Super Busy Saturday

Tomorrow is the little craft show and I have a lot of things to get price tags on and get packed up. I was experimenting with felt and came up with these funky little pins. I'm going to take them to the show and see if they sell. Just an inexpensive little thing that might catch someone's eye. We shall see! Making these did give me an idea for another pin....when I have time.

I also need to grocery shop today since I won't be able to do that tomorrow, do laundry, pick up this house and have clothes ready for work for the week.

So, with that I am going to scoot. I have my list and I am ready to rock and roll. Have an awesome Saturday!

Minimalism

.....a style or technique (as in music, literature or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity.... so says Webster.

Now that is definitely not me, but it is what I am hoping to start practicing...not in a business context, but from a personal standpoint. I don't think this is exactly how the word is meant to be used, but I like the sound of it.

I tend to be a keeper, a saver, a collector, a pack rat....whatever you want to call it. I hate to throw things away or give things away if there is even the slightest chance that I might regret it even ten years down the road. "Darn it! Why did I give that fondue pot away? We could have used that!"This photo is from a website that is all about getting rid of clutter. I might check it out to get some helpful hints.

This fall and winter, my goal is to start unloading. I've done dejunking before, but never to the extent that I want to and need to. When you have lived in the same house for 37 years....you tend to have a lot of stuff. I said once that we needed to pretend that we were moving, because that was the only way we would ever dig ourselves out from under all of the crap we have amassed over the years.

My new feeling is this....cluttered house.....cluttered head. I know I don't want a cluttered head, therefore, I can't have a cluttered house. When you live in a 1000 square foot house, almost anything you set down becomes clutter. It's just the way it is.

My son and his wife hate clutter and their house looks so awesome. They only have what they need. Now, don't get me wrong, they have darn nice things...but they don't have "stuff" anywhere....just their nice things. I will never get to where they are, because I will always like "stuff" and I am me and I like me.....but I would like to "lean" toward that concept a bit more.

This will be one of those overwhelming tasks where I have to tackle it one room at a time, but eventually it will get done. I made some good progress this past year in my workshop. So, wish me luck as I start my project next week. I figure while we are painting and decorating, this would be a great time for it. I'll let you know occasionally how it's going.

So.....are you the pack rat?

I Am Having So Darn Much Fun

I am almost ready for the little show I am doing Sunday. I am having so much fun making things. The lady called me today to confirm times and things like that. I was up early Wednesday morning and made some holiday cake stands and last night I made some awesome red wine bags.

I still have a few more that I would like to do, but I really need to finish them up tonight.

I wanted to make more of my pins too, but I'm not sure if I will have time before the show. Here are a few of them. Sorry for the bad pics, but I took them at night with a flash. :(

I have plenty of stuff for the show...it's just never knowing what the people might want that makes me nuts.

I am going to be selling my little sled ornaments. I had no idea how I was going to display them and then Irv came home with this.

He actually made it for me. He's painting it red. I think it will be perfect! :)

Well, I still have more to get done here so this is going to be short. Have an awesome day today!!

The Amazing Race

Do you watch Amazing Race? I love that show. If you have never watched it....it's two person teams that are flown all over the world in a competition to win a million dollars. The teams might be a married couple, a dating couple, a mom and son, and dad and daughter, a gay couple, a "challenged" couple....we have seen it all.

The race probably takes a couple of weeks, but we watch it over an entire season. The teams fly from one country to the next following clues and participating in competitive events all related to the culture of the country they are in. The last team to arrive at the final location for that show are usually eliminated from the race.

This is the host of The Amazing Race, Phil. He is one awesome dude!Watching what happens to the pairs as the stress builds is sometimes interesting as they learn things about one another that they never would have known if not for this game, but the part I like best is seeing little bits of a lot of different countries that I know I will never see in my lifetime. I take in all that I can as the teams race through crowded markets, or float down little dirty rivers in boats, or get stuck in traffic in a cab or bike down country roads. I turn my head when the game includes eating foods that I can't even look at without wanting to barf...much less watch someone eat it. Ewwwww!

My daughter-in-law checked into trying out for the show, but you have to be able to fly out at a moments notice if you are selected and being teachers that wouldn't work for her and Michael. I kind of wonder how so many people are able to do that! They must have nice bosses or else they are unemployed or self employed.

Each week now gets more and more intense as we get down to the finale. If you want to watch, the show is on Sunday evenings on CBS at 7:00 Central. It's the only show that can drag me from my workshop right now....and it drags me out for an hour every week!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I was going to write about the Amazing Race today, but I don't have time. I ended up going to PetSmart to buy all kinds of chew toys for the dogs after work....but mainly for Maggie! Irv took them for a nice walk.

We didn't make a big production over the new toys, we just put them out in the living room. That way they belong to everyone and no one will claim them as their own.

