Tuesday, January 31, 2012

laundry soap

I've been laying low around these parts the last week or so.  Last Thursday I had one of my wisdom teeth extracted, and holy cow!  That knocked me on my keester!  I pray I never need to be put under anesthesia again!  The rest was not so bad, not much pain, minimal swelling and no bruising.  I just feel a little out of it still, like I could just take a nap all the time.
In other news, and I don't have pics for this, but I did finally make homemade laundry soap!  I had been wanting to try this for awhile, and for some reason it intimidated me, not sure why?  Seriously it was so EASY!  And quick, which was the real surprise.  I followed this recipe, except I used Fels Naptha laundry bar soap.  In total I think I spent about $15, which included the 5 gallon bucket.  I found a really pretty grass green one at Freddy's, and that's reusable so hardly counts in the total but it was $4.99.  I grated the Fels Naptha in my food processor with the cheese grater side up, everything rinsed out very well.  The recipe makes 3 gallons at a time, and I have a TON of borax and washing soda left so I can't even imagine how inexpensive in the long run this is going to be.  And, best part is that I have sensitive skin and so far no itching!  I was a little worried about that after I made it, and I was like dang! now I have 3 gallons of this stuff and what if I can't even use it?  I would've been able to give it away, I'm sure.  So, I say, if you have wanted to try making this - do it.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

bittersweet and a little ranty....sounds tempting, yes?

Bittersweet, that's how I feel.  Tomorrow is my last day at the office I've worked at for almost 3 years.  Except for 2 people I have loved all my coworkers, and the doctors are great.  I am so, so, so thankful to have a new job to go to and they are super welcoming.  But....I have to admit that I'm sad.  I just needed to let myself really feel this, you know? 
This past weekend was the first Friday that I've worked in a loooong time, I went in for some training at the new job.  Holy cow!  I was ready for a nap by like 2!  It is a great group of people I'll be working with, and I know most of them.  They were truly sweet and glad to have me there, which is so nice. 
Saturday I went to scrapbook and it turned out to just be me and another lady, Connie.  It was good, nice and low key.  Connie also quilts so it's cool to chat with her about that too.
So, I have a confession.  I don't know how kosher this is to admit in the quilting world.  So, all over it seems like this pattern keeps popping up, Swoon by Camille Roskelly.  And, now there's a swoon-a-long over on flicker.  Um, okay here's my quilty snobbiness coming out.  I thought it looked really tricky and fussy and therefore was thinking that people were just showing off while they're doing their quilt a long and whatnot.  Like, look how fab a quilter I am that all my million points are matching.  Matching points is a huge challenge for me, so naturally I was jealous which resulted in snobbiness - grin.  But, since it has been popping up everywhere it's begun to pique my interest in the way that I sort of wanted to try it.  If you know me, you know that's a difficult admission because I usually shun anything that is popular, hee, hee.  Geez, it's a good thing people actually like me because I sure sound like a grouch sometimes.  Um, and also a cheap grouch....because this weekend I figured out the pattern by a little old fashioned trial and error.  That's my confession.  I feel like I made a knock off designer purse or something.  But, really, there's a magazine out right now that has a very, very similar pattern and I just figured out a couple changes that made it into a swoony pattern.  I won't be like putting measurements, even though I'm sure mine are different than the actual pattern you might buy.  So, it's not like I'm going to try to make anything ($$) for my personal gain or anything.  I just didn't want to pony up $7.95 for a pdf.  Is that so wrong?  And, maybe I won't get alzheimer's since I really had to use my noggin for measurements!  Does anyone else do that???  Not buy a pattern and figure it out yourself?  So, sorry no pictures but I will try to show some soon. 
Oh, in other news, I tried out some spray adhesive for batting and I think I might like it.  I tried it out on a small project and it did pretty well.  So we'll see on the actual quilt.  I bought some more flannel and will start quilting on the star quilt this weekend.  If I don't feel too awful after having a wisdom tooth removed on Thursday.  I sure know how to have fun, huh??

