin a top pattern for the little girl who made the pigs in blankets. (Her name is Angelina.) It is a knit top. I'm making it in a white fabric with blue kitty cats. I don't know if I'll cut it out, but getting it pinned is half the battle.
I appreciate all the good thoughts out there. I hope that, if I am careful, I'll be back to my normal self very soon.

Being sick s*c*s

Am I allowed to put that in a title--even with the asterisks?

Thanks for all the input on airborne. I might just give it a shot if I can find it on sale someplace. I think I might even have a coupon. You're probably right that it's a supervitamin, but these days I can use all the vitamins I can get.

I went to the doctor the other day and had some blood work done. Haven't heard back on that yet. I also had an EKG (she does them every time I go there, for some reason), which came up with "non-specific changes," since the last one. No big deal, but she did send me to the cardiologist. He said that these days they are just extra careful with women. For years, no one realized how much heart disease affects women. Unfortunately, a lot of women died because of that attitude. Thank goodness, medicine in general has changed. Did you know that woman often have atypical symptoms of heart disease, including stomach problems? The fact I have an ulcer might be why my doctor monitors my heart, too. I'm not really worried. Heart disease does not run in my family. My blood pressure and cholesterol are great. Still, just to be sure, I'm having an echo cardiogram next week and I'll be doing a stress test the week after that. (She tried to schedule me on January 25th. No thanks, I'm not doing a stress test on my birthday, LOL!)

Well, every time I think I'm better...I'm not. My stomach started hurting again, and yesterday I was having dizzy spells. I mean...I was just laying on the bed playing with the dog, and I turned a little and the room started to spin. I bet my electrolytes are wacked out. Okay, so anyway, I think I did make some mistakes this week. Mostly, when I thought I was better I started eating more. I was hungry enough for half a turkey sandwich the other night, and for English muffins and a few sips of coffee yesterday morning. Probably shouldn't have had the coffee. In fact, I probably shouldn't have eaten much of anything. But damn, everyone else was better after 2 or 3 days, and it had been 5 days yesterday.

Dr. A, whom I work for, says to stay away from all dairy and fruit. She recommends yogurt, rice (how can you eat rice with nothing on it?), broth and tea and crackers. I had my daughter buy me some ginger tea. I also bought myself some crackers and broth this morning. I just had to get out of the house, and the grocery is barely a mile away. Now I'm staying in and vegging out. Good excuse to play on the computer, LOL!

My advice for all my friends who gave me their advice...if, heaven forbid, you get this virus, DO NOT EAT too much even if you think you are better. Give yourself an extra day. Remember: ginger tea or ginger ale (tea is better, it really has ginger in it. Ginger naturally helps the stomach.), crackers, yogurt, broth and rice. (Hey, I could put rice in my broth!) And stay away from dairy and fruit.

A question

I'm sick with that damned stomach bug...since Saturday. Most people are getting over it in 2 days, but no such luck for me. I'm able to eat a little food at a time. Then I'm starving, and I want to eat...and I can only eat a bite or two. I'm totally wiped out.

My question: has anyone out there tried Airborne or any of the other immunity formulas I see on the market? What do you think? I'm going to the doctor today and I'm going to ask. I've just been sick too much this winter. I feel like I've missed work at least once or twice a week. It's like I have no resistance. My boss (who is a pediatrician, in case you forgot) is very worried about me. This is not right.

I'll try to check back soon, but in the meantime, I hope all my friends out there are staying healthy!