Believe it or not, Maggie managed to pull the door to the crate out of the track and squeezed out the side AGAIN!! I am just about ready to put her back in the smaller one. At least she couldn't escape from that one. I can't believe what she has to do to get out of this one. Dumb crate and a smart dog! She ate a Tupperware container I was using to toss odds and ends into, and she destroyed a spool of thread. I pushed everything on the table way back before I left the house and buried all of the cords behind things just in case she got out, so the damage was minimal. I was prepared.

Tomorrow we are padlocking the door to the crate so it can't be lifted out of the track. If she gets out tomorrow, then she is Houdini!!

So now it is late and I don't have much time. I have a couple more wine bags I want to get done.

Have an awesome day everyone!!

Yikes!!

We borrowed a dog crate from Michael and Bernadette because ours was a little too small. The door on this one is different than ours and Michael and Bern had some problems with it when Teagan was using it. When Irv got home from work Thursday, Maggie was loose in my workshop. Thank goodness all she did was pull some fabric off the table. On Friday, I made sure I had it latched properly and when Irv got home, I apparently missed one little hook and she had the tray of the crate pushed out into the room! Oops! So, Sunday when we went to the grocery store, I made sure everything was latched and hooked. I didn't want anymore surprises when we got home.

Well, SURPRISE!!! I STILL didn't have the thing latched properly. Maggie greeted me at the workshop door when I opened it. Out she ran to say hello to Wrigley and Sparky. I quickly scanned the room....no fabric on the floor, nothing out of place....whew!! Then I happen to glance over at my iron. I keep a blanket on the floor in my workshop so she has somewhere to lay when I am in there working. The cord for my iron was hanging oddly....right on her blanket....in two pieces!!! Uh Oh!

I yelled out to Irv to tell him what happened....he yelled back....well she did the same thing to my phone charger! There was Irv's phone charger cord in two pieces! Not even sure when she did that, because that is in the kitchen and we watch her pretty closely, but obviously not close enough.

I have never in my life had a dog that chews. Ever! I just keep reminding myself of the terrible life she had, and how wonderful it is that we have given her this awesome home, filled with love and laughter. She gets good food, clean water, a yard to play in, other dogs to play with. We walk her and talk to her and play with her. She get brushed and pet and gets tons of attention. SO WHY ON EARTH IS SHE CHEWING????

I know, some dogs chew. Some breeds chew more than others. Some dogs just like to chew and some dogs just need more supervision than others. My guess is that Maggie falls into all of those categories.

Make it a marvelous Monday!

Sneak Peek

Good Morning Everyone!

I actually write most of my blog posts the evening before and then schedule them to post in the morning....so it's really 7:00 p.m. as I am writing this. It's been a long and productive day and I am running out of steam.

I started my day giving blood. If you recall, two weeks ago when Irv and I went, my iron was too low to donate. Today it was fine. I use to feel perfectly fine after donating blood, but the last couple of times I feel kind of light headed and a bit on the yukky side for part of the day. Not sure why that is, but it's worth it to be able to donate. It's probably because I've been eating like crapola lately.

When I got home, Irv was already painting trim. He got so much done today, that he could very well finish it up tomorrow if he is able to move. Funny how things that wouldn't have bothered you at all just a few short years ago, can cause you tremendous pain now!

I headed into my workshop when I got home. I had to clean up the coasters and get them banded together and ready for the show next weekend. The holiday ones are just too cute. I hope they sell well. I'm hoping people will see them as a great gift for teachers, friends and neighbors and maybe purchase more than one set. We shall see.

After the coasters is was time to get going on those wine bags. I don't drink wine, nor do I buy wine, or wine bags, so I had to ask my daughter and my sister some questions about the bags and then wing it. I am really pleased with the ones I got done today. I have to go to the store tomorrow and get some things I need for their finishing touches, but I'll give you a sneak peak.

These two are cotton. The red one says Jingle Bells, so I'm going to get bells to hang on those pieces of cord you see hanging from the bow. The black one with the little gifts on it will have big red or green buttons on the sides where the handles are attached.

I plan to get more fabric tomorrow when I'm out. I would like to do some quilted ones and I'm trying to think of some other cute ones I could make. I'll put them out at the little craft show next Sunday and see how they do. If they do well, I'll make more and list them in MyOtherShop on etsy. A couple of people have already expressed an interest, so maybe I will get a few orders as well.

I like these a lot. The winter white one has little gold stars all over it. I'm hoping I can find some gold stars to hang from thin gold cord. The burgundy one is actually a layer of cotton covered with a thin fabric that has an awesome design embroidered on it. Not sure what else I am going to do with that one. I'll see what I find tomorrow.

Here is a close up of the fabric and the bows.

I've made some new fabric brooches for the show too, and I'll try to show those to you during the week. Have a wonderful Sunday! Chat with you soon!