Sunday, January 15, 2012

end cap of the weekend

George has been such a turd today!  She is so jealous of this quilt, oh man!  I had all the squares laid out on the craft house floor and everytime I'd turn my back she was attacking them and messing them all up.  And, even though it's frigid out, she wants to have the door open so she can sit and look out whilst I'm sewing.  So, I shut the door, she then attacks the quilt.  Then, jumps up on the table and tries to get the thread as I'm sewing.  So, to finish the top I had to put her in the main house....she didn't appreciate that.  So, as I was taking pictures she was still trying to "get" the quilt.  She does crack me up, though :)
finished topSo, here's the finshed top.  The end result will look pretty much the same since I am not going to add any borders.  It's just the perfect size for a throw to snuggle on the couch with.100_2945[1]Yesterday Jan called up and wanted to know if I'd like to go antiquing with her and I did. We checked out one places that full of beautiful stuff but way out of my price range. But, oh what would it be like to have endless cash??? My house would be full of stuff from that place! Only drawback was that it smelled highly of cat pee. Ugh. I can only imagine what that place smells like in summer.....see, the lady who owns it has the middle floor as her house and I'm pretty sure that's where the odour was coming from. But anyways, then we went to another place that is like a consignment place where people have booths and sell all kinds of stuff. I scored this bag of safety eyes for like $3 something. So cool. They're bigger than for what I would use for an amigurumi but perfect for monsters, grin.
bag of eyesOh, and I'm totally kicking myself in the rear end!  I mentioned to Jan when we started what I was looking for was an elf on the shelf because I was too cheap to shell out 35doll hairs for a new one.  And, then she goes "I wish I'd have known that I had a ton of them in my Grandma's Christmas stuff that you didn't want to go through".  BAH!  I clearly remember her asking me and me telling her "nah, I have tons of Christmas stuff."  BAH, double bah.  Huh.  all I can console myself with is the thought that at the time I might not have been interested in the elf on the shelf thing because I didn't really notice those until this year right before Christmas.

I finished up another Percy Jackson book by Rick Riordan called "The Son of Neptune."  Once again a very entertaining and great book.  This is the second book in a series, I can't wait for the next one!  I read this book really slowly so I wouldn't just tear through it and then be disappointed that I was done already.  So, now I'm looking for something else to read.

So, the big news is I will be starting a new job.  It's a tricky subject because I like the job I have.  I like the doctors I work with, I like all my coworkers and I wasn't wanting a new job.  But the doctors announced on Jan 2nd that they are moving and shutting the office....and really I am so lucky to have a job to go to.  I was thinking this morning about how I won't have the extra cash anymore from cleaning the office...but how exhausted I was and probably never would have given it up on my own, but God knew I needed to take it easy.  There are a lot of really positive things about this new job that I'm looking forward to.  I'll be able to ride my bike to work (for reals because there's no giant hill!), it's a great group of doctors and people to work with, nice benefits, I'll be able to join back in on book club which went by the wayside since I was cleaning, and I can be hostess to bible study rotation again.  This next two weeks is going to be sad, saying goodbye to patients that I've gotten so attached to, and the doctors, and my coworkers.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

bebe hats

First finished knitting project of 2012!  My friend Kristin is pregnant with baby #2, she is not finding out the sex of the baby.  Which is driving me crazy btw, hi Kristin - that's for you!  Hee, hee, she already knows.  But, while that is all fine and fun and all, it's hard to figure out what to get her.  Luckily she asked me for something, which I could accomodate.  She asked for a brown baby hat.  I thought it would be super cute to add ears :)  and then I thought I'd make her a little flower to add on if it turns out to be a girl.  Okay, so hat #1 turned out well but the yarn is not very soft. 
knitted baby hat
So I bought a skein of organic cotton that is super soft. 
knitted baby hatThen both of them looked so big I thought maybe they wouldn't fit a newborn head???  What do I know about babies - nuthin.  And then this morning I was feeling a little lazy, like didn't want to get out of pj's yet lazy so I made another with a pink organic cotton that I had in my stash.  It's a way thinner yarn but on the same size 10.5" double pointed needle so it's a little "holey".  I have to say that this is the first time using bamboo needles and at first I didn't like them at all.  but, after the first hat it's like they started getting slicker, if that makes any sense and so I think they will turn out to be nice.
knitted baby hat
and so, she's getting 3 hats! LOL, it's like the 3 bears.
knitted baby hats
I just hope at least one of them will fit a brand new baby!

