productive weekend

Here is a recent thrift find, I think it's a full sized sheet? The package is a kit to make a pincushion in the shape of a rocking chair. I think my Mom had one growing up. It should be fun to put together.

Here are some finished projects. The first is a soap holder, I used a skein of cotton yarn from my stash. I'm putting together a little package for my Grandma and thought she might like this.

Next is a little mat that I made to go under June's food and water dishes. I had the green fabric in my stash, have been holding onto it forever. I originally bought it years ago and made placemats and still had some extra. I made it reversible, the pink is out of the leftover vintage sheet. As soon as I started moving her food and water around to put the mat under it, she felt she needed to check things out :) Silly girl.

Next is just a bag to put bags in with elastic around the bottom. I've always wanted one, but never took the time to make one. Also another fabric from my stash that I've held onto for years.

sSo, I embellished this hand towel to go in the bathroom in the craft cottage. I had to make my dolls some Summer outfits :) Marisol is in the green. And Vanessa in the blue and white dress. I found the hats at thrift stores.

June was hanging out with me while I was sewing in the craft house, which as you can see is exhausting! Gotta love her!

Relay for Life

Last night was the Relay for Life here in town. Not sure if they have one in every town? It is a sort of fundraiser for cancer. There were speeches, survivor ceremonies, honoring the deceased, singing, dancing and loads of walking. It was a 12 hour event although I didn't stay the whole time (or anywhere close!). I left about 10 pm. There were some people who were going to walk all night, some people brought tents to sleep out in the field.

I think everyone knows of or is close to someone who has had cancer. I mostly went for my friends Shannon and Robbie. Shannon was one of the original Tuesday night bible study ladies. About last year she started to get really sick, losing tons of weight. We were all trying to diagnose her, she's only 36 so I don't think any of us (especially her) were prepared for a diagnosis of colon cancer. She has relied on God through the whole thing and is now officially a cancer survivor! Ya-hoo!

Holy bike ride, Batman!

Okay, so I rode my bike to work today to see how long it would take. Can I please tell you that it totally kicked my butt, dude! Seriously it was entirely up hill!!! There was one point that I thought I would start rolling backwards. Ugh. I was at a standstill so I just got off my bike and walked the rest of the hill. I knew there was a big hill at the end and had planned to walk that but dang, it was like I should have just walked the whole way! It will be good exercise, though.

This weekend is going to so productive, I hope! Tomorrow is a crop from 2-10pm. It will be nice to get some scrapbooking done and visit with the ladies! My friend Jennifer B. is a Creative Memories consultant and she has some new products that looked really cute on the website. CM is finally starting to make products to sort of rival what is in the scrapbooking stores, ya-hoo. I particularly want to check out the paper flowers :) I also started a new crochet project, and it's turning out nicely. I should finish it today.

Not sure if I mentioned it but I finished the "Half-Blood Prince" I had read it previously when it first came out, but wanted to re-read it since the movie was coming out. It was just as good as I remembered it, I can't wait to see the movie now to see how it was interpreted. I know the book is always better, but I still have enjoyed all the movies. I borrowed a couple of books from the library, Confessions of a Shopaholic and a new Beverly Lewis. Those are next in my queue after I MAKE myself finish the 10th book in the Left Behind series which is called The Remnant, I believe.

what's new?

I have a couple of finished projects to share. This weekend is officially one week that I've stayed at the new house. Since I am not really unpacking things I have loads more time to work on projects :) I have also added a few things to my project list.

So, first up is the doggie that my coworker, Gina, had asked for like 2 months ago. I finished it last weekend and gave it to her Monday. He now lives on her desk at work.

The weekend before last was a giant yard sale in this one neighborhood where like every other house has a yard sale. So, Jan, Tammy, Susan, Mya and I went to check it out. I found some more letter blocks, a large pyrex bowl and this table and chairs. I was looking for a table to put out in the little cottage to be my craft table. The lady said that it is an antique set, not sure if she's right or not, but I like it and thought it was a good deal for $50! It definitely needs to be cleaned up and one of the chairs is missing a cushion (another project!) but I like it :)

Next is something that I had been wanting to make for like ever. There is a McCalls pattern that I keep eyeing, but for whatever reason refuse to buy. Even when it's on sale for 99cents, I just can't bring myself to buy it. I kept telling myself, I can just figure out a pattern :) Here's what I've learned: even if it looks like an easy pattern, it's the measurements that make it tricky. I had a picture in my head, and it came pretty close, but even though I thought I had measured, one side was still too short. Oh, well - it was an easy fix. So, now I can put my scissors and seam ripper and stuff I always seem to misplace while I'm sewing in a pocket! Ya-hoo.

Okay, then a couple of Goodwill finds, this green candy dish that is now holding my coffee. I love the way it looks in the kitchen next to my coffee pot. I have not given up finding another pyrex canister, but really needed something to hold my coffee :)

The little elf I just couldn't pass up, aren't they supposed to bring good luck? So, I found it in one of the shopping baskets of stuff that hasn't been put up yet, and I think I beat this other lady to it, because she kept nonchalantly following me around after I grabbed it! LOL dude! I was a little iffy, but then remembered that I had been looking at some at Joann's but didn't want to spend $14.99 on one. I paid $1.99 for this one. I put him at the door to the craft cottage.

I am working on another little ami at the moment. Pics to come later.....

time to kill

I have a little time to kill so thought I'd do a little update. I think I am going to sleep at the new house tonight. I have to admit that I am a little freaked out. It's in a safe neighborhood and stuff, but our house now has like 3 neightbors on the side of a hill so we don't hear their noise and they don't hear ours. And, I stopped by the new house at night the other day and it smelled like fried food. Like grease in a pan or something Yuk. So, I put in a plug-in so I'm hoping that will help?

So, I need a new project like a hole in my head, but I was SORT of thinking about adding a quilt onto my list. Because I have seen such cute ones out there that are inspiring! But, we'll see. This weekend will be my first sort of free weekend in awhile so I'm hoping to get some sewing and scrapbooking and crocheting and reading done. I am currently re-reading the 6th Harry Potter book, the Half Blood Prince since the movie is coming out soon. I have to say that I'm looking forward to seeing the new movie!

So, I broke down and read the first book in the Twilight series. Not sure if I will read the rest of them. I did like it, it was good. But I sometimes just can't stand love stories. Seriously. I start to compare my own life to them, even though real life is never like that and then I get mad that it isn't. Crazy, I know.