Friday, January 6, 2012

catch up

finished crackle quiltOkay, I know this is old news, but here is the quilt I finished right before Christmas.  I made it for my brother.  I found out he was going to be coming to visit my Mom in Chico, CA from Pittsburgh, PA.  So, I hurried and finished it right before Christmas and hand delivered it.  I went with straight line stitching since the pattern is quite busy.  Holy cow!  Don't look too closely because my lines are NOT straight! heee, hee.
up close crackleHere's a close up of the blocks and you can really see that the points have been cut off.  The blocks had to be cut down to 8.75" because some came out 9 inches and some 8.75.  but, I think in the overallness of it it's fine.  The compass parts came out matching because of the angle on my square template thing.
back view crackle quiltHere's the back view.  I had gotten a killer deal on flannel the day after Thanksgiving at Joann's.  Funny thing though, I bought 3.5 yards thinking that was more than enough, but I ended up adding thicker borders than the pattern called for.  You know how it is, a quilt has a mind of it's own so it wanted thicker borders :)  So, I dug around in my stash and came across the blue and red.  I have had those two pieces of flannel since we lived in Tennessee - so at least 13 years!!!!  But, I had never even pre-washed it, it was in one of my tubs so in perfect condition.  And really, I think they were the perfect addition!  You can really see on the back how not straight my straight line stitching it.  eh.
star quiltAnd, new year, new quilt!  I actually started this awhile ago and then realized I needed to get cracking on the crackle quilt, LOL.  While I was down in Chico Mom and I went to Joann's and found some really fun fabric from the Denyse Schmidt line.  I added some grey to the quilt and had wanted more that would match and I think it does nicely.  So, I keep adding.  I think it'll have 2 more rows and that's it.  I'm not going to border just quilt and bind it.  So guess what I'm doing this weekend???

Sunday, January 1, 2012

resolutions

As per usual, I am taking inventory and making resolutions.  Generally, the things on my list have been on my list several years running, but I keep pecking at them.  This list is not in order of importance, just as I think of things.

1.  Moisturize every day!  Okay, this is a lame one, but I'm awful at it!  It's super dry where I live and I tend to just focus on my face, and usually once a day.  I've been known to not even moisturize in the morning.....ugh.  My face will feel like an alligator by midmorning.  So, to moisturize.
2.  Lose weight!  Again, on the list because it's an ongoing struggle for me.  But, this year I am trying new things.  I've already signed up for a membership at the Y which has zumba and a pool.  NOT that I want to be in a swimsuit or that anyone would like to see that, but it's different and might be good.  Plus, I do love being in the water. 
3.  Daily devotions!  So, if you have ever been to church or a bible study or whatever, they generally stress doing a devotion in the morning, first thing.  Aaaaaand, let's face it - I'm not a morning person.  Every second sleeping in the morning is important and not to be missed.  But, God doesn't go by people's "rules" and I shouldn't either.  So, I'm bucking tradition and doing my devotions at night.  So there.  Maybe then my dreams won't be so WEIRD.  Remind me sometime to actually write them out for you - they are pure science fiction.  for real.
4.  Hold my tongue.  I've been known to say whatever comes to mind.....as some say I have no filter.  I've realized that if I just let this go unchecked that it can be very hurtful.  So that's a goal, to think nice things also and think before I speak.
5.  Be more charitable.  This is in terms of things and attitude.  I've thought about doing quilts for charity but have so far either gifted things or been selfish.  Also, and I think this is a tricky one, I need to have a chartitable attitude towards others.  It's hard to explain.  But, I don't cut people or myself much slack a lot of times.

What about you?  Are you making resolutions on this New Year's Day?  By the way - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!  I hope 2012 is fantastic.